CatchMark SportsNet: Player of the Year – Winter Edition – Polls

Welcome to this season’s Player of the Year poll voting! We’re thrilled to bring you one of our biggest events of the year, thanks to the support of our amazing fans, SportsNuts, and sponsors. We couldn’t do it without you!

The polls will be open starting tonight and finishing on the 19th of March (total 8 days of voting).

We also invite everyone reading this to join us at the event—check out the invitation flyer below for details.

Let us know if you are coming at – Player of the Year: Winter Edition!

A special thank-you to our incredible sponsors for making this event possible: CatchMark Technologies, Busy Bee Cafe, Park Place Sports, Shoreline Restoration and Construction!

We also want to thank our SportsNuts that allowed us to provide coverage on every single one of these athletes this year. Thank you to: Shayla Hardy, Mia Milner, Jeff (Jefe) and Tanya Burel, Brent and Kara Raeth, Owen Raeth, Noah Raeth, Melissa King, Sarah Evans, Myles Welch, Matthew Zerfas, Ken Byard, Aaron Boyd, Hart Public Schools Media Class and Jay Courtland!

The 2025 Player of the Year – Winter Edition poll will determine winners based on team success, statistics, leadership qualities, and overall success. Three finalists have been selected for each sport through a panel evaluation. Winners will be decided through:

1. Panel Voting and Ranking: Panel ranks the finalists (1st = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point).
2. Public Voting: For every 1,000 public votes, an athlete earns 1 point.

The total points from both methods will determine the winners. In the event of a tie, the panel will make the final decision.

In a more formulaic version, it goes as such: (Panel Rank) + (Popular Vote Total/1000) = Final Score

Now, with all of that out of the way, lets get into the meat and potatoes of this article! Check out the polls below:

Competitive Cheer

Claire Fouchea, Mona Shores – Fouchea has been a huge part of Mona Shores cheer for the past four years, bringing talent, leadership, and dedication to the mat. A four-year varsity senior and a flyer in Round 3, she’s been a key piece in the team’s success. Mona Shores put in the work and battled through a tough District 1 competition at Hudsonville, finishing strong with a solid Round 3 performance and pulling the Sailors to sixth place.

Nora Chickering, Hart – Chickering was a huge part of Hart’s dominant season, helping the Pirates lock down a WMC conference title and earn a spot at regionals with some big-time performances along the way. They put up impressive scores throughout the postseason, showing they could hang with the best. Their run came to an end at regionals, but there’s no doubt—Chickering and the Pirates were one of the top teams in the area all season long.

Lorena Garcia, Reeths-Puffer – Garcia was a key leader for a young Reeths-Puffer squad that kept the program’s winning tradition alive. She helped the Rockets secure their third straight district title and played a big role in their run to the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals. Competing against the best in the state, RP finished eighth overall, making it their second straight finals appearance and third in four years.

Girls Bowling

Taylor Nutt, Ravenna – Nutt was a force all season, proving she’s one of the best in the state. She showed up big at the MHSAA Division 4 Individual State Finals, making a deep run all the way to the semifinals, cementing herself as one of the top bowlers in Michigan. Earlier in the season, she led Ravenna to a GMAA Tournament title, rolling a 375 series with a huge 227 game.

Emma Herremans, Ravenna – As the lone senior on Ravenna’s girls’ bowling team, Herremans played a pivotal role in leading the Bulldogs to their first-ever MHSAA Division 4 Team State Championship. In a thrilling final against Bad Axe, Ravenna clinched the title by winning the last two games, 172-150 and 186-179. Individually, Herremans consistently delivered top performances throughout the season. She secured a third-place finish at the regional tournament with a six-game total of 1,063 pins, earning her a spot in the state finals. Her dedication and skill have been instrumental in Ravenna’s historic season, culminating in an undefeated run and the school’s first Finals title in a sport other than football.

Ella Matson, Reeths-Puffer – Mattson was a steady force for Reeths-Puffer all season. In the Division 2 individual regional meet, she led the Rockets with a six-game total of 981, securing a ninth-place finish. Earlier in the season, Mattson showcased her skills at the Reeths-Puffer Invitational, rolling a high game of 211 to lead her team to a seventh-place finish.

Boys Bowling

Derek Kern, Mona Shores – Kern showed out at the MHSAA Individual State Finals, dropping a perfect 300 game in the six-game qualifier—his second 300 in three weeks and third of his career. He finished with a 1,320 pinfall, locking in the ninth seed heading into match play. In a tough battle, he went up against Andrew Fsadni of Salem, coming up just short 401-385 with games of 194 and 191.

Michael Hruskach, Oakridge – Hruskach was a key player for Oakridge all season, coming up big when it mattered most. He put up some impressive numbers, including a 233 and 200 in a dominant 28-2 win over Fremont. At the GMAA Tournament, he led the way for Oakridge with a 373 series (201, 172), proving he could compete with the best.

Quinn Alderink, Reeths-Puffer – Alderink put together a stellar season for Reeths-Puffer, proving he’s one of the top bowlers in the area. He kicked things off strong, placing sixth out of 132 bowlers at the Fruitport Invitational with a 584 series and a high game of 235, earning his first All-Tournament medal. He kept that momentum rolling at the GMAA Tournament, finishing second individually with a 449 series, just two pins shy of the top spot, while helping lead his team to a championship win. He wrapped up the season with a fifth-place finish at the O-K Green Postseason Conference Tournament, dropping a 619 series and earning All-Tournament honors along with an honorable mention All-Conference nod.

Girls Wrestling

Ava Pelton, Montague – Pelton was a force all season, proving she’s one of the best wrestlers in the state. She started the year strong, taking third at the East Kentwood tournament in a stacked 155-pound bracket that featured two defending state champs. From there, she only got better, winning a regional title and punching her ticket to the MHSAA Individual State Championships, where she battled her way to a fifth-place finish.

Gracey Barry, Grand Haven – Barry dominated the womens wrestling scene this season, capping off her high school career by becoming Grand Haven’s first girls’ state wrestling champion. Competing in the 115-pound weight class, she secured the title with a decisive victory over Whitehall’s Kassie Sapp in the finals. Barry’s impressive season record of 38-1 included pinning her way through the first two rounds of the state tournament and finishing out with the title.

Kassie Sapp, Whitehall – Sapp made a statement in her freshman season, proving she’s already one of the top wrestlers in the state. Competing in the 115-pound weight class, she battled her way to the MHSAA state finals, finishing as the state runner-up.

Boys Wrestling

Gavin Craner, Whitehall – Craner has been a dominant force, capping off his senior season with a perfect 58-0 record and his second straight Division 3 state title. He extended his winning streak to 110 matches, securing an 11-0 major decision in the 190-pound state final. Accolades also include a two-time regional and city champion.

Wyatt Jenkins, Whitehall – Jenkins put together an incredible season, dominating his way to a 50-3 record and capping it off with a Division 3 state title at 215 pounds. He was a force all year, consistently proving he was one of the best in the state. In the finals, he pulled off a clutch 4-3 decision to bring home the championship.

Ian Cook, Reeths-Puffer – Cook has been nothing short of dominant this season, finishing with an incredible 48-0 record leading up to the state tournament. He shattered Reeths-Puffer’s all-time wins record with 181 career victories, surpassing the previous mark of 177. He earned himself both district and regional titles, and he capped off his stellar season with a third-place finish at the MHSAA State Wrestling Championships.

Girls Basketball

Mia Clemence, Fremont – The Fremont native has been one of the best in the league, proving her dominance across the board. At different points this season, she led the league in points, rebounds, and assists per game—an all-around force on the court. Clemence played a huge role in leading Fremont to both a district title, a regional title berth and a conference championship, all while averaging 19.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Addi Hovey, Hart – Hovey has been unstoppable all season, leading her team to both a conference championship and a district title. She’s part of the driving force behind Hart’s success. Averaging over 15 points per game, she’s proven to be a dominant scorer and a true leader on the court.

Jayna Burmeister, Shelby – The freshman has been an absolute force in the league, leading Shelby to a district finals appearance and a runner-up finish in the WMC Rivers conference. And the crazy part? The league has another three years of Shelby’s dominant forward. Burmeister has already solidified herself as one of the best, averaging 17.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.

Boys Basketball

Camden Thompson, Whitehall – You can’t talk about the best basketball players in the area without mentioning Camden Thompson. The senior has been undeniably one of the top players in the state, at one point leading the league in all major statistical categories. He was a do-it-all kind of player, averaging 24 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

Darryl Thompkins Jr., Muskegon – Thompkins Jr. was a game-changer for the Big Reds all season, stepping up in clutch moments and proving why he’s one of the top guards in the area. The 5’10” playmaker had some huge performances, including a wild game against East Lansing, where he picked off a pass and drilled a game-tying three to force OT, finishing with 12 points in a 69-65 win.

Peyton Ruel, Oakridge – Ruel has been unstoppable all season. He led his team to a 3rd place finish in the WMC and was a straight-up force on the court. He led the team in two of the three major stat categories, averaging 17.7 points and 6.8 assists per game. On top of that, he helped push his squad to a district final appearance.