MONTAGUE — West Michigan Conference student-athletes created many memories with great performances throughout the 2021 fall sports season.
Saturday night, it was time to honor some of the best in the league.
Thanks to title sponsor VanDyk Mortgage and host North Grove Brewers, CatchMark SportsNet saluted several athletes during the West Michigan Conference Player of the Year banquet.
A group of about 50-60 people attended the event, including athletes, their families and other supporters.
CatchMark Technologies managing partner Brent Raeth emceed the event, which featured some mingling, a BBQ dinner and awards presentation. North Grove provided the meal, while VanDyk Mortgage Lakeshore Team 131 was represented at the banquet.
Three finalists from each of the seven fall sports were honored with all nominees receiving certificates and the Player of the Year winners presented individual trophies. A larger trophy with award winners’ names engraved on it will remain in the CatchMark office in Whitehall, 112 E. Colby St.
The CatchMark SportsNet panel consisting of Brent Raeth, Web Services leader Scott DeCamp and Media Specialist Zach Zweigle nominated three athletes for each fall sport. Our readers decided the winners through a fan vote that generated nearly 50,000 total votes — almost half of those in volleyball alone.
The award winners were: Montague’s Tugg Nichols in football, Shelby’s Navea Gauthier in volleyball, Shelby’s Ricardo Bahena in boys soccer, Whitehall’s Karli VanDuinen in girls golf, Whitehall’s Andre Richmond in boys cross country, Hart’s Alyson Enns in girls cross country and North Muskegon’s Troy McManus in boys tennis.
CatchMark will continue the West Michigan Conference Player of the Year series for winter and spring sports.
CatchMark photos
