As the midpoint of the winter seasons fast approach, the pool of West Michigan Conference talent has continued to grow. VanDyk Mortgage brings you the CatchMark Player of the Week for the second week of January. Last week’s winner was awarded to Whitehall Basketball’s Camden Thompson. The CatchMark SportNet team has narrowed down this weeks candidates after reviewing a plethora of standout performances.
Nominations and voting will be released each Wednesday at 8 a.m. and voting will close Friday at noon. Shortly after, the winner of the CatchMark Player of the Week will be announced.
Without further ado, here are the nominees for the CatchMark Player of the Week series brought to you by VanDyk Mortgage. Read the description of each player’s performance and cast your vote at the bottom of the story.
Emma Pendell, Montague
The Montague sophomore wrestler has had an impressive season with girls wrestling team this season. This past weekend, Pendell beat four ranked wrestlers en route to her championship at the Northview Invitational. She beat the No. 3, 6 and 7 ranked ranked wrestlers at 145 pounds and the No. 4 ranked defending state champion wrestler at 140. Pendell is now ranked No. 8 in the girls 140 weight class by Michigan Grappler.
Kyle Beebe, Ravenna
The Ravenna senior basketball player has been one of Ravenna’s stat leaders for the majority of the season. In last week’s performances, Beebe scored a combined total of 32 points. The Bulldogs now sit at first place overall in the conference with a 5-1 record. Beebe is part of a group of three seniors that have led Ravenna to their first-half success on the court.
Nick Blanchard, Whitehall
Whitehall senior Nick Blanchard wrestled in the Rockford Invitational this past weekend. The veteran grappler finished the day with a 3-0 record contributing to the team’s overall victory. The Division 2 second-ranked Vikings defeated three opponents ranked in Divisions 1 or 2 and dominated their fourth opponent. Earlier this season, Blanchard earned his 100th win against East Kentwood earlier this year at 171 pounds.
If you wish to nominate a Player of the Week in the future, then email Zach Zweigle at zzweigle@catchmarkit.com.
