After a transition from winter sports to spring sports, it’s that time again.
Time to recognize student-athletes from the West Michigan Conference and for you to cast your votes.
This is the first CatchMark SportsNet West Michigan Conference Player of the Week fan poll for the 2023 spring sports season.
Six spring sports athletes from the conference who stood out in competitions March 27-April 8, 2023, have been nominated. For this fan poll, we extended the range of competitions from one week to two weeks because of varying spring breaks and the smattering of athletic events across those two weeks.
Now it’s time for you to vote.
The poll can be found at the bottom of this story after brief capsules on the nominees. Voting is open and will continue until noon on Friday, April 14.
Athletes are listed alphabetically:
ABBIE FOWLER, Holton softball
The junior left-hander earned a season-opening pitching win against White Cloud in Game 1 of the host Red Devils’ sweep on March 27. Fowler struck out eight and walked none, and she helped her own cause with a double. In Holton’s 15-0 victory over White Cloud in Game 2, Fowler went 2-for-4 at the plate.
LALO GARCIA, Shelby baseball
The Tigers junior right-hander fired a five-inning no-hitter in a 10-0 victory over visiting Brethren in Game 1 of a season-opening sweep last Thursday. The hard-throwing Garcia struck out 15 and walked two. He helped his own cause with a pair of hits. In Shelby’s 20-0 win in Game 2 against Brethren, Garcia added two more hits.
CHASE GOWELL, Montague baseball
The senior center fielder and leadoff batter for the Wildcats had a nice game at the plate in a tough 10-9, nine-inning road loss to Fruitport on March 28. Gowell went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and two walks.
KAELINN JOZSA, Oakridge softball
The Eagles junior did the job in the pitcher’s circle and at the plate in her team’s 7-3 season-opening win at Mona Shores on March 28. Jozsa earned the pitching win, allowing three runs on two hits with four strikeouts in seven innings of work. At the plate, she had three hits, including two singles and a home run, plus two RBIs.
LUCAS PETERSON, Ludington track and field
The Orioles senior took first place in two events and second in another event in the Hart & Sole Music Invite Saturday at Hart. Peterson finished first in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.39 seconds and first in the 300 hurdles in 44.05. He also placed second in high jump at 5 feet, 10 inches.
EMILY RABELER, Manistee soccer
The senior was one of seven different Chippewas to find the back of the net in an 8-1 season-opening home win over Kingsley last Thursday. Rabeler also paced her team with three assists as Manistee got off to a strong start following last season’s 6-11 campaign.
