The Red Hawk girls Varsity track team hosted their first home meet of the year, Wednesday, March 28. The Red Hawks defeated Mona Shores 75 to 62 and defeated Muskegon Oakridge 121 to 14. The team’s overall record is now 3 wins and 1 loss. The 121 points scored against Oakridge is a team record for points scored in a dual meet. The team opens the OK Blue conference at Red Hawk Stadium on Tuesday April 10, with a double dual against Belding and West Catholic.

Placing for the Red Hawks was:

First Place:

Jeanette Sukstas shot put

Kait Twork discus

Abby VanDusen 100 meter hurdles, long jump and pole vault

Aly Hamilton 100 and 200 meter dashes

Mariah Alles high jump and 300 meter hurdles

Rieley Hondalus 400 meter dash

Kenzie Weiler 1600 and 3200 meter runs

Katei Weiler 800 meter run

400 Meter relay team of Marissa Oakes, Sayge Wight, Abby Vandusen, and Aly Hamilton

800 Meter relay team of Rieley Hondalus, Sayge Wight, Marissa Oakes, and Aly Hamilton

1600 meter relay team of Emily Shaft, Allie Veltkamp, Katie Weiler, and Sommer VanDyke

3200 meter relay team of Sommer VanDyke, Maddie Pekrul, Kenzie Weiler, and Katie Weiler.

Second Place: Jeanette Sukstas discus; Rieley Hondalus long jump; Shaelyn Fasel shot put; Briana Pierson pole vault; Marissa Oakes 100 meter dash; Katie Weiler 1600 meter run; Emily Shaft 400 meter dash; Samantha Robinson 200 meter dash; Maddie Pekrul 3200 meter run.

Third Place: Marissa Oakes long jump; Shaelyn Fasel discus; Kait Twork shot put; Briana Pierson high jump; Mariah Alles 100 meter hurdles; Sommer Vandyke meter 1600 run; Allie Veltkamp 800 meter run; Kellie Spahr 200 meter dash; Christina Dean 3200 meter run.

Row 1: Kristen Bull, Katie Schumann, Molly VonSeggern, Monica West, Jessica Blackmer, Paige Gebhardt, Anna Frausin Row 2: Hannah Sommer, Bayley Wolfe, Samantha Alger, Shannon Leal, Megan Brunett, Molly McCarthy, Sam Durkee Row 3: Coach Kennedy, Kellsie Rypma, Tamara Tiethoff, Cortney O’Brien, Julie Schut, Isabela Miranda, Beth Bullen, Seana Pursley, Coach Russel Not in Picture: Emma Balsby

The Cedar Springs girls tennis team has a renewed line-up this season after losing 7 of 12 starters to graduation last year. “The returning players are going to have to step up and compete in the top spots vacated by last year’s seniors,” said Coach Jerry Kennedy.

Three juniors and one sophomore—Paige Gebhardt, Jess Blackmer, Samantha Alger, and Kristen Bull—will be challenging to fill the top spots. Kennedy said all four girls have developed sound ground strokes and have what it takes to compete in the upper section of  the line-up. Joining them are Megan Brunett and Shannon Leal, both sophomores, who were a winning pair at 4 doubles last year. “The new freshmen and last year’s JV players will all be a factor in the formation of the renewed team,” said Coach Kennedy.

Team starts out winning

The girls tennis team won their first two matches of the season, Saturday, March 24, defeating Rogers 8-0, and Grant 5-3, at Rockford’s MVP Athletic Club. Cedar Springs singles players Paige Gebhardt #1, Anna Frausin #2, Samantha Alger #3, and Kristen Bull #4, won all of their singles matches for the day, to give the Red Hawks a sweep in the singles. The #4 doubles team of Julie Schut and Monica West won both of their matches with close scores. Megan Brunett and Shannon Leal (#1 doubles), Jessica Blackmer and Katie Schumann (#2 doubles), and Bayley Wolfe and Molly VonSeggern (#3 doubles) all finished with one win and one loss for the day.

The team will take on Sparta on April 11.

Sommer VanDyke and Katie Weiler in 1600m relay.

The Red Hawk Girls Varsity Track team opened the 2012 season at Greenville High School with a double dual meet against Greenville and Kenowa Hills. The Red Hawks defeated Kenowa Hills 96 to 41 and lost to Greenville 84 to 53. Freshman Kenzie Weiler set a school record in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:04.4.

Maddie Pekrul in 3200m run.

Placing in first for the Red Hawks was:

• Jeanette Sukstas, shot put and discus

• Rieley Hondalus long jump and 400 meter dash

• Aly Hamilton 100 and 200 meter dashes

• Kenzie Weiler 1600 and 3200 meter runs

• Katei Weiler 800 meter run

• 400 Meter relay team of Marissa Oakes, Sayge Wight, Abby Vandusen, and Aly Hamilton

• 800 Meter relay team of Rieley Hondalus, Sayge Wight, Marissa Oakes, and Aly Hamilton

• 1600 meter relay team of Rieley Hondalus, Fenessa Cotten, Katie Weiler, and Sommer VanDyke

• 3200 meter relay team of Sommer VanDyke, Maddie Pekrul, Kenzie Weiler, and Katie Weiler.

Placing in second was Kait Twork, shot put and discus; Abby Vandusen, long jump; Mariah Alles, high jump and 300 meter hurdles; Marissa Oakes, 100 meter dash; Katie Weiler 1600 meter run; Maddie Pekrul 3200 meter run.

Placing third was Marissa Oakes, long jump; Abby Vandusen, pole vault; Mariah Alles, 100 meter hurdles; Sommer Vandyke, 1600 and 800 meter runs; and Emily Shaft, 400 meter dash.

The 2nd annual Bench Brawl was a success for Cedar Springs athletes last weekend.

On Saturday, March 24, Cedar Springs hosted the 2nd annual Bench Brawl vs. Comstock Park. This event helps raise money for both schools’ football programs. The weight lifters collect donations through community sponsors and put their money where their mouth is in a bench press competition.

With 73 competitors between the two schools, Cedar Springs athletes will be keeping the trophy in their high school for the second year in a row. Cedar Springs out-lifted Comstock Park by 1,205 pounds. Cedar Springs athletes combined for the winning total of 6,435 pounds, while Comstock Park put up a respectable 5,230 pounds.

The lifters are broken down into different classes based on their body weight. The top lifters from Cedar Springs include Noah Scheidmantel (145lbs and under) 240 pounds; Cameron Link (146-165) 235 pounds; Cameron Klompstra (166-185) 220 pounds; Jeff Newland (186-205) 290 pounds; Jason Vietti (206 and up) 275 pounds.

The coaches from both programs are excited about the progress the athletes are making in the weight room and on the football field, and look forward to a successful football season.

The Creative Technologies Academy girls’ basketball team wrapped up their season by winning the WMAES tournament for the second straight year, ending the season with a record of 11-6. The Chargers defeated Potters House in the semifinals and then took down Lakeshore Christian in the championship game, 33-25. It was the best record for the team in the program’s short three-year history and they have improved every year.

Junior Esther Hubbard led the team with 12 points and junior Grace VanEnk led the way in the post with 10. The Chargers held a lead at halftime 12-9 and a late third quarter charge was too much for Lakeshore Christian to overcome.

Coach Robin Greene credited the back-to-back championships to the hard work and dedication of her team. “Our girls worked hard to improve in the off season, responded to adversity, and came together as a team at the end,” explained Greene. “I speak for myself and my co-coach, Mae Hill, when I say that it is a pleasure leading a great group of girls and watching them mature into young women and basketball players.”

Captain and junior Grace VanEnk sums up the season with this, “Before every game, as a team, we would come together and pray that God would watch over our team and help us to do our best. This I believe was a key factor in helping us be a family and pull out the best season yet!”

The Lady Chargers will be strong in 2012-13 as they return the starting five and they do not lose anyone to graduation. CTA looks to build on this season’s successes and thanks the parents, fans and school for their support and dedication to the team.

MYWAY Western Regionals were held in Muskegon on March 10 and 11 at Orchardview High School. Over 600 wrestlers in attendance were vying for the four top spots in their weight classes in hopes of advancing to the MYWAY State Finals. Competition was the toughest it has been all year and the Cedar Springs youth wrestlers rose to the occasion with a grand total of twelve state qualifiers. Of those twelve, five of them were crowned regional champions!

Regional champions were Landon Demorest, Logan Hull, Trevor Marsman, Ryan Ringler and Jordan Ringler.  Wrestlers who took second were Samuel Couturier, Reese Gonzales and Trenton Snoeyink. Maston Wood took third. Aiden Bouwens, George Gonzales Jr and Jeremy Wildfong took fourth. Allexis Gonzales just missed the qualifying spot by taking fifth. These wrestlers will be attending the state finals to be held this weekend, March 23, 24 and 25, at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Let’s go Red Hawks!

This photo from last March shows Hank Porter going to the hoop against Muskegon. Porter was chosen All conference honorable mention last year as a junior.

Godwin may have beat the Cedar Springs Varsity basketball team in the last game of the season, but it was still a great game—and one that both players and coaches will remember—especially Red Hawk coach Andy Secor and student coach Hank Porter.

Porter wasn’t meant to be a student coach in his senior year. As a junior he was chosen as all-conference honorable mention. Despite battling a torn meniscus in his knee the first half of his junior season and missing five games, he still scored 143 points, and led the team with just under 9 points a game. He also had 38 rebounds, 24 assists, and 11 steals, helping the Red Hawks tie for second in the conference.

Then during football season last fall, Porter tore his anterior cruciate ligament. He sat out the football season, and spent the basketball season doing a little bit of everything—managing, running the clock, coaching other students, etc.—until the Godwin game. Coach Secor had something special planned.

“I wanted to honor him in a special way for all he did this season and what he has meant to our basketball program,” he explained.

Secor got the Wolverines Coach Chad Conklin and his team to agree to let Cedar Springs get the opening tipoff, and the Red Hawks then passed it off to Porter, who drove down court for an uncontested layup—his only points all year. The Wolverines then raced down court for an uncontested basket as well.

Secor said he had the idea early on in the season. “I know the Godwin coach well, he’s a great guy and a very good coach. When I approached him about the idea, he was 100 percent on board and thought it was the right thing to do,” he explained.

Coach told Porter pretty early in the season. “I wanted him to have something to look forward to as I knew coming to practices and games, without participating, would be tough on him.”

It was a special moment for Porter, who was happy to be back out on the court with his teammates for the final game of the season. And it was special for Secor as well.

He said a friend of his sent him a quote after hearing about the game: People don’t remember days, they remember moments. “That senior night moment we had for Hank is one I will never forget,” remarked Secor. “Five years from now I won’t remember the scores of games or even specifics on who we lost to or where we won games. But that moment, I won’t forget.”

Grace Tigers, coached by Cedar Springs residents Gary Bailey and Dan George, are national champions again.

Coach Gary Bailey, of Cedar Springs, and assistant coach Dan George, also of Cedar Springs, led the Tigers of Grace Bible College to their fourth straight national championship last weekend.

It was an emotional but rewarding final game to end the careers of seven seniors, as the Tigers held off a talented and persistent Valley Forge Christian College team, 77-71, to win the 2012 NCCAA II National Championship and finish the season with a 25-10 record. For the seniors, it was their fourth consecutive title.

“‘FINISH’ has been our motto,” said senior captain and CCSN Player of the Game, Matt Kurtz (Lowell).  “We want to make that a lifetime goal, not just for basketball.”  Seniors Kurtz, Cameron Myers, David Steenstra, John Oostema, Carl Getty, Ryan Krombeen, and Cory Jamieson finished well.

The Tigers built a 13-point lead at the end of the first half, 43-30, on double digit scoring from seniors Cory Jamieson (Wayland) and Ryan Krombeen (Calvin Christian), their 3-2 zone defense, and Krombeen’s rebounding. But there was no quit in the Patriots. Valley Forge came out with intense pressure at the beginning of the second half and the Tiger lead evaporated as they found themselves trailing by four midway through the second half. But there was no quit in the Tigers, either, as they fought back and built a lead of 8 points with 2 minutes to go and held off the Patriots for the win.

It was a total team effort that sealed the deal for the Tigers.  Kurtz and Krombeen combined for 26 rebounds.  Jamieson led all scorers with 23 points, junior Zach Schutte (Calvin Christian) had 19 points and 5 rebounds, Krombeen had 17 points, and senior John Oostema (Grand Rapids Christian) completed the double figure scoring for the Tigers with 10 points. Schutte and Jamieson were named to the All-Tournament Team and Jamieson was named Tournament MVP.

“We have tremendous respect for Coach John Mack and the Valley Forge team,” said Head Coach Gary Bailey, who had his father, John, on the bench for the game. “They were tremendous competitors and worthy opponents.” For Bailey and Assistant Coach Dan George, who have been together for seven years at Grace, this was their fifth national championship—2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

The Tigers wish to thank all of their fans and player families who have supported them this year!

Story courtesy of Grace Bible College

Grand Valley State University senior Tyler Emmorey, a 2007 Cedar Springs graduate, finished eighth in the 5,000 meter run last weekend, to earn United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American honors, crossing the line in a time of 14:28.66. It is his fourth All-American honor overall and his first All-American honor during indoor track season.

Lake Superior State University freshman Justin Balczak (Cedar Springs class of 2011) also competed last weekend in the NCAA Division II National Indoor Track and Field Finals. He took second in the high jump, fifth in the 60-meter hurdles, sixth in the long jump and 10th in the heptathlon.

On March 4, 2011, Greenville held the last regular season tournament for the 2012 MYWAY Wrestling. The trophy tournament was capped at 400 wrestlers to avoid being overcrowded by those looking to win the coveted trophies.

The youth Hawks did quite well, bringing home a total of nine trophies. First place winners were Landon Demorest, Aiden Bouwens, Trevor Marsman, Logan Hull, Ryan Ringler and George Gonzales Jr. Alone in second place was Reese Gonzales. Allexis Gonzales and Jeremy Wildfong took fourth in their divisions.

Austin Emmorey also competed that same weekend in Montabella, taking 3rd in his division. Overall it has been a very impressive regular season for the youth wrestlers. Make sure you see next week’s regional results to see which of your favorite wrestlers qualified for state finals.