BATTLE CREEK - In some years, the choice for Enquirer Athlete of the Year is someone who is a multiple-sport standout with jacket full of varsity letters.
But rarely is it an athlete with 16 varsity letters - excelling individually and winning championships in four different sports.
St. Philip's Mimi Hibbard is such an individual, making her our choice as the 2024 Battle Creek Enquirer Female Athlete of the Year. She is joined in the honor by co-Male Athletes of the Year Zach and Jacob Kucharczyk of Lakeview.
"She's a great all-around athlete. She puts in the time and the effort to be good at what she does. She's a little hard on our herself, but every great athlete is like that," said St. Philip Athletic Director and longtime state championship volleyball coach Vicky Groat. "Selfishly, I wish she should would have played volleyball. She would have made a difference for us."
Volleyball is about the only sport Hibbard didn't play while at St. Philip.
Hibbard spent her falls on the girls cross country team as a four-year varsity member. She was a four-year starter on the girls basketball team in the winter. And, in the spring, Hibbard split here time as a star on the St. Philip girls track team, as well as a four-year varsity member of the St. Philip/Calhoun Christian co-op girls soccer team.
"I have always been involved in sports, from early on. My sisters were involved in sports and they were a big influence on me," Hibbard said. "I must admit, it felt like a lot sometimes to play four sports. And, obviously, it took up a lot of my time. And, I had to get some school work in there, too. Sometimes, I felt like giving up some of it. But it was always important to me to remember how much it all meant to me. So it was all worth it."
Hibbard won varsity letters in all four sports, all four years at St. Philip.
While she was at it, she was part of some memorable, and even, historic teams.
As an All-Enquirer goaltender, Hibbard helped the Calhoun Christian/St. Philip girls soccer squad make history by winning the first-ever MHSAA district title in program history. The Calhoun Christian/St. Philip co-op defeated Jonesville, 5-0, in a Division 4 district final game in the spring, earning a spot in the regionals.
As a captain on the girls basketball team, Hibbard helped St. Philip win an unlikely district title in that sport as well. Despite being under .500 in the regular season, St. Philip upset Climax-Scotts in a Division 4 district championship game to capture the school's first district title in that sport since 2017.
"What I'll remember most about my senior year is the winning. Winning is a lot of fun. Being district champs in both soccer and basketball was pretty thrilling," Hibbard said. "In soccer, we thought all year that this was going to be the season we won a district, and we did, which was great. In basketball, it was like, no way, it was a real shock we won a district in basketball."
In basketball, Hibbard earned Enquirer All-City honors twice and was all-league as a senior, scoring 10.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. In soccer, Hibbard was All-City three years and an all-league goalie with a 1.3 goals against average for her senior season.
But the district runs in both of those sports are just the start of her postseason success. Hibbard qualified for the MHSAA state finals in both cross country and track four times each. During that stretch, Hibbard was selected Female MVP of the SCAA Track and Field League Championship during her junior season. Hibbard was league champ in the shot put with a personal best throw of 35-0 and was third in the discus at 92-02, also a personal record.
"Playing in those team sports was great, but I love running, too. So being on the track team and the cross country teams was great. And making it to states for four years, every moment that I was able to compete at states, was always such a blessing," Hibbard said.
Playing multiple sports in high school is one thing, but Hibbard is looking to do the same thing at the next level. Hibbard has plans to play for both the women's basketball team and the women's soccer team at Kellogg Community College next year. And, she's been asked if she wants to join the cross country team as well and is thinking about doing that.
"I will miss the community of St. Philip, being such a close-knit family," Hibbard said. "But I am excited and pumped up to be going to KCC and see what happens there. I think that will be a close family atmosphere also, and that's what I was looking for."
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.
Enquirer Athletes of the Year
2023 - Harper Creek's Payton Rice/Lakeview's Andrew Berryhill
2022 - St. Philip's Alex Kersten/Harper Creek's Julion McCray
2021 - Lakeview's Brazyll Watkins/Pennfield's Ryne Petersen
2020 - Harper Creek's Alysa Wager/St. Philip's Conor Gausselin
2019 - Lakeview's Karlie Kucharczyk/BCC's Josh Mann
2018 - Harper Creek's Megan Kusler/BCC's Antonio Postell
2017 - Lakeview's Maggie Farrell/BCC's Juan Warren
2016 - Harper Creek’s Charlie Andrews/BCC’s Brandon Randle
2015 - Harper Creek’s Charlie Andrews/Lakeview’s Jake Herbers
2014 - St. Philip's Sierra Hubbard-Neil/Lakeview's Donnie Ernsberger
2013 - Harper Creek's Bri Burritt/Harper Creek's Josh Bass
2012 - Lakeview's Lydia Drikakis/Lakeview's Dan Emery
2011 – Pennfield's Emma Fishnick/Lakeview's Clay Youngquist
2010 - St. Philip's Lena Oliver/Lakeview's Clay Youngquist
2009 - St. Philip's Liz Sherzer/BCC's Larry Caper
2008 - Lakeview's Megan Sliva/Lakeview's Jake Labrecque
2007 - St. Philip's Allyson Doyle/Harper Creek's Nate Smith
2006 - St. Philip's Allyson Doyle/Lakeview's Devan Kline
2005 - St. Philip's Jessica Greene/BCC's Liam Knapp
2004 - Lakeview's Bre Ballard/Lakeview's Carl Mulder
2003 - St. Philip's Allyson Riley/St. Philip's Mike Leifeld
2002 - Pennfield's Amanda Fowler/Pennfield's Aaron Nasers
2001 - Lakeview's Audrey Graham/BCC's Ben Reed
2000 - Lakeview's Julie Dawes/BCC's Dan White
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