Meet the Holland Sentinel All-Area Girls Track and Field Team

A look at the Holland Sentinel All-Area Girls Track and Field Team.

First Team

Isabel Assink

SCHOOL: Zeeland West

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: CMU commit finished 10th in discus and 15th in shot put at D1 state meet.

COACH'S VIEW: "Isabel has been a joy to have on our team. She has competed at the highest state level for the last several years, but what I appreciate most about her is the close-knit group she helped establish with our throwers." - Aaron Kenemer

Addie Birkholz

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Part of school record all-state 4x400 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Addie had a great season and is a critical part of our success. Addie works incredibly hard on getting better and focusing on things other young runners probably never think about. We have not seeing the best of Addie yet." - Kyle Barnes

Amaya Brott

SCHOOL: Zeeland West

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Was one of top hurdlers in West Michigan and just missed qualifying for D1 state meet by hundredths of a second after breaking school record in 300 hurdles.

COACH'S VIEW: "Amaya just keeps improving. Her ability to track athletes down at the end of her 300m hurdles is really fun to watch and helped her set the school record. She's had a great attitude towards trying new events while also improving in hurdles." - Aaron Kenemer

Chloe Chesser

SCHOOL: Holland Christian

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Finished third at D2 state meet in long jump and was part of Maroons relays.

COACH'S VIEW: "Chloe was the MVP of our team long jumping and running the 100, 200 and 4x100 at every meet and usually winning all her events." - Michael Mulder

Meredith Cook

SCHOOL: Zeeland East

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Finished 21st in D1 state meet in 800 meters. Part of sixth-place 4x800 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Meredith has matured exponentially as an athlete over the past year. She came into high school with very high expectations, and has developed the mindset to match them - I can't wait to see what she's capable of going forward." - Josh Vork

Madalyn Daniels

SCHOOL: Holland

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: Finished 16th in 200 meters at D2 state meet. Was conference and regional champion in 100 meters.

COACH'S VIEW: "Chosen as team captain, extremely hard worker, never gives up." - Mary Busscher

Novella DeGraaf

SCHOOL: Saugatuck

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Took eighth in pole vault at D4 state meet to make all-state. Also state qualifier in hurdles and jumps.

COACH'S VIEW: "Nova is a special kind of athlete. She is so versatile, we could have used her anywhere. She composes herself like an experienced athlete, it is often easy to forget she is a freshman. She has it all - the athleticism, the work ethic, the kinesthetic awareness, the team mentality, support for her teammates, and she is also a stellar student and artist to boot. She is the total package." - Angelina Bauer

Emma Drnek

SCHOOL: Zeeland East

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Finished 17th in 1,600 meters at D1 state finals. Part of sixth-place 4x800 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Emma is uniquely gifted for distance running, both in terms of her physical ability, but also her mental makeup. To qualify for the State meet in 4 events is special, but doing in back to back events (3,200 and 4x400) shows how tough she is." - Josh Vork

Mirra Fenlon

SCHOOL: Zeeland East

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Finished fifth in the long jump at the D1 state finals to earn all-state honors.

COACH'S VIEW: "Mirra is a natural athlete who has fallen in love with long jump. That love allows her to pursue getting better at all the little things that make a great jump, most importantly being coachable." - Josh Vork

Julia Frampton

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Part of state qualifying sprint relays, while balancing soccer.

COACH'S VIEW: "Even I didn’t realize quite how fast Julia is. People have to realize that Julia plays soccer in the spring and runs track around her primary sport and also, Julia is a low 19 minute cross country runner. For her to come over and be one the fastest women on the track wherever she competes is incredible. I’m personally grateful for her willingness to make personal sacrifices to run track while also play varsity soccer and be an excellent student." - Kyle Barnes

Emma Gunnett

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Part of state champion 4x800 relay. State qualifier in 400 meters, taking 22nd. Part of school record all-state 4x400 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "This season was definitely Emma’s break out season. Emma probably has more range than anyone in Ottawa county in performing at a high level in events from the 200m to 2 miles, in which she ran personal bests in all of those events. No moment was too big for her as she was incredibly reliable putting her relay teams in amazing positions as the lead off leg of the state champion 4x8 and all-state 4x4 relays." - Kyle Barnes

Olivia Hollebeek

SCHOOL: Holland Christian

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Finished 12th at the D2 state meet in the 400 meters and was part of all-state relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Olivia is one of our hardest workers when it comes to quality work on the track. She leads our mid distance workouts. At times we must slow Olivia down during a workout." - Michael Mulder

Allison Kuzma

SCHOOL: Zeeland East

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: Finished 21st in 3,200 meters. Part of sixth-place 4x800 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Ally is an incredible leader and has been an amazing example for the other girls to follow. Under her leadership our girls distance program has taken off, and that's a testament to her abilities both as an athlete and as a leader." - Josh Vork

Ellery Lampen

SCHOOL: Holland Christian

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Part of all-state 4x800 relay and state qualifier in distance, taking 18th in 3,200.

COACH'S VIEW: "Ellery runs consistent splits better than anyone else on our team. She often looks like she is starting off too slow, but usually catches her opponents by the halfway point of the race." - Michael Mulder

Niki McNeil

SCHOOL: Saugatuck

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Finished third at D4 state meet in discus after breaking school record multiple times.

COACH'S VIEW: "Niki has been one of the hardest working athletes I've been privileged to coach. She would come to practice everyday with a desire to become a better thrower and that dedication was pivotal in helping her earn All-State honors to end her great season. It is what made her such a special and important contributor to our team's success since we could always count on her to be at her best in the biggest meets." - Drew Jamieson

Avari Peddie

SCHOOL: Zeeland West

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: CMU commit was 16th in 100 meters and 21st in 200 meters at D1 state finals. Was conference champion in 200.

COACH'S VIEW: "Avari has almost every sprint or sprint relay record in school history. She has just been a dominant athlete for our program for years. I appreciated her hard work both in and out of season. This was especially notable as she trained for the more challenging sprint distance in the 400 meters." - Aaron Kenemer

Ava Porras

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Qualified for D1 state meet in 3,200 meters.

COACH'S VIEW: "Despite dealing with illness throughout the latter part of the season Ava had an amazing season and I’m personally very proud of her ability to compete through less than ideal conditions. Despite this she ran PRs in the 1600 and 3200 and qualified for the State Championship. You will be hard pressed to find a tougher young woman than Ava." - Kyle Barnes

Mazie Robison

SCHOOL: Saugatuck

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Finished state runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles and was part of Saugatuck state relays, including third place in 4x100 as all three top teams broke previous state record.

COACH'S VIEW: "Mazie was our leadership this year. She is her teammates' biggest cheerleader and creator of energy. She is a fierce athlete, but also an incredibly, big-hearted teammate. Mazie also struggled most of the season with a back issue, but did everything she could to make sure she could compete for her team as we chased the podium. She is one of a kind, the life force of our team." - Angelina Bauer

Miona Rodgers

SCHOOL: Holland

GRADE: Sophomore

FAST FACTS: Finished 20th at D2 state meet in 200 meters.

COACH'S VIEW: "She is continually working on her running form." - Mary Busscher

Alba Rodriguez-Lima

SCHOOL: Holland

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Finished fifth at Division 2 state finals in high jump. Qualfied in hurdles also finishing 23rd in 100 event.

COACH'S VIEW: "Works diligently at each event and is often one of the last girls at practice after honing skills in all events." - Mary Busscher

Camryn Siegers

SCHOOL: Holland Christian

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Was area's best high jumper as a freshman and qualified for state finals.

COACH'S VIEW: "Camryn was willing to do whatever the team needed her to do in tight meets. Sometimes that meant running on a relay she had never run before. Other times it meant long jumping when she was not 100% healthy." - Michael Mulder

Brook Simpson

SCHOOL: Saugatuck

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: After all-state basketball season, Simpson was state runner-up in 400 meters and eighth in 200 meters to earn all-state.

COACH'S VIEW: "Brook is one of the most talented athletes we have ever had come through the program. She is the kind of athlete that always wants to do her very best and does not want to let anyone down. She is never one to hold back in a race. She has the ability to momentarily make an entire crowd gasp, and then drive them completely wild with the way she races. She was an absolute pleasure to work with, and while we are so bummed we only got her for a year, we are also completely better for that year we had her." - Angelina Bauer

Aliyah Springer

SCHOOL: Hamilton

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: Finished fifth at D2 state meet in discus and 16th in shot put.

COACH'S VIEW: "Aliyah brings much excitement to her throwing performances. Her improvements over last year are very significant.To do so at an elite level is remarkable." - Travis Pertner

Isabelle Sliter

SCHOOL: Fennville

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Finished 15th at the Division 3 state meet in the 1,600 meters after breaking school record multiple times.

COACH'S VIEW: "Sliter is a generational athlete with an attitude and gritty work ethic that will take her far beyond Fennville's track. She's a true team player learning from her teammates, yet when it comes down to competing, she is fiercely independent and brings with her a determination that is unmatched." - Erica Ruffner

Elina Stob

SCHOOL: Holland Christian

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Part of all-state 4x800 relay and distance state qualifier.

COACH'S VIEW: "Eliana demonstrated the most versatility on our women’s team running the 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200 this season. She lost several close races this year but was able to put it all together and win the 1,600 at regionals." - Michael Mulder

Bella Tamminga

SCHOOL: Hamilton

GRADE: Junior

FAST FACTS: Earned all-state finish in pole vault at D2 state finals.

COACH'S VIEW: "Bella is looking to break into the elite group of pole vaulters. Her two-year career is an amazing short-story of improvement. Vaulting in the 11s or 12s is not out of the conversation when it comes to Bella." - Travis Pertner

Allinna Teav

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: Was state qualifier in long jump and spring relay for Panthers.

COACH'S VIEW: "As the anchor of the sprints crew and jumps the last couple years Allinna has shown what can happen with hard work. No one has worked harder than Teav the past couple seasons and that has resulted PR’s in multiple events, school records in every relay she runs on and state champion appearances in individual and relay events." - Kyle Barnes

Vivian Vallarsa

SCHOOL: Saugatuck

GRADE: Senior

FAST FACTS: Part of third-place and fifth-place 4x100 and 4x200 relays, respectively, to earn all-state. Will run at Adrian College nex tyear.

COACH'S VIEW: "Vivian was the magical tool that we had in our toolbox. Everything she touched, she made better. Who doesn't love an athlete who repeatedly says that track and field practice is the best part of her day? Vivian's presence will be sorely missed next year as she moves on to compete at Adrian College. But the impression she left on our program will last forever." - Angelina Bauer

Collette Wierks

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Part of state champion 4x800 relay and individual state qualifier. Part of school record all-state 4x400 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: "Thank goodness athletes can only participate in four event during a track meet otherwise I might be tempted to put her 6 or 8. But she is best in the middle distance events, and is a critical part of our 4x8 and 4x4 relays and broke 3x Holland Sentinel Runner of the Year Arianne Olson’s 800m school record. She is scary good and I’m just thankful she’s on my time and I have three more years with her." - Kyle Barnes

Ella Wierks

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Freshman

FAST FACTS: Finished seventh in 800 meters at D1 state finals. Part of state champion 4x800 relay. Part of school record all-state 4x400 relay.

COACH'S VIEW: What an amazing season for a freshman. Conference, regional and state champion, two time All-American, three time All-State, three school records; I think the only thing she didn’t do was break our 400m school record which is more on me than her. Ella learns incredibly fast and has become a savvy racer in her early running career. What I like most about her is she is really competitive and aggressive runner. Eventually her physiology is going to catch up with her killer instinct and she will be one of if not the best runner in Michigan, maybe America." - Kyle Barnes

Second Team

Elysia Alejandro, Zeeland West

Abbe Baas, Holland Christian

Avery Brower, Holland Christian

Lyvia Curtis, Saugatuck

Alyssa Danek, West Ottawa

Taryn DiLaura, Zeeland East

Lyla Dowling, West Ottawa

Jenna Dozeman, Hamilton

Grace Fenton, Holland Christian

Caiti Grant, Zeeland West

Layla Geurink, Holland Christian

Adelyn Halma, Holland Christian

Greta Hondorp, Zeeland West

Selah Huizenga, Zeeland East

Jordyn Klaasen, Zeeland West

Evie Kleinheksel, Zeeland West

CC Kuras, Zeeland East

Olivia Laninga, Calvary

Christina Patmos, Calvary

Libby Post, Zeeland East

Lee Ramirez, Zeeland West

Jordin Robelin, Zeeland West

Alison Rotman, Calvary

Elia Ruiz-Izquierdo, Fennville

Mylah Simpson, Saugatuck

Kamryn Sixberry, Saugatuck

Elyse Smith, Zeeland East

Kendall Ruster, Zeeland West

Khaily Thach, West Ottawa

Victoria Tulloch, West Ottawa

Layla Vinten-Johansen, Saugatuck

Acacia Williams, Calvary

Kat Wilson, Zeeland East