BATTLE CREEK - Growing up, Lakeview's Jacob and Zach Kucharczyk shared everything. They shared success together, shared wins together, and always shared the same team colors as members of the same rosters (almost always, that is... but more on that later). Which was normal, because they are twins.
So, it only makes sense that they will now share the ultimate honor for a high school athlete in this city. Jacob and Zach Kucharczyk are our choice as the 2024 Battle Creek Enquirer Co-Male Athletes of the Year. They are joined in the honor by Female Athlete of the Year Mimi Hibbard of St. Philip.
It is the first time the Male Athlete of the Year award has been shared in decades, but the twin standouts from Lakeview gave us a good reason to make this decision this year because they are two of the best all-around athletes to compete in the city in years.
A sentiment shared by their baseball coach Kyle Kracht, who saw them reach their highest highs during their four years with Lakeview.
"No disrespect to anyone else I have coached in the last 19 years, and there have been some very good ones, but these two are the best kids I have coached in terms of talent and want to and readiness right away, when they came in as freshmen," Kracht said. "There have been a few who were ready as freshmen, like the Bivens brothers, the Jones brothers. But these two were more ready to compete from the start than any we have had here.
"And over their careers, over four years, they are right there among the best kids ever that I've coached as well. They are right there with the best we have had."
The Kucharczyk twins are both three-sport standouts as their uncanny athletic ability helped them star in football, basketball and baseball.
But it is in baseball, that both went to the next level. Both have been honored as four-year selections on the Enquirer All-City team.
"Baseball is our favorite sport, the sport we care about the most, the sport we spend the most time at," Zach said. "When we were brought up as freshmen on varsity, being part of the program was big. Being part of that tradition of Lakeview baseball was great."
Each have earned all-state honors in baseball and were key players on state-ranked teams throughout their high school careers, helping Lakeview to the state semifinals as sophomores and the state quarterfinals last year as juniors. This year, the duo helped the Spartans win their fourth straight district crown.
"It was huge for us to help keep the program and the tradition of winning going here at Lakeview," Jacob said. "We really wanted to help keep it at that level during our four years at Lakeview."
As seniors, both were selected all-state once again for Division 1 with Jacob being named to the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Dream Team as an outfielder and Zach earning the same honor as a catcher.
Each finished in the top 10 in in the school record books in several all-time career and season categories for the Lakeview baseball team.
They both also put up gaudy numbers on the Lakeview football team, dominating the backfield for the Spartans for four years.
The two helped Lakeview to reach the playoffs in football in their freshmen and sophomore campaigns. They both were four-year starters, however Zach missed one season due to injury. As seniors, Jacob was All-City for a second time at quarterback for Lakeview. Zach has been a two-time All-City pick at running back.
Another highlight of their Athlete of the Year campaign this season is they were key players on the first boys basketball district championship team Lakeview has enjoyed since 1993. The group also won the school's first league crown since 2011.
"I love being a three-sport athlete," Jacob said. "It was like, there was football camp in the summer, then basketball or, baseball, always something to look forward to. If we didn’t have all the spots, I think I would get bored. Always like having something to go to, a practice or a workout to go to.
"And, there is nothing better than winning, having team success. We seemed to both have pretty good individual success, good individual stats, but it was always better if the teams were doing good, too."
"We always wanted to play all the sports, all the seasons," Zach added. "Baseball was always easy, because we were winning all the time, so it was fun. Football, it got tough at times to keep at it, because we didn't always win. But we always wanted to be part of the team."
The twins hope to keep that winning going as they will join a successful program at the next level as members of the Kellogg Community College baseball team. Both players were recruited to play baseball at bigger schools throughout their career at Lakeview, but going to KCC was the best fit.
"We are excited to be going to KCC," Zach said. "(KCC) Coach (Eric) Laskovy has wanted us ever since we were freshmen in high school. Excited to be part of another successful program like we did at Lakeview."
"We feel like Coach can get us somewhere bigger down the road where we can play, deserve to play," Jacob said. "Everybody has their own road and this is our road. Go to JUCO, trust the process, and go somewhere bigger after KCC."
It will continue a run of being on the same teams since they were kids, but that's not why they are going to KCC together.
"We have always been on the same team, always been teammates. Except once, when we played one year of Upward basketball as kids. They put us on different teams because we were too good to be on the same team, or something like that," Jacob said. "But it won't bother us if we have to go to different schools after KCC. It depends on if a school needs a catcher or maybe an outfielder and we each fit in a different way at a different place."
The brothers are following in the footsteps of their older sister Karlie Kucharczyk, who was Enquirer Female Athlete of the Year in 2019. After impactful high school careers, the twins have a lot of good memories to look back on before they head off to start a new chapter.
"I think we both have some emotions about leaving Lakeview. A lot of good memories from our time at Lakeview. But I think we are also really excited about what is going to happen next," Zach said.
"Feel a little sad about our days at Lakeview being over," Jacob added. "Sad you are leaving everybody, your coaches and your friends. But we get to go on have some new challenges ,and that's exciting."
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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