 The White Cloud Varsity Girls 2025 track team has a promising outlook. Returning state qualifiers Sophomore Justice Dixon and Junior Gabriella Dakin will lead the sprinters. Newcomers Kiah Rogers, Brooklyn Holbrook and Andi Vincent will add to the Sprinters mix as Jr. High record breakers making their high school debut. Freshman Courtney Coon is a dynamic athlete that will lead in the pole vault, the hurdles and relays. Junior Payten Bird will add the shot put to her disc talent this season. She will mentor the underclass throwers Amayah Canavan, Kacie Kailing, Jacky Rubio, and Loretta Venditti. Juniors Caedance Traynor, Molly Francis and Charlotte Karnes will also be forces to be reckoned with. The freshman class of mid-distance runners: Keira Maike, Natalie Compeau and Alivia Graham promises excitement and are expected to produce some Stellar races. Other hopefuls of the 2025 season: Ryleigh Chalmbers, Nautica Grovesteen, Riley Lyon, Tehyah Nickloloff, and Kate Mchaney. Seniors Brooklyn Foondle, Shaylia Richardson and Isabel Shockley have the experience needed to lead this young but feisty team. In their first outing of the season the team had 3 top ten finishes at the Lakers Challenge on Saturday. 4x600 relay 6th place: Compeau, Dixon, Coon and Maike 7:43.14 Pole Vault 4th place: Coon 8’0 Tied for 7th place Shockley 6’0 200 meters 7th place: Dixon 28.22 
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Photos by James C. Higgs The White Cloud Boys’ Track and Field team began their 2025 season at the GVSU Small School Invitational Friday, March 21. More than 1000 athletes competed for the 35 teams represented at the meet. While White Cloud was one of the smallest schools attending, they gained some valuable experience by participating in the contest. Senior Jayden Robinson led the way for White Cloud by besting 49 other athletes in winning the high jump. His leap of 6’4” was a personal best by 4 inches and was a great start in his goal to match or beat his brother Noah’s school record jump of 6’8” set last year. Senior Dalton Crawford and junior Giuliano Venditti were able to win their heats of the 60 meter dash and 60 meter hurdles, respectively. Giuliano advanced to the finals, where he ended up 16th out of 47. Dalton also ran the 200 meter dash and finished 14th out of 91 participants. “Jayden was great in the high jump today,” commented Coach Tod Reeve. “He had to wait a long time between jumps, so I was happy that he was able to be patient and keep his focus for when the competition got narrowed down and the heights got to where he had never been before in competition. He had jumped 6’4” in practice last week, but it’s not the same as in a meet. But he handled the pressure extremely well.” Overall, 20 White Cloud boys were able to take part in the 12 different events on the day and, due to their efforts, great insight into their strengths and weaknesses. They will use these insights to help improve themselves in their goals of winning the small school division of the CSAA and repeating as Region 33-4 champions this year.  Giuliano Venditti 3rd from left 60 meter hurdles  Captain Maddie Couch defends the corner kick with Keeper Ella Soules  Determination following the Lions goal Story and Photos by Tara Hefferan Spring soccer season has arrived, and the Newaygo Lions Varsity Girls Soccer team is off to a strong start with one win and one loss in their opening matches. In their season opener on Wednesday, March 19, the Lions hosted the Montague Wildcats. Despite being a young team, the Lions showed heart and grit in what was a mostly defensive effort against the ‘Cats. Lions Captain Maddie Couch, who returns to the team after spending last year in Germany, anchored the backline, working with the defense to keep the scoreline close against a seasoned Montague squad. Lion Keeper Ella Soules faced 17 shots on goal, stopping 12 of them. The Lions struggled offensively, managing just four shots on goal, with none finding the back of the net. The Lions ultimately fell to the visitors 0-5, but the effort was there.
Commenting on the season opener, Newaygo Head Coach Matt Painter said, “The first game of the year is always a question mark for us as coaches. Did we do enough to have the girls ready, do we know what positions they should be playing, etc. On top of all that we were facing a very good Montague program! I felt that our girls stepped up and handled themselves very well. They never gave up and kept learning and improving throughout the game. I was very encouraged by what I watched out on the pitch tonight!” Shaking off the loss, the Lions took to the road on Friday, March 21, traveling to Wyoming to face the Wyoming Wolves. The Lions came roaring back, securing a 2-0 victory over the Wolves. Facing ferocious winds and a tough team, the Lions had no shots on goal in the first half. In the second half, following injury to a starting player, the Lions worked hard to find a bit of momentum. It came when freshman Ximena Magana made a short pass to Captain Landry Hefferan Nordlund, who broke through Wyoming’s defense to score with 12 minutes left. Five minutes later, this time off a throw-in from Kallyn Moore, Hefferan Nordlund struck again, securing her second goal and sealing the win. Despite a flurry of attacks in the waning minutes, the Lions defense stood strong, and Lion Keeper Soules faced just two shots on goal, stopping both.
Coach Painter shared his thoughts on the match: “This was a bittersweet experience tonight. As coaches we challenged the girls by putting them in different positions and slightly different formations on the fly. They responded well, and we eventually found a combination that resulted in the win! Unfortunately, we also experienced an injury that will significantly hinder our versatility on the field moving forward this season. That being said, we will look for our girls to rise to the challenge and step into new roles as we learn to cope with both the highs and the lows of our sport!”
The Lions look to build on their first win as they take to the road for their next match against Muskegon Oakridge on Tuesday, March 25. The Lions currently stand at 1-1-0.  Luella Hilden strikes a pose during a break in action
 Our coverage teams placed 9 players on the All Conference teams led by Grant where 4 players were recognized for their contributions to an undefeated conference season. White Cloud saw 3 players make the squad and Newaygo placed a pair. We asked coaches for a few words about their players. Dan George (Grant) Bob Jones (White Cloud) and Jason Long (Newaygo). Ethan DeLong-Grant-Senior-Honorable Mention Ethan had an exceptional senior year, played unselfishly, and supported his teammates. Sincere Hatch-Grant-Senior-1st Team Most Improved, especially on his defense, second effort and rebounding. Captain, scorer, and vocal leader of the team. Sincere has signed to play next year at Kuyper College. Blake Rider-Grant-Junior-1st Team A Co-Captain, Blake is that player every coach wants and needs on his team. He's our quarterback and coach on the floor, often sacrificing his own scoring opportunities to get his teammates involved. He led the team in assists. He is the recipient of this year's Tiger Award, the player that does it all, on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. Zaiden Phillips-Grant-Junior-1st Team A Co-Captain, Zaiden is our MVP, leading the team in scoring at 19 PPG, and in my opinion, the best player in the conference. When he didn't score you could count on him to be a part of the scoring with an assist, a steal, or a rebound. Zaiden had 3 games with 30+ points. Blake and Zaiden were captains, also Jayden Robinson-White Cloud-Senior-1st Team Jayden is a three year starter on varsity. Most teams schemed on how to stop him or take him away. He can play all five positions on the floor. He is a First team all Conference player two years in a row. He averaged 12 pts a game for the three years on Varsity. Coleson Cruzan-White Cloud-Senior-1st Team Coleson had a breakout season averaging 10.6 pts per game in league. His hard work in the off-season really showed this year. Brady Strait-White Cloud-Freshman-Honorable Mention Brady averaged 9.5 points a game. We expect big things from him. , he's definitely one you can expect to hear a lot about for the next three years. Hunter Yearsovich-Newaygo-Senior-1st Team Hunter was a steady leader and performer, leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Hunter competed every day whether it was practice or a game and made his teammates around him better. Blake Kerr-Newaygo-Senior-Honorable Mention Blake completed his senior year strong. He was able to battle through injury to be one of our leading scorers and one of our leading rebounders. Blake was able to impact games with his athleticism, strength, and competitiveness.
Once again our local teams put some serious talent on the court this season. In the CSAA Newaygo placed 3 and Grant had 2 on the AC teams in the Red Division, while White Cloud was represented by 2 in the White. Here are the young women who were honored and a few words from their coaches, Nate Thomasma (Newaygo), Josh Delamater (Grant) and Caleb Wilk (White Cloud) Kija Schultz-Newaygo-Senior-1st Team Kija is one of the most versatile players I've had the privilege of coaching in my 14 years of girls' basketball. This year, she ranked second on the team in scoring (7.3 ppg), third in rebounds (4.2 rpg), first in steals (4 spg), and second in deflections (4.2). She truly became the "Swiss Army Knife" of the team. I'm incredibly proud of the growth she’s shown, from her sophomore year on Varsity to this season. Kija’s dedication and the time she invested in improving her game over the years were clearly evident in her performance this year. Ruby Hughes-Newaygo-Sophomore-1st Team Ruby had an outstanding first full season on the Varsity team this year. She led our team in both points (8.3 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg), and was the cornerstone of our defense. Her ability to grab rebounds is truly exceptional. What’s exciting about Ruby is the incredible potential she has—her ceiling is sky-high. She only began playing competitive basketball in 7th grade, so there’s so much room for growth, and I’m confident that it will happen because of her strong desire to learn and be coached. Ruby works tirelessly and is a fantastic teammate. Amaya Lathrop-Newaygo-Junior-Honorable Mention This marks the second consecutive year Amaya has earned All-Conference honors in basketball. She finished third on the team in scoring (7.1 ppg), first in deflections (4.4), second in steals (3.5 spg), and first in assists (4.1 apg). Amaya truly was the engine that drove the team this year. She has an excellent understanding of where everyone needs to be on the floor and helps the team get in the right positions. Defensively, Amaya gets her hands on the ball as well as anyone I’ve ever coached. Her ability to be in the right place at the right time is remarkable. I’m excited to have her back next year! Jocee Pleune-Grant-Senior-1st Team Jocee was second in points 8.1 and assists 1.8, first in steals by more than double anyone else with 3.6, and third in rebounds with 4.2 (pretty impressive given her size). Jo set the tempo for us every game. She was our primary ball handler and teams regularly tried to get the ball out of her hands. Her most impressive skill set is on defense. She is arguably one of the best defenders in the area even though she is always outsized by the girls she’s guarding. Alexa Obenauf-Grant-Senior-Honorable Mention Alexa led our team in points 8.1 and assists 2.0, and was second in rebounds 6.5. She did a lot of stuff for us that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet including being our primary inbounder whether it was our press break, baseline inbounds or sideline inbounds. I trusted her to make the majority of those calls and she often got open shots for us. She was put up for one of the at large 1st team spots and got a vote. Considering the other athletes that were up for at large, getting a vote was huge! Andi Vincent-White Cloud-1st Team Andi has been nothing short of spectacular. Averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 steals per game, Andi will enter the MHSAA record book for making 67 three-pointers in a season and scoring 20 points in a single quarter. Despite these impressive feats, Andi remains humble, always focused on her team’s success. With three more years to develop, her confidence and leadership will be key to the team’s future achievements. Payten Bird-White Cloud-Junior-Honorable Mention Payten averaged 6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. After the team lost all its post players to graduation, Payten stepped up, working hard to become more aggressive. Her dedication earned her the title of team captain, and her leadership has been crucial to the team’s success. With one more season ahead, Payten is poised to be a dominant force on both ends of the floor. i  The White Cloud Boys’ track and field team have welcomed the spring weather by hitting the track with great anticipation for the upcoming season. Having finished last year with a regional victory and a top 4 finish in the Division 4 State finals, the Indian boys have set some high goals and look forward to getting the season started to meet or exceed those goals. “Our motto for this season is ‘No one rises to low expectations’,” said head coach Tod Reeve. “We have a great deal of talent on this team, and our combination of talent, experience, and enthusiasm should bode well for this season. Practices so far have exceeded my expectations. I have a great group of kids!” Four seniors and one junior will be providing the Indians the aforementioned talent. Jayden Robinson, Dalton Crawford, David Higgs, and Kaleb Canning are the four seniors that not only have excelled individually, but have also joined with teammates to show prowess in relays. Jayden was a force last year in both the high jump and long jump, while Dalton and David dominated the field in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. These three athletes were also involved in the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that competed in the MHSAA State Finals last year. Kaleb showed great improvement in both the 1600 and 3200 runs last year, and was an instrumental part of the 4x800 relay team that also participated at state finals. Junior Giuliano Venditti showed his incredible talent by earning the right to compete in the state finals in both the 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. Due to their combination of expertise and leadership skills, these five athletes have been designated as the captains of the White Cloud team. The Indians will begin the season March 21st with an indoor meet at Grand Valley State University before hosting a “friendly” meet with Newaygo, Wyoming Potter’s House, and Muskegon Heights March 25th. Their first conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 versus rival Kent City at Memorial Stadium in White Cloud. 
Tourney run ends for Fremont Photos by Matthew Zerfas Gladstone 49 Fremont 31 A successful season that included a second straight conference championship and a second straight District title came to an end in Houghton Lake Wednesday night.The Gladstone Braves behind an epic performance from their all state star Lillie Johnson held the Pack to less than half their season point average and punched their ticket to the quarterfinals. The Red and White kept it close in the first half down by just a point after one and still within reach at the break with the Braves leading 22-16. But the second half continued to see the Packer offense sputter behind missed shots Coach Zerfas ” We picked a bad night to have a bad shooting night. Gladstone played a good half court man to man defense but we had good looks and missed shot after shot. I thought our defense was good early, we just could not find a rhythm at any point in the game. We also could not speed them up. Our full court defense has been great all year but they were able to keep the tempo slow.” Taylor DeKuiper accounted for nearly half of Fremont’s points finishing with 15 while taking an equal number off the glass and Mia Clemence pulled down 10 boards to go with her 8 points but on this night it proved to be not enough. The Packers end the year with an impressive 23-3 mark matching the school record for wins while adding a couple of pieces to the school’s trophy case.   
Photos by Amanda Louck-Booth After capturing their District title the Tigers moved on to Regional play at GR West Catholic where they faced Spring Lake, a team that had bested them earlier in the season. Grant was able to hold back a strong Laker team in the first quarter taking a 6-4 lead, Grant was bitten by the turnover bug which allowed Spring Lake to grab the lead and run away from a game Tiger squad. Coach Delamater: “The district title was something we’ve talked about all year. We knew we had a district that we could. I knew that it would be a challenge for us to score against teams that have a great defense and are good at handling ball pressure. Spring Lake is phenomenal at both of those things. We’ve worked on some defensive adjustments over the past month to get ready for the tournament and I thought we did a great job on Spring Lake’s half court offense. I think that a third of their points came off of turnovers and transition points. I also thought that we did a much better job of boxing out and getting rebounds on them then we did last time. Unfortunately, they exploited our offensive deficiencies. I applaud our girls for their effort and playing hard until the end. Junior Payton Bouwkamp led us with eight points..” The Tigers season may have come to an end however this team contributed a hunk of hardware into the trophy case, becoming the only Red Division team to do so and one of two CSAA teams, along with Kent City, to raise a District trophy.
Fremont plays for Regional title Wednesday Photos by Matthew Zerfas Fremont 67 Clare 43 The Packers are headed back to Houghton Lake Wednesday for a shot at a Regional title and a trip to the Quarterfinals. Defensive pressure and some hot hands on offense sparked Fremont’s finest as they fired in 11 of 25 from distance while dropping 9 out of 10 from the charity stripe. Riley Chase scored 10 first quarter points on her way to a career high 29 and the Pack ran off to a 20-11 first quarter lead. They never let up extending the lead to 13 by intermission, then came out of the break strong. With 12 minutes left in the game Fremont held a 56 to 35 lead and cruised to the win. Chase has had a sparkling tournament and tonight was no exception. She canned 5 triples and added 5 steals. Taylor Dekuiper had another huge game taking a dozen off the glass to go with her 17 points and 8 steals. Mia Clemence directed traffic from the point and dropped 10 dimes, scored 9 points and grabbed 8 steals. Khalia Noordyk and Ellen Shriver each finished with 4 points. Coach Zerfas: “This summer the team stayed at my cabins two hours north of Fremont and we cold called area teams asking to scrimmage. Houghton Lake kindly accepted. After we were done with the second day at Houghton Lake I told the girls we would be coming back, knowing the regional finals would be played there.” On Wednesday the game will feature two 23-2 teams fighting for the Regional hardware when the Packers take on the Gladstone Braves. Game time 7pm.  
Photos by Matthew Zerfas Fremont 66 Big Rapids 53 Behind their boisterous fans who jammed the Fremont gym the Packers didn’t disappoint. They hit the first basket of the game to take the lead they would hold the rest of the game and collected their second straight District title. Mia Clemence had it going early and 12 minutes in she had already put 9 points in the book and the hosts led 20-8. The Cards regrouped a bit and the teams battled it out but by the break the Packers had pushed their lead to 15. The second half saw the Cardinals make a couple of runs but they were never able to close the gap and the Packers punched their ticket to the Regionals. They won’t have to go far in their matchup with the Pioneers of Clare though since they are hosting Monday’s game with tip-off at 7pm. Coach Zerfas: We score a lot of points averaging 65 per game on the season, but it is our relentless defense that wins games for us. Our girls just pressured and swarmed the whole night“ “Brynna Barnhart, who only played 5 minutes on Wednesday vs Newaygo because of foul trouble had a career high 18 points including 4 triples from deep. Brynna while walking out of the school Wednesday, said, I'll make up for this game Friday....and boy did she ever. “ Mia Clemence had 13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists. Taylor Johnson had a huge game off the bench with 12 points and 5 steals. Taylor DeKuiper had 9 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Riley Chase and Ella Shriver had 5 points.
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