Vote now for Branch County's Top Performers
Each week, The Daily Reporter presents its Top Performers, those local student-athletes that had big weeks in their chosen sports.
We here at The Daily Reporter are attempting a new format for our Athlete of the Week award, and it all begins right here with our Top Performers.
Included in this article will be the best of the best from the past week, some that have caught our eye and some still who were nominated by coaches or parents. Attached to this article will be a poll allowing you, the readers, to vote for who you think was this week’s Top Performer. This poll is unlike the Athlete of the Week poll, this one is of the style where anyone can vote as many times as they want. The top four vote-getters after the weekend will move on to Breathe Free Duct Cleaning Athlete of the Week vote, which is announced every Friday. It is a new format and we here at the newspaper are testing to see how it may work, so if it does not work, our apologies.
So, without any further ado, here are this week’s Top Performers in Branch County.
Baseball
Coleten Calhoun, Coldwater Cardinals- Calhoun had a 4-for-6 week with four singles, an RBI and two runs scored
Kestin Goodman, Bronson Vikings- Goodman hit his first home run at the varsity level this past week, knocking in two runs in a tough loss to Quincy
Ryan Kempter, Quincy Orioles- Kempter had a solid week at the plate and on the mound, knocking out a number of hits to go along with a lights-out pitching effort.
Softball
Alyssa McCavit, Quincy Orioles- Even though McCavit's Oriole teammates had a tough time breaking into the hit column in a winless week, McCavit had a solid go at the plate with a triple and a home run to go with three RBIs.
Lydia Wells, Bronson Vikings- Wells finished a busy week of action going 9-for-14 with five singles, two doubles, one triple and a home run. Wells added nine RBIs to assist in the Vikings; winning streak.
Rylie VanAken, Coldwater Cardinals- VanAken had a huge week on the softball diamond for Coldwater, and the box score goes to prove it. In a two-game twin bill with Parma Western VanAken finished 5-for-8, with three home runs and two singles with 10 RBIs and four runs scored in two games.
Girls Track
Attica Hoath, Union City Chargers- Hoath, just a freshman, has made a quick impact on the Chargers squad this season. Last Friday at Quincy Hoath took first in the 200-meter dash in addition to first-place finishes as part of the 400, 800 and 1,600 relay teams. Wednesday versus Bronson Hoath took first in the 200, second as part of the 400 relay and first as part of the 800-relay team and the 1,600-relay team.
Miyah Moore, Coldwater Cardinals- Moore was a key part of the Cardinal effort this past week. Last Friday Moore took first place in the 200-meter dash to go along with a fourth-place finish as part of the 400 relay and a second-place finish as part of the 800 relay at WIlliamston. On Wednesday Moore took second place in the 200 and third place in the 400 while adding wins as part of the 400 and 800 relay teams.
Skylar Smith, Bronson Vikings- Smith had a big week for the Vikings on the track, bringing home a good deal of points from the two days of action. Last Friday at Centreville. Smith finished first in the discus, fourth in the high jump, and eighth in the shot put. Wednesday versus Union City, it was Smith winning the high jump and the discus while taking third place in the shot put.
Boys Track
Ben Gautsche, Union City Chargers- Gautsche has been nearly unstoppable in the middle to long-distance races this season, and last week was no different. Last Friday at the Quincy Invite Gautsche took first in the 800 and first in the 1,600 to go along with wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 relays. Wednesday in dual meet action Gautsche took second in the 800 and first in the 1,600 to go along with a first in the 3,200 relay and a second-place finish in the 1,600 relay.
Drew Vanderpuyl, Coldwater Cardinals- Vanderpuyl had a solid week for the Cardinals, starting last Friday with a sixth-place finish in the 800 to go with a fifth-place finish as part of the 1,600-relay team and a seventh-place finish as part of the 3,200-relay team. On Wednesday in dual meet action, Vanderpuyl added a first-place finish in the 1,600 to go along with a second in the 3,200 and a third in the 800.
Kam Brackett, Bronson Vikings- Bracket is an all-around threat, scoring points on the track and field events. Last Friday at Centreville Bracket finished fifth in the 400 meters and was part of the winning 3,200 relay team. Bracket went on to also take sixth in the high jump. In Wednesday’s dual versus Union City Brackett added a first-place finish in the 400 and a first-place finish as part of the 1,600-relay team. Bracket went on to add a pair of runner-up finishes in field events, taking second in the high jump and long jump.
Noah Rufenacht, Quincy Orioles- The freshman phenom continues to show off for his older teammates, beginning with a high jump title at the Quincy Invite. Rufenacht added a second-place finish as part of the 1,600-relay team and a third-place finish as part of the 800-relay team and finally a fourth-place finish in the 400. In Wednesday’s Big 8 dual it was Rufenacht taking second place in the 400, second in the high jump, and fourth in the long jump. The freshman added second place as part of the 1,600-relay team on Wednesday.
Golf
Keegan Neely, Quincy Orioles- Neely won medalist honors in Thursday’s Oriole Classic, winning with a three over par 39, helping Quincy win the title of their home tournament.
Soccer
Laura Bostic, Quincy Orioles- Bostic went crazy on the soccer pitch this past week, leading the Orioles to a championship at their home invitational with four goals and one assist. Bostic helped the Orioles add to their win total one day later with five goals in a win over Bronson, giving Bostic nine goals in a two-day span.
If you have a nomination for a Top Performer please email sports editor Troy Tennyson at ttennyson@thedailyreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Branch County Top Performers Poll
