Who were the top sports performers in the Cheboygan area this past week?
CHEBOYGAN – This week felt like it flew by.
We had some beautiful days, we had some ugly days. But what we also had were some top Cheboygan area spring sports performers. As we close out the week, here’s a look at what stood out.
BASEBALL
Onaway’s pitching – What a Monday it was for the Onaway Cardinals, who captured a pair of shutout victories at Bellaire. What lifted the Cardinals were outstanding senior pitching displays from Jadin Mix and Dylan Szymoniak.
Mix delivered a lights-out performance in the opener, then Szymoniak followed it up with a 16-strikeout masterclass to polish off a sweep in the nightcap. Onaway’s season is off to a positive start, and if the solid pitching continues, who knows what’ll happen down the road.
Ironically, Mix and Szymoniak will continue their athletic careers at Alpena Community College. Mix will play basketball and Szymoniak will play baseball.
MARKHAM'S BIG GAME: Markham's four-goal night sparks Cheboygan soccer; track teams have success at JoBurg
ASHLEY'S GRAND SLAM: Ashley smacks grand slam, Johnson homers in Cheboygan softball split at Alpena
SOFTBALL
Ashley’s slam – Speaking of Alpena Community College, a future Lumberjack did her part during a doubleheader at Alpena on Tuesday.
Jordan Ashley, who recently signed to play softball at ACC, drilled a grand slam and finished with three hits to propel Cheboygan to a lopsided victory in game one.
It was a big moment for a player who seems to have a knack for coming up with big hits. The Chiefs split with the Wildcats, but Ashley’s homer was another microcosm of how potent this Cheboygan lineup has been this season.
MACKINAW CITY BASEBALL: Senior leaders, clean baseball pivotal for Mackinaw City in NLC championship pursuit
SOCCER
Markham’s fantastic four – It’s not too often where you’ll see a Cheboygan freshman make such a huge impact on the soccer pitch, but that’s what Elise Markham is doing for the Chiefs right now.
Markham, a starting midfielder, delivered the best performance of her young career by scoring four goals in an 8-0 home victory over Big Rapids Crossroads on Wednesday. Despite playing in sloppy weather conditions, none of it slowed down Markham, who scored twice in each half.
Markham’s emergence as one of Cheboygan’s top players has been something to behold, and you’d expect she’ll only get better during her career.
JAELYN WHEELOCK: Following late injury last season, Wheelock back and scoring for Cheboygan girls soccer
TRACK AND FIELD
Breaking records, making statements – There haven’t been a ton of track and field events, but on Tuesday, one Onaway athlete had another record-breaking performance.
Competing in Bellaire, senior Xavier Santiago broke his own 6-7 high jump school record with a remarkable 6-8 ½ jump on Tuesday. Over the last two years, Santiago has been one of the most entertaining athletes to cover, mainly because of the way he’s jumped. Hopefully it continues all the way to the state finals.
Meanwhile, the Cheboygan track teams were both solid at the Johannesburg-Lewiston quad meet on Tuesday, as the boys earned first place and the girls were second.
Whether it was Bella Ecker’s first in the girls long jump and high jump, or Lucas Sidlauskas’ top displays in the throwing events, it showed that the Cheboygan athletes are going to be fun to cover this spring.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Breaking down the top sports performances in the Cheboygan area this past week
