FLINT – Even though she’s headed to a rival university, her name will forever be etched into the legacy of Flint high school sports.

The Kiwanis Club of Flint gathered the top senior stars in high school athletics Thursday at the Genesys Banquet and Conference Center to unveil the Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award.

The Male and Female Athlete of the Year award recognizes athletes who excel in their respective sports while demonstrating the hard work in the classroom and in their community.

Goodrich senior Layla Jordan, who was the first Kiwanis Club of Flint Athlete of the Month winner back in September, was named Female Athlete of the Year.

The track star and 800-meter state champion at the 2024 MHSAA Division 2 state finals recently helped lead Goodrich to a regional championship in track with first-place finishes in the 400 and 800-meter.

Jordan, the school record holder in the 400 and 800, was also a member of Goodrich state championship-winning cross country team this past season and carries a 4.1 GPA.

Jordan said her parents have always been her rock and one of the main reasons she’s able to be as successful as she is.

“My family has always been there for me,” Jordan said. “My mom has driven me everywhere to all my things and all of my practices. My dad has always been doing all of the online stuff and getting all the records and all the other people I’m running against. He’s like my manager. He gets all the information for me so I know what I’m running up against.”

Jordan was one of 10 Goodrich athletes honored at the event and will look to end her high school career on a high note at the MHSAA Division 2 track and field state finals on May 31 before continuing her running career at The Ohio State University.

Jordan said the Buckeyes felt like a perfect fit for her future.

“The opportunity was right and they supported me through my whole recruiting process,” Jordan said. “It was just right. They had a drive to win and they recruited very evenly across the board. They’re not a sprint-heavy or distance-heavy team. They want to win Big Ten Championships, and that’s a big deal to me. The coach was great, and the academics were amazing. It’s everything I was looking for.”

Jordan had the opportunity to give a heartfelt speech and spend time with her family, which included her father repping an Ohio State dress shirt, as she accepted her award.

Kiwanis Club of Flint’s Male Athlete of the Year winner was too busy trying to qualify for states at a regional track meet.

Ovid-Elsie senior Tryce Tokar, who was the September Male Athlete of the Month alongside Jordan, was named Male Athlete of the Year. He recently qualified for the MHSAA Division 3 state finals in four events, earning first in the 4×200 relay (broke school record) and pole vault (tied school record), which he is a three-time state champion in.

Ovid-Elsie athletic director Shaun McKinney, who later called Tokar to fill him in on the news, read a prepared statement from Tokar on winning the award.

“My parents told me I should write a speech just in case I win,” Tokar said.

Tokar, the starting quarterback, holds a slew of football records and was named first-team all-state this past season after leading the Marauders to an 8-3 record. He also led Ovid-Elsie to a regional championship win in 2023.

In basketball, he was named the Mid-Michigan Athletic Conference Player of the Year and holds the school record for most three-pointers made in a season and a career, and for three-point percentage in a season.

Tokar said he felt honored to be a part of an award that has been received by many talented athletes in the past.

“It means a lot,” Tokar said. “I didn’t know how many great athletes have won this award. When you can put my name kind of close to theirs, it just means something special.”

Tokar carries a 4.09 GPA and will continue his football career at Alma College.

“It’s close to home,” Tokar said. “I know they’re a great football program right now. The coaching staff is great. They’ve been pretty successful in the past, and the culture there is what really drew me in.”

The Kiwanis Club of Flint also honored Clio’s Ashley Montle and Molly McNamara and Flushing’s Hana Allam and Sarah Olszewski for the 2024 Kiwanis Educational Foundation Academic Scholarship.

Female student-athlete nominees: Parker Beardsley, Lake Fenton; Fallon Behrick, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Destiny Clymer, Mt. Morris; Morgan Dominick, Swartz Creek; Ava Freeman, Mt. Morris; Victoria Henige, New Lothrop; Olivia Gartrell, Davison; Abigale Hill, Holly; Josey Janiga, Flint Kearsley; Chloe Josephson, Linden; Laura Mabrey, Mt. Morris; Payton Malin, Clio; Ellie Neuhaus, Clio; Mallorie Nevadomski, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Ashlyn Orr, New Lothrop; Ella Place, Goodrich; Savannah Schultz, Grand Blanc; Madison Smith, Powers Catholic; Lucia Stevens, Davison; Aleah Swilley, Mt. Morris; Teagyn Tong, Goodrich; Harmony Turner, Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Grace Tykocki, Grand Blanc; Kayla Widner, Linden; Gracie Wright, Davison; Laina Yates, New Lothrop.

Male student-athlete nominees: Owen Fox, Fenton; Robby Diment, Clio; Robert Donley, Corunna; Matthew Evans, Grand Blanc; Nate Gould, Goodrich; Lucas Groulx, Flint Kearsley; Brett Hoffman, Swartz Creek; Andrew Lurvey, Linden; Tanner McDunnah, Davison; Luke Meyer, Davison; Bowen Moore, Holly; Alan Mrva, Corunna; Braylen Naves, Davison; Carson Nerreter, Lake Fenton; Brady Peterson, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Christian Preston, Holly; Sebastian Primm, Linden; Liam Seifert, Flint Powers Catholic; Luke Smith, Flushing; Joseph Schilke, Flushing; Eric Spillers Jr., Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Leo Stravato, Flint Powers Catholic; Brent Wofford, Mt. Morris; Dayne Zeeman, Corunna.

Female student-athlete of the month winners: Layla Jordan, Goodrich (September); Kamryn Lauinger, Goodrich (October); Sanora Kochan, Goodrich (November); Tess Heavner, Fenton (December); Alexis Woodbeck, Flushing (January); Faith Burgess, Grand Blanc (February); Madelyn Burdis, Flushing (March); Jayden Gohs, Goodrich (April); Taryn Craven, Fenton (May).

Male student-athlete of the month winners: Tryce Tokar, Ovid-Elsie (September); Max Macklem, Goodrich (October); Brayden Florian, Chesaning (November); Kaven Unangst, New Lothrop (December); Parker LePla, Goodrich (January); Dalton Birchmeier, New Lothrop (February); James Mahon, Goodrich (March); Nikolos Lemons, Grand Blanc (April); Joe Merz, Davison (May).

Tue, 20 May 2025 16:23:03 GMT (1747758183497)

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Two Swan Valley relay teams drove almost two hours Monday for one race.

It was worth the drive.

The Division 2 regional track meet at Cadillac was suspended Friday because of lightning with just one event remaining, the 1,600-meter relay. The coaches agreed to return Monday to finish the meet.

Swan Valley didn’t win the team championships in either division, but the Vikings swept the 1,600 relays Monday with the boys winning in 3 minutes, 24.17 seconds. The girls team set a school record and qualified for both the Division 2 state meet and the New Balance National Meet in 3:56.32.

Cal Delisle, Ryder Stypanovich, Owen Hare and Boston Streng-Beougher earned the relay win for the Vikings boys, who finished third in the standings with 73.5 points. Petoskey was first with 83 points and Alma was second with 81.

The Swan Valley girls time was the best in the state in Division 2 this season. The record was set by Grace Spear, Aubrey Hare, Mackenzie Powell and Sydney Kuhn.

Petoskey also won the girls division with 118.5 points, followed by Swan Valley in fifth with 61 and Freeland seventh with 48.

Baseball

Valley Lutheran 5-2, Nouvel 1-0: Trey Flood struck out 12, allowing three hits to earn the Game 1 win in the Valley Lutheran sweep. Jack Holzhei led the Chargers with two hits and two RBIs, with Dylan Pugh, Tyler Belt and Axel Schuette adding two hits each. Ben Diener struck out five in 6 1/3 innings to earn the Game 2 win, with Schuette finishing off the shutout in relief. Diener and Jacob Grimpo drove in one run each for Valley Lutheran.

Chesaning 15-2, New Lothrop 1-0: Chesaning finished off the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference season without a loss with the sweep of New Lothrop. In the opener, Brady Sager threw a complete-game five-hitter with eight strikeouts to improve to 8-0. Adam Woodcock and Logan Vogelaar had three hits each for Chesaning, with Eli Keck adding two hits, four stolen bases and six RBIs. Woodcock threw the complete-game shutout in Game 2, allowing five hits with three strikeouts to improve to 8-0. Hudson Persails led Chesaning (26-6, 16-0) with two hits.

Hemlock 14-4, Michigan Lutheran Seminary 0-1: Hemlock ace Chad Brown struck out 10 in the Game 1 shutout. Dawson Doan led the offense with three hits, while Landon Zastrow and DJ Lyscas added two hits and four RBIs each. Gavin Schmidt followed with two hits and two RBIs. Noah Reif walked twice to lead MLS. Schmidt earned the Game 2 win, striking out four without an earned run, with Blake Willman getting the save. Mitchell Radosa, Zastrow and Schmidt had two hits each, with Radosa hitting a homer. Brown followed with two hits and two walks for Hemlock (22-6-1, 8-0). Brady Teske led MLS with two hits, while Silas Hill allowed one hit and struck out three in three innings for the Cardinals.

Heritage 6, Davison 4: Heritage finished off a suspended game from April 14, earning the win and improving to 14-6 in the Saginaw Valley League. Trevor Selk allowed five hits and struck out seven for the win. Jack Thompson and Hudsen Hammond had a hit and RBI each for the 14-12 Hawks.

Caro 2-7, Laker High 0-0: Caro swept Laker High with back-to-back shutouts by Xander Grice and Landyn Stine, with the two allowing a total of nine hits in 14 innings. In the opener, Xander Grice allowed three hits and three walks, striking out eight. He also led the offense with two hits. Stine and Max Grice had two walks each. Stine allowed six hits in Game 2, striking out 12. Wyatt Waterman, Trentin Hessling and Xander Grice had two hits each in Game 2, with Waterman driving in three runs for Caro (18-13-1, 8-4).

Merrill 4-8, Breckenridge 1-10: Bryce Mechem threw a no-hitter in Game 1, striking out eight and walking two in six innings. Brendan Becker led the offense with two doubles and two RBIs. Ethan Mattson led the Vandals in the extra-inning loss in Game 2, finishing with five hits and two RBIs. Becker and Collin Buckley added two hits and two RBIs each for Merrill (16-11, 11-3).

Softball

Millington 12-10, Unionville-Sebewaing 2-5: Millington swept the defending Division 4 state champion and No. 1-ranked team USA, scoring 22 runs in the doubleheader and clinching a share of the Big Thumb White title. Lilly Damm had four hits, four runs and five RBIs in the doubleheader, while Kamryn Blackmer and Logan Matusik added three hits each. Morgan Matusik threw a two-hitter in the Game 1 win, striking out six in five innings. Ashlyn Bentoski struck out four in four innings in Game 2 to earn the Millington win, with Matusik striking out three more in the final three innings for Millington (22-9, 11-1).

Michigan Lutheran Seminary 3-1, Hemlock 1-6: Brooke Gustin had two hits to lead Hemlock in the Game 1 loss, with Carley Noyes throwing four shutout innings in relief with five strikeouts. Noyes struck out six more and allowed no earned runs in Game 2, eclipsing the 100-strikeout mark for the season. Lillian Martinez and Gustin led the Hemlock offense with two hits each, with Gustin driving in two runs.

Reese 16-19, Vassar 1-2: Breeli Louis struck out three in the three-inning win in the opener, adding two hits and two RBIs at the plate. Ashtyn Frost and Kiera Campbell led the Reese offense with three hits and four RBIs each. Kylie Soper added two hits and Jaidyn VanOchten two RBIs. Soper earned the four-inning win in Game 2, striking out three. Louis had two hits, with Campbell driving in three runs. Peyton Will and Sydney DuRussel added two RBIs each.

Evart 4-12, Bullock Creek 0-4: Bullock Creek’s Bryanna Herron threw well in the Game 1 loss, allowing two hits and no earned runs in three innings against the defending Division 3 state champion. Delaney Violette hit a homer in Game 2 for the Lancers.

Coleman 12-7, Beaverton 9-12: Klaira Sysak had four hits, including a homer, and three RBIs to lead Coleman to the Game 1 win. Sydney Bovee followed with three hits and five RBIs, while Isabelle Lewis and Aubree Ellison added two hits each. Sysak and Bovee added two RBIs each in the Game 2 loss, with Isabelle Lewis collecting three hits. Eliza Lewis and Elley Johnson added two hits each.

Girls Soccer

Hemlock 8, Heritage 0: Izzy Krueger, Maycee Vanderwall and Khloe Rump scored two goals each to lead Hemlock to the Senior Night shutout. Vivian Trumble and Kristyn Pratt each scored their first varsity goal for the 8-7-1 Huskies, while Taryn Pratt made two saves to earn her seventh shutout of the season.

Boys Golf

MMAC Tournament: Chesaning took first place in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference tournament, beating out Birch Run for the title. The Panthers finished with a 357 to finish second, led by medalist Cole Beldyga. The Birch Run sophomore shot a 78 to finish first, while Mason Reis was eighth with an 85 and Garett Martinus 10th with an 86.

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ANN ARBOR – Cora Williams has already left her mark as a standout track and field star at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard.

Now, Williams has earned statewide recognition for her performances this season.

Williams was voted the top senior girls track and field athlete in Michigan, adding to her already cemented legacy with the Fighting Irish.

The Indiana State track commit has been consistently strong in the shot put and discus this season for FGR earning multiple victories in each event.

This year, she is undefeated in the shot put, a streak that includes winning the Division 2 regional title and setting a new school record at 44-feet, 9.5-inches.

Williams also won the regional crown in the discus and owns the school record in that event with a throw of 133’9.

Overall, she ranks No. 3 in the state in the shot put and is 11th in the discus. In D2, however, Williams is the state’s top shot putter and ranks No. 3 in the discus.

The standout athlete earned the title of the state’s top senior track star, receiving more than 50% of the 9,000-plus total votes.

Lowell’s Isabel German finished second in the voting, followed by Ann Arbor Huron’s Lucinda Paliani.

Check out the results from the poll below and cast a vote for Michigan’s top junior girls track and field athlete.

Please CLICK HERE if you’re having trouble viewing the poll.