MMSS Athletes of the Year, with much debate!

Staff Writers David Cook, Butch Harmon, Scott Keyes, and John Raffel went back and forth trying to determine the 2010-11 male and female Athletes of the Year. After much debate here is what they came up with. Covering nearly 80 schools can be overwhelming at times, but MMSS thinks it has successfully put together an impressive group of student-athletes who are well deserving of the honor.

Top 10 Male Athletes

  1. Gabe Dean, Lowell: The soon-to-be-senior quarterback for the Red Arrows was named Class A Player of the Year in 2010 after scoring 62 touchdowns and leading his team to the Division 2 state final, where Lowell lost to Farmington Hills Harrison. Dean capped his junior season winning a Division 1 state wrestling title at 189 pounds and finishing the season 40-0. Dean definitely has the stats to be named MMSS Male Athlete of the Year.
  2. Taylor Massa, St. Johns: The Michigan high school wrestling scene hasn’t seen a wrestler of Massa’a caliber since Davison’s Brent Metcalf in the early 2000s. Massa has speed and strength, and he is technically flawless. He has all the tools to make him successful at the next level. Massa, who has led the Redwings to two straight Division 2 state championships, will enter his senior season with a 186-0 record.
  3. Caleb Rhynard, Shepherd: As a senior, Rhynard won the Division 3 3,200-meter run in 9:36.89 after finishing second a year ago. He also was the individual Division 3 state champion in cross country.
  4. Jake McFadden, Clare: He won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.2 seconds and the 300-meter hurdles in 39.0 seconds for Division 3 state titles in track. McFadden, a junior, was also an excellent performer for Clare’s Jack Pine Conference championship football team.
  5. Tommie McCune, Saginaw High: The 6’7″ senior averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game in leading the Trojans to the Saginaw Valley League title and a Top 10 ranking in the Associated Press Class A poll. Saginaw High finished the season 19-4 after losing to Bay City Western in the regional semi-finals.
  6. Justin Balczak, Cedar Springs: He was a state champ in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.19 seconds and second in the 300-meter hurdles in 38.25 seconds. Balczak is going to Lake Superior to run track and is considered by the school as one of its most talented incoming freshman athletes in many years.
  7. Luke Capen, Ithaca: Capen helped lead Ithaca to the Division 6 state football title as a wide receiver and will be going to Northern Michigan University to play football. He was a talented three-sport athlete. He was all-state in football and baseball and honorable mention all-state in basketball.
  8. Aaron Daugherty, Big Rapids: He set a state record of 23’7.5″ in the long jump at Houseman Field in the Division 2 track and field finals and was second in the high jump at 6’6″. He also had an excellent season in basketball, averaging 15 points per game.
  9. LaDontae Henton, Lansing Eastern: He averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds during his senior season. Henton finished second in the Mr. Basketball voting.
  10. Alex Jones, DeWitt: The Panthers made it two straight Division 2 state golf championships with Jones, a senior, leading the way. He averaged in the low 70s for 18 holes and will play college golf at Eastern Michigan University.

Top 10 Female Athletes

  1. Becca Mills, Midland Dow: Mills capped a stellar high school basketball career by winning the Associated Press Class A Player of the Year award. She is also the MMSS Female Athlete of the Year. Mills was named All-State for the third consecutive year and had the best season of her career in 2010-11, as she guided the Chargers to a 19-1 regular season record and a No. 3 ranking in the state — the Chargers’ highest-ever state ranking. On the season, Mills, a 6’3″ center, averaged 22 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists per game for the Chargers. She shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and just over 70 percent from the foul line this season.  She is a four-time All-Saginaw Valley League first team honoree.  She also finished third in the Miss Basketball race, an award that went to Central Lakes’ Jasmine Hines.  Mills will play college basketball at Michigan State University.
  2. Dena Droste, DeWitt: The Panthers lost a good one with the graduation of Droste. As a senior basketball player, she averaged 19.8 points a game and will take her talents to Kent St. University in the fall. She also averaged 38 for nine holes for DeWitt on the links.
  3. Kirstin Olling, Breckenridge: What more can be said about this impressive freshman runner that hasn’t already been said? In the Division 4 state track and field meet, Olling won the  championship in the 1,600-meter run by almost seven seconds in 5:07.68. She was also won the 3,200-meter run by 26 seconds. Last fall, Olling won the Division 4 state cross country championship.
  4. Tricia Graham, Rockford: During her four years at Rockford High School, Graham shattered numerous softball records playing for the Rams. She is a three-time All-State performer who will be playing softball at Central Michigan University.
  5. Bailey Cairnduff, Morley Stanwood: She averaged 19 points and eight rebounds for the Mohawks basketball team in winning the CSAA title. She was on two all-state relay teams in track and is also an outstanding volleyball player.
  6. Shelby Herrington, Hemlock: A two-sport star for the Huskies, Herrington led Hemlock to Class C basketball semi-finals where they lost to Three Rivers. The 6’2″ center is going to Oakland University to play basketball after finishing her four-year career at Hemlock with a school record 1,302 career points and 790 career rebounds. As a senior, Herrington averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds a game
  7. Tori Jankoska, Freeland: Falcons sophomore Tori Jankoska may have her eyes on the Miss Basketball prize in the coming seasons. Jankoska, who has verbally committed to Michigan State, averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals this season, earning Associated Press all-state honors. In addition, she led the Freeland girls soccer team in goals scored and is also a standout volleyball player.
  8. Alexis Huntey, Morley Stanwood: Huntey was all-state in basketball and volleyball.  In basketball, she averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds per game. In volleyball, she had more than 700 kills and served more than 80 aces. She had more than 600 digs and 160 blocks.
  9. Jessi Franz, Saginaw Nouvel: Franz played four years on the Nouvel Catholic Central varsity basketball team, finishing with 1,082 points and 702 rebounds. As a senior, the 6’1″ center averaged 16 points and eight rebounds. Franz also was a standout volleyball player for the Panthers.
  10. Sarah Appold, Saginaw Valley Lutheran: Appold helped lead the Chargers’ softball team to a 25-1 regular season record. On the mound, Appold finished the season with a 13-2 record and a 0.89 earned run average. Opponents batted .097 against her and she gave up only 11 earned runs.
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