Harlem celebrates accomplishments of spring sports teams

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

Two conference championships and a number of spring sports athletes representing Harlem High School in state competitions.

There were two NIC-10 most valuable players, Bianca Barone in softball and T.J. Chance in baseball.

Those were among the successes that were celebrated recently during the annual spring sports awards night in the auditorium.

NIC-10 titles were won by the baseball and softball teams. A story on the baseball season appears elsewhere in this week’s edition.

Sixty-four spring performers were named NIC-10 scholar athletes. Some also received a pin for being repeats on the list. Ten were four-year varsity letter winners while nine participated in three sports during their years at Harlem.

Head coach Scott Scholl’s girls track team led the way with 16 scholar athletes. State qualifiers were Klairissa Boisvert, Kate Dietmeier, Taiah Gallisath, Tambryn Hecox, Olivia Lewis, Emma Platzbecker and Jordynn Warren.

Captains this year were Warren, Platzbecker, Gallisath, Payton Hartman and Brittany Bodnar. Gallisath and Platzbecker were chosen as the most vaulable.

Harlem had six first team, all-conference selections. They were Catherine Daily, Boisvert, Gallisath, Hecox, Lewis and Platzbecker. Aaliyah Forsell and Kahleea Washington were honorable mention, all-conference choices.

Twelve members of the boys track team received student-athletic recognition with four of them qualifying for the state meet. Josh Black finished third in the state in the shot put while Josh Kowalski took seventh, also in the shot. Qualifiers were Anthony McKinney in discus and Jayvious Johnson in the sprints.

First team, all-conference selections were Gabe Haun, Black, Johnson and McKinney. Special mention all-conference accolades went to Scott Kirker and Kowalski.

Black, Kirker and Johnson were captains; most valuable honors went to Black and Johnson in field events along with Kowalski and McKinney in track events.

The head coach was Mike Oliveri.

There were 11 scholar-athletes on this spring’s girls soccer team, led by head coach Brad Heidenreich.

Four-year starter McKaela Schmelzer was first team, all-conference as were Jessica Dahle and Adela Pelayo. Leah Starnes was accorded special mention, all-conference honors.

Courtney Hughes, Dahle and Schmelzer were team captains; Dahle was the team’s defensive most valuable player, while Pelayo was the offensive MVP.

Seven players on head coach Jennifer Corwin’s softball team were NIC-10 scholar athletes. The Lady Huskies won more than 20 games and went 17-1 in the conference, while bringing home the title.

Lead-off batter Barone, a sophomore who was one of the team’s top offensive and defensive performers, was named the NIC-10’s most valuable player. She was first team, all-conference a well.

Other first team, all-conference selections were Elle Adams, Megan Johnson and McKenzie Lawrence, all sophomores.

Team captains, all seniors, were Kara Fudge, Emily Guske and Kayla Kampmeier. Barone was the team’s MVP.

Head coach Bill Dredge’s boys tennis team included seven scholar athletes.

Team captains were Kyle Christianson and Nicklaus McCormick, and they also won honorable mention, all-conference recognition. McCormick was the most valuable player.

Russell Oltmanns and Love Patel were captains of this year’s boys volleyball team, led by head coach Lani Mitchell. Oltmanns was first team, all-conference and his team’s most valuable player. He was joined by three teammates in being a NIC-10 scholar athlete.

Four-year varsity letter winners were Kyle Behan in boys track; Dahle and Courtney Hodges in girls soccer; Blake Ashford, Bodnar and Platzbecker in girls track; and Guske and Kampmeier in softball.

Three-sport athletes were Gallisath in tennis, basketball and track; Starnes, cheer, cheer and soccer; Reagan Cejka, cheer, cheer and track; Goodall, cheer, cheer and track; Hecox, tennis, basketball and track; Megan Kampthorne, cheer, cheer and track; Kahley Logan, volleyball, basketball and track; Michael Gray, soccer, swimming and track; and McKinney, football, wrestling and track. McKinney was a state qualifier in both wrestling and track.