KALAMAZOO, MI –– Spring is officially here and athletes from around Southwest Michigan are eager to showcase their talents. Now, it’s time to recognize them appropriately –– it’s the third Athlete of the Week poll of the 2025 season. There’re 40 athletes to select from in this week’s poll, and it’s a loaded field of worthy candidates with spectacular individual performances. Cast your vote for Athlete of the Week as often as you’d like until the poll closes at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025. If you’d like to nominate an athlete for future considerations, please email stats to MLive sports reporter Matthew Ehler at mehler@mlive.com. If you can’t find the poll, click here. Jackson Lam, Loy Norrix track The junior put together a performance for the ages last week, breaking Loy Norrix’s 57-year-old school record in the 1,600-meter run by finishing with a time of 4:13.32 at Friday’s Don Lukens Invitational. Lam’s time is the fifth-fastest 1,600 in the state right now. Mason Mayne, Lawton track The Northwestern commit reached new heights last week, earning personal bests in both the shot put (61-feet, 1-inch) and discus (180-feet, 5-inches) at the 10th annual Kent City Elite Invite –– both tosses earned him first place, too. Mayne’s throws are first and second in the state, respectively. Addison Lehmann, Kalamazoo Central softball The senior was outstanding in the circle last week, highlighted by a complete game gem that featured 13 strikeouts and just one earned-run in a 2-1 victory over Mattawan. Lehmann also recorded five hits with a double, a homer and a triple with five RBI. Kendle Ivy, Kalamazoo Central softball The junior powered K-Central to three victories last week thanks to her work done in the circle. Ivy gave up just one earned-run in 18 innings pitched, highlighted by a complete game shutout with four strikeouts in a win over Portage Central. At the plate, she recorded four hits including a triple with three runs scored and three walks. Colin Hoenle, Kalamazoo Central baseball Hoenle dazzled both at the plate and on the mound for K-Central last week, racking up seven hits with a double and a triple to go along with eight runs scored and five stolen bases. The senior also tallied 12 strikeouts across 10 innings, including a seven-strikeout, one-run and five-inning gem in a 11-1 win over Otsego. Jaden Fawcett, Galesburg-Augusta baseball Fawcett threw a pair of shutouts last week, starting with a five-strikeout performance in a 10-win over Martin followed by a seven-strikeout game in 6.2 innings in a 8-0 win over Constantine. Molly Verseput, South Haven softball The senior enjoyed another stellar week for the Rams, hitting an insane .864 with 19 total hits including a double, a triple and a homer with 11 RBI and 10 runs scored. Verseput also pitched in five games, tallying 20 strikeouts with a 1.969 ERA across 21.1 innings. Isabelle Horvath, Bangor softball Horvath helped Bangor a 3-1 week thanks to her work both in the circle and at the plate. She hit .538 with four doubles, a homer and nine RBI, while striking out 45 and posting a 1.810 ERA across 19.1 innings in the circle. Jaret McCoy, Bangor baseball The sophomore allowed just three hits with 11 strikeouts in three shutout appearances on the mound last week, while adding seven hits and a .538 batting average to help Bangor go 3-1. Ben Truckenmiller, Centreville baseball The senior was outstanding in helping the Bulldogs win four straight games last week, starting with a team-high eight hits in 14 plate appearances at the dish, while dominating on the mound. Trucknemiller pitched a five-inning no-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a 11-0 win over Union City on Thursday. Gavin Eyre, Climax-Scotts baseball Eyre pitched a four-inning no-hitter with five strikeouts against Mendon last week, adding two hits with a double in the Panthers’ pair of victories. Jozee Buglione, Constantine softball The seinor led the Falcons to a 5-1 week with her work done at the plate. Buglione hit .579 with 11 total hits including five doubles and a triple, adding six RBI, 13 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Gracie Smith, Decatur softball Smith batted an eye-popping 1.000 last week including three doubles with seven RBI, 10 runs scored, seven walks and seven stolen bases to help Decatur win four of five games. Cameron Cropsey, Decatur baseball The senior led the Raiders to four straight wins last week thanks to his damage at the dish, collecting nine hits including a double, two triples and a homer with a team-high 16 RBI, 12 runs and four stolen bases. Max Markham, Gull Lake baseball The junior tossed a pair of scoreless outings with four total strikeouts while giving up just two hits in wins over Lakeview and South Christian last week. Markham also collected six hits with two doubles and three runs scored at the dish. Max Gerl, Kalamazoo Hackett baseball The junior came up clutch and played hero for Hackett last week, lacing a walk-off one-run base hit to propel the Irish to a 2-1 win over Allegan on Saturday. Gerl finished the week with six total hits, four RBI and four runs scored. Avery Doerr, Kalamazoo Hackett softball Doerr also came up clutch and hit a walk-off two-run single to propel the Irish to a thrilling 13-12 win over Martin last Thursday. Mario Moralez, Kalamazoo Christian baseball The senior threw a complete game gem with eight strikeouts in a 7-2 win over Parchment last week, allowing just two runs, seven hits and two walks. Moralez also recorded five hits, including a double, three RBI and four runs scored in the Comets’ 5-1 week. Madalyn Vlietstra, Kalamazoo Christian softball Vlietstra led the Comets with 10 total hits including three doubles and nine runs scored en route to a 4-2 week. Elizabeth Bierlein, Loy Norrix softball Bierlein hit an eye-popping five triples last week to help the Knights earn four wins, finishing with a .750 average and nine total hits with a team-high 11 RBI and 10 runs scored. Jakob Huber, Marcellus baseball The sophomore enjoyed a major power surge last week, mashing four total homers including three alone in the Wildcats’ win over Lawrence on Monday. Huber’s three-homer game is tied for second all-time in single-game MHSAA history. Rowan Allen, Mendon softball The junior put together another dominant week in the circle, highlighted by a five-inning no-hit and 11-strikeout shutout in a 13-0 win over White Pigeon on Saturday. Allen tallied 35 total punchouts during the week, and recorded two doubles, a homer and 11 RBI at the dish, too. Audrey Lingbeek, Otsego softball The Western Michigan commit broke the school record for strikeouts in a game (19) in a complete game gem against Wyoming last Thursday. Lingbeek also threw a five-inning no-hitter with 15 strikeouts in a win against Sturgis, and hit a homer, a triple and a double at the dish. Lauren MacKellar, Paw Paw softball MacKeller was sensational for Paw Paw in the circle last week, tossing a complete game gem with 10 strikeouts against Edwardsburg, followed by a six-inning, one-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts in a win over Coloma. Cami VanderMeeden, Paw Paw softball The junior and Western Michigan commit hit three more homers last week, adding three doubles, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored to help the Red Wolves win six straight games. Caleb McNett, Plainwell baseball McNett came up clutch and belted a walk-off single to lift Plainwell to an extra-inning 10-9 victory over Three Rivers on Tuesday. Gabby Liggett, Portage Central softball The freshman threw back-to-back gems last week, highlighted by a six-inning two-run outing with 13 strikeouts in a loss to K-Central. Brenna McDonald, Schoolcraft softball The senior hit a red-hot .615 with three homers, two doubles and a triple, finishing with 15 RBI and a .667 OBP in five games played. Paige Metzger, Schoolcraft softball The senior hit .588 with two homers, three triples and 10 total hits last week. Lilleonah Mandujano, Lawton soccer The sophomore recorded a hattrick in Lawton’s 6-0 win over Bangor last Thursday. Ryley Bruner, Schoolcraft baseball Bruner hit a walk-off double to lift Schoolcraft to a thrilling 7-6 win over Edwardsburg last week, kickstarting an eventual sweep of the Eddies. Corey Stanfill, Loy Norrix baseball Stanfill led the Knights to a 4-2 week thanks to his work done at the dish, recording three doubles, two triples, five RBI, eight runs scored and two stolen bases. Davarion Phillips, Loy Norrix track The junior holds the fifth-farthest long jump (22-feet, 8.25-inches) in the state this season, which was accomplished during last week’s Don Lukens Invitational. Hank Livingston, Gull Lake golf The senior was the overall individual champion at last week’s Tom Collins Memorial Invitational, carding an impressive three-under 69 that featured three birdies on the back nine. Livingston’s efforts helped the Blue Devils win the tournament as well. Olivia Witteveen, Otsego soccer Witteveen scored a goal in Otsego’s tie with Lakeview last week. Ben Liddell, Portage Central golf The junior tied for overall individual champion at last Friday’s Tom Reynolds Memorial Invitational, carding a one-over 73 –– which helped the Mustangs become co-champions with Harper Creek at the event. Samuel Baker, Kalamazoo Central track The sophomore earned a new personal record and took second in the 1,600-meter run (4:13.37) at The Barnyard Invitational, which is good for the sixth-fastest time in the state this season. Marek Butkiewicz, Kalamazoo Hackett track The junior earned another pair of first place finishes in both the 1,600-meter (4:19.95) and the 3,200-meter (9:22.40) runs at the Charlie Janke Track and Field Invitational last week. Emma Hoffman, Otsego track The junior earned a new personal record in the 1,600-meter run (4:54.30), finishing first in both that event and the 3,200-meter (10:24.06) at the GR Elite Challenge last week. Hoffman’s 1,600-meter time is the fastest in Division 2. Daniella Richardson, Kalamazoo Central tennis The senior kept her undefeated start in check thanks to five victories last week –– three of which were straight set wins.