Negaunee’s Nelson, Ishpeming’s Bleau named M-PC Co-Pitchers of the Year
By Journal Sports Staff
NEGAUNEE — To the victors go the spoils as the Negaunee High School softball proved in Mid-Peninsula Conference awards announced earlier this week.
The tournament and regular-season champions won most of the major awards and placed a good share of players on all-league teams, too.
The Miners, who are playing in their first MHSAA regional tournament in Division 3 today in Charlevoix, was named M-PC Team of the Year while Randy Carlson earned Coach of the Year honors and junior Abby Nelson was named Co-Pitcher of the Year.
Nelson shared her pitching honor with Ishpeming senior Emma Bleau, whose team is playing for the second consecutive year in the MHSAA Division 4 regionals in Norway.
The other major award went to Gladstone junior Taylor Trudeau as Player of the Year.
Negaunee also had three First Team and a pair of Second Team honorees among position players, along with an honorable mention selection.
Miners junior MacKenzie Karki was named to the First Team Outfield, junior Hannah Voskuhl and freshman Katelyn Lammi to First Team Infield, Mykenna Kontio to Second Team Outfield and Peyton Drew to Second Team Infield. Their teammate Cassidy Orr was an honorable mention pick.
Ishpeming also had four named all-league and an honorable mention. Junior Madison Pruett made it on the First Team Infield, sophomore Tia Mattila on Second Team Outfield and senior Kayla Kaukola and junior Korey Kaukola on Second Team Infield. Hematites junior Willow LaChapelle was honorable mention.
Westwood had four honorees in all. Senior Elizabeth Farley was First Team Outfield, sophomore Karlie Patron one of two Utility Players of the Year, and senior Marissa Carello and freshman Ellie Miller were honorable mentions.
From Gwinn, junior Kimber Shelafoe was named Second Team Outfield while seniors Heidi Eden and Molly McCarthy made it as honorable mentions.
Manistique senior Renae Schuetter was Second Team Infield while senior Lexi Russell and junior Katelynn Arnold were honorable mentions.
Here are the other honorees from Gladstone and Iron Mountain:
First Team Outfield — Kaitlyn Hardwick, sr., Gladstone
First Team Infield — Maddie Kowalski, sr., Gladstone; Sydney Herioux, jr., Gladstone; Claire Mongrain, fresh., Iron Mountain
Second Team Infield — Taylor Hunter, sr., Gladstone; Lilly Van Loon, sr., Iron Mountain
Utility Players — Natalie Hansen, jr., Gladstone
Honorable mention — Lexi Wonling, sr., Gladstone; Kaylin Holden, sr., Gladstone; Morgan Letteriello, jr., Gladstone
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.