It’s been a banner year for Greater Flint high school sports – and the championship banners prove it! From the hardwood to the bowling lanes to the ice, our local athletes delivered standout seasons packed with grit, teamwork and unforgettable moments. Let’s take a look at the teams who brought home the titles and made their schools and communities proud.
GOODRICH FOOTBALL
Could the Martians have been more dominant in capturing their first state championship?
Hardly.
Appearing in the Division 4 final for the second time in three years, Goodrich trounced Niles, 35-6, outgaining the Vikings 424-96 in total yards. The Martians racked up 20 first downs to Niles’ six and held a 30:54-17:06 time-of-possession advantage.
The tone was set early when the Vikings took the opening kickoff and drove into Goodrich territory to the Martians’ 45-yard line, but then lost a combined ten yards on their next two plays thanks to stops behind the line of scrimmage by Max Macklem and Jakoby Lagat.
Niles was forced to punt and Goodrich responded with Macklem’s 21-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tanner Mazich and the rout was on. Macklem, also a return man, finished with 142 total yards while the efficiently accurate Mazich completed six of nine passes for 168 yards.
Chase Burnett finished with 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Lagat racked up 110 total yards and a touchdown. Colton Roe topped the defense with five tackles while Macklem, Lagat and Ben Sennabaum all had four tackles. Lagat added a sack.
As time expired, Tom Alward, Goodrich’s head coach since 1993, immediately hugged grandson Luke, a starting defensive back, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the state semifinal win over Harper Woods. He then embraced the assistant coach and son, Trevor.
The Martians actually began the season with a 22-0 loss to eventual Division 5 state finalist Frankenmuth before reeling off 13 straight wins, outscoring opponents 570-120 during that run.
Burnett finished the season with nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns while Mazich completed 76% (54-for-71) of his passes for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns. Macklem had 1,122 total yards and 11 scores.
Macklem, Burnett, Sennabaum, Luke Alward and offensive lineman Gavin Sukup all made the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Division 4 All-State team while Tom Alward was named Division 4 Coach of the Year for the second time in three years.
Alward, who was also named Detroit Lions 2024 High School Coach of the Year, has guided the Martians to a 36-5 mark over the past three seasons.
Overall, Goodrich is 210-117 in Alward’s tenure with 21 playoff berths, six district titles and two regional championships. Only Jack Pratt (304 wins at Flint St. Matthew, Grand Blanc, Flint Kearsley and Flint Powers) and Dennis Reinhart (248 wins at Montrose) have won more games at Genesee County schools.
KEARSLEY BOYS BOWLING
With Jameson Vanier’s decisive strike in the 10th frame, the Hornets sealed history, becoming the first boys team in any division to win three consecutive state bowling championships.
Achieving such distinction was not easy, as Kearsley drew on its trademark poise, grit and resilience.
Trailing New Boston Huron, 2-1, in the best-of-five Baker game championship match for the Division 2 title at Century Lanes in Waterford, Coach Bart Rutledge signaled for a timeout and spoke briefly to his seven-member squad.
No long-winded pep talk was required with this group – just a quick reminder of how far they had come and what they were capable of. After all, the Hornets were down, 2-0, to Grand Rapids Northview a year earlier before rallying to their second state championship.
This time, Kearsley charged back to take the final two games (249-226 and 186-166). Vanier, also the 2024 individual state champion, pumped his fists and smacked his chest following his title-clinching strike before high-fiving teammate Layne Shimmons.
The Hornets finished second in qualifying to New Boston Huron before knocking off Madison Heights Lamphere and Three Rivers by a combined margin of 6.5-1.5 to reach the championship match.
The Kearsley Hornets sealed history, becoming the first boys team in any division to win three consecutive state bowling championships. | Courtesy of Michigan High School Athletic Association
Vanier, Trent Zemore and Jake Hager hoisted their third state trophies. Other members of this year’s title squad are Shimmons, Nathan Richardson, Chase Parr and Kolin Doyle.
The championship was Kearsley’s seventh in the past 12 seasons, all under Coach Rutledge, who was named head coach in 2012. The Hornets have also captured nine regional titles during his tenure, including this year when they finished 45 points ahead of second-place Swartz Creek.
Richardson was regional champion while Vanier (third), Zemore (fifth) and Hager (seventh) all qualified for the individual state tournament by placing in the top seven. Parr (ninth) gave the Hornets five bowlers in the regional top ten.
At the state tournament, Zemore tied for 15th in the six-game qualifying competition to reach the round of 16. Zemore and Vanier were both named second-team All-State. Vanier was also first-team All-State in 2024.
POWERS CATHOLIC HOCKEY
After breaking through and becoming the first Flint-area team to capture a state hockey championship in 2023, the Chargers secured their second in dramatic fashion, edging Livonia Stevenson in overtime.
Ethan Haley, who had scored just three goals during the regular season while missing six games with an ankle injury, was the unlikely hero.
The Powers Catholic Chargers secured their second state title in dramatic fashion, edging Livonia Stevenson
in overtime. | Courtesy of Michigan High School Athletic Association
Less than two minutes into extra session, the sophomore defenseman snared a pass from Ayden Cook and ripped a shot from the right point that Stevenson goaltender Lucas Rorabacher, partially screened by Powers’ Parker Bendall, had little chance to stop.
The puck sailed over his left shoulder, giving the Chargers a 3-2 victory in the Division 2 state title game at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
An exuberant Haley immediately flung his gloves from his hands and tossed his helmet into the air before he and his teammates skated over to Chargers’ fans and began beating on the glass in celebration.
The Chargers had struck first at 12:55 of the opening period on a goal from Jack Johnson before Stevenson turned up the offensive pressure, drawing even just before the end of the first period and taking a 2-1 advantage in the second.
Powers regrouped and began spending more time in Stevenson’s end in the third period, but still trailed until Cook was in perfect position to knock in a rebound during a scramble with 6:45 left in regulation.
Chargers’ goaltender Hunter Clark withstood Stevenson’s barrage of 27 shots on goal enough during the first two periods to preserve his team’s chances.
Andrew Parmentier, Brody Neelands and Andrew Burny were the only holdovers who hoisted their second state championship trophy as Powers finished 25-4 and outscored opponents 158-61 during the season.
Cook, a Second Team All-Stater last season, was named to the All-State Dream Team and was the Division 2 State Tournament MVP. He finished the season with 40 goals and 34 assists.
Andrew Parmentier, Honorable Mention All-State last year, was First Team All-State and totaled 12 goals and 37 assists.
Neelands, the Chargers’ top defensive force, was also First-Team All-State and contributed seven goals and 13 assists.
Clark was honorable All-State after giving up an average of just 2.13 goals per game and stopping 91% of the shots he faced. Owen Perry made the freshman All-State team, finishing with 26 goals and 40 assists.
Andrew Burny had 23 goals and 20 assists, and Bendall 10 goals and 34 assists.
Coach Travis Perry boasts a 386-117-20 record in 19 seasons. Only Doug Towler (655 wins at Flint Northern, Grand Blanc and Davison) and Chris Christensen (427 wins at Flint Kearsley) have won more games at Genesee County schools.
In addition to two state titles, Perry has led the Chargers to four state finals appearances, nine final four berths, 12 regional titles and 13 league championships.
GOODRICH GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
After winning three consecutive Division 3 state championships from 2003-05, the Martians finally lifted another state title trophy, this time in Division 2.
After winning three consecutive Division 3 state Girls Cross Country championships from 2003-05, the Goodrich Martians finally lifted another state title trophy, this time in Division 2. | Courtesy of Michigan High School Athletic Association/ RunMichigan.com
No Goodrich runner finished in the top 15; but the Martians’ top five runners were packed in nicely, all finishing between 19th and 47th to produce a score of 134 points, 16 better than second-place Zeeland East.
The time gap between Goodrich’s top five was just 33 seconds, compared to 67 seconds the previous season when the Martians placed third. They also reached the top ten in 2022 (seventh) and 2021 (tenth).
Kamryn Lauinger was there for all of that and was Goodrich’s top state-meet runner for the fourth time, placing 19th in 18:36.7 and earning individual all-state recognition for the fourth straight year by finishing in the top 30.
Lauinger was also tenth in 2023, 30th in 2022 and 17th in 2021. This season, she took third at the regional meet after winning it the previous two years. Lauinger is the only Goodrich runner ever to dip under 18 minutes with her 17:54.2 effort at the 2023 Midwest Meet of Champions.
Just a second behind Lauinger at this year’s state meet was Alivia Ottinger, who placed 22nd of 261 finishers in 18:37.8, a whopping 62 places higher than in 2023. Avery Byrne (19:06.6) was 42nd, nine places better than the previous year.
Layla Jordan (19:08.4) was 44th and freshman Kayla Shellenbarger (19:10.6) 47th to round out Goodrich’s top five. Claire Brown (19:12.1) took 50th and Baylor Lauinger (19:34.3) 66th.
The Martians easily won their fourth consecutive regional championship with 30 points to second-place Freeland’s 68. Goodrich bunched five runners into the Top 10. Besides Kamryn Lauinger, Ottinger was fifth, Shellenbarger sixth, Jordan seventh and Byrne tenth.
Goodrich also captured the Greater Flint Championship. Coach Al Warden has been with the program as head coach or an assistant since 2007.
SWARTZ CREEK GIRLS BOWLING
After finishing second to defending state champion Kearsley at the regional, the Dragons shined at the Division 2 state tournament for their first-ever state championship.
Swartz Creek dominated qualifying at Century Lanes in Waterford, finishing with a final score of 3,337 to No. 2 seed Bay City Glenn’s 3,196.
The Dragons then knocked off Mason 3-1 and bested Sparta 3-2 to set up a state championship matchup against Cedar Springs. The final was hardly a contest as Swartz Creek swept the Red Hawks 3-0 by scores of 148-138, 223-115 and 201-196.
Head Coach Mike Vanderkuur guided the program’s first state championship in his 12th season with returnees Kaidance Gates, Grace Parsons, Christiana Mata, Emma Nichols and Alexis Anthony along with newcomers Allison Temple and Peyton O’Brien.
After finishing second to defending state champion Kearsley at the regional, the Swartz Creek Dragons shined at the Division 2 state tournament for their first-ever state Girls Bowling championship. | Courtesy of Michigan High School Athletic Association
Temple, a freshman who made Second Team All-State, was the program’s lone individual state qualifier after finishing second at the regional tournament, but Parsons (8th), Gates (9th) and Nichols (10th) were right behind her and Anthony took 18th.
Putting four bowlers in the Top 10 and another in the Top 20 allowed the Dragons to qualify for the team state tournament with their second-place finish.
At the individual state tourney, Temple was one of only two freshmen to reach the round of 16 after finishing fourth in qualifying.
Championship seasons don’t happen by accident – they’re built with hard work, discipline, and a whole lot of heart. Whether it was a first-time title or another trophy for the display case, each of these teams showed what’s possible when talent meets determination. Congratulations to all the athletes, coaches and fans who made this year one to remember. We can’t wait to see what’s next!
