Vote for the Kalamazoo-area winter sports Athlete of the Week (Jan. 5-10)

KALAMAZOO, MI – The athletes of Southwest Michigan continue to impress in 2026.
In the first full week back from the holiday break, Kalamazoo-area athletes showed no signs of rust – dazzling in sports such as basketball, wrestling, hockey and swimming.
That means it’s time to recognize all those standout athletes accordingly with MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette’s winter sports Athlete of the Week poll.
Fans can check out top performances and vote for their favorite athlete until 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 16.
Below are this week’s nominees.
Can’t find the poll? Click here.
Crosby Croel, Kalamazoo Christian
The junior played hero on Friday, draining a triple at the buzzer to stun Schoolcraft in overtime, 61-58, and giving the Comets their biggest win of the season. Croel canned five 3s and finished with 22 points to lead K-Christian to Friday’s win.
Liam Smith, Otsego
The Florida commit is off to a sensational start to his senior year, grabbing four total victories last week – including first place finishes in both the 100-yard backstroke (49.89) and 200-yard IM at a D3 invitational on Saturday.
Griffin Moore, Kalamazoo United
Moore scored the game-winning goal to lift Kalamazoo United to a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Portage United on Wednesday. He also called game with a game-winning overtime goal in a 3-2 win over Ann Arbor Huron on Friday.
Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell
The star senior grappler and Iowa commit helped Plainwell win the Fowlerville Gladiatrix last Wednesday, soaring to winning her weight class (105 pounds) by pinning all three of her opponents.
Aiden Beam, Gobles
The senior sank the game-winning buzzer-beat to send Gobles to a thrilling win over Lawton on Tuesday, and added 14 points in a 58-46 win over Galesburg-Augusta on Friday.
Ali Bates, Gull Lake
The senior sank a clutch bucket with just seconds left in regulation to force overtime on Tuesday, helping the Blue Devils eventually earn a 46-45 win over Otsego. Bates finished with a team-high 15 points in the game.
George Nulty, Mattawan
Nulty scored a goal and added two assists in leading Mattawan hockey to an 8-0 win over the Kalamazoo Eagles last Wednesday.
Ethan Rule, Portage United
Rule went off for four goals on Saturday, leading Portage United to a 7-3 win over Midland.
Hayden Campbell, Mattawan
The senior poured in a game-high 18 points with seven rebounds and three assists to lead Mattawan to a huge 50-35 win over Plainwell on Tuesday.
Brooke Smalldon, Otsego
The junior dazzled for 16 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, three assists and three blocks to lead Otsego to a huge 48-38 win over Plainwell on Friday. She also led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Gull Lake on Tuesday.
Quinton Swanson, Portage Northern
The senior forward dropped a game-high 29 points and shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line to lead Northern to a 66-61 victory over Vicksburg on Tuesday. Swanson also scored 22 points in a 52-38 win over St. Joseph on Friday.
Elli VanDusen, Kalamazoo Christian
The junior took over with 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead Kalamazoo Christian to a 63-34 statement win over Schoolcraft on Friday.
Ben Allen, Portage Central
The junior picked up a pair of first place finishes at last week’s dual meet with Battle Creek Central, including victories in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.02) and 100-yard butterfly (54.57).
Justyce Boeve, Portage Central
The junior scored 16 points in a 66-43 win over Paw Paw on Tuesday and finished with 11 points in a 33-25 win over Gull Lake on Friday.
Kodee Bienz, Schoolcraft
Bienz dropped a game-high 22 points including three first half triples to lead Schoolcraft to a 64-36 win over Battle Creek Lakeview on Tuesday. The junior added eight points in a loss to K-Christian on Friday, too.
Sam Harper, Plainwell
The senior picked up a pair of first place finishes last week, including victories in the 200-freestyle (1:42.65) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:47.65).
Logyn Hill, Lawton
The freshman phenom led Lawton to a dominant win with a near triple double on Friday, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and four assists in a 61-33 win over Parchment.
Leland Berg, Kalamazoo Hackett
The senior poured in a team-high 19 points to lead Kalamazoo Hackett to a 64-60 win over Galesburg-Augusta on Tuesday.
Mecenzie Allen, Paw Paw
The senior put together a monster double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds to lead Paw Paw to a 53-49 win over Three Rivers on Friday.
Lucy Young, Kalamazoo Hackett
The sophomore scored a team-high 15 points with four rebounds, four assists and seven steals to lead Kalamazoo Hackett to a thrilling 38-37 win over Maple City Glen Lake on Friday.
BJ Hunt, Parchment
The senior scored a career-high 23 points in a 58-50 win over Delton Kellogg on Tuesday, adding 16 points in a win over Three Rivers on Wednesday and 17 points in a win over Lawton on Friday.
Camryn Rosier, Vicksburg
Rosier scored nine of her team-high 15 points in the third quarter on Tuesday, helping Vicksburg earn a 45-42 win over Portage Northern.
Javon Pittsley, Bloomingdale
Pittsley scored a team-high 24 points to lead Bloomingdale to a 60-42 win over Hartford on Tuesday.
Anna Jager, Martin
Jager dropped 17 points to lead Martin to a 37-22 win over Delton Kellogg on Friday.
Jayden Long-Hasse, Centreville
Long-Hasse scored 20 points to lead Centreville to a 70-62 win over Decatur on Tuesday.
Ty Strawser, White Pigeon
Strawser dropped a game-high 34 points to lead White Pigeon to a 63-42 win over Marcellus on Tuesday and finished with a game-high 30 points to lead the Chiefs to a 62-61 win over Centreville on Friday.
Alyssa Weldon, Plainwell
Weldon scored a team-high 19 points in helping Plainwell earn a 47-37 win over Mattawan on Tuesday.
Ryder Gorham, Mendon
The senior dropped 21 points with 10 assists and four rebounds in a 69-41 win over Jackson Christian on Tuesday and added 28 points with 10 assists and seven steals in a 87-13 win over Athens Factoryville Christian on Friday.
Ben Johnson, Portage Central
The senior guard dropped a game-high 19 points to lead Portage Central to a 59-51 win over Gull Lake on Friday.
Ty’Vaughn Jackson, Kalamazoo Central
Jackson led Kalamazoo Central to a comfortable win over Battle Creek Central on Friday, dropping 17 points including 13 points alone in the fourth quarter.
Caden Bowen, Paw Paw
The senior scored a game-high 22 points with eight steals in leading Paw Paw to a 71-30 win over Three Rivers on Friday.
Reece Trahan, Plainwell
The senior dropped a team-high 14 points to lead Plainwell to a 52-46 win over Otsego on Friday.