NLC Releases Softball, Tennis, Golf All-NLC Selections
GOSHEN – The Northern Lakes Conference officially released its softball All-NLC selections Friday morning as well as the final listings for girls tennis and boys golf.
For softball, Wawasee led the Northern Lakes Conference with a 12-2 record and its first-ever NLC team title. Wawasee fought off Concord in the season finale and split with Northridge, both teams ending one game back at 11-3. Memorial was fourth at 8-6, NorthWood fifth at 7-7, Goshen sixth at 3-11 and Plymouth and Warsaw tying for seventh at 2-12.
Wawasee and Northridge both had six overall selections. Meghan Fretz, Paige Hlutke, Danielle Gunkel and Madi Wilson were All-NLC picks and Ale Brito and Allissa Flores were Honorable Mention All-NLC for the Warriors. The Raiders had Jordan Yoder, Sara Troyer, Kylee Lantz and Sami Deisler take All-NLC while teammates Bailey O’Dell and Sarah Kane were Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Warrior head coach Jared Knipper was awarded Coach of the Year in the NLC in just his second year at Wawasee.
Concord had RaeAnn Miller, Maddi Jackowiak and McKenzie Loge named All-NLC and Allyson Williams and Kiley Austin take Honorable Mention All-NLC honors.
Memorial had the trio of Gabrielle Warner, Kim Lucas and Shakira Perez named All-NLC and Kaylee Warner Honorable Mention All-NLC.
NorthWood’s Summer Stillson, Aricka Flickinger and Claire McGuire were All-NLC and Olivia Peyla named Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Goshen had Brooke Miller earn All-NLC and Emily Castillo take Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Warsaw’s Sarah Shoemaker was awarded All-NLC honors and teammate Karly Jones Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Plymouth’s Jillian Smith took home Honorable Mention All-NLC and Bailey Brown Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Girls tennis had Concord run the table at 7-0 and also claim the NLC tournament championship. The Minutemen had Jenna Landis win the title at one singles and the two doubles tandem of Alexa Klopfenstein and Shannon Purcell stand tallest at the tournament. All three were named All-NLC while teammates Holyn Eldridge and Mandy Meserve were named All-NLC At-Large selections.
Concord head coach Jan Soward was tabbed by her peers as Northern Lakes Conference Coach of the Year.
Elkhart Memorial and Plymouth tied at 5-2 overall and both were well represented. Memorial’s one doubles team of Corinn Whittaker and Taelor Grose won the tournament and were automatic All-NLC selections while one singles teammate Krystal Grubb was named All-NLC At-Large. Charger Taylor Freedline was named Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Plymouth’s trio of Haley Harrell, Libbie Portteus and Erin Hunter all were named Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Warsaw and Northridge were both 4-3 in the NLC. The Tigers had freshmen Colette Smith and Ella Knight win singles title at No. 2 and No. 3, both taking automatic All-NLC slots. Doubles teammate Camille Kerlin was named Honorable Mention All-NLC. Northridge had a trio of Honorable Mention All-NLC picks in Kylie Frauhiger, Emily Hughes and Kenzie Martin.
NorthWood finished 2-5 and had Sydney Wysong earn All-NLC honors while Tori Schwartz was named Honorable Mention All-NLC for the Panthers.
Goshen was 1-6 and Wawasee 0-7, neither receiving a conference selection.
In boys golf, Warsaw and Northridge both went 6-1 in dual matches, but the Tigers fended off Northridge and Wawasee for the tournament title.
The Tigers had Brandon Eckert and Jonny Hollar lead the list with All-NLC selections and Ryan Cultice earn Honorable Mention All-NLC.
Northridge placed Tommy Morrison in the All-NLC column and Luke Morrison in the Honorable Mention All-NLC column.
Wawasee, at 4-3, had Jeffrey Moore take All-NLC honors and Tristen Atwood Honorable Mention All-NLC honors.
Plymouth was 5-2 in the conference, but fourth at the tournament. All-NLC Reis Yoder and Honorable Mention Ben Schenk paced the Pilgrims.
NorthWood (3-4) boasted of the NLC match medalist in Alec Dutkowski, earning the automatic All-NLC choice.
Elkhart Memorial did not win a single NLC dual, finished sixth in the conference tournament, but had Mike Foy on the All-NLC list and Braden Sherwood on the Honorable Mention All-NLC list.
Concord finished 1-6 and had Peyton Kime make the All-NLC list.
Goshen was 3-4 overall but did not have a selection on the lists.
Warsaw’s Ben Barkey and NorthWood’s Brad Duerkson were named Co-Coaches of the Year for the conference.