The America 250 celebration continues with the top 25 athletes in Holland-area history.
These 25 male athletes (plus ties in voting) were selected based on their performance at the high school, college and professional levels altogether.
Vote for the top male athlete in Holland history below:
Top 25 Male Athletes
Tabahn Afrik
Ushering in a new era in West Ottawa swimming, Afrik spearheaded a resurgence for the Panthers as a state power. He won the Division 1 state championship in the 100 freestyle twice, also claiming state titles in the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle once each. He was a national and junior national qualifier and went on to swim at Notre Dame and became an All-American for the Fighting Irish.
Vic Amaya, Holland
After starring on the tennis courts in Holland and at Michigan, Amaya went on to earn the world No. 15 ranking in 1980, winning three singles titles on the ATP and six doubles titles, including the French Open in 1980. He was runner-up in doubles at the 1982 U.S. Open.
TJ Beelen, Zeeland East
A state champion in shot put and discus during his career, he became the second athlete to ever throw the discus more than 200 feet in state history. He went on to throw at the NCAA Division I level at Southern Illinois, where he also played football.
Adam Berghorst, Zeeland East
Adam Berghorst earned all-state honors in football and baseball as defensive tackle and pitcher. Selected in the MLB draft but opted to play both sports at Michigan State. Was dominating run stopper as a defensive tackle on the football field but proved to be even better on the mound.
Nick Carlson, Hamilton
The top golfer in area history, Carlson won two state championships and was state runner-up twice in his stellar career. He went on to play at the University of Michigan and continues to play professionally.
Kirk Cousins, Holland Christian
The Holland Christian graduate starred at quarterback at Michigan State before becoming a four-time Pro Bowler in the NFL with Washington, Minnesota, Atlanta and Las Vegas.
Coreontae DeBerry, Holland
This 6-11 center was a strong high school basketball player but reached the elite level in college, starring for Cincinnati in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. He then played in the NBA G League and has played professionally in several countries.
Chris DeJong, Holland
The Holland High School graduate was a three-time state champion swimmer before becoming an All-American at Michigan and earning a spot on Team USA. Missed the 2004 Olympics by hundredths of a second.
Benny Diaz, Saugatuck
Benny the Jet won multiple state championships in the sprint events and hurdles. He also was an honorable mention all-state running back in football. He runs at the University of Michigan.
Blake Dunn, Saugatuck
The four-sport all-state athlete starred in football, basketball, baseball and track. He was a state champion hurdler, top quarterback in the state and the school’s all-time basketball leading scorer. He played baseball at Western Michigan before joining the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds.
Ron Essink, Zeeland
Essink was a state champion wrestler and played football at Grand Valley State before playing six years in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.
Johnny Garcia, Holland
This Holland High School graduate was a professional boxer who had several pro fights on national TV and joined Mike Tyson’s Iron Mike team for a time. He claimed the USBO Junior Welterweight title in 2013.
Corey Gorgas, Saugatuck
This state champion runner starred in cross country and track before running at Northern Arizona. He competed for Team USA, winning gold in cross country at the U-20 Pan American Games.
Carson Gulker, Zeeland West
One of the greatest football players in area history, Carson Gulker was a sensational quarterback who led the Dux to multiple deep runs in the playoffs. He earned all-state first-team honors as a senior and was honorable mention as a junior. Gulker was also the top player on the basketball team, earning honorable mention all-state. He went to Ferris State to play both sports and led the Bulldogs to multiple national titles before transferring to Michigan State.
Ameer Ismail, West Ottawa
A standout linebacker went on to play football at Western Michigan where he was MAC Defensive Player of the Year and an NCAA All-American. He was an NFL practice player for Kansas City before playing in the CFL and Arena league. Was all-conference basketball player and state qualifier in track and field.
Richie Jordan, Fennville
The only athlete from the area in the National High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Jordan was a multi-sport star at Fennville but starred in basketball where he regularly put up 40 points in a game before the 3-point line as an elite shooter. He was all-state and went on to Michigan State.
Jim Kaat, Zeeland
The left-handed pitcher from Zeeland played at Hope College then played 25 years in the major leagues, mostly for the Minnesota Twins. He won 283 games and 16 Gold Glove Awards and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Derek Maas, West Ottawa
In one of the biggest performances in the pool, Derek Maas claimed the Division 1 state championship in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, plus was part of two winning relays as West Ottawa won the team state title in 2019, capping a spectacular career. Maas went on to swim at Alabama and was the SEC champion in the 100 breaststroke as a junior and an NCAA All-American after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He transferred to NYU and won a Division III breaststroke national title.
Adam Mena, West Ottawa
This all-state soccer player went on to play at the NCAA Division I level at Notre Dame. Following his college career, he played professionally for several years in the U.S., one step from MLS.
Mike McClure, West Ottawa
Making his noise on the mat, Mike McClure was one of the top wrestlers in the history of the state. As a senior, he went undefeated (55-0) at heavyweight on his way to the Division 1 state championship and national runner-up finish. He was a multiple all-state athlete and went on to wrestle at Michigan State, where he earned All-American honors. Also played football for the Panthers.
Mike Mokma, Holland Christian
As a senior, Mike Mokma led the Holland Christian baseball team to its first state championship. He was unbeatable, going 15-0 with a 1.06 ERA. He threw two perfect games and batted .430 as a senior with 43 RBIs. He finished his career with six MHSAA state records before pitching at Michigan State, then signing with the Dodgers. He pitched in the minor leagues in the Seattle organization.
Desmond Morgan, West Ottawa
The Sentinel Football Player of the Year and Hockey Player of the Year went on to become a four-year starter at linebacker at the University of Michigan, where he was a captain.
Spencer Nadolsky, West Ottawa
One of the top wrestlers in area history, Spencer Nadolsky was a state champion and multiple state finalist on the wrestling mats to earn multiple all-state honors. He was also all-state honorable mention in football before going on to wrestle at Michigan State and then North Carolina.
Rob Renes, West Ottawa
This state champion wrestler was a football star who went on to start at defensive tackle for Michigan’s 1997 national championship team.
Jay Riemersma, Zeeland
A multi-sport star at Zeeland, the quarterback turned to tight end at Michigan and went on to play eight seasons in the NFL, scoring 23 touchdowns.
Eric Solis, Holland
The most decorated boys swimmer in area history, Solis won six individual state championships and was twice named state swimmer of the year before going on to swim at Florida, then Arizona.
Kyle Steigenga, Holland Christian
Steigenga was an all-state football, basketball and track star for the Maroons before becoming the all-time college basketball leading scorer in the state of Michigan at Cornerstone, where he was NAIA National Player of the Year.
Zach VanValkenburg, Zeeland West
An all-state wrestler, VanValkenburg was also all-state in football as a defensive lineman. He went on to star at Hillsdale before transferring to Iowa and earning second-team All-Big Ten as a senior. He played for the Rams in the NFL.
Corey Willis, Holland
The all-state track and field star was even better on the football field. He was a dual-threat quarterback who led the Dutch to their best season in school history. He moved to wide receiver at Central Michigan where he became a starter. He was on the practice squad for the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL.
Luke Witkowski, Holland
This Holland native starred on the ice at Western Michigan before playing in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lighting and Detroit Red Wings.
Grant Wolfram, Hamilton
A three-sport athlete in high school, Wolfram was an all-state baseball player, all-conference basketball player and one of the top tennis doubles players in the state. He played baseball at Central Michigan and Davenport before pitching in the major leagues for the Baltimore Orioles.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: America 250: Top 25 Holland-area male athletes of all-time
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan D'Addona, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
