HUDSON — It was a spring sports year to remember for the Hudson Tigers in 2026.
Hudson brought home multiple postseason trophies while several athletes earned top individual honors in baseball, softball and track and field.
The Michigan High School Coaches Associations announced Division 4 all-state honors in baseball and softball, with two Tigers recognized. Freshman infielder Royce Beal earned Division 4 all-state from the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association and also received honorable mention all-league honors. Senior catcher Taylor Kopin, a first team all-league selection, earned Division 4 honorable mention all-state from the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.
Hudson’s track and field teams also produced standout performances. Senior Naika Rath led the girls team with three all-state honors in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. Senior Ellie Loar earned all-state in both shot put and discus, while senior Annabelle Czeiszperger was an all-state pole vaulter. On the boys side, senior Troy Bolenbaugh earned all-state in pole vault.
Those performances helped anchor postseason runs for the baseball, softball and girls track teams, all of which added trophies to the cases at Hudson High School.
Hudson girls track earns runner-up state finish
Hudson narrowly missed a Division 4 MHSAA state championship, finishing runner-up with 43 points, just one behind champion Kalamazoo Hackett’s 44.
The Tigers had earlier qualified for the MITCA team state meet and were led at the finals by multiple senior all-state performances.
Loar delivered two runner-up finishes with personal-best marks. She threw 39-feet, 3 1/2 inches in shot put, finishing one foot shy of the state champion, and followed with a 122-feet, 5-inch throw in discus. The performances capped a season that included Lenawee County, MITCA and regional titles in discus, along with County, MITCA, regional and LCAA championships in shot put.
Czeiszperger placed fourth in pole vault at 9-feet, 9 inches for all-state honors. She finished her senior season with an LCAA title, top-five finishes at MITCA, regionals and the County meet, and seven wins.
She also ran on Hudson’s 4×400 relay team with Madelyn St. John, Aliyah Trout and Rath. The group placed 11th in 4:21.82, just outside a podium finish.
Rath was a three-event all-state performer. She ran a personal-best 12.35 seconds for runner-up in the 100-meter dash, finishing a tenth behind the champion. She placed third in the 200 in 25.56, again just a tenth off second, and took runner-up in the 400 with a time of 59.35. The senior closed a school-record-breaking career that included multiple all-state honors, more than 30 wins in 2026 and individual MITCA, regional and conference titles.
Boys track results
Three Hudson boys competed at the state finals.
Bolenbaugh earned all-state honors with a fifth-place finish in pole vault at 12-feet, 6 inches. He was also County and regional champion and recorded top-five finishes at every meet this season.
Senior Grayson Bills placed 19th in the 110-meter hurdles finals with a time of 17.05. He was a top five finisher at regionals and the County meet and made his second career state finals appearance.
Sophomore Beckett Campbell qualified in the 100-meter dash and placed 32nd in prelims in 12.05.
Baseball, softball make postseason runs
Hudson baseball made a strong run in its first Division 4 postseason, reaching the regional final after dominant district and regional semifinal victories.
The Tigers defeated Camden-Frontier 15-0 and Addison 14-0 to claim a home district title, outscoring opponents 29-0. Beal led the way with seven hits, six RBIs, eight runs and eight stolen bases across the two games, along with two doubles and a triple. He also recorded two strikeouts in the title game.
Senior Liam Timm pitched the district opener, striking out six over three innings while allowing one hit. He also hit a home run in the championship game.
Hudson continued its run with a 14-1 victory over Concord in the regional semifinal. Timm had three RBIs, two hits and two runs while earning the pitching win, throwing nearly four innings with five strikeouts. Beal added two hits, including a triple, along with two RBIs and three runs. Beal and senior Gavin Yatzek combined to close out the game.
Hudson’s postseason ended in a 3-2 loss to Marcellus in the regional final. Timm struck out three in two innings, but Marcellus built an early lead. Beal drove in a run on a base hit, while Bronson Butts and Kinsen Kelley scored Hudson’s two runs. Marcellus later advanced to the state final before falling to Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
The Tigers finished 19-21 overall.
Beal led Hudson with 47 hits, 27 RBIs, 34 runs and 30 stolen bases. Dru Sell was second with 27 steals and tied senior Devon Brigman and Yatzek with 24 runs. Yatzek added 26 RBIs and 39 hits, second on the team, while Timm had 30 hits. Brigman, Timm and sophomore Carter Vanlerberg each hit home runs.
On the mound, Yatzek recorded six wins, Kelley had five, Timm four and Beal three. Timm led the team with 58 strikeouts, followed by Yatzek with 54, Beal with 53 and Kelley with 46.
Defensively, Kimble led the team with 162 putouts and a .964 fielding percentage, while Brigman had 123 putouts. Timm turned a team-high six double plays. Brigman caught nine runners stealing and Kimble had eight.
Hudson won its first district title since 2023 and had several all-district and all-region selections. The team graduates seniors Yatzek, Timm, Rusty Thompson and Brigman.
Softball
Hudson softball also dominated district play, winning the District 119 title with a 39-2 run differential.
The Tigers opened with a 21-0 win over Waldron, followed by an 18-2 semifinal victory against Addison and a 10-0 championship win over Morenci.
In the district opener, Kopin had two hits, four RBIs and a home run. Sam Anderson and several teammates added two hits each, with Anderson also leading with four stolen bases. McKenna Mull pitched a three-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks. Ryen Rogers and Kopin each recorded multiple extra-base hits.
Mull earned the win in the semifinal, striking out six over six innings. Six Tigers scored multiple runs, led by Anderson, Rogers and Amber Williams with three each. Rogers and Williams both hit a double and triple, with Rogers driving in four runs. Mull and Rogers each had three hits.
Hudson closed the district with a five-inning win over Morenci behind Mull, who allowed one hit and struck out seven. Rihanna Ramirez, Macayle Grayer and Anderson recorded extra-base hits. Grayer and Maci Godfrey led with two RBIs, while Williams, Grayer, Ramirez and Anderson each scored two runs.
The Tigers’ season ended with a 9-5 loss to Dansville in the regional semifinal. Dansville built a 6-0 lead and held off a late five-run rally. Mull pitched all seven innings, allowing four earned runs with five strikeouts. Grayer hit a home run and a double, finishing with three RBIs and two runs. Ramirez added an RBI triple and Kopin scored a run.
Hudson finished 23-12 and won its second straight district title.
The Tigers graduate seniors Anderson, Emerson Sholl and Kopin. Kopin, Grayer and Anderson earned first team all-league honors, while Mull was honorable mention all-league and Godfrey received the LCAA sportsmanship award. Multiple players also earned all-district and all-region recognition.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Hudson athletes earn all-state for 2026 helping teams win trophies
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / The Daily Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News | USA TODAY Network
