BATTLE CREEK – It is America’s 250th birthday this year. That gives us a good reason to come up with the 250 best high school athletes ever in Battle Creek. Have high school sports been around in Battle Creek since 1776? Well, no. But there have been 250 athletes who have shined in the city since high school sports did begin and the Enquirer will take this opportunity to come up with a list worthy of this banner year.
The Battle Creek Enquirer combined with other USA Today Network newspapers recently to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States with the top 250 athletes from around the state. You can see that list here, broken down by regions.
But, this is Battle Creek’s 250. We are showcasing the greatest athletes of the ‘last 250 years’ at each school in the city of Battle Creek.
MORE:
Battle Creek’s 250: St. Philip boys
Battle Creek’s 250: St. Philip girls
So join us for this 10-part series with each chapter focusing on the top 25 male or female athletes at each of the five current traditional core city schools. All shined throughout their high school careers and beyond. Each list will be in alphabetical order, with Enquirer Readers getting to choose who should be No. 1. There will be individuals left off these lists that some of you would argue shouldn’t be. Our poll will include write-in options and it will be interesting to see who makes that list as well.
We are starting from the smallest school in the city and moving up from there – picking a ‘Top 25’ female athlete list and a ‘Top 25’ male athlete list. When we are done with all five schools, we will have Battle Creek’s 250.
Top 25 Female Athletes at Pennfield for the Battle Creek 250:
(Alphabetical order)
Audrianna Bornamann – Class of 2014
Audrianna Bornamann was a three-sport standout, competing in soccer, cross country and track. She had her most success on the track and cross country, finishing as a team MVP and captain for both squads for two years each. She was league champ in cross country twice and earned all-state honors in cross country twice. She went on to run collegiately at the University of Michigan.
Marci Clements – Class of 1981
A standout basketball player, Marci Clements helped lead Pennfield to its lone state championship in that sport. As a senior, she helped Pennfield post a 26-1 record, including a 25-game win streak. She was the second-leading scorer on that team at 11.1 points per game, while adding 3.1 assists per contest on her way to earning all-state honors. She continued playing at Kellogg Community College, where she was named all-conference as a sophomore.
Christina Donnell – Class of 1980
Christina Donnell was a three-time all-city selection on the volleyball team – the first player to accomplish the feat. As a junior, she helped Pennfield win the 1979 Class B state championship. As a senior, Pennfield finished runner-up in Class C, concluding her four-year high school career with a 131-20 record. She signed with the University of Alabama. Donnell then moved on to the University of Minnesota. As a senior in 1983, she was a team co-captain and MVP.
Megan Ethier – Class of 2011
A standout in volleyball and basketball at Pennfield, Ethier brought the same focus and intensity to the softball diamond. A three-time all-city selection, she had a monster sophomore season in which she batted .557 with 19 RBIs while blasting six home runs. She would go on to Kellogg Community College where she played both volleyball and basketball.
Emma Fishnick – Class of 2011
Emma Fishnick was the Enquirer Athlete of the Year in 2011. She was all-city and all-league in three sports – volleyball, basketball and track. In volleyball, she helped Pennfield to a league title. In basketball, she led the city in scoring. In track, she was all-city all four years of high school and qualified for the state meet in three events. She broke school records in the 300 hurdles, 400 dash and 800 relay. She went on to run track at Central Michigan University.
Amanda Fowler – Class of 2002
Amanda Fowler was a standout volleyball player, helping her team to a sparkling 68-3-1 record her senior year and a No. 2 ranking in the state, earning All-State honors. She went on to earn a scholarship in volleyball at the Division I level at Oakland University. She was also an all-city basketball player. She was named Enquirer Athlete of the Year in 2002.
Angie Glenn – Class of 1981
Angie Glenn was a three-sport standout and was part of a loaded class at Pennfield that were part of multiple state championship teams as the five starters on the basketball and volleyball teams shared the Enquirer Athlete of the Year award in 1981. Glenn graduated as the school’s all-time leader in career points in basketball and was a two-time city scoring and rebounding champ. An all-stater in basketball and volleyball. She was part of the Panthers’ 1980 state championship basketball team and the 1979 and 1981 state title volleyball team.
Kaylee Glidden – Class of 2023
Kaylee Glidden was a 1,000-point scorer for Pennfield on the basketball court, averaging 18.5 points per game as a senior. Arriving at Kellogg Community College, Glidden became one of the top scorers in the country at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 2 level. She finished her freshman season at KCC as a Third-Team All-American.
Natalie Hensel – Class of 2025
Natalie Hensel was a four-year starter on the Pennfield girls basketball team and three-year all-city selection, finishing as a 1,000-point career scorer and setting the school record in career blocks. She was also a four-year starter on the volleyball team and an all-city and all-league pick in that sport, and she was been an all-city and all-league performer on the varsity track team throughout her career.
Brooke Hudson – Class of 1996
Brooke Hudson was a standout on the Pennfield volleyball team, going on to play at West Virginia University and earning all-league honors at the college level. She was an all-state volleyball player twice that helped Pennfield to three straight city titles. Overall, she was a three-sport standout, also competing in basketball and track. In basketball, she graduated in the top 10 in school history in scoring and rebounding.
Mary Kay Jenkins – Class of 1983
Mary Kay Jenkins was part of state championships teams at Pennfield in volleyball and basketball. She was a key member of the Panthers’ 1980 Class C state championship basketball team as a sophomore, while also helping the volleyball team claim the 1981 Class C state titles. She was also a member of Pennfield’s Class C state runner-up volleyball teams in 1982 and 1983. A three-time all-city and all-state selection, she signed to play at the University of Wisconsin. She shared the Enquirer Athlete of the Year Award in 1981.
Jill Johnson – Class of 1988
Jill Johnson was named Enquirer Athlete of the Year in 1988. Johnson was an all-city selection in three sports her senior year. She was a standout and earned all-state honors for a league championship volleyball team for Pennfield, that won 50 games and advanced to the state finals in Class C. She was a captain and standout shortstop on the softball team that set a school record for wins. Overall, she earned all-city and all-league honors in three sports as a junior and a senior in volleyball, basketball and softball.
Shelly Jones – Class of 1990
Shelly Jones was named Enquirer Athlete of the Year as a junior in 1989. During that season, she led the city in scoring in basketball and in rebounding and led the Panthers to two straight district titles and league crowns. When she graduated, she owned four school records in basketball and earned all-state honors twice. Also a standout in softball, Jones helped Pennfield to two conference championships as well, including a 26-4 record her junior year. Overall, she was a three-sport standout at Pennfield, earning a combined seven varsity letters in basketball, softball and volleyball.
Cindy Kerridge – Class of 1977
A three-sport athlete who excelled in volleyball and golf, Kerridge was a trailblazer for the Pennfield girls basketball team. She began her varsity career just two years after Title IX had been passed, and finished as the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer. As a senior, she set what was then the single-season benchmark for points in a season at 265 (13.9 per game) while guiding Pennfield to a 13-6 record and a 9-2 mark in the Twin Valley Conference. She was offered a partial scholarship to play volleyball at Michigan State University, but stayed closed to home by continuing her hoops career at Kellogg Community College.
Alicia Lake – Class of 2019
Alicia Lake was a standout on the basketball court. As a go-to player all three years she was a starter, Lake was a three-time all-city selection and one of the top scorers ever at the school. Passing the 1,000-point career total as a senior, Lake also had over 1,000 rebounds as a Panther. A multiple-sport standout, Lake went on to play volleyball at Minnesota State University.
Rachel Latshaw – Class of 1991
Rachel Latshaw was a top softball player for the Panthers. She was a weapon in the circle and in the batter’s box in her four-year varsity career at Pennfield. She earned the first of her three all-city honors in 1989 after posting an 11-3 record with a career-best 0.97 ERA, while adding a .323 batting average on a Panthers team that posted a 22-4 record. She went on to play at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Stephanie Marx – Class of 1988
A three-sport standout for Pennfield in basketball, volleyball and softball, earning all-city and all-conference honors in all three sports. Named Detroit News Regional Dream Team in volleyball in 1988 and was Battle Creek Enquirer Athlete of the Year in 1988. Named as a member of the Pennfield Hall of Fame.
Shelby Miller – Class of 2014
A four-year varsity member on the basketball team, Shelby Miller was a member of the elite 1,000 career points club. As a senior, guiding the Panthers to a 12-9 record with averages of 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.0 assists per game to earn All-Kalamazoo Valley Association honors for the third consecutive season and her second appearance on the all-city team.
Karen Myers – Class of 1982
A standout in cross country and track, O’Neil rewrote the school record book during her time with the Panthers. O’Neil set five school marks in track, including individual points for a season, as well as shot put, high jump, 100 hurdles and 220 hurdles. She was all-conference and all-state her senior year. She competed at the collegiate level at Western Michigan University, finishing as conference runner-up in the heptathlon in 1985 and was a member of the Broncos 1985 MAC Championship team.
Becky Neglia – Class of 1995
Becky Neglia helped Pennfield to a No. 1 ranking in volleyball her senior year as the team went 61-3-2 and won a league title. The two-time all-state honoree, she went on to play volleyball at Kent State, where she graduated among the school’s all-time career leaders in kills, and was named to that college’s Hall of Fame. Was named Enquirer Athlete of the Year as a junior, when she helped Pennfield to a city title in volleyball. Also a standout in basketball, Neglia was all-city in that sport and graduated as among the career leaders in career points and earned all-state honors.
Breanna Pelloni – Class of 2010
Breanna Pelloni was a senior on a Pennfield volleyball team ranked in the state much of the year. Pelloni, a three-year varsity starter, finished with 353 kills, 56 blocks and 44 aces her senior season before going on to play at the next level at Tiffin University. She was also an all-league and all-city pick on the basketball court.
Cassie Pelloni – Class of 2012
Graduating as the school’s record holder in kills, Cassie Pelloni was part of a Pennfield team that won the league crown her sophomore season. A four-year varsity starter and two-year all-city selection, Pelloni also earned all-state honors. Pelloni went on to sign with Division I Oakland University to play volleyball at the collegiate level.
Alexa Stephenson – Class of 2016
A standout in volleyball, basketball and softball, Alexa Stephenson had great size and athletic ability. The 6-foot outside hitter was a two-time all-city pick in volleyball. As a pitcher on the softball team that went 24-11 and were all-city champs, she was a standout in the circle and went on to play at Kellogg Community College.
Kaye Stevens – Class of 1979
Kaye Stevens helped Pennfield to a Class B state championship in volleyball in 1979. She was also a high scorer on a Pennfield district title team in basketball. She was all-city and all-conference twice in both volleyball and basketball. In track, she was all-state twice, and she won three events as a senior at the all-city track meet and set city records in the high jump, 110 hurdles and 220 hurdles. She was named Enquirer Athlete of the Year in 1979.
Julie Wogoman – Class of 1981
Julie Wogoman was part of state championship teams at Pennfield in volleyball and basketball. She was a key member of Pennfield’s 1979 Class B state championship volleyball team and was the leader of the Panthers when they were Class C runner-up in 1980 and state champions in 1981. A two-time all-city selection, she finished her high school career with a 131-13 record. She committed to the University of Miami and later played at Ole Miss. Overall, she was a four-sport standout, also playing softball and running track. She shared the Enquirer Athlete of the Year Award in 1981.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Top 250 athletes in Battle Creek. Which girls made the list from Pennfield?
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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By Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
