PORT HURON — Throughout the 2025-26 MHSAA sports season, the Times Herald will highlight the top performances of the past week from local high school athletes.
If you’d like to nominate an athlete, inform their coach to email Times Herald sports reporter Brenden Welper (bwelper@gannett.com). Please submit entries by 10 p.m. Sunday.
Listed below are the top performers in alphabetical order.
VOLLEYBALL
Lilly Ameel — Sandusky: Ameel finished with five kills, five blocks, three digs and one ace in the Wolves’ 3-0 win over Memphis on Oct. 2.
Mai Jacobson — Sandusky: Jacobson totaled 12 kills, 18 digs and three aces against Memphis on Oct. 2.
Natalie Long — Sandusky: Long had 14 assists and three digs against Memphis on Oct. 2. She also recorded five aces and went 20-for-21 on serves.
Courtney Moore — Richmond: In four sets at the Mt. Morris Invitational on Oct. 4, Moore amassed 31 assists, 12 digs, two kills and five aces.
Kylee Strozeski — Algonac: In seven matches last week, Strozeski totaled 42 kills with a hitting percentage of .250. She also had 75 serve attempts with a 90% serve efficiency. Finally, Strozeski recorded 22 digs and helped the Muskrats go 5-2 for the week.
BOYS SOCCER
Benino Barragan — Imlay City: Barragan totaled two goals and two assists in the Spartans’ win over Almont on Oct. 1.
Chase Jones — St. Clair: Jones scored three goals in the Saints’ 8-0 victory over Roseville on Oct. 1. In doing so, he also broke the program’s single-season scoring record of 25. Jones now has 26 goals on the year with two games left in the regular season.
Cullen Knuth — Cardinal Mooney: Knuth scored three goals in the Cardinals’ 4-1 triumph over Memphis on Sept. 29. A day later, he had three goals and one assist in an 8-0 win over West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy.
GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING
(All events took place between Oct. 1-2 at the St. Clair County Blue Water Classic Championships.)
Audrey Cole — St. Clair: Cole won the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:15.90. She was also part of the 400-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 4:15.98.
Bailey Cole — St. Clair: Cole was part of the 200-meter medley relay team that placed first with a time of 2:10.72. She was also on the 400-meter freestyle relay team that finished first at 4:15.98.
Payten Danneels — St. Clair: Danneels won the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:17.09. She was also part of the 200-meter medley relay team that placed first at 2:10.72.
Quin Eppley — Marysville: Eppley was named to the All-County Team for the 100-meter freestyle. She was also part of the 200-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 1:54.80.
Evelynn Forth — Port Huron United: Forth won the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:40.43. She also took the 100-meter butterfly at 1:09.80.
Gretchen Guevara — St. Clair: Guevara was part of the 200-meter medley relay team that placed first with a time of 2:10.72.
Lily Hack — St. Clair: Hack was part of the 200-meter medley relay team that placed first with a time of 2:10.72. She was also on the 400-meter freestyle relay team that finished first at 4:15.98.
Ariana Hernandez — St. Clair: Hernandez was part of the 400-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 4:15.98.
Becca Jainer — Marysville: Jainer won the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 6:16.45. She was also part of the 200-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 1:54.80.
Adrienne Kaski — Marysville: Kaski was named to the All-County Team for the 100-meter backstroke.
Miranda Mayer — Port Huron United: Mayer won the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 26.24 seconds. She also took the 100-meter freestyle at 57.88 seconds.
Paige Sheldon — Marysville: In 1-meter diving, Sheldon won the 11-dive event with a score of 304.15. She also took the 100-meter backstroke at 1:12.75. Finally, Sheldon was part of the 200-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 1:54.80.
Allison Walker — Marine City: Walker was named to the All-County Team for the 100-meter fly.
Ella Wilton — Marysville: Wilton was part of the 200-meter freestyle relay team that placed first at 1:54.80.
FOOTBALL
Levi Acquaviva — Marysville: Acquaviva caught one interception and recorded one sack in the Vikings’ 24-21 win over Madison Heights Lamphere on Oct. 3.
Blake Lane — Almont: Lane finished 4-for-6 passing for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 35-14 victory over Armada on Oct. 3.
Luke Muscat — Marine City: Muscat rushed for 95 yards and three touchdowns on five carries in the Mariners’ 61-7 triumph over Sterling Heights on Oct. 3.
Austin Rhodes — Yale: Rhodes ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts in the Bulldogs’ 24-21 win over North Branch on Oct. 3.
Jaxon Turnbull — St. Clair: Turnbull scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in the Saints’ 42-14 victory over St. Clair Shores South Lake on Oct. 3.
Lincoln Watkins — Port Huron Northern: Watkins had three receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the Huskies’ 35-0 triumph over Fraser on Oct. 3. He also ran for a 23-yard score.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Yale boys cross country’s Brady VanConant was voted the Blue Water Area Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 22-27. At the BWAC Jamboree on Sept. 23, he won the boys race with a time of 17:04.00.
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Top Blue Water Area high school performers of the past week: Sept. 29 – Oct. 4
Reporting by Brenden Welper, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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