I was away on vacation for parts of the last two weeks (thanks to Tim Arrick and Niles Kruger for picking up the slack), so it’s been a while since we’ve run a Livingston Daily Athlete of the Week poll.
This will be the final poll of the winter season, as spring sports practices begin this week and the only remaining winter athletes remaining are Howell girls basketball players and state-qualifying swimmers.
With everything that’s happened over the past two weeks during postseason action, I am expanding the poll from the usual five candidates to eight.
Voting is open until 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. Vote early, vote often.
Lexi Fundich, Hartland gymnastics: Fundich led Hartland to its second straight state championship, then came back the next day to win the Division 1 all around championship. Her score of 38.625 points is the fifth-best in finals history. She won three of the four events.
Dallas Korponic, Hartland wrestling: Korponic won his 200th career match in the 157-pound Division 1 final, also becoming a three-time state champion.
Alexis Lazar, Brighton wrestling: Lazar got a pin in 1:44 to win the 140-pound state championship in her only season as a high school wrestler. Lazar, ranked No. 6 nationally, finished 27-0.
Logan Morrish, Hartland basketball: Morrish took over as Hartland’s leader when Parker Sundman went down with an injury. He had 13 points in a 43-41 victory over Brighton in the district championship game and a team-high nine in a 41-33 loss to Canton in the regional semifinals.
Brinley Neuer, Hartland basketball: Neuer had 15 points during a 42-38 first-round district victory over Brighton and 20 during a district semifinal loss to state-ranked Howell.
Layne O’Neil, Fowlerville wrestling: O’Neil became Fowlerville’s first male state champion since 2013 when he won a 3-2 decision over Marshall’s Harland Begg. O’Neil and Begg split two decisions earlier in the postseason.
Chase Rayburn, Howell hockey: Rayburn made sure Howell was the only team to stick close to eventual champion Detroit Catholic Central during the entire state playoffs, making 36 saves in a 1-0 loss in the quarterfinals. He had a 1.57 goals against average and .917 save percentage, going 25-2.
Lilly Williams, Howell basketball: Williams had 27 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in a 59-51 victory over Belleville in the KLAA championship game. She had 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks during a district semifinal victory over Hartland.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Vote for last Livingston Daily Athlete of the Week of winter season
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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