New Zeeland Athletics Hall of Fame inductees (from left) Derek Kingshott, Sara Nitz and Lloyd Schout are introduced to the crowd Feb. 18 in between games of the Zeeland East-Zeeland West basketball doubleheader at the East gym.
Photo by Greg Chandler
Photo by Greg Chandler
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The three newest members of the Zeeland Athletics Hall of Fame were inducted Feb. 18 in between games of the Zeeland East-Zeeland West varsity basketball doubleheader.
The new inductees are Lloyd Schout, a 1965 Zeeland High graduate who lettered in four sports during his career and went on to play basketball at Hope College; Derek Kingshott, a 2008 Zeeland West graduate who won state championships in two different sports during his high school career; and Sara Nitz, a 2009 Zeeland East graduate who was all-conference in three different sports in high school and later earned All-Big Ten honors in track and field at the University of Michigan.
Schout competed in basketball, football, tennis and track during his high school career. He was a two-time all-conference selection in basketball in 1964 and 1965. He set the Chix single-game scoring record with 36 points and graduated as Zeeland’s all-time career scoring leader (later surpassed) with 886 points. He averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in his senior year.
Schout was also a tight end and kicker on the Chix football team, ran the half-mile, high-jumped and threw the shot put in track and field, and played one year of first team doubles in tennis.
Schout went on to Hope College, where he helped the Flying Dutchmen win the MIAA championship in 1967.
After graduating from Hope, Schout went on to graduate school at the University of Iowa and received a certificate in physical therapy. He then returned to Zeeland and became the high school’s first athletic trainer, providing voluntary part-time services to injured athletes.
Schout served as director of rehabilitation services at Holland Hospital for 25 years before retiring 15 years ago. In retirement, he has volunteered at his church and with other Christian organizations.
“Sports have been a big part of my life from the time I was old enough to shoot a basketball in our barn on the family farm until now,” Schout said. “They have been fun and helped keep me healthy. Yet, the older I get, the more I realize that the most important things is to be a gracious winner and loser. I also believe it’s important to not make sports an idol, knowing there are other things in life, including family and faith that are more important.”
Kingshott competed in football, basketball and track during his career at Zeeland West. He was a two-time all-conference selection in both football and basketball, and earned all-state honors in both basketball and track and field during his senior year in 2008.
Kingshott played on West’s first state championship football team in 2006, caught a memorable game-winning touchdown pass on the final play of a 2007 playoff victory over Grand Rapids South Christian, and ran on two state-champion relay teams (1,600 and 3,200 meter relays) for the Dux in 2008.
Kingshott also excelled in the classroom, graduating fourth in his class.
Kingshott went on to compete in two sports at the collegiate level. He played one year of football at Hillsdale College, then transferred to Cornerstone University, where he played four years in the basketball program.
Kingshott currently teaches physical education for Wayland Union Schools and coaches youth sports for his children. He is married and has four children.
“Winning games and championships are great, but I have grown as a person being part of something bigger than myself,” Kingshott said. “Sports teaches the importance of hard work, dedication and teamwork. The brotherhood and bond formed with my teammates is something that I will always remember.”
Nitz lettered in volleyball, basketball, track and softball during her career at Zeeland East, earning all-conference recognition in three of those sports. She was all-conference in track and field three times, and also was all-conference in her senior year in both volleyball and basketball.
In her junior year, Nitz finished seventh in the state in the high jump. As a senior, she won the conference championship in the high jump and placed second in the 300-meter hurdles. Then at the 2009 state Division 2 track finals, Nitz won the high jump with a school-record leap of 5 feet, 6 inches.
Nitz continued her athletic and academic career at the University of Michigan, where she earned All-Big Ten second team honors in track and field in 2013 after she finished second in the outdoor high jump.
Nitz was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team three times and was a five-time winner of the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award. She was selected as the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2013 and was named the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2014.
Nitz currently lives in Midland, where she works as a materials engineer in the chemical processing industry. She now competes in Ultimate Frisbee, and was part of a team that won the co-ed national championship in that sport in 2024. She has been invited to attend Team USA tryouts for the 2025 World Games.
“Being able to show up and put in the work has paid dividends in far more than just sports,” Nitz said. “Sports have helped me see feedback as a gift and something to be actively sought after. Playing sports has been a great way to meet people and has bought me a lot of joy.”
Zeeland Record
The three newest members of the Zeeland Athletics Hall of Fame were inducted Feb. 18 in between games of the Zeeland East-Zeeland West varsity basketball doubleheader.
The new inductees are Lloyd Schout, a 1965 Zeeland High graduate who lettered in four sports during his career and went on to play basketball at Hope College; Derek Kingshott, a 2008 Zeeland West graduate who won state championships in two different sports during his high school career; and Sara Nitz, a 2009 Zeeland East graduate who was all-conference in three different sports in high school and later earned All-Big Ten honors in track and field at the University of Michigan.
Schout competed in basketball, football, tennis and track during his high school career. He was a two-time all-conference selection in basketball in 1964 and 1965. He set the Chix single-game scoring record with 36 points and graduated as Zeeland’s all-time career scoring leader (later surpassed) with 886 points. He averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in his senior year.
Schout was also a tight end and kicker on the Chix football team, ran the half-mile, high-jumped and threw the shot put in track and field, and played one year of first team doubles in tennis.
Schout went on to Hope College, where he helped the Flying Dutchmen win the MIAA championship in 1967.
After graduating from Hope, Schout went on to graduate school at the University of Iowa and received a certificate in physical therapy. He then returned to Zeeland and became the high school’s first athletic trainer, providing voluntary part-time services to injured athletes.
Schout served as director of rehabilitation services at Holland Hospital for 25 years before retiring 15 years ago. In retirement, he has volunteered at his church and with other Christian organizations.
“Sports have been a big part of my life from the time I was old enough to shoot a basketball in our barn on the family farm until now,” Schout said. “They have been fun and helped keep me healthy. Yet, the older I get, the more I realize that the most important things is to be a gracious winner and loser. I also believe it’s important to not make sports an idol, knowing there are other things in life, including family and faith that are more important.”
Kingshott competed in football, basketball and track during his career at Zeeland West. He was a two-time all-conference selection in both football and basketball, and earned all-state honors in both basketball and track and field during his senior year in 2008.
Kingshott played on West’s first state championship football team in 2006, caught a memorable game-winning touchdown pass on the final play of a 2007 playoff victory over Grand Rapids South Christian, and ran on two state-champion relay teams (1,600 and 3,200 meter relays) for the Dux in 2008.
Kingshott also excelled in the classroom, graduating fourth in his class.
Kingshott went on to compete in two sports at the collegiate level. He played one year of football at Hillsdale College, then transferred to Cornerstone University, where he played four years in the basketball program.
Kingshott currently teaches physical education for Wayland Union Schools and coaches youth sports for his children. He is married and has four children.
“Winning games and championships are great, but I have grown as a person being part of something bigger than myself,” Kingshott said. “Sports teaches the importance of hard work, dedication and teamwork. The brotherhood and bond formed with my teammates is something that I will always remember.”
Nitz lettered in volleyball, basketball, track and softball during her career at Zeeland East, earning all-conference recognition in three of those sports. She was all-conference in track and field three times, and also was all-conference in her senior year in both volleyball and basketball.
In her junior year, Nitz finished seventh in the state in the high jump. As a senior, she won the conference championship in the high jump and placed second in the 300-meter hurdles. Then at the 2009 state Division 2 track finals, Nitz won the high jump with a school-record leap of 5 feet, 6 inches.
Nitz continued her athletic and academic career at the University of Michigan, where she earned All-Big Ten second team honors in track and field in 2013 after she finished second in the outdoor high jump.
Nitz was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team three times and was a five-time winner of the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award. She was selected as the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2013 and was named the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2014.
Nitz currently lives in Midland, where she works as a materials engineer in the chemical processing industry. She now competes in Ultimate Frisbee, and was part of a team that won the co-ed national championship in that sport in 2024. She has been invited to attend Team USA tryouts for the 2025 World Games.
“Being able to show up and put in the work has paid dividends in far more than just sports,” Nitz said. “Sports have helped me see feedback as a gift and something to be actively sought after. Playing sports has been a great way to meet people and has bought me a lot of joy.”
On the Record
Chix Roll Dux in Boys Hoops
The Zeeland East boys basketball team jumped out to a big lead early against rival Zeeland West on Feb. 18 and rolled to a 58-43 victory.
The Chix opened the game with 12 consecutive points, including five points each by senior Mickey Voss and junior Caleb Claerbaut. The Dux did not score their first points until 2:20 remained in the first quarter.
East led 14-3 after one quarter and 33-14 at halftime. The Chix took their biggest lead early in the third quarter at 40-17.
Claerbaut and senior BJ Walker led East with 13 points apiece, with Claerbaut hitting three 3-point shots. Voss added 10 points. Senior Jake Lencioni led West with 11 points, including three 3-point baskets.
On Friday, East got a 31-point effort from Walker in a 65-46 win over Holland. The Chix were to face West Ottawa Wednesday night in the district tournament at Holland.
Dux Competitive Cheer Advances to State Finals
For the first time in the program’s history, the Zeeland West competitive cheer team will compete for a state championship this Saturday.
The Dux qualified for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state finals last Saturday, finishing second among 12 teams in the regional at Forest Hills Northern with a team score of 760.14 points.
Plainwell won the meet with a score of 767.68 points. Cedar Springs and Muskegon Reeths-Puffer rounded out the top four teams that advanced to this Saturday’s meet at Central Michigan University.
A year ago, West narrowly missed qualifying for state, finishing fifth at the regional meet, missing the top four by a little more than seven points.
This time, however, the Dux got off to a strong start, posting a score of 225.60 in the first round, second only to Plainwell. They followed with a score of 219.44 in the second round.
But West saved its best for last, posting the top score in the final round with 315.10 points to clinch its spot in the state finals.
The Division 2 meet begins at 3:30 p.m. at CMU’s McGuirk Arena.
Two Qualify for State Bowling Finals
Two Zeeland bowlers will compete in the Michigan high school Division 1 singles bowling finals on Saturday at the Thunderbowl in Allen Park.
Noah VanderVelde was the individual boys champion at last Saturday’s regional at Revel and Roll West in Kalamazoo, while Hayden Pompey-Oshinski was fifth in the girls regional.
VanderVelde, a senior, totaled 1,255 pins in his six games at the regional, including a high game of 225, as he edged Hudsonville’s Ferris Eldred by four pins.
Pompey-Oshinski, a senior, totaled 955 pins in her six games, with a high game of 169.
Both VanderVelde and Pompey-Oshinski are in the singles finals for the first time.
West Boys Eliminated In District
The varsity boys basketball season came to an end for Zeeland West Monday night in the district tournament at Holland, as the host Dutch defeated the Dux 48-32.
Holland outscored West 12-3 in the second quarter to take a 23-14 halftime lead. The Dutch led by as many 11 in the third quarter, but the Dux cut the lead to five at 37-32 on a Lincoln Jipping 3-pointer at the buzzer.
In the fourth quarter, though, Holland clamped down on the West offense, as the Dux did not score a point in the final eight minutes while the Dutch tacked on 11 points.
Senior Khi Anderson led West with 11 points.
The Zeeland East boys basketball team jumped out to a big lead early against rival Zeeland West on Feb. 18 and rolled to a 58-43 victory.
The Chix opened the game with 12 consecutive points, including five points each by senior Mickey Voss and junior Caleb Claerbaut. The Dux did not score their first points until 2:20 remained in the first quarter.
East led 14-3 after one quarter and 33-14 at halftime. The Chix took their biggest lead early in the third quarter at 40-17.
Claerbaut and senior BJ Walker led East with 13 points apiece, with Claerbaut hitting three 3-point shots. Voss added 10 points. Senior Jake Lencioni led West with 11 points, including three 3-point baskets.
On Friday, East got a 31-point effort from Walker in a 65-46 win over Holland. The Chix were to face West Ottawa Wednesday night in the district tournament at Holland.
Dux Competitive Cheer Advances to State Finals
For the first time in the program’s history, the Zeeland West competitive cheer team will compete for a state championship this Saturday.
The Dux qualified for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state finals last Saturday, finishing second among 12 teams in the regional at Forest Hills Northern with a team score of 760.14 points.
Plainwell won the meet with a score of 767.68 points. Cedar Springs and Muskegon Reeths-Puffer rounded out the top four teams that advanced to this Saturday’s meet at Central Michigan University.
A year ago, West narrowly missed qualifying for state, finishing fifth at the regional meet, missing the top four by a little more than seven points.
This time, however, the Dux got off to a strong start, posting a score of 225.60 in the first round, second only to Plainwell. They followed with a score of 219.44 in the second round.
But West saved its best for last, posting the top score in the final round with 315.10 points to clinch its spot in the state finals.
The Division 2 meet begins at 3:30 p.m. at CMU’s McGuirk Arena.
Two Qualify for State Bowling Finals
Two Zeeland bowlers will compete in the Michigan high school Division 1 singles bowling finals on Saturday at the Thunderbowl in Allen Park.
Noah VanderVelde was the individual boys champion at last Saturday’s regional at Revel and Roll West in Kalamazoo, while Hayden Pompey-Oshinski was fifth in the girls regional.
VanderVelde, a senior, totaled 1,255 pins in his six games at the regional, including a high game of 225, as he edged Hudsonville’s Ferris Eldred by four pins.
Pompey-Oshinski, a senior, totaled 955 pins in her six games, with a high game of 169.
Both VanderVelde and Pompey-Oshinski are in the singles finals for the first time.
West Boys Eliminated In District
The varsity boys basketball season came to an end for Zeeland West Monday night in the district tournament at Holland, as the host Dutch defeated the Dux 48-32.
Holland outscored West 12-3 in the second quarter to take a 23-14 halftime lead. The Dutch led by as many 11 in the third quarter, but the Dux cut the lead to five at 37-32 on a Lincoln Jipping 3-pointer at the buzzer.
In the fourth quarter, though, Holland clamped down on the West offense, as the Dux did not score a point in the final eight minutes while the Dutch tacked on 11 points.
Senior Khi Anderson led West with 11 points.
West Girls Hold Off East
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The first time the Zeeland East and Zeeland West varsity girls basketball teams met this season, the Dux full-court press caused all kinds of problems for the Chix, and West ran away with a 56-32 victory.
The Feb. 18 rematch at East was much closer, but West came up with some big plays in the fourth quarter to prevail, 36-34, for its ninth consecutive win.
The first half was an exchange of runs. West ran off eight straight points over the last half of the first quarter and the first two minutes of the second quarter, capped by two free throws by sophomore Sadie Kragt, to take a 13-6 lead.
But East seniors Mirra Fenlon and Emily Wierenga led a comeback for the Chix. Fenlon scored seven points and Wierenga added a basket and two free throws during a 13-2 run that closed out the half. East led 19-15 at the break.
West senior Jordyn Klaasen took matters into her own hands in the third quarter, scoring eight of West’s 10 points as the Dux took a 25-23 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Klaasen scored on a three-point play and a drive to the basket to extend the West lead to 32-25 with 2:22 remaining.
Late 3-point baskets by Fenna Gruppen and Lizzie Risdon were not enough for East as the Dux held on for the win, finishing O-K Black Conference play at 9-3, while dropping the Chix to 6-5 in the conference.
Klassen led the Dux with 18 points, 15 of them in the second half, while Kragt added six points. Risdon led East with 11 points while Fenlon and CC Kuras added seven apiece.
On Friday, West won its 10th consecutive game and a school-record 16th game of the season with a 39-29 win over Covenant Christian. Senior Hannah Stroebe led the Dux with 11 points while sophomore Jenna Hendricks came off the bench to score 10.
Meanwhile, East picked up its 13th win by downing Holland, 53-34, as Wierenga and Fenlon each scored 17 points for the Chix.
The Chix and Dux will face each other in a district semifinal game at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at Holland High School.
Zeeland Record
The first time the Zeeland East and Zeeland West varsity girls basketball teams met this season, the Dux full-court press caused all kinds of problems for the Chix, and West ran away with a 56-32 victory.
The Feb. 18 rematch at East was much closer, but West came up with some big plays in the fourth quarter to prevail, 36-34, for its ninth consecutive win.
The first half was an exchange of runs. West ran off eight straight points over the last half of the first quarter and the first two minutes of the second quarter, capped by two free throws by sophomore Sadie Kragt, to take a 13-6 lead.
But East seniors Mirra Fenlon and Emily Wierenga led a comeback for the Chix. Fenlon scored seven points and Wierenga added a basket and two free throws during a 13-2 run that closed out the half. East led 19-15 at the break.
West senior Jordyn Klaasen took matters into her own hands in the third quarter, scoring eight of West’s 10 points as the Dux took a 25-23 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Klaasen scored on a three-point play and a drive to the basket to extend the West lead to 32-25 with 2:22 remaining.
Late 3-point baskets by Fenna Gruppen and Lizzie Risdon were not enough for East as the Dux held on for the win, finishing O-K Black Conference play at 9-3, while dropping the Chix to 6-5 in the conference.
Klassen led the Dux with 18 points, 15 of them in the second half, while Kragt added six points. Risdon led East with 11 points while Fenlon and CC Kuras added seven apiece.
On Friday, West won its 10th consecutive game and a school-record 16th game of the season with a 39-29 win over Covenant Christian. Senior Hannah Stroebe led the Dux with 11 points while sophomore Jenna Hendricks came off the bench to score 10.
Meanwhile, East picked up its 13th win by downing Holland, 53-34, as Wierenga and Fenlon each scored 17 points for the Chix.
The Chix and Dux will face each other in a district semifinal game at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at Holland High School.
