The Galesburg-Augusta varsity volleyball team enjoyed two sweeps last week.
The Lady Rams took Fennville in three sets September 24, 25-19, 28-26, 25-18 and swept Holland Black River September 22, 25-19, 25-12, 25-9.
G-A coach Jonica Klimp said the match with Fennville was a team effort with all players contributing crucial plays to earn the win.
The Ram coach feels her team continues to improve as the season moves along “and we are looking forward to a winning second half of the season.”
Jeni Klimp led the team with three aces, Kayla Bortolussi had a team high nine kills and Lexi Coburn led the team in digs with 12, and assists with 21.
G-A Def. Fennville, 25-19, 28-26, 25-18
G-A Stat Leaders
Aces: Jeni Klimp 3, Lexi Coburn 2, Ellesa Callender 2, Lily Gilbert 2, Claire Callender 1
Kills: Kayla Bortolussi 9, Lily Gilbert 8, Ellesa Callender 6, Jeni Klimp 5, Lexi Coburn 2, Emily Coleman 2, Kirra Puglise 1
Digs: Lexi Coburn 12, Jeni Klimp 10, Lily Gilbert 9, Audrey Dennis 6, Ellesa Callender 3, Jilaya Henery-Philips 2, Kayla Bortolussi 2, Emily Coleman 2, Claire Callender 1
Assists: Lexi Coburn 21, Lily Gilbert 2, Ellesa Callender 1, Kayla Bortolussi 1
G-A Sweeps Holland Black River
While her team continues to struggle early in matches by committing too many mistakes, Ram coach Jonica Klimp was pleased her team was able to bounce back in all three sets to capture the win over Holland Black River.
“Eventually, the girls zoned in and were easily able to take down the River Rats,” said the G-A coach.
Lily Gilbert had a team high 13 kills and led the team in digs with six. Lexi Coburn led the team with four aces and a team high 32 assists. Jeni Klimp and Ellesa Callender each had two blocks.
G-A Def. Holland Black River, 25-19, 25-12, 25-9
G-A Stat Leaders
Aces: Lexi Coburn 4, Jeni Klimp 4, Ellesa Callender 2, Claire Callender 2, Kayla Bortolussi 1
Kills: Lily Gilbert 13, Kayla Bortolussi 10, Jeni Klimp 8, Emily Coleman 7, Ellesa Callender 3, Lexi Coburn 1
Digs: Lily Gilbert 6, Ellesa Callender 6, Jilaya Henery-Philips 5, Emily Coleman 5, Jeni Klimp 5, Lexi Coburn 4, Claire Callender 3, Kayla Bortolussi 1, Audrey Dennis 1
Blocks: Jeni Klimp 2, Ellesa Callender 2, Kayla Bortolussi 1, Emily Coleman 1
Assists: Lexi Coburn 32, Lily Gilbert 2, Jilaya Henery-Philips 1, Ellesa Callender 1
Galesburg-Augusta High School senior Nick Stevens finished 14th in the mens race and senior Ellesa Callendar finished 14th in the womens race in the Fox and Hound race at Kalamazoo Valley Community College September 26.
In the traditional cross country race, all runners start at the same time and then finish in a stagger with the fastest runners coming in first. A fox and hound race flips this tradition to provide runners a race that challenges them on a different level. Runners are lined up and released from the start line by their best performance to date for the season, with the highest seeded runner going first. Each successive runner is released based on their seed time. This is a unique style race that puts the athletes in positions they do not otherwise experience, giving them the opportunity to trust their training and run their own race, while inspiring their inner competitor throughout the entire event. Males and Females will race together, however, awards and scoring will be split by gender.
AWARDS: Medals were awarded to the top finishers and a trophy to the top team (Team scores based on top 5 finishers like a standard meet). There was also recognition of top fox (athlete that drops the most time) and top hound (athlete that makes the most passes).
G-A finished third out of three teams in the mens race and the G-A women did not have enough runners to score as a team.
Stevens posted a time of 20:26.6 and Callendar had a season best time of 25:29.3.
In the two-mile middle school boys race G-A sixth grader Silas Guenther was the first Ram to finish, posting a time of 21:15.4 in 36th place.
G-A did not have any runners in the middle school girls race.
Hackett Fox and Hound (At KVCC)
5,000 Meters HS Males
1. Kalamazoo Hackett, 19, 2. Concord, 41, 3. Galesburg-Augusta, 73
G-A Results
14. Nick Stevens, 20:26.6, 17. Ashton Dingee, 20:36.2, 21. Cameron Kuhse, 21:44.5PB, 31. Matthew Chichester, 25:11.0PB, 32. Aaiden Schroeder, 29:02.9SB
Womens Results
5,000 Meters HS Females
1. Concord, 28, 2. Kalamazoo Hackett, 33, 3. BC Pennfield, 63
G-A Results
14. Ellesa Callender, 25:29.3SB, 22. Grace Allie, 29:00.9PB, 28. Addison Walden, 36:24.1
2 Miles MS Males
1. Kalamazoo Hackett, 27, 2. Plainwell, 28
G-A Results
36. Silas Guenther, 21:15.4, 39. Adrian Butler, 21:59.7
2 Miles MS Females
1. Plainwell 18, 2. Kalamazoo Hackett, 58, 3. Heritage Christian Academy, 80, 4. Pennfield, 92, 5. Howardsville Christian MS, 118
The Lady Rams took Fennville in three sets September 24, 25-19, 28-26, 25-18 and swept Holland Black River September 22, 25-19, 25-12, 25-9.
G-A coach Jonica Klimp said the match with Fennville was a team effort with all players contributing crucial plays to earn the win.
The Ram coach feels her team continues to improve as the season moves along “and we are looking forward to a winning second half of the season.”
Jeni Klimp led the team with three aces, Kayla Bortolussi had a team high nine kills and Lexi Coburn led the team in digs with 12, and assists with 21.
G-A Def. Fennville, 25-19, 28-26, 25-18
G-A Stat Leaders
Aces: Jeni Klimp 3, Lexi Coburn 2, Ellesa Callender 2, Lily Gilbert 2, Claire Callender 1
Kills: Kayla Bortolussi 9, Lily Gilbert 8, Ellesa Callender 6, Jeni Klimp 5, Lexi Coburn 2, Emily Coleman 2, Kirra Puglise 1
Digs: Lexi Coburn 12, Jeni Klimp 10, Lily Gilbert 9, Audrey Dennis 6, Ellesa Callender 3, Jilaya Henery-Philips 2, Kayla Bortolussi 2, Emily Coleman 2, Claire Callender 1
Assists: Lexi Coburn 21, Lily Gilbert 2, Ellesa Callender 1, Kayla Bortolussi 1
G-A Sweeps Holland Black River
While her team continues to struggle early in matches by committing too many mistakes, Ram coach Jonica Klimp was pleased her team was able to bounce back in all three sets to capture the win over Holland Black River.
“Eventually, the girls zoned in and were easily able to take down the River Rats,” said the G-A coach.
Lily Gilbert had a team high 13 kills and led the team in digs with six. Lexi Coburn led the team with four aces and a team high 32 assists. Jeni Klimp and Ellesa Callender each had two blocks.
G-A Def. Holland Black River, 25-19, 25-12, 25-9
G-A Stat Leaders
Aces: Lexi Coburn 4, Jeni Klimp 4, Ellesa Callender 2, Claire Callender 2, Kayla Bortolussi 1
Kills: Lily Gilbert 13, Kayla Bortolussi 10, Jeni Klimp 8, Emily Coleman 7, Ellesa Callender 3, Lexi Coburn 1
Digs: Lily Gilbert 6, Ellesa Callender 6, Jilaya Henery-Philips 5, Emily Coleman 5, Jeni Klimp 5, Lexi Coburn 4, Claire Callender 3, Kayla Bortolussi 1, Audrey Dennis 1
Blocks: Jeni Klimp 2, Ellesa Callender 2, Kayla Bortolussi 1, Emily Coleman 1
Assists: Lexi Coburn 32, Lily Gilbert 2, Jilaya Henery-Philips 1, Ellesa Callender 1
G-A has two top 15 finishes
Galesburg-Augusta High School senior Nick Stevens finished 14th in the mens race and senior Ellesa Callendar finished 14th in the womens race in the Fox and Hound race at Kalamazoo Valley Community College September 26.
In the traditional cross country race, all runners start at the same time and then finish in a stagger with the fastest runners coming in first. A fox and hound race flips this tradition to provide runners a race that challenges them on a different level. Runners are lined up and released from the start line by their best performance to date for the season, with the highest seeded runner going first. Each successive runner is released based on their seed time. This is a unique style race that puts the athletes in positions they do not otherwise experience, giving them the opportunity to trust their training and run their own race, while inspiring their inner competitor throughout the entire event. Males and Females will race together, however, awards and scoring will be split by gender.
AWARDS: Medals were awarded to the top finishers and a trophy to the top team (Team scores based on top 5 finishers like a standard meet). There was also recognition of top fox (athlete that drops the most time) and top hound (athlete that makes the most passes).
G-A finished third out of three teams in the mens race and the G-A women did not have enough runners to score as a team.
Stevens posted a time of 20:26.6 and Callendar had a season best time of 25:29.3.
In the two-mile middle school boys race G-A sixth grader Silas Guenther was the first Ram to finish, posting a time of 21:15.4 in 36th place.
G-A did not have any runners in the middle school girls race.
Hackett Fox and Hound (At KVCC)
5,000 Meters HS Males
1. Kalamazoo Hackett, 19, 2. Concord, 41, 3. Galesburg-Augusta, 73
G-A Results
14. Nick Stevens, 20:26.6, 17. Ashton Dingee, 20:36.2, 21. Cameron Kuhse, 21:44.5PB, 31. Matthew Chichester, 25:11.0PB, 32. Aaiden Schroeder, 29:02.9SB
Womens Results
5,000 Meters HS Females
1. Concord, 28, 2. Kalamazoo Hackett, 33, 3. BC Pennfield, 63
G-A Results
14. Ellesa Callender, 25:29.3SB, 22. Grace Allie, 29:00.9PB, 28. Addison Walden, 36:24.1
2 Miles MS Males
1. Kalamazoo Hackett, 27, 2. Plainwell, 28
G-A Results
36. Silas Guenther, 21:15.4, 39. Adrian Butler, 21:59.7
2 Miles MS Females
1. Plainwell 18, 2. Kalamazoo Hackett, 58, 3. Heritage Christian Academy, 80, 4. Pennfield, 92, 5. Howardsville Christian MS, 118
G-A Boys Finish 9th, Girls 7th at Parchment Classic
Both the Galesburg-Augusta womens and mens cross country teams had one runner finish in the top 20 at the Parchment Classic September 23.G-A sophomore Sophia Dohm posted a time of 23:48.6 and finished 18th in the womens race to lead the Ram women.
G-A sophomore Segura Lopez had a personal best time of 19:03.7 and finished in 20th out of a field of 72 runners to lead the men.
The men finished ninth with 194 points and the women finished seventh with 169 points.
Eighth grader Hershel Dohm was the first G-A runner to finish in the 1.8-mile middle school boys race in 10th place with a personal best time of 12:00.5 and sixth grader Lillian Barton finished 21st with a time of 13:23.8 in the girls race for G-A.
Parchment Classic
Mens Results
5,000 Meters Varsity
1. Delton-Kellogg, 54, 2. Martin, 59, 3. Coldwater, 81, 4. Marshall 126, 5. Parchment, 156, 6. BC Pennfield, 160, 7. Bloomingdale, 162, 8. Allegan, 164, 9. Galesburg-Augusta, 194
G-A Results
20. Segura Lopez, 19:03.7PB, 35. Nick Stevens, 20:29.8, 36. Ashton Dingee, 20:37.3, 56. Cameron Kuhse, 22:54.6, 59. Vincent Finedell, 23:23.8, 67. Everett Finedell, 25:08.8, 70. Matthew Chichester, 28:14.1
Womens Results
5,000 Meters Varsity
Official Team Scores
1. Martin, 38, 2. Marshall 49, 3. Coldwater, 77, 4. Bloomingdale, 102, 5. Delton-Kellogg 115, 6. BC Pennfield, 139, 7. Galesburg-Augusta, 169
G-A Results
18. Sophia Dohm, 23:48.6, 35. Ellesa Callender, 26:25.1, 36. Neva Freed, 26:29.9PB, 49. Kayla Bortolussi, 29:01.1SB, 52. Grace Allie, 29:29.4, 60. Addison Walden, 35:54.5
1.8 Miles Middle School
Boys
1. Kalamazoo Christian, 30, 2. Schoolcraft, 40, 3. Galesburg-Augusta, 85, 4. St. Michael Lutheran, 86
G-A Results
10. Hershel Dohm, 12:00.5PB, 12. Louie Finedell, 12:30.4SB, 33. Preston Feldt, 15:34.9PB
Girls
1. Kalamazoo Christian, 23,2. Martin, 56, 3. Pennfield, 80, 4. Parchment, 83
G-A Results
21. Lillian Barton, 13:23.8PB, 40. Sylvia Millard, 18:05.4SB, 51. Shaniyah Jones, 25:04.3PB, 52. Autumn Vesel, 25:07.8 PB
G-A Cross Country
A look ahead
10/10 Portage Inv. at Portage West M.S. TBD
10/15 SAC Conference Meet at Gilmore Car Museum 4:30 p.m.
A look ahead
10/10 Portage Inv. at Portage West M.S. TBD
10/15 SAC Conference Meet at Gilmore Car Museum 4:30 p.m.
Confident G-A football team keeps expectations high
By Bruce Rolfe
There’s no secret the Galesburg-Augusta varsity football team has some pretty lofty expectations this season.
After getting a taste of the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997 the Rams are not only eager to return to the postseason, but they are striving for other achievements as well.
G-A increased its chances of securing a playoff birth with a gritty 12-8 win over Centreville September 25 on the road.
G-A is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 1985, when that team went 9-0 in the regular season, won the playoff opener and lost to Lansing Catholic 23-0 in the regional championship game.
G-A (3-0 in the Southwest 10 Division B) finds itself in a battle for first place in the Southwest 10 Division with Decatur (5-0 overall and 5-0 in the Southwest 10 Division B). The two undefeated teams will clash October 2 at 7 p.m. at Maskill Field in a game that will likely determine the Southwest 10 Division title.
G-A senior starting quarterback Patrick Armock feels his team is tired of being viewed as a team that struggled and would often come up short more then it won.
“Hey, a win is a win. An ugly win. But 5-0 feels pretty good. To be winning again. Like I said, we’re not a door mat team, and we’re not going to continue to be a door mat team. We’re going to continue to win and dominate. Put in a good week of practice and go beat 5-0 Decatur. Let’s go,” said the G-A senior.
G-A coach Chuck Hadley said it’s been rewarding to see a hungry G-A fan base embrace the team after quite a few years of frustration. He also senses there’s going to be a big turnout for Friday’s key game with Decatur.
“They’ve been through a lot over the years. We’re so happy to be able to do this for them. They even supported us when we weren’t doing real well. This town is a football town. They’ve been hungry for a team like this, and we’re just happy to be able to deliver it. Just so happy they come out and support us like that. I’m sure Maskill Field is going to be rocking next week (October 2). Standing room only on the fence. Get there early if you want to sit down because that’s going to be a big one,” said the Ram coach.
With first place in the division at stake and both teams entering the big tilt undefeated, the Rams understand the significance of the game.
“Oh, man, I’ve got to step it up another notch. Like three notches, because playing like this (against Centreville) won’t fly against Decatur. I’ve got to step it up for my team and be a defensive quarterback in a way,” said senior Dominic Corsi.
Hadley said his team embraces the opportunity to play another undefeated team in a key division matchup but feels his team will have to “play our best football.”
“I mean, they’re good for a reason. They’re going to be 5-0 for a reason. But I have just a great bunch of kids that believe in themselves. They believe in each other. They’re going to fight to the bitter end. It doesn’t matter if we get down. They have grit,” said the Ram coach.
Armock, Corsi and senior Giovanni Evans feel the confidence is elevating with each game.
“One game at a time. 1-0 every week. Just continue to do what we do, and we got it. We’re good. We’re good,” said Armock.
“I feel real confident. Real confident. I think we’re going undefeated. That’s what we got. I think we’ve got to do a little better. The game (against Centreville) wasn’t great but we came through with a win and that’s all that matters,” said Evans.
“My team, I know we can be so much better than we are. If we start out really strong, there’s no one team stopping us. No one,” adds Corsi.
G-A JV football team evens record
The Galesburg-Augusta JV football team evened its record at 2-2 with a 36-6 win over Centreville at Maskill Field September 24.
Coach Les Brewer said his team came up with four turnovers including an interception by Breckin Vickery who returned the miscue for a touchdown.
G-A is scheduled to play at Parchment October 8 at 6 p.m.
G-A football team runs record to 5-0
Ronald Kasten (24), an unidentified Ram, Juan Soriano (51), Brady Towery (78) and Dominic Corsi converge on this Centreville ball carrier during action September 25 at Centreville.
Photo by Bruce Rolfe
Photo by Bruce Rolfe
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