2025…a year to remember in sports

TRI-CITY AREA — From start to finish, the past 12 months have proven a memorable stretch indeed.

Here is a look at some of the top stories which made the sports pages in 2025:

1) Almont bowling standout Hunter Ross wins a state title (March 5 issue).

Almont senior Hunter Ross earned a first-place finish last Saturday at the Michigan High School Boys’ Bowling State Championship.

Jax 60 Lanes, in Jackson, is where the action unfolded.

Ross edged Cros-Lex counterpart Josh Gunderson, 377-375, in the two-game title match.

2) The Almont football team and girls’ soccer team both earn state semifinal round appearances (November 25 and June 18 issues)

Second-ranked Almont was outlasted 25-19, by top-rated Jackson Lumen Christi in a Division 6 football semifinal battle that required three overtimes to determine a victor last Saturday afternoon.

Novi High School is where the action unfolded.

With the outcome, Jackson Lumen Christi improves to 10-3 overall. Almont watches an outstanding 12-1 campaign draw to a close.

Almont, which won their third straight Blue Water Area Conference title this season, opened their successful playoff run with a 42-12 win against Clintondale. That was followed by a 27-0 victory over Marine City and a 44-8 triumph against Detroit Edison.

Like the football team, the Almont girls’ soccer team also enjoyed a season to be proud of.

The 13th-ranked Almont girls’ soccer team ended their unprecedented season run with a 2-0 loss to Harper Woods Regina in a Division 3 semifinal battle on Tuesday, June 10.

Barnabo Field, at Romeo High School, is where the action unfolded.

With the result, Warren Regina goes to 7-5-6 this season. Almont sees an impressive 17-5-1 campaign reach an endpoint.

Almont began their postseason path with 5-0 win against Yale. That was followed by a 2-0 victory over Armada; a 5-1 triumph against Williamston; and a 2-1 win against sixth-rated Frankenmuth.

4) Three Tri-City Area competitors notch medal-winning performances at the individual wrestling state finals (March 5 issue).

Imlay City 126-pounder Tanner Land and Chris Galiana earned fourth-place finishes in their respective weight classes last Friday and Saturday at the Division 3 state finals.

Ford Field, in Detroit, is where the action unfolded.

The Imlay City duo finished the season with 41-8 and 44-9 marks, respectively.

In Division 4 action at the same site, Capac 126-pounder Sam Schneider claimed a seventh-place showing.

He wrapped up the season with a 43-12 mark.

Land, Galiana and Schneider earned All-State accolades (given to the top-eight finishers in each weight class) for their performances.

5) The Capac football team reaches the regional championship game of the Division 1 playoffs for 8-player squads (November 5 issue).

Capac battled their way back from an imposing 30-8 halftime deficit to pull out a 40-38 road victory over Brown City in an 8-player football regional semifinal clash involving Division 1 squads last Friday night.

The following Friday Capac closed out their 2025 campaign with 32-8 road setback to Kingston in a regional championship battle.

With the outcome, Capac ended the season as owners of an 8-3 mark.

6) The Dryden girls’ cross country team enjoys a successful postseason run (October 29 and November 5 issues).

The Dryden girls’ cross country squad obtained a third-place finish last Saturday at a Division 4 regional meet.

Wagener County Park is where the meet was contested.

The following Saturday saw Dryden test their endurance skills at the Division 4 state meet.

Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, is where the action unfolded.

Cara Prusakiewicz led Dryden that day. She took 12th, thanks to a school record-setting clocking of 19:36.8.

For her performance, Prusakiewicz earned All-State accolades (reserved for the top-30 finishers).

7) The Dryden boys’ cross country team excels at a Division 4 regional (October 29 and November 5 issue).

The Dyrden boys’ cross country team claimed a second at a Division 4 regional last Saturday.

Wagener County Park is where the meet was contested.

Dryden then followed it up with a 19th place showing at the Division 4 state meet on Saturday, November 1.

Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, is where the action unfolded.

Logan Romain registered the quickest Dryden performance. He stopped the watch at 17:11.2, paving the way to a 50th.

8) Imlay City volley ball standout Emma Keeping, a Wake Forest signee, gains mention among the finalists for the Miss Volleyball Award (December 3 issue).

Imlay City’s Emma Keeping pulled up sixth when the balloting for the Miss Volleyball Award was announced recently.

The 5-11 senior setter/right side hitter, a four-year varsity performer, proved a force to be reckoned with for Imlay City’s talented team. It was there she amassed 496 kills and 387 set assists.

She also contributed 387 digs, 50 ace serves and 43 blocks to Imlay City’s cause.

Imlay City, which ended the season rated fifth among Division 2 squads statewide, placed second in the Blue Water Area Conference behind perennial powerhouse North Branch. The Spartans wrapped up the season as owners of a 34-10 overall mark.

9) The Imlay City boys’ tennis team nets a tie for third at a Division 4 regional (October 15th issue).

The Imlay City boys’ tennis team earned their first-ever trip to the state finals, accomplishing the feat with a tie for third at a Division 4 regional last Wednesday.

Levi Lengemann (first singles), Isaac Sommer (second singles), Sam Edson and Griffin Wetzel (first doubles) Vinnie Guerin and Caleb McLain (second doubles), Carsan Milovich and Jeremy Alter (third doubles) along with Vishnu Jeyapaul and Isaac Lindquist (fourth doubles) led Imlay City that day. They were flight semifinalists.

10) The Dryden girls’ track team takes regional honors, Almont boys’ track standout Chase Battani places twice at the Division 3 state finals and the Imlay City boys’ soccer team, claims a district title (May 21, June 4 and October 22 issues).

The Dryden girls’ track team earned a first-place finish last Friday at a Division 4 regional it hosted.

Dryden topped the standings with 86 points that day.

Almont’s Chase Battani notched a pair of placewinning performances at the Division 3 state finals on Saturday, May 31.

Kent City is where the action unfolded.

The Almont senior generated a pole vault clearance of 14 feet 3 inches for sixth and logged a 110-meter hurdle clocking of 15.18 seconds on his way to an eighth.

For his performances, Battani earned All-State accolades (reserved for the top-eight finishers in each event).

The Imlay City boys’ soccer team saw to it that their season would last a bit longer, accomplishing the feat with a 4-1 triumph against Cros-Lex in a Division 3 district title encounter last Wednesday in Richmond.

It marked the sixth straight season Imlay City has claimed district honors.

Imlay City then closed out their postseason run with a 1-0 regional semifinal loss to sixth-ranked Grosse Ile on Tuesday, October 21.

Detroit Country Day High School is where the action unfolded.

With the decision, Imlay City watches an outstanding 15-8-2 season reach an endpoint.

Honorable mention

Almont’s Izzy Malcolm excels at the Michigan Powerlifting Association State Finals (March 12 issue).

Almont’s Izzy Malcolm took fifth against 181-pound weight class entrants at the Lake Orion-based Michigan Powerlifting Association State Finals last Saturday. She posted a 750-pound total en route.

Imlay City’s Morgan Robertson excels at the Division 3 Girls’ Bowling Singles State Championship (March 5 issue).

Imlay City junior Morgan Robertson registered a quarterfinal appearance last Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 Girls’ bowling State Singles Championship.

Jax 60 Lanes, in Jackson, is where the action unfolded.

The Capac boys’ bowling team compete at the Division 4 state finals (March 5 issue).

The Capac boys’ bowling team obtained an 11th-place finish last Friday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 4 State Championship.

Northway Lanes, in Muskegon, is where the action unfolded.

The Imlay City girls bowling team tests their skills at the Division 3 state finals (March 5 issue).

The Imlay City girls’ bowling team provided a 12th-place showing at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state finals.

Jax 60 Lanes, in Jackson, is where the action unfolded.

The Almont boys and girls track teams excel at a Division 3 regional (May 21 issue).

The Almont boys’ track squad took second and the Almont girls’ track team placed third in their respective Division 3 regional meets last Thursday.

Algonac is where the meet was contested.

The Almont boys’ bowling team competes at the Div. 3 state finals (March 5 issue).

The Almont boys’ bowling team claimed a 14th-place showing last Friday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 State Championship.

Jax 60 Lames. in Jackson, is where the action unfolded.

The Imlay City boys’ basketball team shares the BWAC title with Yale (February 26 issue).

The Imlay City basketball team concluded Blue Water Area Conference action with a 42-34 win against North Branch at home on Friday, February 21.

The outcome gives Imlay City a share of the BWAC title with Yale. Both finish with 12-2 league marks.