Vote Now: Birmingham Athlete of the Spring Season

High school athletes in the Birmingham area had plenty of great performances this season. We want to hear from our readers which one they thought was the best.

Be sure to vote by 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 27. Final results will be posted on June 29.

Here are the candidates:

Jake Balicki – senior, , baseball: Jake Balicki missed nearly a month of the season due to a , but he still put up big numbers for the Groves varsity baseball team to help it win back-to-back division titles in the Oakland Activities Association White division. He batted well over .400 on the season and had an ERA of less than 2.00. Despite playing 10 fewer games than his teammates, he also led the squad I homeruns. Balicki was selected to play in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game at Comerica Park next week.

Kendall Baisden – junior, Detroit Country Day, track: At the Division 2 state finals, Kendall Baisden beat her own Division 2 record (54.91) in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.58 on her way to a third straight individual title in the race. She was also part of Country Day’s 400-meter and 800-meter teams that captured titles. She missed a month of the season with a hamstring injury, but the hamstring didn’t seem to be a problem for her in the finals. Baisden is not only one of the top sprinters in the state, she’s also garnering national attention. She just competed at the USATF Junior Nationals and earned a trip to Barcelona, Spain, for the IAAF World Juniors by placing third in the 400-meter dash.

J.D. Hess – senior, , lacrosse: As captain of the Birmingham United lacrosse team, J.D. Hess was a big reason the program has had a strong season under new head coach Burton Engel. Hess was one of the area’s top attackers, earning Division I All State First Team honors, as chosen by the MHSLCA All State Committee. The senior was also a beast in the team’s run to the Division 1 semifinals. He had in the opening round of regionals and he had four goals in the team’s 15-12 regional finals win over Northville.

Keely Nowland – senior, Groves High School, softball: The Groves varsity softball team had to settle for second place in the OAA White, but not at districts. Starting pitcher Keely Nowland helped the Falcons win their second straight district title with a pair of strong pitching performances. Groves won the district title by beating West Bloomfield 8-3. The four-year varsity starter finished the year with an ERA well under 3.00 and nearly reached the 20-win mark.

Makenzie Larson – senior, Marian High School, soccer: Starting goaltender Makenzie Larson won her second state championship for the Marian varsity soccer team this spring and her third title overall. The goalkeeper, who is signed to play at Loyola Marymount, helped the Mustangs finish with a 22-2-1 record this season. She earned All-Catholic League and All-State honors last season and is likely to add more awards to her trophy case in the following weeks.

Jackie Meier and Rachel Wilson – sophomore and freshman, Seaholm, tennis: Sophomore Jackie Meier and freshman Rachel Wilson completed an undefeated season for the Seaholm varsity tennis team by winning the No. 3 flight title at the Division 2 state finals this season. The pair won 6-3, 6-1 over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern to go 26-0 and help the Maples bring home a team championship. Seaholm reached the finals in four of the eight flights in Division 2, but only Meier and Wilson won a flight championship. 

Ross Williams – sophomore, Groves, track: Ross Williams nearly won a pair of titles at the state finals in track and field for Groves. He finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.62), less than four-tenths of second out of first place (14.24), but that was nothing compared to the photo finish in the 1,600-meter relay. The Falcons missed out on winning the race by a fraction of a second, finishing with a 3:21.43 slightly behind Lake Orion’s 3:21.42. Williams also ran in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, where he finished in fifth place with a time of 39.71. All three results earned him All-State honors. Earlier in the season, Williams won the 110-meter hurdles at the Oakland County Championships and finished third in the 300-meter at the event.

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