Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
When talking to Kirsten Olling and Sara Hansen, you may not realize that you are talking to two young ladies with two of the best high school athletic resumes in the state of Michigan.
Both are humble, and both have let their actions speak louder than their words the past four years.
And for Olling, a recent graduate of Breckenridge High School, and Hansen, a recent graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, their accomplishments are incredible.
Olling won four Division 4 state titles in cross country and set a D4 state record in cross country with a time of 17:44.9 last fall. She also was a four-time champion in the 3,200-meter run in track. She is the only person to win four state titles in cross country and in the 3,200.
Hansen earned all-state status twice in volleyball as a setter, three times in basketball as a point guard, and three times in softball. Her senior year, she was instrumental in leading Sacred Heart to the Class D state basketball championship, and she was named Miss Softball.
Next year, both athletes will be heading to college to continue their careers, Olling to Arizona State University for cross country and track and Hansen to Central Michigan University for softball.
For these reasons, these talented young ladies were named High School Sports Scene’s Co-Female Athletes of the Year.
“My dad (Kevin) and uncle (Brian) were both long distance runners at Breckenridge,” Olling said of her start in running. “It was my fifth grade year, I was a gymnast and dancer and ended up breaking my arm, so I was kind of scared to go back and do all that again. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Then my dad brought out all his awards he won, and then in sixth grade we started a running club. My first mile running I fell in love with the sport. It’s kind of like that feeling you are relaxed, but at the same time you want to put everything into it. It makes me feel at home, with peaceful thoughts.”
Olling said she began to realize how good might be her freshman year. “My first state championship for cross country, that was the whole starting point,” she said. “There wasn’t any pressure of having to do it again, but you have that pressure that you know you can do this. I don’t remember the first two miles of that race, but the last mile I remember vividly, because I had competition behind me.”
Hansen also got early starts in her sports, but she said her best moments came this past year. “Winning that state title, that’s been my best moment,” she said. “That was the first girls’ state basketball title the girls ever won. And I was the only senior to experience it, so that was a very cool experience.”
Hansen has learned a lot of lessons and has a lot of experiences that she will take to CMU. She hopes those lessons and experiences will turn her into as good a college athlete as she was a high school athlete.
“Mostly, it’s just that if you are good, you need mental toughness, too,” she said. “I learned that in high school, and it will be a big transition to college, and I may not have immediate success, so I need that mental toughness.”
Those athletes that just missed
1. Ally Harran, Powers Catholic; Harran, a two-sport standout for Powers, is heading to Wake Forest University to play soccer. She tallied 11 goals and three assists in 20 games this season for the Chargers, who finished 17-1-2 and lost to Detroit Country Day in the Division 3 regional final. Harran guided the Chargers to the Class B semifinal round in basketball for the second straight season.
2. Courtney Reinhold, Swan Valley; One of the top pitchers in Michigan, Reinhold will be taking her talents to Grand Valley State University next season.
3. Lacy Tolfree, Heritage; One of the most versatile softball players in the state, Tolfree hit a whopping .618 this spring. She will play softball at Central Michigan University.
4. Jess Walter, Midland; Walter finished second in the Miss Basketball voting last season and will play college basketball at Indiana University.
5. Bailey Baker, Eaton Rapids; Bailey will attend the University of Michigan on a track and field scholarship. She earned 16 varsity letters in four years for the Greyhounds.
6. Sam Berryhill, Mt. Pleasant; Berryhill played golf, basketball, and softball at Mount Pleasant and will attend Central Michigan University, where she has been accepted into the honors program.
7. Maddy Seeley, Alma; A 5-foot-8 guard, Seeley will play basketball in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at Northwood University. She set the Alma High School scoring record with more than 1,300 points. She averaged 25.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals during the season.
8. Taryn Taugher, Freeland; A standout in volleyball, basketball, and soccer, Taugher will be one of the top returning area athletes heading into next year. She helped lead the Freeland soccer team into the Class B semifinal round for the first time in school history.
9. Morgan McKerchie, Powers Catholic; McKerchie led the Chargers soccer team in scoring this season and was named to the Class C All-State First Team. She will play college soccer at Michigan State University.
10. Tania Davis, Goodrich; Davis will likely be the front-runner for 2015 Miss Basketball honors.
Others who were in consideration
11. Katie Dudley, Okemos
12. Elle Nichols, Okemos
13. Hannah Leppek, Bay City Western
14. Kristy Gomez, Lansing Christian
15. Bri Alspaugh, St. Louis
16. Maison Kalina, Bullock Creek
17. Mikayla Terry, Lansing Christian
18. Rachel McInerney, Nouvel Catholic Central
19. Ashley Youngstrom, Freeland
20. Ashton Miller, Okemos