By BUTCH HARMON
The spring sports season was one to remember for the varsity sports teams at DeWitt High School. On the diamond, the pitch, and the course, Panther athletes came up big during the spring of 2015, as DeWitt teams won one state title, three regional titles, and three district titles.
The DeWitt golf team was the big winner. It captured the grand prize by winning the Division 2 state championship in thrilling fashion, posting a score of 594 to edge Cranbrook Kingswood by one stroke.
“We didn’t get off to a great start, but the kids battled all day and hung on at the end,” said coach Dave Koenigsknecht.
Owen Beyer led the Panthers with a 142, followed by Geoffry Croley with a 145 and Joey Croley with a 153.
The team also captured a regional golf title this spring. Joey Croley and Mike Coscarelli led the team by finishing one-two as individuals at the regional meet.
The DeWitt girls soccer team surprised many people with its scintillating run this season. Despite having just one senior on the team, the Panthers advanced to the Division 2 state semifinal before dropping a 1-0 decision to eventual state champion Gull Lake.
On its way to the semifinal, DeWitt won its first district soccer title in three years when it defeated St. Johns, 4-0, and then captured the regional title with a 1-0 win against Spring Lake.
A quartet of DeWitt players earned all-state honors, led by sophomore midfielder Danielle Stephan, who was selected first-team. Junior defender Briana Bishop, sophomore defender Jessah McManus, and sophomore forward Mackenzie Dawes all earned honorable mention all-state honors.
“I was confident at the beginning of the season that my team could do something like this,” said coach Jamal Mubarakeh.
Like the soccer team, the DeWitt baseball team was very young this season, and also like the soccer team, the baseball team won both district and a regional titles. It stunned third-ranked Eaton Rapids, 1-0, in the regional title game behind the pitching of Michael Stygles.
Connor Grice earned first-team all-state honors.
The DeWitt softball team earned a district title this spring when it defeated Mason, 10-6, to win the title. The Panthers saw the softball season come to an end when they dropped an 8-6 decision to Owosso in the regional semifinal.