Who was the Fennville High School athlete of the quarter century?

With the century a quarter done, the Holland Sentinel is selecting its top 25 athletes from the past quarter century.

We will start with the top 25 from each school and move on to the top 25 overall male and female high school athletes from the past 25 years.

Athletes must be graduated to be eligible.

Today: Fennville

Raymond Alsip

Class of 2008

Was an elite basketball player for the Blackhawks as he helped the team re-rise to a SAC powerhouse.

Marissa Beltran-Pena

Class of 2008

The leader of the resurgent softball program in Fennville, Marissa Beltran-Pena was a dominant pitcher that helped the Blackhawks' turnaround. She earned all-conference and all-area honors.

Selena Beltran-Pena

Class of 2011

One of the top softball pitchers in area history, Selena Beltran-Pena was dominant in the circle. She earned all-state honors and was the Sentinel Player of the Year as a senior. She could also hit with the best of them, making her a difficult opponent all over the field at Fennville and when she played at Hope College.

Jace Cossey

Class of 2019

Using his speed on the field, Jace Cossey became an all-state wide receiver after piling up more than 1,000 yards as a senior. He led Fennville to the playoffs after a drought of several years. He also played basketball and was one of the top guards in the area.

Lindsay Cossey

Class of 2016

Perhaps the best left-handed pitcher in the history of the Holland area, Lindsay Cossey used a superb mix of pitches to keep hitters off-balance throughout her career that included two honorable mention all-state years.

Stephanie Fuller

Class of 2015

One of the quickest guards to ever play basketball in the area, Stephanie Fuller darted her way toward the basket and to all-conference and Sentinel all-area honors. One of three Fennville girls basketball players to ever make the Sentinel's All-Area first team.

Coryne Howard

Class of 2020

After earning all-state honorable mention as a junior, Coryne Howard soared even higher as a senior. She was again all-state honorable mention but also broke Fennville's career scoring record on senior night. The guard could shoot, drive to the basket and worked hard to become an elite defender.

Mitchell Leonard

Class of 2015

Went from being a terrific rebounder to all-around threat on the basketball court, Mitchell Leonard earned all-state honorable mention as a senior after seeing his offense jump. He also was an all-conference and all-area quarterback on the football team.

Wes Leonard

Class of 2011

An all-state basketball player and football player, Leonard was one of the greatest athletes in the entire area history, especially in Fennville. He led the basketball team to a perfect 20-0 season and was a stellar quarterback.

Julian Martinez-Grigg

Class of 2017

Despite a devastating spinal injury, Julian Martinez-Grigg was able to return to the court and earn all-state honorable mention. A guard who could do it all, he hit a three-quarters-of-the-court shot at the buzzer that made SportsCenter, one of several buzzer-beaters he hit during his stellar career.

Lucas McFarland

Class of 2005

One of the most explosive football players in the area, Lucas McFarland dominated on the gridiron. He was a first-team all-state running back as a senior, leading the area in rushing.

Angelica Mendoza

Class of 2022

A two-sport star, Angelica Mendoza qualified for the state cross country finals. She also was a two-time all-state honorable mention soccer player, helping the Blackhawks into a conference power team.

Julie Mendoza

Class of 2019

In a family of runners, Julie Mendoza became the first cross country athlete to qualify for the state meet from the Blackhawks for several years. She was all-SAC and all-region.

Mary Mendoza

Class of 2016

As a freshman, Mary Mendoza set the bar by making the cross country state finals. She was the start of a wave of the Mendoza family that has taken over in Fennville.

Christian Mendoza-Huynh

Class of 2020

One of the best soccer players in the history of the area, Christian Mendoza-Huynh was a first-team all-state player as a senior after two years of earning honorable mention accolades. He was the first soccer player from Fennville to earn first-team all-state honors after a stellar season that saw him score 22 goals and dish out 20 assists as a senior.

Aaron Overhiser

Class of 2015

Using his size and ability, Aaron Overhiser was an all-state basketball player as a senior after leading the Blackhawks to a conference title. He also was a star wide receiver on the football field.

Ben Peterson

Class of 2023

Was an a record-breaking quarterback as the Blackhawks made their move from 11-man to 8-man football. Was also one of the top baseball and basketball players in the area.

Brody Peterson

Class of 2020

Was one of the top basketball players in the area and also played baseball well for the Blackhawks.

Juan Porrez

Class of 2025

Was an all-state player for the Blackhawks after a season of 25 goals. Earned all-state honorable mention as a junior to lead the Blackhawks to the conference title.

Matthew Sanchez

Class of 2019

As a senior, Matthew Sanchez batted .512 to earn all-state honors in Division 3 in baseball. He also was a strong basketball player and as a quarterback, led the Blackhawks to the playoffs after a long drought.

Tyler Schut

Class of 2022

A multi-sport threat, Tyler Schut helped Fennville transition to 8-man football with a bang, setting multiple MHSAA receiving records and earning all-state honors along the way.

Tyler Sessions

Class of 2005

As a quarterback, Tyler Sessions led Fennville to the playoffs behind the strength of his arm. As a senior, he threw for more than 2,000 yards and still ranks among the state leaders in passing attempts and completions in a season.

• Carmen Tencate

Class of 2022

A soaring finish to a stellar career, Carmen Tencate claimed the Division 3 regional championship in the long jump and qualified for the state finals, one of the few Fennville athletes to reach the state finals in the past two decades. She will continue her career at Ferris State.

Jordan Watkins

Class of 2017

A two-time all-state honorable mention linebacker, Jordan Watkins had an incredible senior year with 127 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, in addition to 778 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns on offense.

Amber VanWieren

Class of 2009

One of the best multi-sport athletes in Fennville history, Amber VanWieren earned a stunning 16 varsity letters for the Blackhawks. She graduated as the all-time leading scorer in basketball, was the first player to score 1,000 point and was a three-time Sentinel all-area player. She lettered all four years in basketball, softball and track. She also had three in volleyball and one in football. She played basketball at Kalamazoo Valley.

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’[email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.   

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Who was the Fennville High School athlete of the quarter century?