Look back on the top ten sports photos from the Gaylord Herald Times in 2024-25 and let us know which you think was the best:
One of my favorite parts of covering high school sports is capturing moments that (hopefully) can live on and represent simpler times for athletes before they enter the real world. I'm a writer at heart, so I'm usually more proud of the articles that capture the unique parts of Gaylord-area and Northern Michigan sports.
But you know what they say: a picture is worth 1,000 words.
Capturing photos of the top moments around Otsgeo County sports for almost three years now has been a privilege, and it's a sign of respect when I see those moments being posted on social media pages of athletes and parents alike. So, before we turn the final page on 2024-25, let's look back on some of the top moments we were able to capture and, with your help, decide the top photo from this past school year:
Honorable mentions
Trophies earned throughout 2024-25
Nothing makes for a memorable photo quite like a trophy, and I do my best to find unique ways to capture those championship-winning shots. Here are some of the best from throughout the year:
All smiles
There's always a special feeling when the high school sports season starts, and GHS senior Emily Kurncz showed that feeling off all too well while the National Anthem played prior to Gaylord's 2024 season debut against Ogemaw Heights last August.
A Friday night sunset
Most of the time, a good sports photo comes from the action that is captured. In some instances, however, the backdrop is what makes the photo, and there's no backdrop quite like a Northern Michigan sunset on a Friday night.
King Daniel
The 2024-25 high school sports season was a curtain call for St. Mary's Daniel Jacobson, a four-sport star for GSM that led nearly every team he played on, nearly every game. Nothing sums that up more than his teammates putting an imaginary crown on the senior during a 62-14 blowout victory over Pellston back in October.
Last-second glory on Syzmoniak-to-Cole connection
It wasn't the season Gaylord football had hoped for last fall, but it had its moments that everyone will remember. Maybe no moment was more memorable than the last-second touchdown pass from Andrew Szymoniak to Kaven Cole that pushed GHS to a 19-15 win over Escanaba.
Rayder Elation
Some of the best action shots come from the volleyball season, but maybe the best volleyball photo I took last year didn't have an Otsego County team in it; an upset victory for Charlevoix over Harbor Springs that provided this celebration shot that may be the best of all the 'elation-filled' shots of the 2024-25 season.
State-title winning moment
After falling in the 120-pound state title match in 2024 and a long, drawn-out battle with Freeland's Buddy Leonard, the Division 2 state-title match went to a 30-second ultimate tiebreaker round to decide a winner. I'll let Bensinger explain the rest:
"I had 30 seconds to be a state champion. Nobody's beating me there. I would not let him out, whatever I did," Bensinger said.
Berkshire leads the pack
This photo captures a familiar sight: Gaylord junior Katie Berkshire leading a group of Big North Conference runners, this time at the BNC Championships in Traverse City in May. Berkshire went on to finish as the D2 state runner-up in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs.
Winner winner
I love a good celebration picture, and I can't tell you how many times I've missed a good chest/side bump picture. This one, showing senior Kylee Hopp and freshman Josie Bensinger after a district semifinal win over Marquette, was a rare one I caught.
Leaping for victory
Softball gives some of the best action shots as well as the best emotional reactions, and this was a little of both as JoBurg senior Neela Lawes leaped for joy after securing the final out of a district semifinal game with Atlanta.
One final swing
I captured quite a few of Gaylord softball player Aubrey Jones' 71 career home runs, and I was also able to capture quite a few of the 24 she hit at the Turnin2 Home Run Derby on Monday, June 16, wrapping her career as the derby champion and the undisputed home run queen.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: VOTE: The best sports photos from the Gaylord Herald Times in 2024-25
Category: General Sports
