High school girls track and field senior group leaves unmatched legacy, led by Robison, Sachs, Drnek, Klaasen, Chesser, Lopez-Koolhaas and Tamminga.
It was a sensational school year for an incredible group of girls high school senior athletes in the Holland area.
The basketball season saw four players from four different schools reach 1,000 career points, something that has never been done before, closing a special era.
In girls track and field, while there was no concrete milestone number, there was an unprecedented number of senior leaders who finished their careers.
Now, every team has leaders, but this group is special, even iconic within each athlete's school community.
It is a group that has challenged for state titles, transformed each team and had the ability to lead both vocally and by example, getting the most out of teammates and leaving a lasting impression on everyone they come in contact with.
Again, there are plenty of leaders, but this is a unique and spectacular group of icons in the community, people that will leave a lasting legacy more than just as a successful senior - way more.
Mazie Robison, Saugatuck
Robison was a state-title contender since her freshman year. She finished third in the 100-meter hurdles as a freshman and went on to finish state runner-up three times in her career, earning a plethora of all-state finishes in a number of events. As a senior, she qualified for state in the 100 meters, 100 hurdles - winning regional titles in both events just minutes apart. Over the years, she has been a state qualifier in the 200 meters, 300 hurdles and on Saugatuck relays. Her speed has made her one of the top athletes to ever come through Saugatuck. But her versatility, ability to race at an elite level in back-to-back events at the state level, dominance over four years, and her leadership in the program make her one of the most iconic athletes to ever put on a Trailblazers uniform in any sport.
Helen Sachs, West Ottawa
It has been a battle her entire career. Sachs was a Division 1 cross country state champion as a sophomore and a track state champion in the 3,200 meters as a senior. But it was what happened in between that cemented Sachs' legacy as one of the most important athletes of the era. Sachs was battling anxiety and depression that led to an eating disorder, something she was open about and has helped other athletes. It is one thing to be a state champion, but quite another to share a public battle in order to help others. Eating disorders are not talked about as prevalently as the amount of cases there actually are, so this was a huge step for the area to see and gives Sachs a champion's legacy in every sense of the word.
Emma Drnek, Zeeland East
It started almost by chance. After a freshman volleyball season, Drnek went out for track in the spring, hoping for some fun and some success with her long legs. It worked. Drnek was an instant success on the track and in cross country, leading Zeeland East to state runner-up finishes in both sports. Her leadership, something she learned from older teammate Allison Kuzma, has passed down to a new group of all-state runners, including Meredith Cook, Adalyn Raab and Tarin DiLaura. Drnek wasn't the most vocal leader, but led by example and her character was something impossible to miss. It will give her an important role on Michigan State's team next year.
Jordyn Klaasen, Zeeland West
Klaasen's legacy is almost impossible to measure because it comes in four sports. Yes, a four-sport athlete. And not just a four-sport athlete, but a four-sport phenom. Klaasen was all-state in soccer and basketball and cross country and was a state qualifier in track. She was the leader on a track team despite spending most of her time on the soccer field. It is something special and significant that she even found time for track, let alone was one of the top runners in the area each year. Four years of varsity in four different sports - reaching a state level in all four. It is a rare feat and something that Klaasen will take with her when she plays Division I soccer at Ball State next year.
Chloe Chesser, Holland Christian
This Maroons sprinter raced to become one of the top runners in the area for several years and reached new heights as a senior. She was a state qualifier in the sprints and led the Maroons to the MITCA Division 2 team state meet title for the first time. Chesser was on a school-record relay a couple of years ago, one that was three decades old. She has set more individual marks and was the key figure that brought the Maroons to a new level.
Miriam Lopez-Koolhaas, Holland
A leader in every sense of the word, Lopez-Koolhaas has been pivotal for both the Holland track team and the swim team. The charismatic personality and character that radiates from her is something that is immediately noticed by all who come in contact with her. She was one of the top hurdlers in West Michigan and had the ability to help get the best out of her teammates, something that is very rare and was very special for the Dutch these past four years.
Bella Tamminga, Hamilton
On the flip side, Tamminga was not a loud, vocal leader like Lopez-Koolhaas, she just did her job day in and day out and did it with a smile. Her ability to improve both on the basketball court and on the track was something she did very quietly. But in the end, her career totaled two all-state finishes in the pole vault and her lead-by-example legacy is something the Hawkeyes will remember.
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: Incredible girls track and field senior group leaves unmatched legacy
Category: General Sports
