Luke Crivello and Mason Tameling of Ripon Christian were selected for the spring sports MVPs after winning the Southern Athletic League championships with their teams.
In the autumn, the school will rejoin the Trans-Valley League full-time.
As a middle infielder, star pitcher, and effective hitter for the baseball club (12-2 SAL, 22-9 overall), Crivello was a two-way standout.
Starting half of Ripon Christian’s 14 games on the mound, the senior pitcher finished with a 1.40 earned run average in 35 innings pitched, 47 strikeouts, 18 hits allowed, and 14 walks. He had a.353 batting average, 10 runs batted in, and 12 stolen bases in his 17 at-bats. The middle infielder turned four double plays and had a.926 fielding percentage in defense. He also committed just two errors.
On the boys’ volleyball team (10-0, 19-8), Tameling became the squad’s go-to weapon, but he was equally
crucial for defense. During league matches, the 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter led the Knights with 104 kills (3.9 per set) and 60 digs. Moreover, he served 19 aces.
Coach of the Year was to Kevin Tameling for volleyball and John de Visser for baseball. For de Visser, it’s the eighth.
The remaining Ripon Christian all-league honorees are shown below:
Baseball
Dustin Hoekstra and Grant Sonke, both seniors, have experience on the All-SAL roster.
Having been selected to the all-league team three times, Hoekstra was named MVP the previous season. Hoekstra had a sparkling 0.56 ERA in league play while pitching and playing second base for the Knights. In 37 1/3 innings, he also recorded 56 strikeouts against 19 hits and 12 walks allowed. He batted.295 offensively with four doubles, a triple, 18 runs, 14 RBIs, and 14 steals.
Sonke played center field and catcher in his earlier seasons before switching to third base for his final game with Ripon Christian. With a.426 average, team highs in hits (20), runs (19), RBIs (17), and thefts (18), he was once again the offensive engine of the Knights. In addition, he hit a home run, a triple, and two doubles.
Josh Buffalow, a junior catcher, has made two all-league teams. In league games, he led RC with eight extra-base hits (all doubles), hitting.375 with 17 RBIs.
Kayden Anderson, a senior, was given an honorable mention.
Boys’ volleyball
Even though the Knights lost their best players from the previous season to graduation, they could nevertheless defend their SAL crown successfully.
Tameling is joined by five other Knights and two honorable mentions in the all-league team.
The senior leaders were libero Zach Varni and setter/right-side hitter Preston Zuidervaart. Zuidervaart finished with 184 assists, 11 blocks, 31 aces, and 31 kills. Varni pitched 54 digs.
Junior setter Joel Hendricks (98 assists, 29 aces), sophomore middle Darren Van Groningen (60 kills, 20 blocks, 22 aces), and junior right-side hitter Isaiah Vander Woude (60 kills, 11 blocks) are also making all-league. Honorable mention went to sophomores Daniel Lambdin and Isaac Venema.
