Performance of the Week: Plainwell's Madison Nieuwenhuis
February 26, 2026
Madison Nieuwenhuis ♦ Plainwell
Senior ♦ Wrestling
Nieuwenhuis won her fourth Regional individual championship, pinning her opponents last weekend at Portage Northern in 34 seconds, 1:08 and 58 seconds, respectively, to improve to 33-0 this season. She’s one of two girls – joining Westland John Glenn’s Nakayla Dawson – who will pursue a fourth championship at the MHSAA Individual Finals during the weekend of March 6-7 at Ford Field. She’s also 9-0 in matches against boys this season, with a combined 24 pins.
Not surprisingly, Nieuwenhuis is the top seed in her Finals bracket at 105 pounds. She’s 121-9 during her high school career with all nine losses coming against boys and during her first two seasons. She helped the Plainwell girls to a Regional team championship as well last weekend and competed with the boys team at times this winter in part to team up with her brother Dylan, a sophomore and Regional individual champion as well. Madison Nieuwenhuis has signed with top-ranked Iowa and plans to study psychology.
@mhsaasports 🤼♂️POW: Madison Nieuwenhuis #plainwell #wrestling #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA
@mhsaasports 🤼♂️POW: Madison Nieuwenhuis #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #highschoolsports #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA
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MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
Previous 2025-26 honorees
Feb. 20: Sophie Ramey, Allen Park competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 13: Cam Ryans, Grand Rapids Northview basketball - Report
Feb. 6: Melanie Kolnitys, Midland Dow basketball - Report
Jan. 29: Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United gymnastics - Report
Jan. 22: Baylor Perkins, Grand Blanc swimming - Report
Jan. 15: Delaney Vanier, Flint Kearsley bowling - Report
Jan. 8: Stevie Hall, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Ethan Martha, Ishpeming Westwood basketball - Report
Dec. 11: Louis Smith, Three Rivers wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Traverse Smith, DeWitt football - Report
Nov. 28: Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield swimming - Report
Nov. 20: Brady Kieff, Blanchard Montabella football - Report
Nov. 13: Ella Laupp, Battle Creek Harper Creek swimming - Report
Nov. 7: Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix cross country - Report
Oct. 31: Stephen Gollapalli, Lansing Christian tennis - Report
Oct. 23: Talya Schreiber, Pickford cross country - Report
Oct. 16: Avery Manning, Dexter golf - Report
Oct. 9: Brady Van Laecke, Hudsonville football - Report
Oct. 2: Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock volleyball - Report
Sept. 25: Sam Schumacher, Portage Central tennis - Report
Sept. 18: Kaylee Mitzel, Saline field hockey - Report
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
Performance of the Week: Saline's Kaylee Mitzel
September 19, 2025
Kaylee Mitzel ♦ Saline
Junior ♦ Field Hockey
Mitzel – Saline’s goalkeeper – had seven saves including a potential win-securing deflection in the fourth quarter as the Hornets defeated Ann Arbor Pioneer in a rematch of last season’s Michigan High School Field Hockey League Division 1 championship game. Saline (9-1-1) also defeated reigning Division 2 champion Chelsea 1-0 in their next game last week.
After playing basketball and soccer as a freshman, Mitzel turned her focus to soccer as a sophomore – she’s an all-area goalkeeper during the spring – and also played field hockey for the first time. The Hornets’ only loss this fall came Wednesday, in a rematch with Pioneer, with the score again 1-0. This is the first year of MHSAA sponsorship for girls field hockey, with Regionals set to begin Oct. 8 and the first Final on Oct. 25.
@mhsaasports 🏑POW: Kaylee Mitzel #saline #fieldhockey #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
@mhsaasports 🏑POW: Kaylee Mitzel #funfacts #tiktalk #gettoknowme #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.
MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
Previous 2025-26 honorees
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of the Saline athletic department.)