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High 5s: 11/21/12

November 21, 2012

With the Thanksgiving holiday mid-week and nearly every fall sport done, we'll give out just one High 5 today. But it goes to a team that's been among the elite for half a decade and could be just getting started.

Holland swimming and diving

The Dutch scored 311.5 points to defeat runner-up Ann Arbor Skyline by 56 at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final at Oakland University. Holland totaled seven first-place finishes, including winning all three relays. It was the second-straight championship for the Dutch, who finished LP Division 2 runners-up from 2008-10. 

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Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Hudson's Alexis Swanson, far right, stands for a photo with placers at the Division 4 Singles Final.

Two Years After Sport Switch, Swanson Completes Rapid Rise with Finals Title

By Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com

February 28, 2026

TAYLOR – A heart condition forced Hudson junior Alexis Swanson to give up basketball in the 10th grade.

She switched to bowling.

It was a good move.

Swanson captured the Division 4 girls singles title Saturday with a 398-301 victory over Ravenna’s Gabby Nutt, who had helped the Bulldogs to the team title Friday.

Swanson’s team lost in the Final to Ravenna, with Saturday’s finale setting up a rematch from the two top teams.

“It helped winning the (singles) title since we lost team,’’ said Swanson.

“I initially started bowling with one hand, but I was terrible, so I switched to two hands. When I threw my ball two-handed, I said I wanted to switch. It worked out. I spend a lot of time over the summer and fall in the bowling alley.’’

Jason Nutt, Gabby’s coach, said: “She’s 93 pounds and throws a 13-pound ball. She just ran out of gas.’’  

Swanson qualified first for match play with a score of 1,288 followed by Ravenna’s Taylor Nutt at 1,249; Jasmyn Ranquist of Bad Axe at 1,179 and Kylo Riedel of Breckenridge at 1,157. Swanson saw two teammates also qualify – Brooke Houser, 12th (1,005) and Ellie Loar 10th  (1,030).

Gabby Nutt (1,078) and Reese Herremans (982) also reached the top 16 for Ravenna, but the Bulldogs received a first-round blow when junior Taylor Nutt had to bowl her teammate, Herremans, also a junior, in the first round.

Herremans never got it going, committing a dozen open frames in two games and lost to Taylor Nutt, 387-249. Nutt advanced to face Estes Purvis of Ithaca, who had eliminated Hudson’s Ellie Loar in a roll-off (40-27).

Swanson defeated Chloe Squires of Mancelona (400-338) and faced Jonesville’s Morgan Dilyard, who had downed Sandusky’s Victori Shea (323-289). Byron’s Kara Chapman knocked off Hudson’s Brooke House (322-312) and faced Kylo Riedel from Breckenridge, who had eliminated Kourtney Downham of Allen Park Cabrini (423-309).

Ranquist reached the Semifinals by defeating Lakeview’s Brinley Skaggs (413-319) and Gabby Nutt, who had eliminated Harper James of Jonesville (391-387). Swanson beat Dilyard (391-221) to move to the Semifinal against Chapman, who had stopped Riedel (323-269). The other semifinal saw Gabby Nutt take on Purvis, after they defeated Ranquist and Taylor Nutt, respectively.

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PHOTO Hudson's Alexis Swanson, far right, stands for a photo with placers at the Division 4 Singles Final.