sun and news 4-17-2021

The Sun and News, Saturday, April 17, 2021/ Page 15

Crabtree is lone varsity golfer

back from TK’s 2019 team

Brett Bremer

Sports Editor

CJ Crabtree was a sopho-

more the last time he stepped

off the course for TK, shoot-

ing a 92 to contribute to the

team finish at its 2019 region-

al tournament.

Crabtree is now the lone

guy with some varsity expe-

rience returning for the

Trojan varsity boys’ golf

team this spring. He finished

in the top 20 at the 2019 OK

Gold Conference Tournament

as well. He is one of a few

solid seniors in the program

this season.

TK head coach Bob

Kaminski likes the group of

seniors and leaders he has

overall. Cole Shoobridge and

Hudson Dehaan are a pair of

seniors looking to break into

the varsity line-up for the

first time.

Kaminski said the group

of sophomores and juniors he

has out on the course have

already shown a lot of poten-

tial in the preseason. That

group includes sophomores

Connor Newland, Austin

Pitsch and juniors Drew

Nathan, Trevor Hummer,

Hunter Pitsch and Mitchell

Corner.

“Our experience will be a

weakness for us, though with

the lack of a season last year

I don’t think we will be alone

in that area,” Kaminski said.

The OK Gold Conference

will throw a number of strong

opponents out to challenge

the Trojans as usual.

Kaminski knows South

Christian, Catholic Central

and Forest Hills Eastern are

always good, although a lot

of specifics are up in the are

after the missed 2020 cam-

paign.

“Our goal this year is to be

competitive within the con-

ference and get better

throughout the season,”

Kaminski said. “We are look-

ing forward to competing in

our conference and hopefully

being in contention by the

end of the season.”

Top Teams in League: As

always our conference is

very competitive. There are a

number of teams that are

very good. South Christian,

Catholic Central and FHE

are always very good.

The Trojans were sched-

uled to host the Thornapple

Kellogg Invitational Friday.

They will be back out for the

conference jamboree hosted

by Egypt Valley Wednesday

and then at the Hamilton

Invitational next Saturday,

April 24.

TK will host an OK Gold

Conference jamboree April

29.

TK softball going after

third straight OK Gold title

Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Trojans have been
chomping at the bit to get to
play softball again after a
couple of outstanding sea-
sons in 2018 and 2019.
Catcher Mo Sprague and
pitcher Paige VanStee are a
pair of four-year varsity
Trojans who got to help the
Thornapple Kellogg varsity
softball team win OK Gold
Conference Championships
in the two seasons before the
pandemic wiped out 2020’s
season.
Sprague is one of the
area’s top catchers and has a
great 1-2 punch to work
with in the battery with
VanStee and fellow senior
Maleah Bailey.
Thornapple Kellogg’s
new head coach Ashley
Garrett is excited to take
over the program, something
she did in the lead-up to the
2020 season. She lovers her
team speed, sees girls who
hit the ball very well, and
likes that pitching duo’s
ability to shut down oppo-
nents.
Garrett said the team will
rely heavily on those seniors
with just three juniors in the
program.
A few of the top newcom-
ers to the varsity level this
spring for TK are sopho-
mores Peyton Stahl, Elaina
O’Riley and Grace Zwae.
Stahl and Zwae are utility

players at this point, with

Stahl possibly getting turns

in the circle too when one of

the seniors isn’t pitching for

TK. O’Riley is slotted for a

pot in the outfield.

TK opened the year with

a pair of wins over Kenowa

Hills, a new OK Gold

Conference foe, Tuesday

and then suffered its first

two defeats of the season

against visiting Caledonia

Wednesday.

“Our schedule is tough,”

Garrett said. “We’ll play

some of the top teams in the

area. It’ll be a good barome-

ter for us. We look to peak,

play our best ball, come

June.”

The TK ladies are set to

head to Hastings for the

Barry County Invitational

today (April 17) and will

return to OK Gold

Conference play with a dou-

bleheader at Cedar Springs

April 20. As usual, the

Trojans will be looking for-

ward to their conference

doubleheader with Wayland

which will be held May 4 in

Middleville.

Moriah Sprague

CJ Crabtree

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GAINES CHARTER TOWNSHIP

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Gaines Charter Township Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing to consider

the following request:

Summary of Request: Establishment of an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption-Industrial

Development District under Public Act 198, as amended (PA 198)

for a new facility for Mobile Defender.

Property Address: 6155 East Paris Avenue SE

Parcel Number: 41-22-02-200-

Applicant: MD-3990, LLC (DBA Mobile Defenders)

Date and Time of Hearing: May 10, 2021 at 7:00 pm

Location of Hearing: Gaines Charter Township Offices, Board Room

8555 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Caledonia, MI 49316

Any interested party may appear and be heard on said proposal. Information related to this

request may be inspected, by appt., during regular business hours at the Planning

Department window located in the Gaines Charter Township Offices. For information

related to this request, contact Dan Wells at (616) 980-6188 or dan.wells@gainestownship.

org. In order to be entered into the public record, signed written comments must be

received by 5:00 PM on May 10, 2021.

Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations should contact Kim Triplett at

(616) 698-6640 one week prior to the meeting to request mobility, visual or any other

assistance.

(^158777)
GAINES CHARTER TOWNSHIP
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Gaines Charter Township Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing to
consider the following request:
Summary of Request: Dimensional variance to allow for construction of a single-family
home: request for a reduction of the 35-foot rear setback to 17 feet
(Section 7.3 of the Gaines Charter Township Zoning Ordinance).
Property Address: 7542 Regal Avenue SE
Parcel Number: 41-22-07-353-
Applicant: Dan Burrill, Southwood LLC
Date and Time of Hearing: May 12, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Location of Hearing: Gaines Charter Township Offices, Board Room
8555 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Caledonia, MI 49316
Any interested party may appear and be heard on said proposal. Information related to this
request may be inspected during regular business hours Monday through Friday, at the
Planning Department window located in the Gaines Charter Township Offices, or contact
Dan Wells at (616) 980-6188 or [email protected]. In order to be entered into
the public record, signed written comments must be received by 5 PM on May 12, 2021.
Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations should contact info@
gainestownship.org or (616) 698-6640 one week prior to the meeting to request mobility,
visual or any other assistance.
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