Vote for the News-Review's 2024 Male and Female Athlete of the Year – Petoskey News-Review

Every year, certain names dominate headlines, often from one season to the next.
Whether through hard work and training or natural talent – often a combination of both – some athletes are just different. Those are the competitors you’ll find below.
Many of them have become household names around Emmet and Charlevoix counties over the past year or longer, but this question specifically focuses on the 2024 calendar year: Who are the male and female athlete of the year for the area?
Well, we helped narrow it down to some pretty great choices.
Vote for the Male and Female Athlete of the Year from Monday, Dec. 30 to 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 3. Polls and athletes listed below.
Korbin Sulitis, Petoskey 
Sulitis is one of the top athletes to come through Petoskey High School in a while, at least since Joel Wilson, who is currently in the NFL. He was first team football all-state by the Michigan Sports Writers and earned all-region, both at quarterback. He’s also a two-time all-state discus thrower and starter on the basketball court. This fall, he set multiple records on the football field.
Ryan Spate, Boyne City 
Spate earned first team football all-state from the Michigan Sports Writers and Coaches Association and earned all-conference basketball recognition in the LMC in March. He set a new single-season rushing record for the Ramblers this fall.
Korbyn Russell, East Jordan 
Russell is a three-sport standout who has shined in football, baseball and basketball. This past year, Russell earned all-conference honors in all three, to go with second team all-state football honors from the Michigan Sports Writers, second team all-state from the Baseball Coaches and signed to play baseball for Michigan State.
Haden Janes, Petoskey 
Janes has been a three-sport standout for a while now at PHS. This fall, Janes was the lone area football player to be named first team all-state by the Coaches Association, Michigan Sports Writers and Free Press. He also earned all-conference baseball honors in the spring, set multiple defensive football records and is a starter for the Northmen basketball team. 
Hunter Lemerand, Charlevoix 
Lemerand has been a solid athlete over his career and really had himself a year in 2024. He tossed a perfect game and earned all-conference and all-state honorable mention baseball honors, then also earned all-region and all-conference as a linebacker and lineman with the Rayders football team this fall. 
Braeden Flynn, Harbor Springs
More than just a basketball player, Flynn also earned first team all-conference on the soccer field as a standout defender. He was all-state in basketball in March and is off to another all-state start, eclipsing 1,000 career points in the season opener.
Jaden Alger, Boyne City 
Alger is one of those rare athletes to come through a program. He’s much more athletic than most 6-foot-6 high schoolers. He earned all-region and all-conference honors in football and basketball over the last year. 
Brenden Aenis, East Jordan
Big guys are athletes too and Aenis is one of them. As a lineman on the football field, he claimed Free Press first-team all-state honors and Coaches Association all-region. He also earned second team all-state honors in baseball and is back on the basketball court this winter. 
Sam Mitas, Petoskey 
The News-Review track and field Athlete of the Year, Mitas became the first-ever sub 11 second runner in the 100 at PHS. He set schools records in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay. He earned all-state in the 100 meter dash and 4×100 relay.
Caitlyn Matelski, Petoskey 
An all around great athlete, Matelski earned all-conference first team honors within the Big North last winter and followed it up with all-big north and all-region honors in basketball. She’s also signed to Lake Superior State to play volleyball. 
Jane Manthei, Harbor Light 
A senior at Harbor Light who competes for the Petoskey St. Michael teams, Manthei has shined over the last year in cross country and track. She earned an all-state finish in cross country this fall with a seventh place finish. In track, she earned a regional title in the 1,600 and then a third place all-state finish in the 3,200 at the finals. 
Avery Kita, Charlevoix
Kita is a three-sport standout for the Rayders. This fall, she earned a runner-up individual finish at regionals to qualify for the state finals and help send Charlevoix as a team. She earned two all-state spots in slalom and giant slalom in skiing and had a heck of a softball season for the Rayders last spring. On top of it all, she was also crowned Venetian Queen over the summer. 
Olivia Flynn, Harbor Springs 
One of the best basketball players to come through the area in the last decade, Flynn earned a third straight all-state season a year ago and is off to another all-state caliber campaign. She also recently signed with Western Michigan to play at the next level.
Braydin Noble, Boyne City 
Noble has had a strong athletic career at Boyne City, which came with all-state soccer honors last spring. She’s also earned all-conference basketball recognition and recently signed to continue her soccer career at Michigan Tech. She also competes for the girls golf team in the fall and led at regionals this season. 
Stefi Reskevics, Harbor Springs 
Talk about a heck of a good 2024. Reskevics shot onto the scene as a freshman with all-conference basketball honors in the winter, followed by all-state honorable mention as a soccer player in the spring, then all-state honors in cross country this fall.
Marley Spence, Petoskey 
A 2024 graduate, Spence did enough last winter and spring to earn a spot here. She earned all-state in skiing after claiming individual state championships in both slalom and giant slalom. She also ran in the 4×400 relay at the state finals and helped relay teams to six top three finishes in 2024. 
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny

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