By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
A trio of players that made it to the Michigan High School Athletic Association state finals have been named the Niles Daily Star's Athletes of the Week for Oct. 10-16.
Brandywine's No. 3 doubles team of Nikki Cooper and Courtnay Schlutt qualified for the state finals with their team, but the duo was a big reason the Bobcats made it to the final round.
Cooper and Schlutt were the only Brandywine players to win a flight at the Division 3 regionals on Oct. 8. The points the Bobcats received when the team made it to the finals propelled them to Friday's state championship.
The decisive victory was the second big win in as many weeks for Cooper and Schlutt. The two also won their flight championship at the Lakeland Conference championships.
Their victory at conference won the tournament for the Bobcats, making them co-champions with regular-season winners Buchanan. The duo's clutch performances earned them Girls' Athlete of the Week honors.
In another regional match, different sport and different school however, Niles' Ben Landgraf qualified for the Division 3 golf state finals last Friday.
Landgraf shot a two-over-par 74 at the Division 2, Regional 9 tournament at Stonehedge North in Richland to make the cut.
Landgraf missed the state finals by one-stroke last year. He said qualifying this year gives him a sense of redemption.
Landgraf's score placed him fifth individually at the regional. For finally taking the final step and giving himself a chance at a state championship, Landgraf earned boys' Athlete of the Week honors.
Each week, the athletics directors from Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan nominate players for the Athlete of the Week.
The sports editor of the Niles Daily Star then selects a boys' and girls' winner for each week.
Each senior winner will be eligible to apply for the scholarship at the end of the school year. Each week's winners will also receive a month's subscription to the newspaper of the community they represent.
In April, each senior Athlete of the Week winner from all three sports seasons will submit an application for the scholarship.
Leader Publications will then select a boys' and girls' Athlete of the Year from either Niles, Brandywine or Buchanan.
The two athletes will receive a scholarship for an as yet to be determined amount. The winners will be named in May.
Questions regarding the Athlete of the Year scholarships can be directed to Mary Cooper at 687-7732 or Daily Star sports editor Adam Fisher at 687-7703.