BAY CITY, MI – We love our sports in Bay County. All kinds of sports. And the 2025 Bay County Sports Hall of Fame ballot reflects the greatness achieved in a variety of athletics by our hometown heroes. Standouts from football, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, boxing and basketball are among this year’s 17 finalists. Ballots went out to more than 700 Lifetime Voting Members, who are asked to make their selections for the 34th induction class to the Hall of Fame, which is being honored Nov. 9 at the DoubleTree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City. Among the candidates are ballot first-timers Jim Eurick, Christie Gruszynski Konieczny, Kim Henrion Holdwick, Tom Herek, Anthony Holyszko, Calvin LaForrest, Trenton Robinson and Denise Tasiemski Toogood. The returning ballot candidates include Delbert Benson, Willis Johnston, Alan Kennedy, Jonn Mathews, Perry Middleton, Bill Przygocki, Dave Schwartz, Jim Skrocki and Bob Stewart. For the first time, balloting is being conducted online. Lifetime Members who did not receive a ballot through email should email baycountysportshalloffame@gmail.com or call president Jennifer Thunberg at 989-695-0500. Anyone who would like to become a Lifetime Member in time to vote on this year’s ballot should also email baycountysportshalloffame@gmail.com by April 30. Membership fee is a one-time $30 donation to the Hall of Fame’s scholarship fund. Bay County Sports Hall of Fame 2025 Ballot DELBERT BENSON After playing the game for 30 years and coaching for more than 50, Benson has become Bay County’s greatest ambassador for fastpitch softball. The 2005 MASA Hall of Fame inductee currently serves as the District 17 commissioner of USA Softball of Michigan. A fixture on the field since 1967, he played in two ASA national tournaments, won the 1972 Class C state title and landed two state runner-up finishes. He served as player/coach for the Midland Metros, who won the 1996 NAFA AAA national championship. He has introduced the game to upcoming players, coaching age 23-and-under teams to ASA and ISC national titles and 19-and-under squads to five Top 3 finishes at nationals. He has taken more than 20 teams to the ASA Junior Olympics. Longtime coach of the Munger Vols, Munger Bulldogs and Munger Firemen, he twice brought the Argentina national team to Munger for competition. Benson also served as an assistant coach for six high school state championships at Unionville-Sebewaing. Bay City Western football rarely enjoyed success before Eurick arrived. Then everything changed for the Warriors. A highly successful coach at previous stops at Chesaning and Saginaw Arthur Hill, Eurick’s recipe for success turned Western into a Saginaw Valley League force. After enduring a 5-22 start, Eurick’s teams went 66-30 over his next nine seasons. He led Western to six playoff berths, including the first in program history in 2000. His teams captured two district championships and reached the state semifinals in 2005. The Warriors also landed three Saginaw Valley League titles. With a 71-52 record in 12 seasons at the helm from 1997-2008, he ranks ninth in Bay County history for victories. Eurick owns a 214-115 career coaching record, highlighted by his 1991 state championship with Arthur Hill. He is an inductee to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He also served as athletic director at Western from 1998-2007. CHRISTIE GRUSZYNSKI KONIECZNY One of Pinconning High School’s all-time greats went on to become one of Central Michigan University’s all-time greats. An athlete of rare volleyball talents, she helped spark Pinconning to four straight league, district and regional titles as well as the 1992 Class B state championship. The two-time first-team All-Stater took her skills to the Division I college level at CMU. A middle hitter who was tough at the net, she was a three-time all-Mid-American Conference performer and academic all-MAC honoree from 1993-96. She holds CMU records with five solo blocks in a three-set game and nine service aces in a four-set game. She ranks fifth in CMU history for kills and attacks in a season and digs in a career, seventh in career block assists and eighth with 1,069 career kills. She led the Chippewas to three Top-3 finishes in league play. KIM HENRION HOLDWICK Standing at the nucleus of Pinconning’s powerhouse program of the 1990s, Henrion is one of the area’s most accomplished softball players of all time. She was part of Pinconning’s 1992 state champion volleyball team but set herself apart on the diamond. She was a two-time first-team All-Stater, leading the Spartans to the 1993 state title. The left-handed hitting first baseman ranks among Pinconning’s all-time leaders with 171 hits, 136 runs, 106 stolen bases and 107 RBIs. She went on to shine at the Division I college level with Western Michigan University. A teammate with fellow Hall of Fame nominee Denise Tasiemski and 2024 inductee Angie Rosich on the Broncos, she was a four-year starter. She batted .271 with 15 doubles, seven triples and two home runs in her career and was a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen bases from 1994-97. As a freshman, she roped two triples in a game against Stanford. For part of seven decades, Herek has had a foothold in Bay City All Saints football. A member of the first graduating class of 1969, he soon became a member of the coaching staff and remained an integral part of building and growing the program’s rich tradition. The longtime junior varsity coach made the move to defensive coordinator on varsity in 1996 under Hall of Famer Jeff Bisel. In 1997, he helped guide the Cougars to a state semifinal berth and was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. He retired from coaching in 2008, only to return to the sidelines in 2019 to oversee the All Saints Middle School program, which has since flourished. The athletic director at Holy Family Middle School from 1998-2004, he also served his community as a Bay City firefighter and Bay County commissioner. ANTHONY HOLYSZKO Holyszko was a star at every level he played, crafting a sparkling baseball career from Little League to Division I and beyond. The 1994 John Glenn graduate became a four-year fixture at second base for Western Michigan University, where he still ranks 11th all-time with 208 career hits. He also compiled 108 runs, 102 RBIs and 28 stolen bases as a career .313 hitter for the Broncos. Holyszko earned first-team all-Mid-American Conference and second-team all-region in 1997 when he led the team with a .362 average. A three-sport performer at John Glenn, he garnered first-team All-State honors under Hall of Famer Jeff Hartt as a senior. He would play 13 seasons with the famed Halo-Foutch program out of Flint, winning Stan Musial World Series championships in 2001 and 2005. He is now a teacher at Romulus High School. WILLIS JOHNSTON One of the area’s great football minds, his impact has been felt in high school programs at Bay City Handy and Bay City Western. But he carved his niche as a next-level strategist at Northwood University, where he served as defensive coordinator under three different head coaches, Jack Finn, Tom Danna and Pat Riepma. He had four different stints with Northwood, each time getting called back to shore up the defense. During his final run from 1996-2001, he helped the Timberwolves to a historic NCAA Division II playoff berth and a 10-2 record in 2000. A teacher in the Bay City school system for 27 years, he was an assistant at Handy from 1969-72 as the Wildcats claimed back-to-back Saginaw Valley League West titles. As defensive coordinator at Bay City Western from 2005-08, he saw the Warriors claim two SVL crowns and the program’s only regional championship. Johnston also worked as a basketball referee with the Bay City Officials Association for 20 years. ALAN KENNEDY One of the winningest professional boxers ever to come out of Bay County, he went 26-14-1 and rose to as high as No. 3 in the welterweight rankings. A four-time regional Golden Gloves champion from 1951-54, he was a member of the U.S. National team in 1952, represented Michigan in the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in 1953 and won the first Ray Karpus Trophy as Bay City’s outstanding fighter in 1954. He won 11 straight bouts early in his professional career before suffering his first loss to Ralph Capone, nephew of the Chicago gangland boss. The T.L. Handy product went on to box in Madison Square Garden before closing out his career with a win in his hometown in 1960. He finished with nine professional knockouts and never lost by KO. CALVIN LAFORREST The 1997 Bay City Central graduate has enjoyed a whirlwind tennis journey as his profession, his pastime and his passion. A 25-year teaching professional, he has thrived on the USTA playing circuit. He made history last season by ending the year ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 30-and-over, 35-and-over and 40-and-over age divisions. He was selected to represent the U.S. in the Windmill Cup, a prestigious international tournament played at Wimbledon in 2024. LaForrest played four seasons at No. 1 singles for Central, notching 60 career victories. He went on to excel at Ferris State University from 1997-2001, landing 70 wins and helping the Bulldogs to a GLIAC championship. Team captain as a senior, he led Ferris to a No. 15 national ranking. JONN MATHEWS Mathews delivered success at the high school, collegiate and professional levels in a whirlwind football career. He played five seasons in the Danish American Football League, leading his team to Denmark’s equivalent of the Super Bowl and finishing second in league MVP voting in 2014. He also served as a coach for the Danish national team. The 2004 Essexville Garber graduate earned All-State when he helped the Dukes to their first district title, catching 48 receptions for 814 yards and 11 touchdowns. He earned Bay City Times Dream Team honors in basketball, scoring a school-record 545 points in a season, including 42 in one game. He went on to star at Grand Valley State University, helping the Lakers win four straight GLIAC championships and NCAA Division II national championships in 2005 and 2006. As a senior, he led GVSU with 40 receptions for 624 yards and 12 TDs. He returned home for one season and coached All Saints to its first winning record and playoff berth in five years in 2015. PERRY MIDDLETON A fixture on the Essexville Garber basketball scene for 33 seasons, few Bay County coaches can say they won as many games as Middleton. A longtime assistant and sub-varsity coach for the Dukes, he pulled double duty as varsity boys and girls head coach for a stretch, leading both to 20-win campaigns. He guided the boys program for 14 seasons over two stints, compiling a 145-151 record. He led Garber to back-to-back Tri-Valley Conference crowns in 1986 and 1987, going 39-5. He directed the girls program from 1980-85, posting an 80-51 record. His 1983 squad went 20-2 and his 1984 team captured a regional championship. He was named Regional Coach of the Year in 1983. BILL PRZYGOCKI Not too many players can match Przygocki’s claim of being selected three times in the Major League Baseball draft. The 1972 Bay City Central graduate was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the 38th round out of high school. He was drafted again by the Giants in the fifth round of the 1973 January draft and by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 1974 January draft. He played two seasons at St. Clair County Community College and two at Aquinas College. He went 8-0 as a junior at Aquinas, then garnered NAIA all-American accolades as a senior in 1977. He still ranks eighth in program history for innings pitched that season. He pitched Detroit ITM to the national title in summer ball in 1975. He was inducted into the NEM Hall of Fame in 2021. TRENTON ROBINSON Robinson took his hometown on a storybook ride, going from Bay City Central to Michigan State University to a four-year stay in the NFL. A sixth-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers, he rolled all the way to the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2012. The athletic defensive back spent the next three seasons with the Washington Redskins, where he started eight games, made 88 career tackles and snared two interceptions. Robinson enjoyed a star-studded career at MSU, serving as team captain on the winningest senior class in school history. The three-year starter racked up 229 tackles and nine interceptions from 2008-11. He drew first-team all-Big Ten honors and was invited to the Senior Bowl in 2011. Robinson was a football and track star as a 2008 Central graduate. He sparked the Wolves to a district title in 2007 and a Saginaw Valley League crown in 2008, when he was earned Golden Helmet Player of the Year and All-State accolades. He won multiple SVL and regional titles in track, highlighted by school records in the 800 relay and state runner-up 400 relay. DAVE SCHWARTZ A fixture in Essexville Garber athletics for the past quarter-century, Schwartz guided the football program to its greatest heights during an 11-year head coaching tenure then stayed for the long haul as a 26th-year athletic director. He rejuvenated Garber football, guiding the Dukes to five Tri-Valley Conference crowns and nine consecutive playoff berths. The program had not won a league title nor qualified for the playoffs in 15 years before his 2001 team broke through. He’s a four-time TVC and three-time regional Coach of the Year, twice earning Associated Press accolades and once being honored by the Detroit Lions. An eight-year assistant at Mount Pleasant and 11-year assistant at Saginaw Nouvel, he was inducted into the MHSFCA Hall of Fame in 2021. Schwartz was named the MIAAA Regional Athletic Director of the Year in 2017 and 2025 and earned the Essexville-Hampton Humanitarian Award in 2021. The 1986 John Glenn graduate was an all-conference football player and team MVP in basketball. JIM SKROCKI A three-sport standout at Bay City St. James, Skrocki was co-captain of the 1965 football team that captured the Valley Parochial League title. The hard-charging halfback earned all-conference and All-State recognition then joined Roy Kramer’s squad at Central Michigan University. In an era when freshmen weren’t eligible for varsity action, he scored a touchdown in every game for the freshman team. He played three varsity seasons at wide receiver, where he was regarded as devastating blocking in the Power-I offense. Skrocki served as one of the team captains as a senior in 1969. After serving in the U.S. Army, he had a stellar career on the touch football circuit, leading his Sempliner’s team to several national tournament bids. He was named All-American at the 1979 event and was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Football Hall of Fame for his touch football exploits in 2004. BOB STEWART Perhaps the most complete player in Bay City during the heyday of fastpitch softball, winning followed wherever Stewart went. A left-handed leadoff hitter and center fielder, he was the sparkplug behind four state championship teams. He helped powerhouse teams Roma’s Inn, Made Rite, Arrow TV and the Saginaw Bolters rule the fastpitch realm. In the 1978 Class A state tournament, he batted 9 for 13 and blasted a grand slam in the title game. The 1965 T.L. Handy graduate played two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2013. He remains active in sports as a local basketball official. DENISE TASIEMSKI TOOGOOD When Bay City All Saints stood at the pinnacle of high school softball, Tasiemski stood at the heart of the Cougars. A dazzling pitcher and infielder, she helped All Saints reach the state title game all four of her varsity seasons, winning it all in 1988 and 1991. The three-time, first-team All-Stater notched 45 wins and 383 strikeouts in the pitching circle while batting .387 with 142 RBIs and a program-record 56 doubles. A natural leader, she went on to become captain of the Western Michigan University softball team while playing alongside fellow Hall of Fame nominee Kim Henrion and 2024 inductee Angie Rosich. She posted a 24-33 record with a 2.22 ERA at the Division I level from 1992-95. She was a two-time academic all-Mid-American Conference and all-region standout, earning NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors in 1994. Tasiemski also helped EHLL to third place in the 1988 Little League Softball World Series. She has spent most of the past 30 years coaching softball and baseball in the Grand Haven area. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. Love reading about local sports? Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive!