March 2023 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Athletes are selected as the Players of the Month for their athletic
accomplishments, leadership roles, and community impact.
MICHAEL
BOOMS
CARO
SWIM
KATHERINE
HIMMEL
BAD AXE
BASKETBALL
MICHAEL BOOMS HAS DEDICATED NEARLY A DECADE
OF HIS LIFE TO THE CARO SWIMMING PROGRAM. THE
SENIOR IS CURRENTLY A STANDOUT FOR THE TIGERS.
HE PARTICIPATES IN THE INDIVIDUAL MELODY, 100
BREASTSTROKE, INDIVIDUAL MELODY RELAY AND 400
FREE RELAY.
Before being a four-year swimmer for Caro, Booms was
involved with Tigersharks, a youth program. “I’ve known Mike
since he started Tigersharks, he’s kind of a quiet guy,” said
Caro coach David Sutton. “He gets in the pool, works hard
every day and pushes forward.”
By the end of the season, Sutton expects Booms to leave
his mark on the program. His season highlights include
186 points scored. Booms has 13
wins and has broken eight personal
records, with a top time of 1:08.77 in
the 100 breaststroke and 2:20.00 in the
individual melody.
“Individually, I think he can get a
record and with the relays, they could
get another record,” Sutton said. “That
would be really cool. Some of those
haven’t been changed in 15-20 years.”
Booms has been a captain of the
team for the past two seasons. “Being
a small team, they’re tight knit. Being a
captain, he kind of holds that together,”
Sutton said. “I tell these guys; you can get in and do the work.
But it’s the memories you make and the leadership skills you
get coming out that are the important parts. Mike is the allaround
student athlete that you look for. He’s always the first
one to get in the water to start working out and the last one
to leave.”
Replacing Booms will be no easy task, according to Sutton.
“He’s such a strong swimmer, so filling his spot in the pool is
going to be tough,” he said. “But we’re also going to miss that
leadership and that guy that others look up to.”
ARTICLES BY PAUL ADAMS
KATHERINE HIMMEL’S IMPACT ON THE BAD AXE GIRLS
BASKETBALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN MASSIVE. THE
SENIOR, A THREE-YEAR VARSITY STARTER, HAS HELPED
THE HATCHETS REACH HEIGHTS SELDOM ACHIEVED AT
BAD AXE, WITH HIMMEL PROVIDING SOLID DEFENSE AND
REBOUNDING, WHILE TRANSFORMING HERSELF INTO A
STEADY OFFENSIVE PRESENCE.
“She’s been a central piece to the whole program,” said
Bad Axe coach Kurt Dennis. “The program has formed into
something I’m not sure it’s ever been, and she’s been as
instrumental as anybody.” It’s not uncommon to see Himmel
staying after practice to work on her skills.
Himmel leads the Hatchets in points per game (17.7), and
rebounds (12.6), while providing over two blocks per game.
Her rebounding and blocks were never in question, but it’s her
offensive output which has greatly improved.
“She has shouldered a good percentage of the offensive load
this year,” Dennis said. "She’s such a good teammate that she
doesn’t want to take too many shots. But if she’s open, you
want her putting the ball up.”
Himmel has a mid-range jumper,
nearly unmatched in the area. “I’ve had
numerous coaches tell me they haven’t
seen a mid-range jump shot like hers
in a long time, if ever,” Dennis said. “It’s
repetition being in the gym.”
Himmel doesn’t get too vocal on the
court, she lets her actions do the talking.
“She leads by example, she leads by
effort, she leads by putting in the extra
time and showing her teammates what
it takes to get to that level,” Dennis said.
With the season and her career coming to a close, Dennis
reflected on Himmel’s overall impact. “If you put these four
years against the 50-plus year history of this program, they’re
the most successful four consecutive years,” he said. “It’s
because of some key individuals and Katherine Himmel is one
of them.”
4 March 2023 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM
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