FLINT – Even though she’s headed to a rival university, her name will forever be etched into the legacy of Flint high school sports.
The Kiwanis Club of Flint gathered the top senior stars in high school athletics Thursday at the Genesys Banquet and Conference Center to unveil the Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award.
The Male and Female Athlete of the Year award recognizes athletes who excel in their respective sports while demonstrating the hard work in the classroom and in their community.
Goodrich senior Layla Jordan, who was the first Kiwanis Club of Flint Athlete of the Month winner back in September, was named Female Athlete of the Year.
The track star and 800-meter state champion at the 2024 MHSAA Division 2 state finals recently helped lead Goodrich to a regional championship in track with first-place finishes in the 400 and 800-meter.
Jordan, the school record holder in the 400 and 800, was also a member of Goodrich state championship-winning cross country team this past season and carries a 4.1 GPA.
Jordan said her parents have always been her rock and one of the main reasons she’s able to be as successful as she is.
“My family has always been there for me,” Jordan said. “My mom has driven me everywhere to all my things and all of my practices. My dad has always been doing all of the online stuff and getting all the records and all the other people I’m running against. He’s like my manager. He gets all the information for me so I know what I’m running up against.”
Jordan was one of 10 Goodrich athletes honored at the event and will look to end her high school career on a high note at the MHSAA Division 2 track and field state finals on May 31 before continuing her running career at The Ohio State University.
Jordan said the Buckeyes felt like a perfect fit for her future.
“The opportunity was right and they supported me through my whole recruiting process,” Jordan said. “It was just right. They had a drive to win and they recruited very evenly across the board. They’re not a sprint-heavy or distance-heavy team. They want to win Big Ten Championships, and that’s a big deal to me. The coach was great, and the academics were amazing. It’s everything I was looking for.”
Jordan had the opportunity to give a heartfelt speech and spend time with her family, which included her father repping an Ohio State dress shirt, as she accepted her award.
Kiwanis Club of Flint’s Male Athlete of the Year winner was too busy trying to qualify for states at a regional track meet.
Ovid-Elsie senior Tryce Tokar, who was the September Male Athlete of the Month alongside Jordan, was named Male Athlete of the Year. He recently qualified for the MHSAA Division 3 state finals in four events, earning first in the 4×200 relay (broke school record) and pole vault (tied school record), which he is a three-time state champion in.
Ovid-Elsie athletic director Shaun McKinney, who later called Tokar to fill him in on the news, read a prepared statement from Tokar on winning the award.
“My parents told me I should write a speech just in case I win,” Tokar said.
Tokar, the starting quarterback, holds a slew of football records and was named first-team all-state this past season after leading the Marauders to an 8-3 record. He also led Ovid-Elsie to a regional championship win in 2023.
In basketball, he was named the Mid-Michigan Athletic Conference Player of the Year and holds the school record for most three-pointers made in a season and a career, and for three-point percentage in a season.
Tokar said he felt honored to be a part of an award that has been received by many talented athletes in the past.
“It means a lot,” Tokar said. “I didn’t know how many great athletes have won this award. When you can put my name kind of close to theirs, it just means something special.”
Tokar carries a 4.09 GPA and will continue his football career at Alma College.
“It’s close to home,” Tokar said. “I know they’re a great football program right now. The coaching staff is great. They’ve been pretty successful in the past, and the culture there is what really drew me in.”
The Kiwanis Club of Flint also honored Clio’s Ashley Montle and Molly McNamara and Flushing’s Hana Allam and Sarah Olszewski for the 2024 Kiwanis Educational Foundation Academic Scholarship.
Female student-athlete nominees: Parker Beardsley, Lake Fenton; Fallon Behrick, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Destiny Clymer, Mt. Morris; Morgan Dominick, Swartz Creek; Ava Freeman, Mt. Morris; Victoria Henige, New Lothrop; Olivia Gartrell, Davison; Abigale Hill, Holly; Josey Janiga, Flint Kearsley; Chloe Josephson, Linden; Laura Mabrey, Mt. Morris; Payton Malin, Clio; Ellie Neuhaus, Clio; Mallorie Nevadomski, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Ashlyn Orr, New Lothrop; Ella Place, Goodrich; Savannah Schultz, Grand Blanc; Madison Smith, Powers Catholic; Lucia Stevens, Davison; Aleah Swilley, Mt. Morris; Teagyn Tong, Goodrich; Harmony Turner, Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Grace Tykocki, Grand Blanc; Kayla Widner, Linden; Gracie Wright, Davison; Laina Yates, New Lothrop.
Male student-athlete nominees: Owen Fox, Fenton; Robby Diment, Clio; Robert Donley, Corunna; Matthew Evans, Grand Blanc; Nate Gould, Goodrich; Lucas Groulx, Flint Kearsley; Brett Hoffman, Swartz Creek; Andrew Lurvey, Linden; Tanner McDunnah, Davison; Luke Meyer, Davison; Bowen Moore, Holly; Alan Mrva, Corunna; Braylen Naves, Davison; Carson Nerreter, Lake Fenton; Brady Peterson, Otisville LakeVille Memorial; Christian Preston, Holly; Sebastian Primm, Linden; Liam Seifert, Flint Powers Catholic; Luke Smith, Flushing; Joseph Schilke, Flushing; Eric Spillers Jr., Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Leo Stravato, Flint Powers Catholic; Brent Wofford, Mt. Morris; Dayne Zeeman, Corunna.
Female student-athlete of the month winners: Layla Jordan, Goodrich (September); Kamryn Lauinger, Goodrich (October); Sanora Kochan, Goodrich (November); Tess Heavner, Fenton (December); Alexis Woodbeck, Flushing (January); Faith Burgess, Grand Blanc (February); Madelyn Burdis, Flushing (March); Jayden Gohs, Goodrich (April); Taryn Craven, Fenton (May).
Male student-athlete of the month winners: Tryce Tokar, Ovid-Elsie (September); Max Macklem, Goodrich (October); Brayden Florian, Chesaning (November); Kaven Unangst, New Lothrop (December); Parker LePla, Goodrich (January); Dalton Birchmeier, New Lothrop (February); James Mahon, Goodrich (March); Nikolos Lemons, Grand Blanc (April); Joe Merz, Davison (May).
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