Swan Valley Varsity Girls Softball Team (District Champs)

After two years of Covid restrictions, it was finally starting to look like a normal spring in Viking Nation until Michigan’s April weather showed up in true fashion.  Between snow, unusual colder temperatures, and torrential downpours, many of Swan Valley’s spring athletic events were either canceled or postponed until later in the season.  When finally able to play, Swan Valley’s spring athletic teams were able to produce two district titles, one conference championship, one county championship, one team state qualifier, and 3 all-state athletes!  In the classroom, Girls Soccer and Softball achieved Academic All State. To place the cherry on top, a legendary coach of 43 years decided to hang up the reins after having a positive impact on thousands of students, coaches, officials, parents, and school administrators, not only at Swan Valley, but all across the State of Michigan!  In his last year of coaching, Swan Valley Varsity Softball Coach Tom Kennelly was named District Coach of the Year and won his 22nd district championship!

Coach Kennelly was inducted into the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1998.  He was voted MHSAA basketball coach of the year in 1997.  He was named the Michigan High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2012; the same year he was selected as National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.  He earned his 1,000 win in 2014 and now has over 1200 wins to date.  Swan Valley has captured 29 conference championships, 22 district crowns, 12 regional titles and 9 appearances in the Final Four.  The Vikings finished as the state runner-up 4 times (1994, 2002, 2012 and 2013), and won the state championship in 1986.

In the month of June, both Swan Valley Baseball and Softball Teams won their respective districts.  Varsity Baseball defeated Saginaw 16-1 in the Semifinals in 4 innings and Carrollton in the Finals 12-0 in 5 innings.  They would then go on to lose to Flint Powers Catholic 2-8 in the Regional Semifinals.  The Swan Valley Varsity Softball Team prevailed over Carrollton 17-0 in the District Finals, but would lose to TVC Conference Champions Frankenmuth in the Regional Semifinals.

The Swan Valley Varsity Boys Golf Program took 1st in the TVC 8, winning all 4 league jamborees.  They were also Saginaw County Boys Golf Champions.  The team followed suit from last year by taking 2nd in team regionals and qualifying for the Division 3 State Finals, finishing 13th out of 18 teams.   

On the track and in the field, Swan Valley Varsity Girls Track had 3 state-placers take the podium at Forest Hills Eastern High School.  Junior Lyberty Brandt finished 2nd in the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals at the height of 5’3.  Freshman Sydney Kuhn placed 5th in the 400 M Dash to become All-State.  Last but not least, Senior Hannah Murphy took 7th place in shot put after missing out on All-State last season by one spot!

It is the goal of the interscholastic athletic program of the Swan valley School District to foster the development of each student-athlete academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. Every Swan Valley Coach will do this by investing in relationships, fully committing to all Viking Programs, and extending the classroom to the field of play.  Congrats to all Swan Valley student-athletes, teams, and coaches this spring for their hard work, dedication, and success on and off the field of play!