FREMONT, MI — The Fremont girls basketball team has been dominant this season, winning 14 of their 15 games but a double-digit margin.

The Packers recently gained a two-game advantage in the West Michigan Conference Lakes Division standings with a 56-33 win over Ludington as they look to capture a second straight league championship as well as back-to-back district titles this March.

One player who has helped raise Fremont’s ceiling of potential this winter has been sophomore Taylor DeKuiper, who joins senior teammate Mia Clemence as one of the most impactful playmakers in the Muskegon area this season.

This past week, DeKuiper continued to impact her team’s success as she finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and five steals in a win over Grant, registered a triple-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds and 11 steals in a win over Montague and added 27 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and five steals in a win over Morley Stanwood.

“I believe Taylor is the hardest-working athlete I have ever coached,” said Fremont head coach Pete Zerfas. “She is constantly diving on the floor for loose balls, crashing the boards for rebounds and hustling on defense all game.

“Taylor has had a lot of success in her young career, setting our program’s season record for steals as a freshman and breaking it again this year as a sophomore. She led us in rebounding as a freshman and is again leading us in rebounding, all while leading us in assists and averaging 13 points per game too. She is currently on pace to break our school career records for points, rebounds, steals, assists and wins. Despite that, she is one of the most humble people you will ever meet. I’ve never once heard her talk about herself. She gets so excited for her teammates’ success. She is a dream to coach and I am lucky to have her on my team.”

The playmaking sophomore caught the attention of many MLive Muskegon and Muskegon Chronicle readers this week, as they flooded our weekly fan poll in support of the Fremont girls basketball standout and helped crown her the MLive Muskegon Athlete of the Week.

DeKuiper gained more than 67 percent of the total votes to take top honors in this week’s fan vote, while Kent City girls basketball standout Hailey Kamphuis finished runner-up with nearly seven percent of the total votes.

Kamphuis was nominated after she finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists during her team’s win over Kenowa Hills. She knocked down both free throws with less than a minute remaining in the game to help her team hold on for a 3-point win.

Reeths-Puffer boys bowling standout Ryleigh Beebe finished third overall in the polls. Beebee was nominated after rolling scores of 192 and 182 against Caledonia and added games of 211 and 218 during the Mona Shores Sailor Cup.

White Cloud girls basketball standout Andi Vincent was fourth overall in the final results after she scored 25 points during a game against Howard City Tri-County.

Muskegon boys basketball standout James Young rounded out the Top 5 vote-getters after he scored 20 points during his team’s 66-46 win over Ann Arbor Huron at the 2K25 Showcase at Aquinas College and was named MVP of the game.

To see all of this week’s Athlete of the Week nominees, click here.

Coaches and athletic directors are asked to nominate candidates for next week’s award by emailing Josh VanDyke at jvandyke@mlive.com.

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