Michigan Athlete Named as National Athlete of the Year
2024 Meijer State Games of Michigan Athletes of the Year Named
Grand Rapids, Mich., January 14, 2025 – A Michigan athlete was selected as the 2024 National Congress of State Games (NCSG) Athlete of the Year. The athlete is among four athletes who were named as the Meijer State Games of Michigan (MSGOM) 2024 Athletes of the Year, qualifying them for NCSG consideration.
2024 National Congress of State Games Athletes of the Year
- Youth Athlete: Kaidin Bell – Disc Golf – Grand Rapids, MI
- Adult Athlete: Jaycelyn Collins – Swimming – Meridian, MS
2024 Meijer State Games of Michigan - Athletes of the Year
Bios are included below.
- Adult Female: Samantha Doletzky – Rowing – Rockford, MI
- Adult Male: Jackson Ratajczak – Archery FITA – Grand Rapids, MI
- Youth Female: Mikayla Ratliff – Ice Hockey – Commerce Township, MI
- Youth Male: Kaidin Bell – Disc Golf – Grand Rapids, MI
Thirty State Games programs nominate their state Athletes of the Year for the NCSG Athlete of the Year. This is the fifth time a MSGOM athlete has been selected for the national award. The NCSG Athletes of the Year were awarded at the NCSG Annual Symposium and the TEAMS Conference and Expo in Anaheim, CA on September 25, 2024.
2024 Meijer State Games of Michigan - Athletes of the Year - Bios
Samantha Doletzky, 27, Rockford, MI – Success and a passion for the sport was quickly found for Doletzky, as she joined the rowing team in ninth grade at Rockford High School, primarily as a coxswain. She was part of the team for all four years, winning multiple State and Midwest Championships. After Rockford, Doletzky joined the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) rowing team as a coxswain for the Men’s Team. She stopped rowing after her first year at GVSU to focus on her studies but returned to the sport shortly after. She was given the opportunity to be the coxswain for the Denmark National Team in the largest regatta in the United States, the Head of the Charles Regatta, where they took first place in the Championship W4+. After racing again, she realized she could not walk away from the sport and started coaching. Sam has been coaching locally in Grand Rapids for the last eight years and currently coaches the varsity team at East Grand Rapids High School. Doletzky still races when given the opportunity, having competed in the Masters National Championships with the Texas Rowing Center, the Head of the Charles with GVSU Rowing Alumni, and winning gold in the 2024 Meijer State Games of Michigan Summer Games with the EGR coaches. Her dedication to the sport is unmatched and does not go unnoticed by those around her. She loves coaching, sharing her joy of the sport, and showing her athletes that this sport has no limits.
Jackson Ratajczak, 18, Grand Rapids, MI – A dedicated archer, Ratajczak has earned hardware from numerous events across the state and country. He began his competitive archery career in 2017 at the State Games of America where he took bronze. From there, he has gone on to take gold in numerous Meijer State Games of Michigan Summer and Winter Games and holds multiple state championships. Ratajczak graduated from Kenowa Hills High School in 2024 and looks forward to continuing his archery journey as a member of the University of the Cumberlands archery team. Often competing beyond his age class in USA Archery events, Ratajczak will earn his Olympian gold pin in USA Archery’s Junior Olympic Archery Development Program, which is a nationally recognized award and the highest that can be earned. He credits coaches at Rising Phoenix Archery with preparing and pushing him to compete at the next level. Also appreciated is his first coach, Jeff DeRegnacourt, the West Michigan Archery Center S3DA coaching staff, and all of the people at West Michigan Archery Center who have supported him throughout the years.
Mikayla Ratliff, 16, Commerce Township, MI – The love of the game of hockey is far reaching for Ratliff, who looks at the sport as more than just a playing opportunity. She has been involved in the sport since the age of five and has shown a strong passion and dedication to the sport of women's hockey since. Over the past two years, Ratliff has played for her high school varsity team and has consistently made the honor roll during her high school years. Part of what makes Ratliff such a great player is that she is very coachable, willing to play any position needed to help her team, and excels in teamwork. Her team won bronze at the 2024 Meijer State Games of Michigan Summer Games, and she was named a Michigan High School Athletic Association Honorable Menton All State Forward and All State Academic team. In addition to playing, Ratliff has immersed herself further in the game by becoming a USA Hockey Level 3 official. She referees for the Great Lakes Hockey Officials Program, gaining valuable experience and working with younger players. Having a chance to give back to the game is something Ratliff is thankful for, just as those before her have done. Ratliff aspires to play hockey at the collegiate level and aims to have a career in sports broadcasting. Her balance of academics, athletics, and officiating is impressive, helps motivate those around her, and sets a strong foundation for her future endeavors in hockey.
Kaidin Bell, 13, Grand Rapids, MI – It is almost as if Bell was born with a disc golf in his hand. While that stretches the truth just a bit, he started throwing a frisbee at age one when he was learning to walk. Ever since then, Bell can be found at a local course playing and practicing with family and friends. The accolades he has accumulated speak for themselves and reflect the passion Bell has for the game. Before the age of 13, he has set 125 World Flying Disc Federation Distance World Records, is a 3x Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Junior World Champion, a 1x PDGA United States Champion, a 5x PDGA Jr Michigan State Champion, 3x gold medal winner at the Meijer State Games of Michigan, and more. Most recently, Bell was named the 2024 National Congress of State Games Youth Athlete of the Year, claiming the honor of being the best youth athlete among all State Games programs across the country. He is sponsored by Dynamic Discs and has a YouTube channel with his younger brother sharing their disc golf journey together. With disc golf being such a passion of Bell’s, he was discouraged that it is not part of a traditional sports offering in public schools. That has not stopped him from sharing his sport though, as he has donated multiple baskets and equipment to the Forest Hills School District so he could practice and teach his fellow classmates. He also helped his family install a 9-hole Disc Golf Course at his litter brother’s elementary school, who is now able to teach his fellow classmates. Being able to share and teach others about disc golf is just as important as winning to Bell. Disc golf brings him joy because he loves being outside and playing a sport that his whole family can play. He loves traveling and making friends with competitors from all over the world. Bell’s passion and love for the sport is contagious, and his achievements in disc golf have only just begun.
About the Meijer State Games of Michigan: The Meijer State Games of Michigan is a multi-sport, Olympic-style event for athletes of all ages and abilities. Each year, 50+ sporting events take place and over 8,500 athletes compete in the Meijer State Games of Michigan. Like the Olympics, the State Games features an opening ceremony for athletes. The flagship event of the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Meijer State Games of Michigan is a member of the National Congress of State Games and is one of 30 State Games programs in the United States. Since 2010, the Meijer State Games of Michigan has hosted over 110,000 athletes and contributed more than $42 million in estimated economic impact. For more information, visit StateGamesOfMichigan.com.
About the National Congress of State Games: The National Congress of State Games (NCSG) is a membership organization comprised of 30 Summer State Games and 10 Winter State Games organizations. NCSG is a long-standing member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Affiliate Organizations Council. The mission of the NCSG is to support State Games member organizations in the promotion of health, fitness and character building through multi-sport competitions and physical activities. The NCSG was created in 1986 to serve as the official association of the State Games Organizations. For more information, visit StateGames.org.