West Ottawa’s Bonnemas triplets all headed for collegiate athletics
HOLLAND, Mich. — One in 10,000. The odds of having triplets. One in 2,197. The odds of three random high school athletes all going on to play collegiate athletics. Combining these statistics, there’s only a one in 21,970,000 chance that triplets all play college sports. So the Bonnemas aren’t just one in a million. They’re one in 21.9 million.
West Ottawa High School seniors Sophie, Abby, and Noah Bonnema will each compete in college. Sophie will run cross country and track at Michigan State University. Abby will run cross country and track at the University of Michigan. Noah will play baseball at Hope College.
Sophie’s passion for running has undoubtedly grown over the years. “I’ve been running since elementary school when my mom forced me to do Girls on the Run,” she said. “Running in college is something I never would have expected as a freshman or sophomore, and honestly running for MSU is something that even junior Sophie would be surprised about.”
Sophie fell in love with Michigan State during her tour of the campus and running facilities. “I had a really good first impression of the coaches at MSU, so going there was always an idea in the back of my mind,” she said. “When I visited campus and got to meet some of the team, I almost immediately knew that that was where I wanted to be next year.”
Commonly seen running right beside Sophie is her sister Abby, who will be continuing her academic and athletic career at the University of Michigan where she will run cross country and track as well. “I’ve been running since 3rd grade, if you count Girls on the Run in elementary school, but I started running year-round in 7th grade,” she said.
After switching to full-time running, the rest is history for Abby. She set the record for the fastest senior 5K time in WO history, as well as the third-fastest 5K PR overall (for all grades) in WO history. The high weekly mileage and rigorous training schedule of WO track and cross country have prepared her for running at U of M, a campus she loves, with a welcoming team that she met and ran with during her visit.
Finally, Noah will be continuing his athletic and academic career at Hope College, where he will play baseball.
“When I was 11, I was a very mediocre baseball player and I did not enjoy playing poorly,” he said. “That inspired me to work harder to earn more playing time.” Now, Noah is West Ottawa’s ace pitcher and the starting shortstop off the mound.
His accomplishments include OK Red All-Conference, District 6+7 All-Area, and the Most Valuable Player Award. He had a 37-hit season last year while pitching 50.1 innings with an ERA of 2.57. In addition, playing for travel organizations such as the Lakeshore Warriors and the West Michigan Flames allowed Noah to hone his skills, ultimately leading him to commit to Hope.
Ultimately, the Bonnemas are a great representation of West Ottawa’s athletic excellence. Their individual hard work and dedication has paid off and led them to collegiate-level athletics—where it’s a safe bet this trio will continue to beat the odds.
To read the unabridged article, visit West Ottawa High School’s online newspaper: https://thewestottawan.com/10896/sports/the-bonnemas-wo-class-of-2022-triplets-all-participating-in-collegiate-athletics/
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