NORTHVILLIAN 3/10/2026
Last week, I wrote about those that shared their time & talents with the City and were given recognition at the Chambers Awards banquet. This week I will switch gears and talk about the Student Athletes of our community who have recently been inducted into the Northville Athletic Hall of Fame.
Speaking at the Hall of Fame banquet in the past, I mentioned that these student/athletes represent not only themselves, but their school & family along with the entire community. Today I will recognize those being inducted into the 6th Northville Athletic Hall of Fame Class (Athletes, Coaches, Administrators) Who:
SERVED AS ROLE MODELS
MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT (in our community)
EARNED SUCCESS (on & off the field)
Before reviewing Northvillians inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame, let’s see what’s happening today:
TASK FORCE MEETINGS
- Bicentennial Task Force Mtg – 3/18/26, 7PM City Hall (Rick Sharpe – Chair)
- Cemetery Renewal Task Force – 3/23/26, 7PM City Hall (Dave Marold – Chair)
HERE ARE THIS YEAR’S INDUCTEES INTO THE ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME:
Ryan Huzjak ’92 (FOOTBALL) – In 1990 he quarterbacked the Mustangs to the State semifinals & received All-State Honors. He earned 9 varsity letters (Football, Track, Basketball, Baseball) and was a Detroit Free Press Fab 50. Collegiately, he played for University of Toledo (Captain) where he earned conference recognition & had 6,926 career yards and 52 TD’s.
Kate Gayle MacDonald-Scholtz ’02 (Golf) – Kate (Two-time Captain) was a D1 medalist scoring 75-72 in the State finals where she competed twice, assisting the TEAM in winning back-to-back regional, division & conference titles. At GVSU she was the conference runner-up and competed at the Nationals, assisting GVSU to finish 2nd, 4th and 6th. She now works at NHS and has coached the Lady Stangs to the D1 State Title.
Ali Arastu ’10 (Track) – Ali won the D1 300-meter hurdles and was a two-time state runner-up earning multiple All-State awards. Arastu had a decorated career (Captain) at the University of Michigan, setting the school record in the 400 hurdles. He earned NCAA All-American honors four times and was the BIG TEN Runner up in the outdoor 400 hurdles twice in his career.
Conner Johnston ’15 (Tennis) – Conner was the State Champion in the #1 Singles category after finishing runner-up in ’14 & ’13. As a freshman, he was the #2 Singles State Champ and earned All-State honors 4 straight years. He went on to University of Michigan (Academic All-BIG TEN) where he had a distinguished career with four straight NCAA tourney appearances.
Laura Westphal ’17 (Swimming) – During Laura’s prep career she earned seven individual & six relay All-State Honors. She has the D1 record in the 200 Medley, was the State Champion in the 500 freestyle, and a two-time runner-up in the 200 freestyle. She was a 6-time Prep All-American, and at Williams College she captured 4 NCAA titles, leading her team to top national finishes qualifying in 6 events.
Jake Moody ’18 (Football) – One of the most prolific kickers in MHSAA history, he recorded 39 career field goals including a 58-yarder. In baseball, Moody played third base for the D1 State Runner-up team. At University of Michigan, he earned All-American Honors twice, BIG TEN kicker of the Year, and the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker. He played for the San Francisco 49’ers in the Super Bowl, and then went on to play for the Chicago Bears & the Washington Commanders.
Rachel Coleman ’14 (Track) – Rachel, a heralded distance runner, remains the school track & field record holder in four events (800M, 1600M, 3200M & the 4x800M). She was the D1 champ in the 1600M and runner-up in the 3200M, along with being a D1 Cross Country top performer. At University of Michigan, she was a member of the ’16 BIG TEN indoor & outdoor track championship team. She also earned the Michigan academic athlete achievement award.
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS ’18-21 (Girls Golf) – In 2018 the Mustangs captured the first of 4 straight titles, led by top individual finishers including Nicole Whatley, Sufna Gill, along with Mariella Simoncini, Tokarz and Sedona Shipka. In ’19 the Lady Stangs repeated, led by Shipka, Gill, Tokarz, Coleman & Vallabhaneni. Northville then “Three-peated” in 2020, paced by Coleman, Gill, Park, Tokarz & Vallabhaneni. The TEAM then made it FOUR in a row in ’21, led by Vallabhaneni, Coleman, Gill, Park & Lanks.
COACHES
Dave Longridge, Varsity Basketball Coach 1961-68 – He guided Northville to its greatest season in school history in 1961-62, going 20-0 and capturing the District & Regional title. All-American quarterback Steve Juday of MSU fame and Dave Brown, a University of Michigan Basketball star, were both on that team. Longridge himself was a standout athlete at Fordson and went on to captain the Football team at EMU.
Ron Horvath – Considered one of the best leaders in Northville history, Ron was a standout 3-sport athlete at Detroit St. Gregory before playing football at MSU. He then joined ranks for the Korean War, after which he returned to play at U of D, becoming the nation’s leading rusher with 182 yards per game. He was drafted twice by the Lions. From ’53-59 he was a Northville teacher and coached the JV football TEAM with a record of 47-12-3. He also assisted Longridge in baseball. He was an AP and HR expert where his leaderships skills shined.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ron Angrove 1973 – A 1973 Northville Grad who played football and started his work career with the Northville Public Schools. He spent 37 years in the maintenance department while taking care of all the district athletic fields & facilities before retiring in 2010. Besides caring for the fields, he assisted the coaching staffs and game workers with potluck-style meals, direction and hospitality every Thursday night between the Freshman & JV football games. He was considered an integral part of the TEAM.
As the Mayor of Northville, I congratulate all the Athletes, as well as their families & friends, on being part of this year’s class of the Northville Athletic Hall of Fame. Know that I speak for all Northvillians when I say, “We appreciate all that you’ve meant to our town (Our Hamlet in the Hills, or Switzerland of Wayne County) that we call Northville.”
I would also like to thank all the Coaches, High School Athletic Staff, and the Hall of Fame Directors for establishing this institution commemorating Northville’s exceptional student-athletes. We honor and recognize each of them for their pursuit of sports excellence and for representing Northville as ambassadors of goodwill.
Keep that Mustang ORANGE & BLACK Northville Faith!
Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville