Year in and year out his teams are among the state's elite. In addition, his teams have captured 171 tournament victories - the No. 1 total in the state. Along the way the Trojans have won a phenomenal 22 regional titles and have finished in the top ten in the state 38 times. As a result, Nykerk has been named Regional Coach of the Year by the coaches' association on nine occasions, and was State Coach of the Year in 1997. Through it all, Nykerk said it's his players who keep him going.
Traverse City has really good kids.
I work with motivated kids who really want to be there. And that keeps me motivated. Along with having exceptional players, Nykerk has also coached many outstanding students. In fact, last year's girls team had the highest combined grade-point average of any Class A team in the state. Not to put down other areas, but we really do have great kids.