Country Day Repeats as Cook Serves Up Another Title-Clinching Goal
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
HOWELL – Charlotte Cook is building quite a reputation for herself at Detroit Country Day.
In 2025, as a freshman, Cook scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Yellowjackets to the Division 2 championship over Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
On Friday night, in pouring rain, Cook found herself with the ball in the final minute of the 2026 D2 Final with East Grand Rapids, with the score tied 12-12.
Cook once again came through, putting the ball in the back of the net with 29 seconds to play for what would be the game-winning score in DCD’s 13-12 victory.
“Taking the ball at the end, I wanted to prove to everyone that as a sophomore, even when I was being face-guarded, I could get in there and I could make something happen,” Cook said of her game-winning goal. “I wasn’t just doing it to win, I wasn’t doing it for myself, I was doing it for my team around me because they wanted me to take that (shot) and I’m glad they could trust me.”
Cook tied the game with 2:52 to play as part of a six-goal effort to lead Country Day to its first repeat MHSAA girls lacrosse championship, and third Finals title overall.
“She’s someone that we can consistently depend on and rely on to be the one to set the tempo,” Detroit Country Day coach Liz Nussbaum said. “I think that takes so much character and so much preparation on her part. She puts in the work in advance so she’s ready for these big moments, and she carries the team on her back in that way.”
The win for Country Day (15-5) avenged a pair of losses during the season to the Pioneers (19-3). East Grand Rapids led for the majority of Friday’s game, including the 12-11 advantage in the closing minutes, but came up just shy of claiming its first championship since 2022.
“I think the reason they fought so hard is because of their love for each other and their love for the game,” EGR coach Kira Schoonveld said of her team’s effort. “It’s been a while since we’ve been back on this stage, so they were hungry for it.”
The Pioneers took control of the game in the second quarter with a four-goal surge that put them up 6-3. Senior Rylee Renker had two of the goals during the run to help EGR lead 6-4 at the break.
“I think the girls actually came out pretty settled. Of course, they have nerves, but I think they managed those pretty well,” Schoonveld said of her team’s first half.
Country Day came out in the second half and scored the first four goals. Two came from Cook and the other two came from senior Adri Zuk.
“That was absolutely huge,” Nussbaum said of the scoring surge. “We are very young, so a lot of this game is really mental for us. Having that kind of momentum shift was super important.”
East Grand Rapids answered the Country Day run with one of its own. The Pioneers scored the next three goals to regain the lead at 9-8.
The lead would change hands three more times over the remainder of the game, including with Cook’s game-winner.
The drama was heightened by the consistent rain, which never let up throughout the match.
“Rain is never fun and we’ve been fortunate that we’ve never had to play in the rain this season, so that of course poses more challenges,” Schoonveld said. “But, between every quarter and time out, our girls were still fired up and pumped and just ready to take on the challenge ahead of them. It’s just unfortunate that it didn’t go our way tonight.”
Jane Weaver finished with three goals and an assist to lead East Grand Rapids, while Nora Williams, Livia Burgess and Renker each had two goals and an assist. Avery Albers made 10 saves in net.
Cook finished with six goals to lead Country Day, while sophomore Bella Papsin had six assists.
“She’s always been a really good feeder, but she’s improved with her patience and waiting for more open opportunities,” Nussbaum said of Papsin. “She really found the open player today, and that was important because we knew that we weren’t going to be able to drive very well against this EGR defense.”
Junior Jackie Calso had four goals in the win, while Zuk tallied the other three.
After graduating a large senior class in 2025, Nussbaum wasn’t sure if her team would be able to get back to the Finals in 2026. Despite the rain pouring down, Nussbaum was all smiles after the match given her team’s difficult achievement of repeating as champion.
“We lost 11 seniors last year and had almost a completely new squad this season, but the consistency and dependability of the team, and the culture they have built, led them to this championship,” Nussbaum said. “It really is such a reward and a joy to be able to coach these girls and see all their work pay off.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Charlotte Cook makes a move while directing the offense during Friday’s Division 2 Final. (Middle) The Yellowjackets’ Adriana Zuk (10) winds up to take a shot. (Below) DCD's Jackie Calso (8) and EGR's Ella Alguire (9) contend for the ball.
Missed Junior Season Can't Keep Mercy's Smith from All-Time Greatness
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 18, 2023
Despite the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19, Jillian Smith finished her Farmington Hills Mercy career in 2021 with 49 record book listings – and one of the most accomplished careers in MHSAA girls lacrosse history.
Despite not playing a junior season, Smith tallied 340 goals – third-most all-time – and 423 points, good for sixth all-time on that career list. She had 119 goals and 157 total points over 17 games as a senior, and did set the single-game points record with 21 against Canton that spring.
Smith is continuing to star at Michigan.
See below for more recent record book additions for girls lacrosse:
Girls Lacrosse
Grandville’s Madeline Kreiger was added to the single-game goals list twice last spring, both times for seven goals. The then-sophomore scored seven in her team’s 24-5 win over Lowell on April 18, 2022, and then seven again in a 20-6 win over Jenison on April 25.
A trio of Hartland standouts earned record book listings for their accomplishments in 2022. Then-junior Ava Gilardone was added twice for seven goals in a game and for 69 goals and 87 points for the season. Madeline Turcotte, also a junior last spring, was added for eight goals in a game, five assists in another, and 59 goals, 44 assists and 103 points for the season. Senior Tessa Chuba was added for seven goals in a game twice, 83 goals and 104 points for the season and also 50 goals in 2021. Senior Rebecca Schaller was added for a 2021 junior-year achievement, when she posted 188 saves, good to tie for eighth all-time.
Bloomfield Hills now-junior Ella Lucia earned five record book entries during the 2022 season, including for six goals and 12 total points in a June 1 game against Birmingham United. She also made the single-game assists list with five in an April 11 game against Clarkston, the single-season goals list with 50 and the single-season points list with 89 over 20 games. Now-senior teammate Ilana Watson also was added for five assists in a game twice, and now-junior goalie Sydney Butler made the single-season saves list with 165 across 21 games.
Several standouts helped Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central reach the Division 2 Regional Finals last spring, including four who made the record book. Now-senior Gabby Hendricks had 111 points and earned seven listings total including for 69 goals and 42 assists. Also now a senior, Shannon Murphy earned six entries including for 68 goals and 101 points, and Julia Brown earned three entries including for 78 goals and 92 points in her final season. Another senior this school year, goalie Tori Bates, was added for her 18 saves in a 21-16 win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Brown is playing at Hope College, Murphy has committed to Marquette University, Hendricks has committed to Jacksonville University, and Bates has committed to George Mason University.
Stella Bottum capped her Caledonia career last spring with four record book entries. She made the single-season goals list with 76 – including eight in one game – and the career goals list with 134 over 48 games and three seasons (due to the cancelation of 2020). She also made the single-season points list with 90. She’s playing at Aquinas College.
Warren Regina’s Holly Watson earned seven record book entries last spring, including for 175 saves over 12 games – which is tied for 13th-most all-time. She had a season-high of 27 against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett on April 25, which is tied for second most in one game. She’s a senior this school year.
Jenna Allie finished her two-season varsity career at Dearborn Divine Child last spring with her second scoring 68 goals – and she also made the single-season points list with 93 over 19 games. Allie’s 136 career goals also earned a record book entry, and her scoring last season contributed significantly to Divine Child making the team single-season goals list with 274. Additionally, then-senior teammate Sam Stevens was added for 15 goal saves against Bloomfield Hills last May 16. Allie is continuing her career at Siena Heights.
Amanda Granader capped her career last spring by leading Brighton to the Division 1 championship, and she made the MHSAA record book 18 times – including for career goals and points again despite the 2020 season being canceled. She made the single-game goals list several times including with a high of 10 last April 30 against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central. Her 113 goals last spring rank 10th, and her 118 as a junior are eighth on that list – as are her 259 over three seasons. Granader’s 322 points for her career rank 11th all-time.
Lansing Catholic’s Leah Reid is cruising into the elite of scoring all-time in this sport, and entered this season with nine record-book entries. She had at least seven goals in a game six times and finished last season with 89 goals over 20 games. She also made the single-season points list with 106 total as a junior.
PHOTO Farmington Hills Mercy's Jillian Smith directs the attack during her team's 2021 Semifinal against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. (Photo courtesy of Detroit News.)