Performance of the Week: Howard City Tri County's Savanah Thompson
May 7, 2026
Savanah Thompson ♦ Howard City Tri County
Senior ♦ Soccer
The four-year varsity standout, became just the fourth player in MHSAA girls soccer history to score 200 goals, reaching the milestone during a seven-goal performance against Lakeview on April 29. She reached 200 on her first goal of the evening and needs only 10 more to break the MHSAA career record of 228 set by Leland's Libby Munoz from 2013-16.
Thompson set her school's single-season goals record first as a sophomore and again as a junior, with her 67 goals last season ranking eighth and her 65 in 2024 tied for 10th on the MHSAA single-season goals list. A first-team all-stater as a sophomore and honorable mention last spring, Thompson has extended a family sports legacy at her school that includes her dad Mike, a Finals wrestling champion in 1994, and uncle Dan Thompson, who won three Finals titles on the mat. Savanah also played two seasons of basketball and ran two of track, and she'll continue her soccer career at Saginaw Valley State University where she'll study toward eventually becoming a nurse practitioner. Tri County is 10-3-1 this season and a combined 57-21-4 during her four on varsity.
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Previous 2025-26 honorees
April 30: Eliza Schwass, Ludington track - Report
April 23: Emily Postema, Ravenna softball - Report
April 16: Katie Berkshire, Gaylord track - Report
March 26: Kayla Hairston, Goodrich basketball - Report
March 19: Liam Smith, Otsego swimming - Report
March 12: Jack Sayen, Houghton hockey - Report
March 5: Devin Patrick, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - Report
Feb. 26: Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell wrestling - Report
Feb. 20: Sophie Ramey, Allen Park competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 13: Cam Ryans, Grand Rapids Northview basketball - Report
Feb. 6: Melanie Kolnitys, Midland Dow basketball - Report
Jan. 29: Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United gymnastics - Report
Jan. 22: Baylor Perkins, Grand Blanc swimming - Report
Jan. 15: Delaney Vanier, Flint Kearsley bowling - Report
Jan. 8: Stevie Hall, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Ethan Martha, Ishpeming Westwood basketball - Report
Dec. 11: Louis Smith, Three Rivers wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Traverse Moore, DeWitt football - Report
Nov. 28: Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield swimming - Report
Nov. 20: Brady Kieff, Blanchard Montabella football - Report
Nov. 13: Ella Laupp, Battle Creek Harper Creek swimming - Report
Nov. 7: Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix cross country - Report
Oct. 31: Stephen Gollapalli, Lansing Christian tennis - Report
Oct. 23: Talya Schreiber, Pickford cross country - Report
Oct. 16: Avery Manning, Dexter golf - Report
Oct. 9: Brady Van Laecke, Hudsonville football - Report
Oct. 2: Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock volleyball - Report
Sept. 25: Sam Schumacher, Portage Central tennis - Report
Sept. 18: Kaylee Mitzel, Saline field hockey - Report
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of the Tri County athletic department.)
Title IX at 50: Meah Bajt's Story
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 6, 2022
Meah Bajt took every opportunity to compete in Spring Lake athletics during her high school career, playing volleyball, basketball and soccer and making significant impacts in all three programs – but especially on the pitch.
Bajt set a school single-season scoring record with 45 goals this spring – including 11 over two District games – on the way to leading the Lakers to a 17-3-1 record and berth in the Division 2 Regional Finals. The all-state forward capped her Spring Lake soccer career with 92 goals over just three seasons. She’s continuing her academic career this fall at Michigan State University, where she’s studying business.
"It’s become a big part of my life, just being in sports and just doing them, and without the outlet of doing that I feel like it wouldn’t make life as enjoyable as it is. Letting females experience that stuff just like males did is a great thing to do, and it is a step forward for athletics.
"I’ve been the captain of all three of my sports teams this past year, and a lot of younger people on the team even – just because we have sophomores, juniors, seniors – they’ve come up to me and I’ve always felt like they were comfortable asking questions. And even younger girls in soccer would come up, and I always would try to embrace them because I know when I was that age, how it meant to talk to somebody older and be in that sport. Helping them embrace themselves in a sport is just something that I try to do."
Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.
Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights
Aug. 30: Morgan Brunner's Story - Read
Aug. 23: Ava Brizard's Story - Read
Aug. 16: Paige Miller's Story - Read
Aug. 9: Gracie Olsen's Story - Read
Aug. 2: Maddy Stern's Story - Read
July 26: Reese Miller's Story - Read
July 19: Macy Irelan's Story - Read
July 12: Bridget Boczar's Story - Read
July 5: Ella Boose's Story - Read
June 28: Kaila Jackson's Story - Read
June 23: We Celebrate Our Past, We Look Forward to Our Future - Read
June 21: Assistant Directors Have Been Difference Makers - Read
June 14: Girls Lacrosse Finals Officials Set Empowering Example - Read
June 7: From Gymnastics to Wrestling, Girls Opportunities Continue to Grow - Read
May 31: Mumford Sprinter's Magnificent 2006 Final Remains Unmatched - Read
May 24: Scane, Whiteside Alone on 400-Goal, 500-Point Girls Lacrosse Lists - Read
May 17: Over 8 Days in 1988, Pair of Champs Set No. 1 Singles Standard - Read
May 10: Portage Central's Tarpley Scores as State's Superstar, U.S. Soccer Hero - Read
May 3: Prychitko 'Legend In Her Own Time,' Legend for All Time - Read
April 26: Braddock vs. Verdun Still Striding Among All-Time Sprint Matchups - Read
April 19: Holmes' Strikeout Record Rarely Approached, May Be Unbreakable - Read
April 12: Anticipation High as 45,000 Girls Return to Spring Sports - Read
April 5: Regina's Laffey Retiring as Definition of Legendary - Read
March 29: Edison's Whitehorn named 2022 Miss Basketball - Read
March 22: Carney-Nadeau Sets Girls Hoops Standard with 78-Win Streak - Read
March 15: Binder Among Voices Telling Our Story on MHSAA Network - Read
March 8: 29 Years, Thousands of Cheers - Read
March 1: Kearsley Rolls On Among Girls Bowling's Early Successes - Read
Feb. 22: Marquette Ties Record for Swim & Dive Finals Success - Read
Feb. 15: Jaeger's 2004 Winter Run Created Lasting Connection - Read
Feb. 8: Marian's Cicerone to Finish Among All-Time Elite - Read
Feb. 1: WISL Award Honors Builders of State's Girls Sports Tradition - Read
Jan. 25: Decades Later, Edwards' Legend Continues to Grow - Read
Jan. 18: Iron Mountain Completes Championship Climb - Read
Jan. 11: Harrold's Achievement Heralds Growth of Girls Wrestling - Read
Dec. 20: Competitive Cheer Gives Michigan Plenty to Cheer About - Read
Dec. 14: Evelyn's Game Had Plenty of Magic - Read
Dec. 7: Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact - Read
Nov. 30: Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read