Did you see that? (9/3-9/9)
September 10, 2012
School is back in session, and MHSAA teams should be hitting their best strides as league competition gets underway in most sports.
Here's a look at some of the highlights from the first full week of September, with links to additional coverage.
Volleyball
Spikes under the sun: Muskegon Mona Shores finished 3-0 in its home invitational Wednesday against a strong field of Grand Haven, Fruitport and Spring Lake. That's reason to celebrate on its own. But the best part of this story is where the Sailors did their damage -- on two portable courts stretched across the school's football field. (Muskegon Chronicle)
St. Philip takes Cereal City: Despite being one of the smallest schools in the state, it's rare that Battle Creek St. Philip doesn't leave a tournament as champion -- especially in its home town. But the Tigers hadn't won the Cereal City Invitational since 2007, until it did so with a two-set win over Class A honorable mention Temperance-Bedford this weekend. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
FHE is No. 1: Ada Forest Hills Eastern more than justified its ranking as best in the state in Class B by besting many of the best from the Grand Rapids area at the East Kentwood Invitational. Among others in the field were Class A No. 8 East Grand Rapids and reigning MHSAA Class A champion Rockford. (Grand Rapids Press)
Put them in the book: Johannesburg-Lewiston swept Gaylord St. Mary on Tuesday, thanks in part to 10 aces by junior Brittany Cherwinski, a total which will qualify for the MHSAA record book once documentation is submitted. In the team's previous match, junior Julia Nieman qualified for most assists in a match. (Gaylord Herald Times)
Cross Country
Harbor Springs rules the mud: Both the Harbor Springs boys and girls teams won their Charlevoix Classic Mud Runs on Saturday on a course that featured standing water and hay bales among other obstacles. It was the 21st year of the race. (Charlevoix Courier)
Running to records: Sault Ste. Marie has a freshman to watch in Parker Scott, who won his school's Bill Lynn Trails race Saturday in a time of 16:36 -- at least 26 seconds faster than any of the three first-place times from last season's MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals. The time was a school record. (Soo Evening News)
Swimming and Diving
West Ottawa wins West Michigan: Facing many of the biggest and best from that side of the state, Holland West Ottawa won the West Michigan Relays after finishing third in the event each of the last three seasons. Among those also in the field was reigning MHSAA Division 2 champion Holland. (Holland Sentinel)
Tennis
Dow rises again: The Division 2 top-ranked Midland Dow tennis team remained perfect this season by winning its third tournament of the fall, at Grosse Pointe North. Among others in the field were No. 2-ranked Portage Central and No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (Midland Daily News)
2-Time Champ Earns 1st Records Mention
May 10, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This winter, sophomore Bree Salenbien registered the first of what no doubt will be a number of MHSAA record book entries during her Adrian Lenawee Christian basketball career.
The all-stater made 27 free throws – second-most for one game – against Ann Arbor Pioneer on Feb. 16. Meanwhile, junior teammate Libby Miller was added to the records for 69 3-pointers over 28 games this season as the team won its second straight MHSAA Finals championship, this time in Division 4.
See below for more recent record book additions in baseball, girls basketball, hockey, girls soccer and volleyball. Click on the headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
A pair of Concord athletes joined the list of most frequently hit batsman. T.J. Stevens was hit by pitch 18 times as a senior in 2014 and 26 over 56 games and two seasons. Teammate Chevy Burk was hit 15 times also as a senior in 2014 and 24 times over 107 games and three seasons.
On April 23, 2001, Armada’s Steve Girodat hit three home runs during his team’s 10-3 win over Memphis, tying a long list for seventh-most homers in one game. Girodat went on to play at Adrian College.
On April 22, 1960, Morrice stole 26 bases in a game against Birch Run. Nearly 60 years later, that performance has been added as an MHSAA record for steals in a game. Jim Hursh also was added to the individual steals list after leading the way that day with six stolen bases.
Girls Basketball
Adrian Madison’s Laura Teunion-Smith has been a softball standout and will continue her career in that sport at Tiffin University. But she also contributed her athleticism to the basketball program, making the record book this winter with 304 rebounds over 25 games. She also was a standout in volleyball.
Hockey
Tawas goaltender Ethan Haire worked through some busy nights this season, tying the record for most saves in one game with 96 in a 9-3 loss to Walled Lake Northern on Dec. 21. He came back with 94 saves in an 8-1 loss to Fenton/Linden on Jan. 19. Haire was a junior this winter.
There are not many recent entries for goals or assists in the MHSAA hockey record book, making Zach Robinson’s 135 assists over 107 games the last four seasons for Brownstown Woodhaven even more impressive. His total ranks 11th on the career assists list.
Girls Soccer
For the second season in a row last spring, Muskegon Mona Shores ran off 10 straight shutouts to make the MHSAA record book. The latest streak began April 11, 2018 against Spring Lake and concluded after a win over Muskegon on May 8.
A pair of Swartz Creek standouts graduating 17 years apart were added. Casey Allessie graduated in 2017 with 77 goals over four seasons, good for second-most in her school’s history. Just ahead of her was 2000 graduate Haley Henry at 83; she also was added for 26 assists her senior season, 184 career points from 1997-2000, and for 101 career assists that would’ve ranked second on the list at the time and now sit tied for third. Allessie is playing at Delta College.
Volleyball
Onaway added to its successful group of standouts in the record book from the last decade with career assist (3,328) and ace (296) totals for Taylor Ehrke, who played from 2013-16. Additionally, Lexi Szymoniak was added for 605 kills in 2014, and Calley Selke (120) and Mallorie Neelis (111) were added for aces this past fall. Szymoniak went on to play at Lawrence Tech University. Selke is a senior this year, and Neelis is a junior.
PHOTO: Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Bree Salenbien attempts a free throw during this season’s Division 4 Final at Calvin College.