High 5s: 11/14/12
November 19, 2012
All three of this week's honorees have achieved some sort of first-time stardom this fall, either individually or as a team. And both Carli Snyder and Alex Grace will be back next fall to continue building on these accomplishments.
Carli Snyder
Macomb Dakota junior
Volleyball
(UPDATED 11/19) Snyder, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, was an all-stater her first two seasons of high school. But she will be remembered even more for leading Macomb Dakota this fall to its first MHSAA championship in any girls sport. The Cougars defeated Temperance Bedford in three games in Saturday's Class A Final at Kellogg Arena. Snyder unofficially finished this season with 913 kills, good for seventh in the MHSAA record book since the beginning of the rally scoring era in 2004-05. Her 31 kills against Bedford were third-most for a Final during that time. Snyder already has committed to sign with the University of Florida next year. She likely will be among frontrunners for next fall's Miss Volleyball award.
Title talk: "We wanted this thing so bad. Every girl on this team wanted it so badly. Megan (Manierski) was setting the ball perfectly. She made it very easy to get kills. ... Just talking about this moment, this gym, it makes you just want to play harder than you ever have."
Winning recipe: "We've been a competitive team in practice and in games all year, so I think that helped us at that moment (in three close Finals games) when we just didn't want to lose. We refused to lose. ... We support each other no matter what. And we hustled so hard."
Shake it up: "We have some secret handshakes with other people, but mine are very complex. I don't know how we went about that. Megan and mine is from "Parent Trap," and then Megan Downey and mine, we just made it up at team dinner. We make it a bit more complex than it needs to be, but it's fun. And it's a great thing to calm us down for a game when we've played a bad one before."
Had to be a Gator: "I like warm weather. I love the coaches. I actually called Florida for my recruiting phone call because I was kinda bored one day at home and I was like, 'I got a letter from them.' I fell in love with the coaching staff, and I told my mom that I needed to go on a visit down there. It's incredible, and when I went down there I was even more in love. Even on the phone, I knew this is where I would end up. It's just that feeling. You know when you get that feeling, and it's incredible."
Alex Grace
Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore
Football
The Vikings' leading rusher is also one of the leading rushers in the state this season heading into Saturday's Division 4 Semifinal against Detroit Country Day. Grace has gained 2,091 yards plus run for 27 touchdowns, and needs only 109 yards and three more scores to make the MHSAA record book in both categories. He ran for 182 yards and three scores in the Vikings' Regional Final win over Croswell-Lexington. Grace took over as Swan Valley's running back this season after the graduation of his brother Johnathan, who rushed for 1,790 yards last season and now plays at Michigan Tech. Both brothers ran on Swan Valley's 400-meter relay that finished runner-up at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Track and Field Final in the spring. Alex is 6-0 and 185 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.
I'd like to run like: "Even my brother. I like to look at myself as close to him. Professionally, (Minnesota Vikings back) Adrian Peterson. He's a tough runner, fast. He's strong."
Underdogs again: "The last game against Croswell, they were the No. 2 team and we were predicted to lose. But we came back and beat them. I use that underdog feeling to work harder each day."
Best brotherly advice: "Work hard, and if there are doubters, don't let them get you down."
Science and math: (My favorite classes are) biology and economics. They just come easy to me. I enjoy it."
Flint Beecher football
The Buccaneers, coached by former Michigan State and NFL standout Courtney Hawkins, were one of the final teams selected for the playoffs, at 5-4 after a 3-4 start. But Beecher advanced to this week's Division 7 Semifinal against Detroit Loyola by eliminating reigning champion Saginaw Nouvel, 19-15, in last week's Regional championship game. Beecher, now 8-4, has made the playoffs six straight years. The first of that run came in Hawkins' second as coach and after 12 straight losing seasons.
Previous 2012-13 honorees:
- Julia Bos, Grand Rapids Christian cross country - Click for more
- Morgan Bullock, Zeeland swimming - Click for more
- Nathan Burnand, Waterford Mott cross country - Click for more
- Aaron Chatfield, Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian soccer - Click for more
- Erin Finn, West Bloomfield cross country - Click for more
- Billy Heckman, Portage Central tennis - Click for more
- Codi Jenshak, Escanaba tennis - Click for more
- Amanda McKinzie, Battle Creek St. Philip cross country - Click for more
- Connor Mora, Cedar Springs cross country - Click for more
- Kelsey Murphy, Plymouth golf - Click for more
- Dewey Lewis, Rockford soccer - Click for more
- Nick Raymond, Erie Mason cross country - Click for more
- Jacqueline Setas, Lansing Catholic golf - Click for more
- Michael Sienko, Williamston tennis - Click for more
- Beal City volleyball - Click for more
- East Kentwood soccer - Click for more
- Grand Blanc boys soccer - Click for more
- Ithaca football - Click for more
- Lansing Everett football - Click for more
- Ludington boys tennis - Click for more
- Muskegon Mona Shores girls golf - Click for more
Laingsburg's Bila Sisters Combine for 5 Records on Softball Diamond
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 27, 2024
Laingsburg’s Ashley Bila finished her senior season this spring with 14 listings in the MHSAA softball record book and three records as she followed up older sister Hailey Bila’s 13 listings and two records set over the first half of this decade.
Ashley set the single-season runs record with 93 as a freshman in 2021 and added the second-most, 91, as a senior in setting the career runs record with 335 over 152 games. She also set the career walks record, drawing 136 including 42 as a senior.
Bila also made the single-season hits list as a freshman with 85 (tied for 12th-most) on the way to finishing fifth on that career list with 279. She is on the career doubles (47) and triples (25) lists and ranks 11th all-time with a .599 career batting average. She also finished with 166 career stolen bases.
Hailey Bila remains tied for the single-season triples record with 20 hits during 2021, and her eight RBI in an inning May 18, 2022, tops a list as well. She also made the single-season home runs list with 14 in 2022 and single-season RBI list with 72 in 2022 and 70 in 2021.
Additionally, Laingsburg teammate Addyson Buchin was added to the single-season pitching wins list after going 35-6 as a sophomore in 2023, and her 18 doubles this spring also earned a listing.
Hailey Bila is playing at Michigan State, and Ashley Bila is playing at Central Michigan.
See below for more recent additions to the softball record book:
Softball
Natalie Wandrie finished her three-season Indian River Inland Lakes career in 2023 among the most accomplished hitters in MHSAA history – and despite her freshman season being canceled due to COVID-19. Wandrie is listed 21 times in the record book, including as a senior for 20 doubles, 24 home runs (fifth all-time), 79 RBI and a .685 batting average. She made career lists with 36 doubles, 47 home runs, 198 RBI and a .651 average over 82 games – the average third all-time, the home runs tied for 11th and the RBI tied for 14th. She’s playing softball and volleyball at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky.
Addison’s Laci Mae Patterson earned a record book entry as a junior in 2023, when she hit 11 home runs across 37 games.
Riverview junior Ella Vinco earned a highlight less than a month into the 2024 season, when she made the record book for back-to-back home runs against Dearborn Divine Child on April 20.
Algonac’s Kenna Bommarito entered her senior season this past spring with six record book entries – a combined four for back-to-back homers during the first innings of games in 2021 and 2023, and two more from 18-strikeout six-inning games also in 2023 against Armada and Marine City. She is playing at Oakland.
Decatur’s Sienna Potter entered the 2024 season with five record book entries, including for 16 doubles and 18 home runs as a sophomore.
Grand Ledge prevailed over Mason 25-20 on April 6, 2023, and in doing so hit seven home runs – tying for second-most all-time for one game. The Comets led off with two straight homers and also had a pair back-to-back during the fourth inning.
Several entries for Rogers City’s string of successful seasons at the end of the last decade have been entered, highlighted by a record of nine home runs in one game against Johannesburg-Lewiston in a 2018 District Semifinal. Rogers City as a team was added 17 times, with highs during that time of 481 runs, 438 hits, 85 doubles, 374 RBI and a .403 batting average all in 2017 and 40 home runs in 2018. Total, 31 individual entries were added. Kayla Rabeau’s work included 234 runs, 229 hits, 36 doubles, 25 home runs and 186 RBI from 2015-18. Sarah Meredith was added for a .570 career average, 252 hits, 45 doubles, 38 home runs and 245 RBI from 2013-16. Hannah Fleming made career lists with 208 hits, 47 doubles, 29 homers and 187 RBI from 2015-18, and Taylor Fleming made career lists with 38 doubles, 32 home runs and 185 RBI during the same four seasons. Jayna Hance, Brooklyn Orr and Amanda Wirgau also made individual record lists. Meredith played for Ferris State, Rabeau played for Mott Community College, Hannah Fleming played at Alma College, Hance played at Northwood, and Taylor Fleming played volleyball at Lake Superior State.
Maple City Glen Lake sophomore Laila Shimek didn’t take long to reach the record book during her first season in the spring, driving in seven runs during an 18-3 win over Traverse City Christian on April 16.
Marlette’s Delaney Gage reached the record book for the first time in 2023, with a 15-strikeout five-inning game against Warren Woods-Tower and then 366 strikeouts for that season over 166 innings. She graduated in the spring and is continuing at Northwood.
An unforgettable hitting performance earned Emma Weber five record book entries. The Birmingham Seaholm then-junior hit three home runs, consecutively and including two during the third inning, and drove in seven runs including six in that third inning of her team’s 11-1 win over Rochester Adams on May 16.
Chloe Parker capped her Niles Brandywine career this spring on three career lists, with 64 doubles, 21 home runs and a .570 batting average over 108 games and four seasons. Kadence Brumitt, also a senior this past spring, was added for hitting 10 home runs during her final campaign. Parker is continuing at Central Michigan, and Brumitt is playing volleyball at Valparaiso.
PHOTO Laingsburg’s Ashley Bila runs the bases against Bath during her senior season in the spring. (Photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)