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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."

Click to read more.

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."

Click to read more. 

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. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Grace McKinney is surrounded by a pair of Warren Regina defenders including Ava Janusch (9) during Friday’s Division 3 Final.

Grand Rapids Catholic Central Captures Long Sought-After Moment with 1st Finals Win

By Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com

June 13, 2025

EAST LANSING – Friday was a long time coming for Grand Rapids Catholic Central girls soccer coach Genevieve Sander. 

After 19 years with the program, and more than 200 victories as a coach, Sandner and the Cougars finally won their first MHSAA Finals title, besting Warren Regina 2-0 in the Division 3 championship match at DeMartin Soccer Complex on the campus of Michigan State University.

“It’s been a dream of mine for 19 years, and this team has really grown. They’re a family, on and off the field, and I think that’s what makes a really solid team,” Sandner said. “The journey has really been incredible. I can’t say enough. They knew what they wanted from the beginning of the season, to get to this moment.”

The win was a product of a balanced effort that has been a staple for Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-8-2) this season.

What wasn’t typical has how the Cougars scored their two goals. 

Both came off restarts, one off a corner kick in the first half, while the second came off a free kick in the second half. That’s something Sandner said wasn’t typical of her team in 2025.

“It’s so random,” Sandner said. “We watched film and knew there was opportunities for corner kicks with (Regina), and that we had to be hungry in the box. I am proud that the girls answered and responded the way they did. I am glad they were hungry for the goal.”

Midway through the first half, GRCC got on the board off a corner kick from senior Sophia Piccione. The Cougars had a header attempt from senior Maurine Schneider deflected by the Regina goalie, but the Saddlelites (7-6-6) couldn’t collect the ball. It found the foot of junior Grace McKinney, who put it in for her ninth goal of the season.

Regina’s Nia Guess (14) controls possession as two GRCC defenders approach including Emma Mead (18).“It was a great corner kick from Sophia, and then we had a header that the goalie bobbled and I was just in the right spot at the right time,” McKinney said of her goal. “It was meant to be.”

In the second half, just 10 minutes in, Piccione had a free kick from the right side of the field, just outside the box. Her attempt deflected off the Regina goalie, who was battling for position. This time the deflection came to Schneider, who blasted in her team-high 12th goal of 2025.

“I saw the opportunity coming from the corner, and I knew I had to put it in,” Schneider said. “We were up 1-0, but that’s not enough, and I knew I was going to have a good look. I just slammed the ball as hard as I could.”

Down a pair of goals, Regina turned up the offensive pressure. It registered four corner kicks over the next five minutes of play, but none resulted in a goal.

“The girls played well; we conceded a few goals on a corner and a set play. It’s tough. We didn’t quite finish in the attacking third,” Regina coach Stefano Moraccini said. “Nobody had us here in the Final. I am super proud of them.”

The Cougars also had standout play from its back line. Juniors Georgie Brown, Halina Polak, and Alyssa Yost joined sophomore Allison Malinowski to help keepers Charlie Walker and Natalie Beachler combine to record the team’s fourth consecutive shutout.

“Our back line has been very consistent for us all year, especially the latter part of the season. They just really work well together and back each other up so well,” Sandner said. “They’re all coming back, which is great. You want a strong back line coming back.”

Regina will be returning several key players as well, as the Saddlelites had just two seniors on the roster – although one was Jenna Moeller, who led the offensive effort in Friday’s defeat with four shots. Juniors Maddy Steffani and Ava Janusch both had three shots.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Grace McKinney is surrounded by a pair of Warren Regina defenders including Ava Janusch (9) during Friday’s Division 3 Final. (Middle) Regina’s Nia Guess (14) controls possession as two GRCC defenders approach including Emma Mead (18). (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)