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High 5s: 11/7/12

November 7, 2012

This past Saturday saw eight teams and eight individuals crowned MHSAA champions, and this week we feature a few who will be listed among the best for all time. 

Erin Finn
West Bloomfield senior
Cross country

Finn won her second straight MHSAA individual Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, this time in 17:07.9. Her finish was the fastest from any of the four divisions that raced Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, and gave her the victory in hers by 27 seconds. Finn’s time was the fourth-best ever at an MHSAA Final. She has three of the top 15 times ever run at MIS, more than any other runner.

On track for more: Finn also won an MHSAA Track and Field championship last season, setting an all-division/class record in the 1,600 with a time of 10:17.86. That time was nearly five seconds better than the previous best.

Maize and Blue: Finn will run next season at the University of Michigan. The Wolverines cross country team is ranked No. 7 nationally heading into Friday's NCAA Great Lakes Regional. 

Scientifically speaking: Finn intends to study biomechanical engineering at U-M. "My junior year, I found out I love physics, and I already knew I loved bio and chemistry. So, what's better than to combine those?"

Runners to chase: “I looked up to Megan Goethals (of Rochester), number one, and Shannon Osika (of Waterford Mott). They’re people I competed with. I know that one day I can be like that. It’s more real to me.”

Click to read more.

Nick Raymond
Erie Mason senior
Cross country

After dashing to the lead last season and finishing fourth, Nick Raymond dominated the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final at MIS with a time of 15:05.1 – the second-fastest time for a Division 3/Class C MHSAA Final to only Maverick Darling's 14:52.8 for Ovid-Elsie in 2007. Raymond is the first individual cross country champion from Erie Mason (not counting another who finished first among individuals before team and individual placers were combined for one race beginning in 1997) and also placed in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the spring's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Track and Field Final. 

A long drive: "I've been working hard, since the first time (I ran) in sixth grade. Working hard and training hard over the summer and during mandatory practices too." 

Brotherly influence: Raymond began running cross country in the footsteps of his older brother Andrew Raymond, a 2010 graduate. "He told me, 'If you just keep working hard, just look forward at your dream, your goal, you will achieve it.'"

Now the pool, then the track: Raymond swims during the winter, specializing in butterfly and breaststroke. Then it's on to track. Raymond finished fourth in the 1,600 (4:21.84) and seventh in the 3,200 (9:44.91) at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final. 

Looking up to Pre: Like many in the running community, Raymond considers former Oregon and international star Steve Prefontaine a major influence. "I liked how he had a lot of faith in himself."

Click to read more. 

East Kentwood soccer

The top-ranked Falcons edged Grand Blanc 1-0 at Troy Athens to claim their fourth Division 1 championship in six seasons. They finished 22-1-4, their seventh with at least 20 wins in the last eight years. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Grand Rapids West Catholic softball

West Catholic Standout Quickly Leaves Lasting Impression

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 18, 2021

Recent Grand Rapids West Catholic grad Jaye Guichelaar played only one season of high school softball in Michigan after her family moved here from Washington a year ago.

But she made a quick and lasting impact on the MHSAA record book.

Guichelaar tied for the eighth-highest single-season batting average at .700 and also made the record book with 70 hits over 30 games. Although a record book list isn’t kept for this statistic, it’s an achievement also worth noting: She didn’t strike out over 100 at bats.

Read on for more recent additions to the softball record listings.

Softball

Durand earned its first record book entry in this sport this season, hitting 61 doubles over 28 games. Madison Raley led the way with 12.

Vicksburg’s Audrie Dugan earned a spot in the records with eight RBI in a May 19 win over Centreville. She was 4 for 4 with a home run.

A pair of Midland Bullock Creek hitters reached the record book with home runs in their respective back-to-back at bats this spring. Senior Mattie Midkiff hit home runs in two straight at bats against St. Charles on April 30. Junior Sydney Borsenik did the same, with both of hers during the second inning, against Carrollton on May 1. Bullock Creek also was added for 69 doubles as a team over 39 games.

Port Huron’s Emma Trombly was perhaps known more for her basketball talents this school year, but she made the softball record book with a big day April 22 against Warren Cousino. Trombly tied for third on the single-game RBI list with 10 in a 23-11 win, going 4 for 6 at the plate and also scoring five runs. She’ll play basketball this upcoming season at Northwood.

LaNya Bates didn’t get to play her senior season at Grand Blanc because of COVID-19, but her hitting over her first three earned her a place on the career batting average list at .541, with 193 hits over 106 games from 2017-19. Teammates Kendall Klochack and Rebecca Oetting were sophomores in 2019 and added to the single-season doubles list for 22 and 18, respectively, that spring. Bates is continuing her career at Memphis, and Klochack signed with Purdue.

Kalamazoo Central’s Kearney Miller earned her school’s first individual record book entry in this sport with 17 doubles this season. Kalamazoo Central also made the team record book with 74 doubles over 33 games. Miller will continue her career at Albion College.

A pair of Caro hitters were added to the records for achievements this spring as well. Freshman Leah Daniels drove in six runs during an April 26 game and had 17 doubles over 38 games this season, while senior Kelsey Marcola also drove in six runs in a game, June 1 against Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker.

A pair of West Bloomfield juniors made the single-season home runs list this spring. Sydney Stapf drove 12 homers over 30 games, while Alma Tatem hit 10 over 28 games.

Chloe May had a memorable May 10 with three record book entries coming from her performance in Pickford’s 26-12 win over St. Ignace. The freshman hit three home runs total, including two in back-to-back at bats, and drove in seven runs.

PHOTO: West Catholic’s Jaye Guichelaar stands in for a pitch during a game this spring. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids West Catholic athletic program.)