Calumet Invite Produces Northern Stars
September 18, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Calumet Invitational dates back roughly 30 years as an annual staple of the cross country schedule for schools at the northernmost tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
A creative move by the Copper Kings last year added some statewide prestige to the event.
Last week, for the second season, Calumet ran the series of races at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, a resort near Copper Harbor and the northern bank of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Calumet is the northernmost high school in Michigan. And moving this race another 35 miles northeast more or less guaranteed it's the northernmost event run in the state.
"We figured it was pretty safe. We're the northernmost school in the state, and you can only go four more miles and you're in Lake Superior," Calumet athletic director Sean Jacques said. "Nobody else is going to do anything more north than that."
A total of 10 schools were represented this fall in the races for boys and girls varsity, junior varsity and middle schoolers.
Jacques said the event formerly was run at a golf course in Calumet. But a few years ago, Calumet graduate and former Copper Kings cross country runner Dan Harri moved home from Florida to become general manager at the Mountain Lodge (he's also a renowned chef and has owned restaurants in Miami with Hall of Fame Dolphins coach Don Shula).
Harri had asked a few times about bringing a cross country or golf event to the lodge. Jacques told him last year they'd give it a try, so Harri set up a course that includes golf course, a couple of bridges, trails and finishes with a climb on the No. 1 fairway. It also provides various points for fans to watch runners go by, not always available on other courses.
"We were looking for a little bit of a change, and it's a beautiful course," Jacques said. "We thought if people were willing to make the extra drive, it would be really nice."
Calumet won the boys race this season, just ahead of runner-up Houghton. Houghton's girls were victorious, followed by the host Copper Kings.
Click to read more about this year's event from the Houghton Mining Gazette.
Michigan's claim to an NFL evolution
As part of its NFL preview this month, Sports Illustrated reported on one of the most significant developments for offenses over the last few decades – the silent snap count, which is used regularly by visiting teams because offensive linemen can’t hear the quarterback calling for the ball over the clamor of the home crowd.
And the article explained that the silent snap count might’ve gotten its start at one of Michigan’s smallest high schools – Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf.
Offensive linemen during the 1980s were feasted on by pass rushers like Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith, who built record sack totals by blasting past blockers who seemed a step slow. Turns out, that was true. Defensive players were getting an edge by attacking as soon as they saw the ball move. But blockers (especially offensive tackles), focused instead on the defensive ends and linebackers lined up across from them, and didn’t have the luxury of watching the ball – and since they also couldn’t hear the snap count, started each play a step behind.
Enter the silent count. The quarterback signals to the center that he is ready to receive the ball (with a pat on the back, by raising a foot, etc.). The center then raises his head, and after a predetermined count of at least one second snaps the ball without a sound. This means an offensive tackle doesn’t have to listen for a snap count – he just counts after seeing the center get set.
The SI report recognized longtime offensive line coach Howard Mudd as the guru of the silent snap count. But Mudd recalled a conversation he’d had while working for the Seattle Seahawks with another coach, the late Andy MacDonald, who also had coached early in his career at a school for the deaf in Michigan.
The article doesn’t mention Michigan School for the Deaf by name. But it seems to make sense that the Tartars were the first to use the now-revolutionary count. MacDonald – who played at Central Michigan University and went on to coach at Michigan State and four other colleges and also for the Buffalo Bills – grew up in Flint and attended Flint Northern before playing for the Chippewas from 1950-53. The historical web site Michigan-football.com has results for Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf dating to 1950, making it a decent assumption that MacDonald might’ve gotten in a little early coaching experience at the school down the road from his home.
Click for the SI story and go to page 4 for the mention of Michigan’s school.
Michigan mourns trooper, running standout
The law enforcement community is mourning the death of Michigan State Police trooper Paul Butterfield, who was shot Sept. 9 during a traffic stop in Mason County. He also was a well-known distance runner during the 1980s and the MHSAA Class A cross country champion running for Bridgeport in 1987.
According to a Ludington Daily News report, Butterfield continued running after high school at the University of Tennessee, and also competed at the 1989 Pan American Junior Games in Argentina.
Butterfield was stationed in Hart after previously serving in Manistee, and lived in Mason County. He also had served in the U.S. Army. Click to read more from the Ludington Daily News.
PHOTO: Calumet's Chelsea Jacques (right) won this season's Calumet Invitational with a time of 21:08.06, just ahead of Ironwood's Jessica Gering at 21:46.16. (Photo courtesy of Calumet athletic department.)
South Lyon United's Perfect Run Keyed by Record-Setting Defense, Powerful Attack
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 23, 2026
South Lyon United put together one of the most dominating seasons in MHSAA girls lacrosse history last spring, finishing 21-0 as the Division 1 champion and setting the record for fewest goals given up during one season with 80.
The team also scored 299 to make that single-season list. Reagan Shields was added for seven goals in a game and 55 goals and 89 points for one season, while Shaelyn Perry was added for 58 goals and Gabriela Lucchesi made the single-game assists list with six.
Shields is a junior this school year, and Perry and Lucchesi are seniors. Their team is off to a 9-0 start this season.
See below for several recently-added listings to the girls lacrosse record book, and click the heading to see the record book in full. Several more applications have been received and are in the process of being confirmed.
Girls Lacrosse
Portage United was added for totaling 336 goals in 2021 – ranked sixth-most for one season – and 237 goals in 2023, with highly-productive scorers leading the way. Calista Richmond made the goals (69), assists (61) and total points (130) lists in 2021, and Lauren DeHaan also made the single-season goals list (54) that spring. Stella Hensley made the goals (63) and points (90) lists in 2023, as did goalie Jozette Rimkus with 179 saves. Richmond went on to play at Trine, Simkus played at Charleston (W.Va.) and Hensley plays at Central Michigan.
A trio of Lake Orion standouts made the records for work in 2022, led by Quinn McElroy and her 61 goals over 16 games. Morgan Vasquez was added for 50 goals and seven in one game against Utica Eisenhower, and Paige Walker finished her varsity career with 470 career saves despite playing only three seasons because 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19. McElroy plays at Grand Valley State, and Vasqez played at Kalamazoo College.
Several more entries from the last 15 years of Lake Orion history have been added, with 2018 grad Ali Lazzara leading the way with eight including with the fifth-most career goals, 293, from 2015-18. Darcy Muns was added six times including for 178 career goals from 2014-16, and three goalies also ranked high on lists – Maria Davila (269) and Susan Osborne (263) for the second and third-most saves in one season, respectively, and Davila (474) and Tiffany Smrtnik (407) for the fifth and ninth-most career saves, respectively. Muns went on to play at Albion College.
Holly’s Tatum Stuemke and Ortonville Brandon’s Lainey Lasky were among the first from the 2024 season to make the record books. Lasky scored seven goals for Holly/Ortonville Brandon and Stuemke had 22 saves in a 9-8 over Flushing on April 8 of that season. The goalie for the Holly/ Brandon team, Stuemke also made 15 saves in an April 9 game against Swartz Creek and 17 in an April 29 win over Lake Fenton/Goodrich. Both were seniors, and Lasky plays now at Saginaw Valley State.
Emma Rushing led a high-scoring Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard team in 2023 that netted 308 goals over 22 games to make the team record book. Rushing made individual lists eight times including with 124 goals and 137 points total, and a high of 11 goals in one game. Teammate Lilli Vera also made the single-season goals (67) and points (85) lists, and Annika Anderson joined her on the goals list with 57 and also made the single-game assists list with five in one contest. Goalie Mel Karls was added as well for 166 saves over 22 games that season. Rushing plays at Benedictine College in Kansas.
During her first two seasons at Farmington Hills Mercy, goalie Mackenzie Conway posted two of the top 16 saves totals in MHSAA history. After beginning with 186 as a freshman in 2022, Conway tallied the third-most as a sophomore with 230 over 16 games in 2023. She plays now at Brown.
East Grand Rapids’ Olivia Shaw made the records five times as a junior in 2023 – three times for single-game goals, with a high of nine. She also made single-season lists with 71 goals and 85 points over 26 games. Vivian LaMange graduated from East Grand Rapids in 2024 with 21 record book listings, including for 300 career goals (ranking seventh all-time), 203 career assists (ranking second) and 503 career points (ranking fifth). She began her college career at Robert Morris and plays currently at Massachusetts.
Rochester Adams made the single-season goal list in 2023 with 244 over 18 games, and a pair of standouts were added multiple times in leading that effort. Lucy Lagman finished her third season with 56 goals and also is on the career goals list with 207 and career points list with 251. Raegan Jerrell finished her second season with 65 goals that spring and had 135 career goals and 225 career points to that point. Both also were added for several single-game achievements, as was teammate Madison Fish for 16 saves in goal against West Bloomfield.
Chase Duncan played an impressive junior season for Troy in 2024 into multiple record book listings, including four for single-game goals with a high of 12 against Whitehouse Anthony Wayne of Ohio. She also made the single-game points list that day with 14, and the season goals (93) and points (118) lists over 18 games. Aly Matuza, also a junior in that spring, made the single-game saves list with 16 and single-season list with 151 over 18 games. Troy as a team made the single-season goals list with 225. Duncan plays now at Maryville in St. Louis (Mo.), and Matuza plays basketball at St. Mary’s College (Ind.).
Troy Athens’ goalie Claire Balintfy capped her varsity career in 2024 with 14 record book listings – including one of the most significant for her position. The senior added 157 saves over 19 games and finished with an MHSAA-record 679 over four seasons and 70 games. She’s continuing her career at Northwood. Morgan Stamatakis made the record book twice as a junior in 2024, for 10 goals in a game against Rochester Adams and 51 goals total for the season. She plays at Detroit Mercy. Katie Malone earned three record book listings last season, including a pair on successive days. She made the single-season goals list with 81, which included eight in back-to-back games in April.
Madeline Kreiger finished her Grandville career in 2024 all over the record book, with 15 listings total. Most notably she ended with 242 goals over four seasons and 63 games, ranking 14th in that category. She totaled 294 career points and had a high of 11 goals among her single-game entries.
The goals piled up by Mileena Cotter in 2024 – and throughout her high school career at Salem – will be incredibly tough to match. Cotter graduated with 68 record book entries, as a senior tying her single-game record of 18 goals, setting the single-season scoring record with 213 over 19 games, and setting the career scoring record of 470 over just 49 games over four seasons. She also made the single-game assist list for the first time, set the single-season points list record with 231 and finished third on the career points list with 506. She’s continuing at Syracuse.
Claire Marosi capped her high school career in 2024 by leading Grand Rapids Catholic Central to the Division 2 championship. She also finished among the all-time leading scorers in Michigan, totaling 10 record book listings including the third-most single-season goals (160 in 2024), career goals (418) and career points (515) over her four seasons and 72 games played. She’s continuing her career at Northwestern.
Bloomfield Hills’ Ella Lucia finished her career in 2024 with 45 entries in the MHSAA girls lacrosse record book, adding season entries as a senior with 118 goals, 43 assists and 161 points and finishing her career sixth on the goals list with 304, sixth on the assists list with 156 and tied for sixth on the points list with 460 over 74 games. Teammates Aubrey Agbay, also a senior that season, made the single-season goals list with 63, and they were joined by another senior teammate Sydney Butler, who finished with 171 saves that spring and second on the career list with 646 over four seasons and 83 games. As a team, Bloomfield Hills made the single-season goals list with 287. Lucia is playing ice hockey at Harvard.
Solei Ewing reached the single-season goals list with 73 and points list with 90 for the Black Hawks in 2025, and teammate Lainey Stewart also made the goals list with 51. Goalie Brooke Sanders made single-game and season saves lists. Bloomfield Hills again made the team goals list with 266. All three were seniors.
Then-junior Janie Mitter set a Howell record with eight goals in a 2025 game against Canton.
Grand Rapids Northview became one of only five teams to be listed for scoring at least 25 goals in a game when it did so in a 25-9 win over Holland West Ottawa on April 30, 2025.
Hudsonville’s Scarlett Coulter has reached the career goals record list with 171 over her first three seasons and with one more to play. She made the single-season list last spring for the second time, with 79 goals, and also the total points list for one season with 106. Coulter also made the single-game goals list with nine against Grandville. Anniston Farrell, now a junior, joined Coulter on the single-season goals list with 55. Farrell has committed to continue at Radford (Va.).
Lansing Catholic’s Vivienne Hagen earned eight record book entries during her sophomore season, including for 86 goals and 108 total points over 16 games, with a high of 12 points in a win over Tecumseh. Teammate Josie Sarata joined her on the single-game goals list. Hagen is a junior this spring and has committed to Longwood (Va.), and Sarata is a senior and has committed to Charleston (W.Va.)
PHOTO South Lyon United's Reagan Shields (7) leads an attack during last season's Division 1 Final.