Howell Puts Heart Into Memorial Meet

Averie Zinn had a front-row seat as her sister Ryleigh re-wrote the Genesee girls basketball record book.

As a middle school student, and then freshman teammate whose parents are the Genesee coaches, Averie saw exactly what it took for Ryleigh to get there.

She also had a pretty good idea of what would be required to overtake her.

“I remember when I was little I was like, ‘Yep, I’m breaking all her records,’” Averie said. “My mom’s sister, she held all of those before. But I just remember when Ryleigh was getting those records, I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to break them.’”

Averie Zinn has broken those records and then some, splashing her name across the MHSAA record book with most of her senior season still to go.

She’s scored a school-record 1,892 points during her career, and with a per-game average this season of 39.8, could surpass 2,000 by the end of next week – making her the 34^th girls basketball player in state history to eclipse it.

If that average holds throughout the season, and even if the Wolves play the minimum number of games remaining, Zinn could become just the seventh female in the state to hit 2,500 points.

That, of course, is a projection of where she could be, but she already appears 20 times in the MHSAA record book.

Her 851 points scored a year ago are third highest in a single MHSAA season. Seven of her single-game scoring performances are listed, including five games of 50 or more (she’s added another 53-point performance already this season that is not yet listed). 

Her 21 points in a single quarter are tied for third all-time – she’s since hit 22, which will tie her for second. 

She made 186 free throws a year ago, 10^th-most in a single season, and has three games of 15 or more makes from the free-throw line. 

Then there’s the steals: Two seasons in the top 12 all-time with 218 a year ago (third) and 170 as a sophomore (tied for 12^th), and five games with 15-plus.

“I just think it’s such a blessing,” Zinn said. “No one really gets that opportunity, it’s such a select few amount of people. I almost don’t even think I’ve processed it. I think it’s really cool, and the fact that it’s happening with my parents coaching me, it’s really cool.”

Zinn, a 5-foot-10 point guard who also takes the opening tip for the Wolves, has scored 199 points through five games this season, going over 30 in four games and over 40 in two of those four. 

She’s recorded 48 steals, as well, going for double digits (11, 12, 16) in each of her first three games. 

“I mean, she’s 100-percent locked in,” said Genesee coach, and Zinn’s dad, Mike Zinn. “She’s been training hard with strength and conditioning, working on her range – a different range. Normally, she shoots from pretty deep, from nearly halfcourt like it’s nothing. But she’s been wanting to work on her mid-range game a little bit.”

As the Zinns have had their successes, so has the Genesee program. This year’s team is off to a 4-1 start, and last year the Wolves won a District title and advanced to a Regional Final in Division 3 for the second time in program history. The first came during the 2022 postseason.

Both of those seasons resulted in 17 wins, which is a school record.

The District title in 2022 was the program’s first since the mid-1990s, when their mom, Megan was playing.

“Mike and I graduated from Genesee High School, and we were the last ones to win a District title,” Megan Zinn said. “We decided to stay in the community, raise our kids in the community and coach here. It’s bigger than basketball. We believe we could work to put Genesee on the map, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. Last year, going to the Sweet 16 was the furthest we’ve ever gone. We lost both times, but just to say that we could get there while coaching both of our daughters is pretty special.”

When Averie Zinn is done breaking records at Genesee, she will continue her basketball career at Wayne State University. 

She committed this past summer to play for the Warriors, a program she’s felt connected to for years. Not only is assistant coach Andy Ayrault a family friend, but Zinn caught the eye of head coach Carrie Lohr while hitting deep 3-pointers as an eighth grader at a team camp.

“I’m really excited,” Zinn said. “I’m getting more and more excited, especially since the new year is here and knowing this is the year that I’m going away and playing there. I know a lot of my teammates already. Wayne State feels like another home to me. That’s what was most important in my decision.”

Genesee won’t be without Zinns, either. While Mike and Megan will continue coaching, there’s also another player coming through, as Averie and Ryleigh's younger sister Maylee Zinn will be a freshman next season.

“I’d say the (age) gap for me and Maylee is like one year too far,” Averie said. “Me and Ryleigh played together, we would go to trainings together. We got super close that year (they were teammates). I always say that to my mom, that I wish I was back a year so I could get that year with Maylee. She’s pretty good.”

Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Genesee’s Averie Zinn (0) gets to the rim during her team’s 71-30 win over Birch Run on Dec. 22. (Middle) Zinn elevates for a shot while defended by a pair of Panthers. (Photos by McInchak Family Photography.)