Cole Sets Grand Haven at Record Pace
August 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Grand Haven’s Katie Cole was only a sophomore last season when she set the Buccaneers into the MHSAA Class A Volleyball Semifinals.
But that was only one bar she raised with two seasons remaining in her high school career.
Cole also set an MHSAA rally-scoring era record with 1,797 assists over 155 games as she and Chelsea’s Marry Kelleher (1,757 in 2014) both bested the previous record during the same season – Cole by 229 assists.
She averaged 11.6 assists per game while tallying all but 90 of her team’s total as Grand Haven finished 53-9.
Click to see the volleyball record book in full and read below for more recent submissions in baseball, boys basketball, football, girls soccer and softball.
Baseball
- Matthew Rivera established himself as a top hitter over the last four seasons, making the MHSAA records with a career average of .482 and a single-season average this spring of .625 that ranks seventh all-time. But most impressive might have been his hits in 12 straight at bats against Ellsworth, Pickford, and Boyne Falls over four straight games from May 1-8, which tied for the fourth-longest hit streak over consecutive at bats. Rivera also earned a listing with six stolen bases in a game against St. Ignace on May 21.
Boys Basketball
- Onaway 6-foot-5 senior Pat Dunn capped his career this winter with a stellar season averaging 15.2 points and 15 rebounds per game. He made the MHSAA record listings with 316 rebounds total, breaking that school record and also his school’s record with 76 blocked shots. He will continue his career at Adrian College.
- Cooper Heminger is among Perry school record holders including for blocking 12 shots in a 58-49 win over Lake Fenton on Feb. 18, 2014, and that total also made the MHSAA list for blocks in a game. Heminger, a 6-5 forward, graduated this spring.
Football
- Former Genesee standout Don Robinson already was listed for a 95-yard kickoff return in 1983, and has been added for a 99-yard run that same season, Sept. 30 against Webberville. He went on to play at Eastern Michigan University.
Girls Soccer
- Leland’s Libby Munoz continued this spring her move up the MHSAA girls soccer scoring lists and ranks among all-time leaders with another season to play. She scored 58 goals, tying for fourth-most in one season, to go with her 64 from 2014, and her 164 career goals over three seasons ranks fifth, 31 behind record-holder Jordan Newman of Lake Fenton (2011-14). Munoz finished with 75 points total this spring, sixth-most for one season, and her 219 tie for fourth on the career list, 71 behind Laura Heyboer of Hudsonville Unity Christian (2005-08). Munoz also was added in girls basketball, having made 15 of 22 free-throw attempts in a Jan. 14 game against Buckley.
Softball
- Harrison pitcher Allison Lipovsky finished her high school career not only as the most celebrated pitcher in school history, but among the highest achievers statewide of all time. She built a 91-32 record over four varsity seasons and made the MHSAA records nine times – her 23 no-hitters rank eighth on that career list and her 1,363 strikeouts are 11th-most over a career. She also tied for 18th with 29 career home runs and sits eighth with 110 career walks at the plate. She has signed with Grand Valley State University. In addition, Harrison as a team was added for its 452 strikeouts total this spring.
- Milford sophomore Audrey Petoskey took a big step up the home run records ladder this spring, making the single-season list with 12 and joining the career list with 20 homers and two more seasons to play. Total, she hit .476 in 36 games this season.
- Mattawan finished 31-13 and made the MHSAA Division 1 Semfinals this spring on the strength of one of the most impressive offensive seasons in the sport’s history. The Wildcats made six team categories in the MHSAA records with 416 runs scored, 491 hits (third all-time), 97 doubles (second), 48 home runs (third), 359 RBI (second) and a .415 team batting average (eighth all-time). Junior Amber Mazahem twice hit homers in consecutive at bats and finished with 13 total, while sophomores Joanna Bartz and Alexis Taube hit 12 and 11, respectively. Taube also made the record book with homers in three consecutive at bats, 71 hits total and 17 doubles, and junior Genny Soltesz was added after scoring 66 runs.
- Lauren Aldrich capped her four-season Perry career among MHSAA leaders in home runs and walks with 24 and 112, respectively. The walks are tied for sixth most. Aldrich already was listed in the records for 10 home runs as a sophomore in 2013.
PHOTO: Grand Haven’s Katie Cole sets for a teammate during last season’s 3-2 loss to Novi in their Class A Semifinal match at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
Belles Rings Loudly in Freshman Season
May 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Kayla Belles had a memorable freshman season this winter for the Ithaca girls basketball team. And her performance against Sanford-Meridian on March 4 is one she’ll never forget.
Belles, a 6-foot-3 center, grabbed 36 rebounds to go with 25 points and six blocked shots in the Yellowjackets’ 75-28 victory. Her rebounds tied for second-most grabbed in one game in MHSAA girls basketball history and most in a game since 1997.
She averaged 14.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game during the regular season, per a Lansing State Journal report, and helped her team to its first District title since 2000. Ithaca finished 21-3, falling to eventual Class C semifinalist Saginaw Nouvel 69-66 in their Regional Semifinal.
Click the “Girls Basketball” heading below to see that sport’s record listings in full, and read on for more of this week’s record additions.
Baseball
- A handful of names from Saline’s successful recent history were added to an already strong representation. Brad Guenther was included for his 21 doubles in 2009, 66 hits total that season and 13 career triples from 2007-09. Garrett Gordon and Korey Gainey both made the single-season triples list with seven apiece in 2011 and 2009, respectively, and Jordan Walker was added for his 20 times hit by pitch in 2001 and 40 total over a two-season career that ended that spring. Bobby Korecky, already listed for multiple hitting categories, was added with a 0.99 ERA in 1998 and 1.50 from 1995-98, and Joe Finnerty was added for a 1.34 ERA from 1998-2000. Eric Ichesco made the career batting average list hitting .461 from 1998-2001. Saline as a team was added for a number of single-season accomplishments as well, most notably its .403 average in 2009.
Boys Basketball
- Dennis Starkey earned his milestone 500th victory this season in leading Petoskey to a 16-6 finish. He started his varsity coaching career at Boyne City during the 1982-83 season, then coached three at Vanderbilt before starting his Petoskey tenure in 1986-87. He has a career record of 502-247.
- Dundee senior Aaron Anthony capped his high school career with a second entry for free throws made, following up his 150 as a junior with 156 (in 191 attempts – 82 percent success) this winter. The 6-foot-2 Anthony also averaged 20.9 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and scored the 1,000th point of his career.
- Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh achieved three record-book listings for 3-pointers, making 18 in a 74-20 win over Paradise Whitefish on Jan. 23 after making 15 in an 81-42 win over Burt Township Grand Marais on Jan. 13. Whitefish also made four in that second game, with 22 between the teams making the list for 3-pointers made by two teams combined. In both games, Nah Tah Wahsh had more 3-pointers than 2-point field goals. Justin Larson made nine of the 15 and eight of the 18 to lead the team in both games.
Girls Basketball
- Hailey Leidel scored 29 points in a 65-47 win for Brownstown-Woodhaven over Southgate Anderson on Jan. 23, including 15 free throws to make the single-game list in that category. She attempted 17 overall and made all 10 she took in scoring 14 points total during the second quarter.
Football
- Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy quarterback Marcus Lester became the 11th in MHSAA history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game when he connected on 33 of 65 passes for 541 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-28 win over Dearborn Heights Star International on Sept. 26. The yardage and attempts both tied for fourth-most for one game.
Hockey
- Flint Kearsley’s Shawn Larsen earned two entries with high-scoring first periods this season. He scored four goals in the first period against Grand Rapids Union/Ottawa Hills on Dec. 20, then four again in the first period against Fenton/Linden on Jan. 7. He also just missed the single-game scoring list, which has a minimum of eight goals; he had seven against Union/Ottawa Hills on Jan. 17.
Softball
- A pair of Reese standouts both were added for hitting 16 doubles last spring – Cassidy Reif and Carlee Selle. Selle, a sophomore this season, hit .475 for 2014, and senior Reif hit .431 in her final high school campaign last spring.
- Abby Krzywiecki smacked two home runs – including a grand slam – and a double to drive in eight of her team’s runs in Farmington Hills Mercy’s 14-4 victory over Livonia Ladywood on April 21. Her total tied for seventh-most RBI in one game.
PHOTO: Ithaca’s Kayla Belles prepares to make a move toward the basket during a game this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)