K-Christian Aces Take Places in Records
August 22, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Kalamazoo Christian girls tennis team capped off this spring with a sixth-place team finish at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals – led by a pair of singles players who enjoyed plenty of significant victories during their high school careers.
Seniors Lizzie Bauss and Audrey Bouma finished Finals flights runners-up at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Earlier in the season, Bouma (No. 2) experienced her first loss since 2013 after building the second-longest winning streak, of 78 straight matches, in MHSAA girls tennis history. She also made the record book as one of only a handful of standouts who won at least three Finals championships – she earned her titles at No. 3 singles as a freshman and sophomore and No. 2 as a junior. Bouma also graduated with 56 wins by a score of 6-0, 6-0.
Bauss, the No. 1 singles player this fall, made the record book with 31 matches won 6-0, 6-0. Bauss will continue her career at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Click to see where both rank in the MHSAA girls tennis record book and read on for more recent additions in girls basketball, girls soccer and softball. (Click the sport headings to see those record books in full.)
Girls Basketball
It’s never too late to update our records. Carrollton’s 1992 Class C champion team was added this week for combining with Merrill to score 164 points in a game (Carrollton won 118-46); the Cavaliers made an MHSAA-record 52 field goals in that game and also were added for 16 3-pointers in a 106-41 win over Bay City All Saints in 1993. The 164 points tied for seventh most in one game and the 16 3-pointers tied for sixth most.
Leland’s Eva Grobbel grabbed 20 or more rebounds three times during the 2015-16 season, including a personal-best and record book-making 25 on Jan. 4. Grobbel will play volleyball this fall at Alpena Community College.
Girls Soccer
Libby Munoz’ ascension to MHSAA all-time leading scorer was reported frequently this spring, and now it’s official. With the addition of the Leland star’s 64 goals this past season, she finished her high school career with 228 to break the previous record by 33. Munoz also finished this spring with 79 points total – and her career with 298, eight more than previous points record holder Laura Heyboer of Hudsonville Unity Christian. Munoz will continue her career at Kalamazoo College.
Hannah Davis became one of 11 players in MHSAA history to score 50 goals in a season when she netted that many in 26 games for Big Rapids this spring. She also had 43 goals in 2015 as a junior and graduated with 113 goals in 71 career varsity games. She will continue her career at Taylor University in Indiana.
Lansing Catholic’s Shannon Crilley finished up a fine career this spring as her school’s all-time leading goal-scorer – and her 71 goals over four seasons also make the MHSAA list. She played all four seasons on varsity and scored a personal season high of 28 as a junior.
Softball
Belding’s Greta Wilker – a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council – finished her career this spring on three MHSAA career records lists, for 20 home runs, a .538 batting average and 170 runs scored in 115 games over four seasons on varsity. Two more Belding standouts also were added to the records: pitcher Kyleigh Linebaugh for 35 wins – and 35 consecutive – in 2010 and 100 pitching wins total from 2009-12, and Brooke Linebaugh for six RBI in a game against Hastings on May 17, 2014. Wilker will continue her career at Emory University in Georgia, while Kyleigh Linebaugh played collegiately at Davenport University.
Gladwin’s Dayna Fennell capped her career this spring among Michigan’s top power hitters of all-time, knocking 19 home runs to place second on the single-season list and with 32 over her four-season varsity career to tie for 12th most. Teammate Lauren Mose also made the record book for the third time, with 73 hits this spring. Both were seniors. Fennell will continue her career this fall at Delta College.
Midland’s first trip to the MHSAA Semifinals since 1988 this spring included a number of impressive team-wide statistical accomplishments, keyed by a pair of standout juniors. The Chemics finished 36-8 to make the MHSAA list for most wins and had 454 hits, 104 doubles and 328 RBI – with the doubles second-most by a team in a single season. Junior pitcher Maya Kipfmiller hit .664, with her 83 hits this spring tying for seventh most in a season and her 23 doubles tying for eighth. She also had 20 strikeouts over seven innings in a game against Flint Carman-Ainsworth on May 19. Julia Gross, the junior shortstop, had 19 doubles this season and hit back-to-back home runs against Goodrich on May 24. Both Kipfmiller and Gross also made the career doubles list with a season to play. Kipmiller already has committed to continue her career at Boston University.
Okemos’ Sally Patterson, a freshman this spring, also struck out 20 in a seven-inning game. She made the list in a 9-2 Chiefs win over Haslett on April 26, striking out the side in two innings.
PHOTO: Kalamazoo Christian's Audrey Bouma (left) and Lizzie Bauss connect on swings this season. (Photos courtesy of Kalamazoo Christian High School.)
Record Feats Key Dakota's Historic Run
January 4, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Macomb Dakota’s historic finish to last softball season came on the bats and arm of some history-making players who are among the latest entries into MHSAA record books.
The Cougars won their first Regional title and played in their first MHSAA Final (losing in the Division 1 championship game to Farmington Hills Mercy), and finished with a record of 38-3 – the 38 wins among notable team accomplishments that made record lists. The 2016 team’s 458 hits ranked 14th for one season in MHSAA history, while its 99 doubles were third-most and its 32 home runs were tied for 12th-most in a season. (Also, the 2015 team ranked 15th on the home runs list with 30 in 37 games.)
Individually, sophomore Corbin Hison was added for 17 doubles, while senior Kelcie LaTour was added to the single-season home runs list with 11 for the second straight spring. Junior pitcher Kendahl Dunford finished 35-3 to make the single-season pitching wins list, and LaTour also graduated on the career home runs list with 29. She’s now playing at Grand Valley State University.
See below for more recent additions to record books for baseball, girls and boys basketball, football, boys soccer and wrestling. Click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Homer’s Brock Ridgeway finished his four-year varsity career last spring on MHSAA career lists for runs scored (163), hits (184), RBI (142) and being hit by pitches (47) after being hit by 18 pitches this past season and three times in one April game. The 47 career HBP is tied for third-most all-time, and he also just missed the career pitching wins list with 32. Homer as a team last spring made season lists with a .354 batting average and 53 HBPs. Ridgeway is a freshman on the Central Michigan University baseball team.
Girls Basketball
Margo Brown’s perimeter shooting was a big part of St. Ignace’s dominance through the first half of this decade, and she entered the record book for 11 3-pointers – tied for third-most in a game – against Rudyard on 17 attempts on Jan. 20, 2015. She now plays at Ferris State University.
Boys Basketball
Jordan Weber knocked down 73 3-pointers last season for East Jordan to finish his four-year varsity career with 278 – fifth-most in MHSAA history. He made nearly 34 percent of his 818 career attempts and averaged 17.1 points per game total as a senior.
Football
A pair of Gaylord athletes were entered for impressive scores more than 30 years ago. Kurt Kakaviska made the records for his 90-yard punt return touchdown against Petoskey in 1982, while Mark Johnston was added for two interception return touchdowns in one quarter in a 1986 game, also against Petoskey. Johnston actually scored a third defensive touchdown in that same third quarter, on a fumble recovery. Kakaviska went on to play at Northern Michigan University.
Haslett kicker Luke Ezzo capped a three-season career this fall among career leaders in field goals with 19 in 26 attempts over 27 games. Ezzo also made the single-season field goals list as a junior with nine in 11 tries over 10 games.
Boys Soccer
Over eight days this fall, Micah Sonnenberg posted two of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA history. The Brooklyn Columbia Central sophomore netted six goals against Clinton on Oct. 6, then scored seven – tied for fifth-most in one game – against Jonesville on Oct. 13.
Softball
A pair of Reese hitters were added for batting prowess. Emily Schrader made the single-season hits list with 72 in 2010, while Monica Hagen – already on the single-season list with 73 in 2014 – was added to the career hits list with 209 over 132 games from 2011-14. Schrader went on to play at Delta College.
Wrestling
Jake Bohn finished his East Kentwood career in 2008 setting the single-season takedown record with 526 – and now also has been added for setting the career takedown record of 1,365 over 216 matches and four varsity seasons. Bohn went on to wrestle at George Mason University.
Comstock Park standout Ryan McCarthy has been added for his 209-29 record over four seasons from 2000-03. He was the first from his school to eclipse the 200-win career milestone.
PHOTO: Macomb Dakota’s Kelcie LaTour takes a swing during last season’s Division 1 Final against Farmington Hills Mercy.