St. Ignace Star Wright on Target
July 10, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Kelley Wright played in 107 games for the St. Ignace varsity girls basketball team. She was part of 102 wins.
Those games played rank second in MHSAA girls hoops history, and the wins are first, adding to a number of accomplishments by the recently-graduated Saints star.
Wright also amassed two of the highest single-season steals totals (169 and 175) in MHSAA history and finished second with a career total of 557.
See more of the recent additions to the MHSAA record books and click on each heading below to view all of the listings for that sport.
Girls Basketball
- Sarah Addy was a dangerous long-range shooter during her four-year varsity career for Saginaw Swan Valley, which came to an end this winter. She made 198 3-pointers over her four varsity seasons, good for 10th-most in MHSAA history. Of her 816 career points in 82 games, 594 points came on 3-pointers. She made more than 50 every season but her sophomore year.
- A number of other entries from St. Ignace’s successful history were added; others noted were Barb LaTour, Krista Clement, Nicole Emblad, Michelle LeCount, Kristie Garcia and coach Dorene Ingalls.
Boys Basketball
- Benzonia Benzie Central's Aaron Whaley made the blocked shots season list with 103 this winter, including 14 in a game Jan. 9 against Kingsley. The 6-foot-3 junior also averaged 6.4 points and seven rebounds per game.
- A number of entries also were added for St. Ignace boys basketball, including multiple for Gerrit Mortenson (3-pointers and steals from 2007-10) and Gage Kreski (free throws and steals from 2011-14). Others noted were Adam Matelski, John McKinnon, Leo Donovan, Steve MacDonald and Curtis St. Louis.
Boys Lacrosse
- Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood’s Matthew Giampetroni rewrote the MHSAA record book during his four-year career ending this spring. He finished with career bests of 276 goals, 179 assists and 455 points, and also set the single-season goals record with 99 this year. A number of additional entries were added for teammate Taylor Ghesquiere and former standouts Andrew Miller, Drew Leitch and Christopher Brown. Giampetroni will play next season at Duke University.
- Similarly, Bloomfield Hills goalkeeper Hunter Stephans took over his position's categories in the record book with a season-best 268 saves as a sophomore and 719 during his three-year varsity career.
- Haslett/Williamston’s Noah Taylor graduated this spring with a number of entries. He tied the record for assists in one game with nine against East Lansing on May 8, and also made the career goals list with 174, season assists list with 44 and the career assists list with 119 from 2011-14. He owns season points listings with 82 and 102 and made the career list with 293. Teammate Connor Westerlund made the season saves list for goalkeeping with 182 this spring.
Girls Soccer
- Portland didn’t have much offensive success in its 7-0 Division 3 District loss to Williamston on May 27. But Raiders keeper Jordyn Spitzley finished with one of the highest save totals in MHSAA history. Spitzley made 35 saves, good for third all-time for one game.
Softball
- Bullock Creek’s Maison Kalina became the 14th player to hit home runs in three consecutive at bats in one game, May 9 against Freeland. (The feat has been accomplished 15 times, twice by the same player.) Kalina singled in the first inning of a 10-7 win, flew out to left field in her second-inning at bat, and then drilled home runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
Wrestling
- A number of Allegan’s recent achievements were added, including the season and career records for notables over the last decade. Among those noted were Kyle Simaz (242-8 from 2011-14), Taylor Simaz (241-17 from 2009-12), John Rizqallah (230-28 from 2007-10), Steve Poffenberger (228-29 from 2006-09), Matt Smith (222-39 from 2007-10), Austin Kelley (201-35 from 2010-13) and Andy Krcatovich (194-44 from 2005-08). Kyle Simaz’ career takedown total of 923 moved to the top of that list, and Poffenberger’s 791 ranks third. Tyler Caron, Dan Stamm, Stosh Mintek and coach Murray Rose were among others added in other categories.
PHOTO: St. Ignace’s Kelley Wright pushes the ball upcourt against Saginaw Nouvel this season at the Breslin Center.
Dunn Finishes Among Scoring Leaders
April 24, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Blake Dunn is one of the finest all-around athletes in Michigan, a four-sport star for Saugatuck who will go on to play baseball at Western Michigan University this fall.
But his most notable accomplishments may have come on the football field, and his name appears 19 times in the MHSAA record book for that sport.
Dunn, as quarterback this past fall, scored 323 points – third most in MHSAA history – to graduate with a four-season total of 827 points, which ranks second all-time for a career. He scored 42 total touchdowns as a senior to finish with 113, fourth on that career list, and his 101 career rushing touchdowns also rank fourth in that category. His 6,954 career rushing yards rank eighth all-time, and his streak of 26 straight 100-yard rushing games ranks third.
Dunn also made lists for kicking extra points, passing touchdowns, kickoff return touchdowns (four this past season tied for second-most) and for a 100-yard interception return.
As might be expected, Saugatuck as a team scored more than 500 points each of the last two seasons, finishing both 10-1. Its 53.5 ppg average this past fall ranks eighth all-time.
Click to see the football record book in full and read on for more of the latest additions for girls and boys basketball, hockey, softball, volleyball and wrestling.
Girls Basketball
Alma’s Maddy Seeley capped her high school career in 2014 with a record-setting performance in a 68-62 Regional loss to Freeland. Seeley made all 21 free throws she attempted, breaking the previous girls basketball record by one for consecutive free throws in one game. Those 21 free throws also are tied for third most in a game, as she scored 39 points total. Seeley currently plays at Northwood University.
New Lothrop teammates Monica Confer and Amber Sammons graduated in 2010 among the winningest players in MHSAA girls hoops history. The two four-season standouts finished with a career record of 97-11 and Class D titles in 2008 and 2009. Confer went on to play at Davenport and then Northwood University, while Sammons played at Schoolcraft and then Rochester College.
Boys Basketball
Trenton needed a big fourth quarter to come back against Wyandotte Roosevelt on Jan. 17 – and got one of the biggest in Michigan high school history. Trenton scored 42 points – tied for fifth most in a quarter – to edge Roosevelt 73-72 after trailing 50-31 heading into the final period. Joel Childers scored 13 points with four 3-pointers to lead the barrage.
Hockey
New Baltimore Anchor Bay senior Joey DeMarte played himself into the MHSAA records for scoring prowess twice within four days this winter. On Jan. 21, DeMarte score three goals within 37 seconds – at 8:06, 7:54 and 7:21 of the second period – in an 8-0 win over Utica to move into second place for fastest three goals by one player in one game. On Jan. 24, he had five goals during the second period of a 14-0 win over Port Huron to also rank second for most goals in a period.
Girls Soccer
Middleville Thornapple Kellogg keeper Aly Miller capped her career last spring on the MHSAA career shutouts list despite missing all of the 2014 season with an injury. She graduated with 39 shutouts over 60 games in 2013, 2015 and 2016, and was added for single-season shutouts for a second time with 13 a year ago. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg as a team made the list for fewest goals given up with seven in going 16-2-2 in 2016. Miller plays now at Webster University in Missouri.
Softball
Manistee then-junior Sydney Arendt joined the single-season doubles list last spring, knocking 18 in 36 games. She batted .537 overall last season.
Volleyball
Rockford setter Hailey Delacher upped her number of entries in the MHSAA record book to 12 in leading her team to a Class A runner-up finish in the fall. Delacher, who already had the record for most assists in one match (67 in 2015), added four more entries to the category as a junior while coming on especially strong during the playoffs – her season-high 54 came in the Semifinal, with 49 in a Quarterfinal, 46 in a Regional Final and 53 during the regular season. Her 1,635 assists this past season rank fourth since the start of rally scoring in 2004-05, and she moved into 10th on the career list with 3,802 assists and a season still to play.
Wyoming Godwin Heights enjoyed a strong senior season to end a record-book career for senior middle Mya Jordan in the fall. Jordan made the single-season kills list with a career-high 622, and with those also made the career kills list with 1,569 over four seasons. Senior teammate Tony Henry also made the record book with 128 aces for the season, including 11 in a three-set match against Wyoming Lee. Godwin Heights won its first league title in the fall in 17 years.
Wrestling
Grand Rapids Christian junior Desean Bryant became the first in MHSAA history to achieve a pin in six or fewer seconds at 112 pounds when he did so in a match during the Traverse City West Invitational on Dec. 28. That win was Bryant’s ninth straight to start the season.
PHOTO: Saugatuck’s Blake Dunn rushes toward an opening upfield during a game his junior season. (Photo courtesy of the Saugatuck athletic department.)