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.

Records Fall to Gaylord Star, Technically

May 16, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Gaylord junior Dominic LaJoie just missed on a third MHSAA wrestling individual championship this winter, falling in the Division 2 championship match at 119 pounds.

But he finished 61-1 to make the MHSAA single-season wins list and set two records with 43 technical falls this season and 64 over his three-season career.

Teammate Jon Martin also was an MHSAA runner-up, at 130 pounds, and closed his career with a 201-22 record – which made an MHSAA wins list, as did his 58-4 finish this season.

Click the “Wrestling” heading below for the record book for that sport in full, and read on for more of last week’s record listing additions in football, girls soccer and softball.

Football

Grand Ledge kicker Brendan Baker finished his career last fall with near perfection, connecting on 60 of 61 extra-point tries to make the single-season list in that category, while also finishing a streak of 49 straight that started at the end of 2014 and stretched 13 games into Week 10 of 2015. Baker total made 123 of 131 extra-point attempts during a three-year varsity career.

A pair of long scoring players made the records lists from Ionia’s 2015 season. During a 34-26 loss to Eaton Rapids on Sept. 11, Ionia quarterback Mitchell Lahr completed a 99-yard scoring pass to John McCord. Against Portland on Sept 25, Martin Gale returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score in a 61-13 defeat.  

Muskegon Oakridge quarterback Brady Luttrull put together a strong junior season in the fall – and set himself up for some career milestones as well. Luttrull made single-season lists with 2,579 passing yards, 270 attempts, 159 completions and 32 touchdown passes and already sits on career lists with 4,240 passing yards and 53 passing touchdowns over his sophomore and junior seasons. He also made single-game lists with 25 completions, including 17 straight, and six touchdown passes against Muskegon Catholic Central on Aug. 28 and for 416 passing yards against North Muskegon on Sept. 11. Teammate James Cooper III caught all six of those TD passes against MCC to rank second all-time on the single-game receiving touchdowns list, and he made the career touchdowns list with 22 over 20 games as a junior and senior.

Millington’s 1940 team was added to the list of now 20 that did not give up a point (the last team to do so was in 1973). The Cardinals finished 1940 with a 7-0-1 record.

Girls Soccer

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg had a few submissions added from earlier this decade – including one for an MHSAA record. Erin Scheidel assisted on all 10 goals for her team in its 10-0 shutout of Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on May 19, 2014, setting the record for most assists in one game by three. She finished the season with 27 assists in 20 games to make the single-season list, and teammate Aly Miller made the single-season shutouts list for goalkeepers with 14 the year before, 2013. Thornapple Kellogg finished 14-4-2 in 2013 and 16-2-2 in 2014. Scheidel plays now at Siena Heights University.

Softball

Alex Sorgi played a significant role in Utica Ford’s success over the last four seasons, and she made the MHSAA records in multiple categories – for her 20 doubles last spring, her 204 hits over four seasons from 2012-15 and her 183 career stolen bases in 149 games. The stolen bases total ranks ninth all-time. Sorgi is playing this season at Bowling Green State University.

Wrestling

Laingsburg senior Kevin Koenig added a Division 4 championship at 285 pounds this winter to go with a title at 215 as a sophomore and runner-up finishes at 215 in both 2013 and 2015. He finished with a career record of 219-10, and his 60-4 record as a freshman made the single-season wins list.

Clinton’s Nicholas Rolland finished his career this winter with 153 escapes, good for fourth on that career list. He was 53-8 as a senior and 128-58 for his career after surviving a horrific lawnmower accident as a child. (Read about it in the Adrian Daily Telegram.)

Southgate Anderson’s Logan Parks capped his high school career in 2015 with a Division 1 runner-up finish at 145 pounds and has entries in the MHSAA records for his 58-2 record as a junior and 197-26 record over his four-season career. Parks wrestled this season at Central Michigan University.

PHOTO: Gaylord's Dominic LaJoie wrestles Melvindale's Julian Saldana in the Division 2 championship match at 119 pounds this winter. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)