Performance: Cranbrook's Isabelle Scane
June 17, 2017
Isabelle Scane
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood junior – Lacrosse
Already Michigan’s all-time leading high school goal-scorer with a season to play, Scane finished her junior year with seven goals – tying for second most in an MHSAA Final – as Cranbrook Kingswood won in sudden victory 17-16 over reigning champion East Grand Rapids in the Division 2 Final on June 10. Leading the Cranes to their first MHSAA title in the sport, with one of her goals coming in overtime, earned Scane the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week” for June 5-11.
Scane, considered one of the top players in the nation for her age group, finished this spring with 146 goals and 37 assists – the 146 goals were the second most for one season, and her 183 total points came in third in MHSAA history. After three varsity seasons, Scane has 365 goals and 93 assists for 458 career points – she holds the career goals record by 89 and needs only two more points next season to tie the career record in that category.
Cranbrook Kingswood had fallen to East Grand Rapids in the 2015 and 2016 Division 2 Finals, and Saturday’s game also was the last for Cranes coach Greg Courter – making the victory that much sweeter. Scane is the second sibling in her family to win an MHSAA lacrosse title, following older brother James who starred at Birmingham Brother Rice and now plays at Robert Morris University (Pa.) and was a major influence growing up. Also a 4.0 student, Isabelle is committed to sign next school year with national power Northwestern University, where she’s considering majoring in pre-med. And here’s a final fun fact: Like many athletes, Scane has highlights posted on the web service hudl; but unlike probably anyone else, she’s also posted a “Me Missing Shots” collection – a light-hearted sign of her humble perspective as she drives to improve her already-substantial game.
Coach Greg Courter said: “Prior to the season, Inside Lacrosse Magazine had Isabelle rated as the number 14 junior in the country. Personally, I think that that rating is low. Were she playing back east, she would be higher. I have coached 10 girls in my career who went on to become Division I All-Americans. Isabelle is already a better and more complete player than any of them. She is a once-in-a-career talent (for a coach). I have no doubt she will be on the U.S. national team in a few years.”
Performance Point: “It was a long hot game. We were out on the turf and it was 90 degrees and we’re a small team with only a couple of subs, so it got pretty exhausting,” Scane said of the Final, which saw the Cranes trailing 12-5 early in the second half. “It kept us going that it was our last time playing this season, and it pushed us through the exhaustion. … I think it’s awesome. Individual awards are nice, but when it comes down to it, being able to get that (win), to get there and get there as a group when we’ve been so close the last few years, and to finish … I’d say it was probably the most exciting game I’d been part of. To come back and win the state championship, coming back from seven goals down to end up winning it – it was an insane back-and-forth game.”
Sending off Coach with a win: “At least for me and a couple other girls, that was the most exciting part about it. He’s been an amazing coach the last three years. We always believed we could do it, but unfortunately we weren’t able to win for him the last few years. It was awesome to finish off his coaching career with the thing we’ve been pushing toward.”
Growing in the game: “Freshman year, I was a younger player on the team and being new to the program, I wasn’t as physically and mentally tough as I am now. I’ve gotten used to the pressure, and I’m able to keep my head in games, which as a freshman I wasn’t able to do. I think the mixture of experience and my coach, he’s always been there to kinda help me figure out how to keep my head in the game mentally, keep working when things aren’t looking as great as they should. The way he’s coached us, the way we practice, he’s done a nice job of it.”
Makes and misses: “You shouldn’t ever be satisfied with how you achieved. If you become satisfied, think you’re better than everyone, think you’re big enough, that’s when you stop getting bigger. It’s necessary to stay humble, to work toward getting better than who you are.”
No rush: “We had only two seniors this year, and I’d love to keep working with the team we have now, keep pushing for another state championship. I’m committed to go play in college, and I would like to continue playing at a higher level. (But) I definitely need to finish off high school – I’d like to keep how well we’re doing, get a state championship for the girls in our class and the girls below, but I also have new stuff coming and I want to keep working toward that so I do well there. I’ve always been told not to rush through high school, so I want to be sure to finish off one last year at Cranbrook.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
June 8: Hunter Eichhorn, Carney-Nadeau golf – Read
June 1: Grace Stark, White Lake Lakeland track & field – Read
May 25: Brendon Gouin, Gaylord golf – Read
May 18: Hannah Ducolon, Bay City All Saints softball – Read
May 11: Mason Phillips, Salem track & field – Read
May 4: Lillian Albaugh, Farwell track & field – Read
April 27: Amber Gall, Shepherd track & field – Read
April 20: Sloane Teske, East Grand Rapids tennis – Read
March 30: Romeo Weems, New Haven basketball – Read
March 23: Jaycie Burger and Maddie Clark, Pittsford basketball – Read
March 16: Camden Murphy, Novi swimming & diving – Read
March 9: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central wrestling – Read
March 2: Joey Mangner, Chelsea swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 23: Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe North gymnastics – Read
Feb. 16: Dakota Hurbis, Saline swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 2: Foster Loyer, Clarkston basketball – Read
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTO: (Top) Cranbrook Kingswood's Isabelle Scane works to find an opening during the Division 2 championship game against East Grand Rapids. (Middle) Scane closes in on a possible shot; she scored seven goals in the win.
Performance: EGR's Audrey Whiteside
June 14, 2019
Audrey Whiteside
East Grand Rapids senior – Lacrosse
The Pioneers’ senior attack had seven goals and three assists as East Grand Rapids regained the Division 2 championship Saturday with 22-7 win over Bloomfield Hills Marian, earning Whiteside the MHSAA “Performance of the Week.” She finished this spring with 149 goals – second-most for one season in MHSAA history – and a record 208 points despite playing in what’s considered the toughest league in the state.
Whiteside was a freshman on EGR’s 2016 championship team and helped the Pioneers finish Division 2 runner-up in 2017 and reach the Semifinals a year ago. She also had 59 assists, 107 draw controls and 31 ground balls this season and finished her career with 409 goals and 114 assists for 523 points – her goals and points rank second all-time, and her assists are seventh most for a career. East Grand Rapids finished this season 24-2 and tied for the Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1 title with Rockford, the eventual MHSAA Division 1 champion for the seventh straight season.
This was a celebration-filled school year for Whiteside, who also helped the EGR cross country team to the Lower Peninsula Division 2 title in the fall with a 21st-place finish at Michigan International Speedway. She was named this winter as one of 32 MHSAA/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award winners and graduated with a 3.9 GPA to go with her athletic and other extracurricular successes. It’s difficult to talk about Whiteside without also discussing four-year varsity teammate and close friend Mary Schumar – Whiteside’s business partner as well as they direct a summer lacrosse training academy for younger players. Schumar is heading next to an established power in Marquette University, while Whiteside will continue her career at Central Michigan University for a program that just completed its fourth season – she picked the Chippewas in part for a chance to play a major role in that program’s ascension. Whiteside is considering studying to become a nutritionist or go into personal training and fitness, and she’s also interested in business and marketing.
Coach Rich Axtell said: “Audrey has since her freshman year been a leader by example on this team. She never takes a day, a drill or a play off. She goes hard all the time. She has won virtually all of the sprints and conditioning exercises that we have done over the past four years. She ran cross country each fall and then attended almost every offseason conditioning session that the team held. After losing to CK in the Finals in 2017 and to Okemos in the Semifinals in 2018, Audrey, Mary Schumar and the rest of the team committed themselves to doing what it takes to win another state title. Audrey switched from midfield to attack be able to work more closely with Mary and to increase their offensive productivity. Both players had a 40-percent increase in their offensive statistics this year. Despite all this success, Audrey and Mary have remained very modest, always being genuinely surprised when I told them their statistics. When our games were in hand, they frequently passed up scoring opportunities to allow their teammates a chance to shine. Their selflessness and humility have helped to produce one of the closest and happiest teams I have ever coached. Obviously, we will miss Audrey's offensive production, but we will miss her dedication and leadership even more.”
Performance Point: “It definitely is the best way to end my senior year,” Whiteside said. “Having been to the Cross Country Finals in the fall, I think I really wanted to end my senior year right with another state championship. Our team not making it to the (Lacrosse) Finals last year, that really inspired us to work harder this season, to finally go to the Finals and hopefully win. … Our mentality going into the playoffs was to have really fast starts, because we’re usually a second-half team. We wanted to set up strong from the first draw, but I think going in with that mentality really helped us. I think we really did have a different mindset going into the state Finals … it just all came together.”
One for all: “It’s hard to describe, but (winning the title is) honestly the best feeling. We had three incoming freshmen make it this year, and I think that helped us a lot with the intensity of the team. And I think I wanted to get it for those freshmen because I know what it is like, because when I was a freshman we won. It was just honestly the best feeling and I wanted them to have that – and also all the other sophomores that made it and juniors, just everyone together.”
Back in business: “My friend Mary Schumar and I started a lacrosse clinic called EGR Lacrosse Academy last year. We’re trying to make it bigger this year. That’s the goal. We start in a couple weeks. I want to go into business in the future, so it’s a great experience to have to work with all the families and the kids. but I love working with kids so it makes it even better. … I’ve learned (business) takes a lot more time and work than I thought it would. And also, communicating with people is very essential to creating a great business and creating relationships. Creating bonds with people and connections is going to get you way farther than anything else – and also working harder.”
My friend Mary: “We have been friends since second grade – we went to different elementary schools but ended up being in the same friend group from middle school on to now. Playing with her freshman through senior year has been so amazing. She had a stellar freshman year – I think she got pulled up halfway and made (six) goals in the state championship game as a freshman, which is unbelievable. I got pulled up to being an attack this year with her to score more points and handle the offense with her, and that’s also been just amazing, working so well together. It just clicked this year. … We play each other (next season). Central’s first game is Marquette, and that’s going to be super surreal to play Mary next year. But we’re really excited.”
Scholar & Athlete: “I think about (being both) a lot. It’s really a motivator to work hard, and it inspires other students to work harder themselves. But also the team aspect – we have a team GPA, and I think all of us want to work harder to get that 4.0 average GPA, which I think we got a 3.7 which is amazing. Being a scholar-athlete, I know raised the bar, raised expectations on me, which I love because I love having pressure. I do better with pressure – especially in games and in the classroom.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Past 2018-19 honorees
June 6: Kari Miller, Ann Arbor Pioneer tennis - Read
May 23: Keshaun Harris, Lansing Waverly track & field - Read
May 16: Gabbie Sherman, Millington softball - Read
May 9: Nathan Taylor, Muskegon Mona Shores golf - Read
May 2: Ally Gaunt, New Baltimore Anchor Bay soccer - Read
April 25: Kali Heivilin, Three Rivers softball - Read
March 28: Rickea Jackson, Detroit Edison basketball - Read
March 21: Noah Wiswary, Hudsonville Unity Christian basketball - Read
March 14: Cam Peel, Spring Lake swimming - Read
March 7: Jordan Hamdan, Hudson wrestling - Read
February 28: Kevon Davenport, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling - Read
February 21: Reagan Olli, Gaylord skiing - Read
February 14: Jake Stevenson, Traverse City Bay Reps hockey - Read
February 7: Molly Davis, Midland Dow basketball - Read
January 31: Chris DeRocher, Alpena basketball - Read
January 24: Imari Blond, Flint Kearsley bowling - Read
January 17: William Dunn, Quincy basketball - Read
November 29: Dequan Finn, Detroit Martin Luther King football - Read
November 22: Paige Briggs, Lake Orion volleyball - Read
November 15: Hunter Nowak, Morrice football - Read
November 8: Jon Dougherty, Detroit Country Day soccer - Read
November 1: Jordan Stump, Camden-Frontier volleyball - Read
October 25: Danielle Staskowski, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep golf - Read
October 18: Adam Bruce, Gladstone cross country - Read
October 11: Ericka VanderLende, Rockford cross country - Read
October 4: Kobe Clark, Schoolcraft football - Read
September 27: Jonathan Kliewer, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern soccer - Read
September 20: Kiera Lasky, Bronson volleyball - Read
September 13: Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton cross country - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) East Grand Rapids' Audrey Whiteside considers her options during Saturday's Division 2 Final against Bloomfield Hills Marian. (Middle) Whiteside taps sticks with her teammates, including Mary Schumar (12).