Moment: VanDyke Wins Race to End Title Chase
May 7, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Maddy VanDyke already was known to be one of the state’s top soccer players – after graduating from Hudsonville Unity Christian, she went on to start most of four seasons for Michigan State.
But she also showed at the end of her last MHSAA Final to be quite a sprinter.
VanDyke picked up an incredibly-placed pass from Bethany Balcer and raced half the field and past two Detroit Country Day defenders to send home the overtime game-winner in the Division 3 Final on June 12, 2015, to give Unity a 2-1 win.
Country Day had scored the game’s first goal 18 minutes in and led until Unity evened things up with 17 minutes to play in regulation.
With just more than four minutes left in overtime, VanDyke picked up Balcer’s long pass just past midfield. She pushed her winning shot past a deflection by Country Day keeper Isabel Nino, who made the record book with 13 saves that game after also making 13 when the teams met in the 2014 Final, also a Unity win. Nino went on to play at University of Michigan.
Click for coverage from Second Half and see below for the game winner from the NFHS Network.
Performance of the Week: Bloomfield Hills' Ava Badallo
June 23, 2022
Ava Badallo ♦ Bloomfield Hills
Soccer ♦ Senior
The Black Hawks’ leading scorer this season ended her career Saturday by helping deliver the most monumental win in program history. Badallo scored the team’s lone goal during regulation in the Division 1 Final against undefeated Northville, then scored the clinching shootout goal as Bloomfield Hills claimed its first Finals championship in girls soccer with a 2-1 victory over the Mustangs. The week also began with a Badallo highlight, as she scored the lone goal of the 1-0 Semifinal win June 14 over Portage Central.
Badallo finished with 17 goals and eight assists this season, and Bloomfield Hills ended 16-2-3 after entering the postseason ranked No. 12 in Division 1. The Black Hawks also defeated 2021 champion Hartland during their championship run and went 12-0-3 over the season’s final two months. Badallo made the Division 1 all-state third team and will continue her career at West Virginia Wesleyan.
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2021-22 Honorees
June 17: Ella Boose, Brighton lacrosse - Report
June 10: Kaila Jackson, Detroit Renaissance track & field - Report
June 3: Armon Howard, Rochester Adams track & field - Report
May 27: Brock Porter, Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseball - Report
May 20: Brady Schultz, Menominee track & field - Report
May 13: Robert Burns, Flint Powers Catholic golf - Report
May 6: Bo Lockwood, Hartland lacrosse - Report
April 28: Nonah Waldron, Oak Park track & field - Report
April 21: Theryn Hallock, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central soccer - Report
April 14: Kaitlyn Pallozzi, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Report
April 7: Mason Docks, Williamston basketball - Report
March 24: Mya Petticord, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep basketball - Report
March 16: Charley Bayer, East Grand Rapids diving - Report
March 9: Ja'Marcus Smith, Detroit Mumford wrestling - Report
March 2: David Schaberg, Holt bowling - Report
Feb. 24: Adelaide McRoberts, Kingsford swimming - Report
Feb. 17: Christopher Kavanaugh, Petoskey hockey - Report
Feb. 10: Ira Jenkins, Whitehall wrestling - Report
Feb. 3: Emma Stewart, Salem gymnastics - Report
Jan. 28: Tyler Ray, Pinckney swimming - Report
Jan. 21: Elle Craven, Traverse City Central skiing - Report
Jan. 14: Nevaeh Williams, Mount Clemens basketball - Report
Dec. 2: Lucas Dunn, Chelsea football - Report
Nov. 25: Riley Nugent, Plainwell swimming - Report
Nov. 18: Harper Murray, Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball - Report
Nov. 11: Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian cross country - Report
Nov. 4: Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28: Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21: Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14: Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7: Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30: Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23: Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16: Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report
PHOTO Bloomfield Hills' Ava Badallo (17) celebrates with her teammates after scoring the Division 1 title-clinching penalty kick at DeMartin Stadium. (Photo courtesy of Ava Badallo.)