Performance: Lansing Christian's Kasey Jamieson
June 21, 2018
Kasey Jamieson
Lansing Christian senior – Soccer
The four-time all-state forward capped her career Friday with the lone goal of a 1-0 Division 4 championship game victory over Kalamazoo Christian, earning the final Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week” for 2017-18. Her final high school goal secured a second straight Division 4 title for the Pilgrims and gave her 197 goals for her career – the second most in MHSAA history.
Jamieson had 54 goals – tied for 10th most for one season – and 71 total points this spring in helping Lansing Christian to a 19-3-2 record. For the second straight year, she was considered the best player in all of Division 4 as the lone selection from that division to the all-state Dream Team. In addition to her 197 career goals, she’ll make the record book career assists list with 72 – and her 268 career points (over 101 games) rank third all-time. Jamieson also returned to her school’s basketball program this past winter, playing that sport for the first time since freshman year and contributing significantly to the Pilgrims’ 15-7 finish.
Her class valedictorian with a 4.0 grade-point average, Jamieson is drawn to biology and similar sciences and aspires to become a physical therapist. She will study kinesiology and continue her soccer career at Division I Liberty University in Virginia this fall after she joins other college players this summer as part of local United Women’s Soccer League team Lansing United.
Coach Joel Vande Kopple said: “The most visible aspect of Kasey’s impact had obviously been her production on the field, where both the number of goals and assists she had are records at LCS since I've been there. Something that often goes overlooked is her availability to play. She didn't miss any games in her four years, and knowing that she was going to be out there every game really boosted our girls. Her personality is what I've appreciated most about her. Despite all her accolades, she always wanted what was best for the team and to see her teammates succeed.”
Performance Point: “What I'm missing most is just the team,” Jamieson said, recalling her final game with the Pilgrims. “I've been with this team the past five months. Basically every day we see each other, so I guess it's just different not having practice to go to, just not talking to them about the games or what's going to happen, or cheering them on or encouraging them. ... I definitely didn't know going into the (championship) game if I'd be the winning goal, or if I would assist it, or if one of my other teammates would have it. But whatever it was, we would've done whatever we could have to have that goal, no matter who put it in or not. It was so awesome to finish my year off like that. Obviously, I couldn't have done it without any of the girls on the team, so all credit to them. It was just a fun year, a fun way to go out. … Obviously, we worked really hard for it, so I'm so proud of the girls.”
Pilgrim pride: (High school soccer) is so much different because it's more of a team mindset, while club becomes a personal mindset because you're trying to get noticed by colleges, by coaches. High school, we're not doing it for coaches. We're not doing it for scouts. We're doing it because we love this sport and we love each other, and we love to push each other and work together. That's what's different about high school – it's not the personal game, it's all team. And that's what I love about it – especially since our school is K-12, all these girls I've been playing with since I was little.”
Showing the way: “Our school, since we're so small, we get to hang out with the elementary students, which is so fun. You get a kindergarten buddy every year, so most of our kindergarten buddies were at the state championship game. It was so cool. And we all have little siblings that are younger students, so all the siblings brought their friends. So it's not just the high school supporting you, but the entire school. It's a cool environment, and it encourages you to do better. (Coach) talks about how there are these little girls that are looking up to you constantly, and how you act, they're going to notice it.”
Back on the break: “I played basketball all the way up to freshman year, and then I just stopped and I wanted to focus on soccer. I went into senior year like, I missed the sport and I wanted to try it out. It was fun. It definitely was different. It was cool using different workouts because I wanted to use different muscles and work different areas so I could be an overall (well-rounded) player. I shared the position as a point guard and a shooting guard. I played most of the entire game. We did well. ... The coach (Jason Salsbury) is super supportive, and the cool thing about our basketball coach is he was at all of our soccer games cheering us on. And he has two little girls and a little boy who are looking up to us so much, which is just so fun because some of us get to babysit them. So it's just a cool environment. We're just like a family.”
Faith and family: My faith is the most important thing to me. … A cool thing about Liberty that I like, every time before games they prayed, and they prayed for other people. It was even a bigger family than at Lansing Christian, which I loved and that's what I wanted. I went to one of their games – they were playing somewhere in Tennessee, I believe – and a girl on the other team got injured, we we're sitting there watching and then girls that were on the field and off the field starting praying. That right there, I was like ‘OK, I want to go here.’”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 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 2017-18 honorees:
June 14: Erik Fahlen Jr., Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian golf - Read
June 7: Paxton Johnson, Escanaba golf - Read
May 31: Lydia Goble, Schoolcraft softball - Read
May 24: Corinne Jemison, East Kentwood track & field - Read
May 17: Reagan Wisser, Richland Gull Lake soccer - Read
May 10: Clayton Sayen, Houghton track & field - Read
May 3: Autumn Roberts, Traverse City Central tennis - Read
April 26: Thomas Robinson, Wyoming Lee track & field - Read
March 29: Carlos Johnson, Benton Harbor basketball - Read
March 22: Shine Strickland-Gills, Saginaw Heritage basketball - Read
March 15: Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian swimming - Read
March 8: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County wrestling - Read
March 1: Camree' Clegg, Wayne Memorial basketball - Read
February 23: Aliah Robertson, Sault Ste. Marie swimming - Read
February 16: Austin O'Hearon, Eaton Rapids wrestling - Read
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City West golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Lansing Christian's Kasey Jamieson surveys the field during Friday's Division 4 championship game win over Kalamazoo Christian. (Middle) Jamieson pushes the ball ahead; she scored the game's lone goal.
Shrine Makes Best of 'Promising' Spring
June 15, 2019
By Jason Schmitt
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Royal Oak Shrine Catholic girls soccer coach Mark Soma knew when he made a promise to Chloe Woodbeck, he’d have to do his best to keep it.
“Chloe and I were texting each other early in the year and I told her ‘If you come play for us, I promise you we will win a state title,’” the coach recalled.
On Saturday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium, the coach made good on his assurance to his Purdue-bound senior. His Knights scored a pair of goals in each half en route to a dominating 4-0 victory over Kalamazoo Christian in the Division 4 championship game, bringing home the school’s first team championship in any sport since 1974.
“He said it and I was like, ‘OK, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. If we can do it, great. If not, it is what it is,’” Woodbeck said. “So I took the chance and I came out and played, and I’m so happy I did. It’s amazing to be out here with my classmates. It’s something I’ve never been able to do before. I’m so happy I can end my high school career doing this.”
It was Woodbeck, who has attended Shrine but played high-level club soccer with the Michigan Hawks up until this spring, who actually got things going for the Knights. She capitalized on a free kick with 24:11 to play in the first half. Drawing the penalty just moments earlier, Woodbeck sent a shot curling up and over Kalamazoo Christian goalkeeper Jenna Blackwell’s outstretched hands to break the ice for her team.
It proved to be the game-winning goal. But it was just the start for a potent Shrine team which defeated Saginaw Nouvel 6-0 in the Semifinal to earn a berth in its first-ever championship game.
Just under 11 minutes after Woodbeck’s score, junior Lily Hotts took a cross from junior Jess Reaume and redirected it for a 2-0 lead.
As good as the Knights’ offense was, it might have been an even more impressive showing by their defense with the play of junior goalkeeper Allison LaPoint. Trailing by a goal with just under 17 minutes to play in the first half, Kalamazoo Christian junior Lauryn Mohney broke in down the right side. She took a shot from 12 yards out but was thwarted by LaPoint, who made a diving save to her left. LaPoint did the same with 27:30 left in the second half and the Knights leading 2-0. Again it was Mohney on another breakaway. And again, it was LaPoint who made a diving save to preserve the two-goal cushion for her team.
“I rely a lot on my defense because they’re amazing and I trust them. But it is important to be able to make those key saves in tough situations like that,” said LaPoint, who finished the game with four saves.
Shrine (23-3-3) fed off of the defensive energy, scoring to make it 3-0 just five minutes later. Comets head coach Jay Allen felt that was a critical play for his team.
“If Mohney scores that one in the second half, it’s 2-1. That changes the whole complexion of the game,” Allen said. “(LaPoint) makes that save, they come back and it’s 3-0; now we’re in a bigger hole. That keeper is just outstanding. When you have that kind of game, just like hockey, a keeper that can keep you in (the game), that’s half the battle.”
It was freshman Bridgette Drouillard who gave Shrine the three-goal lead, taking a crossing pass from Hotts and punching it home.
Shrine capped off the scoring with 10:24 remaining as junior Regan Robinson took a pass from Drouillard and drilled a shot from 30 yards out.
Despite falling in the Division 4 Final for the third straight season, Allen was proud of his team for achieving what so few get a chance to do.
“We worked hard, from Day 1. When they came in for preseason conditioning, our goal was to be playing here today,” the coach said. “We knew what we needed to do, but (Woodbeck) snuck that one in early on us and we just couldn’t recover from that. My seniors left it all out on the field today. We were just that one pass away, that one shot.”
Kalamazoo Christian finished the season 21-3-2.
Woodbeck has won high-level club championships over the years, but said Saturday’s title was sweet in its own way.
“The difference about playing for your school is the crowd, the amount of people that are here,” Woodbeck said. “I’ve played in a national championship (game) in San Diego, and there are just parents. It was great, but just having my entire community here and like people I don’t even know who are coming to me, cheering me on. The stands were packed, and I’ve never seen that in club.”
Woodbeck is one of just three seniors on the Shrine roster, along with Katie Norton and Mia Ciarlone. With all the talent returning next year, she’s confident her teammates can do it all over again in 2020.
“I think after this year, the confidence level is so high,” she said. “Even when we were standing in line receiving our medals, everyone was like, ‘Wow, we just did that.’ I think they can do it again. We’ve got like 11 juniors, and they’re all really strong and can carry our midfield. So I think they’re going to be just fine.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Royal Oak Shrine Catholic players prepare to accept their first Finals championship trophy in any sport since 1974. (Middle) Shrine’s Hanna Groth looks to score with Kalamazoo Christian’s Elise Van Sparrentak (15) and Jenna Blackwell defending.