East Lansing's Smith Nets Goals Record

May 23, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

East Lansing’s Cole Smith took 36 shots in a boys lacrosse game April 18 against Swartz Creek – and made them count.

The senior attack set an MHSAA record with 18 goals in the 27-8 win, his goal total three more than the previous record. He also had an assist for the Trojans, whose season ended in the Regional last week.

Click to check out the boys lacrosse record book in full, and the headings below to see where the following additions fall in for baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball, volleyball and football.

Baseball

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian’s Ryan Stewart became the first from his school to make the MHSAA baseball record book after hitting .484 over his three seasons from 2012-14. He’s currently playing at Calvin College.

Girls Basketball

A pair of juniors led Pittsford to its first MHSAA title this winter and second straight appearance in the Class D Final. Jaycie Burger was added to the records for the second and third time, this season for 78 3-pointers over 27 games and also 172 assists. Teammate Maddie Clark was added for her 314 rebounds, also in 27 games. The Wildcats also finished 27-0 and have lost only two games over the last three seasons.

Evart’s Mara VanOrder also was added to the single-season rebounds list with 342 this winter. She’s signed with Cornerstone University for track & field/cross country.

Boys Basketball

Dylan Patton finished an excellent three-season varsity career at Leslie among all-time career leaders in rebounds and blocks. He had 843 rebounds and 218 blocks in 66 games over the last three winters, and his single-season 302 rebounds and 100 blocks as a junior both made single-season lists as well. His career blocks total ranks 18th. The 6-foot-8 forward also scored 870 points during his career.

Allen Park Inter-City Baptist senior Garrett Kraatz capped a strong four-season varsity career 10th in made 3-pointers with 228 in 575 attempts. The 5-11 guard made a high of 78 this season after connecting on 72 as a junior in 2014-15.

Lansing Catholic record book achievements going back five schools and more than 60 years were added for a number of players. For season and career rebounds were Jim Cassel (998 from 1975-77) and Ralph Coleman (929 from 1953-55), while Tony Poljan, Bob Fata, Doug Watters, Bill Murphy, Rick Kalchick and Pete Perpich made either single-season or career rebounds lists. Rob Beattie made the single-game steals list with 11 in a contest during the 1991-92 season, while Peter Murray and Pat Prichard made the single-season steals list and Joe Watters made the single-season assists list. Austin Nichols' .836 free-throw shooting percentage from 2007-09 ranks sixth on that career list, and he and Tom Churma both were added for single-season free-throw shooting percentage as well. Nichols also made the single-season free throws list with 174 as a senior, and Alex Kulesza, Churma, Poljan, Matt Fata and Coleman also made the career made free throws list. All played at Lansing Catholic but Coleman (Lansing St. Mary), Murphy, Perpich and Churma (Lansing O’Rafferty) and Doug and Joe Watters (Lansing Resurrection). Those five schools also were added for a number of team milestones; among highlights, Lansing Gabriels' 683 free-throw attempts in 1969-70 rank second, as do its 443 made free throws that season. Nichols went on to play at Northwestern University, while Coleman played at Aquinas College. Bob Fata played football at Michigan State, and Poljan will play football at Central Michigan.

Football

A number of listings from Mason’s successful program were added, led by one of the all-time leading rushing scorers in Saylor Lavallii. He made the career list with 482 points scored, and nearly all came on 80 rushing touchdowns – which rank sixth in that category. Kicker Josh Flamme was added for four field goals in a 2013 game against Toledo Scott, plus nine field goals in 2012 and 24 over his three-season career, and Jacob Derby was added for 56 extra points in 2010 and 47 in 2008, and his 142 over three seasons are tied for 10th most. Running backs Dan Kehres, Hunter Holbrook and Jordan Coulter received entries for single-game rushing attempts, and Lavallii also is listed for a 97-yard punt return in 2011. Graduating quarterback Jarrett VanHavel was added for 365 completions in 664 attempts for 5,149 yards over his four varsity seasons, plus six touchdown passes against Detroit Community on Oct. 23, and Nick Vondra was added for 68 catches for 1,016 yards last season and 120 catches for his career. Sean Wren was added for six punt return touchdowns from 2008-10. Lavallii went on to play at CMU, Wren played at Saginaw Valley State University and Kehres played at Alma College, while VanHavel will play at Mount Union in Ohio this fall. Flamme went on to play soccer and University of Detroit Mercy.

Softball

A trio of Millington hitters have been added to the records, including two for RBI in one game this season. Freshman Sydney Bishop was 5 for 5 and drove in seven runs in a 19-1 win over Vassar on April 16, and teammate Kayli Leix was 3 for 3 and drove in six runs in a 25-0 win over Bridgeport on May 13. Taylor Wright also was added for her back-to-back home runs in her last at bat of a first game and first of a second against Chesaning on May 14, 2015. Wright will play next season at Northwood University, and Leix will play at Mott Community College.

Volleyball

Kaitlyn Ill made the single-match aces list with 13 in Millington’s 3-0 sweep of Bridgeport on Sept. 30. Ill is a freshman.

PHOTO: East Lansing teammates carry Cole Smith off the field after his record-setting game against Swartz Creek on April 18. (Photo courtesy of East Lansing athletic department.)

Belles Rings Loudly in Freshman Season

May 15, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Kayla Belles had a memorable freshman season this winter for the Ithaca girls basketball team. And her performance against Sanford-Meridian on March 4 is one she’ll never forget.

Belles, a 6-foot-3 center, grabbed 36 rebounds to go with 25 points and six blocked shots in the Yellowjackets’ 75-28 victory. Her rebounds tied for second-most grabbed in one game in MHSAA girls basketball history and most in a game since 1997.

She averaged 14.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game during the regular season, per a Lansing State Journal report, and helped her team to its first District title since 2000. Ithaca finished 21-3, falling to eventual Class C semifinalist Saginaw Nouvel 69-66 in their Regional Semifinal.

Click the “Girls Basketball” heading below to see that sport’s record listings in full, and read on for more of this week’s record additions.

Baseball

  • A handful of names from Saline’s successful recent history were added to an already strong representation. Brad Guenther was included for his 21 doubles in 2009, 66 hits total that season and 13 career triples from 2007-09. Garrett Gordon and Korey Gainey both made the single-season triples list with seven apiece in 2011 and 2009, respectively, and Jordan Walker was added for his 20 times hit by pitch in 2001 and 40 total over a two-season career that ended that spring. Bobby Korecky, already listed for multiple hitting categories, was added with a 0.99 ERA in 1998 and 1.50 from 1995-98, and Joe Finnerty was added for a 1.34 ERA from 1998-2000. Eric Ichesco made the career batting average list hitting .461 from 1998-2001. Saline as a team was added for a number of single-season accomplishments as well, most notably its .403 average in 2009.

Boys Basketball


  • Dennis Starkey earned his milestone 500th victory this season in leading Petoskey to a 16-6 finish. He started his varsity coaching career at Boyne City during the 1982-83 season, then coached three at Vanderbilt before starting his Petoskey tenure in 1986-87. He has a career record of 502-247.  

  • Dundee senior Aaron Anthony capped his high school career with a second entry for free throws made, following up his 150 as a junior with 156 (in 191 attempts – 82 percent success) this winter. The 6-foot-2 Anthony also averaged 20.9 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and scored the 1,000th point of his career. 

  • Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh achieved three record-book listings for 3-pointers, making 18 in a 74-20 win over Paradise Whitefish on Jan. 23 after making 15 in an 81-42 win over Burt Township Grand Marais on Jan. 13. Whitefish also made four in that second game, with 22 between the teams making the list for 3-pointers made by two teams combined. In both games, Nah Tah Wahsh had more 3-pointers than 2-point field goals. Justin Larson made nine of the 15 and eight of the 18 to lead the team in both games.

Girls Basketball


  • Hailey Leidel scored 29 points in a 65-47 win for Brownstown-Woodhaven over Southgate Anderson on Jan. 23, including 15 free throws to make the single-game list in that category. She attempted 17 overall and made all 10 she took in scoring 14 points total during the second quarter.

Football

  • Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy quarterback Marcus Lester became the 11th in MHSAA history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game when he connected on 33 of 65 passes for 541 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-28 win over Dearborn Heights Star International on Sept. 26. The yardage and attempts both tied for fourth-most for one game.

Hockey

  • Flint Kearsley’s Shawn Larsen earned two entries with high-scoring first periods this season. He scored four goals in the first period against Grand Rapids Union/Ottawa Hills on Dec. 20, then four again in the first period against Fenton/Linden on Jan. 7. He also just missed the single-game scoring list, which has a minimum of eight goals; he had seven against Union/Ottawa Hills on Jan. 17.



Softball

  • A pair of Reese standouts both were added for hitting 16 doubles last spring – Cassidy Reif and Carlee Selle. Selle, a sophomore this season, hit .475 for 2014, and senior Reif hit .431 in her final high school campaign last spring. 


  • Abby Krzywiecki smacked two home runs – including a grand slam – and a double to drive in eight of her team’s runs in Farmington Hills Mercy’s 14-4 victory over Livonia Ladywood on April 21. Her total tied for seventh-most RBI in one game.

PHOTO: Ithaca’s Kayla Belles prepares to make a move toward the basket during a game this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)