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.)

Aggies' Hodgson Climbs Career Record Lists

June 26, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Dansville senior Caleb Hodgson completed one of the most statistically-stacked careers in state history this winter among the leading rebounders and shot blockers in MHSAA history.

The 6-foot-10 Central Michigan recruit graduated with 10 record book entries, including for 1,192 rebounds (fifth all-time), 374 blocks (fifth), and also 504 free throws (sixth) over 91 games from 2016-19. He also was added for 16 blocks this past season against Potterville, with those blocks tying for third most in one game.

See below for more recent record book additions in boys basketball, girls lacrosse, softball, boys tennis and wrestling.

Boys Basketball

Morrice’s Zach Markell has joined two others with the record for steals in a game, grabbing 14 against Webberville on Dec. 21, 2010. Orioles Griffin Lewis (725 career rebounds, graduating in 2014), Charley Rothney (31 rebounds in a 1972 game) and Jeremy Freed and John Carr (both for 20 points in a quarter, in 2002 and 1966, respectively), also were added to the record book. Lewis went on to play at Olivet College.

Jalal Baydoun finished his Dearborn Edsel Ford career this winter among the most accomplished players in school history and with multiple notable entries in the MHSAA record book. His 178 free throws this past season (in 228 attempts) rank 16th on that list, while his 476 over four seasons rank 11th for a career. His 262 steals are 15th for a career, and he also made the career 3-pointers list with 210.

Ewen-Trout Creek’s Jacob Witt is all over the 8-player football record book for receiving, and now also mentioned four times for basketball rebounding. Witt graduated in 2018 with 1,310 rebounds, the third most in MHSAA history, with a season high of 396 (15th all-time) as a senior. He’s continuing his career at Michigan Tech.

Girls Lacrosse

A pair of Hartland standouts were added after helping their team reach the Division 1 Semifinals in 2018. Then-senior Emily Beazley scored 51 goals that spring and also was added for 81 points that season, 165 career goals and 221 career points from 2015-18. Elena Salazar, then a sophomore, scored seven goals in one game twice, 75 for the season and finished with 113 points total. Beazley plays at University of Detroit Mercy.

Softball

Allen Park’s Kelsi Littleton powered into the record book in 2018 with 15 home runs over 34 games. A junior that season, she finished this spring and will continue at Madonna University.

Boys Tennis

Hudsonville junior Bret Bentley advanced to the semifinals at No. 4 singles at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals last fall before suffering his first and only loss. He was added to the records for 32 wins (with that one defeat) and for winning 32 straight matches.

Wrestling

Monroe standout Carl Antrassian was added as one of the elite to win 200 career matches. He finished his career in 2016 with a record of 200-26, just missing the single-season wins list with a high of 57 as a junior. He finished Division 1 runner-up at 103 pounds as a sophomore and was a three-time Finals placer, and is continuing his career at University of Pennsylvania.

Zach Young finished his Otisville-LakeVille career this winter as the second-winningest wrestler in school history at 196-41. A three-time Finals placer, Young capped this season at 55-3 and by taking third in Division 3 at 130 pounds.

St. Johns’ then-junior Braxton Parks tied the fastest pin in MHSAA history at 171 pounds with his win vs. Owosso on Feb. 7, 2018. By getting the fall in five seconds, he tied Mike Smith’s record while wrestling for Fenton in 2002.

PHOTO: Dansville's Caleb Hodgson finished his high school career among the all-time leading rebounders and shot blockers in MHSAA history. (Photo courtesy of Lansing State Journal.)