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.)

Sonnenberg Scores With Best in 2 Sports

January 18, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Micah Sonnenberg capped his Brooklyn Columbia Central career this fall with 11 record book listings and as one of the most accomplished scorers in MHSAA boys soccer history.

A four-year varsity player, he scored a career-high 71 goals (over 25 games and with a high of eight goals in one game) this past season, the third-most goals for one season all-time, and finished tied for second on the career list with 172 goals. He also made the career assists list with 46 and tied for fourth on the career points list with 218 after adding 88 this season.

Sonnenberg also earned multiple entries as the football team's kicker the last two seasons. He made 52 extra points in the fall to finish on the career list as well with 82 in 87 attempts. 

See below for more recent MHSAA record book additions in boys soccer as well as baseball, girls basketball, boys tennis and volleyball, and click on the headings to view those record books in full.

Baseball

Montague’s Jacob Buchberger carved his place in the MHSAA record book with seven entries over 129 games and four varsity seasons from 2013-16. He was added for 66 hits as a senior, plus career totals of 198 hits (tied for 12th), 23 triples (third), 141 RBI and for a .493 batting average. Buchberger plays at Davenport University.

Ryan Hayes graduated from Traverse City West last spring having made the season ERA record list with a 0.91 as a sophomore in 2016 and the career list at 1.07 over 176 innings – and he just missed the season list at 0.48 as a junior with only 59 innings, one short of the minimum to be included. Hayes plays football at University of Michigan.

Girls Basketball

Holly senior Rebecca Fugate was added for two free-throw shooting accomplishments that took place over four days during her sophomore season. On Feb. 14, 2017, Fugate made 15 of 16 attempts against Flint Kearsley, and she made 16 of 19 against Fenton on Feb. 17. She finished with 28 and 33 points in those games, respectively. She will continue her career next season at Wayne State.

Alex Hunter scored more than 1,200 points during her four-season varsity career at Gaylord St. Mary that ended last winter, but her abilities to pass and defend landed her in the records. Hunter had 493 assists and 375 steals over 96 games. Her assists rank 17th on that list.  

Boys Soccer

Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central junior Zachary Cepo added 28 goals and 17 assists this fall to move up to 18th all-time with 174 career points and a season to play. The 17 assists also gave him a record-breaking 113 for his career – to go with his single-season records of 48 assists achieved as both a freshman and sophomore.

Tanner Mulder finished his four-season varsity career this fall for McBain Northern Michigan Christian on the all-time assists list with 45. Corey DeZeeuw also was added for 276 saves in net in 2004, including 32 in an overtime loss that fall to Bellaire.

Boys Tennis

Tyler Conrad cemented his status among the most accomplished singles players at Midland Dow and also statewide this fall. He finished his career 126-11 over four seasons with an MHSAA-record 52 wins by 6-0, 6-0 scores and with 30 tournament championships. The career wins are tied for fifth all-time, and the tournament titles rank fourth. Additionally, junior teammate Saketh Kamaraju opened this fall with 31 straight wins to make the record book, his only defeat coming at the MHSAA Finals. Conrad will continue his career at Hillsdale College.

Volleyball

Kendal Muxlow earned her place on the career kills list with 1,566 over the last four seasons for Brown City. Muxlow also made The Associated Press Class C all-state basketball second team last season.

A pair of Richland Gull Lake standouts were added for career records attained this fall. Senior Kenzy Corstange was added for 1,688 kills, while junior Lexie Beeke made the career assists list with 3,021 – and with another season to play. Corstange has signed to continue at Davenport University. 

PHOTO: Brooklyn Columbia Central's Micah Sonnenberg steps into a kick during football season. (Photo courtesy of the Columbia Central athletic department.)