Extra, Extra: Seymour Sets PAT Record

May 1, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Griffin Seymour will head to Eastern Michigan University this fall as one of the most successful kickers in MHSAA history.

Seymour capped a 29-game career this fall with two MHSAA football records and nine listings total in the record book after helping Muskegon Catholic Central to back-to-back Division 8 championships.

He set both records during the Division 8 Final against Munising – in making all four of his extra-point attempts, Seymour set the season extra point record of 87 (surpassing the previous of 85) and the career extra point record of 165 (the previous was 164). Seymour kicked in one game as a sophomore and then 14 each the last two seasons.

He’s also listed for 85 straight extra points, the fourth-longest streak, making 10 of 10 attempts in two games and 75 total as a junior. He had five extra points in his team’s 2013 Final win over Beal City. Seymour reportedly will walk-on as a kicker on the EMU football team.

See below for more of this week's additions to the MHSAA record listings, and click on the headings to see those sports' records in full. 

Football

  • New Lothrop senior Grant Steinborn also placed himself among the top extra-point makers in MHSAA history during a two-season varsity career. He booted 135 PATs in just 24 games over the last two seasons to tie for eighth on the career list, with his 74 as a junior ranking ninth and his 61 this fall also making the single-season list – he had nine in a game as a junior to make that ranking as well. New Lothrop finished a combined 22-2 over the last two seasons, making the team points list with 577 in 2013 and 539 this fall and for its average of 48.1 in 2013.

  • West Bloomfield’s 9-2 finish in the fall included a pair of record-listing performances. Junior quarterback Trishton Jackson threw for 2,046 yards – completing 124 of 210 passes – to make the season yardage list. Junior kicker Ari Goldberg connected on 46 extra points in 53 attempts.

  • Olivet freshman quarterback Parker Smith moved up to the varsity during the fall and into the record book with a 99-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Smith in the Eagles’ 27-0 win over Parchment on Oct. 24. Olivet won the Greater Lansing Activities Conference title and finished 8-3.

Baseball

  • Portland’s Tanner Allison capped his prep career in 2014 with some of the highest hitting marks in MHSAA history on his way to joining the Western Michigan University program. His 155 career runs, 189 career hits and 54 career doubles from 2011-14 made those respective lists, as did his 23 doubles last year for one season. The hits tied for 13th most, the season doubles tied for fifth on that list and the career doubles are fourth in MHSAA history. Portland’s team average of .372 last spring also made that category, and Josh Pleyte was added for his seven triples in 2009.

Girls Basketball


  • Jessica Murphy scored 30 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists in Oxford's Feb. 10 win over Bloomfield Hills – and also entered the MHSAA records by making all 17 of her free throws. Her total is fourth-highest for consecutive free throws made in one game. Murphy has signed to continue her hoops career at Wayne State University.

  • Breckenridge’s Erika Wendling accomplished much during her career ending in 2014, including a 15-steal game as a senior, Dec. 12, 2013, against Saginaw Valley Lutheran. She also ended as the first 1,000-point scorer in her school’s history and played this season at Mid-Michigan Community College.

Boys Basketball


  • Ben Carlson graduated from Manistique in 1996 but still holds six school records for this sport, including two that make MHSAA lists – his 201 career 3-pointers and 556 career assists over four seasons. The assists total ranks ninth in MHSAA history. Carlson also owns the school’s career scoring record of 1,495 points.

Boys Soccer

  • His totals would’ve stood third when he graduated from Bay City John Glenn in 2008, and Ty Richards now stands fifth in MHSAA history with his 159 career goals entered into the records. His 53 goals as a senior and 40 as a sophomore made the single-season list. His 52 career assists also ranked, and he’s sixth with 211 career points. Former teammate and 2009 grad Stefan Michalsky also was added for 55 career assists over four seasons, and John Glenn’s Connor Windiate was added for 50 goals in 2013. Windiate now plays at NAIA University of St. Mary in Kansas and Michalsky played at Delta College.

Wrestling

  • Sparta’s Jason Brew and Matt Armock have been added to the MHSAA list for 200 wrestling wins – Brew with a record of 204-16 from 2002-05 and Armock 202-11 from 2004-07. Armock was the 140-pound title in Division 2 in 2007 and 2006, while Brew was the 145-pound champion in 2005 and 140-pound in 2004. Brew later wrestled at Olivet College. 

PHOTO: Muskegon Catholic Central's Griffin Seymour connects on an extra point against Beal City during the 2013 MHSAA Division 8 Final at Ford Field. 

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.)