Howell Softball's Militello Leaves Legacy
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 27, 2019
AJ Militello led Howell’s softball team to a Division 1 runner-up performance in the spring and finished her career all over the MHSAA record book.
The four-year varsity player had 75 runs and 17 home runs in her final season and finished on career lists with 202 runs, 210 hits, 32 homers and 186 RBI. She is continuing her career at University of Utah.
Teammate Avrey Wolverton, a sophomore in the spring, hit 16 homers and already is on the career homers list with 24 over two seasons. Senior Maddie Gillett added 16 to also make the single-season individual homers list and will continue her career at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. As a team, Howell hit 62 home runs last season – second-most in MHSAA history.
Sophomore Maddie Springer also was added to the records with 16 doubles.
See below for more recent record book additions in boys basketball, softball, boys tennis and volleyball.
Boys Basketball
Hale’s Joseph Kimmerer became his school’s leading scorer early this season, and earned his second MHSAA record book entry as a junior. He made 149 of 176 free-throw attempts over 23 games last season for a percentage of .847, following his .883 as a sophomore that also ranks on the single-season list.
Zach Goodline graduated from Coloma this spring with 13 record book entries and consideration among the top scorers in MHSAA history. His 2,204 points over four seasons and 85 games rank 15th, while his 253 3-pointers rank ninth and his 577 made free throws are second on that list. He connected on 85.1 percent of his free-throw attempts over his career, good for the fourth-best success rate all-time, and he also ranks 10th with 308 career steals. He is continuing his career at Oakland University.
Softball
Byron four-year standout Greta L’Esperance finished her varsity career in the spring among the state’s highest achievers in a number of record book categories. She ranks ninth with 244 career runs, third with 297 career hits, tied for fifth with 35 career doubles and seventh with a career .610 batting average. She also finished with 48 doubles over 144 games and tied the record with seven RBI in an April 15 game against Durand. She’s continuing her career at Bowling Green.
Freeland’s Lily Beyer closed her four-year varsity career all over the record book as well this spring with 11 entries. Her 270 career hits over 151 games rank eighth all-time, while her 74 doubles are third and her 203 RBI rank 12th. She also made the career runs list with 191 and the career average list at .548. Additionally, teammate Cam Coonan was added for 75 hits as a junior in 2018, and now-senior Leiya Rybicki was added for seven RBI in a game April 25. Beyer is continuing her career at University of Toledo, and Coonan is playing at Saginaw Valley State University.
Lauryn Frenzel reached the 1,000-strikeout milestone as a senior for Mayville in 2018 and finished her four-year varsity career with 1,034 Ks to make the career list in that category. She just missed the single-season list with 356 as a senior, but her game high of 20 against Dryden in 2017 also was added.
Boys Tennis
Antonio Barretto and Brett Gurzell advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at No. 1 doubles for Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and finished with a season record of 27-6, making the records list for doubles wins. Both were seniors; Gurzell played this fall at Albion College.
Volleyball
Oscoda’s Andrea Bickel joined the list of top servers when she had 16 aces over a three-set match win against Atlanta on Sept. 11. Bickel is a junior this school year.
Lexie Beeke added 919 assists this fall to her previous three-year total at Richland Gull Lake, finishing with 3,940 for her career – 14th most on that list since the beginning of rally scoring in 2004-05. She has signed to continue at Youngstown State University.
A number of Bronson athletes contributed to one or more MHSAA Finals championships over the last three seasons, including current senior Keona Salesman who was part of three title winners from 2016-18 before her team fell a few wins short this fall. She was added to the record book for 822 kills this fall and 669 in 2017, and for 2,501 kills and 299 aces during her four-year varsity career. Meagan Lasky was added for 1,524 assists this fall, and Kiana Mayer was added for 1,777 assists in 2017 – third most since the start of rally scoring. Mayer also was added for 3,401 career assists from 2014-17, and Lasky has 3,324 over her first three seasons with one more to play. Jill Pyles (144 in 2014), Alexa Ratkowski (135 in 2014) and Kiera Lasky (140 in 2017) were added for single-season aces, and Adyson Lasky was added for 358 career aces from 2014-17. Ashton Wronikowski was added for 440 career blocks from 2015-18. Pyles went on to play at Ohio Dominican University, Ratkowski played at Trine, Kiera Lasky plays at Davenport and Wronikowski plays at West Liberty University in West Virginia.
PHOTO: Howell's AJ Militello connects with a Warren Regina pitch during the Division 1 Softball Final in June.
Iron Mountain Pair Climb Into Michigan's All-Time Hoops Elite
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 10, 2021
Johnson and Wonders led the Mountaineers to the Division 3 Final in 2019, and Wonders brought them back this past season. Iron Mountain also was 21-1 when the 2019-20 season ended early because of COVID-19.
Wonders, who graduated this spring, closed his career with 2,286 points, 13th most in MHSAA history. He twice made the record book for points scored in one quarter and against Ironwood on Feb. 18 also tied the state record with seven 3-pointers in the first quarter. He averaged 26 ppg over 88 games and four seasons and is continuing his career at Southern Illinois.
Johnson, a senior in 2020, led Iron Mountain to a combined 91-8 record with four seasons worth of contributions now reflected in the MHSAA record book, where he’s listed eight times. He made the career scoring list with 2,076 points, he’s seventh on the career 3-pointers list with 285, tied for seventh on the career free throws list with 518 and also made the career steals list with 248. His career free throw shooting percentage of .812 ranks 11th. Johnson played this past season at Bay College.
See below for more recent record book additions for boys and girls basketball, boys lacrosse, volleyball and wrestling.
Boys Basketball
Joe Liedel’s senior season was cut short by COVID-19 in 2020 before he could make a run at the MHSAA’s career 3-point record. But the Erie Mason standout still be recalled among the state’s top shooters – short and long-range – of all-time. Liedel’s 2,202 career points sit 16th on that list, while his 334 3-pointers are second for a career and just six shy of the record. He’s also on the career free throws list with 342 (85 percent success), and he connected on 88 percent of his attempts from the line as a senior. Liedel also made the career steals list with 243. He’s continuing at Detroit Mercy.
Adrian Lenawee Christian drilled 17 3-pointers in a 75-28 win over Battle Creek Academy on Feb. 13 of this past season. Gavin Sluss let the effort with seven.
It took 46 years to make it in to the record book, but Detroit Denby’s Vincent Rush has been credited for 21 assists against Detroit Osborn on Jan. 24, 1975. His total at the time would have been the record and stood for two seasons.
Benzie Central earned a record book entry with 16 3-pointers in its March 11 win over Onekama. Benzie connected on 43 percent of its tries (16 for 37) in the 83-42 victory.
Senior Carter Foerster helped Lake Fenton to a District Semifinal win over Chesaning on March 25 with 34 points total – including 22 during the third quarter to make the single-quarter scoring list. He will play college football at Lawrence Tech.
Girls Basketball
Sarah Marvin made her most powerful impact on high school sports as a Finals record setter in both shot put and discus again this past spring. But her four-season basketball career was similarly memorable as she finished with six MHSAA record book listings. Most recently added were career entries for 400 made free throws, 462 assists and 1,017 rebounds, all over 84 games. Marvin will continue her track & field throwing career at Michigan.
Boys Lacrosse
Ted Campbell and Drew Zyskowski were among those who played major roles as East Grand Rapids finished this spring as Division 2 champion. Zyskowski, a sophomore, was added to the record book with 44 assists and 85 points, while Campbell made the single-season goals list with 65 during his senior campaign.
Volleyball
A junior hitter and sophomore setter led Cadillac to a successful 2019, as the team finished 41-10-2. Macy Brown made the records with 831 kills over 132 games, while setter Renee Brines made the single-season assists list with 1,344. Brown is a freshman at University of New Haven (Conn.), and Brines will sign with Northwood.
Wrestling
Chayse LaJoie wrestled in four Division 2 individual championship matches over four seasons for Gaylord and won two Finals titles, and he was added to the record book for his 197 wins (with only four losses) before graduating in 2000. He had 18 technical falls as a senior and concluded his career with 60, both also making the records.
PHOTOS: Marcus Johnson, left, and Foster Wonders were standouts on Iron Mountain’s 2019 team and throughout their varsity careers.