Jankoska Takes Place With Scoring Elite
January 13, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Former Freeland star Tori Jankoska has had a week filled with milestones, setting two Michigan State women’s basketball records Tuesday against Ohio State. The 2013 Miss Basketball Award winner also was added this week to the MHSAA record book four times for her scoring prowess.
Jankoska now ranks 13th for her 741 points (30.9 ppg) as a high school senior in 2013, ninth for her 2,333 points (24.1 ppg) over a four-year varsity career, seventh for 237 3-pointers over those 97 games and 10th with 436 career free throws in 585 attempts.
A four-sport athlete, Jankoska also played volleyball, soccer and participated in track & field for the Falcons. Against the Buckeyes, she set the Spartans’ single-game (42) and career (1,818) scoring records.
Click to see the MHSAA girls basketball record book in full, and read below for more recent additions in football, boys lacrosse, boys soccer and volleyball.
Football
Najon Moore had one of the busiest rushing nights in MHSAA history Sept. 16. The Warren Fitzgerald senior ran 46 times to make the record book for single-game rush attempts, finishing with 291 yards in his team’s 24-20 win over St. Clair Shores South Lake.
Ewen-Trout Creek helped fill out significantly the recently-created 8-player individual record book with a number of entries for senior quarterback Austin Berglund and junior receiver Jacob Witt. Berglund was entered six times, once each for his 257 attempts and 2,020 passing yards this fall, and also for 52 attempts and 29 completions against Ontonagon on Oct. 7, seven touchdown passes against Baraga on Sept. 9 and six scoring passes against Eben Junction Superior Central on Oct. 15. Witt was added 11 times. His seven touchdown catches against Baraga made two categories, and he was added for 249 receiving yards that game, 325 against Superior Central and 232 against Pickford on Oct. 1. His 1,698 yards and 25 touchdowns this season made both the single-season and career lists in those categories, and he also is listed for 71 catches this season and six touchdown grabs in that Superior Central game.
New Haven Merritt Academy's Matthew Shather also was added to the 8-player records for some impressive pass-catching this fall. He had 234 yards in an Oct. 14 game against Carsonville-Port Sanilac, and also is listed for 21 touchdowns this season in 11 games and 23 over his four-year varsity career.
Boys Lacrosse
Although Grandville had a tough afternoon last April 29 against Holland West Ottawa, Bulldogs goalie Zach Tykocki shined. The then-sophomore had 26 saves – tied for third-most in MHSAA history – in his team’s 12-4 loss.
Boys Soccer
Zach Cepo made quite a debut in high school soccer in the fall. The freshman midfielder totaled an MHSAA record 48 assists in helping Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central to 142 goals – fifth-most in MHSAA history – and a 23-2-2 record. Cepo also had 10 goals to make the season points list with 58.
A record was tied this fall for fastest goal scored after the start of a game. Dansville junior Gerald Schmidt sent the opening kickoff into the back of the net from midfield for the Aggies against Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy on Oct. 11. The kick took four seconds to score.
A boys soccer state record also was set in Allen Park Inter-City Baptist’s 10-3 win over Lutheran Northwest on Sept. 29. Nathaniel Pardo broke the previous single-game assist record by one with eight total, while teammate Malachi Zuhorski made the single-game goals record list with seven – which tied for fifth in that category. Both are seniors.
Volleyball
Zeeland East junior Sophie Riemersma has joined the elite hitters both in the state currently and in MHSAA history. With a season to play, she’s made the career kills list with 1,579 over three seasons but mostly over the last two; her 592 kills as a sophomore and 819 as a junior both made the single-season kills list, this year’s total ranking 15th all-time. She also made the single-match kills list twice, with 36 in a District win over Grandville on Nov. 1 and then 39 in another 3-1 District victory over Jenison on Nov. 5. The 39 kills tied for eighth most since the beginning of the rally scoring era in 2004.
Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Brooke Norder was a sharp server Sept. 6 against Comstock Park. Norder, a junior, made the single-match aces list with 10 in a four-set win.
PHOTO: Tori Jankoska works to get past an opponent during a game her senior season at Freeland. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Bay City Central's Smith Caps Career Among Top Rebounders, Shot Blockers
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 13, 2022
Bay City Central senior Alecsis Smith capped a highlight-filled career this winter with 12 girls basketball record book entries including some of the top rebounding performances of all time.
The 6-foot-2 standout three times made the single-season rebounds list with a high of 362 as a freshman, and her 1,276 total over four seasons and 79 games rank fifth on the career list. Her 31 rebounds against Midland that freshman season are tied for seventh on the single-game list for that statistic.
She also made the career free throws list with 377, the single-season blocked shots list with 129 this past winter and the career blocks list with 349, which rank 13th all-time. She’ll continue her career at Delta College.
See below for more recent additions to the girls basketball record book.
Girls Basketball
Three teams were entered for big 3-point shooting nights this winter. Midland Dow made 17 against Lapeer on Jan. 11, and four days earlier Belleville drained 14 3-pointers against Dearborn Fordson. On Dec. 21, Mackinaw City also drilled 14 3-pointers against Alba.
On Dec. 17, Larissa Gibson became Otisville LakeVille Memorial’s first to earn an entry in the girls basketball record book. The sophomore grabbed 28 rebounds in a win over Mayville.
Theryn Hallock joined an elite group of scorers with 50 points for Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central against Greenville on Feb. 22. She’ll be continuing next season at Michigan State.
Au Gres-Sims’ Emily Freehling also made the single-game rebounds list this winter, grabbing 29 in a Feb. 18 win over Hale. She’s a junior this school year.
Howell junior Molly Deurloo this winter joined the list of top free-throw shooters, posting the eighth-highest percentage for a single season at .885. She made 46 of 52 attempts over 22 games.
Parma Western’s Reece Hitt tied for the 10th-most 3-pointers in a game Feb. 11 against Battle Creek Pennfield, draining 10 of her 14 attempts. The Western senior finished with 38 points total. Plymouth senior Morgan Miller also earned her way onto that list with nine 3-pointers on 23 attempts Feb. 24 during a win over Westland John Glenn. She scored 29 points total.
Essexville Garber senior Lauren Walker posted a career-high 152 steals this season to make the single-season list in that category. That total also pushed her into a tie for 18th on the career steals list with 438 over four seasons and 77 games. She’ll play soccer at the college level, at Central Michigan.
Krista Ridgeway was a defensive force for St. Clair Shores Lakeview against Royal Oak Shrine Catholic on Feb. 24. Along with 21 points, the senior guard had 16 steals – tying for 11th-most in one game – in the 52-24 victory.
Jaxi Long finished a highlight-filled career this winter that included helping Newaygo to the Division 2 championship game in 2021. She made the record book for 69 3-pointers as a senior and 180 over four seasons and 93 games. She also was added for connecting on 89.8 percent of her free-throw attempts this winter – good for fifth-best all-time – after making the list with an .878 percentage as a junior.
Saline finished a combined 35-8 over the last two seasons, and strong shooting helped drive the success. The 2020-21 team that finished 18-2 connected on 74.4 percent of its free-throw attempts – good for second-best success rate all-time. This past season’s team made the team lists for 3-pointers made and attempted, with 156 makes in 602 tries, and senior Sophie Canen was added for her 65 3-pointers this winter. She will continue at Hope College.
PHOTO Bay City Central’s Alecsis Smith puts up a shot in the post. (Photo courtesy of the Bay City Central athletic department.)