Lenawee Christian Standout Scores with State's All-Time Best
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 27, 2021
Bree Salenbien finished one of the most memorable careers in MHSAA girls basketball history this season as one of the leading scorers of all time – and despite playing two shortened seasons to finish her run at Adrian Lenawee Christian.
Salenbien suffered a knee injury in the regular-season finale in 2019-20, and missed out on three games before COVID-19 ended that season prior to the Regional Final. This winter, with its late start, led to Lenawee Christian playing only 17 games including the postseason.
But appearing in 92 games over four seasons makes her 2,059 career points, including 425 free throws, and 287 blocked shots that much more impressive. The Gonzaga signee is joined in the record book by teammates Libby Miller and (also sister) Dani Salenbien, who made the career 3-pointers list with 185 and 157, respectively, over four varsity seasons before both graduated in 2020. Dani Salenbien plays at Hillsdale College.
The Cougars also made the team record book for a number of accomplishments over the last five seasons, including with 202 3-pointers (sixth-most) in 2019-20 and 175 in 2018-19. The 2018-19 team also made the fifth-most free throws, 308, at a fourth-best percentage of .730, on the way to winning the Division 4 championship.
Click to see the girls basketball record book in full and see below for recent record book additions in boys basketball and volleyball.
Boys Basketball
A pair of Bellevue standouts were added for achievements over either their senior seasons in 2019-20 or careers. Grant Morgan tied for ninth all-time with 12 steals in a game against Colon on Jan. 13, 2020, and he also made the single-season steals list with 105. Teammate Carson Betz was added to the career lists with both 809 rebounds and 256 steals over four varsity seasons.
Morrice made the record book list with a school-record 17 3-pointers March 3, 2020, in a 69-23 win over Akron-Fairgrove. The Orioles attempted 56 shots from beyond the arc and were led by Hunter McGowan with 15 points all on long-range shots.
Greg Esler retired last summer after more than three decades of coaching boys varsity basketball and with a record of 558-235. He led St. Clair Shores Lake Shore from the 1987-88 through 1993-94 seasons, and then Warren De La Salle Collegiate through 2019-20.
Jager Mix quickly made an impact on Onaway’s success in 2019-20. Just a sophomore that season, he made the record book with 321 rebounds.
Tyler Eedy may be best at golf – he’s a freshman at Michigan State – but he’s part of the MHSAA record book in basketball after connecting on 41 straight free throws as an Ogemaw Heights senior. He also made the records list for free-throw percentage, connecting on 92.1 percent (82 of 89) of his attempts in 2019-20. The percentage ranks fourth all-time, and the streak is seventh longest.
Carson Irwin scored 25 points including making all 20 free throws he shot in Dundee’s 61-56 win over Clinton on March 17. The junior made the list for most free throws in a game and tied for third-most consecutive free throws in one contest.
Nearly 60 seasons have passed since Tom Pacynski averaged 38.8 points per game for Bay City St. Mary during the 1963-64 season. But with an assist from the Bay City Times, his average – which ranks fourth-highest for a single season, all-time – was added as well as his 62 points in a game that season against Pinconning St. Michael. Pacynski went on to play at Boston College.
Volleyball
Andelyn Simkins completed her Schoolcraft career in 2019 on career lists with 2,574 kills and 310 aces. The kills rank ninth on that list and include season highs of 760 as a senior and 748 as a junior. She’s playing currently at Western Michigan.
West Bloomfield senior Grace Allread closed her four-season varsity career in the fall on the career assists list with 2,524 over 395 games. She has signed to continue at Liberty.
PHOTO: Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Bree Salenbien pushes the pace against St. Ignace during the 2019 Division 4 Final at Calvin College.
Jahfetson Makes History from 3-Point Range in Taking Baraga to 2023 Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 23, 2024
Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson graduated in 2023 as one of the most accomplished 3-point shooters in MHSAA history and coming off one of the most impressive single seasons from beyond the arc.
Her 103 3-pointers as a senior over 29 games were the second-most for one season and included eight in a Quarterfinal win over Mackinaw City – the second-most in an MHSAA Quarterfinal, Semifinal or Final.
She finished with 236 3-pointers over 96 games and four seasons, ranking 12th on that career list, and Baraga finished the season as Division 4 runner-up. She’s continuing her career at Northern Michigan.
See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA girls basketball record book, and click the heading to view the record book in full.
Girls Basketball
Alma junior Bailey Walkington earned her school’s first single-season individual record book entry for girls basketball in 2022-23. She made the steals list with 143 over 23 games.
Dalton DeBoer became the latest Midland Dow long-range shooting ace to make the records after she drained 70 of 206 3-point attempts over 24 games in 2022-23. DeBoer is a junior this school year.
Durand senior Jordyn Lawrence earned her school’s first girls basketball individual record book entry with 15 steals in her team’s 44-31 win over Flint Kearsley on Dec. 2, 2022. She’s continuing at Mid-Michigan College.
Leah French finished her Engadine career in 2023 with a series of game, season and career record book entries detailing her scoring and defensive skills. She earned single-game listings for 54 points and 19 free throws against St. Ignace on Feb. 6, 2023, and nine 3-pointers against Manistique that Jan. 9. She made the single-season list with 81 3-pointers, 177 free throws and 168 steals over 25 games as a senior. And she made the career lists with 171 3-pointers, 354 free throws and 405 steals over 85 games and four seasons. She’s continuing her career at Aquinas College.
Arieonna Ware earned Battle Creek Central's first girls basketball record book entry with 51 points in a Feb. 11, 2020, win over Portage Northern. She actually finished with a triple-double, adding 12 rebounds and 12 steals. Ware also was added for 47 points in a March 6, 2019, District game against Sturgis.
Mesick senior Kayla McCoy made the MHSAA record in 2022-23 as a junior, totaling 144 steals over 23 games. It was Mesick’s first individual entry in the girls basketball record book.
Coldwater’s Carlee Crabtree made a career-high 52 3-pointers during her senior season of 2019-20 on the way to making the MHSAA career list for long-distance shots with 163, in 469 attempts, over four seasons and 88 games total. She went on to play at Central Michigan and Hope College.
Battle Creek Pennfield’s Kaylee Glidden capped her three-year varsity career in 2023 among the most accurate free-throw shooters in MHSAA history – and also among top 3-point aces. She made 90.6 percent of her free-throw attempts as a senior, good for fifth-highest percentage all-time for one season, and her 84.4-percent success rate ranks fourth on the career list. She also made the single-season 3-pointers list with 67 that winter and the career list with 168. She continued at Kellogg Community College and has committed to Great Lakes Christian College.
Larissa Huffman made a pair of career lists upon completing her four-year varsity career in 2023 at Mackinaw City. She was added for 468 assists and 411 steals, both over 92 games, and she’s continuing her career at St. Norbert (Wis.). Additionally, Mackinaw City was added to the single-game field goals list as a team for making at least 39 in a game six times over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, with a high of 45.
Lansing Christian earned a listing on the team 3-pointers list when it sank 14 on 32 attempts against Webberville on Jan. 20, 2023. Seven players drained at least one of the long-distance shots.
Grayling’s 66-49 win over Houghton Lake on Dec. 19 included one of the most impressive defensive performances of all-time as senior Makayla Watkins had 19 steals – tying for third-most in one game.
Brooklyn Columbia Central’s Zoandria Bamm grabbed 28 rebounds during a Feb. 14, 2023, game against Clinton to make the single-game list in that category and on the way to finishing her senior season with 380 rebounds over 25 games – tying for 13th most on that list. She’s playing at Jackson College.
Riley Abney became the first player to be listed for points scored in a quarter of a girls basketball game when she sank 21 of her 36 total during the fourth quarter of a 64-47 loss to Linden on Jan. 16. The Ortonville Brandon senior has committed to be a preferred walk-on at Oakland.
A pair of Paw Paw standouts earned single-game accomplishments within three days of each other in January. On Jan. 26 against Sturgis, junior AJ Rickli grabbed 31 rebounds, tied for seventh-most for one game. On Jan. 29 against Three Rivers, sophomore Stella Shaefer made the single-game assists list with 14.
Keira Maki joined the single-game points list on Feb. 22 when she scored 47 in Escanaba’s 64-49 win over Sault Ste. Marie. The senior will continue at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
PHOTO Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson (22) brings the ball upcourt during the 2023 Division 4 Final against Glen Lake at Breslin Center.