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Mancelona's Derrer Delivers Nat'l Record

September 9, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Mancelona’s Dakota Derrer will enter her final high school softball season as an MHSAA and national record holder.

The senior shortstop has been added to the MHSAA record book for 20 triples she hit in 2012 as a sophomore, which bested the previous single-season high of 18 by LeAnn Covey of South Haven in 1993 and Alex Price of Beaverton, also during 2012.

Derrer's total also has been submitted to the National Federation of State High School Associations and when added will tie the 2003 total by Alabama’s Haley Wilkins for tops on the national record book list.

Derrer’s biggest hit as a sophomore might’ve actually been a single – she drove in the winning run in a 2-1 District Final win over Boyne City that gave Mancelona its first District title. The Ironmen didn’t advance this spring, but Derrer earned significant recognition with a Division 4 all-state honorable mention from the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.

She also plays volleyball and on the Traverse City Bay Reps boys ice hockey team, a nine-school co-op headed by Traverse City St. Francis that includes players from smaller schools in the Traverse City area. 

See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA record books. (Click on the heading for each section below to view the full MHSAA record book for that sport.)

Softball

  • Erika Underwood’s quote in the May 31 edition of the Adrian Daily Telegram sums up her power-hitting approach well: “I don’t go up thinking about hitting a home run. If I do, I usually hit a pop-up. I think more about hitting line drives. Sometimes, I hit them right over the fence.” She hit 17 home runs this spring as a sophomore at Addison to tie for second all-time for one season, and also made the single-season triples list with 14 as freshman.
  • Burton Bentley’s Angel Campbell became the latest to hit home runs in consecutive at bats, doing so during the fourth and fifth innings of her team’s 4-3 win over Byron on April 25.
  • Olivet’s Renae Morton made the single-game strikeouts list for extra-inning games, tallying 24 in an 11-inning game against Dansville on April 27.

Boys Basketball

  • Kraatz is a well-known sports name in Allen Park, and Evan Kraatz is carrying on the high-achieving reputation at Inter-City Baptist. Kraatz, a senior, has multiple listings on the single-season steals (high of 93) and assists (high of 239) lists, and his career numbers of 243 steals and 585 assists also make those all-time lists with a season to play. Next up on the all-time career assists list, in third place, is his father Mark with 679 tallied at Inter-City Baptist from 1982-85. 
  • Kris Smith, a standout as a player at Morrice who has gone on to successfully coach the girls varsity team, had 257 steals during his three-year career from 1995-98. He had a high of 96 as a junior in 1996-97.
  • Fulton-Middleton’s Tyler Walden led the Pirates to the 2011 Class D Final with sharp 3-point shooting, and now ranks fourth all-time for career 3-pointers with 272 in 695 attempts for his career covering 2008-12. He also made the single-season list with 83 during the 2011 season, and teammate Corey Hungerford made the all-time career rebounding list with 798 during his four varsity seasons at Fowler and then Fulton.
  • Some of the most impressive totals from Leslie’s basketball history have been added: Chuck Finkbeiner’s 25 rebounds in a game during the 1968-69 season, Rod McMichael’s 335 rebounds total during 1967-68 and Derick Ward’s 188 assists in 1999-2000. 

Girls Basketball

  • Byron’s Calla Bartlett had multiple games over the last two seasons during which she attempted at least 20 free throws. And she sank nearly all of them. Bartlett made the single-game free throw lists for making 15 of 20 against Dryden during the 2011-12 season and then 16 of 21 on Jan. 30 of this winter. She finished with 29 and 24 points, respectively, in those two games.

Volleyball

  • Brittany Cherwinski of Johannesburg-Lewiston earned her second listing on the single-match aces list thanks to 10 over three games against Gaylord St. Mary last season. Teammate Julia Nieman made the single-match assists list with 45 over five games against Fife Lake Forest Area.

Girls Soccer

  • New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s Michelle Dear was added to all-time single-season scoring list for her 30 goals during the 2012 season. Her 30th came in a 4-1 District Final win over Macomb L’Anse Creuse North.

Football

  • Oxford’s Prescott Line put together one of the strongest offensive seasons for a running back in MHSAA history in 2011 with 2,457 rushing yards on 362 carries and 38 total touchdowns for 230 points; he ran for six touchdowns in one game. All are listed in the MHSAA football record book. He now plays at Southern Methodist University in Texas. 

PHOTO: Mancelona's Dakota Derrer will enter her senior season as an MHSAA record holder. (Photos courtesy of Derrer family.)

Leland Star Set for Big Senior Season

May 1, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Junior Ella Siddall has accomplished plenty over her first three seasons of volleyball at Leland – and has an opportunity to finish among the state’s all-time greats.

A setter, Siddall already is tied for 16th on the MHSAA record book career assists list with 3,427 over the last three seasons, and she’s on the career aces list with 274 after a single-season qualifying 119 this past fall.

Siddall set her team to the Class D championship in 2015 and the Semifinals in 2016.

See below for more recent record book additions in baseball, boys basketball, boys soccer, volleyball and wrestling. Click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Blake Dunn capped his career last spring among career leaders in a number of statistics – despite playing only one game as a senior after tearing a knee ligament at the end of March 2017. He made career lists in four categories, setting a record with a .561 batting average over 100 games and four seasons, with his 53 career doubles tying for fifth-most and his 128 stolen bases tying for 11th. His 58 stolen bases as a junior in 2016 ranked 10th, and he also added a pair of 20-double seasons and a 1.61 career ERA. Teammate Carsie Walker was added for a 1.62 career ERA over 200+ innings and four seasons. Dunn is continuing his career at Western Michigan University, and Walker is playing for Jackson College.

Maple City Glen Lake’s presence in the record book grew with a number of entries, highlighted by 25 straight wins from 2013-15 and 10 career shutouts from 2013-16 for pitcher Zach Cooper. Thomas Waning was added for five career no-hitters from 2011-14, and Matt Schweikart for 21 straight pitching wins from 2015-16. Jared Jackson and Jacob Penny both were added for 23 career hit-by-pitches from 2014-17, with Travis Moore added for being hit three times in one game in 2015 and Nick Apsey for three HBP in a 2017 contest. Josh Jacklin was added for hitting three home runs in a 2008 game. As a team, Glen Lake was added for being hit by 69 pitches in 40 games last season, and also was added six times for at least 11 stolen bases in a game – with its 18 against Elk Rapids in 2011 tied for third-most in one contest. Jackson is continuing his career at Lansing Community College and Penny is playing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Ravenna senior Brian Thompson capped his three-season varsity career last spring with a 0.71 ERA – making the single-season list in the category. He also made the career ERA list with a 0.96 over 130 2/3 innings pitched over the last two seasons and one game as a sophomore.

Kirk Myers was added for tossing six shutouts for Frankfort as a junior during the 2017 season. As a team, Frankfort also was added for 17 shutouts total in finishing 34-1 and winning a Division 4 District title.

Boys Basketball

Luke Toliver showed his shooting prowess a number of times during his Paw Paw career. One of the most memorable came Dec. 22 against South Haven, when he made an MHSAA record 29 free throws (in 32 attempts) during an 88-83 triple-overtime win. Toliver finished with 45 points in the victory.

Elk Rapids senior Brett Graham scored 22 points during the fourth quarter of his team’s Class D District opener against Benzie Central on March 5, 1990, bringing the Elks back from 12 down for a 77-69 win. Graham now is Elk Rapids’ coach after previously leading the varsities at Kalkaska and Traverse City West.

Boys Soccer

Chris Keenan played on the first two varsity teams in Richland Gull Lake history in 1982 and 1983, starring with a combined 99 goals and 73 assists. Both career totals made the MHSAA records as did his 172 career points. He had 86 points both seasons (47 goals/39 assists and then 52 goals/34 assists, respectively) and those single-season goals, assists and points also earned entries. Keenan went on to play at Indiana University and San Diego State, then professionally for multiple clubs.

Volleyball

Maria Mallon finished her New Baltimore Anchor Bay career ranked third in MHSAA history for kills with 3,110, after her 1,030 in the fall placed second since the beginning of rally scoring in 2004-05. She made the single-match kills list 19 times, including for a high of 47 against Romeo in a 2015 match. She also made the single-season aces list twice, with a high of 159, and had 12 aces in a match twice. Senior Justine Stewart was added for assists in a match seven times over the last two seasons, with a high of 61 against Farmington Hills Mercy on Nov. 14. She also was added for 1,413 assists this fall. Mallon will continue her career at University of Cincinnati.

Wrestling

Dustin Gross finished his career at Dearborn Heights Annapolis with a 217-13 record that made the MHSAA list for wins, as did his single-season victories of 59 and 58 the last two, respectively. He finished as an Individual Finals runner-up the last three seasons and has signed with Central Michigan University. Freshman teammate Josh Hettrick just missed the single-season wins list at 55-3 but did have 43 pins over his 58 matches.

PHOTO: Leland’s Ella Siddall sets for a teammate during a 2016 Class D Semifinal match at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.