Midland Stars' Achievements Shine On
December 29, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three four-year varsity softball standouts carried Midland to another Quarterfinal run in the spring, finishing their careers as the Chemics finished 32-8 – and finishing as well with their best work all over the MHSAA record book.
Maya Kipfmiller made the records again with 24 doubles and finished her career with 72 doubles, 242 hits and a .541 batting average. Her season doubles tied for eighth most, and her career doubles are tied for third. Julia Gross was added for 18 doubles this season and 57 doubles and 211 hits for her career, while twin sister Tara Gross was added for 72 hits and a 36-game hitting streak in the spring plus 186 career runs, 216 career hits and 34 career doubles. Tara’s hitting streak was the sixth longest in MHSAA history.
Another standout senior, Jillian Elmer, was added for 17 doubles in her final season, and as a team Midland was added for 414 hits, 101 doubles, 289 RBI and a .403 batting average.
Kipfmiller is continuing her career at Boston University, while both Gross sisters are playing at Northwood University.
Read on for more recent record book additions in softball, football and volleyball, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Football
Quentin Huckaby’s 76-yard punt on Sept. 22 tied for the 10th longest in MHSAA history. The Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian senior launched his kick during his team’s 41-28 win over Hopkins.
Redford Thurston sophomore Jayshawn Adams tied the MHSAA record for longest kickoff return with a 99-yard touchdown Oct. 20. His return was key to Thurston’s 23-17 win over New Boston Huron.
Alec Bageris was added for a number of passing accomplishments at Novi over three seasons from 2014-16. As a junior in 2015 he competed 188 of 305 passes for 2,344 yards – all three totals making single-season lists – and as a senior in 2016 he threw 26 touchdown passes. For his career, Bageris was 390 for 640 passing for 5,160 yards and 53 touchdowns.
Softball
A trio of Bath standouts were added for single game, season and/or career accomplishments. Recent graduate Kailey Wahrer hit three home runs against Ovid-Elsie on June 3, including two during the second inning, to earn three record book entries. Taylor Buck, who also graduated in the spring, was added with Wahrer for a 6-RBI game, a 20-game hitting streak from this past season, 20 doubles and 41 for her career. Now-senior Taryn Peru was added for 22 doubles and 46 over her first three years on varsity – she hit .511 overall and is committed to continue her career at University of Detroit Mercy. As a team, Bath was added for 437 hits, 91 doubles, 27 home runs and 321 RBI.
Schoolcraft’s Lydia Goble continued to build on her impressive career as a junior in the spring, moving up career lists with 172 runs scored, 41 doubles, 31 triples, 23 home runs and 167 RBI over 107 games and three varsity seasons. She also made the single-season list for triples with 12 for the second time in three years, was added for two consecutive homers against Hartford on April 29 and was added for 75 hits in 35 games as a sophomore. Freshman teammate Katie Parker had a strong debut in the spring as well, making the record book with two games of six RBI, three consecutive homers against Kalamazoo Christian on May 8 and 11 home runs total over 36 games.
Volleyball
Zeeland East’s Sophie Riemersma finished her four-year varsity career this fall with 2,271 kills – ninth all-time since the start of rally scoring in 2004-05. Riemersma has eight entries total in the MHSAA record book, including for 692 kills this past season (in 121 sets) and with season highs of 29 twice this fall. She has signed with Miami of Ohio.
Bloomfield Hills Marian junior Madison Dowd set her team to a Class A runner-up finish this season, posting 1,531 assists – which rank eighth for one season. She had 52 assists in a four-set win over Farmington Hills Mercy, making the single-match list in that category.
Hopkins freshman Brianna Miller made the single-match aces list with 11 this season in a Sept. 7 three-set win over Wyoming Godwin Heights, and Hannah Van de Roovaart’s 13 aces in three sets against Wyoming Lee on Oct. 23, 2014, also were added.
Grand Blanc’s Hannah Carnell also was added for aces in a match, after tallying 14 in a four-set win over Linden this Nov. 1. Carnell is a sophomore.
PHOTO: Midland’s Maya Kipfmiller drives through a pitch during a 2016 game. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Heivilin Caps Three Rivers Career in Powerful Fashion
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 11, 2021
Kali Heivilin graduated from Three Rivers this spring with 20 record book entries and as one of the most accomplished hitters in state softball history – despite not being able to play as a junior because the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
She tied her single-season runs record with 88 and set the single-season home runs record with 29, to go with a number of single-game and career accomplishments as well. She ended her prep career with 238 runs (10th all-time), 201 hits, 66 home runs (second), 208 RBI (15th), a .568 batting average (14th) and 86 walks, all over 118 games and three varsity seasons.
Her senior teammate Shantel Blyly also was added to the record book five times for achievements this season, including finishing a three-year career with 33 doubles and hitting 19 this spring, and sophomore Ava Forman was added for her 17 doubles this season. Three Rivers as a team was added for 447 hits, 73 doubles, five homers in a game May 7 and 48 total, and 308 RBI this season over 39 games.
Heivilin is continuing her career at Alabama, and Blyly will play at Calvin.
See below for more recent additions to the softball record book.
Otsego’s Kendra VanderLugt closed her varsity career this spring among the most accomplished run producers in MHSAA history – and despite also not getting to play a junior season because of COVID-19. Over three seasons and 108 games she scored 173 runs, hit 43 doubles, 49 home runs (tied for fourth all-time) and drove in 229 runs (tied for seventh on that career list). Her 26 home runs last season broke the previous record and are now tied for second all-time for one spring. Additionally, Otsego junior Jada Bolhuis added two more record entries with 82 hits and 79 runs, the latter tying for seventh-most in one season. VanderLugt will continue at University of Toledo.
Novi picked up a pair of record book entries early this season. Sophomore Reganne Bennett struck out 14 in a five-inning no-hitter against Livonia Churchill on April 16, making the list for most strikeouts in a five-inning game. Junior Ally Sharnowski make the single-game home run list with three in an April 15 game against Livonia Franklin.
Junior Haley Scott and freshman Julia Babcock became the latest from Niles Brandywine to earn record book entries, both doing so with six RBI in a game this spring. Scott drove in six runs during a win over St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic on May 5, with a grand slam part of her total. Babcock’s against Cassopolis on May 19 included a three-run walk-off homer.
Kamryn Troyer earned four record book entries with a powerful performance against Brandywine on May 7. The Centreville junior hit two first-inning home runs, tying a state record, and then a third in her third at bat of the game to make two more lists. She also made the single-game RBI list with six total in the victory.
A pair of Warren Fitzgerald standouts also earned single-game entries this spring. Sophomore Clarice Chapaton tied the record with four triples during an April 19 win over Clinton Township Clintondale, and junior Alexis Lesh drove in seven runs during her team’s May 5 win over Warren Lincoln.
Center Line teammates Emma Hastings and Harley Limberger had a pair of matching accomplishments during an April 26 win over Madison Heights Lamphere. Both drove in eight runs – Hastings on a pair of home runs and Limberger on three hits including two homers. Hastings was a senior this spring and will continue at Ohio Christian University, while Limberger was a sophomore.
Liberti Fair also tied the single-game record for triples this season, hitting four in four at bats (and scoring three runs with four RBI) in Clinton’s win over Hillsdale on May 18. A senior this spring, she’ll continue her career at Grand Valley State.
Sophomore Madison Jamrog was near-perfect in making the MHSAA record book with 14 strikeouts in Hamilton’s five-inning win over Holland Christian on May 17. She allowed just two hits.
Recent Napoleon grad Becca Daoust had to miss out on her junior season as well, but she made the most of the rest and landed on two record book career lists – with 27 triples over her other three seasons, and a .619 average that ranks sixth all-time. Her .747 average this spring ranks second on the single-season list, and she also made the runs scored list with 69. She also will continue at Toledo.
PHOTO: Kali Heivilin’s many Three Rivers accomplishments were on display during an interview this spring with State Champs! Sports Network. (Photo courtesy of State Champs! Sports Network.)