Novi's O'Leary Champion & Record Setter
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 11, 2018
The Novi volleyball team’s run to four straight Class A Finals and three straight championships over the last four seasons saw performances by a number of elite hitters – and one on-court constant directing the attack.
Erin O’Leary graduated this spring with an MHSAA-record 5,790 assists during her four years as the team’s starting setter, topping the rest of the best in that category by 180. She had a high of 1,521 assists last fall as a senior, that total coming in ninth for a single season, and all four of her season totals rank among the top 24 since the MHSAA went to rally scoring in 2004-05.
In addition, O’Leary made the career aces list with 327. Victoria Iacobelli, the top hitter on the 2014 runner-up team, was added for 642 kills that fall. Iacobelli has gone on to play at Bowling Green, while O’Leary claimed the statewide Miss Volleyball Award as a senior and will begin her college career at University of Michigan this upcoming season.
Click to see the volleyball record book in full plus more recent record book additions in baseball, girls and boys basketball, football and softball.
Baseball
Morenci’s Matthew Schiermyer enjoyed a memorable day April 28, 1995, when he belted three home runs in his team’s 8-6 win over Ottawa Lake Whiteford. He drove in five runs total with the three homers.
Kingsley’s Alex Parker was hit by 38 pitches over a four-year varsity career that concluded this spring, including by 16 pitches as a junior. His career total is tied for 12th all-time. He will continue his career at Henry Ford College.
Girls Basketball
Onsted’s Taylor Hutchinson knocked down 41 more 3-pointers this past season to finish her four-year varsity career with 167, making the records list in that category. She will continue her career at Jackson College.
Boys Basketball
Hale sophomore Joseph Kimmerer helped his team to a league championship last winter and earned an entry in the record book among sharp shooters. He made 88.3 percent of his free-throw attempts over 21 games (83 of 94) to tie for the 15th-best percentage for one season.
Football
Then-senior Griffin Kelly got his final season off to a great start last Aug. 25, running for six touchdowns in making the single-game list for rushing scores as his Frankfort team defeated Manton 70-40. He is continuing his career at Northern Michigan University.
Dearborn Heights Star International’s Saif Almalla was waiting for a kickoff from Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest to roll into the end zone last Oct. 6 – but when it didn’t, he picked up the ball and raced 99 yards for a touchdown while also tying the record for longest kickoff return in MHSAA history. Almalla will be a senior this fall.
Softball
A trio of strong hitters put up record book-caliber seasons in 2017 for Farmington Hills Mercy. Sophie Van Acker, then a senior, had 84 hits – 10th most for one spring – and graduated with 241 hits over four seasons. Nicole Belans added 18 doubles for a career total of 33, and also made the single-season RBI list with 70. Anna Dixon, then a junior, also had 70 RBI, in addition to 78 hits and 73 runs scored. Van Acker signed with Lehigh University out of high school, and Dixon will continue at Hillsdale College.
Muskegon Orchard View slugger Halee Holman is off to a great start after two seasons on varsity, and with two more to go. As a sophomore this spring, she made the MHSAA record book with 14 home runs and 90 RBI – the RBI tied for fifth-most all-time. She’s also on the career RBI list with 156 and just short of the career home run list with 19 so far.
Lansing Waverly’s Madeline Stump capped a memorable run this spring with four entries for career accomplishments. Across four seasons and 132 games, Stump hit .546 with 230 hits including 50 doubles and 25 home runs.
PHOTO: Novi’s Erin O’Leary sets a teammate during last season’s Class A Semifinal win over DeWitt.
Zeroes Land Kemp With Troy Athens' Heroes
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 17, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For the second-straight season this fall, Troy Athens boys soccer goalkeeper Jason Kemp made the list for shutouts – this time totaling 15 on the way to leading his team to the Division 1 title.
Kemp also made the MHSAA career shutouts list finishing his three seasons on varsity with 32, the final 31 coming over the last two years (and 45 games) as the fulltime starter.
Troy Athens as a team was added to the single-season shutouts list as well thanks to Kemp’s 15 this fall.
Click to see the boys soccer record book in full, and check out more recent record book listings below for 8-player football, girls lacrosse, boys soccer and volleyball.
Burr Oak tied its best regular-season record this fall in 10 seasons of playing 8-player football, with a number of standouts leading the way to the 5-4 finish. Three made the record book – junior Matthew Greene with six fumble recoveries, junior Damion Ultz with four touchdown receptions in a Week 8 loss to Climax-Scotts, and senior Dustin Musall for five sacks in a Week 1 win over Big Rapids Crossroads.
Powers North Central handed Pickford its only loss this season 20-14 on Sept. 14 in part thanks to six interceptions, a new high for 8-player football. Ian Gorzinski led with three.
Pickford set an 8-player record with 10 rushing touchdowns in an 80-26 win Sept. 21 over Eben Junction Superior Central. Seven Pickford players ran for at least one score.
Bridgman senior Donnie Necas needed just four receptions Aug. 27 against North Adams-Jerome to make the record book for most receiving yards in a game. He gained 230 yards, including a long catch of 90, in the Bees’ 56-16 win.
Girls Lacrosse
Hartland’s trek to the Division 1 Semifinals this spring was keyed by a number of standouts, including three who put up numbers that made the record book. Elena Salazar built on an excellent sophomore season in 2017 with 106 goals, 41 assists and a total of 147 points, making the single-season lists in all three categories and also the career goals (181) and points (260) lists with a season to play. Now-junior Abigail Trosin also made all three single-season lists with 75 goals, 40 assists and 115 points, and now-senior Emma Donahue was added for 73 goals and 98 total points. As a team, Hartland scored 386 goals – good for third-most all-time – over 21 games. Donahue will continue her career after high school for University of Detroit Mercy, and Salazar has committed to Hope College.
Wixom St. Catherine’s Maeve Burke enjoyed a memorable, and busy, sophomore season in net this spring. She made the goalkeeper saves record lists five times, with highs of 19 saves in games against Walled Lake Northern and Royal Oak and 188 saves total over 17 games. Her top single-game saves performances tied for ninth on that list, while her season saves were eighth all-time.
Boys Soccer
Holland Christian lost only once this fall, in its Regional Final, and along the way tied the record for fewest goals given up in one season allowing just five. The Maroons also made record book lists with 17 shutouts and 11 straight; they didn’t allow a goal this season until their 12th game Sept. 25.
Volleyball
Angie Swiderek concluded a standout career at Cheboygan this fall, in the process earning an entry in the MHSAA record book with 30 kills over a three-set sweep of Grayling on Nov. 6. Additionally, her coach Kris Jewell was added after surpassing 500 career wins. Jewell began her varsity head coaching career at Utica Eisenhower during the 1998-99 winter season, leaving after one and then taking over Cheboygan in 2002-03. She has a 513-307-66 record after this fall’s 18-17-4 finish.
Karlee Plamondon and Randi Stone were aces for Ludington against Muskegon Heights Academy during a three-set sweep Sept. 18, 2018. Plamondon had the second-most aces in a game, 19, and her 21 for the match rank third all-time. Stone had 17 aces for the match, tying for ninth most. Stone was a senior last year, and Plamondon is a senior this fall.
Vermontville Maple Valley junior Keilyn Carpenter made the single-season kills list this fall with 690 over 121 sets, including 34 in a four-set win over Lansing Christian on Oct. 15. Both made the records lists; her 106 aces this fall fell just shy of qualifying in that category.
PHOTO: Troy Athens keeper Jason Kemp gathers the ball during this fall's Division 1 Final.