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.
Anchor Bay Flies Fences at Record Pace
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 23, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s softball team this spring proved to be the most powerful in MHSAA history.
The Tars hit 63 home runs, edging Howell by one as both broke the record of 59 formerly set by Romeo in 2015.
Taylor Keighley led the power surge with 21 home runs, tying for sixth most in one season, and Amanda Schick made the records list with 10 homers as six Anchor Bay players hit at least six apiece.
This spring’s team also made the record book for 408 hits, 66 doubles and 279 RBI in finishing 23-11. The 2018 team is listed for 417 hits, 84 doubles, 44 home runs, 276 RBI and a .403 average, with Aleah Marra making individual lists with 19 doubles and 11 homers as the team went 29-7. She is playing at Rutgers University.
Keighley will be a senior this fall, and Schick, now a junior, reportedly has committed to sign with Bowling Green for after she graduates in 2021.
Read on for more recent record book additions in softball plus baseball, football, boys lacrosse, boys soccer and wrestling, and click on the headings below to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Alex Rose’s memorable senior season this spring for Stockbridge included a run at a state record – he hit 23 doubles, tying for fifth most for one season in MHSAA history. Teammate Daniel Ballagh also was added to the records for being hit by 34 pitches over his 104-game, four-season career.
Football
Josh Czarnota quarterbacked Fenton to a combined 27-7 record from 2015-17, with a number of his season and career achievements making the records. Czarnota put up his biggest numbers as a junior, completing 167 of 270 passes for 2,344 yards and 27 touchdowns. His career numbers of 391 completions, 652 attempts, 6,210 yards and 72 touchdowns over 34 games also are listed, the touchdowns ranking 17th all-time. He threw for 427 yards in a 2016 win over Ortonville Brandon, when teammate Chanse Setzke had 266 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air. In addition to making the record book for those individual feats, Setzke is listed for receiving yards (1,235) and touchdowns (15) as a senior in 2017 and for 114 receptions, 1,943 yards and 21 touchdowns over 23 games during his two-season varsity career. Czarnota is playing at Grand Valley State University.
Lake Odessa Lakewood’s Kaden Heins created plenty of excitement as a senior during the 2017 season, making the record book for a 100-yard interception return touchdown against Charlotte on Oct. 13 and returning kickoffs for touchdowns against Belding, Stockbridge, Leslie and Ionia. The four kickoff return touchdowns in one season are tied for second most on that list.
Macomb L’Anse Creuse North fell just shy of defeating Utica Eisenhower on Sept. 11, 2015, but a pair of LCN players enjoyed memorable moments. Quarterback Branden Taylor set an MHSAA record with 44 pass completions, tying for fourth all-time with 68 attempts and making the single-game yardage list with 446. Jake Mitrak hauled in 18 passes to tie for third most in one game. Mitrak played a season at Northern Michigan University.
Boys Lacrosse
Cameron Breining finished his Chelsea four-year varsity career this spring with 17 record book entries and as one of the top scorers all-time. He made the single-game goals list eight times, including tying for the fourth most twice with 11 in 2019 games against both DeWitt and Ypsilanti Lincoln. He scored 66 goals as a junior and 61 as a senior, and his 201 career goals rank 11th all-time. He also made the career points list with 231 and a high of 12 in that game against Lincoln this spring.
Boys Soccer
Genesee Christian won back-to-back Division 4 championships during the 2015-16 seasons, and along the way also set one of the most impressive records for success. From its 2015 opener through its fifth game of the 2016 season, Genesee Christian won 33 straight games – two more than previous record-holder Grosse Ile put together during the 2002-03 seasons. Genesee Christian’s streak was ended in a 2-1 loss to Fenton on Sept. 1, 2016.
Softball
Hemlock’s Madison Martinez has posted the second listing for back-to-back home runs from the 2019 season, hitting hers during the fourth and fifth innings of a 12-0 win over St. Charles on April 22. Martinez was a sophomore last season.
Wrestling
Two of Birch Run’s Breece brothers earned their ways into the record book with accomplishments during the 2017-18 season. Mason Breece finished his high school career with a record of 213-24, making the career wins list, while then-sophomore Macintyre Breece went 58-5 to make the single-season wins group. Mason won the Division 3 title at 140 pounds that season and wrestles at Central Michigan University, and Macintyre was Division 3 runner-up at 125 last season as a junior.
PHOTO: New Baltimore Anchor Bay teammates welcome Jenna Cantalupo home after her home run during May’s District game against Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse. (Photo courtesy of State Champs Sports Network.)