Pilgrims Pair Leads Semifinal Journey

June 28, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Lansing Christian’s boys basketball team reached the Class D Semifinals this past season in part on the efforts of two four-year seniors whose accomplishments are now recorded among the notable in MHSAA history.

Guard Forrest Bouyer had 109 steals in 26 games this winter, and his 296 career steals over 88 games rank ninth all-time. He also had 552 assists during his career, which rank 10th on that list. Guard Matthew Havey previously had listings for points and 3-pointers in one quarter, and he finished his career with 238 3-pointers – which rank ninth all-time. Bouyer will continue his career at Calvin College.

Click to check out the boys basketball record book in full, and read on for more recent record book additions in girls basketball, football, girls soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling.

Girls Basketball

Kalle Martinez finished a successful career for Bay City John Glenn this winter and added a pair of record book entries during a 64-56 win over Saginaw Swan Valley on Feb. 23. Martinez scored 48 points, making the single-game scoring list, and tied for third for most 3-pointers in a game drilling 11 in 18 tries. As a team, Bay City John Glenn was added for making 14 3-pointers in that game and for making 154 and attempting 453 3-pointers on the season. Former teammate Cassidy Boensch was added for her 332 rebounds and 154 blocked shots as a senior in 2015-16. Boensch currently plays at Grand Valley State University, and Martinez will begin her career next season at Central Michigan University.

Edwardsburg’s Savannah Dixon added to her entry for single-season 3-pointers (69) as a sophomore by finishing her career with 173 over 87 games through her last this winter. Dixon also was a softball all-stater this spring.

Football

Daniel Nocerini played only one season of 8-player football, but he set the pace for those who will chase his records for seasons to come. Nocerini, a running back, was added to the 8-player records 15 times, including for 50 points, five touchdowns in a quarter and seven in a game all against Ontonagon this season, seven more scores against Rapid River, and 45 touchdowns total over 11 games. He also ran for 2,409 yards, including 431 against Rapid River. His career totals of 82 touchdowns and 586 points also were added to the 8-player record book, although his first three seasons were played in 11-player. He will continue his career at Michigan Tech.

Girls Soccer

Natalie Righetti finished her four-season varsity career at Trenton in 2013 among MHSAA leaders in career goals (106), assists (76) and points (182). Her points continue to rank 16th, while her career assists are 11th most. Including single-season accomplishments, she earned nine record book listings. Righetti went on to play at Oakland and then University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Softball

A pair of Midland Bullock Creek hitting standouts contributed to significant team totals as well over the last four years. Rylie Kalina had 75 hits this spring to cap her four-year career with 216, and ranked second all-time with 30 doubles this season to finish her career with 54 two-base hits. Former teammate Shelby Bailey also made the single-season doubles list with 20 as a senior in 2015 and 35 over her four-year career. Midland Bullock Creek as a team was added eight times for team achievements over the last four seasons, most notably for 94 doubles this spring and 90 in 2015 – tying for sixth and 11th all-time, respectively. In addition, Lauren Beougher was added for hitting two home runs during the fifth inning of a game against Clare on April 11. Kalina will continue her career at Davenport University and Beougher will play at Albion College, while Bailey went on to play at Delta College.

Frankfort freshman Hayley Myers’ debut season included a record entry for seven RBI in a win over Lake Leelanau St. Mary on April 7. Myers was 4 for 4 and hit two home runs.

Lowell sophomore Maddi Jordan earned two record book entries in her team’s win over Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on April 18. She was 5 for 5 with four triples – tying for second-most triples in one game in the national record book and earning the first MHSAA record entry for that category – and drove in 10 runs to tie for second all-time in MHSAA history. Jordan already has committed to continue her softball career at Central Michigan University.

Volleyball

A number of past plus a few current Bronson standouts were added for accomplishments since the start of rally scoring with the 2004-05 season. Katherine Carpenter was added for 632 kills and 179 blocks in 2010 and 211 blocks (tied for seventh most in one season) in 2009, while Alexa Ratkowski was added for 1,399 assists in 2014 and a career 410 aces from 2002-15 – second-most all-time in that category to go with her previously-added career record for assists. Skyler Sobeski was added for 1,543 career kills from 2011-14, while recent graduate Jill Pyles was added for 1,504 career kills and 524 aces over the last four seasons; Pyles' aces rank second all-time. Hailey Brewer made the career blocks list with 509 from 2006-09, and Kylei Ratkowski made the career aces list as well with 388 from 2009-12. Junior Kiana Mayer had 1,541 assists in setting Bronson to a second straight Class C title last fall – her total ranking seventh during the rally scoring era. Junior Adyson Lasky (117), Pyles (114) and sophomore Kiera Lasky (112) also all were added for aces this past season. Carpenter went on to play at Hillsdale College and Pyles has signed to continue this fall at Ohio Dominican University.

Wrestling

Coloma freshman Ian Ishmael tied an MHSAA record at 130 pounds for fastest pin, winning a match by fall in five seconds on Jan. 21. He was competing as part of the Shawn Cockell Memorial Tournament in Quincy.

PHOTO: Lansing Christian's Forrest Bouyer (23) pushes the ball upcourt against Buckley during a Class D Semifinal in March, as teammate Matthew Havey (5) is among those trailing.

Holmen Helps Pace Memorable Finals Run

April 8, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Nikoma Holmen played a major role as Grandville reached its first MHSAA softball championship game in 25 years in 2017 – and 15 record book entries are enduring proof of the impact she made on the program.

Holmen finished her four-season varsity run on four career lists. Over 126 games she accumulated 170 runs, 218 hits, 54 doubles and 33 home runs.

Her senior season, Grandville made its first Semifinal and then first Final, both since 1982, before falling to Macomb Dakota 4-3 in eight innings in the Division 1 championship game. Holmen now is a sophomore playing at Grand Valley State University.

See below for more recent record book additions in softball, football, boys lacrosse and boys soccer.

Football

Ottawa Lake Whiteford senior Hunter Lake became the first to be listed for interceptions in one quarter after snagging three during the first quarter of a 64-0 win over Stryker, Ohio, on Aug. 31. He tied the MHSAA single-quarter record by bringing two of those back for touchdowns and made the single-game list for interception return touchdowns and single-quarter list for total defensive touchdowns as well.

Led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, Edwardsburg finished this past fall 14-0 and as Division 4 champion. The Eddies also made the MHSAA records multiple times, with their 705 points ranking sixth all-time and their 50.4 per game making the list among highest averages. Edwardsburg also made the total yardage (5,886) and total touchdowns (97), and rushing attempts (578), yardage (5,232) and touchdowns (82) lists. The Eddies also became the first team to register more than 60 rushes in a game when they ran 63 times against Holland Christian on Nov. 10.

Boys Lacrosse

Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s Micah Eby stopped 23 shots last May 12 against West Bloomfield. Eby, then a junior, tied for the 13th-most saves in one game.

Boys Soccer

Evan Veenhuis climbed the scoring lists one more time as a Comstock senior this fall. He added 34 goals and 35 points to finish with 121 career goals and 156 career points over four seasons.

Troy Athens carried a perfect record into the MHSAA Tournament this past fall and finished among the most impressive teams defensively of all-time. Athens became one of nine teams to give up seven or fewer goals over the course of a season and also made the season shutouts list with 16. Junior Jason Kemp was in net for all 16 to make the individual shutout list, and for six straight in September to earn another record book entry. Athens also was added for its 21 straight wins and 20 straight in 2013, when it gave up only 10 goals during the entirety of the fall.

Hudsonville Unity Christian had 18 shutouts and gave up only eight goals on the way to winning the Division 3 championship this past fall, making the team record book in both categories. Individually, junior Grant Balcer ranks tied for fourth with those 18 shutouts (including eight straight) and has 26 over his two-year varsity career.

Softball

A pair of Grosse Pointe South players were added for accomplishments last season. Julia O’Halla, now a senior, had home runs on two consecutive at bats and six RBI total in a win over Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Teammate Lauren Sancya, a senior in 2018, finished her four-year varsity career on the all-time doubles list with 48. Emma St. John was added for her 2014 performance when she became one of four to strike out 18 batters in a six-inning game, a 10-0 no-hitter against Center Line. St. John was a freshman that season and played two seasons for South and her final two for University Liggett.

Olivia Tomaszewski graduated from Frankfort last spring with 160 RBI over four varsity seasons, enough to make the MHSAA record book list in that category and come in second on the school’s all-time list to Katy McKay, who had 165 from 1996-99. Tomaszewski is playing at Cornerstone University. Junior Haley Myers also was added to the career home runs list after two seasons – she had 22 after hitting 13 last spring as a sophomore.

Allen Park Inter-City Baptist’s Brooke Myles last April 12 became the first since 2010 to strike out more than 15 batters in a five-inning game, tying for second on that record list with 16 Ks against Sterling Heights Parkway Christian in a 13-1 win. Myles is a senior this spring.

PHOTO: Grandville’s Nikoma Holmen gets ready to advance after reaching first base during the 2017 Division 1 Softball Final against Macomb Dakota.