Record Feats Key Dakota's Historic Run
January 4, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Macomb Dakota’s historic finish to last softball season came on the bats and arm of some history-making players who are among the latest entries into MHSAA record books.
The Cougars won their first Regional title and played in their first MHSAA Final (losing in the Division 1 championship game to Farmington Hills Mercy), and finished with a record of 38-3 – the 38 wins among notable team accomplishments that made record lists. The 2016 team’s 458 hits ranked 14th for one season in MHSAA history, while its 99 doubles were third-most and its 32 home runs were tied for 12th-most in a season. (Also, the 2015 team ranked 15th on the home runs list with 30 in 37 games.)
Individually, sophomore Corbin Hison was added for 17 doubles, while senior Kelcie LaTour was added to the single-season home runs list with 11 for the second straight spring. Junior pitcher Kendahl Dunford finished 35-3 to make the single-season pitching wins list, and LaTour also graduated on the career home runs list with 29. She’s now playing at Grand Valley State University.
See below for more recent additions to record books for baseball, girls and boys basketball, football, boys soccer and wrestling. Click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Homer’s Brock Ridgeway finished his four-year varsity career last spring on MHSAA career lists for runs scored (163), hits (184), RBI (142) and being hit by pitches (47) after being hit by 18 pitches this past season and three times in one April game. The 47 career HBP is tied for third-most all-time, and he also just missed the career pitching wins list with 32. Homer as a team last spring made season lists with a .354 batting average and 53 HBPs. Ridgeway is a freshman on the Central Michigan University baseball team.
Girls Basketball
Margo Brown’s perimeter shooting was a big part of St. Ignace’s dominance through the first half of this decade, and she entered the record book for 11 3-pointers – tied for third-most in a game – against Rudyard on 17 attempts on Jan. 20, 2015. She now plays at Ferris State University.
Boys Basketball
Jordan Weber knocked down 73 3-pointers last season for East Jordan to finish his four-year varsity career with 278 – fifth-most in MHSAA history. He made nearly 34 percent of his 818 career attempts and averaged 17.1 points per game total as a senior.
Football
A pair of Gaylord athletes were entered for impressive scores more than 30 years ago. Kurt Kakaviska made the records for his 90-yard punt return touchdown against Petoskey in 1982, while Mark Johnston was added for two interception return touchdowns in one quarter in a 1986 game, also against Petoskey. Johnston actually scored a third defensive touchdown in that same third quarter, on a fumble recovery. Kakaviska went on to play at Northern Michigan University.
Haslett kicker Luke Ezzo capped a three-season career this fall among career leaders in field goals with 19 in 26 attempts over 27 games. Ezzo also made the single-season field goals list as a junior with nine in 11 tries over 10 games.
Boys Soccer
Over eight days this fall, Micah Sonnenberg posted two of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA history. The Brooklyn Columbia Central sophomore netted six goals against Clinton on Oct. 6, then scored seven – tied for fifth-most in one game – against Jonesville on Oct. 13.
Softball
A pair of Reese hitters were added for batting prowess. Emily Schrader made the single-season hits list with 72 in 2010, while Monica Hagen – already on the single-season list with 73 in 2014 – was added to the career hits list with 209 over 132 games from 2011-14. Schrader went on to play at Delta College.
Wrestling
Jake Bohn finished his East Kentwood career in 2008 setting the single-season takedown record with 526 – and now also has been added for setting the career takedown record of 1,365 over 216 matches and four varsity seasons. Bohn went on to wrestle at George Mason University.
Comstock Park standout Ryan McCarthy has been added for his 209-29 record over four seasons from 2000-03. He was the first from his school to eclipse the 200-win career milestone.
PHOTO: Macomb Dakota’s Kelcie LaTour takes a swing during last season’s Division 1 Final against Farmington Hills Mercy.
Schoolcraft's Thompson Shatters Soccer Scoring, Total Points Records
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 8, 2022
Schoolcraft’s Hannah Thompson obliterated the girls soccer single-season goals record during the 2021 season that had stood since 2001.
Thompson, now a senior, scored 87 goals over 20 games as a junior, and also set the single-season points record with 93. She also is listed for 43 goals as a freshman and on the career list with 130 despite not being able to play as a sophomore because that season was canceled.
She will continue her career at Eastern Michigan.
See below for more recent record book additions in girls basketball, girls and boys soccer, softball and wrestling.
Girls Basketball
A pair of seniors capped their four-year varsity careers in 2021 by leading Kent City to its first Final and runner-up finish in Division 3. Kenzie Bowers graduated with five record book entries, including for 233 career 3-pointers (ranking 13th) and 426 career steals, both over 96 games. Jenna Harrison has four record book entries, with her 289 3-pointers over 96 games ranking second all-time on the career list. Bowers played this past season at Illinois State, and Harrison is continuing at Sienna Heights. Additionally, Kent City as a team made the 3-pointers attempted list multiple times with a high of 56 against Hesperia on March 1, 2021, and the 3-pointers made list with 18 (in 44 attempts) against Lakeview on Feb. 10, 2021. Total, the team attempted 730 last season (ranking sixth all-time) and made 235 (ranking fourth) despite playing only 22 games. The 125 points scored that day against Lakeview were the fifth-most in one game.
Girls Soccer
Despite her sophomore season being canceled due to COVID-19, Madalyn Freitas already is on the career goals scored list with a season to play at Clinton. Freitas had made the single-season scoring list as a freshman while at Tecumseh in 2019 and added 63 goals over 16 games for Clinton in 2021 for a career total of 125. She also had six assists last season to make the points list with 69 total.
Owosso’s Lily Usher made 286 saves over 15 games during the 2021 season, ranking third on the single-season saves list. She had a high of 35 that May 5 against Goodrich. She is a junior this season.
Boys Soccer
Benzie Central senior Kevin Hubbell scored 16 goals during a 17-0 win over Kingsley on Sept. 29, breaking the MHSAA record for goals in a game previously set in 2003.
Watervliet’s Brady Bornas was added for his six assists in a Sept. 8 win over Parchment. The total tied for fifth-most in one match. Bornas is a junior.
Softball
Lake Orion’s Tessa Nuss finished her four-season varsity career in 2019 with nine record book entries, including the record for consecutive stolen bases – she was never caught stealing in 122 attempts over her career. She hit a combined .587 for her career, ranking 11th, and she also was added for 253 career hits and 220 career runs. She’s continuing her career at Binghamton in New York.
Grass Lake’s Olivia Turner enjoyed a brilliant varsity debut last spring as a freshman, making the record book in three categories – with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 92 RBI. The RBI total ranks fifth all-time on that list.
Schoolcraft 2021 grad Danielle Blyly made the career doubles list with 37 despite having her junior season of 2020 canceled due to COVID-19. She also made the single-season doubles list with 18 as a sophomore in 2019. She’s continuing her career at Indiana Wesleyan.
Wrestling
Samuel Rickman capped his Trenton career in 2020 as a two-time Finals placer and 200-match winner. He finished a combined 203-25 over four seasons, with a fourth place at 145 pounds in Division 2 as a senior and fifth at 135 as a junior. He’s wrestling at Alma College.
PHOTO Schoolcraft's Hannah Thompson (22) makes her move during last season's Division 4 Regional Semifinal against Kalamazoo Christian. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)