Record-Ranking Defense Sets Title Tone
April 24, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Grandville Calvin Christian’s girls soccer program has been arguably the most consistently successful in Michigan this decade, winning MHSAA championships the last three seasons.
Of course, offensive prowess has played a big part – the Squires’ 137 goals last season were recently added to the MHSAA record book, ranking seventh among girls teams for goals during one spring.
But defense – led by goalkeepers Jordyn Postema and Allison Keizer – also played, as one would expect, a significant role.
Both keepers were added to the record listing for shutouts in one season – Postema for 18 in 2013 and Keizer for 16 last spring. The team had 19 shutouts total in 2013, including 11 straight, and gave up only nine goals that season. The 2014 team had 20 shutouts in 25 games and gave up only seven goals.
As for offense, Calvin Christian did have one more recent addition to the records – Sarah Klunder, for her 24 assists a year ago.
Click to see all of the MHSAA girls soccer record book in full, and see below for more of this week’s record listing additions. (Click on the sport headings for those record listings.)
Baseball
- Ovid-Elsie’s first entries in the MHSAA baseball records are the product of deep research by Paul Goebel, whose father John was the longtime coach beginning with the first season after the former Ovid and Elsie schools combined, in 1967. Paul Goebel, searching his father’s old scorebooks, found five entries that qualify in the ERA categories – pitcher Dave DuBois for season (1.10 in 1967) and career ERA (1.49 from 1967-69), Tom Hachlinski also for career (1.57 from 1970-71), and the 1967 (0.98) and 1968 (1.14) teams. The 1967 team, which finished 12-3 in its inaugural season, ranks third on the team ERA list. DuBois finished 20-9 over his three-season varsity career, and Hachlinski was 12-8 over his two seasons.
Girls Basketball
- Reese finished a combined 81-10 over the last four seasons, in no small part because of the contributions of 6-foot center Reyna Frost. The Central Michigan University recruit scored 1,475 points during her four-year career, and made the MHSAA record book with 1,110 career rebounds (ninth all-time) and 387 career blocks (eighth on that list) as well as 327 rebounds and 128 blocks this winter.
- Kent City enjoyed another successful run this winter, finishing 19-4 and winning the Central State Activities Association Silver championship – and kept the scoreboard popping along the way. The Eagles made the MHSAA’s season 3-pointers list for the third straight, this time connecting on 171, to go with 167 in 2012-13 and 187 in 2011-12. Kent City made a high of 14 3-pointers in a 73-28 win over Hesperia on Jan. 30 – Kaitlyn Geers led with five – and also was part of one of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA girls hoops history when it defeated Morley Stanwood 83-78 in double overtime Feb. 27. Bailey Freeland scored 30 points for Kent City in that game, including eight during the extra period, and Lindsey Veersma led Morley Stanwood with 21 points including nine during the team’s fourth-quarter comeback.
Football
- A total of 19 accomplishments for Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart athletes were added, with the majority celebrating a pair of four-year standouts who helped the Irish to combined 36-10 record from 2009-12 and an MHSAA title in 2010. Running back Nick Hire was added for seven rushing touchdowns in a 2012 game against Coleman, 74 career touchdowns and 450 career points, and also 124 career receptions. Quarterback Mitchell Myler was added for 410 completions, 602 attempts, 6,158 passing yards and 68 career touchdown passes – plus 157 completions (and 28 in one game), 2,576 yards and 28 TD passes as a senior in 2012. His career yardage ranks 14th on that list, and he now plays at Division III Alfred University in New York. Former QB Mike Lilly was added for 25 touchdown passes in 2008, and Brooks Hyble made the career TD reception list with 21 from 2010-13. Lilly also made 10 extra points in a 2008 win over Baldwin, while Kip Hartman was added for nine in 1998 game and Matt Kornexl was added for nine in a 2012 game. Kornexl’s 66 extra points in 2012 also made the single-season list.
- Crystal Falls Forest Park’s Lee Graff put together one of the most impressive scoring careers in just two varsity seasons. Total he amassed 412 points, with 61 touchdowns and 23 two-point conversions over 2013 and 2014. He made the single-season MHSAA rushing TD list with 30 as a junior and also the single-season scoring list with 216 as a senior. Graff has signed with Michigan Tech University.
- Randy Hyduk’s record addition came after 30 years of waiting, the discovery and then conversion of video of his 75-yard punt for Warren Woods-Tower against Sterling Heights Stevenson on Oct. 26, 1984. Hyduk’s kick, launched at the 10 where he received the snap, traveled nearly 90 yards in the air before landing near Stevenson's goal line.
- Ben Stankovic took over kicking Saline’s extra points early during last season’s run to the Division 1 Final, and was perfect in points-after through the Hornets’ MHSAA runner-up finish. Stankovic made all 53 extra-point attempts over 12 games in which he kicked – and with a season to play, he’s tied for the 20th-longest consecutive extra-point streak in MHSAA history.
Softball
- Amanda Steig stole 162 bases during her four-year career at Reed City from 2009-12, but more than half of those as a senior – her 87 steals that spring rank second in MHSAA history for one season, and she also stole 72 straight during that run. Steig also made record listings with 84 career walks and a 20-game hitting streak from the end of her junior season through April 13 of her senior campaign. Steig went on to play at Grand Rapids Community College and now plays at Cleary University, a member of the United State Collegiate Athletic Association.
Wrestling
- Three Leslie wrestlers with a combined six MHSAA championships, plus a two-time Finals runner-up, were added for a number of single-season and career accomplishments. Two-time champion Zehlin Storr was added for his career record of 220-12 and undefeated seasons of 2012-13 (59-0) and 2013-14 (61-0). He also made the season pins list with 44 as a senior in 2013-14 and career pins list with 126, and his 792 takedowns rank third in MHSAA career history. Younger brother Kanen Storr, also a two-time champion, was added for his 58 victories in going undefeated in 2012-13 and his 44 pins that season, and two-time champion Cody Dunn was added with his 192-31 career record. Nick Atwood was a two-time runner-up during his career from 1996-99; he made the career wins list finishing 198-8, and his 153 career pins are tied for 12th in MHSAA history.
PHOTO: Calvin Christian’s Allison Keizer (right) made seven saves in last season’s 2-1 Division 4 championship game win over Clarkston Everest Collegiate.
LaMange Climbing Career Scoring Lists for Annual Contender East Grand Rapids
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 30, 2024
East Grand Rapids senior Vivian LaMange entered this season 15th on the MHSAA career girls lacrosse goals list with 225, fifth on the career assists list with 172 and eighth on the career points list with 397.
Her single-season goals, assists and points for all of her first three seasons all made those lists as well, with highs of 102 goals last spring, 64 assists as a sophomore and 147 points a year ago in leading the Pioneers to a Division 2 runner-up finish and their fourth-straight Finals appearance.
She has signed with Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.
See below for more recent updates to the MHSAA girls lacrosse record book and click the heading to see the record book in full.
Girls Lacrosse
Huron Valley United, a cooperative program with athletes from White Lake Lakeland and Milford, added 16 record book entries during the 2023 season, including as a team for 309 goals over 19 games – which ranks seventh on that list. Senior Emily Prell earned three single-game entries, two more for 76 goals and 120 points and career listings for 171 goals and 145 assists over 52 games and three seasons. Chloe Caldwell, a freshman in the spring, earned six single-game listings and two more for 88 goals and 107 points over 19 games.
Seven DeWitt players were added with a series of accomplishments over the last three seasons. Caleigh Randall, a 2022 graduate, was added 12 times including for 157 goals and 205 points over her three-season career interrupted by COVID in 2020. Kerrigan Brown, a 2021 graduate, was entered 10 times including for 149 goals and 221 points over her three-season career that also missed out on 2020. Elliana Hillard was added three times for 2023 achievements, including for 75 goals over 23 games, and teammates Ireland Brown and Taylor Young also earned listings. DeWitt as a team was added for its goal total all three seasons, with the high during that string of 323 goals over 22 games in 2021. Randall and Brown have continued their careers at Hope College. Hillard, Brown and Young are all seniors this school year.
Grand Ledge’s Averie Gordon concluded her career in 2021 with a pair of record book-scoring games. She made the single-game goals list with 10 against Holt and seven against Davison that spring.
Leah Reid capped her three-season Lansing Catholic career last spring among the all-time leading scorers both for goals and total points. She scored 73 over 17 games as a senior and finished with 205 goals (tied for 18th) and 236 points for her career. She and senior teammate Sarah Hicks both also made the single-game goals lists, senior Bella Hagen made the single-game assists list and now-senior Emily Putman made the single-game goalie saves list.
Warren Regina’s Holly Watson closed her three-season varsity career in 2023 with 18 record book entries, including some of the highest for goalies over the history of the sport at the MHSAA level. Watson finished with 176 saves over 18 games as a senior – tied for 16th-most – and her 545 saves over 42 games rank second on the career list.
Haslett/Williamston finished 19-3 last season on the way to the Division 2 Semifinals, led by several standouts who contributed to multiple record book entries for team achievements as well. H/W scored 291 goals over 22 games, led by then-freshman Abby Russell – who made single-season lists with 83 goals, 42 assists and 125 points. Breyer Fenech, a senior this spring, made season lists with 70 goals and 87 points, and she, Russell and senior Brianna Nedwick all made the single-game scoring list. Haslett/Williamston also gave up only 96 goals, with then-junior Kylie Pastor making the single-season saves list with 150, the single-game saves list for the second time, and also the career list with 402 and a season to play. Fenech is continuing at Maryland, Nedwick at Detroit Mercy, and Pastor has committed to Coastal Carolina. Additionally, 2021 graduate Natalie Kurdziel was added for seven goals in a game twice and 80 points during her senior season.
Troy Athens goalie Claire Balintfy added three more single-game saves performances to her list of record book listings in 2023, with her 197 saves over 18 games ranking eighth all-time (and with her 2022 total still second on the list). Balintfy is up to 522 career saves over 51 games and three seasons, ranking third on that record book list.
Rochester Adams was added for 245 goals over 18 games last season, and Lucy Lagman and Raegan Jerrell combined for 20 record book listings in goal and assist categories. Lagman had a game-high 10 goals and scored 103 for the season, and has 151 goals over her two-year varsity career. She also had 12 points in a game and 125 points for the 2023 season. Jerrell had seven goals in a game twice, five assists in a game three times, finished with 70 goals and 48 assists last season and also made the points list with 118. Additionally, Kate Kramm was added for eight goals in a game and 58 for the season over 18 games as a senior in 2022. Lagman is a junior this spring, and Jerrell is a sophomore.
PHOTO East Grand Rapids’ Vivian LaMange (24) is introduced before last season’s Division 2 Final.