Record-Setting Slugger Powers Mercy
August 15, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Farmington Hills Mercy softball team enjoyed one of the winningest seasons in MHSAA history this spring bolstered by one of most accomplished hitters ever to step into the batter’s box in this state.
The Marlins finished 43-2 – tying for third-most wins in a season – and won their first MHSAA title, clinching in Division 1. Meanwhile, senior Abby Krzywiecki hit a single-season record 20 home runs to go with 18 more listings in the MHSAA record book as she finished her high school career.
Her 82 runs this spring are tied for eighth-most, her 48 career home runs are second on that list, her 94 RBI this season sit third most and her 238 career RBI place second on that list. She was named Miss Softball as the top position player in 2016 and will continue her career at South Alabama.
Two teammates also made the MHSAA records this spring; junior Sophie Van Acker with 82 hits and sophomore Anna Dixon with 72. The team’s 510 hits were second-most in MHSAA history and only two off the record.
Click to see where all three rank in the MHSAA softball record book, and see below for other recent additions in softball, baseball, girls soccer and boys lacrosse. (Click on the sport heading to see those record books in full.)
Baseball
Traverse City West celebrated its most successful season this spring, including its first trip to the MHSAA Semifinals, and tied for seventh-most wins in a season in MHSAA history with a final 41-3 record. The Titans also made the team record lists with 431 hits, 427 runs, 361 RBI and a .369 team average, and their 70 times hit by pitch were second-most for one season. Individually, senior Alex Strickland was added for 74 RBI this spring and senior Nick Brzezinski for 73 hits, 68 runs and eight triples. Brzezinski will continue at Aquinas College this fall.
Austin Putman earned two record book entries with three home runs against Suttons Bay on May 12. The Charlevoix senior not only made the list for most homers in one game, but also for most in consecutive at bats tying for eighth on that list by hitting them in three straight plate appearances as his team won 7-4.
Dearborn Fordson senior Hassan Jaafar made his way around the bases quite a bit during a 13-12 win over Dearborn Henry Ford Academy on April 13. Jaafar stole seven bases, tying for second most in one game and ending up just one shy of tying the MHSAA record.
Boys Lacrosse
Detroit Country Day’s back-to-back MHSAA Semifinal runs the last two seasons were led by a foursome of standouts who are now all over the MHSAA record book for the sport. Emilio Sosa graduated in 2015 and now has five entries including 181 goals, seventh most. Cooper Belanger was a senior this spring and is listed 10 times, most notably for 317 career points, which rank sixth on that list, and 149 career assists, which rank fourth. David Pohl’s three entries before graduating in 2015 included tying for second-most assists in a game, nine, against East Grand Rapids his senior season, and 116 career assists that tie for eighth. And goalie Jackson White finished up this spring with 11 entries including four seasons on the single-season saves list – his 257 in 2015 rank second – and 872 career saves, which also rank second. Sosa played this spring at Kenyon College in Ohio, and Belanger is slated to begin his collegiate career this fall at Colgate in New York.
New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s William Moses joined the single-game scoring list in April. The recent graduate netted eight goals in a 16-1 win over Warren Mott to break his school’s record by two goals.
Fenton goalkeeper Abby Quesnelle earned her second entry for shutouts in one season with 13 this spring as a junior in 24 games to go with 15 shutouts as a sophomore in 2015. Fenton reached the Regional Final in Division 2 before falling to eventual MHSAA champion Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Her team may have fallen 3-0, but Jennifer Gutierrez did her part to keep Caro close to Millington on May 4. The recently-graduated keeper had an MHSAA record 50 saves for the Tigers as the Cardinals put 53 shots on goal.
Softball
Lauren Kanai was perfect in her team’s 17-0 five-inning win over Greenville on May 19 – the Ada Forest Hills Eastern junior pitcher tossed the perfect game in part by striking out 14 of 15 batters faced to make the MHSAA list for most strikeouts in a five-inning game. She also had two RBI.
Howell’s Veronica Pezzoni is a perfect 75 of 75 on stolen base attempts over the last two seasons, good for the fourth-longest streak in MHSAA history. The senior-to-be needs only 25 more without getting caught to set the MHSAA record. Junior teammate Jordan Humitz also made the MHSAA records with 13 home runs this spring. Howell as a team made lists in multiple categories over the last two seasons – with 454 hits, 93 doubles, 339 RBI and a .400 team batting average in 2015 when it finished 32-9-1; and for 493 hits, 93 doubles, a .415 average and 330 RBI this spring in finishing 30-11.
PHOTO: Farmington Hills Mercy's Abby Krzywiecki steps in against Macomb Dakota during this spring's Division 1 Final.
2-Sporter Makes Multiple Record Books
August 8, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Schoolcraft’s Lydia Goble powered through a final season this spring to finish her four-year varsity career among the most accomplished softball players in MHSAA history – and a multi-sport record book honoree.
Goble’s 26 home runs broke the previous record for one season, and she ended her career with 49. Her 270 runs scored rank second all-time, her 264 hits are seventh, her 32 triples are tied for eighth, her 231 RBI tied for fourth and her .566 career batting average sits 11th on that list.
Goble also starred on the basketball court during the winter and was added for 78 3-pointers last season over 25 games.
Her offense on the diamond helped Schoolcraft to team record list performances of 47 home runs and 297 RBI – the homers tied for fifth most in a season.
Goble will continue her softball career at Grand Valley State University.
Read on for more recent record book additions in softball, baseball, football, boys lacrosse and girls soccer and click on the headings to see the record books in full for those sports.
Baseball
Marine City’s Josh Headlee drilled home runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings of a game against Madison Heights Lamphere on May 14, making the record lists both for homers in one game and in consecutive at bats with three straight. Headlee was a sophomore this spring.
Football
Holland Christian’s Will Van Wieren was added for catching 15 passes in two games last season, against Byron Center on Sept. 8 and Hudsonville Unity Christian on Sept. 29. He will be a senior this fall.
Boys Lacrosse
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Jace Conley capped his four-year varsity career this spring with 14 record book entries – and atop the list for single-season goals. Conley netted 109 this past season, breaking the previous record by seven, and his 150 total points rank third on that list. He finished his career with 227 goals to rank third all-time, and with 333 points to rank fourth in that category. He will continue his career at Albion College.
Vicksburg senior Tim Gearig netted 76 goals to make the MHSAA records this spring, and his 219 for his four-year career place him fifth on that list. He also graduated with 293 points to tie for eighth on that career list. His second-highest goal total came in 2015, when he had 60; for that season, Justin Gearig was added for 69 goals and 95 points and Blake Rankin for 42 assists and 101 points. Tim Gearig will continue playing at Alma College, while Justin Gearig (class of 2016) plays at Trine and Rankin (2017) plays on the GVSU club team.
Girls Soccer
Muskegon Mona Shores senior Sarah Mikesell earned her second single-season entry for goals this spring, knocking in 32. She finished her four-year varsity career with 104, which also made the records.
Softball
Muskegon Mona Shores’ Taylor Dew graduated with 10 record book entries including for 52 home runs (second all-time), 64 doubles (tied for ninth) and 219 RBI (seventh) for her career. Teammate Veronica Kastelic also finished with 10 entries, with her 82 hits and 17 home runs this spring both tied for 13th most in a single season in those categories. Together, Dew and Kastelic helped Muskegon Mona Shores hit 42 home runs as a team, eighth most all-time.
Lansing Catholic’s Mikayla Sanford finished her junior season in the spring making the single-season stolen base list with 61, the career list with 172 over three seasons – and with the record for consecutive steals at 112 straight. Sanford started her record run May 21, 2016, against Lansing Waverly and wasn’t caught until this past May 10 against Portland.
Byron made the team record book in five categories in 2018, for 413 hits, a .405 average, 75 doubles, 32 home runs and 296 RBI over 38 games. Senior Alexis Andrews played a significant part; she concluded a 40-game hitting streak, third longest in MHSAA history, to go with 13 home runs and 72 RBI. She also made the record book with 38 career doubles, 29 career home runs and 166 career RBI over three seasons. Senior teammate Payton Beard was added for 46 career doubles and 187 runs over four varsity seasons, and Ryleigh Arndt was added for 35 career doubles over her three-year varsity career. Junior Greta L’Esperance was added for 67 runs for the spring and will carry a 24-game hitting streak into next season.
Caledonia captured the Division 1 championship this season making the record book with 396 hits, 65 doubles, 34 home runs and 248 RBI over 35 games. Four-year senior Samantha Gehrls led the way and finished with eight record book entries including for 39 career doubles, 46 career home runs (to rank 10th all-time) and 193 career RBI. Sophomore Abby Mitchell was added for 11 home runs and 2016 graduate Hannah Horvath was added for 210 career hits. Horvath plays at Lansing Community College, while Gehrls is set to begin her collegiate career at GVSU.
PHOTO: Schoolcraft shortstop Lydia Goble prepares to unload a throw during a game this spring. (Photo by Lingering Memories Photography.)