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.
Scane Leads Cranes with Record Scoring
August 11, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Isabelle Scane has accomplished a career’s worth of lacrosse stardom at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood the last three years – and she still has a season to play.
The Cranes’ senior-to-be has been entered into the MHSAA record book with 360 career goals – nearly 100 more than anyone else – after scoring the second-most for one season (146) this spring in leading her team to its first Division 2 championship.
In addition, Scane’s 183 points total this spring rank third on that single-season list, and her 453 career points are also third and only eight off setting a record.
Teammate Sophia Milia was added to the records as well for her 87 goals this season, 60 assists and 147 points (seventh most all-time). Former teammates Grace Giampetroni has six record listings for her final two seasons, 2015 and 2016, and Ari Vespa was added for a pair of accomplishments in 2015.
Scane has committed to sign with Northwestern University, while Giampetroni played last season at High Point University in North Carolina and Vespa plays at University of Michigan. Milia also has another high school season to play.
Click the girls lacrosse heading below to see that record book in full, and check out more recent record additions in that sport plus boys basketball, boys and girls soccer and softball.
Boys Basketball
Corey Redman just missed making the single-season free throws list twice during his four-season Boyne City career from 2012-15. But he ended his run 14th on the career free throws list with 431 in 565 attempts (76 percent) over 90 games. Redman plays at Central Michigan University.
Former Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central standout Derek Dennis was added for making 224 3-pointers over his four-year career from 2006-09. Dennis went on to play baseball at University of Michigan and Davenport University.
Girls Lacrosse
Hartland finished 18-4 this spring in part on the scoring of junior Emily Beazley, who was added to the records for games of eight and seven goals, 83 overall and 112 points. Senior teammate Teagan Laier was added for seven goals in a game as well, and senior Meghan Economou made the single-season goalie saves list with 151. Economou has committed to continue playing at Calvin College, and Laier has signed with Northern Michigan University.
DeWitt continued its surge this spring, finishing 17-5 while adding a number of record book entries including 308 goals scored as a team and the first entry for most goals in a game – 26 in a win over Lansing Waverly. Jordan Markowski was added five times for eight assists and 12 points in that big win, plus 80 points this season, 257 for her career and 170 career goals from 2014-17. Rachel Madar was added for seven goals in a game, 78 this season and 215 for her career, plus 95 points this season and 260 over the last four. Sierra Dietz was added for 53 goals this season and 164 career goals and 204 career points over her four varsity seasons, and Julianna Harrison was added for 150 saves in goal this spring. Madar will continue her career at Kalamazoo College.
Boys Soccer
Comstock’s record goal-scoring season with 111 over 22 games last fall was led by senior Mubark Hasan, who in addition to contributing to the team’s single-season record book listing for goals also is listed for six goals in a game twice and for 59 goals by himself in 2016. Hasan also made the single-season points list with 73 total. Comstock finished 20-4 and won its Division 3 District.
Girls Soccer
A pair of standouts made the record book after helping Marshall to an 18-5-2 finish. Sophomore Kate Face was added for 32 goals over 25 games, while senior Lauren Day was added for 16 shutouts in goal. The team was added for 11 straight shutouts from May 3-June 3. Day will continue her career at Jackson College.
Softball
Livonia Franklin’s Brooke Garbarino has earned entries all over her school’s record book, and a few statewide as well. She made the single-season average list this spring hitting .646, and her 23 doubles tied for 10th most in one season. She also made the career doubles list with 58 over four seasons. She’ll continue her career at Jackson College.
Zeeland East also graduated a pair of record book-making standouts this spring. Audrey Kazda made the single-season doubles list with 23 in 2017, while teammate Sara Medendorp finished her four-year career with 20 home runs. Brooke Leonard also was added for 956 strikeouts from 2011-14.
Blissfield seniors Kelsey Wyman and Brooke Henning provided one of the state’s top one-two punches over the last four seasons. Wyman has four record book entries including for 212 career runs (ranking 16th) and 242 career hits (ranking 15th). Henning leaves 11 record book entries; she tied for second with three home runs in one game against Brooklyn Columbia Central on May 2, tied for fourth with 18 home runs this season, ranks tied for fifth with 47 career home runs and comes in 10th with 197 career RBI. Teammate Jade Casanova also was added for six RBI in a game this spring, and past teammates LeeAnn Seidl (27 homers from 2013-16) and Kelsie Abbott (22 doubles in 2014, 53 over her four-year career) also were added. Henning will continue to play at Grand Valley State, while Wyman will play basketball at Ferris State. Seidl plays at University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Abbott played at Siena Heights. Additionally, Blissfield as a team earned three entries for home runs in a season, the highest being 40 this spring – which is tied for sixth most.
PHOTO: Cranbrook Kingswood's Isabelle Scane (27) hoists the Division 2 championship trophy with her teammates after this spring's title game win.