Records Fall to Gaylord Star, Technically
May 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Gaylord junior Dominic LaJoie just missed on a third MHSAA wrestling individual championship this winter, falling in the Division 2 championship match at 119 pounds.
But he finished 61-1 to make the MHSAA single-season wins list and set two records with 43 technical falls this season and 64 over his three-season career.
Teammate Jon Martin also was an MHSAA runner-up, at 130 pounds, and closed his career with a 201-22 record – which made an MHSAA wins list, as did his 58-4 finish this season.
Click the “Wrestling” heading below for the record book for that sport in full, and read on for more of last week’s record listing additions in football, girls soccer and softball.
Football
Grand Ledge kicker Brendan Baker finished his career last fall with near perfection, connecting on 60 of 61 extra-point tries to make the single-season list in that category, while also finishing a streak of 49 straight that started at the end of 2014 and stretched 13 games into Week 10 of 2015. Baker total made 123 of 131 extra-point attempts during a three-year varsity career.
A pair of long scoring players made the records lists from Ionia’s 2015 season. During a 34-26 loss to Eaton Rapids on Sept. 11, Ionia quarterback Mitchell Lahr completed a 99-yard scoring pass to John McCord. Against Portland on Sept 25, Martin Gale returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score in a 61-13 defeat.
Muskegon Oakridge quarterback Brady Luttrull put together a strong junior season in the fall – and set himself up for some career milestones as well. Luttrull made single-season lists with 2,579 passing yards, 270 attempts, 159 completions and 32 touchdown passes and already sits on career lists with 4,240 passing yards and 53 passing touchdowns over his sophomore and junior seasons. He also made single-game lists with 25 completions, including 17 straight, and six touchdown passes against Muskegon Catholic Central on Aug. 28 and for 416 passing yards against North Muskegon on Sept. 11. Teammate James Cooper III caught all six of those TD passes against MCC to rank second all-time on the single-game receiving touchdowns list, and he made the career touchdowns list with 22 over 20 games as a junior and senior.
Millington’s 1940 team was added to the list of now 20 that did not give up a point (the last team to do so was in 1973). The Cardinals finished 1940 with a 7-0-1 record.
Girls Soccer
Middleville Thornapple Kellogg had a few submissions added from earlier this decade – including one for an MHSAA record. Erin Scheidel assisted on all 10 goals for her team in its 10-0 shutout of Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on May 19, 2014, setting the record for most assists in one game by three. She finished the season with 27 assists in 20 games to make the single-season list, and teammate Aly Miller made the single-season shutouts list for goalkeepers with 14 the year before, 2013. Thornapple Kellogg finished 14-4-2 in 2013 and 16-2-2 in 2014. Scheidel plays now at Siena Heights University.
Softball
Alex Sorgi played a significant role in Utica Ford’s success over the last four seasons, and she made the MHSAA records in multiple categories – for her 20 doubles last spring, her 204 hits over four seasons from 2012-15 and her 183 career stolen bases in 149 games. The stolen bases total ranks ninth all-time. Sorgi is playing this season at Bowling Green State University.
Wrestling
Laingsburg senior Kevin Koenig added a Division 4 championship at 285 pounds this winter to go with a title at 215 as a sophomore and runner-up finishes at 215 in both 2013 and 2015. He finished with a career record of 219-10, and his 60-4 record as a freshman made the single-season wins list.
Clinton’s Nicholas Rolland finished his career this winter with 153 escapes, good for fourth on that career list. He was 53-8 as a senior and 128-58 for his career after surviving a horrific lawnmower accident as a child. (Read about it in the Adrian Daily Telegram.)
Southgate Anderson’s Logan Parks capped his high school career in 2015 with a Division 1 runner-up finish at 145 pounds and has entries in the MHSAA records for his 58-2 record as a junior and 197-26 record over his four-season career. Parks wrestled this season at Central Michigan University.
PHOTO: Gaylord's Dominic LaJoie wrestles Melvindale's Julian Saldana in the Division 2 championship match at 119 pounds this winter. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Missed Junior Season Can't Keep Mercy's Smith from All-Time Greatness
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 18, 2023
Despite the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19, Jillian Smith finished her Farmington Hills Mercy career in 2021 with 49 record book listings – and one of the most accomplished careers in MHSAA girls lacrosse history.
Despite not playing a junior season, Smith tallied 340 goals – third-most all-time – and 423 points, good for sixth all-time on that career list. She had 119 goals and 157 total points over 17 games as a senior, and did set the single-game points record with 21 against Canton that spring.
Smith is continuing to star at Michigan.
See below for more recent record book additions for girls lacrosse:
Girls Lacrosse
Grandville’s Madeline Kreiger was added to the single-game goals list twice last spring, both times for seven goals. The then-sophomore scored seven in her team’s 24-5 win over Lowell on April 18, 2022, and then seven again in a 20-6 win over Jenison on April 25.
A trio of Hartland standouts earned record book listings for their accomplishments in 2022. Then-junior Ava Gilardone was added twice for seven goals in a game and for 69 goals and 87 points for the season. Madeline Turcotte, also a junior last spring, was added for eight goals in a game, five assists in another, and 59 goals, 44 assists and 103 points for the season. Senior Tessa Chuba was added for seven goals in a game twice, 83 goals and 104 points for the season and also 50 goals in 2021. Senior Rebecca Schaller was added for a 2021 junior-year achievement, when she posted 188 saves, good to tie for eighth all-time.
Bloomfield Hills now-junior Ella Lucia earned five record book entries during the 2022 season, including for six goals and 12 total points in a June 1 game against Birmingham United. She also made the single-game assists list with five in an April 11 game against Clarkston, the single-season goals list with 50 and the single-season points list with 89 over 20 games. Now-senior teammate Ilana Watson also was added for five assists in a game twice, and now-junior goalie Sydney Butler made the single-season saves list with 165 across 21 games.
Several standouts helped Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central reach the Division 2 Regional Finals last spring, including four who made the record book. Now-senior Gabby Hendricks had 111 points and earned seven listings total including for 69 goals and 42 assists. Also now a senior, Shannon Murphy earned six entries including for 68 goals and 101 points, and Julia Brown earned three entries including for 78 goals and 92 points in her final season. Another senior this school year, goalie Tori Bates, was added for her 18 saves in a 21-16 win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Brown is playing at Hope College, Murphy has committed to Marquette University, Hendricks has committed to Jacksonville University, and Bates has committed to George Mason University.
Stella Bottum capped her Caledonia career last spring with four record book entries. She made the single-season goals list with 76 – including eight in one game – and the career goals list with 134 over 48 games and three seasons (due to the cancelation of 2020). She also made the single-season points list with 90. She’s playing at Aquinas College.
Warren Regina’s Holly Watson earned seven record book entries last spring, including for 175 saves over 12 games – which is tied for 13th-most all-time. She had a season-high of 27 against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett on April 25, which is tied for second most in one game. She’s a senior this school year.
Jenna Allie finished her two-season varsity career at Dearborn Divine Child last spring with her second scoring 68 goals – and she also made the single-season points list with 93 over 19 games. Allie’s 136 career goals also earned a record book entry, and her scoring last season contributed significantly to Divine Child making the team single-season goals list with 274. Additionally, then-senior teammate Sam Stevens was added for 15 goal saves against Bloomfield Hills last May 16. Allie is continuing her career at Siena Heights.
Amanda Granader capped her career last spring by leading Brighton to the Division 1 championship, and she made the MHSAA record book 18 times – including for career goals and points again despite the 2020 season being canceled. She made the single-game goals list several times including with a high of 10 last April 30 against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central. Her 113 goals last spring rank 10th, and her 118 as a junior are eighth on that list – as are her 259 over three seasons. Granader’s 322 points for her career rank 11th all-time.
Lansing Catholic’s Leah Reid is cruising into the elite of scoring all-time in this sport, and entered this season with nine record-book entries. She had at least seven goals in a game six times and finished last season with 89 goals over 20 games. She also made the single-season points list with 106 total as a junior.
PHOTO Farmington Hills Mercy's Jillian Smith directs the attack during her team's 2021 Semifinal against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. (Photo courtesy of Detroit News.)