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.)
2-Time Champ Earns 1st Records Mention
May 10, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This winter, sophomore Bree Salenbien registered the first of what no doubt will be a number of MHSAA record book entries during her Adrian Lenawee Christian basketball career.
The all-stater made 27 free throws – second-most for one game – against Ann Arbor Pioneer on Feb. 16. Meanwhile, junior teammate Libby Miller was added to the records for 69 3-pointers over 28 games this season as the team won its second straight MHSAA Finals championship, this time in Division 4.
See below for more recent record book additions in baseball, girls basketball, hockey, girls soccer and volleyball. Click on the headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
A pair of Concord athletes joined the list of most frequently hit batsman. T.J. Stevens was hit by pitch 18 times as a senior in 2014 and 26 over 56 games and two seasons. Teammate Chevy Burk was hit 15 times also as a senior in 2014 and 24 times over 107 games and three seasons.
On April 23, 2001, Armada’s Steve Girodat hit three home runs during his team’s 10-3 win over Memphis, tying a long list for seventh-most homers in one game. Girodat went on to play at Adrian College.
On April 22, 1960, Morrice stole 26 bases in a game against Birch Run. Nearly 60 years later, that performance has been added as an MHSAA record for steals in a game. Jim Hursh also was added to the individual steals list after leading the way that day with six stolen bases.
Girls Basketball
Adrian Madison’s Laura Teunion-Smith has been a softball standout and will continue her career in that sport at Tiffin University. But she also contributed her athleticism to the basketball program, making the record book this winter with 304 rebounds over 25 games. She also was a standout in volleyball.
Hockey
Tawas goaltender Ethan Haire worked through some busy nights this season, tying the record for most saves in one game with 96 in a 9-3 loss to Walled Lake Northern on Dec. 21. He came back with 94 saves in an 8-1 loss to Fenton/Linden on Jan. 19. Haire was a junior this winter.
There are not many recent entries for goals or assists in the MHSAA hockey record book, making Zach Robinson’s 135 assists over 107 games the last four seasons for Brownstown Woodhaven even more impressive. His total ranks 11th on the career assists list.
Girls Soccer
For the second season in a row last spring, Muskegon Mona Shores ran off 10 straight shutouts to make the MHSAA record book. The latest streak began April 11, 2018 against Spring Lake and concluded after a win over Muskegon on May 8.
A pair of Swartz Creek standouts graduating 17 years apart were added. Casey Allessie graduated in 2017 with 77 goals over four seasons, good for second-most in her school’s history. Just ahead of her was 2000 graduate Haley Henry at 83; she also was added for 26 assists her senior season, 184 career points from 1997-2000, and for 101 career assists that would’ve ranked second on the list at the time and now sit tied for third. Allessie is playing at Delta College.
Volleyball
Onaway added to its successful group of standouts in the record book from the last decade with career assist (3,328) and ace (296) totals for Taylor Ehrke, who played from 2013-16. Additionally, Lexi Szymoniak was added for 605 kills in 2014, and Calley Selke (120) and Mallorie Neelis (111) were added for aces this past fall. Szymoniak went on to play at Lawrence Tech University. Selke is a senior this year, and Neelis is a junior.
PHOTO: Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Bree Salenbien attempts a free throw during this season’s Division 4 Final at Calvin College.