Records Report: Gussert Joins the Elite

April 30, 2013

Crystal Falls Forest Park junior Lexi Gussert has been one of the state’s most dangerous scorers over the last two seasons.

It's a much-deserved reputation, considering the numbers she put up again this season.  

Gussert's name has been added to the MHSAA record book three times for exceptional feats she achieved this winter. See those and more recent entries for girls and boys basketball, volleyball, wrestling, football and hockey in this week's "Records Report" – and click on the sport subtitle to go directly to the record book for that sport and directions to submit candidates.

Girls Basketball

  • Crystal Falls Forest Park junior Lexi Gussert scored 50 points in a win over Rapid River on Jan. 24 and her 809 points this season were fifth-most in MHSAA girls hoops history. She also made 93 3-pointers – connecting on 47 percent of her attempts – to tie for the second-most treys for one season. She finished this winter with averages of 32.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
  • Kent City topped by five the former MHSAA record for 3-pointers in a game when it connected on 23 in an 82-17 win over Wyoming Lee on Jan. 11. Kent City also set another MHSAA record in the process by attempting 81 attempts – the team had only five two-point field goals to go with its 23 treys, and six players made at least two long-range shots apiece. Kent City also ranked fourth as a team for one season with 595 attempted 3-point shots and eighth with 167 made. For the season, five players made 23 or more 3-pointers, with Justine Wolter leading with 40.
  • Three Rochester Hills Stoney Creek sharp-shooters were added for 3-point or free-throw shooting. Gabby Yurik and Lauren Voss both made the single-game list with nine 3-pointers – Voss making 9 of 11 on Jan. 17 vs. Pontiac. Yurik graduated in 2012 with 234 3-pointers, good for fifth on the MHSAA career list. Rachyl Campbell made the free throw listings three times, including for her 364 career total of makes tallied from 2002-06 – good for 14th on that MHSAA list.

Boys Basketball

  • According to a newspaper report filed during the 1970 season, Houghton’s Gary Lange and Champion’s Larry Laitala chased each other in pursuit of the Upper Peninsula scoring title that winter. A 60-point game from Lange in mid-January already was part of the MHSAA record book, but Laitala’s 65-point performance against Felch a week later, on Jan. 30, is a new addition and is tied for 10th all-time. Laitala made 25 field goals and 15 of 19 free-throw attempts as Champion won 114-71.
  • Temperance Bedford senior Jackson Lamb finished his high school career ranked among the top 20 in three MHSAA categories. His 455 career free throws (in 770 attempts) rank 10th, his 889 rebounds tie for 16th and his 220 career blocked shots also rank 16th for that category.  He also scored 1,901 points over his career – finishing with career averages of 22.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
  • Lake Odessa Lakewood sophomore Colin O’Mara joined former Mr. Basketball Brad Redford of Frankenmuth among others near the top of the single-game 3-pointers list when O'Mara made 12 against Springport on Dec. 28. He tied Redford (twice) among others for third-most in one game and finished that night with 38 points total.

Hockey

  • Calumet’s Brendan Jacques found the back of the net four times – including once on a power play – over the final 9:05 of his team’s Feb. 21 game against Marquette as Calumet came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 5-2. Jacques is one of three players in the MHSAA record book to score four or more goals in a period – Ed Lyon scored four for Flint Central in a period in 1979 and Ron Rolston had six in a period for Flint Powers Catholic in 1984.

Volleyball

  • White Cloud senior setter Kaytlin Welch finished her four-year varsity career this fall with 3,178 assists, good for 13th on the MHSAA career list. She broke 900 for a season as both a sophomore and a junior, with 986 in 2010 her high total for one fall.

Football

  • Coleman running back Tim Anderson joined five others tied for ninth in MHSAA history with six rushing touchdowns in one game when he accomplished the feat in a 56-0 win over Ashley on Sept. 29. Anderson ran 22 times for 215 yards in the game.

Wrestling

  • Williamston’s Spencer Demand finished his high school career this winter with 118 escapes – good for 16th on the MHSAA list. Former teammate Paul Sawaya – a 2011 graduate – is tied for 17th with 112. 

PHOTO: Crystal Falls Forest Park's Lexi Gussert (right) goes up for a shot during the 2012 Class D Semifinals at the Breslin Center. 

Bucs' Standout Earns Raves for Saves

June 25, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

After spending four seasons stopping opponents from finding the net, former Grand Haven boys lacrosse goalie Gabe Liebetreu can be found 28 times in the MHSAA record book.

As a junior (269) and again as a senior (277), Liebetreu set the single-season saves record, and he ended up second all-time with 897 career saves from 2004-17.

Liebetreu also shares the record for most single-game saves after making 30 against Mattawan as a junior. He is continuing his career at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C.

In addition for the Buccaneers, former teammate Ian McClain was added for five assists in a 14-4 win over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in 2016. McClain was a senior this spring.

Click to see all of the boys lacrosse record book, and read on for recent MHSAA records entries in baseball, girls and boys basketball, girls lacrosse, boys soccer and softball. Click on the sport headings below to see those record books in full.

Baseball

A pair of Holt standouts finished this spring on career record lists. Spencer Baldwin capped a three-year varsity career with a batting average of .455, while Burrell Jones finished his four-year career with an ERA of 1.84. Baldwin will continue at Kalamazoo College, while Jones will continue at Wabash Valley Junior College in Indiana.

Girls Basketball

Battle Creek Calhoun Christian’s Eliana Wilson will enter her freshman year already listed in the MHSAA record book. Wilson grabbed 32 rebounds in the Cougars’ 47-46 win over Colon on Feb. 17. Although the 5-foot-11 forward’s season total won’t count toward any career records – only numbers accumulated in grades 9-12 can be included – her single-game rebounds are listed in a tie for fourth most in that category.

McBain’s Hamlet sisters had quite a run over a decade that ended with Meredith’s high school graduation in 2015, and together she, Elizabeth Hamlet and AnnMarie Hamlet combined for nine record book entries. All three made the career free throws made list – Elizabeth with 451 from 2005-09 (to rank ninth), Meredith Hamlet with 422 from 2012-15 (to rank 14th) and AnnMarie with 323 from 2009-12. Meredith also made the career assist list with 549 (ranking 12th), and Elizabeth (102) and AnnMarie (101) both made the games played list. All three went on to play at Valparaiso University, Elizabeth and AnnMarie after starting their college careers at Oakland.

Boys Basketball

Calhoun Christian’s Andrew Eckhart capped his career with a record book entry as well this winter. The 6-foot-5 senior blocked 115 shots over 21 games. 

Girls Lacrosse

Junior Erin Kloostra and senior Kelli Bailey helped Grand Rapids Forest Hills United reach the Division 1 Regional Semifinals this spring with record book-level scoring. Kloostra, a student at Forest Hills Eastern, set an MHSAA record with 99 assists (including 10 in a game against DeWitt) and finished with 134 total points. Bailey scored 53 goals this season. Bailey’s 54 goals and Kloostra’s 61 goals, 84 assists and 145 points in 2017 also were added to the record listings. Grand Rapids Forest Hills United as a team scored 346 goals in 2017 and 253 this season. Bailey, from Forest Hills Central, will continue her career at Kent State University.

Rochester Adams junior Elexi Boladian netted eight goals in a 14-4 win over Royal Oak on May 7. She’s one of only 19 players to score at least eight in a game.

A pair of Grand Rapids Catholic Central juniors stamped their names in the record book with big scoring seasons. Lauren Marosi had three games with eight or nine goals to finish with 101 and 117 points total – her single-season goals are the sixth most in MHSAA history. She also became the fourth player with at least 12 points in a game, when she had six goals and six assists May 29 against Mattawan. Teammate Annie Gilbert was added for eight goals in a game, and 85 goals and 93 points this spring. As a team, Grand Rapids Catholic Central had 246 goals. Marosi has committed to play collegiately at Virginia Commonwealth University, while Gilbert is committed to University of Detroit Mercy.

Boys Soccer

Cobe Lund will enter his senior season this fall coming off a historic junior performance – his 42 goals and 62 points over 25 games both earned record listings. Leland as a team scored 126 goals – tying for 11th-most all-time – on the way to making the Division 4 Regional Finals.

Softball

New Lothrop’s Emma Muron had such a rare season at the plate this spring, it led to the creation of a new section of the softball record book. Muron was hit by pitches 22 times over 36 games, and three times apiece in two games. A junior, she also hit .387.

PHOTO: Gabe Liebetreu defends the goal for Grand Haven during the 2016 season. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Haven Tribune.)