Records Report: Gussert Joins the Elite
April 17, 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.
Hemlock, Rockford Follow 3-Point Success to 1st Titles, Record Book Fame
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 1, 2023
Hemlock and Rockford's drives to their first Girls Basketball Finals championships in March were paced in part by some of the strongest 3-point shooting in MHSAA history.
The Division 1 title-winning Rams connected on 243 3-pointers – third-most all-time – over 29 games in tying the single-season wins record while finishing 28-1. Grace Lyons, a senior this fall, made the single-season individual list with 70 3-pointers.
The Huskies won in Division 3 having connected on 229 3-pointers over 29 games, seventh-most in MHSAA history, on 678 attempts, which ranks 12th on that list. Chloe Watson made the single-season list with 75 3-pointers, and Regan Finkbeiner did as well connecting on 67.
Watson also made the career 3-pointers list with 224 and Finkbeiner with 194, and 2017 Hemlock graduate Samantha Krauss was added for 65 3-pointers as a junior in 2015-16 and 188 for her career. Additionally, past Hemlock standout Karli Herrington was added for her 317 rebounds in 2012-13, and Peyton Apsey was added for 144 steals in 2010-11.
Watson is continuing her career at Mid-Michigan College, and Finkbeiner is playing softball at Madonna. Herrington went on to play at Central Michigan and Northwood, Krauss played at Ferris State and Apsey played at Oakland.
Read on for more recent record book additions for girls basketball:
Girls Basketball
Hudsonville’s Maddie Petroelje joined the list of top 3-point shooters in MHSAA history as a junior in 2021-22, when she connected on 70 (in just 147 attempts) to make the single-season list. She graduated this spring 16th on the career list as well with 226 3-pointers in 512 attempts over 92 games and four seasons. She is continuing at Loyola (Ill.).
Byron Center’s Avery Zeinstra also finished her career among those top 3-point shooters. She also made the single-season list with 70 in 147 attempts as a freshman in 2018-19, and she capped her career in 2021-22 with 206 3-pointers (tied for 20th-most) in 502 attempts over four seasons and 80 career games. She is continuing at Grand Valley State.
Hannah Thompson was best known for her soccer scoring at Schoolcraft. But she’s made a second MHSAA record book for her 15 steals in a Jan. 28, 2022, basketball win over Galesburg-Augusta. She’s continuing her soccer career at Eastern Michigan.
Baraga’s run to the Division 4 Semifinals in 2022 received big boosts from Corina Jahfetson’s 3-point shooting and Reide Osterman’s defense. Jahfetson was added to the record book with 66 3-pointers over 25 games, including nine in a game against Carney Nadeau – when Baraga as a team made the record book with 14 3-pointers total. Osterman made the record book with 153 steals. Jahfetson graduated this spring, and Osterman is playing at Northern Michigan.
Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy’s Audrey Mileski had one of the busiest games at the free throw line in MHSAA history Dec. 14, 2021. She made 23 free throws – third-most in a single game – against Wyoming Kelloggsville. Mileski graduated this spring.
Sophia Bussell had set Monroe’s single-game 3-pointers record of eight as a freshman two seasons ago, and she bettered it last Dec. 13 by tying for the 10th-most in MHSAA history. She made 10-pointers including the game-winner of a 58-56 victory over Ypsilanti Lincoln. A little less than 10 months earlier, Adrian Lenawee Christian then-senior Kylie Summer also made 10, on 17 attempts, during a 57-34 win over Lansing Christian on Feb. 24, 2022.
Lydia Meredith enjoyed a memorable senior season for Portland St. Patrick in 2021-22, finishing her four-year varsity career with 453 steals over just 80 games. She also was added for drilling 17 free throws in 22 attempts against Fowler. She plays now at Saginaw Valley State.
Gabby Piepho got off to a fast start at Howell as a freshman last season, and at a record-setting pace at the free-throw line. She made 93 of 107 attempts over 25 games, for an .869 percentage that made the single-season list. That included a string of 47 straight free throws that ranks as the second-longest in MHSAA history. As a team, Howell tied for sixth all-time with 301 free throws over 25 games, on 439 attempts.
Kent City’s Lexie Bowers reached the single-season 3-pointers list for the second time last season, connecting on 72 of 233 tries over 26 games (after making 77 as a junior), and finished her four-season varsity career 16th on that 3-pointers list with 225 in 693 attempts over 99 games. She’s continuing her career at Northwood. Kent City as a team also reached the single-season 3-pointers made and attempted lists again, ranking fourth with 753 attempts and tying for eighth all-time by connecting on 202.
Posen then-junior Faith Cousins earned a par of record book entries during 2021-22 for assists. Her 16 in a District Final win on March 4, 2022, remain tied for fifth-most in one game, and she finished with 165 over 22 games for the season. She’s set to begin her softball career at Alma College.
Niles Brandywine went over 20 wins again this past season, finishing 21-3, and again the 3-pointer was a key tool in that pursuit. Brandywine made the record book with back-to-back games of 13 3-pointers to close the regular season, and finished with 175 3-pointers in 592 attempts over 23 games (with one won by forfeit).
Greenville’s Megan Leslie averaged more than two 3-pointers a game during her four-season varsity career, making the record list with 153 total over 76 games through graduation this spring. She’s continuing her career at Alma College.
Successful 3-point shooting played a major role in Saline finishing 21-4 with league and District titles last winter. The Hornets attempted 704 3-pointers – ninth-most all-time for one season – and connected on 191, which is 12th on that list. They made a season-high 14 against Ypsilanti Lincoln on Nov. 29 to make the single-game list.
Marcellus senior Brooklyn VanTilburg enjoyed a big finish to her high school career last winter, making the record book with 16 blocked shots in a game against Centreville and 135 blocks total for the season. She’ll continue at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Kennedy Gustafson made headlines last winter as a sophomore and earned a pair of record listings for her rebounding. She grabbed 26 in a March 3 District Final win over Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, and she finished with 376 rebounds over 25 games for the season.
PHOTO Hemlock's Regan Finkbeiner, left, follows through on a free throw attempt during last season's Division 3 Final, and Rockford's Grace Lyons launches the game-winning 3-pointer in Division 1.