Records Report: VanNoord Goes National

May 2, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Holly VanNoord capped her Hudsonville Unity Christian soccer career last spring by helping hoist the team’s third MHSAA championship trophy won during her brilliant four seasons in goal.

But her accomplishments as the team’s keeper made more than just MHSAA history. Her 75 career shutouts also are a national record and top this week’s "Records Report."

Click on the sport headings below to see the entire MHSAA record book for each. 

Girls Soccer

  • Unity Christian’s Holly VanNoord had an MHSAA single-season record 24 shutouts as a junior in 2011 and finished with 20 more last season – to go with 16 as a freshman and 15 as a sophomore. She finished with a career goals-against average of 0.25 in helping Unity Christian to MHSAA Division 3 titles in 2012, 2010 and 2009 and the runner-up finish in 2011. The Crusaders gave up a total of seven goals last season. VanNoord's career shutouts broke the MHSAA record by 11 and the national record by three. She was a freshman on Liberty University’s team in Virginia last fall.

Girls Lacrosse

  • Ryan Skomial’s junior season at Hartland ranks as one of the best in MHSAA lacrosse history. She totaled 162 points last spring – good for third on the single-season points list. Her 99 goals ranked fourth and her 63 assists fifth in those respective categories. Hartland fell to Birmingham United 12-11 in overtime in the MHSAA Division 1 Final.

Softball

  • Beaverton’s Alix Price tied an MHSAA record with 18 triples last season as a junior – equaling the total hit by South Haven’s LeAnn Covey in 1993. Heading into this season, Price had a career batting average of .544 – good for ninth-best in MHSAA history – and the fourth-most career triples, 33. Teammate Kayla Balzer also made the record book for her two home runs in consecutive at bats April 21, 2012, against Unionville-Sebewaing.
  • Coincidentally, Farmington Hills Mercy’s Alex Sobczak joined 11 others with three homers in three consecutive at bats, also hit on April 21, 2012, in her team’s win against Pinconning.
  • Hudsonville Unity Christian was added 12 times for achievements mostly during its strong seasons of 2006-09, when the team averaged 28 wins per spring. The 2007 team gave up only 24 runs and the 2006 team gave up just 26. Kara Dornbos made the season strikeouts list with 402 in 2009, and Ashley Wagner and Marie Prins both made lists for doubles – both had 16 in a season, and Wagner finished with 44 for her career.

Football

  • Napoleon’s Rod Rhoad launched a school-record 75-yard punt against Vandercook Lake on Sept. 26, 1975 that stands as a school record to this day – and qualifies as the 12th-longest in MHSAA football history.
  • West Bloomfield’s Chance Monarch was the third-leading tackler in Oakland County last fall with 128, according to the Oakland Press, and 29 of those were for losses – good enough to rank fourth in that category in the MHSAA football record listings.
  • Saugatuck’s Ethan Colton already was in the MHSAA record book for his 2,613 yards rushing in 2010. A large chunk of that came in seven straight 200 yard-plus games from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12 – which tied Issac Harper of East Lansing for the longest string of 200-yard rushing games.
  • Evan Pohlmann played a big part in Menominee advancing to last season’s Semifinals, booting 53 extra points to join a long list of successful kickers.

Volleyball

  • White Cloud’s Maria Feldpausch joined a list of those who have had 48 assists in a match during the rally scoring era, but hers came in only three games as he team swept Central Montcalm on Sept. 5.

PHOTO: Holly VanNoord led her team to a win over Flint Powers Catholic in last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final at Williamston High School.

Dow's Szabo Serves Up 3 Tennis Records

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 13, 2015

Michael Szabo capped his Midland Dow tennis career this fall with his name all over the MHSAA record book.

Szabo won 37 matches for the second straight season, this time playing No. 2 singles for the Chargers, to finish with an MHSAA record 150 victories (against seven losses) from 2012-15. He also set records with 33 tournament championships and 49 matches won by 6-0, 6-0 scores and became one of seven players to earn four MHSAA Finals singles championships.

A number of teammates also are now listed in the MHSAA records: Daniel Magno was added for 69 career doubles wins over four seasons before graduating last spring. Colin Angell was added for 32 singles wins in 2014 to go with his 61 career doubles wins from 2012-13. Noah Nichols and J.J. Kirkman were added for 30 doubles wins this fall, Ryan Killmaster was added for 32 doubles wins and Daniel Zhang was added for 28 doubles wins this season. Armin Vallazza-Margl is listed with 28 doubles wins in 2014 and Nichols is listed for 27 that season. As a team, Dow won its 24th MHSAA Regional title this fall.  

Click to see the boys tennis record book in full, and see below for more recent record book additions.

Football

  • Khari Willis, now a safety at Michigan State University, capped his Jackson Lumen Christi career in 2014 with four accomplishments now noted in the MHSAA record book. His 2,800 rushing yards as a senior were the third-most in MHSAA history and came on only 241 carries. He also made the single-season rushing touchdown list with 30 and single-game lists with 50 carries and 412 yards in his final high school game, a playoff loss to eventual Division 6 champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. Willis finished his high school career with 4,558 yards rushing.
  • Genesee’s Scott Smith joined only two others in MHSAA history when he recovered four fumbles on Sept. 20, 1996, in his team’s victory over Ashley. He also ran for a touchdown and kicked four extra points.

Boys Lacrosse

  • Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard’s Matt Johnson graduated this spring among the highest scorers in MHSAA history with 272 points and 179 goals over his four seasons on varsity. He had 59 goals and 96 points as a senior this spring. He’s currently a member of the University of Indianapolis men’s lacrosse team.

Softball

  • Onaway’s Madison McLean joined a list of big hitters with back-to-back home runs, knocking hers during the second and third innings in a 20-5 win over Posen on April 25. McLean was a freshman, and the homers came in her first two varsity at bats, according to the Presque Isle Advance.
  • Courtney Quade played four seasons for Marlette, graduating this spring, and made the career walks list earning 79 over 115 games. She also hit .429 over her career and .542 as a senior.
  • Kelcie LaTour completed her junior year at Macomb Dakota with multiple entries in the MHSAA record listings; she hit back-to-back home runs during the sixth and seventh innings of a game against Southgate Anderson on May 2, and finished the season with 11 home runs. She also batted .403 and drove in 38 runs.

Girls Soccer

  • Grosse Ile’s run to the Division 3 Regional Finals this spring included impressive seasons by a pair of three-year varsity juniors, plus some impressive totals put up by the team as a whole. Caroline Fleming scored 39 goals to go with 33 assists for 72 points total in 25 games and moved up the career goals (82) and assists (73) lists with a season to play. Olivia Reckley posted the second-most shutouts in one season, 22, and has 55 over her first three seasons. Total, Grosse Ile gave up only five goals – tied for sixth fewest – and scored 138, which ranks eighth for one season. In 2014, the team gave up nine goals and had 18 shutouts.
  • Fenton’s Abby Quesnelle finished her sophomore season in net at the Division 2 Final, and had 15 shutouts in 22 games to help her team to its first MHSAA championship game. She gave up only 12 goals during the season.
  • Grandville Calvin Christian’s fourth straight MHSAA championship run this spring included the sixth-highest team goals total, 139, with Hilary Curry making the individual single-season goals list with 30 in 25 games. Teammate Emily VanVliet made the single-season assists list with 30 and career assists list with 65. Curry is playing at Hope College and VanVliet is playing basketball at Calvin College.

PHOTO: Midland Dow's Michael Szabo prepares to serve during this fall's Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final at No. 2 singles. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)