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.

Mercy Star Scores Record in 1st Season

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 28, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Few freshmen in any sport have broken onto the scene like Farmington Hills Mercy’s Jillian Smith did in girls lacrosse in 2018.

The now-sophomore earned 20 entries in the MHSAA record book, including the top spot for points in one game when she scored 12 goals and tallied three assists for 15 points against Detroit Country Day last March 26.

Smith scored 12 goals in a game (tied for third most) three times, and her 132 goals for the season ranked third. Her 155 points over 17 games tied for sixth most all-time as she led Mercy to the Division 2 Semifinals.

See below for more recent MHSAA record book additions in girls lacrosse, girls soccer, boys basketball and football. Click the headings to see those record books in full.

Boys Basketball

A few seasons after hoisting his final high school shots, Drew Zuidema has an updated and rightful place on the career 3-pointers list. He made the list initially after his first three seasons at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, but with his senior total from 2013-14 now included Zuidema ended with 226 3-pointers – good to rank 16th in the category. He went on to play at Spring Arbor University.

A pair of standouts put up record book numbers over four seasons for Ann Arbor Skyline as they led the team to the Class A Regional Finals in 2017-18. Brandon Wade was added for making 352 of 486 free-throw attempts over 87 games, and also for his 210 career steals (his 469 career assists just missed that list). Jack Ammerman was added for connecting on 227 3-pointers in 533 attempts also over 87 games. Wade is playing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Ammerman is continuing his career at Northwood.

Football

Hemlock junior quarterback Brady Devereaux enjoyed a game worthy of record book recognition this past season, rushing for six touchdowns in a 47-12 win over Saginaw Nouvel. He finished with 183 yards on 22 carries.

Clare senior Aidan Boyd tied for sixth with 159 extra points for his career over just three seasons, finishing this past fall with 159 in 171 attempts over 32 varsity games. He also made the single-season list for extra points all three, with a high of 55 in 61 attempts as a junior.

Three St. Joseph kickers were added for field goals in a season this decade – Cullen Hoffman for 10 in 2013 and nine in 2014, Sean Akins for nine in 2015 and senior Antonio Buhrfiend for nine this past fall. Hoffman also was added to the career list with 19 field goals in 25 attempts over three varsity seasons (all 25 tries came during his final two years). Additionally, then-senior Jack Turak was added for 43 carries in a playoff game (for 391 yards) against Sturgis on Nov. 1, 2013, and 40 carries two weeks earlier (184 yards) against Portage Central.

Schoolcraft junior Kobe Clark made statewide headlines with his MHSAA record nine rushing touchdowns on Sept. 28, and he finished the fall with 38 rushing touchdowns (tied for eighth) and 45 scores total (sixth). Clark’s 270 points scored ranked 10th all-time for one season.

While Holland Christian defeated Ada Forest Hills Eastern 40-16 on Aug. 30, Forest Hills Eastern senior Brady Doyle earned a slight statistical advantage – and record book entry – in a matchup of busy receivers. Doyle caught six passes for 266 yards (and two touchdowns), making the single-game yardage list. Holland Christian’s Brady Howe just missed the cut-off for that list with nine catches for 217 yards and a score.

Girls Lacrosse

A number of entries were added for the history of Rochester lacrosse, most notably for Kendall Jordan, Jessica Leininger and goalies Kyleigh McCarthy and Aly Rosenau. Jordan’s 96 goals in 2017 are tied for ninth most, and her 272 goals over four seasons through last spring rank third. She also ranks 10th on the career points list at 294. Leininger is tied for 17th on the career points list with 215, with her 211 goals 11th on that list. McCarthy had 207 saves last spring, tied for third most, and took over the career saves lead with 560 through three seasons with one more to play. Rosenau had 488 career saves from 2010-12, including a high of 189, ranking sixth, in 2012. Martha Koch, Julia Koch, Sarah Mattingly, Maggie Ng, Claire McPherson, Jessie Lannan and Laura Hein also were added for achievements. As a team Rochester was added for scoring more than 200 goals four times with a high of 242 in 2017, and has the record for goals in a game with 27 against Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse in 2006. McCarthy has signed to continue at Northern Michigan University. Julia Koch played ice hockey at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Girls Soccer

New Baltimore Anchor Bay made the team record list giving up only nine goals last spring as it finished 18-2-3. Then-junior keeper Ally Gaunt was added for 16 shutouts to go with her 14 as a sophomore – and she was joined by 2015 graduate Emily Zweng, who made lists with 13 shutouts as a senior and 32 over her three-season varsity career. Michelle Dear, a 2013 graduate, was added for 83 career goals over four seasons with a high of 30 as a junior. Dear went on to play at Michigan State, Zweng played at Oakland and Gaunt has signed with Saginaw Valley State.

PHOTO: Farmington Hills Mercy’s Jillian Smith (24) considers her options during a game last season. (Photo courtesy of the Farmington Hills Mercy athletic department.)