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.
Cook Caps Career of Setting for Success
October 9, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Freeland setter Betsy Cook graduated this spring after a four-year run of setting her teammates up for success – and in the process became one of the most successful doing so in MHSAA history.
Cook finished with 3,738 assists over four seasons – ranking 15th all-time – and including 1,362 assists as a senior to earn two of her seven entries in the MHSAA record book. She also had a match high of 54 assists among four entries on that list.
Cook also made the single-season aces list with 110 last season, and then-sophomore teammate Caitlinn Pistro made the list with 122. Cook is continuing her career this fall at Madonna University.
See below for more recent record book additions for volleyball, baseball, softball, boys basketball and girls soccer, and click on the headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Nick Johnson finished his career at New Lothrop this spring as one of the most accomplished hitters in MHSAA history, ranking among the highest achievers on a number of record book lists. His 227 runs scored over 164 games and four varsity seasons rank fourth all-time, while his 256 hits are second and only one off tying the record set by Brighton’s Drew Henson from 1995-98. Johnson’s 56 career doubles also rank fourth, and his 78 hits as both a junior and senior are tied for third-most for a single season. Johnson also finished with 13 career triples and a career .491 batting average. He’s continuing his career at Adrian College.
Holland Christian’s Chris Mokma joined his brother Mike, who graduated in 2016, among four pitchers who have tossed at least two perfect games in a season. Chris’ came this spring against Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grandville Calvin Christian. He also was added to the records for a 0.55 season ERA. He’s now a senior and has committed to Michigan State.
Vassar then-sophomore Addison Hansard earned his school’s first baseball records listing since 1992 with 48 stolen bases over 32 games this spring. He was caught only twice in 50 attempts.
Boys Basketball
Mason Saubert will start his senior season next month at Wakefield-Marenisco with some impressive all-time credentials after a sharp-shooting junior year. Saubert finished 2017-18 with 98 3-pointers (in 227 attempts), his makes good for sixth most in one season. He had a career-high 11 3-pointers in a 75-30 win over Baraga on Jan. 24.
Girls Soccer
Elysia Mattos closed her four-season varsity career at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer with 14 shutouts as a senior in 2017 to make the single-season list in that category. She also finished with 47 shutouts, which ranks 15th all-time. Mattos is playing basketball at Muskegon Community College.
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian has its first record book entry for girls soccer, with Lauren Turner added for 32 goals in 2016 and 33 in 2017 and for 123 career goals from 2015-18. She’s playing at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Softball
Utica Eisenhower made team record lists with 60 doubles, 32 home runs and 261 RBI over 33 games this spring, with a pair of sluggers contributing big to the latter two totals. Now-senior Paige Kolinski made the single-season home runs list with 16 and also the single-game RBI list twice with eight and six, respectively. Aspen Starr also made the RBI list with two games of six apiece. Starr is continuing her career at University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Kolinski has committed to sign with Saginaw Valley State University.
Pinckney’s Britney Lapum also was added to the RBI list for seven in her team’s 15-5 win over Ann Arbor Huron on April 18. The senior was 3-for-5 with a double and a triple.
Volleyball
Burr Oak senior Zoe Lewis served 17 aces in only three games against Litchfield on Sept. 6. Those 17 aces are tied for seventh most for a best-of-five match in MHSAA history.
PHOTOS: Freeland’s Betsy Cook sets during a match last season against Saginaw Swan Valley. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)