Schoolcraft Ace Could Score & Much More

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 10, 2021

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Gabi Saxman’s Schoolcraft career will be remembered in part because she scored more than 1,000 points over four seasons.

But 5-foot-6 point guard made the MHSAA record book in two other categories, with 477 assists and 436 steals over those 96 games before graduating last spring.

She is continuing her career at Western Michigan University this winter, as her former teammates and high school basketball teams all over Michigan kick off their seasons this week.

Below is a look at recent additions to MHSAA record books in girls basketball, hockey and girls soccer. Click on the headings to view those record books in full.

Girls Basketball

Last Feb. 20 was unforgettable for Grass Lake and especially Gabrielle Lutchka. She set an MHSAA record for 3-pointers with 16 to finish the evening with 56 points, which ranks eighth all-time for single-game scoring. As a team, Grass Lake made the record book with 17 3-pointers that night against Manchester. Teammates Abrie Cabana also was added for an achievement last winter, finishing with a .880 free-throw percentage. Lutchka is a junior and Cabana a senior this school year.

Genesee senior Hayle March tied for 12th-most assists in a game Jan 23, 2020, when she dished 14 during her team’s 61-35 win over Mayville. She also had 12 points, five rebounds and five steals in the victory.

Kasey DeSmit played a significant part in Hudsonville’s 73-28 record from 2015-18, making the career record book in two categories. She sank 187 3-pointers and tallied 474 assists over those 101 games. She now plays at Hope College.

Gracie Nowak filled her senior season at Morrice last winter with a number of highlights, perhaps the biggest individually the 18 steals she totaled in a Jan. 17, 2020, win over Webberville. That total ranks as the fourth-highest for single-game steals in MHSAA history.

Kent City continued to dominate the 3-point shooting lists in 2019-20, with the team connecting on 16 in multiple games and a season-high 17 against Ravenna on March 2. Junior Jenna Harrison finished the season with 86 3-pointers over 24 games, and junior Kenzie Bowers had nine of her team’s 16 in a game against Hesperia. Bowers has signed with Illinois State.

Kelynn Kujat completed her Frankenmuth career last season among top 3-point shooters all-time, drilling 187 over four seasons and 89 games. She previously had made the record book with 66 3-pointers as a sophomore.

Nearly 40 years later, Teresa Hudak’s rebounding excellence has reached the record book. The Rogers City standout three times grabbed 26 or more rebounds in a game – with a high twice of 29. She had 342 rebounds as a junior in 1981 and then 385 as a senior the following fall, with the latter total ranking 11th all-time.

Hockey

Sean Hogan enjoyed an exciting start to calendar year 1995, making the MHSAA record book twice. He scored four goals in the first period of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes’ 7-5 win over White Lake Lakeland on Jan. 14, and seven for the game in Our Lady’s 15-4 win over Algonac that Feb. 5. Hogan went on to play at Iona College and has coached multiple American Collegiate Hockey Association programs.

Girls Soccer

Nearly 25 years later, Marie Spaccarotella has made it into the record book for her 102 career goals over four seasons for Livonia Churchill from 1993-96. She went on to play forward at University of Michigan, starting 32 games and scoring 21 goals over four seasons.

PHOTO: Gabi Saxman brings the ball upcourt for Schoolcraft during a game last season. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)

P-W, Spitzley Shine with Record Range

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 22, 2018

Three-point shooting played a big part in Pewamo-Westphalia’s run to the Class C Girls Basketball Semifinals this winter, led by senior guard Emily Spitzley.

She has been added to the MHSAA record book for 71 3-pointers this season and 165 over her four-season career. As a team, the Pirates made the list with 489 3-point attempts this winter – and tied for sixth all-time with 190 3-pointers made over 26 games.

Spitzley will continue her career at Grand Valley State University.

Click to see where she ranks in the girls basketball record book, and read on for more recent record book additions in baseball, boys basketball, girls soccer, softball, boys tennis and wrestling. Click on the headings to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Frankfort’s 36-1 season in 2017 included a pair of team accomplishments that rank among the best all-time. The Panthers finished with a 1.07 team ERA, good for fifth on that list, and with Jack Morrow (0.97) and Kirk Myers (1.07) making the individual record book. Additionally, Frankfort hit .361, and Brett Zimmerman was added for being hit with 16 pitches. All three players are seniors this spring. Morrow will continue his career at Albion College, while Zimmerman will play at Wayne State.

North Adams-Jerome had a busy first inning May 1 against Litchfield, scoring 27 runs. And junior Gabriele Voisin played a record-setting part. He was hit with pitches all four plate appearances in the inning to double up the previous record for HBP in one frame.

Boys Basketball

Thanks to an alum’s observation this spring, Benton Harbor’s 1964-65 Class A championship team was added for scoring 97.1 points per game – good for the second-highest average in MHSAA history. The Tigers scored more than 100 points in seven games, with a high of 120 on the way to finishing 23-0.

Mio freshman Drew Hess opened his high school career this winter with multiple achievements worthy of record book mention. He drilled 81 3-pointers in helping his team to the Class D Regional Finals, and also made 85 percent of his free throw attempts to rank on that list.

Girls Soccer

A pair of Grosse Ile standouts capped their careers in 2016 among the most accomplished in state history. Caroline Fleming had 39 goals and 28 assists as a senior to finish with 121 goals, 101 assists and 222 points over four years – her career assists rank third all-time and her career points are fourth. Keeper Olivia Reckley added 18 shutouts for a career total of 72, which ranks second on that all-time list. Lindsay Miles, now a senior, had 25 assists that spring of 2016. As a team, Grosse Ile was added for scoring 150 goals, giving up only nine and tallying 20 shutouts on the way to the Division 3 Semifinals. Fleming plays at Adrian College, and Reckley plays at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Softball

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer junior MaKayla Thompson earned a record-book entry against one of the state’s best teams April 12. Thompson made the list for most strikeouts in an extra-inning game, fanning 26 against Muskegon Oakridge, which is ranked No. 8 in Division 2 this week. Thompson struck out 12 of the 14 batters she faced after the seventh inning of her team’s 4-3 win. She has committed to continue her career after high school at Kent State University.

Madelin Skene has earned 10 entries in the MHSAA record book and will move up at least two career lists when this season is done. Among the Hartland senior’s accomplishments were nine RBI in one game against Clarkston last season, 10 home runs as both a sophomore and junior, 27 career home runs entering this spring and 150 career RBI with a season to play as well. Senior teammate Brianna Robeson was added for 71 hits in 2017 and a 29-game hitting streak stretching over the end of her sophomore season and most of her junior year. Senior Hannah Mourad had home runs in three straight at bats this May 16 against Brighton, and senior Delanie Grundman was added for homers in consecutive at bats against Grand Blanc on April 25; 2016 graduate Delaney Greene also was added multiple times for homers in consecutive at bats. As a team, Hartland was added nine times including for 427 hits and 303 RBI in 2017 and 76 doubles in 2015. Skene will continue her career at University of Michigan-Dearborn, Robeson will play at Hillsdale College, Grundman has signed with Northwood and Greene plays for Cleary University.

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow tied for second in Lower Peninsula Division 2 in the fall on the strength of another group of record setters. Junior Tyler Conrad made the singles single-season wins list with a 34-5 record, and he’ll carry 39 career wins of 6-0, 6-0 and 23 career tournament victories into his final season. On the doubles side, Aditya Middha and Saketh Kamaraju both were added for 36 wins in 2017, with Gopal Parthasarathy and Daniel Zhang tallying 31. Zhang finished his four-year career with 109 doubles wins and 19 doubles tournament championships. Ryan Killmaster was added for 93 doubles wins over four seasons, with Noah Nichols making the career list with 88, Parthasarathy with 85 and Middha with 71.

Wrestling

Gaylord’s Derek Giallombardo capped his high school career this winter with a Division 2 championship at 125 pounds and three entries in the record book. He was added to the single-season wins list for going 59-4 as a junior and 58-3 as a sophomore, and to the career wins list at 207-14. He will continue his career at Ohio University. 

PHOTO: Pewamo-Westphalia’s Emily Spitzley (32) passes to a teammate during the Class C Semifinal against Detroit Edison at Calvin College.