Schoolcraft's Thompson Shatters Soccer Scoring, Total Points Records

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 8, 2022

Schoolcraft’s Hannah Thompson obliterated the girls soccer single-season goals record during the 2021 season that had stood since 2001.

Thompson, now a senior, scored 87 goals over 20 games as a junior, and also set the single-season points record with 93. She also is listed for 43 goals as a freshman and on the career list with 130 despite not being able to play as a sophomore because that season was canceled.

She will continue her career at Eastern Michigan.

See below for more recent record book additions in girls basketball, girls and boys soccer, softball and wrestling.

Girls Basketball

A pair of seniors capped their four-year varsity careers in 2021 by leading Kent City to its first Final and runner-up finish in Division 3. Kenzie Bowers graduated with five record book entries, including for 233 career 3-pointers (ranking 13th) and 426 career steals, both over 96 games. Jenna Harrison has four record book entries, with her 289 3-pointers over 96 games ranking second all-time on the career list. Bowers played this past season at Illinois State, and Harrison is continuing at Sienna Heights. Additionally, Kent City as a team made the 3-pointers attempted list multiple times with a high of 56 against Hesperia on March 1, 2021, and the 3-pointers made list with 18 (in 44 attempts) against Lakeview on Feb. 10, 2021. Total, the team attempted 730 last season (ranking sixth all-time) and made 235 (ranking fourth) despite playing only 22 games. The 125 points scored that day against Lakeview were the fifth-most in one game.

Girls Soccer

Despite her sophomore season being canceled due to COVID-19, Madalyn Freitas already is on the career goals scored list with a season to play at Clinton. Freitas had made the single-season scoring list as a freshman while at Tecumseh in 2019 and added 63 goals over 16 games for Clinton in 2021 for a career total of 125. She also had six assists last season to make the points list with 69 total.

Owosso’s Lily Usher made 286 saves over 15 games during the 2021 season, ranking third on the single-season saves list. She had a high of 35 that May 5 against Goodrich. She is a junior this season.

Boys Soccer

Benzie Central senior Kevin Hubbell scored 16 goals during a 17-0 win over Kingsley on Sept. 29, breaking the MHSAA record for goals in a game previously set in 2003. 

Watervliet’s Brady Bornas was added for his six assists in a Sept. 8 win over Parchment. The total tied for fifth-most in one match. Bornas is a junior.

Softball

Lake Orion’s Tessa Nuss finished her four-season varsity career in 2019 with nine record book entries, including the record for consecutive stolen bases – she was never caught stealing in 122 attempts over her career. She hit a combined .587 for her career, ranking 11th, and she also was added for 253 career hits and 220 career runs. She’s continuing her career at Binghamton in New York.

Grass Lake’s Olivia Turner enjoyed a brilliant varsity debut last spring as a freshman, making the record book in three categories – with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 92 RBI. The RBI total ranks fifth all-time on that list.

Schoolcraft 2021 grad Danielle Blyly made the career doubles list with 37 despite having her junior season of 2020 canceled due to COVID-19. She also made the single-season doubles list with 18 as a sophomore in 2019. She’s continuing her career at Indiana Wesleyan.

Wrestling

Samuel Rickman capped his Trenton career in 2020 as a two-time Finals placer and 200-match winner. He finished a combined 203-25 over four seasons, with a fourth place at 145 pounds in Division 2 as a senior and fifth at 135 as a junior. He’s wrestling at Alma College.

PHOTO Schoolcraft's Hannah Thompson (22) makes her move during last season's Division 4 Regional Semifinal against Kalamazoo Christian. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)

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.