Sharp-Shooting Long Sisters Help Bring Newaygo to Breslin
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 27, 2021
Newaygo’s run to this season’s Division 2 Final included record-book performances by sisters Jaylee and Jaxi Long.
Jaylee Long – who has signed with Cornerstone University – made the career list for 3-pointers with 168 over 90 games and four seasons.
Jaxi Long, a junior, was added for 17 free throws against Howard City Tri County on March 24 and a .878 free throw percentage (79 of 90) for the season. Her season percentage is tied for 12th-highest all-time.
See below for more recent record book entries in girls basketball and boys soccer.
Girls Basketball
Plymouth continued this season to earn entries in the team records for 3-pointers, led by senior Ella Riley. The Wildcats were added for 15 3-pointers in a game against Dearborn Fordson on March 19 and 14 against Burton Bentley on Feb. 27, and also for attempting 479 over 20 games this season (making 143). Riley made the individual 3-pointer list with 72 this season, after sinking 75 as a junior, and for making 163 over 63 games for her career – she was on varsity all four seasons but missed her sophomore year with an injury. She will continue her career at Elmhurst University in Illinois.
Oscoda also was added for some major 3-point shooting performances this season. The Owls drilled 15 against both Rogers City on March 9 and Midland Calvary Baptist on March 13, and also 14 against Durand on Feb. 20.
Leland’s Olivia Lowe finished a four-season, 82-game varsity tenure this winter on a pair of career lists. She grabbed 1,077 rebounds during her career – also making the single-season list with 302 as a junior – and ranks eighth with 470 made free throws (in 643 attempts). She will continue at Hope College.
Boys Soccer
Big Rapids Crossroads Academy senior Joseph Gardei was the busiest keeper for one game in MHSAA history Oct. 1, when he stopped a record 48 shots on goal during an 8-1 loss to Clare. Gardei had only six field players available in front of him, while Clare played at full strength.
Mitchell Drabicki’s scoring surge over his four varsity seasons at Clinton saw him score two goals as a freshman in 2015 and 59 as a senior – those 59 ranking 10th all-time for a single season. He also made the career scoring list with 102 goals total.
Kirt Brown has been added to the record book list with a record of 369-214-49 after serving as Parchment’s varsity boys coach from 1990-2004 and taking over at Mattawan in 2006. He led Mattawan to the Division 1 Semifinals this past fall.
Nathan Isbrecht became the first player to be added to the MHSAA record book for scoring six goals in a game during the Fall 2020 season, as he did so in Watervliet’s 10-2 season-opening win over Parchment on Sept. 9. He is a junior.
Evan Mieden earned Carleton Airport’s first record book entry for boys soccer with a busy senior season. He made 349 saves in goal, which rank ninth-most on the single-season list.
Leslie earned its first record book entries in this sport Sept. 15 – and in a big way. Senior Tristan Feigner tallied eight goals, tied for third-most in one game. Senior Garrett Mays set the MHSAA record with 10 assists, including eight on Feighner’s goals.
PHOTO: Newaygo’s Jaylee Long brings the ball upcourt during her team’s Division 2 Semifinal win over Detroit Country Day in April. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Bowers Leaves Record-Caliber Mark on Kent City Hoops
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 4, 2021
Senior Kenzie Bowers added a pair of record book entries this past winter as she continued to help Kent City join the girls basketball elite.
Bowers scored 46 points in a win over Lakeview on Feb. 10 this winter, and also was added for 14 assists against Ravenna during a 2019-20 victory. The assists are tied for 12th-most in one game. Bowers also had earned a record book entry as a junior for drilling nine 3-pointers in a game.
Kent City reached the Division 3 championship game in April, falling just two points shy against Grass Lake in the finale. Bowers will continue her career at Illinois State.
See below for more recent record book entries for girls basketball, baseball, boys lacrosse and girls soccer.
Baseball
Nearly 50 years later, Jim Kniivila has reached the record book. The four-year Holt pitcher finished with a 0.21 ERA over 66 innings in 1973, ranking today as the eighth-lowest ERA for a single season. He went on to play at Michigan State.
Jacob Freeman capped his Gaylord career in 2016 by making the Division 2 all-state first team – and by earning a spot in the MHSAA record book with 47 stolen bases. He also hit .403 that spring.
Girls Basketball
Houghton’s Stella Wickstrom posted major rebounding performances as only a sophomore last winter. The 6-foot forward grabbed at least 25 rebounds in three games – with that many against Calumet on Feb. 15 and Iron Mountain on March 1, and a season-high 27 against Baraga on Feb. 8.
Ella Stemmer put up big numbers over her four-season, 88-game Saline varsity career – including some of the most impressive ever from the free throw line. She made the career list with 419 free throws in 506 attempts, with her 90.9-percent success this winter tying for second-highest for one season and her 82.8 career percentage ranking fifth. She’ll continue her career at Lehigh.
Comstock Park then-senior McKenna Bent connected on 10 3-pointers in two games during the 2019-20 season, against Holland that Dec. 13 and Sparta on Feb. 7. She finished with 40 and 41 points, respectively, in those games. She’s continuing her career at Saginaw Valley State.
Boys Lacrosse
Xander Roisen saved 32 shots for Pinckney in a 16-2 loss to Canton on April 23, setting an MHSAA record for most saves in one game (but to be broken three later; see below). Roisen was a senior this spring.
Warren Cousino senior Donovan Cece took over the record for saves in a game with 35 in his team’s 12-0 loss to Clinton Township Chippewa Valley on May 14.
JJ Hawkins had another of the busiest days for a goalie March 27. He made 21 saves in Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s 13-4 loss to Dearborn Divine Child. Hawkins was a freshman this spring.
Girls Soccer
Lily Usher tied for the seventh-most saves in a game when she made 35 in Owosso’s 6-0 loss to Goodrich on May 5. The Martians took a total of 56 shots, including those not on goal. Usher was a sophomore this spring.
PHOTO: Kent City's Kenzie Bowers gets to the basket during the Division 3 championship game against Grass Lake in April.