South Lyon East Softball Blasts Way to Top of All-Time Home Run Chart
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 14, 2022
The South Lyon East blasted past the previous home run record of 63 last season, drilling 70 over 35 games during a successful 2021.
That previous record was set by New Baltimore Anchor Bay in 2019, when four teams hit 53 or more homers. The 2020 season wasn't played because of COVID-19, and the next-listed team for 2021 is Three Rivers with 48 home runs.
East finished 25-9-1 and was led in its record chase by senior Lauren Sciborski, who tied for fifth on the individual single-season home run list with 22. She’s continuing her career at Northwestern.
See below for more recent record book additions in softball, plus baseball, girls lacrosse and girls and boys soccer.
Baseball
Rudyard’s EJ Suggitt was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBI in a 13-0 win over Pickford last June 4, and he made the record book single-game stolen bases list with five. He’s a senior this school year.
Marshall’s Killian Bies tied for sixth-most times hit by pitches during the 2021 season, with 22 times reaching base that way over 32 games. Bies is a junior this season.
Girls Lacrosse
A pair of Dearborn Divine Child juniors earned the school’s first girls lacrosse record book entries in 2021. Jenna Allie was added four times, including twice for single-game highs of 10 goals and her 68 goals total over 15 games. Goalie Sam Stevens was added for a single-game high of 18 saves and 153 saves total for 18 games.
Girls Soccer
Elk Rapids’ Lauren Bingham earned her first record book entry with an outstanding sophomore season in 2021. She scored 31 goals to make the single-season scoring list, and added 12 assists.
Boys Soccer
Ryan Serwa capped his Berkley career this past fall considered again among the state’s best. He didn’t allow a goal over his first seven games to earn one of three record book entries – the other two added for 13 shutouts for the season and 24 over his three-season varsity career.
Marshall’s 2018 team won its District and finished 23-1-1, its only defeat to Grand Rapids Christian 1-0 in a Division 2 Regional Semifinal. Marshall made the team record book lists for giving up only 10 goals that season, with 17 shutouts. Additionally, four-year varsity player Jake Lyon was a junior on that team and graduated after the 2019 season with 52 assists to make the career list in that category. Lyon plays at Hope College.
Softball
Shepherd then-sophomore Liv Regenfuss moved to the top of the list for hitters with two home runs in the same inning when she blasted a pair during the fifth inning of a win over Pinconning on May 20, 2021. Now a junior, she’s one of 18 on that record book list.
A trio of Watervliet standouts were added for accomplishments during the 2021 season. Samantha Dietz was added for scoring 79 runs and stealing 62 bases, both over 40 games, and Abby Whorton hit 18 doubles over 34 games. Grace Chisek was added twice for driving in six runs in a game and a third time for back-to-back home runs in one contest. Dietz’ runs tied for ninth on that list. She’s a junior this season, and Whorton and Chisek are both sophomores.
Leslie made team record book lists with 408 hits, 77 doubles and 320 RBI during the 2021 season when it finished 33-8, with a trio of individuals receiving similar recognition. Gabby Waldofsky is listed for 69 runs and 83 hits over 41 games, while Jalen Fossitt had 21 doubles over 41 games and Ada Bradford hit 18 doubles over 40. All three players are sophomores this season.
PHOTO The South Lyon East softball team commemorates its record 70 home runs during last season’s Division 1 District. (Photo courtesy of South Lyon East softball.)
Long-range Skill Helps P-W Go Distance
July 29, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Pewamo-Westphalia girls basketball team this past winter won its first MHSAA Finals championship, in Division 3, based in part on record book-caliber 3-point shooting.
The Pirates finished 14th all-time with 183 3-pointers and also made the attempts list with 533 over 28 games. Ellie Droste, Rachel Huhn and Hannah Spitzley all had at least 42 3-pointers as the team finished 27-1.
A trio of other long-distance shooters also recently were added to the girls basketball record book – see more on those achievers below, plus recent additions in wrestling as well. Click the headings to see those record books in full.
Girls Basketball
Comstock’s Daisy Ansel capped her career this winter as one of the top long-distance shooters in MHSAA history. She made 78 more 3-pointers as a senior to finish her four-season career with 261 in 721 attempts (36 percent) over 86 games. She also was added to the records for scoring 45 points in a game twice, and just missed the career free-throw shooting list finishing with a career success rate of 79.9 percent. As a team, Comstock was added for 162 3-pointers, 524 attempts, and a 71.2 free-throw shooting percentage in finishing 17-5. Ansel will continue her career at Grand Valley State University.
Westland Universal Learning Academy junior Zahraa Cherkaoui added to her 2017 entry for 47 points in a game with 49 in a Feb. 5 69-42 win over Warren Michigan Math & Science Academy. She made 15 two-point field goals, five 3-pointers and 4-of-5 free-throw attempts.
Birch Run’s Sarah Miller has made a significant imprint in the record book through her junior season, with 140 steals as a sophomore in 2017-18 and then three entries for free-throw shooting this past winter. Miller’s 21 free throws against Carrollton on Feb. 2 tied for fourth most for one game, and her 17 in 17 attempts Dec. 18 against Alma are tied for fifth-most consecutive in one game. Her 176 free throws total (in 218 attempts) were 13th most for one season.
Rogers City’s Taylor Fleming was a three-sport standout over the last four years, and will continue in volleyball at Lake Superior State University. She left her mark in basketball with a pair of record book entries, for 28 rebounds in a game Dec. 27 against Posen and for 355 rebounds over 19 games total this winter. Her aunt Ashley Fleming also was added to the records for grabbing 1,194 rebounds from 2001-04 – that total ranking ninth all-time. She went on to play at Ferris State University.
Midland Dow’s run to the Division 1 Regional Finals was keyed by a pair of sharp-shooting guards finishing their high school careers. Molly Davis made 68 3-pointers this past season and Maizie Taylor connected on 65, including 11 in a Feb. 20 game against Flint Powers Catholic. Davis finished her four-season varsity career with 174 3-pointers and will continue at Central Michigan University, and Taylor will play at Northwood University. As a team, Midland Dow made 222 of 616 3-point attempts in finishing 23-2. The Chargers had 15 3-pointers twice – against Powers and also Dec. 11 against Howell – and the 222 for the season rank fourth all-time.
Wrestling
Clinton’s Noah Comar finished his two-time championship career this winter with a record of 219-8 and 151 pins over those 227 matches. Those career falls rank 16th all-time, and he also made the single-season list with 46 over 60 matches as a junior. Comar won the Division 4 championship at 125 this past winter and at 112 as a sophomore, and was 125 runner-up as a junior and 112 runner-up as a freshman. He will continue at University of Michigan.
Petoskey grad Kegan Arthur also was added for winning more than 200 matches during his career, which concluded in 2010. Arthur finished 201-31 with a career-high 54 victories as a senior, when he finished Division 2 runner-up at 135 pounds. He also came in fifth at 130 as a junior and was a four-time Finals qualifier. He went on to compete at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Gaylord junior Chayse LaJoie added an Individual Finals runner-up finish this past winter at 125 to championships previously won at 103 and 112, and made the MHSAA records with 16 technical falls in finishing 48-2.
Kyle Schaaf capped his Clare career this winter with a four-season varsity record of 194-23, with highs of 52 wins as both a sophomore and a junior. He finished fifth in Division 3 at 125 pounds as a senior and was a four-time Finals placer – he also was 119 runner-up as a junior, third at 119 as a sophomore and eighth at 112 as a freshman.
Mattawan sophomore Anthony Williamson opened his Individual District competition at 152 pounds this winter with a pin in just four seconds – edging two others by a second for the fastest fall at that weight in MHSAA history. Williamson went on to win his bracket and eventually take sixth place at his weight at the Division 2 Finals.
PHOTO: P-W’s Rachel Huhn fires a 3-point attempt during last season’s Division 3 championship game win over Flint Hamady.