St Francis Standouts Net Record Entries
April 18, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Traverse City St. Francis missed tying for a Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship in girls tennis by a point in 2016, but continued adding big winners to the MHSAA record book.
Amanda Bandrowski capped her high school career as a Division 4 semifinalist at No. 1 singles and on the career wins list with a record of 117-10 – tied for 11th-most victories – and with 26 wins by a score of 6-0, 6-0 over her four seasons. She’s now playing at Hope College.
Anne Bandrowski, then a sophomore who finished runner-up at No. 3 singles, was added to the record book with a 35-3 record last spring, and senior Rosemary Wilson was added with a 34-4 record after winning the No. 4 singles title.
Click to see the MHSAA girls tennis record book in full, and read on for the latest additions in baseball, boys and girls basketball, football, softball and volleyball.
Baseball
Austin Yager was hit by pitches three times during the first game of a doubleheader last season against Lake Fenton. The Durand now-senior tied for second-most times being hit by a pitch in a game, and also had a single in his only other plate appearance in the 11-2 win.
Wyoming Lee’s Jose Cruz, Jr., also was hit by pitches three times in a March 28, 2016, game against Byron Center Zion Christian. Cruz ended up scoring two runs and driving in two runs in the 9-7 loss despite not getting a hit; one of his hit-by-pitches came with the bases loaded. Cruz was a junior at the time.
Boys Basketball
Bear Lake just missed an MHSAA record in its 81-62 win over Custer Mason County Eastern on Feb. 10. The Lakers scored 46 points during the third quarter – tied for second-most ever for one quarter and just two shy of tying the record set in 1966. Bear Lake also made 18 3-pointers in the game, good to make that record book single-game list as well. With Mason County Eastern’s four 3-pointers that game, they combined to make the list for most 3s for two teams in one game; Bear Lake also made 12 in a March 2 game against Walkerville, which had 10 to give the two teams 22 total and another listing.
Girls Basketball
Kaylee Benge finished her high school career this winter among the top 3-point shooters in MHSAA history, totaling 156 on 477 attempts during her four seasons for Sand Creek. She made a career-high 57 in 170 attempts this season while averaging 14.7 points per game.
North Muskegon senior Mya Duncan this season tied the third-longest consecutive free throw streak, making 37 straight over nine games beginning Dec. 20 and ending Jan. 27. As a junior, Duncan made the record book with 16 straight free throws in one game.
Bethany Baldwin went over 1,000 career points this winter as only a junior at Watersmeet, so it’s not entirely a surprise that she’s also put up multiple 50-point games. She had 52 in a Jan. 19 win over Republic-Michigamme and then 56 in a Class D District loss to Wakefield-Marenisco on Feb. 27. The 56 rank seventh for one game in MHSAA history.
Football
Milan’s Trace Lindeman capped his career in the fall among the leading rushers in MHSAA history with 5,483 yards over 42 games the last four seasons. His yardage ranks 13th on that career list, and his 75 rushing touchdowns rank ninth while also qualifying him for the overall career points (450) and touchdown lists.
Softball
Linden’s now-junior Elizabeth Rakowski earned an entry in the record book as a sophomore last spring with a 27-game hitting streak from March 30-May 23. The all-league outfielder finished the season with a .476 average over 36 games.
Volleyball
Brooke Binkley had 60 assists in DeWitt’s 3-2 Regional Final loss to Portage Central on Nov. 10, those assists good for seventh most in one match since the beginning of rally scoring in 2004-05. Binkley, a junior, finished this season with 1,376 assists to also make the single-season list.
PHOTO: St. Francis' Rosemary Wilson returns a volley during her Division 4 championship match last spring. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.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.