Swan Valley Pins Down Record Entries
July 13, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Saginaw Swan Valley’s wrestling program has maintained a standing among Division 3 powerhouses with six Individual Finals champions and a number of standouts over the last decade – and now has 38 entries in the MHSAA record book for the sport.
Among those recently added for career wins were 2016 graduates KJ Suitor (223-13) and Matt Santos (193-11), in addition to the following past Vikings: Chris Theile (216-25), BJ Suitor (216-7), Shawn Whitney (209-15), Matt Beebe (208-42), Jared Germaine (200-14), Troy Lamson (200-33), Sam McLean (198-35), Justin Brandel (192-40), Dylan Ewald (191-50) and Darius Wass (191-10). A number of those athletes also earned entries for single-season wins, as did Branden Bell and Josh Flores.
Wass, both Suitors, Whitney, Santos and Brandel also were added for career pins, and Wass tied for the fastest pin – in 4 seconds – at 125 pounds during one of his victories in 2009. KJ Suitor signed with University of Michigan, while Santos signed with Michigan State University; BJ Suitor wrestled at Boston University, Beebe and Wass at Gardner-Webb in North Carolina, Germaine and Brandel at Eastern Michigan, and Lamson also competed at MSU.
Click for the wrestling record book in full and read on for more of this week’s record additions for boys basketball, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer and softball.
Boys Basketball
Hillman junior guard Gunnar Libby had quite an individual performance in his team’s 67-56 win over Whittemore-Prescott on Dec. 14 – 29 points, five rebounds, six assists and 12 steals. The steals tied for sixth-most in one game in MHSAA history.
Boys Lacrosse
Tecumseh freshman Dylan Day enjoyed an excellent start to his career this spring, making the MHSAA records lists both for 65 goals and 92 total points, in 16 games.
Girls Lacrosse
Christy Battersby put up one of the most impressive scoring seasons in MHSAA history this spring for Farmington Hills Harrison. The Hawks’ junior scored the second-most goals in one game, 13, in a 20-19 loss to Grosse Pointe North on April 15. She finished the season with 96 goals and 107 points, her goal total tying for sixth-highest in MHSAA history.
Five DeWitt players made the MHSAA records lists this season, led by junior Rachel Madar’s five entries – three for single-game goals (eight, eight and seven), 80 goals over the entire season and 95 points total this spring. Junior Jordan Markowski was added for 65 goals, five assists in one game and 100 total points. Sophomore goalie Chase Terwilliger had 19 saves in a 13-11 win over Grand Rapids Christian and 182 saves on the season. Junior Adison Salisbury was added for six assists in an 18-10 win over Swartz Creek, and junior Sierra Dietz also made the single-season goals list with 53.
Girls Soccer
Belleville’s Morgan Marshall added 27 goals this spring after making the MHSAA record book with 36 as a junior to finish her four-season varsity career with 104 goals, which also made the records listings. Marshall has signed with Spring Arbor University.
Softball
New Lothrop set an MHSAA single-season record with 276 stolen bases over 34 games this spring, led by Alayna Mantei – who had 88 stolen bases to finish with the second-most ever among individuals. The Hornets also were added for 85 doubles – led by 17 by Maddie Bitterman – .409 team batting average and 249 RBI. Bitterman was a senior and Mantei a junior this season.
Vassar’s Samantha Taylor made the record book with six RBI in a 22-6 win over Bay City All Saints on May 3. Taylor was 3 for 6 with two doubles in the game.
Niles Brandywine senior Makenna Hartline entered the record listings with 13 home runs over 35 games this season in helping her team to a District title. Hartline will play next season at Trine University.
Jordyn Look finished off a fine four-season varsity career for Tawas with 209 hits and 58 doubles, which both made career lists in those categories – the doubles are tied for 13th most. Teammate Abbie Anderson, also a senior, made the records with back-to-back home runs in a 17-3 win over Mio on May 21 and a record-setting seven RBI in one inning – she had a three-run homer and grand slam in the first.
PHOTO: Saginaw Swan Valley’s KJ Suitor works toward a win in his first-round match at this past season’s MHSAA Individual Finals. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Ansel On Target for Record Book Rise
April 23, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Comstock junior Daisy Ansel will be one of the seniors to watch in Michigan next girls basketball season after she joined the state’s top shooters of all-time already as a junior this past winter.
Ansel is tied for 24th for career 3-pointers with 181, with that total recently added to the MHSAA record book. She’s made 38 percent of her long-range tries over the last three seasons, and also was added to the records for connecting on 86.5 percent of her free-throw attempts (64 of 74) over 21 games in 2017-18 as the Colts finished 19-2.
Below are more recent record book additions in girls basketball and boys soccer. Click the sport headings to view those record books in full.
Girls Basketball
Traverse City Central senior Margot Woughter earned a spot in the record book with 15 free throws on 19 attempts in a Jan. 19 game against Alpena. She finished with 40 points total in the 62-55 win. Woughter will continue her career at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Former Posen star center Korynn Hincka ranks among the all-time best in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. She was added for 2,198 points, 1,224 rebounds (eighth-most) and 360 blocks (10th) over 98 games from 2011-14, along with a number of single-season entries and a single-game 19 free throws against Fairview during 2012-13. Younger sister Jenna Hincka was added for 170 steals as a senior during the 2015-16 season, which rank eighth. Korynn went on to play at Grand Valley State, and Jenna played a season of softball at Alpena Community College.
Ishpeming set an MHSAA record this winter making 77.6 percent of its free-throw attempts on the way to a 20-4 finish. The Hematites made 274 of 353 tries, led by senior Madigan Johns with 115 makes in 131 attempts. She was added to the individual list for highest free-throw percentage in a season at 87.8 and for her career at 82.2 over the last three seasons.
Coldwater junior Malorie Rzepka made the list for most free throws in a game with 15 in 16 tries against Kalamazoo Central in a 69-63 overtime win Dec. 19. Rzepka’s free throws all came during the second half and overtime.
Westland Universal Learning Academy then-freshman Zahraa Cherkaoui scored all but two of her team’s points Feb. 1, 2017, in a 49-23 win over Hope of Detroit. Her 47-point performance included seven 3-pointers.
Niles Brandywine’s run to the Class C Regional Finals and a 22-3 record included some record 3-point shooting. The Bobcats connected on 153 3-pointers in 639 attempts, making record book lists in both categories. They also made the single-game list with 14 3-pointers against Saugatuck in a 73-37 win on Dec. 5.
Kent City made the Class C Quarterfinals and finished 22-4 also on the strength of 3-point shooting. The Eagles made 198 3-pointers – fourth most in MHSAA history – on the third-most attempts, 737. Kent City made at least 13 3-pointers in three games, with a high of 16 against Hesperia on Jan. 19.
Boys Soccer
As reported last fall on Second Half, Lincoln Alcona senior keeper Conner McCoy broke the national saves record in late September – and finished his high school career with 1,280 over four seasons. His 365 last fall rank fifth for one season after he set the record as both a sophomore and junior. He will continue his career at Finlandia University.
Ryan Wiesniewski capped his four-year Gladwin varsity career in the fall tied for 10th all-time with 144 goals and eighth with 202 career points. He also made the career assists list with 58 and with highs of 46 goals and 64 points as a junior in 2016. He made the single-game goals list with a school record six against Houghton Lake last September.
PHOTO: Comstock’s Daisy Ansel lines up to attempt a free throw during the 2016-17 season. (Photo courtesy of the Comstock athletic department.)