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.)
Cepo Sets Up Teammates at Record Pace
April 10, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For the second straight season this past fall, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central sophomore Zachary Cepo tallied 48 assists – tying the MHSAA record he set in 2016 as a freshman.
He’s also put together a career-full of assists – with two more years to play.
His 96 career assists already rank fifth all-time, and Cepo also finished 2017 with 71 points to push his career total in that category to 129.
See below for more recent record book updates in boys and girls soccer and softball, and click on the sport headings to view those record books in full.
Boys Soccer
Midland Dow senior goalkeeper Kyle Hop had a string of 10 straight shutouts from Sept. 25-Oct. 21 this past season and finished the fall with 18 shutouts – tied for fourth most in MHSAA history. That string of 10 straight and 19 overall for the Midland Dow also made team record book lists, as did its 108 goals in finishing 21-4-1.
Comstock’s Evan Veenhuis earned four entries for his work in the fall, starting with six goals in his team’s win over Niles Brandywine on Sept. 13. Veenhuis also was added for 52 goals and 62 points over 22 games, and he’s on the career points list as well with 121 over his first three years on varsity and with one more to play.
Brooklyn Columbia Central junior Micah Sonnenberg added a pair of season and career entries to his previous two for goals in a game from 2016. Sonnenberg had 45 goals this past fall to make the single-season list, and his 101 goals are on the career list with one more season to play. He also had 60 points in the fall and has 130 total to make the season and career lists, respectively, in that category.
Cadillac’s Alexus Little capped her three-year varsity career last spring with a pair of goal-scoring entries. Her 35 goals in 2017 made the single-season list, as did her career total of 80 from 2015-17. She finished with 111 points total.
Softball
A trio of Vicksburg four-year standouts graduated last spring with their accomplishments all over the MHSAA record book. Shaidan Knapp capped her career with 13 entries, including for 247 runs scored (fifth all-time), 234 hits, 63 doubles (10th all-time), 20 triples, 25 home runs, 173 RBI and 95 walks drawn. Teammate Carlie Kudary was added for her 189 runs and 223 career hits, plus a 37-game hitting streak in 2016 that is tied for fifth longest in MHSAA history. Grace Stock made career lists with 179 runs, 224 hits, 55 doubles and 195 RBI – those RBI rank 11th all-time. Knapp is continuing her career at Central Michigan University, while Kudary is playing at University of Missouri-St. Louis and Stock is playing at Calvin College.
Mattawan celebrated the final campaign for three record-setting four-year seniors last spring with one of the most impressive offensive runs in MHSAA history. The Wildcats, who finished 32-8 in 2017, set an MHSAA record with 126 doubles, while their 492 hits total ranked 10th, their 46 home runs ranked sixth, their 348 RBI came in ninth and their .437 batting average is tied for ninth all-time. Joanna Bartz, Alexis Taube and Meaghan Markus left their marks all over the records as well. Bartz had 75 hits and 22 doubles last season and 229 hits, 54 doubles, 29 home runs and 194 RBI over her career. Taube had 71 hits, 20 doubles and 13 homers last season and 42 doubles, 30 homers and 164 RBI for her career. Markus had 41 doubles and 23 homers over her career to go with a single-season 11 home runs in 2016. Junior Emily Koperdak also was added for her 21 doubles last spring. Bartz is now playing at Michigan State, with Taube at Kent State.
Byron’s Parker Viele capped her career last spring with five record book entries, including for 56 career doubles and 29 career triples over 143 games. She also had two single-season marks for doubles and another for career pitching strikeouts. She’s playing at Lake Erie College in Ohio.
Mercede Daugherty capped her Watervliet career in 2017 with eight record book entries, including for 48 career doubles, 24 career home runs and 157 career RBI over three seasons and 104 games. She’s continuing her career at Trine University.
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard’s Julia Kennedy has entered her senior season this spring with 33 career home runs, 16 off the record, and with a career-high of 18 as a sophomore in 2016. Her total that season is tied for sixth-highest in one season, and she’s already tied for 15th on the career list. She will continue her career after high school at Miami University (Ohio).
PHOTO: Monroe St. Mary's Zach Cepo surveys the field during a game last season. (Photos courtesy of Monroe News.)