Troy's MacDonald Rises Up Record Ranks

July 24, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Troy’s Morgan MacDonald continued to build her standing this spring as one of the state’s top girls lacrosse players – while moving into the ranks of the best in this state all-time.

The senior-to-be moved up the career lists for goals, assists and points during her junior season, and also earned her first MHSAA record.

MacDonald had six goals and eight assists against Royal Oak on May 15 to set the single-game points record at 14. She owns 25 entries in the record book after three seasons, with her 256 career goals fifth on that list, her 109 career assists eighth and her 365 points sixth. MacDonald has committed to sign with Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Also added to the MHSAA girls lacrosse record book for Troy were senior Helen Katherine Ferriby multiple times including for 59 goals this spring, and senior Lindsey Davis multiple times including for 175 saves this past season – those saves rank sixth.

Click to see the girls lacrosse record book in full, and read on for more recent additions in baseball, girls basketball, football, girls soccer and softball.

Baseball

Stephenson’s Jesus Becerra finished his four-year varsity career this spring with near perfection as a base stealer. He added 25 more steals in just 17 games to finish with 116 stolen bases in 78 games over his career – and while getting caught trying to steal only three times over those four seasons.

Frankfort’s Kirk Myers added five more shutouts this spring as a senior to cap his career with 11, tying for 10th most all-time. Myers earned all 11 over the last two seasons after coming up to varsity as a sophomore. He’ll continue his career at Albion College.

Girls Basketball

Greenville junior Adele Kemp went over 1,000 points for her career this past winter, and nearly half of her points last season came on long distance shots as she made the MHSAA records with 70 3-pointers. She connected on 43 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc.

Football

West Bloomfield’s run to a Division 1 runner-up finish last fall included the final high school games for a star quarterback, two talented receivers and a strong-legged kicker who all have multiple record book entries. Quarterback Bryce Veasley earned 15 entries including for 225 completions, 388 attempts and 3,487 passing yards last season – his completions tied for 10th, his attempts rank seventh and his yardage ranks 11th all-time. Veasley, who played as a sophomore at Southfield-Lathrup before that school closed at the end of 2015-16, finished with 400 completions, 692 attempts and 6,406 passing yards over three varsity seasons. Receiver A.J. Abbott played his first two seasons at Northville and then had 59 catches for 1,140 yards for West Bloomfield as a senior; he finished with 119 catches and 2,539 yards over three seasons. Taj Mustapha made the records with 102 catches for 1,659 yards over two seasons, and kicker Nick O’Shea made 12 field goals last fall and 55 of 57 extra-point attempts, and 126 of 133 extra-point attempts over three varsity seasons. Additionally, Veasley and then-junior Tre Mosley were added for tying the longest pass play record with a 99-yarder last fall against Rochester Adams, and 2017 graduate Garrett Winn was added three times including for 150 receptions and 1,716 receiving yards from 2014-16. Veasley is continuing his career at Bowling Green, while Abbott and Mustapha are playing at Wisconsin and O’Shea at Morgan State in Baltimore. Mosley has committed to Michigan State, and Winn is entering his sophomore season for Navy.

Girls Soccer

Taylor Truman’s Lily Sanchez just missed making the single-season goals list twice during her four-year varsity career. But she concluded it this spring with 95 goals in 72 games to make the MHSAA career list.  

Coryn Brinks earned West Michigan Aviation Academy’s first girls soccer record book entry with 37 goals this season in helping her team to a 15-6-2 record. Brinks was a sophomore.

Softball

Goodrich’s Abigail Joseph capped her four-year varsity career this spring among the most successful hitters in MHSAA history. Despite never making the single-season hits list, her 245 career hits rank 12th, and her career batting average of .574 is eighth. She also made the single-season average list hitting .677 as a junior and for 65 runs that season and 216 for her career. She will continue this fall at Michigan State. Additionally, freshman teammate Alissa Gauthier was added for 10 home runs this spring.

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Brooklynn Duffey joined the record book with 20 doubles in 38 games this season. The senior catcher batted .517.

Belleville sophomores Mikayla Demyan and Madison Mikulski tied for their school’s record with 11 home runs this spring, and in doing so made the MHSAA record list. Both also earned single-game listings for back-to-back home runs and six RBI in single contests.  

PHOTO: Troy’s Morgan MacDonald looks for an opening against Birmingham United in May. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)

Esman's Career Among All-Time Best

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 14, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Richland Gull Lake’s Lauren Esman was named Miss Softball Pitcher of the Year as a senior in 2019.

But her MHSAA record book legacy all was built at the plate, as she graduated with 19 entries.

Esman ranks on career lists with 216 runs scored (tied for 20th), 225 hits, a .580 batting average (10th), 108 walks (11th), 44 home runs (13th) and 211 RBI (also 13th). She’s playing at University of Michigan. 

See below for more recent record book additions in baseball, girls lacrosse, girls soccer and softball, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Former East Grand Rapids standout Ryan Eible has been added in a number of categories for accomplishments over 137 games from 2008-11 before going on to play at Miami of Ohio. His 15 career triples are tied for 11th all-time, and his 176 career runs are tied for 15th. He also was added for a .451 career batting average and twice for being hit by pitches – 15 times as a senior and 35 times over his career.

Cam Schuelke missed out on the opportunity to finish his Byron Center career this spring, but earned a record book entry as a junior with a 0.70 ERA over 69 2/3 innings pitched in going 8-2 on the mound. Schuelke will continue his career at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Girls Lacrosse

Julia Brown took on a significant role for Grand Rapids Forest Hills United as a freshman in 2019, scoring 53 goals. She also made the record book with eight goals in a May 24 game that season against Hudsonville.

A pair of DeWitt standouts both joined the highest scorers all-time during the 2019 season. Then-sophomore Kerrigan Brown finished with 52 goals and 86 points, and then-junior Alexa Beyer scored 57 goals as the Panthers as a team scored 279 over 21 games. DeWitt also was added to the records for 239 goals in 2018 and 264 in 2016. Beyer will continue her career at Youngstown State in Ohio.

Girls Soccer

Ashley Beck set a Charlotte school record and made the MHSAA record book with 30 goals as a senior in 2019. She finished just shy of making the career goals list, ending her four seasons with 65.

Despite playing only three high school varsity seasons, New Baltimore Anchor Bay keeper Ally Gaunt finished with 41 career shutouts to make that record list after adding 11 shutouts as a senior in 2019. She’s currently playing at Saginaw Valley State University.

Longtime St. Clair Shores South Lake coach Marty Shearer was added to the career victories list with a 324-146-48 record from 1990-2017. He led the program to 10 league and seven District championships, and a Regional title in 2000.

Kevin Fiebernitz has coached both girls and boys varsity teams for three decades, and was added to the career wins lists for both. He’s 421-160-61 on the boys side after leading Flint Powers Catholic from 1989-2002 and Linden from 2003-19. He’s 328-162-55 on the girls side after leading Flint Southwestern Academy from 1990-95 and Linden from 1999-2019. He remains coach of both Linden teams, and led the Powers boys to the Class B title in 1996.

Softball

St. Joseph hit 53 home runs in 2019, tied for fourth-most in MHSAA history. Leading the way were then-senior Courtney Farrish with 17 and then-junior Taylor Garey with 12 – both made the single-season individual home run list. Farrish is playing at Western Michigan University, and Garey has signed to join her.  

Madelin Skene capped her high school career at Hartland in 2018 with 14 record book listings, including for 239 hits, 63 doubles, 41 home runs and 219 RBI over 143 games and four seasons. The RBI are tied for ninth-most all-time, while the doubles are tied for 13th and the homers rank 16th. Skene is playing at University of Michigan-Dearborn. Additionally, then-senior Brooke Cowan was added to the records for 16 doubles and then-sophomore Delaney Robeson for 11 home runs during the 2019 season. Cowan plays at Davenport University and Robeson has committed to sign with Kent State.

PHOTO: Gull Lake's Lauren Esman readies for a pitch during a 2018 game. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)