West Catholic Standout Quickly Leaves Lasting Impression

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 18, 2021

Recent Grand Rapids West Catholic grad Jaye Guichelaar played only one season of high school softball in Michigan after her family moved here from Washington a year ago.

But she made a quick and lasting impact on the MHSAA record book.

Guichelaar tied for the eighth-highest single-season batting average at .700 and also made the record book with 70 hits over 30 games. Although a record book list isn’t kept for this statistic, it’s an achievement also worth noting: She didn’t strike out over 100 at bats.

Read on for more recent additions to the softball record listings.

Softball

Durand earned its first record book entry in this sport this season, hitting 61 doubles over 28 games. Madison Raley led the way with 12.

Vicksburg’s Audrie Dugan earned a spot in the records with eight RBI in a May 19 win over Centreville. She was 4 for 4 with a home run.

A pair of Midland Bullock Creek hitters reached the record book with home runs in their respective back-to-back at bats this spring. Senior Mattie Midkiff hit home runs in two straight at bats against St. Charles on April 30. Junior Sydney Borsenik did the same, with both of hers during the second inning, against Carrollton on May 1. Bullock Creek also was added for 69 doubles as a team over 39 games.

Port Huron’s Emma Trombly was perhaps known more for her basketball talents this school year, but she made the softball record book with a big day April 22 against Warren Cousino. Trombly tied for third on the single-game RBI list with 10 in a 23-11 win, going 4 for 6 at the plate and also scoring five runs. She’ll play basketball this upcoming season at Northwood.

LaNya Bates didn’t get to play her senior season at Grand Blanc because of COVID-19, but her hitting over her first three earned her a place on the career batting average list at .541, with 193 hits over 106 games from 2017-19. Teammates Kendall Klochack and Rebecca Oetting were sophomores in 2019 and added to the single-season doubles list for 22 and 18, respectively, that spring. Bates is continuing her career at Memphis, and Klochack signed with Purdue.

Kalamazoo Central’s Kearney Miller earned her school’s first individual record book entry in this sport with 17 doubles this season. Kalamazoo Central also made the team record book with 74 doubles over 33 games. Miller will continue her career at Albion College.

A pair of Caro hitters were added to the records for achievements this spring as well. Freshman Leah Daniels drove in six runs during an April 26 game and had 17 doubles over 38 games this season, while senior Kelsey Marcola also drove in six runs in a game, June 1 against Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker.

A pair of West Bloomfield juniors made the single-season home runs list this spring. Sydney Stapf drove 12 homers over 30 games, while Alma Tatem hit 10 over 28 games.

Chloe May had a memorable May 10 with three record book entries coming from her performance in Pickford’s 26-12 win over St. Ignace. The freshman hit three home runs total, including two in back-to-back at bats, and drove in seven runs.

PHOTO: West Catholic’s Jaye Guichelaar stands in for a pitch during a game this spring. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids West Catholic athletic program.)

Suttons Bay's Periard Makes Defense an Opportunity for Offense

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 25, 2022

Hugh Periard did his share of scoring touchdowns in helping Suttons Bay back to the 8-Player Division 1 championship game last fall. And not just when his team was on offense.

Periard, a senior, has been added to the MHSAA record book twice for scoring achievements as a defender.

He tied the record for interception returns in a season with three, and also became the first to make the list of longest interception return touchdowns, bringing one back the length of the field Sept. 17 against Brethren. Periard finished his career with four interception returns for touchdowns total.

See below for more recent record book additions for 8-player football.

8-Player Football

Ethan Bowerman’s record-setting performance was among a few from Deckerville’s 82-48 win over Genesee on Sept. 10. Bowerman set an 8-player record with six touchdowns in the first quarter and tied for third with seven scores for the game. All seven were rushing, tying for third-most in a game on the ground. As a team, Deckerville had a record 637 rushing yards and 689 total yards, and also a record 11 rushing touchdowns. Bowerman is a senior.

Fennville earned a pair of records during an Oct. 2 win over Bloomingdale. Junior quarterback Ben Peterson tied the record for touchdown passes in a game, with seven, and the defense set a record with seven interceptions.

Kinde North Huron senior quarterback Will Case posted one of the highest-scoring seasons in MHSAA 8-player history in the fall, scoring 222 points with 33 touchdowns and 12 two-point conversions. He also made the single-season rushing touchdowns list with 31. Additionally, North Huron’s Tyler Knoblock has become the first listing for single-game interceptions, from his senior season in 2018. He was added for four in a win over New Haven Merritt Academy, and finished that season with 11 interceptions – one shy of the minimum to be listed in that category.

Jacob Nolan drilled all nine of his extra-point attempts during Rudyard’s 63-6 win over Cedarville/DeTour in the fall, making the list for consecutive extra points in a game. He’s a junior this school year and was one off tying the record.

Whittemore-Prescott’s 68-52 win over Atlanta on Oct. 21 produced nine record book entries. Senior Nick Smith achieved four, with seven touchdowns (all rushing), 48 carries and a record 490 rushing yards. The game also produced five team entries – for 120 total points between the two, and Whittemore-Prescott’s 613 total and rushing yards, 58 rushes and 11 rushing touchdowns. Senior Russell Wilson also was added for five sacks in a 48-28 win over Vermontville Maple Valley.

Kingston junior Michael DeRoseau set a new standard for sacks in an 8-player game Oct. 22. He had six in his team’s win over Burton Atherton.

Mendon quickly has found its footing in 8-player football after decades of 11-player success, and put up some memorable rushing accomplishments in the fall. The Hornets set an 8-player record with 668 rushing yards against Fennville on Sept. 10, and their 678 total yards that game rank second. They also made the single-game rushing touchdown list with eight that game and also eight the previous game against Bloomingdale. Mendon’s 3,671 rushing yards over 11 games rank fourth for a single season of 8-player.

A pair of Bridgman standouts earned record entries in crossing the goalline. Jayce Warren became the first to return a kickoff at least 95 yards, breaking off a 95-yarder against Marcellus on Oct. 22. Teammate Reid Haskins made the single-game rushing touchdowns list with six against Mendon on Sept. 17. Warren was a senior and Haskins a junior.

Wyatt Wesley completed an unforgettable four-year varsity career with three MHSAA records. He totaled 8-player records of 2,493 yards and 44 touchdowns, both rushing, in 11 games this past fall, and also set the career rushing TD record with 75 across 31 games. He also made the season (306) and career (528) points lists among several others. Senior teammate Alex Larner was added for five tackles for loss in a Sept. 10 game against Ashley. As a team, Morrice was added 10 more times, including for 4,218 rushing yards and 85 total touchdowns for the season, and its 75 rushing touchdowns set a record.

Adrian Lenawee Christian junior kicker Brady McKelvey put his name atop four extra point lists. He made all 10 of his attempts Sept. 10 against North Adams-Jerome to top the single-game and consecutive single-game extra point lists, and made a single-season record 59 – with a record of 52 straight.

PHOTO Suttons Bay’s Hugh Periard pulls away for a score during last season’s Division 1 Final against Adrian Lenawee Christian. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)