Saline Sports Recap, Oct 19-25, 2025

Hornets continue their strong performance.

Saline Field Hockey Wins Regional Title, Falls in State Semifinals

The Saline field hockey team capped off a strong postseason run by capturing the regional championship with a dominant 8-0 win over Rockford before falling to Dexter 4-0 in the Division 1 state semifinals.

The Hornets were unstoppable in the regional title game, jumping out to a 6-0 halftime lead and cruising to an 8-0 victory.

Clare Arvai led the offensive surge with three goals and two assists, totaling eight points. Casey Griffin added two goals, while Ella Arvai contributed a goal and two assists. Hannah Phillips and Anina Iadipaolo each scored once, and Alivia Pufpaf had one assist.

Elle Pufpaf added a key defensive steal, helping keep Rockford scoreless.

In goal, Kaylee Mitzel earned the shutout, stopping both shots she faced to secure the win.

In the state semifinal matchup, the Hornets met a tough Dexter squad and couldn’t break through the Dreadnaughts’ defense, falling 4-0.

Dexter held a 6-0 edge in penalty corners, using their offensive pressure to build a steady lead. Despite the loss, goalkeeper Kaylee Mitzel made two saves, keeping Saline in the contest through much of the first half.

Saline football rolls past Lake Orion 49–14

The Saline football team closed out the regular season in dominant fashion Friday night, defeating visiting Lake Orion 49–14. 

The win improved the Hornets to 8–1 overall as they now prepare to host Salem in the opening round of the Division 1 playoffs on Friday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m.

Saline wasted no time taking control, jumping out to a 21–0 lead after the first quarter and stretching it to 42–7 by halftime. The Hornet offense was balanced and efficient behind quarterback Tommy Carr, who completed 12 of 15 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 30 yards and two more scores.

Colton Tousa added a rushing touchdown, while Carson Cherry powered the ground game with 66 yards on 11 carries and a score.

In the passing game, Lincoln Keyes led the way with four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown, Cruz Hanson caught two passes for 67 yards, and Nolan Klein added 27 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. Gabe Iadipaolo and Carson Cherry each added a catch, while Lucas Fidh contributed two receptions for 18 yards.

On the ground, Nick Grunas added 38 yards on six carries, Gabriel Ruiz had 12 yards on four attempts, and Tousa and Austin Falkowski each scored short rushing touchdowns.

The Hornet defense set the tone early, holding the Dragons scoreless through the first quarter and helping build the big halftime lead. The win gives Saline strong momentum heading into the postseason, where they’ll begin their playoff run at home against Salem Friday night.

Saline Cross Country Teams Extend Historic State Finals Streaks

The Saline girls’ cross country team extended one of the most remarkable runs in Michigan high school sports, qualifying for the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals for the 27th consecutive year — the longest active streak in the state. The Hornets finished second overall with 53 points, led by a deep, balanced lineup that placed all seven runners inside the top 30.

Sophomore Savannah Staton led the way with a personal-best time of 17:55, finishing fourth overall. Senior Lillian “Lilli” Schlack followed close behind in sixth at 18:51.6, while sophomore Adelynn Turck placed 11th in 19:14.5. Junior Katarina Munson ran a strong 19:18.1 for 12th, and freshman Caroline Cotner rounded out the scoring with a personal-best 19:58.5 in 20th place. Freshmen Lauren Tomaszewski and Sophie Roth also turned in solid efforts, finishing 25th and 27th respectively.

The Hornets’ consistency and depth once again proved key in securing their place among the state’s elite, maintaining a streak that spans nearly three decades.

The Saline boys’ team also punched its ticket to Michigan International Speedway, finishing second overall with 64 points to qualify for the Division 1 State Finals.

Junior Jacob Szalay led the way for the boys with a fifth-place finish in 15:53.3, followed closely by senior Brennan Larusso, who placed sixth in 15:55.6. Sophomore Wes Rogan finished 11th in 16:22.8, and junior Jacob Cole ran a personal-best 16:34.1 for 18th. Junior Jack Klein rounded out the scoring with a 24th-place finish in 16:50.6. Juniors Carlos Basulto and Carter Mitton also contributed with times of 17:06.3 and 17:21.2.

Both Saline squads will now prepare for the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, November 1, where the girls will aim to extend their remarkable legacy and the boys look to earn a top-10 finish on the state’s biggest stage.

Saline Swim and Dive Cruises Past Dexter

The Saline girls swim and dive team continued its strong late-season form with a 133–53 dual-meet victory over Dexter.

The Hornets set the tone early in the 200-medley relay, where the quartet of Maria Baldwin, Hazel Devaney, Hannah King Landmark, and Ana Sirbu raced to first in 1:53.42. The Saline “B” team of Avery Mallon, Emma Lillie, Alex Hatlem, and Charlotte Tufte also impressed, finishing runner-up in 2:02.34 to complete the 1-2 sweep.

Senior standout Ana Sirbu continued her dominant season with wins in both the 200 free (1:56.54) and 100 free (54.75), while senior Alex Lillie was runner-up in the 200 free (2:00.63) and captured the 500 free (5:31.68). Freshman Avery Mallon placed second in the 50 free (26.08), just ahead of Charlotte Tufte (26.58).

Emma Lillie took the 200 IM in 2:26.62, followed by Mia Zimmer (2:36.08) and Quinn Myers (2:36.89) as Saline swept the top three spots. In the 100 fly, Hannah King Landmark cruised to victory in 1:01.18.

Senior Ava Crossley once again led the diving squad, earning 244.10 points for first place, while Emma Lillie added 186.95 for second.

Freshman Hazel Devaney continued her stellar rookie season by winning the 100 breast (1:09.42), edging teammate Lily Miklosovic (1:09.53), with Kelsey Tikkanen third at 1:23.11. Mia Zimmer placed second in the 100 back (1:13.77).

Saline capped the meet with wins in both freestyle relays. The 200-free relay team of Mallon, Tufte, Miklosovic, and Lillie took first in 1:44.36, while the 400-free relay of King Landmark, Sirbu, Lillie, and Miklosovic closed the night with an impressive 3:47.15 finish.

Saline-Skyline Water Polo Advances to Regionals with Third-Place Finish

The Saline-Skyline co-op water polo team earned a trip to the regional tournament after finishing third at districts over the weekend. The Hornets capped off their run with an impressive 13–9 victory over Dexter, bouncing back from an earlier 11–2 loss to Ann Arbor Huron.

After a tough opening loss to Huron, Saline-Skyline regrouped with energy and focus in the third-place matchup. The Hornets jumped ahead early and maintained a slim halftime lead before breaking the game open with six goals in the third period. They held off Dexter’s late push to secure the win and advance to regionals.

Sean Spooner powered the Hornets with five goals, including a penalty goal, while also adding an assist and five steals. Jacob Clauser tallied three goals, and Carson Ratajczak scored twice with two assists and a steal. Brody Howe, Luciano Perez, and Ellis Wensuc each added a goal for Saline-Skyline. Wensuc also chipped in an assist, and Cayden Zillich contributed two assists and a steal.

Defensively, Evan Pokryfke anchored the team in goal, leading the Hornets with eight saves. Spooner was sharp defensively, while Ratajczak, Zillich, and Pokryfke each picked up key steals that helped shift momentum.