High 5s - 2/21/12
February 21, 2012
Every Tuesday, Second Half honors 2-4 athletes and a team for its accomplishments during the current season.
Have a suggestion for a future High 5? Please offer suggestions by e-mail to [email protected]. Candidates often will have accomplished great things on the field of play -- but also will be recognized for other less obvious contributions to their teams, schools or the mission of high school athletics as a whole.
Dillon Mayer
Sault Ste. Marie senior
Swimming and Diving
Mayer won his second straight Upper Peninsula Finals diving championship Saturday in his home pool with a score of 226.55. He finished no worse than fourth at the Finals during his high school career, and set a school record this season with a six-dive score of 236.00. He also runs track and has a black belt in Kuk sool wan, a form of Korean martial arts.
"I have strived for the past four years to break the team diving record. This year I was finally able to break the team record, and then continued to break it through the season for a total of five times before the end of the season. Being the U.P. diving champion for the second year in a row was pretty awesome too!"
Up next: Mayer will attend either Michigan State University or Lake Superior State University, and hopes to dive if he attends MSU. He plans to major in fire science and paramedic studies. "I would like to work as a flight paramedic for a level one trauma center."
I learned the most about diving from: MSU diving coach Eric Best and Sault Ste. Marie coaches Ray Groeke and Kelli Vander Baan.
I look up to: "... the university divers I learned from at the MSU diving camp each year. They are amazing divers with a lot of knowledge to share."
I like most about diving: "From a competitive standpoint, I like the feeling of nailing a dive. From a recreational standpoint, I enjoy the thrill of trying new things."
I'm motivated by: "The new records on the record board, my family and my teammates."
Leah Hartman
Ovid-Elsie senior
Bowling
Hartman bowled the first and one of only three 300 games in the state this season, on Jan. 4, according to listings maintained by the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association. Her high series of 524 is third-best in the state this winter, and she's carrying a 201 game average this season. She qualified for last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final and made the all-state third team. She also played volleyball and softball at the start of high school, but has focused on bowling the last two years.
"My first 300 game was the most memorable because other coaches announced my game at other tournaments, and my name was on a neon sign at 300 Bowl in Alma. It gave me a feeling of accomplishment"
Up next: Hartman is considering Alma College because of its strong art program and bowling team. She plans to spend her first year of college deciding between a major in fine arts and accounting. She could also compete on the Michigan Junior Masters or Junior Gold circuits. Among her goals: bowl an 800 series and sell her art.
I learned the most about bowling from: “Mike Braun. He is the instructor at Lansing Community College. He teaches bowling and he has been helping me achieve better bowling techniques. But before him, it was my mom Sherri Hartman and dad Don Hartman."
I look up to: "My mom, because she is the one person who is strong enough to take on life. And my dad, who has helped me with my bowling since the beginning. Then I look up to Pete Weber and Norm Duke, who are, in my opinion, the best PBA bowlers to ever set a foot on the lanes."
I love bowling because: "I have a lot of stress built into my life, and it is hard for me to stay focused. But when I bowl, it is the one time I feel like a genius. I want to continue bowling becuase I feel like there is nothing better than the feeling of your first 300 game, and all the fans who are cheering for you to win.
I'm driven by: "... when I walk into a bowling alley and I run into my fans who are cheering me on every step of the way, and the applause whenever I hear my name announced. It makes me feel proud of myself when others cheer when they hear my name."
Adam Coon
Fowlerville junior
Wrestling
Coon is seeking his third MHSAA individual championship. He won both his District and Regional and enters next weekend's Finals with a 46-0 record this season and 153-3 record over his three-year high school career. He won his first two MHSAA championships at 215 pounds and moved to 285 this winter. He also is a three-year starter on the Gladiators' football team, playing linebacker and on the offensive line, and placed sixth in shot put in Division 2 at last spring's track and field Finals.
Up next: Coon is just a junior, but would like to wrestle or play football at the next level and study aerospace engineering, with his sights set on the space program. "I'd love to go to space. It's always been a dream."\
I learned the most about wrestling from: "My dad, Dan Coon. He is the (Fowlerville) coach, and he continues to push me and teaches me the most."
I look up to: "Dan Coon. He teaches me a lot about life and wrestling, and he's just a great guy to look up to."
I love most about wrestling: "The aggressiveness, the contact and necessary skill. The strategy behind it. The technical skill. It tests you mental wit and brute strength."
I get ready for my match by: "I warm up five matches previous. With one match left, I slap myself, then take off my sweats and go to town."
Most shining moment: "My most memorable win was in summer wrestling, in Hungary (at the Cadet World Championships) . I won the Finals match there. after being down 4-0, and came back and ended up body locking him and winning the match."
Detroit Martin Luther King boys basketball
The Crusaders avenged earlier losses to both Detroit Crockett and then Detroit Pershing to win the Detroit Public School League championship, downing the Doughboys in the final 76-69.
The PSL championship was King's first since 1999. The Crusaders are 15-4 heading into next week's Operation Friendship game against the Detroit Catholic High School League A-B champion, which will be decided Saturday. Click to see all of Detroit King's scores this season.
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 9
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 2, 2026
February has arrived, and with it a few dates to put on your boys basketball calendar.
Only three weeks remain this regular season, with District play beginning Feb. 23.
A week before that, on Feb. 15, final District brackets for boys basketball will be published to this website.
For additional details, check out the MPR FAQ page – and see below for context on some of last week’s results and games coming up that could affect where teams land when those brackets are drawn.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Kalamazoo Central 95, Muskegon 80 The Maroon Giants (11-2) always schedule tough, and handing Muskegon (11-1) its only loss – avenging a 23-point defeat from the year before – surely has been Central’s best win this winter.
2. East Kentwood 54, Grandville 52 We said last week that the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red was set to begin sorting itself out, and we ended the week with East Kentwood in first place alone after handing Grandville (10-3) one of its three losses over four days.
3. Dearborn Divine Child 55, Jackson Lumen Christi 53 Divine Child (16-2) clinched the outright Catholic High School League AA title, adding this clincher to a three-point win over Lumen Christi (12-4) from December.
4. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 51, Wyoming Lee 49 With this close call, Tri-unity (12-1) took a slight lead over Lee (11-3) at the top of the Alliance League standings, with the rematch set for Feb. 13.
5. Michigan Center 68, Leslie 53 These two entered the week tied for first in the Cascades Conference East, and Michigan Center (14-1) is now two games ahead after Leslie (12-4) also fell to Manchester by four points.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Martin Luther King (10-4) The Crusaders are the only team undefeated in Detroit Public School League Blue play, thanks in part to a 45-38 overtime win over Detroit Denby last week and also a 30-point win over second-place Douglass in their only league game of December. King also is 9-1 since an 0-3 start that saw December losses to Lansing Waverly, East Lansing and Detroit Catholic Central by a combined 13 points, with the DCC defeat coming in overtime. King downed Kalamazoo Central to begin the new year and also solidified its league standing with a 60-53 victory over Cass Tech.
Flushing (13-3) The Raiders have improved from six to eight to 14 wins over the last three seasons, respectively, to one more victory this winter from tying last year’s total and with several more games to play. Flushing claimed a matchup of league leaders last week, representing the Flint Metro League Stripes well with a 50-46 win over FML Stars leader Goodrich. Flushing actually has clinched a share of the Stripes championship as it takes a three-game lead into this week and with only three league games left on the schedule. A 63-52 win over Flint Powers Catholic on Jan. 20 also was especially notable.
DIVISION 2
Gladwin (14-1) The Flying Gs opened this winter with a four-point defeat to Sanford Meridian, and haven’t lost again. They lead the Jack Pine Conference Division 1 by three games with four league matchups left and after finishing second to Standish-Sterling a year ago. Standish-Sterling also ended Gladwin’s 2024-25 season in the District, but Gladwin claimed their first meeting this year 50-42 – and the rivals meet again Friday. The Flying Gs face JPC Division 2 co-leader Beaverton on Tuesday, and a win could set Gladwin up to see Meridian again in the league crossover in two weeks.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-4) The Cougars opened this season 1-3 taking losses from Rockford, Grand Rapids Northview and Grand Rapids South Christian, which are a combined 37-7. But after also starting this calendar year with a two-point defeat against Holland Christian, Catholic Central has won eight straight with an impressive 80-44 victory over Macomb L’Anse Creuse North on Saturday the latest of the notable run. A 48-43 win over Grand Rapids Christian has the Cougars first in the O-K White, and those two meet again Feb. 17.
DIVISION 3
Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (9-2) The reigning Division 3 runner-up has navigated a tough schedule with losses to only Charter School Conference Gold rivals Romulus Summit Academy North and Hamtramck and notable wins over reigning Division 2 champion Warren Lincoln plus Ecorse, Harper Woods Chandler Park, North Farmington and Detroit Edison – the last three in that list all in overtime. The Lions are third in the Gold heading into the league tournament and could have an opportunity to avenge one or both losses.
Elk Rapids (12-3) The Elks are undefeated in the Northern Shores Conference as they pursue a third-straight league title including a second-straight in the NSC. Their current advantage in the standings came in part thanks to a 54-49 win over second-place Cheboygan on Jan. 6, with the rematch set for Tuesday. The losses were to Ludington, Kingsford and Petoskey – all Division 1 or 2 schools – and the 65-55 defeat against Ludington came in overtime and remains the only time the team has fallen since Dec. 11.
DIVISION 4
Detroit Douglass (12-5) The loss to King noted above has Douglass second in the PSL Blue, which is extraordinary considering the rest of the league is filled by Division 1 and 2 opponents. Douglass has downed Renaissance and Denby among others, and also picked up a solid nonleague win over Saginaw United, 63-59. The other losses are impressive as well, to Benton Harbor by only two points, Warren Cousino by one, Detroit University Prep and most recently Ann Arbor Pioneer. All but University Prep have double-digit wins.
Hillsdale Academy (13-2) The Colts opened this season falling to one of the best in Division 4, Concord, but last week handed Mendon its only loss, 78-65 in overtime. Hillsdale Academy’s only other defeat came to Jonesville, which is tied for first in the Cascades Conference West. The next showdown is tonight, as the Colts face Waldron for first place in the Southern Central Athletic Association East and with Hillsdale Academy’s 41-game league winning streak on the line.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – McBain (13-1) at Beal City (13-0) – The Aggies are in first place in the Highland Conference and McBain is in second because Beal City won their first matchup 49-41 on Dec. 19.
Tuesday – Ypsilanti Lincoln (15-1) at Chelsea (10-3) – Lincoln’s 55-53 win over Chelsea on Dec. 19 has the Railsplitters atop the Southeastern Conference White, and claiming this rematch would all but lock up a share of the league title.
Tuesday – Rockford (13-2) at East Kentwood (13-1) – East Kentwood’s 69-68 win over Rockford on Jan. 13 separates those two at the top of the O-K Red standings.
Thursday – New Haven (13-2) at Warren Woods Tower (15-1) – The Titans can clinch the Macomb Area Conference Gold championship with a win over second-place New Haven after also claiming their first matchup 41-39 on Jan. 20.
Friday – East Lansing (16-0) at Lansing Waverly (12-3) – The Trojans haven’t lost a Capital Area Activities Conference Blue game since Feb. 24, 2023, with a 74-62 win over second-place Waverly on Dec. 18 the difference in this season’s standings.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Blanc’s Emmanuel Cooley gets to the rim during his team’s 54-47 win over Clarkston last month. (Middle) Escanaba’s Lennox Peacock pulls up for a shot during a January defeat against Marquette. (Grand Blanc/Clarkston photo by Terry Lyons. Escanaba/Marquette photo by Randy Ritari.