10 to Remember from 2011-12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 11, 2012
Second Half's mission in this, its first school year, was to tell the best stories behind the scores and highlights of MHSAA competition.
Of course, every score and especially every championship has a story behind it. The MHSAA awarded 127 team and many more individual championships in 2011-12. Obviously we can't reflect on them all. But these 10 performances were loaded with prestige, drama and accomplishment that made them incredible stories for high school sports fans regardless of hometown or allegiance.
10. Grand Ledge gymnasts earn No. 5
The Comets had to fend off a charge by Canton, but won their fifth-straight MHSAA team title by 0.825 of a point with a final score of 149.400. The fifth-straight title tied the record set by Ludington from 1975-79 and extended Grand Ledge's first-place streak to 75 consecutive events. The next day, senior Christine Wilson and junior Sara Peltier swept the Division 1 and 2 individual titles, respectively.
9. West Bloomfield's Erin Finn joins elite
The Lakers junior said after her Division 1 cross country win that she'd dreamt of winning that title since she learned how to walk. She finished fourth as a sophomore before winning the championship by a little more than a second. After establishing herself as one of the top distance runners in the country in competitions over the winter, Finn finished the school year by winning the 3,200-meter run at the Division 1 Track and Field Final.
8. More and more Morley Stanwood
The Mohawks girls pulled off a rare feat this school year -- after winning their second MHSAA volleyball title in the fall, they added a first-ever girls basketball championship. Both efforts were keyed by seniors Alexis Huntey and Bailey Cairnduf, who had the most and second-most kills in the Class C Volleyball Final and then combined for 45 points and 25 rebounds in the basketball championship game.
That argument was made after Lansing Sexton claimed its second-straight Class B boys basketball championship in dominant fashion. The Big Reds finished 27-1, their only loss by a point to Detroit Pershing, and have won 74 games over the last three seasons -- tied for sixth-most in MHSAA history for that long of a stretch. Guards Denzel Valentine (Michigan State), Anthony Clemmons (Iowa) and Bryn Forbes (Cleveland State) all signed to play at Division I colleges this fall, with junior Jalen Hayes and freshman Trevor Manuel likely joining them in a few years.
Coyotes junior Sami Michell established herself as one of the top hurdlers in MHSAA history at the Division 3 Final by becoming the first Lower Peninsula girl to win four events at a championship meet since Mason County Eastern’s Maria Shoup in 1979. She set Division 3 records in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and long jump, and her 300 time also was the best in MHSAA Finals history, regardless of division or class. She also won the 200.
Top-ranked Grand Haven's latest run at an MHSAA championship seemed all but over when Grosse Pointe South led the Class A final by 18 points with just under 10 minutes to play. But Shar'Rae Davis' fullcourt sprint and score that began with 12 seconds to play gave the Buccaneers a 54-53 win and their first title. It was the third-longest comeback in MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals history.
Livonia Ladywood had been a favorite to win its first MHSAA title all season -- with four-year pitcher Briana Combs in the circle. But when Combs couldn't finish the Semifinal because of an injury, rarely-thrown sophomore Lauren Hayes stepped in. All she did was finish that game and throw a three-hitter against Saginaw Swan Valley in the Final, while also getting three hits and driving in two of the team's four runs in the championship win.
St. Johns senior Taylor Massa finished off one of the most celebrated careers in MHSAA wrestling history with his fourth championship and not one loss during his high school career. Massa claimed the title at 171 pounds this year to go with others at 145, 152 and 160. He became the 15th in MHSAA history to win four titles, ranks 20th with 221 wins and seventh in the national record book for consecutive victories.
Grosse Pointe South's girls running teams had arguably the most dominant school year in MHSAA history, first winning the Division 1 cross country title before doing the same this spring in track and field. And the Blue Devils did it with mostly the same nucleus contributing to both -- particularly juniors Hannah and Haley Meier, sophomore Kelsie Schwartz and freshman Ersula Farrow. Those four combined to run a national record time of 8:48.29 in the 3,200 relay at the Division 1 Final this spring.
1. Short walk, championship run
Second Half was created as a place to tell great stories, Cass Tech made it easy on the first day of the Football Finals. The Technicians arrived at Ford Field after a short walk from their school. They had never played in a Final before and were unranked entering the postseason. They arrived with a strong group of seniors, but also a freshman quarterback named Jayru Campbell who ended up throwing five touchdown passes in a 49-13 win over No. 2 and perennial powerhouse Detroit Catholic Central.
PHOTO: The Morley Stanwood girls basketball team prepares to celebrate as the final seconds tick off in the Mohawks' Class C Final win. (Click to see more photos from High School Sports Scene.)
Major Goal Accomplished as Three Rivers Racers Continue to Accelerate
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
October 8, 2024
THREE RIVERS – Sulley Zietlow and his teammates on the Three Rivers boys cross country team discussed their goals for the 2024 season prior to starting an early-evening workout back in June.
With several experienced returners, coach Jason Muckel and his Wildcats set the bar high for success this Fall.
One of Three Rivers' preseason goals was to end Otsego's lengthy Wolverine Conference dual-meet winning streak.
The Wildcats quickly circled Tuesday, Sept. 17, as an important date on this fall’s schedule.
"Before the season began, we knew we were going to be running Otsego on our home course. We built our training plan around that race and made sure that our kids were ready to go," Muckel said.
Competing on its hilly home course at Meyer-Broadway Park, Three Rivers edged Otsego 24-31 thus ending the Bulldogs' 68-meet winning streak dating back to 2014.
Otsego, the 2021 Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion, has long been a state power under longtime head coach Steve Long. The Bulldogs have produced several talented runners, including 2018 individual Finals champion Alex Comerford, who went on to run at Syracuse University.
"I give Otsego a lot of credit for what they've done. Steve has built an incredible program. I have a lot of respect for him and his runners,” Muckel said. “He's helped me a lot here and there over the last few years, and I've learned a great deal from him."
Three Rivers, Plainwell and Otsego are currently tied for first in the league at 4-1 with two league duals plus next week's Wolverine Conference Meet in Otsego remaining. The Wildcats will need to win the league meet to earn an outright league title.
Zietlow, a three-time Finals qualifier, holds down Three Rivers' No. 1 spot and is also the top runner in the conference. The Wildcats qualified for the Finals as a team at the end of his freshman and junior seasons. He also qualified his sophomore year as an individual. As a junior he placed 52nd in LPD2 with a time of 16:18.9.
"Sulley is the top runner in our league and is beating the field by 30 or 40 seconds. He's gritty, hardworking, does whatever I ask of him and is the most committed runner I've ever had. He crushes everything he does," Muckel said.
Zietlow, who plans to continue his education and running career at Cornerstone University, ran a lifetime personal-best time of 15:52.4 in late August at the Under the Lights Invitational at Grand Rapids South Christian. He bested the field in the home victories over Otsego and Edwardsburg with a time of 16:12, his fastest on Three Rivers' home course.
"That (Otsego) win was very exciting and memorable,” Zietlow said. “This is the best team we've had here in a while. Our depth is good, and we want our pack time to be within a minute by season's end. I think we could take Top 10 in the state if reach our potential. The commitment, drive and positivity of our team is improved over last year."
Winning a conference title and qualifying again for the Finals are both reachable goals for he and his teammates.
"I've ran for the last 493 days, and I've worked extremely hard to get where I am at this point. Our team is in good shape," Zietlow said.
Junior Charlie Brauer is Three Rivers' No. 2 runner.
"Charlie has made huge strides after fighting injuries the past couple years,” Muckel noted. “His CrossFit training and commitment to running a lot of miles over the summer have helped him make big gains. He's solidified himself as our number two runner and has a shot to finish among the top five or six in our conference."
Brauer clocked a personal-best of 16:35.03 at the Otsego Invitational, where Three Rivers took fourth.
"I'm kind of surprised to be our No. 2 runner,” Brauer said. “I do CrossFit training and that's helped me improve my kick along with my overall fitness. The last mile is the best part of my race."
Juniors Reece Howes (17:12) and Jonah Zietlow (17:18), Sulley's younger brother, have alternated as the Wildcats' Nos. 3 and 4 runners. Classmates Trey Hall (18:26) and Dontrel Taylor (18:26), along with freshman David Kore (17:48) round out Three Rivers' top seven.
"David is starting to race well against the older guys and can hold his own,” Muckel said. “If we're able to do some special things down the stretch here, a lot of that will depend on the performances of David, Reece and Jonah. Our sixth, seventh and eighth guys are working hard so they can step up if we incur an injury at some point."
Jonah Zietlow outlined his goals for the Wildcats the remainder of the season.
"It just depends what day it is and who steps up for us. We push one another to go faster,” he said. “If one of us isn't having the best race, we all work harder to make up for it.
“I'd like to solidify that No. 3 spot and get my time down under 17 minutes by the end of this season. I have a pretty strong kick, so that's a big key for me."
In the dual against Otsego, Zietlow played a key role by earning fourth overall while outpacing the Bulldogs' No. 2 and No. 3 runners after catching them with about 600 meters remaining.
He noted the team’s level of dedication is the highest he's seen since joining the program as a freshman. The top five runners for Three Rivers all logged more than 500 miles during the summer.
Muckel is pleased with the times his runners are posting, especially now since the Wildcats have started competing on some different kinds of courses and terrain.
"Up until the last week or two our times weren't quite as good on paper as we wanted them,” Muckel said. “That's because we were running some more difficult courses. Now as we get into running some flatter courses, our guys are excited to be able to show off their speed a little.
"In practice we do a workout called core sections, which is designed to split our course into sections and attack one of them at a time. We've done some very intentional workouts to prepare for races like our home course. I always talk to our kids about getting a good mileage base in the summer. Then we enter racing mode as the season starts. Now we're in championship gear, where we try to perfect our craft."
Three Rivers won its own Hill Climb Invitational followed by runner-up finishes at the Under The Lights and Battle Creek Lakeview invitationals, a third place at the Southwest Michigan Robuster Invite and a fourth-place finish at the Otsego Invite.
"My philosophy as a coach is to take our team to those difficult meets. We might take our licks early in the season, but it prepares us for the races that matter the most later on and builds character," Muckel said.
Three Rivers frequently splits its boys practices up into two sessions.
"Each of our kids are committed,” said Muckel, who is in his third season coaching both the boys and girls Three Rivers teams. “As a coach I don't like to do an eight or nine-mile workout. Instead, we have our boys come in for a morning run and return in the afternoon for a five or six-mile practice. By breaking up those workouts, it’s easier on the body and keeps us healthier throughout the season.
"When I took over the program, there were some bad habits we had to break out of that first year. I basically have the boys run seven days a week now, which is something they weren't willing to do in the beginning.”
An individual goal-setting strategy has become a fun motivator.
“I ordered little mini records, and each kid is required to set goal-times and write them down. When they break that time during the season they get to break that record in half,” Muckel said. “These kinds of things have really helped the kids buy into our program and take ownership of it.”
***
After graduating nine seniors last year, Muckel is rebuilding his girls squad. His top two runners Brynn Copenhaver and Lillie Kerr are only sophomores.
"We have a young core of runners in our top of the pack who are learning to race. It's a talented group, and I believe we'll see a lot of cool things out of them in the next few seasons," Muckel said.
He noted several activities his boys and girls teams enjoy together as part of building a memorable all-around experience in the sport. Among those is the program’s summer camp involving both teams, which included four days this past offseason at Warner Camp in South Haven.
“Bringing our boys and girls teams together has also been really beneficial,” Muckel said. “While we are (at camp) we participate in a high ropes course, water ball and other activities and we get our workouts in as well. We use that time to solidify the team culture and do team-building tasks.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Three Rivers and Vicksburg runners take off at the start of the boys race last week at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp. (Middle) Pictured from left are Three Rivers juniors Jonah Zietlow and Charlie Brauer, senior Sulley Zietlow and Three Rivers head cross country coach Jason Muckel. (Below) Lillie Kerr, right, and teammate Gabby Kilbourn lead Three Rivers in the girls race against Vicksburg last week. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)