Did you see that? (10/15-10/21)
October 22, 2012
Three MHSAA fall sports came to an end over the weekend, and the tournament for a fourth has begun. Those finishes highlight the non-football best from the week that was Oct. 15-21.
Golf
Rankings play out: The Lower Peninsula girls season came to a close with all four top-ranked teams claiming championships. Plymouth won its first MHSAA title in any sport in Division 1, while Mona Shores became the first Lower Peninsula girls golf team to win four straight by doing so in Division 2. Ada Forest Hills Eastern made it two titles in three seasons by winning Division 3, and Lansing Catholic won its third straight in Division 4. Second Half covered them all. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Tennis
Dynasties continue: Three of four top-ranked teams also won MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals over the weekend, with the other champion hardly unfamiliar with first place. Ann Arbor Huron was ranked only No. 3 before winning Division 1 for the third time in five seasons. Midland Dow won its fourth straight Division 2 title and Ann Arbor Greenhills won its fifth straight in Division 4. But the biggest headline goes to Detroit Country Day, which tied Ann Arbor Pioneers’ dominance in 2002 with 39 points in claiming the Division 3 title. Second Half also covered all four of these Finals.(Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Cross country
One streak ends, another begins: The Upper Peninsula season came to an end with its Finals for three divisions. Calumet’s Tara Kiilunen led her team to the Division 1 girls title by winning the individual championship for the fourth consecutive season. On the boys side, Sault Ste. Marie won its first title in 11 years thanks to the individual Division 1 championship of freshman Parker Scott, who finished this season undefeated. Second Half covered all the races. (Girls Finals) (Boys Finals)
Soccer
Powers emerge in Division 1: Lower Peninsula Districts whittled the number of teams still alive down to 64 – 16 in each of four divisions. And the two toughest Districts to navigate were arguably in Division 1. Top-ranked East Kentwood beat Caledonia 6-0 to win that District, but only after the Falcons knocked out No. 2 Rockford in a semifinal and the Rams did the same to No. 7 Okemos in an opener. Rochester Stoney Creek, ranked No. 4, emerged from a district at Rochester that included No. 9 Utica Eisenhower and honorable mention Troy Athens by beating Rochester Adams 2-1 in the title game – after Adams upset Eisenhower in a semi. (Grand Rapids Press) (Oakland Press)
Embracing Expectation, Top-ranked Cranbrook Claims D3 Title by Single Point
October 25, 2025
MIDLAND – Pressure comes with being a favorite. It also provides an opportunity.
That’s how Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood viewed this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals at Midland Tennis Center. The Cranes entered as the No. 1-ranked team and didn’t bend under pressure, neither of that expectation or when Detroit Country Day pressed them through the final round of the tournament.
Both teams advanced all eight flights to Saturday’s semifinals, and Country Day actually ended up with one more flight winner. But Cranbrook sent two more flights into those title-deciding matches, the difference in edging the Yellowjackets 34-33 to take back the championship – the Cranes’ second in three seasons – and after finishing third to co-champs Country Day and Ann Arbor Greenhills a year ago.
“We’ve had many tough moments this year and a lot of positive moments as well,” said senior Jace Bernard, who finished runner-up at No. 1 singles. “And both of those, especially the negative moments, have helped us get to our top level that we know has allowed us to become state champs.”
Cranbrook advanced to championship matches at seven flights with top-seeded senior Kenneth Hu at No. 3 singles, top-seeded junior Josh Day at No. 4, and top-seeded sophomore Dylan Popat and junior Andy Yu at No. 4 doubles claiming championships.
Country Day advanced five flights to title deciders, with four champions – top-seeded sophomore Ricky Jeong at No. 1 singles, top-seeded freshman Samuel Kole-James at No. 2, fourth-seeded senior Charlie Khaghany and junior Preston Blum at No. 1 doubles and fourth-seeded senior Rick Nie and freshman Shiv Kumar at No. 2 doubles.
Holland Christian certainly impacted the championship race as well. The Maroons – last season’s champions at Division 4 – finished third with 26 points, with second-seeded junior Eli Whitmore and senior Evan Disselkoen winning the No. 3 doubles championship and two other flights finishing runners-up.
“There was a lot of parity this year in our division. But we had the deepest team, and ultimately I think that depth is what got us over the hump to the victory,” Cranbrook coach Steve Herdoiza said. “It’s just nice as a coach to see it all come together. … They really worked as hard as they could, and I think they saw the fruits of that effort come today, and they really did play their best tennis today.”
Country Day’s Jeong claimed the No. 1 singles title after winning the No. 3 championship last year as a freshman. He faced a familiar opponent in the final – Bernard, who he defeated for that No. 3 flight title in 2024 – and won the matchup this time 6-1, 6-3.
Hu, meanwhile, won the No. 2 singles championship last season before adding his second championship Saturday at No. 3.
Cranbrook, Country Day and Greenhills have combined to win every Division 3 Finals team title since 2008, and Greenhills finished fourth this time with 23 points as those four teams put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
“Today could have (gone) any way. DCD could have gotten it, Greenhills could have gotten it, Holland Christin which was a severe underdog, could have gotten it as well,” Hu said. “At the end, it came down to how this team is shaped.
“At the beginning of the season, our team wasn’t as high of a level as we are currently. But that’s how every season goes. We start low, a little shaky with the form and bonding. But as the season progresses, the bond deepens. And everyone feels closer, and it’s just a big family here. I think this is what made us come over the top today.”
(PHOTOS by High School Sports Scene.)