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)
In Memoriam: Tom Stockton (1953-2026)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 19, 2026
The MHSAA and statewide bowling community are mourning the loss of one of the high school sport’s pioneering leaders, Tom Stockton, who died March 5 at age 73. All would agree high school bowling in Michigan would not enjoy its current popularity and growing participation without his several contributions impacting schools near and far.
Stockton served as Sterling Heights Stevenson’s bowling coach for 29 years, including as co-coach of both the girls and boys teams that won Division 1 championships in 2009 after also coaching the boys to the Class A title in 2005. That first Finals win concluded the second season of bowling as an MHSAA-sponsored tournament sport – an effort in itself that defined Stockton’s dedication to the students taking part.
Stockton was a founding member of the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association (MHSIBCA) and served several years as first vice president. The MHSAA began its bowling sponsorship in 2003-04, and the first Finals in Class A, B and C-D were competed at Stevenson’s home center, Sunnybrook Lanes. As the sport expanded and Finals were separated to multiple centers, Stockton accepted the role as the MHSAA’s Class A, and then Division 1, Finals manager.
One of several benefits of adding bowling to the MHSAA calendar is that it has allowed several athletes the opportunity to compete representing their schools for the first time – something that helped drive Stockton’s dedication. He is also remembered as a mentor by many and an inspiration for the growth of the sport that now sees more than 7,000 bowlers annually.
Stockton was selected to the Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA) Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a 1971 graduate of Warren High School. Click for his full obituary.
(Photos courtesy of the MHSIBCA.)