Did you see that? (10/22-10/28)
October 30, 2012
Qualifiers for the final week of the boys soccer and cross country seasons were determined over the weekend, while volleyball teams finished up league tournaments before serving up District play beginning today.
Soccer
Unity Christian downs 1 and 2: No. 3 Hudsonville Unity Christian became the highest-ranked team left in Division 2 by defeating No. 2 Ada Forest Hills Eastern in a Regional Semifinal and then top-ranked Spring Lake in the Regional Final. (Grand Rapids Press)
Hornets win first Regional: Williamston’s boys had never won a Regional game before last week, but ended it with their first Semifinal berth after a 2-0 win over No. 10 Frankenmuth in Division 3. (Saginaw News)
Cross country
Seaholm girls, Mott boys win: The top-ranked Birmingham Seaholm girls put seven among the top 11 at Saturday's Division 1 Regional at Waterford to finish ahead of No. 7 Northville and claim the championships. The Waterford Mott boys, ranked No. 6, put five among the top 13 to win their race. (Oakland Press)
Volleyball
No. 1 in league, No. 1 overall: Richland Gull Lake secured the top ranking in Class A heading into the MHSAA tournament by winning the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference tournament Saturday. The Blue Devils beat No. 7 Mattawan in the semifinal before taking down Niles in the championship match. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
Marysville ready for playoffs: The Class B No. 5 Vikings won their home invitational Saturday, beating No. 10 Croswell-Lexington in three games in the championship match. (Port Huron Times-Herald)
Swimming and Diving
Records fall: Division 2 No. 9 Midland Dow broke all three relay pool records as it hosted rival Midland on Thursday. The Chargers won 141-42 to move to 13-0 in dual meets this fall. (Midland Daily News)
Tennis
Jenshak, Erickson named Players of the Year: Escanaba’s Codi Jenshak and Iron River West Iron County’s Kylee Erickson played three times this season and won the MHSAA Division 1 and 2 Upper Peninsula No. 1 singles championships, respectively. They were named Co-Player of the Year in the Upper Peninsula last week. (Escanaba Daily Press) (Iron Mountain Daily News)
Grand Rapids Christian's Heerema, Charlotte's Portillo Arrive with 1st Finals Wins
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2023
WATERFORD – Sometimes, being young and oblivious to surroundings has its advantages.
Such was certainly the case for Charlotte’s Savannah Portillo at the Division 2 Singles Bowling Finals on Saturday.
Just a freshman, it was Portillo’s first time competing at an MHSAA Finals tournament. But the thought of going up against more experienced upperclassmen didn’t deter her when she walked into Century Bowl.
“The seniors and the juniors, they have so much pressure,” she said. “I didn’t have any. If I didn’t win, I had next year.”
If Portillo is back at the tournament next year, she’ll return trying to repeat after winning the individual title with a 413-384 victory over Fruitport senior Brynna Hanson in the final.
Winning as a freshman brought about some facetious comments – that Portillo should just retire from high school bowling now that she has already reached the pinnacle – but she had a good response for those jokes.
“I can just come back and win next year,” she said.
Portillo finished sixth out of the qualifying block, and then started her run with a 450-359 win over Flint Kearsley senior Sara Ritchie in the round of 16.
Portillo then defeated Dearborn Divine Child senior Amber Ligenza in the quarterfinals (405-263) and Cedar Springs senior Chloe Fisk in the semifinals (437-296) to set up the championship match with Hanson.
Portillo bowled a 242 in the first game to take a healthy 48-pin lead into the second, and did enough in the second game to hold on.
Four matches against seniors, four wins for the freshman.
Portillo said her family owns a bowling alley in her hometown, so she has been around the sport since she was a toddler.
Charlotte head coach Pat Landry said he saw Portillo’s development during her years before high school and was anxiously awaiting her arrival in the program.
The entire state now knows why.
“We’ve seen her coming up through the stages,” Landry said. “She bowls a lot of youth tournaments in the state and out of the state.”
On the boys side, Grand Rapids Christian junior Zeke Heerema won a close championship match over Tecumseh junior Owen Williams, prevailing by six pins, 388-382.
Heerema held a five-pin lead after the first game, and entered the final frame of the second game needing at least a mark to preserve his lead.
Admittedly nervous for the shot, Heerema let go of the ball and essentially said “uh-oh.”
“I threw it pretty bad, and I thought I was going to get a split because I threw it pretty high,” Heerema said.
But the No. 9 pin fell forward in between the No. 6 and No. 7 pins, knocking them both down and giving him an unorthodox strike.
Heerema then knocked down nine pins on his next ball to clinch the title.
“We’ve been working toward this all year,” Grand Rapids Christian head coach Dan VanderPloeg said. “He’s just got nerves of steel and is so focused.”
Heerema finished second out of the qualifying block, and started his run in the round of 16 with a 435-369 win over Gibraltar Carlson sophomore Jordon Bryson.
Heerema then defeated Waterford Kettering senior Cole Peters in the quarterfinals (503-484) and Howie Hammond of Flint Kearsley in the semifinals by a score of 483-457.
Heerema advanced out of the qualifying block at last year’s tournament, but lost in the round of 16 because he wasn’t as familiar with match play.
He was more ready for it this time around.
“I learned how to deal with the pressure, shut everything else out and make the shots,” he said.