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)
Preview: Washtenaw Powers to Collide Again in 1st MHSAA Field Hockey Final
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 23, 2025
Field hockey long has thrived in Washtenaw County, and more specifically the Southeastern Conference.
Saturday’s inaugural MHSAA Final in the sport will tell the next chapter, matching up this fall’s SEC champion Ann Arbor Pioneer and runner-up Dexter at Northville’s Tom Holzer Field.
The rivals met twice this season, tying 1-1 on Sept. 15 with Pioneer winning the rematch 1-0 a week later. They also combined to win five of the final six Michigan High School Field Hockey League Division 1 championships, with Dexter claiming a couple of Division 2 titles over the last three years as well.
Game time Saturday is 11 a.m. Tickets are $11, and the matchup also will be streamed on the NFHS Network and viewable with subscription.
Below is a brief look at the finalists:
ANN ARBOR PIONEER
Record: 14-6-1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jane Nixon, 27th season (435-48-50)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference
Championship history: 30 MHSFHL championships, six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Maggie Lamb, sr. F (9 goals, 1 assist); Lily Boardman, jr. F/M (8 goals, 1 assist); Klara Jones, jr. F/M (6 goals, 3 assists), Mara Boullion, fr. GK (1.0 goals-against average, 34 saves). (Statistics through 17 games.)
Outlook: Pioneer won the final three MHSFHL Division 1 titles and is appearing in its seventh-straight championship game. Its only in-state loss this season came to Saline, 1-0 on Sept 8, and the Pioneers avenged it with a 1-0 victory Sept. 17. They haven’t given up a goal during the postseason, their only game closer than four goals a 1-0 overtime victory over Chelsea in the Semifinal. Sophomore Gabby Haudan and freshman Violet Soldan also had scored six goals heading into the postseason. Senior Anne McGowan and junior Olivia Rollins made the Division 1 all-state second team last season.
DEXTER
Record: 15-3-4
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Keely Tamer, 14th season (record N/A)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference
Championship history: Five MHSFHL titles, three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Audrey Owen-Smith, sr. G; Claire Dubuque, sr. M; Lillian Mitchell, sr. M; Aiden Weinmann, sr. M. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Dexter is playing in its fourth-straight championship game after winning MHSFHL Division 2 championships in 2022 and 2023 and finishing runner-up a year ago. Owen-Smith, Weinmann and Mitchell all were named to the all-state Dream Team in 2024, while Dubuque joined them on the Division 2 first team and now-senior Addison Zogaib made the second team. Dexter opened this fall 0-1-2 but went on to defeat all three of those opponents – Grosse Pointe South to avenge the loss, Chelsea, and Saline 4-0 in their Semifinal matchup. The Dreadnaughts also haven’t allowed a goal during the postseason and won all four games by four goals or more.
PHOTO Ann Arbor Pioneer's Lucy Peikert (28) controls possession during her team's 1-1 tie against Dexter on Sept. 15. (Photo by Caroline Sutton.)