Did you see that? (10/29-11/4)
November 5, 2012
We had champions upon champions upon champions last week, whether they were winners of MHSAA Finals in cross country and soccer, Districts in volleyball or league champs in swimming and diving.
Girls cross country
Favorites make good: Reigning individual champions Erin Finn of West Bloomfield, Julia Bos of Grand Rapids Christian and Kirsten Olling of Breckenridge all repeated Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, with Macomb Lutheran North's Gina Patterson joining the group. Second Half talked to all four. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Boys cross country
Taking two titles: Highland Milford and Concord won both the MHSAA Lower Peninsula team championships in their respective divisions Saturday and also had the top individuals in those races. Second Half provided same-day coverage from every race. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Soccer
Headed west: A year after Detroit-area teams claimed all four MHSAA LP boys soccer championships, Grand Rapids area teams took back three. East Kentwood, Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grand Rapids South Christian won titles, while Hamtramck Freedom International kept one on the east side of the state with its first Finals win. Second Half covered them all. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Volleyball
Hang that banner: Bay City John Glenn won its first volleyball District championship in the 47-year history of the school, beating Essexville-Garber in four sets to claim a Class B title. John Glenn had to come back after dropping the first game. (Bay City Times)
Hang that banner, part II: Three Rivers also won its first volleyball District championship, downing Vicksburg in four games to claim the Class B championship. (Sturgis Journal)
Copper Kings, once again: After finding itself only two points from the District championship in 2011, and then giving up the final five to lose it, Calumet defeated rival Houghton in three games to take back the trophy after two straight Houghton wins. The Copper Kings are ranked No. 4 in Class C. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
West Iron ends near-decade of dominance: Iron River West Iron County had last won a District title in 2002, before nine straight by rival Iron Mountain. But the Wykons knocked out the Mountaineers in a Semifinal and came back from match point to score the final five and beat Ironwood for a Class C championship. (Escanaba Daily News)
Swimming and Diving
Holland still rules: Coming off their first MHSAA championship in 2011, the Dutch continue to roll and piled up seven O-K Green records in winning that league championship meet. Cassie Misiewicz and Holly Morren each set two individual marks. (Holland Sentinel)
Double Dow: Midland Dow won the Saginaw Valley League championship meet with 638 points, more than double that of the runner-up. The title was Dow's seventh straight. (Midland Daily News)
Wrestling
Longtime Napoleon coach steps down: Todd Anderson announced his resignation after running the program since 1990-91. His father Don Anderson started the program in 1967. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Tennis
Forman is Mr. Tennis: Troy senior Brett Forman, the MHSAA Division 1 champion at No. 1 singles as a sophomore and runner-up this fall, was named Mr. Tennis by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association. He finished his career with a 77-8 record. (Oakland Press)
Story of the Week
Kirsten fights on: A little more than a year ago, doctors found cancerous tumors throughout Kirsten Longstreth's body, including multiple in her lungs. But the Beaverton senior had fought back to nearly knock the cancer completely out, and while continuing to play sports including volleyball this fall. (Midland Daily News)
Ewen-Trout Creek Earns 1st Title, Marquette & Hancock Add to Win Streaks
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 19, 2024
MUNISING — Prior to Saturday, the Ewen-Trout Creek girls cross country program never had a complete team compete at the Upper Peninsula Finals.
The Panthers made up for lost time on a sunny and mild afternoon at the Pictured Rocks Golf Course, earning their first Division 3 title with 54 points. Engadine edged 2023 champion Chassell 100-102 for the runner-up trophy.
“What’s even better is our top five runners are coming back,” E-TC coach Brad Besonen said. “This is going to be a great builder for us. I think this will help the girls’ side and the boys’ side as well.
“Our season is so difficult. We ran against Hancock in two-thirds of our meets and Baraga in all but one race and often against Houghton. We have to work for everything we get.”
Pickford junior Talya Schreiber won the 3.1-mile race in 18:48.8. She was followed by Newberry sophomore Abby Taylor (19:49.1) and her junior sister Samantha Taylor (19:55.9), and Engadine eighth-grader Molly McNamara (20:14.4).
“I think running with these girls helped me a lot,” McNamara said. “I thought this was a strong possibility coming into this race. I think we’ve developed a camaraderie. Finishing runner-up as a team is a great feeling. I think we’re going to have a good team next year. I think this will also help us for track.”
Freshman Bree Besonen led E-TC finishing sixth at 21:28.9.
“We’re like a little family,” she said. “We’re always pushing each other in practice. We’re a young team, which makes it better. Having a full team is very helpful. It’s a big motivator.”
Division 1
Marquette edged Houghton 30-32 for its third-straight Division 1 crown.
Houghton junior Tessa Rautiola gained her second individual title in 19:31.3, followed by Marquette junior Ella Fure (19:44.2) and Houghton freshman Sela Niska (19:51.8).
“It was very close,” Rautiola said. “Their girl taking second was key for them. It was a nice season for our team. We just put in a lot of work. The future looks bright for our team.
“I knew I had to go out and attack all the straight stretches. I just wanted to have a good race. I won as a freshman, and I’m so happy to regain the individual title.”
Fure said she was seeded 10th coming into the Finals.
“I’ve been having some issues with my hip,” she added. “I just had to believe in myself and do it for our team.
“Houghton’s a great team. We knew we were the underdog coming into this meet. I think I prefer the bigger meets. I just need the motivation. I’m really proud of how our team did. I made a hypothetical game plan, and we knew what we had to do. We executed our plan real well.”
Division 2
Hancock proved its tradition is alive and well, earning its fourth consecutive title with 35 points. The Bulldogs, often overshadowed by neighboring Houghton, were followed by Baraga with 67 and Munising at 97.
“We’re a lot smaller than Houghton,” Bulldogs coach Jennifer Smith said. “We also have a good program. The girls know what they have to do. Our tradition is huge. You have to be tough to run cross country. There’s not a lot of glory, but like no other sport we’re all very supportive of each other.”
Ironwood senior Aubrey Smith gained the top individual honor for the first time in 19:57. She was followed by Hancock senior Ella Keranen (20:22.9) and Gogebic (Wakefield-Marenisco) senior Alyssa Shirkey (21:13.2).
“It’s a relief to finally win one,” Smith said. “I was just playing it by ear and ran my own race. Whatever happens, I’ll just do my best out there. This is a great way to end my high school cross country career.”
Shirkey has drawn recruiting interest from Bay College.
“My strategy is always to stay with Aubrey,” Shirkey said. “I attribute my success to summer training and did some 8-mile practices. I think being a senior provided me with special motivation to keep going.”
PHOTOS (Top) Runners – including eventual champion Talya Schreiber of Pickford (307) – begin the Division 3 race at the Upper Peninsula Finals on Saturday. (Middle) Marquette's Maija Maki-Warne (223), Kingsford's Maria Murvich (205) and Marquette's Ella Fure (231) run together during the beginning of the Division 1 race. (Below) Hancock's Ella Keranen (142), Baraga's Princess Pierre (9) and Hancock's Alena Pietila (144) follow race leader Aubrey Smith of Ironwood. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)