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)

Today in the MHSAA: 2/11/21

February 11, 2021

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

More contenders earned trips Wednesday to this month’s Ski Finals, while some of hockey’s best started their seasons as teams took to the ice across both peninsulas.

1. Skiing: The Traverse City Central girls and Traverse City West boys won Division 1 Regional championships – MI Sports Now

2. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Catholic Central banked a last-second 3-pointer to get past South Christian 58-56 – Grand Rapids Press

3. Hockey: Flint Powers Catholic avenged last season’s playoff loss with a 2-1 season-opening win over Midland Dow – Mid-Michigan Now

4. Girls Basketball: Plainwell earned a 35-32 overtime win over Three Rivers, which finished 21-3 last season – JoeInsider.com

5. Hockey: Livonia Stevenson opened with a 4-0 win over Brighton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Boys Basketball: Kalamazoo Christian won the 130th meeting with rival Hackett 51-45 – Kalamazoo Gazette

7. Hockey: South Lyon Unified scored first, but Saline pulled away with a 5-2 win – Saline Post

8. Boys Basketball: Otsego ran its Wolverine Conference winning streak to 43 with a 63-45 victory over Sturgis – Kalamazoo Gazette

9. Hockey: Kaleb Miller scored the game’s lone goal in overtime as Traverse Bay Reps got past Big Rapids 1-0 – Up North Live

10. Hockey: Murphy Kehoe had a hat trick as Traverse City West downed Petoskey – MI Sports Now

Also of note …

Wrestling: Comstock Park is mourning the death of longtime coach Jim Olson – Grand Rapids Press