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: 9/16/20
September 17, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Tuesday was highlighted by cross country races all over the state, with Charlevoix’s girls among winners serving notice they could belong in a championship chase.
1. Cross Country: Charlevoix’s girls outpaced Harbor Springs’ in a matchup of possible northern Michigan contenders, and Harbor Springs’ boys won another power-packed race; Harbor Springs’ teams both are ranked No. 14 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, with Charlevoix’s boys No. 11 and its girls unranked – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Cross Country: Marquette swept championships at the Kingsford Invitational; both teams are ranked No. 1 in UPD1 – Marquette Mining Journal
3. Cross Country: The Monroe Jefferson boys and Milan girls won Milan Puddle Jumpers Invitational championships – Monroe News
4. Volleyball: Pellston won an important early league matchup with Gaylord St. Mary – Petoskey News-Review
5. Boys Tennis: LPD2 No. 3 Birmingham Seaholm earned a 6-2 win over Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Oakland Press
6. Boys soccer: Traverse City West earned a solid “rivalry week” win, 4-0 over Traverse City Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
7. Volleyball: Constantine bounced back from losing the third and fourth sets to defeat Centreville in five – JoeInsider.com
8. Cross Country: Hart swept West Michigan Conference jamborees at Mason County Central; both Hart teams are No. 1 in LPD3 – Ludington Daily News
9. Volleyball: Jonesville opened league play with a five-set win over Union City – Hillsdale Daily News
10. Cross Country: Benzie Central swept Northwest Conference jamborees; Benzie’s girls are No. 3 and its boys No. 8 in LPD3 – Benzie County Record Patriot