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: 8/26/20
August 26, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Tuesday saw some of the state’s best from a season ago continue to pick back up where they left off last fall, especially on the volleyball court and golf and cross country courses.
1. Girls Golf: Top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern won its invitational with a 326 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State; FHN has won three straight Lower Peninsula Division 2 titles – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Cross Country: The Hartland boys and Ann Arbor Skyline girls were victorious in dual meets LPD1 championship contenders matched up in the boys race – Livingston Daily
3. Volleyball: Montague swept a powerful field at Cadillac, downing the host, North Branch and Mt. Morris – Local Sports Journal
4. Cross Country: Houghton swept championships at the Painesdale Jeffers Invitational – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
5. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 9 Ann Arbor Pioneer shot a 177 to get past Saline and Temperance Bedford – Saline Post
6. Girls Golf: Battle Creek Harper Creek claimed the first Interstate 8 Athletic Conference jamboree by two strokes over Coldwater, shooting a 187 – Coldwater Daily Reporter
7. Boys Soccer: Traverse City Central improved to 3-0 with a 3-1 win over Midland – MI Sports Now
8. Volleyball: Grayling won its matches against Onekama and Buckley, both in sweeps, at the Frankfort quad – Petoskey News-Review
9. Volleyball: Traverse City Central swept in quad play for the second-straight day, on Tuesday downing Benzie Central, Kalkaska and Traverse City Christian – Up North Live
10. Boys Tennis: LPD2 No. 4 Midland Dow swept Gibraltar Carlson and Bay City Western – Midland Daily News