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)
Moment: Sophomore Scores for Seniors
April 30, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Few upperclassmen receive the opportunity to make the memories Luke McLean made as a sophomore on the Rockford baseball team last season.
But at the end, he was just hoping to do his part to make more for the seniors who led the Rams to the Division 1 Baseball Semifinals at McLane Stadium.
McLean, batting fifth and playing third base, helped Rockford deadlock Macomb Dakota 2-2 after six innings on June 13. McLean then moved to the mound, where he threw two scoreless innings – and received the win after also sprinting home to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
The run, making the final score 3-2, was the second scored by McLean on the day. He also struck out two and allowed just one hit over his two innings throwing in relief as Rockford moved on to the Division 1 Final.
McLean reached base in the eighth with his lone hit on the day. After advancing to second on a fielder’s choice, he took off for third on teammate Owen Cairns’ hopper through the grass in front of third base. McLean circled around the bag and took off for home on the throw trying to get Cairns at first, and slid safely ahead of the throw attempting to beat him to the plate.
“All that was going through my mind was my seniors,” McLean said moments after his winning sprint. “I was playing for them. I really wanted to play for them in the state championship, and I was just busting my tail down that line to score.”
Although Rockford went on to fall in the Final to Portage Northern, it was the Rams’ second championship game appearance and first since 2011.
Check out coverage of the Semifinal from Second Half and see below for Rockford’s winning score from the NFHS Network.