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: 3/11/20
March 11, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Girls Basketball Regional Semifinals dominated Tuesday across Michigan, with some titanic matchups among favorites and major upsets in multiple divisions.
1. Girls Basketball: For the second-straight season reigning Division 3 champion Pewamo-Westphalia survived a challenge from Kent City, this time 40-37 – State Champs Sports Network
2. Girls Basketball: Detroit Renaissance surged in a Division 1 rematch of its recent Operation Friendship game against Farmington Hills Mercy, winning this time 56-33 as Kailee Davis went over 1,000 career points – MLive-Detroit
3. Girls Basketball: Newaygo earned its first Regional Final berth since 1993 with a stunning 47-46 win over Grand Rapids Christian – Grand Rapids Press
4. Girls Basketball: Davison also posted one of the night’s biggest stunners, getting past Flint Carman-Ainsworth 54-49 in Division 1 – Davison Index
5. Girls Basketball: Ubly scored a major 45-33 Division 4 win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart on the Irish’s home court – Huron Daily Tribune
6. Girls Basketball: Walled Lake Western avenged an opening-night loss to Clarkston with a 57-47 win in Division 1 – Spinal Column
7. Girls Basketball: Kalamazoo Hackett upset Niles Brandywine 49-43 and Schoolcraft edged Gobles 42-41 to set up a Division 3 Regional Final – WWMT
8. Girls Basketball: Saline set a program record with 22 wins by defeating Wayne Memorial 51-40 in Division 1 – Ann Arbor News
9. Girls Basketball: St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran won another touted Division 4 matchup, downing Fruitport Calvary Christian 54-20 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
10. Girls Basketball: Charlevoix continued a storied tournament run with a 65-29 win over Oscoda in Division 3 – Petoskey News-Review