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: 2/13/20

February 13, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Team Wrestling Tournament kicked off Wednesday night, and a number of teams got things rolling quickly with their first championships in a decade or longer.

1. Wrestling: Muskegon Orchard View won its first Team District championship since 1996 by defeating Traverse City West and Central in Division 1 – Muskegon Chronicle

2. Wrestling: Wyoming Godwin Heights defeated Hudsonville Unity Christian in Division 3 to claim its first District title in this sport since 2003 – FOX 17

3. Wrestling: Livonia Churchill won its Division 1 District, downing Stevenson 35-33 in the final after Stevenson ended Franklin’s 14-year District title run in the opening match – Observer & Eccentric

4. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 5 Hart downed No. 7 LeRoy Pine River on the way to a District title – Cadillac News

5. Bowling: The Division 4 No. 1 Grass Lake boys downed Division 3 top-ranked Jonesville 21-9 –Jackson Citizen Patriot

6. Girls Basketball: Undefeated Detroit Edison handed Farmington Hills Mercy just its second loss, 59-41 – Detroit News

7. Boys Basketball: Carlos Johnson posted his second-straight triple double, this time to lead Benton Harbor past Coloma – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Wrestling: Dexter downed Ann Arbor Pioneer and Skyline in Division 1 to earn its first District title since 2007 – Chelsea Sun Times News

9. Girls Basketball: Athens downed Camden-Frontier 50-38 in a matchup of Division 4 contenders – Hillsdale Daily News

10. Wrestling: Remus Chippewa Hills won its 16th straight District title with match victories over Big Rapids and Farwell in Division 3 – Big Rapids News

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Connor Arnold became the first player in Coleman boys hoops history to go over 1,000 career points with 28 against Blanchard Montabella – Midland Daily News

Hockey: From Tuesday, Division 2 No. 5 Marquette handed Division 3 top-ranked Calumet only its second loss, 4-0 – Marquette Mining Journal