Did you see that?

May 21, 2012

Track and field, tennis and lacrosse teams have begun their marches toward MHSAA championships, but a number of sports are making offseason news as well.

Here's our sampling of some of the most intriguing from all over the state last week. 

Track and Field

Setting up a showdown: In perhaps the most notable race of last week’s Regionals, Birmingham Seaholm’s Aubrey Wilberding edged Southfield’s Latipha Cross in the 400-meter dash in Division 1 at Farmington. Wilberding ran the race in 56.48 seconds, 19 hundredths of a second faster than Cross, who set an all-Finals record in the race in 2011. Click the link next to each Regional site for results. (MHSAA)

Soccer

Shooting for 67: Lake Fenton sophomore Jordan Newman scored a combined eight goals in the semifinal and championship games of the Genesee Area Conference tournament to lead her team to the championship. She has 54 goals this season – only 13 shy of the MHSAA single-season record with Districts beginning next week. (Tri-County Times) (Flint Journal)

KVA belongs to Kalamazoo Christian: The Kalamazoo Valley Association soccer championship came down to two of the top teams statewide in Division 4 – and No. 2 Kalamazoo Christian edged No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central 1-0 in the final. The two were flip-flopped in the rankings heading into the game. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Athletes of the Year

Pinning down a major award: St. Johns wrestler Taylor Massa and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek's Gabby Yurik received the annual Michigan Student-Athlete of the Year Awards from the Detroit Athletic Club, from a group of nominees including Holland's Courtney Bartholomew, Birmingham Marian's Jaynie Pulte, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett's Madison Ristovski, Plainwell's Lauren Saar and Charlotte's Raychel Wolever, and Grand Blanc's Zachary Carroll, Saginaw Heritage's Evan Chiplock, Bay City Western's Matt Costello, Lowell's Gabe Dean and Oxford's Prescott Line.

Golf

Plymouth rocks: The Wildcats topped a field that included 17 state-ranked teams in claiming the East Lansing Invitational with a two-round score of 595. The tournament was played at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West and East. Scroll to the bottom of link for full results. (Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association)

Tennis

Match points: Five of the top seven ranked teams in Division 2 emerged from two suburban Detroit Regionals to advance to the Division 2 Finals: No. 1 Birmingham Marian, No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Andover, No. 3 Birmingham Seaholm and co-No. 7s Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Farmington Hills Marcy. Click next to each Regional site to see who qualified for their respective Finals. (MHSAA)

Softball

Perfect, again: Breckenridge’s Sam Willman threw her fifth perfect game this season, striking out 18 and 64 for the day as her team won the Montrose Snowball Tournament on Saturday. She also threw a perfect game two days before. (Midland Daily News)

Stacking numbers: Decatur senior pitcher Erika Southworth won her 100th game last week, then notched her 1,000th strikeout two days later. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Basketball

Detroit mourns coach: Southeastern High girls coach Lisa Blackburn died Saturday at the age of 52. She was a former Detroit Pershing star who went on to play at the University of Detroit. (Detroit News)

Stolz legacy ends: Longtime Okemos boys basketball coach Dan Stolz retired with a record of 428-99 and a winning percentage of .812 in 18 seasons at Okemos and five at Williamston. Stolz took over the Chieftains program from his father Stan, who coached the varsity from 1968-93. (Lansing State Journal)

Wrestling

New coach at St. Johns: The reigning three-time Division 2 MHSAA team champion now will be coached by assistant Derek Phillips, who was promoted last week to take over for the recently-resigned Zane Ballard. (Lansing State Journal)

Media

Longtime editor announces retirement: The state’s print media will wave good-bye to another valuable member when longtime Escanaba Daily Press sports editor Denny Grall retires in two months. He’s been putting pen to paper for 42 years and is especially legendary across the Upper Peninsula. (Escanaba Daily Press)

Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected].

Today in the MHSAA: 11/20/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 20, 2024

1. VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Detroit Country Day will play in its first Semifinal after coming back to defeat No. 4 North Branch 3-2 in a Division 2 Quarterfinal – Hometown Life

2. VOLLEYBALL No. 8 St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake earned its first Semifinal trip with a five-set win over No. 10 Concord in Division 4 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

3. VOLLEYBALL Honorable mention Essexville Garber earned its first trip to the Semifinals with a sweep of honorable mention Fruitport in Division 2 – Bay City Times

4. VOLLEYBALL Unranked Hancock moved on to the Division 4 Semifinals with a sweep of Atlanta – Upper Michigan’s Source

5. VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Battle Creek Harper Creek earned a trip just down the road with a Division 2 Quarterfinal win over No. 6 Grand Rapids South Christian in four sets – Battle Creek Enquirer

6. VOLLEYBALL No. 7 Tecumseh will play in its first Semifinal since 2011 after defeating Dearborn Divine Child in four sets in Division 2 – Adrian Daily Telegram

7. VOLLEYBALL No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian advanced in Division 1 with a four-set win over No. 7 Utica Eisenhower – Oakland Press

8. VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Northville is headed to Kellogg Arena for the third-straight season after sweeping honorable mention Temperance Bedford – MLIVE-Detroit

9. VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Clarkston Everest Collegiate continued its Division 4 repeat pursuit with a sweep of No. 9 Ubly – Oakland Press

10. VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian won a repeat Division 3 Quarterfinal matchup, sweeping honorable mention Pewamo-Westphalia – Kalamazoo Gazette

Also of note …

VOLLEYBALL No. 5 Cass City earned a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals with a sweep of Saginaw Valley Lutheran – Saginaw News

VOLLEYBALL Honorable mention Fenton swept Battle Creek Lakeview to advance in Division 1 – WNEM

VOLLEYBALL No. 6 Traverse City St. Francis is headed back to Battle Creek after a 3-1 win over honorable mention Roscommon – Up North Live

VOLLEYBALL No. 6 Rockford advanced in Division 1 with a sweep of honorable mention Traverse City Central – MI Sports Now

VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart earned a return in Division 4, sweeping Traverse City Christian – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central swept honorable mention Hanover-Horton to advance in Division 3 – Monroe News