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: 10/30/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 30, 2023

1. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 11 Bay City Western boys and No. 5 Okemos girls won Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional titles at Shepherd, Western its first since 1997 – Bay City Times | Lansing State Journal

2. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 4 Buckley girls and No. 4 Mason County Eastern boys won LPD4 Regionals at Buckley, the Bears reaching the Finals for the first time in 23 years and potentially as first-time Regional winners – Cadillac News

3. BOYS SOCCER Warren De La Salle Collegiate scored both of its goals during the first half in downing Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 2-1 in a Division 2 Regional Final – Macomb Daily

4. CROSS COUNTRY Buchanan swept LPD3 Regional championships in Portage; White Pigeon’s girls advanced for the first time – Niles Daily Star | Sturgis Journal

5. CROSS COUNTRY Brighton swept LPD1 Regional championships, the No. 3 girls winning for the third-straight season and the top-ranked boys with just 33 points – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 3 Goodrich girls and No. 6 Alma boys won LPD2 Regional titles at Shepherd – Flint Journal | Athletic.net

7. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 5 Jonesville boys won their first Regional title since 2002, finishing first in LPD3 at Jackson where Jackson Lumen Christi’s top-ranked girls also were victorious – Hillsdale Daily News | Athletic.net

8. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 2 Pinckney boys won their LPD2 Regional with 24 points, while Linden’s No. 14-ranked girls edged Dearborn Divine Child by eight in their race – Livingston Daily Press & Argus | Athletic.net

9. CROSS COUNTRY Hillsdale Academy swept LPD4 Regional championships in Jackson; Hillsdale Academy’s girls are ranked No. 8, and the boys are No. 3 – Hillsdale Daily News

10. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 4 Holland West Ottawa girls and No. 3 Grand Haven boys won LPD1 Regionals at Allendale, West Ottawa’s girls by just three points ahead of No. 6 Grand Haven – Holland Sentinel | Grand Haven Tribune