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: 9/28/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 28, 2023

1. GIRLS GOLF Paige Anderson carded a 4-under 69 to lead Muskegon Reeths-Puffer to the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association title after the team had only three golfers compete in the event last season – Local Sports Journal

2. BOYS TENNIS Flushing edged Goodrich to clinch the Flint Metro League Tournament and its sixth-straight league championship – WJRT

3. GIRLS GOLF Rochester High – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – shot a 310, and Madison Yang won a playoff for the medalist honor at the Oakland County Division 1 Championship – Oakland Press

4. BOYS TENNIS Traverse City Central won the Big North Conference Tournament to claim the league title – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. GIRLS GOLF Battle Creek Harper Creek shot a 367 to win the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference Tournament and championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter

6. BOYS SOCCER Big Rapids finished a perfect head-to-head run through the Central State Activities Association with a win over Lakeview – Big Rapids Pioneer

7. GIRLS GOLF Traverse City Central scored a 343 to win the Cadillac Invitational by 10 strokes – Cadillac News

8. BOYS SOCCER Division 4 No. 14 Leland avenged last week’s loss to Suttons Bay with a 2-1 victory to create a three-team tie atop the Northwest Conference – Up North Live

9. BOYS SOCCER Huron League contenders Grosse Ile and Riverview played to a scoreless draw; Grosse Ile is ranked No. 7 in Division 3, and Riverview is No. 13 in Division 2 – Southgate News-Herald

10. BOYS SOCCER Saginaw Valley Lutheran held onto the top spot alone in the Tri-Valley Conference Blue with a 2-1 win over Bullock Creek – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

SOFTBALL Vestaburg and the mid-Michigan officiating community are mourning the death of Wolverines coach Phil Block, who also was a longtime softball and baseball umpire and officiated football, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, swimming and wrestling as well over the last 16 years – Greenville Daily News