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: 2/28/22
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 28, 2022
1. WRESTLING Davison, Lowell, Dundee and Hudson were this season’s Team Wrestling Finals champions, Lowell extending its record streak to nine and Dundee and Davison also repeating – Second Half
2. COMPETITIVE CHEER Richmond was first and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep second in a Division 3 Regional featuring teams that have combined to win the last 10 Finals championships – Macomb Daily
3. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Battle Creek Harper Creek – an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – claimed its first league title in this sport since 1989, in the Southwestern & Central Conference; additionally, Battle Creek Lakeview won the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title – Battle Creek Enquirer
4. COMPETITIVE CHEER Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson have combined to win the last 14 Division 2 Finals, and they finished first and second, respectively, at their Regional on Saturday – Southgate News-Herald
5. HOCKEY Division 3 No. 7 Calumet edged No. 4 Houghton 3-2 in overtime of a Regional Final – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
6. COMPETITIVE CHEER Two-time reigning Finals champion Rochester Adams won its third-straight Division 1 Regional title competing with a field that included Rochester and Stoney Creek – Southgate News-Herald
7. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING LPD3 No. 4 Pinckney edged Chelsea 552-522 to win the Southeastern Conference White championship meet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
8. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Farmington and Lake Orion won Oakland Activities Association championships, and LPD1 honorable mention South Lyon finished a run to the Lakes Valley Conference title – Oakland Press
9. BOYS BASKETBALL Rudyard clinched the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference title and EJ Suggitt became his school’s all-time leading scorer during a win over Pickford – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
10. BOWLING The top-ranked New Boston Huron boys and No. 7 South Lyon East girls claimed Division 2 Regional titles – Monroe News
Also of note …
BOYS BASKETBALL Benzie Central clinched its first Northwest Conference title in a decade with a 58-45 win over Maple City Glen Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle
GIRLS BASKETBALL Bay City All Saints earned a share of the North Central Thumb League Stripes title with a win over Caseville – Bay City Times
GIRLS BASKETBALL Coleman’s Katelyn Pnacek became her school’s all-time leading scorer during a 63-50 win over Vestaburg – Midland Daily News
BOYS BASKETBALL Flint Carman-Ainsworth’s Mehki Ellison eclipsed 1,000 career points in his team’s 62-53 win over Mount Pleasant – Mid-Michigan Now
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Lake Fenton was first and Corunna second at the Flint Metro League championship meet – Owosso Argus-Press