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].
'South Lyon Lacrosse' Wins Out as United Turns to Season-Long Style to Finish Title Run
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 7, 2025
ANN ARBOR – South Lyon United girls lacrosse was perfect throughout the 2025 season playing “South Lyon lacrosse.”
So, when United found itself trailing Hartland 3-2 at halftime of the Division 2 championship game Saturday at the University of Michigan, the solution was simple.
Play South Lyon lacrosse.
United kept Hartland scoreless over the final two periods of play while controlling possession and netting four third-period goals to pick up a 6-3 win and complete an undefeated season with its first Finals championship.
“We really weren’t playing our game, so we had to just settle down and play like South Lyon lacrosse and not Hartland lacrosse,” South Lyon United coach Deanna Radcliffe said. “I just told them that if they remained poised and do what we have worked on all year, eventually (the lead) would come.”
The lead came midway through the third period. Junior Shealyn Perry netted the first goal in the second half with 7:19 remaining in the third to make it 3-3. That was followed just over a minute later by a free protection shot score from sophomore Reagan Shields to make it 4-3 in favor of United (24-0).
Sophomore Cate Cumberland added another goal only 36 seconds later on an assist from Perry, then Perry recorded her third and final goal of the match with 24.3 seconds left in the third to make it 6-3.
“I definitely did put a lot of pressure on (myself), but it was all for my team and I don’t regret it at all,” Perry said of leading the second-half charge.
With the lead, South Lyon went into possession control in the fourth, limiting Hartland’s opportunities to get back in the game. When the Eagles (20-6) did have the ball, they had some rushed turnovers that gave it right back to United.
“(South Lyon) has a talented defense. They have a lot of fast girls, and I think we were just too relaxed with our sticks in the midfield,” Hartland coach Ryan Skomial said of the scoreless second half.
United was the first to score Saturday, but it took just over 10 minutes of gameplay to get the scoring started. Junior Gabriela Lucchesi found the net first, but Hartland senior Ella Ebright answered a minute later.
In the second, Hartland senior Claire Brown gave the Eagles their first lead, 2-1, off a free protection shot. Perry responded for United with her first goal of the day, but Hartland countered with a goal from junior Amanda Norton during the final minute of the half.
Radcliffe admitted her young team, which had just four seniors, may have been nervous coming into the Final with an unbeaten record. The veteran coach admitted she had plenty of nerves herself.
“I didn’t even turn around until the very end of the game because I didn’t want to look (at the crowd). Even I was (nervous),” Radcliffe said. “It’s a different setting, a different stage.”
Perry said the team remained confident at halftime and stuck to the initial game plan with an emphasis on possession control.
She was key in all phases, helping with faceoffs, locking up on defense, and scoring three goals with an assist to earn South Lyon United its first title. Perry was quick to acknowledge her senior teammates, who played on graduation day, while holding an opponent to the fewest goals in MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals history.
“I could have never imagined it. I am beyond excited,” Perry said of being a Division 1 champion. “I am so proud of my coach for leading us on this journey. I’m so proud of the seniors that had to leave graduation early to play in this game with us. They know they made the right choice to come win this championship with us.”
The win for South Lyon United ended a three-year run of Brighton Division 1 titles. Brighton ended South Lyon’s season in 2024, but Radcliffe knew her team had a chance to come back and do something special in 2025.
“At the end of last year, when (the team) lost to Brighton and they realized they didn’t do what they could have done, I think they had belief that if they worked … I told them that if everybody just works a little bit harder, you can surprise yourself next year. I think they all bought into it, and here we are,” she said.
Hartland finished runner-up for the second time in program history, reaching its first Final since 2012. Skomial encouraged her players to keep their heads held high and be proud of their runner-up trophy after the match.
“It’s not something a lot of people expected. We were unseeded going into Regionals, graduated a lot of talent. I don’t think anybody expected this team to grind and get here. … Honestly, it was just an honor to get here,” Skomial said. “It’s so fun to be on this stage, and it’s such a great memory for the girls. It stings right now, but they will come away with a fond memory that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.”
PHOTOS (Top) South Lyon United players celebrate their first Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Hartland works to slow down a South Lyon United rush during the Division 1 Final.