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].
Chesaning Boys Vault to Top of Podium, Ovid-Elsie's Tokar Completes Pole Vault Sweep
By
Tom Lang
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
KENT CITY – Chesaning came into Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Boys Track & Field Finals with some confidence.
But truly, some might not have seen coming what the team went on to accomplish.
After all, Chesaning’s boys did not crack the top 20 last year – but they zoomed to the top in 2025, winning the team title with 57 points ahead of 2024 champion Pewamo-Westphalia with 34 points, Reed City with 33 and Lawton with 32.
Chesaning became the seventh team to win the boys title over the last seven seasons.
“It’s a great group of boys,” said Chesaning coach Dylan Harrington. “They are supportive of each other. They are in it for the team above all else. They work hard together and motivate each other. They pick each other up if they’re down a little bit. And they put their best foot forward today. It was great to see.”
Harrington said there were not really any surprises. He said Caleb Walker has been as solid as anyone can be in the hurdles, and Walker indeed won the 110 race Saturday and finished second in the 300.
“I don’t think he’s been beaten all year in the 110 – and overall, every event we stepped up where they needed to. Our throws got us points. It was just a great team effort.”
The team of Cole Maier, Blake Hoerner, Zach Harlan and Walker won the 1,600 relay at 3:25.20, just ahead of Traverse City St. Francis by 0.59 seconds. That was Chesaning’s only other outright win on the day, proving that team balance works.
Both the 100 and 200 dashes were photo finishes.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior Cicarella Santino won the 100 at 10.86 seconds, less than a whisker ahead of Pewamo-Westphalia senior Trevor Smith, the 2024 champion, at 10.88. Smith redeemed himself by winning the 200 in 22.40, just ahead of Chesaning’s Harlan at 22.44 and Cicarella in third.
“I knew Trevor is a great competitor,” Santino said about the 100 race. “I knew it was going to be a close race and come down to the wire. And I was prepared for that, but thankfully I came out at the end.
“There are ups and downs throughout the season, but I think I stayed consistent all the way through. I started out indoors, and I worked at it and slowly kept bringing my time down and getting better every single week. Last year, I came in fourth in the 100 (to Smith). Trevor was obviously the guy I was going for all year as the returning champ.”
Smith would have loved to take both titles, but he was content with the 200 win.
“Being able to get another photo finish opportunity, and win this one, was really great,” Smith said about the second race. “I prefer running the 100, but today, I love the 200 win. They were both really great races, really close, and I enjoy that the most out of anything.”
Smith ran in two relay races as well.
“Usually, my favorite race anytime is the 4 x 100,” Smith said. “It’s because I’m running my favorite open race, the 100, but I’m at full speed by the time I get the baton, and I’m able to run, so it just makes you feel a lot faster and a lot better about yourself.”
Smith said he is going to Ferris State on Tuesday to talk to the coaches about a possible future there.
Another college bound senior is heading to Alma College, but to play football.
Pole vaulter Tryce Tokar of Ovid-Elsie won his fourth title in that field event, completing a Finals career sweep. He finished at 15 feet.
“It’s relieving now to win four straight,” he said. “That pressure is off. But it was fun today. I like vaulting.
“I had a couple of injuries early on, which I normally do honestly,” Tokar explained about the start to the spring season. “That’s pretty consistent when you transfer from football to track; you have some injuries to overcome. Everyone does, I’m not singled out. But I overcame it.
“I’m not really the fastest guy,” he added about excelling in pole vault. “I don’t really run sprints or anything. But I’m pretty athletic and just good enough to be a good vaulter. It takes a lot of technique. I owe a lot of it to coaches, and I like the athletic aspect of it.”
PHOTOS (Top) From left, Chesaning's Zach Harlan, Pewamo-Westphalia's Trevor Smith and Detroit Edison's Dennis Jackson push to the finish of the 200 championship race at Kent City. (Middle) Ovid-Elsie's Tryce Tokar crosses over the pole vault bar on the way to winning that championship for the fourth-straight season. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)