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: 5/5/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 5, 2025

1. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 19 Fruitport defeated Division 3 No. 4 North Muskegon 9-1 to win its first Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship since 1991 – MuskegonSports.com

2. GIRLS SOCCER Mia Clemence scored six goals over two games to set a Fremont career record with 109 as her team – ranked No. 11 in Division 3 – won the Newaygo County Tournament – Local Sports Journal

3. TRACK & FIELD The Farmington Invitational saw the four fastest boys 200-meter times run in the state this season, with Belleville’s Will Jaiden Smith finishing first in 21.11 seconds – Detroit Free Press

4. SOFTBALL Division 1 honorable mention Muskegon Reeths-Puffer repeated as GMAA champion with an 8-2 win over Division 3 No. 3 Ravenna – CatchMark SportsNet

5. GIRLS TENNIS Detroit Country Day – No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – downed LPD4 No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 7-1 – Oakland Press

6. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 4 Macomb Dakota downed No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 8-4 – Macomb Daily

7. SOFTBALL Division 2 No. 2 Escanaba went 2-1 against downstate opponents, falling to Division 1 No. 6 Walled Lake Northern and defeating Division 2 No. 5 Goodrich and Imlay City – Escanaba Daily Press

8. TRACK & FIELD The Muskegon Mona Shores girls and Whitehall boys earned GMAA titles – Muskegon Chronicle

9. TRACK & FIELD The Gladstone girls and Sault Ste. Marie boys claimed Escanaba Invitational championships – Escanaba Daily News

10. GIRLS TENNIS Muskegon Mona Shores took back the GMAA team title, and Fruitport’s Josalynn Nowicki won No. 1 singles – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

GIRLS SOCCER Johannah McDonald became Dowagiac’s single-season goals record holder with her 33rd and 34th in a loss to Three Rivers – Niles Daily Star

BASEBALL Division 1 No. 5 Grosse Pointe South and Division 3 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett had a combined 54 players see action in their matchup at Comerica Park – Detroit Free Press