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].
By Near-Slimmest of Margins, Ross Claims Finals Matchup of Blue Water Standouts
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
JACKSON – Jason Ross has confidence in his son’s decision-making ability.
But even he had some doubts when Hunter Ross pulled out his third different bowling ball during the two-game championship match of the Division 3 Singles Finals at JAX 60 on Saturday.
The move paid off handsomely for the Almont senior.
Struggling to find the pocket after an early four-bagger, Hunter Ross changed balls twice in the second game, the second ball delivering two strikes in the 10th frame to squeak out a two-pin victory over good friend and Croswell-Lexington sophomore Joshua Gunderson, 377-375.
“A lot of nerves,” Ross said afterward. “I made it way too close, so did Josh. Josh gave me a couple breaks. I just had to put it together. I don’t know what happened on that first shot in the 10th frame, but I’m thankful for it.”
What happened was the first positive break for either bowler during the two games where strikes were difficult to come by and 10-pins were stubborn. The two bowlers combined for eight 10-pin leaves, with Gunderson missing three and Ross one.
Ross’s miss came in the 10th frame of the first game and left him in a 192-187 hole. That’s when he decided to shelve the urethane ball that had produced four strikes to start the match and nothing close afterward.
“I didn’t feel comfortable on either lane because breakdown was horrendous, but I made do with what I had,” Ross said.
His first reactive ball, the Ion Max, lasted five frames before he turned to the Attention Star for the balance, going spare-spare-strike-spare to set up his 10th frame. After Gunderson converted a 10-pin and struck, Ross needed a double and eight pins to win.
His first ball went light but carried the 2-4-5-8 bucket. He then flushed the second one and got nine on his fill ball for a 190-183 advantage.
“We he got the second one, I knew he had it,” Jason Ross said. “I was on the edge of my seat. I’m just so happy for him. It’s his senior year, and this is what we pictured.”
Just maybe not that many ball changes.
“I was freaking out,” Jason Ross admitted. “But it’s his game, I let him make the call and he made the right choice. I’m confident in him and his abilities, and he earned it.”
Hunter Ross closed his high school career as a Finals champion, a Regional champion two years ago and a two-time singles champion in the Blue Water Athletic Conference.
He could not leave JAX 60 without giving credit to Andy Schnebelt, owner of Andy’s Pro Shop housed in the center. The Rosses made the hour-and-a-half drive from Almont to Jackson every two weeks for about a year for Hunter to learn under Schnebelt’s tutelage.
“I would not have gotten this far without him,” Hunter Ross said. “The dude is a genius. And if anyone has any questions about bowling, they should go to him.”
Ross earned the second seed after the six-game qualifying session with a total of 1,347, just 16 pins shy of Gunderson’s tournament-leading 1,363. Gunderson opened the day with a 289 game a week after winning his Regional with a 1,489 total, with Ross second.
Ross averaged 216 in his first three matches after qualifying, defeating Olivet junior Michael Fitzner 449-337, Hopkins senior Brad Reynolds 409-357, and Gladstone senior Matt Meyer 443-406. During the second game of qualifying, Meyer fired a 299 game.
Gunderson was even hotter entering the championship after averaging 227 for his three matches in defeating Fremont senior Gavin Payne 491-405, junior teammate Carter Ramage 433-372, and Milan senior Max Jenness 438-403.
Despite the loss in the championship — and a runner-up finish the day before in the Team Final — Gunderson was pleased with his showing and that of his team. And proud of Ross.
“I’m happy for my friend. I’m just happy I did better than last year, honestly,” said Gunderson, who lost in the quarterfinals last year to eventual champion Mayson Knop of Frankenmuth. “I feel like we’ll be back next year. We don’t lose anybody for team. We’ll be back, and hopefully I’ll be back for singles.”