Did you see that? (11/12-11/18)
November 19, 2012
The final MHSAA girls tournaments of the fall, Volleyball and Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving, came to an end Saturday. Three of seven champions were crowned for the first time, and Second Half had coverage of them all.
Volleyball
Two new, two returning: Macomb Dakota in Class A and Lake Odessa Lakewood in Class B finished Saturday with their first MHSAA championships. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central won its second title in three seasons, and Battle Creek St. Philip won its eighth straight in Class D. (Class A) (Class B) (Class C) (Class D)
Swimming and Diving
Champions' wake: The Lower Peninsula Division 2 and 3 Finals saw repeat champions in Holland and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, respectively. But Holland West Ottawa won its first team title in any girls sport at the Division 1 Final. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3)
Girls Golf
Aya on Fiya: The Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association named Muskegon Catholic Central senior Aya Johnson this season's Miss Golf. Johnson, who will play next season at the University of Wisconsin, defeated Lansing Catholic's Jacqueline Setas in a tie-breaker to claim the Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship at Michigan State's Forest Akers West. (Muskegon Chronicle)
Galbraith Sets Pace as Petoskey Continues Magnificent Finals Run
By
Jordan Puente
Special for MHSAA.com
February 27, 2024
HARBOR SPRINGS — The Petoskey boys ski team remains in a class of its own.
Petoskey crushed the slopes at Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs on Monday by collecting its fifth-straight Division 2 championship with a combined score of 68 points. Monday’s title run marks the program’s 12th D2 title in 13 years, and the Northmen show no signs of slowing down.
Coach Ben Crockett credited his entire coaching staff and parents for the team’s success since he began guiding the Northmen in 2019.
“The boys came together after a Regional event where we had some strong competition,” Crockett said. “When they realized it was a foregone conclusion they were going to win another state championship, they rallied and came together to execute a plan.”
With Petoskey coming in first place, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s finished runner-up (102), and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (134) finished third. Great North Alpine placed fourth (134), and Harbor Springs finished fifth with a team score of 155.
Northmen junior Gavin Galbraith finished with an individual title in the slalom and third-place finish in giant slalom.
Galbraith finished the slalom with a combined time of 1:08.53 and the giant slalom with a combined time of 50.85. Teammates Taylor Keiswetter and McClure Galbraith placed in the top 10 in the giant slalom.
Keiswetter finished fifth with a combined time of 50.98, and McClure placed eighth with a combined time of 52.21.
"It's great that all of my hard work has paid off this season. Thanks to all my coaches and the Nub's Nob staff," Gavin said.
Gavin’s journey to get to where he is today started freshman year when he was named the 16th skier on the varsity roster. After waiting for his turn, he didn't shy away from the moment.
Last season, Galbraith watched the Northmen capture the team title, and the junior sensation was motivated to continue that streak Monday.
"All my coaches and family have been pushing me to keep this streak going," he said. "If we didn't win today, it would've been a bummer. But we tried our best, and that's all that matters."
Houghton’s Eli Heathman won the giant slalom with a combined time of 50.09, followed by Cadillac’s Brady Koenig in 50.74 and Galbraith in third. Gaylord’s Keaton Abraham was fourth (50.96) and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s CJ Studt was fifth (50.98).
Onekama’s Braydon Sorenson finished runner-up in the slalom with a combined time of 1:09.07, East Grand Rapids' Quinn Irwin finished third (1:09.42), Harbor Springs’ Jackson Deegan finished fourth with a combined time of 1:10.10, and St. Mary’s Pierson Kuhn finished fifth with a combined time of 1:10.93.
PHOTOS (Top) Petoskey’s Gavin Galbraith races to the Division 2 slalom championship Monday. (Middle) Houghton’s Eli Heathman speeds down the hill on the way to winning the giant slalom. (Photos by Sarah Shepherd. Click for all photos.)