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)
Grandville Girls Go Distance Twice in Match Play to Secure 1st Finals Title
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2025
ALLEN PARK – Paiton Thompson couldn’t stop crying.
The senior anchor bowler helped Grandville’s girls bowling team to its first Division 1 title with a 3-2 championship match victory Friday at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The Bulldogs shot just 116 in the first game against Holt, but won three of the next four, including 158-153 in the finale.
“I told them we had to start making spares,’’ said coach Nick Watkins. “We started throwing and making spares.’’
Said Thompson: “We didn’t get down on ourselves. I can’t stop crying. Being a senior makes this everything to me.’’
There was a clear favorite.
Utica United, a cooperative of bowlers from Utica High and Utica Eisenhower, brought a talented lineup, led by Hadley Clark, Sophia Matheson and Ava Mazza.
All three also qualified for Saturday’s singles championship.
After a series of close calls Friday, the top-ranked Utica squad fell in the semifinals to an inspired Holt team, ranked seventh in the state. That set the stage for the championship against fifth-ranked Grandville, which had raced to the finals by defeating Rockford, 3-0, with the last game a 190-189 thriller.
In the first game of the championship, Grandville had seven opens in the first nine frames in falling to the Rams,153-116.
Still with open frames galore, Grandville tied the match at 1-1, with a 148-132 win in the second game. Holt then took the lead again with a 210-161 verdict in the third.
However, Grandville rallied to tie the match 2-2 with a 181-133 fourth-game win, and then clinched with the five-pin victory in Game 5.
With three of the best bowlers in the Macomb Area Conference Red, Utica United dominated the qualifying round, shooting a 3,404, which was almost 200 pins better than No. 2 seed South Lyon’s 3,220. Macomb Dakota was third at 3,101 and Holt fourth at 3,069.
In the quarterfinals, Utica had a miserable first game, shooting 115 and losing, but rallied to down Walled Lake Northern, 3-1. Meanwhile, Rockford eliminated Dakota, 3-2, winning the deciding game by three pins.
Holt stopped Westland John Glenn, 3-2, to advance against Utica. Grandville was the last team to reach the semifinals, defeating South Lyon, 3-2, to face Rockford.