Did you see that?
May 29, 2012
The last full week of May usually represents the calm before the storm, at least relatively speaking, that is the MHSAA Spring Finals.
Although the weekend is generally one of the calmest of the season, the week was again filled with local championships, plus the start of lacrosse Regional play.
Here’s our look at some of the highlights from May 21-26:
Track and Field
All Tech in the PSL: Detroit Cass Tech’s girls and boys teams swept the Detroit Public School League championships Thursday, finishing ahead of Renaissance atop the standings in both meets. The girls are the reigning MHSAA Division 1 runner-up and led by senior Kyra Jefferson, who will run at the University of Florida next season. The boys team has hints of the team that won the MHSAA Division 1 football championship in the fall – this team also is coached by Thomas Wilcher, and quarterback Jayru Campbell was among those who shined. (Detroit News)
Still Hornets, with a side of Cougars: In a matchup of two of the best in Michigan from Divisions 2 and 3, the Williamston boys and girls again won Capital Area Activities Conference White championship meet titles -- with Lansing Catholic's boys then splitting the overall league title with Williamston. The Hornets boys are ranked No. 3 in Division 2 and the Cougars are No. 1 in Division 3. Williamston and Lansing Catholic's girls are both ranked No. 5 in their respective divisions. (Lansing State Journal)
Soccer
Okemos claims Gold: The Lansing area boasts top-four ranked teams in all four divisions, and two met for the CAAC Gold Cup championship Thursday – with Division 1 No. 2 Okemos downing Division 2 No. 4 DeWitt 3-1. The CAAC Cup pulls teams from each of its four divisions into a series of tournaments, based on league standings, with the top teams from each division playing for the Golf Cup. To advance to the championship game, DeWitt downed Division 3 No. 3 Williamston in a semifinal, while Okemos beat Division 2 honorable mention Mason. (Lansing State Journal)
Lacrosse
Final countdown: Girls and boys teams statewide began Regionals, with those finishing up this weekend. Of the few early games, the most significant might’ve been in Division 2 girls, where No. 9 Farmington Hills Mercy defeated Ann Arbor Skyline 18-6. (Observor & Eccentric)
Golf
Best by the Bay: For the first time in 18 seasons, Essexville-Garber won the Bay County Invitational, which matches teams from the Bay City area including larger Bay City Central and Western. (Bay City Times)
Fennville
Wes remembered: When Fennville’s Class of 2012 walked Thursday, Wes Leonard was with them. This year’s commencement included a remembrance of the standout, who died on March 3, 2011, as a junior, of cardiac arrest moments after hitting the game-winning shot for his basketball team. Classmate and close friend Selena Beltran-Pena walked with an additional cap, for Leonard, with accompanied by Leonard’s younger brother Mitchell. (Holland Sentinel)
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].
Dearborn Unified Boys Build On Regular-Season Just-Misses to Achieve Finals Successes
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2026
ALLEN PARK — Even as his team was struggling until about February, Dearborn Unified boys bowling coach Paul Marcon could still sense greatness brewing.
“In the regular season, we lost seven matches in our league by 20 pins or less,” Marcon said. “You could see it coming. They were going. I just knew.”
On Sunday, the whole state knew as well.
Dearborn Unified completed a hot final month of the season in the best way possible, claiming its first MHSAA Finals championship by sweeping Grandville in the Division 1 title match at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Dearborn was unstoppable in the Final, earning a 220-212, 226-149, 204-173 victory in a matchup between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds out of the qualifying block.
“It feels outstanding,” said Dearborn senior Christian Lamb, who was the individual champion at his team’s Regional. “This was my dream coming into my freshman year. To finish my senior year with a win, it’s phenomenal. We just believed in ourselves competing against these teams.”
After placing seventh out of qualifying, Dearborn began its journey in match play with a sweep of Wyandotte Roosevelt in the Quarterfinals.
The most nerve-wracking match of the day for Dearborn was in the Semifinals, when it trailed Hudsonville 2-1.
But Dearborn pulled out an 187-183 win in the fourth game to force a fifth, and won that 203-188 to get into the championship match.
“We didn’t win a lot during the regular season, but we had a lot of faith and a lot of confidence coming into this tournament,” Lamb said.
Grandville was making its second appearance in the championship match in three years after winning it all in 2024.
The Bulldogs were in 11th place going into the second and last regular game of the qualifying block, but rolled a 1,009 in that game to net the No. 8 seed by 26 pins ahead of Clarkston.
Fully energized by qualifying, Grandville knocked off top-seed and neighboring school Jenison in the Quarterfinals, 3-1, before sweeping traditional power Davison in the Semifinals.
After losing a close first game to Dearborn, Granville just couldn’t get it going over the last two.
Still, Grandville head coach Nick Watkins couldn’t have been happier with how his team performed.
“They didn’t miss and we had a couple of open (frames),” Watkins said. “We had such a great time. My boys won it in 2024 ,and my girls won it in 2025. This is my first time taking second and I tell you what, I’m just as happy having this as I was the other ones. Watching these kids grow and have the experience today was amazing.”