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March 20, 2012

Check out our must-know scores and news from March 12-17.

(Click on links for coverage.) 

Girls Basketball

Raise the trophies: Grand Haven in Class A, Goodrich in Class B, Morley-Stanwood in Class C and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in Class D did so at Breslin Center in the most exciting Finals in some time -- three of the four games came down to the final minutes. Check Second Half later this week for a Girls Basketball Finals in Review.

Boys Basketball

Pershing moves on: The Detroit Pershing vs. Detroit Martin Luther King series has been one of the best in the state this winter. King defeated Pershing in the PSL Tournament Final. But only one could emerge from last week's Class A Regional -- and this time it was Pershing with a 75-70 win. (Mlive.com)

Long time coming: Lake Orion won its first Regional title since 1925 (really), defeating Waterford Mot 48-42 in Class A. Really. (Oakland Press)

Fantastic finish: Flint Beecher moved on with a 38-36 overtime win over Detroit Consortium in a Class C Regional Final that wasn't decided until Antuan Burks drained a jumper with a second to play in the extra period. (Detroit Free Press)

Time for two: New Haven won its second boys basketball Regional title ever, and first since 1990, with a 59-57 overtime win over frequent power Saginaw Nouvel. (Macomb Daily)

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].

Marquette 'Electrifies' with 3rd Title in 5 Years

By Ryan Stieg
Special for Second Half

March 13, 2021

MARQUETTE – For the second year in a row, the Marquette boys swimming & diving team climbed atop the Upper Peninsula podium, and on Saturday, they did it in dominant fashion. 

The Redmen finished with 421 points, 194 more than second-place Houghton, while Sault Ste. Marie (170) edged Kingsford (107) for third.

This was also Marquette’s third team championship in five years. 

Marquette won eight of the 12 events, including all three relays (200-yard medley, 200 freestyle, 400 free). 

“I don’t think it was really going to be a surprise,” Marquette head coach Nathan McFarren said. “I don’t want to sound cocky, but coming in, we were pretty stacked. We’ve broken records, but I don’t know if we’ve ever had this much depth. A couple of events we went 1-2-3. We won every single relay outright. The whole day was electrifying.”

Liam McFarren and Colin Vanderschaaf both won two events for Marquette with McFarren winning the 200 free and 100 butterfly and Vanderschaaf taking the 500 free and 100 breaststroke. Maverick Baldwin added a win in the 100 free. 

Sault Ste. Marie swimmingAccording to Coach McFarren, both Liam McFarren and Vanderschaaf finished the season undefeated, including relays, and the coach said the whole team was locked in from the start. 

“The focus this year having a team of mostly sophomores is way up,” he said. “Shortened season and everything came together in the end. It was pretty sweet.”

Morgan Burd earned two titles for Sault Ste. Marie, in the 50 free and 100 backstroke, and Cameron Bauers won the 1-meter diving competition Friday night. Houghton’s Davin Evans was the other individual champion as he won the 200 individual medley. 

All in all, McFarren was extremely pleased with his team’s performance and knew from the opening event it was going to be a fun afternoon. 

“Oh my God, it was amazing,” he said. “I could tell from the moment I showed up that was going to be an electrifying day.”

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette's Liam McFarren charges through his win in the 200-yard freestyle Saturday. (Middle) Sault Ste. Marie's Morgan Burd makes his move toward the 100 backstroke championship. (Photos by Daryl Jarvinen.)