Did you see that? (9/10-9/16)
September 18, 2012
One of the state's premier regular-season cross country events plus some big-time volleyball in the Upper Peninsula highlight the non-football highlights from the week that was Sept. 10-16.
(Click for the Drive for Detroit football report.)
Cross country
Elite meet at MSU: The Spartan Invitational, run at Michigan State's Forest Akers East Golf Course, is arguably the most competitive regular season event in this sport and draws a number of top teams from all over the state for a series of races. Champions on Friday were the Waterford Mott boys and Grosse Pointe South girls in the Elite races, the Ithaca boys and North Muskegon girls in the White division, the Haslett boys and the Spring Lake girls in the Bronze division, and Bloomfield Hills Lahser boys and Jenison girls in the Green division. Click the "Playmakers" link for results and the others for coverage. (Playmakers.com) (Grand Haven Tribune) (Lansing State Journal)
Volleyball
Capital of UP volleyball: Calumet, ranked fourth in Class C this week. defended its title at the Articatz Invitational Autumn Classic in Marquette by winning all 12 of its games. The field also included Marquette, Houghton and Escanaba among others. (Marquette Mining Journal)
Trojans at home above the net: More of the Upper Peninsula's top teams met nearer the Wisconsin border. Crystal Falls Forest Park, ranked No. 6 in Class D, defended its home tournament title with a 2-1 win over No. 10 Lake Linden-Hubbell in the final. (Iron Mountain Daily News)
Golf
Lakeview owns Battle Creek: Lakeview continues to rank among the state's best teams in Division 2, at No. 3 this week. And there's no question it's the best in Battle Creek, as evidenced by a sixth-straight All-City championship won with a score of 176 -- 45 strokes better than runner-up Harper Creek. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
Recognition
Clawson names Judy Hacker Field: Hacker, who died in 2011, was a pioneer of girls sports in the southeastern corner of the state during her time at the school from 1963-95. She coached basketball, volleyball, softball, track and field and field hockey at the school. The school dedicated its softball diamond in her name Saturday. (Oakland Press)
Schafer Finishes Undefeated Season, Goodrich Claims 1st Title Since 2005
November 2, 2024
BROOKLYN — It took Ava Schafer of St. Johns a year to make a significant dent in her cross country personal record.
She wouldn’t have wanted to make her breakthrough anywhere else than on the biggest stage in Michigan high school cross country.
Schafer completed an undefeated sophomore season by winning the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final with a time of 17 minutes, 20.7 seconds Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
She was fourth in Division 2 as a freshman in 17:53.8, then ran 17:32.6 in the postseason Michigan Meet of Champions. Schafer eclipsed her best time by 0.2 seconds when she won the Greater Lansing Cross Country Championships on Oct. 12 before taking an even greater chunk off her PR Saturday.
“This season hasn’t been all PRs,” Schafer said. “It’s been about the same times as last year. I’m really proud of this one. It will boost my confidence in my performance and my times.”
Schafer had a solo run down the final stretch at MIS, winning by 10.3 seconds ahead of Otsego junior Emma Hoffman. Hoffman led at the mile in 5:28.7 and two mile in 11:10.8, with Schafer sticking close to her before Schafer’s move with about a mile remaining.
It was a clash between two runners who hadn’t lost a race all year. Schafer won all 10 of her races, while Hoffman won all 13 before Saturday.
“I was really excited and nervous coming out to this, because based on time I was ranked third,” Schafer said. “I was hoping to get first, which I did. It’s just really exciting to PR here at such a big meet, and we’re at states. Everybody is racing each other, so the times really mean something.”
In the team race, Goodrich returned to the top for the first time since winning three straight Division 3 championships from 2003-05.
The top-ranked Martians scored 134 points to win by 16 over second-ranked Zeeland East.
For Goodrich, it’s been a steady climb in recent years to return to supremacy. The Martians missed the Finals in 2019, placed 22nd in 2020, 10th in 2021, seventh in 2022 and third in 2023.
Seniors Kamryn Lauinger and Avery Byrne were the building blocks of Goodrich’s championship team, running in four MHSAA Finals.
Lauinger was 19th in 18:36.7, sophomore Alivia Ottinger was 22nd in 18:37.8, Byrne was 42nd in 19:06.6, senior Layla Jordan was 44th in 19:08.4 and freshman Kayla Shellenbarger was 47th in 19:10.6.
How deep was Goodrich? The Martians didn’t need to include Claire Brown’s 50th-place 19:12.1 or Baylor Lauinger’s 66th-place 19:34.3 in their score.
PHOTOS (Top) St. Johns’ Ava Schafer finishes an undefeated season during the final stretch of Saturday’s Division 2 race. (Middle) Goodrich’s Avery Byrne (661) and Layla Jordan (662) run in a pack that also included Pinckney’s Madalynn Karsies (719). (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)