Did you see that? (9/17-9/23)
September 25, 2012
The crowning of a new MHSAA soccer scoring champion and some statewide showdowns in golf and volleyball headline the best of the week that was Sept. 17-23.
Soccer
Chatfield fills it up: Senior Aaron Chatfield, a forward for Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian, scored both of his team's goals in a 7-2 loss Friday to Elk Lake, but in doing so set the MHSAA career scoring record. He now has 174 goals, two more than former record holder Soony Saad of Dearborn. (Petoskey News)
Golf
Cougars edge Bulldogs: Two-time reigning MHSAA Division 4 champion Lansing Catholic edged Brighton 327-336 at the East Lansing Invitational on Sept. 17 at Walnut Hills Country Club. There were nine ranked teams in the 17-team field. Brighton is ranked No. 2 in Division 1. Lansing Catholic's Jacqueline Setas shot a 70 to take the individual medalist honor, and two of her teammates tied for second.
Volleyball
Blue streak: Richland Gull Lake downed Portage Central in three sets to win the Portage Central Invitational's gold division and a tournament the featured four teams ranked in Class A plus reigning champion Rockford and reigning Class B champion Fruitport (in A this season). Gull Lake moved up to No. 2 in Class A from No. 4 after the weekend, and Portage Central is No. 6. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Tennis
Ludington on the move: The Orioles have moved up from No. 8 to No. 6 in the Division 4 rankings after downing formerly-No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and No. 10 Almont at Saturday's Almont Invitational. (Mlive.com)
Cross Country
Flivver flies on: Kingsford's Dan Kulas claimed the individual championship at the Stephenson Invitational on Saturday in 16:58. He's won four straight races. (Iron Mountain Daily News)
Basketball
Pershing coach steps down: Detroit Pershing boys basketball coach A.W. Canada has resigned, but will remain with the program as an assistant. The Doughboys are regularly in contention in Class A, last winning the MHSAA title in 2009 after also making the Final in 2008. (Detroit News)
Story of the Week
Spring Lake setter lifts Lakers: It's been a little more than a year since Emily Blahnik's mother Brenda suffered a horrific fall that left her with a skull fracture, brain trauma and spinal cord injuries. But with her teammates and community in continuous support, Blahnik has remained a big part of Spring Lake's volleyball program. The Grand Haven Tribune has been covering this story throughout, and Nate Thompson provides us with this update. (Grand Haven Tribune)
Hillsdale's Manifold Strikes Early, Strikes Again to Close Championship Run
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
JACKSON — In the first game, Chloe Manifold showed she can make spares.
In the second game, she showed she could strike.
Put them together, and the Hillsdale High School senior walked out of Jax 60 on Saturday with the Division 3 Singles Finals championship.
Manifold had eight spares in the first game of the championship for a 180 before a ball change turned those spares into strikes in the second game. She opened that with a five-bagger and eventually settled with 226 to defeat Flint Powers Catholic senior and top seed Elizabeth Teuber 406-387.
“It means the world to me,” Manifold said. “I went into today feeling confident. My dad sat with me all day, encouraging me. It’s an incredible feeling to see the work I put so much into pay off.”
If she was feeling confident coming into the day, her first game sent the confidence meter into overdrive. Manifold opened the six-game qualifying session with 11 of 12 strikes, the only “blemish” a single-pin spare in the third frame, to tie her high game of 279.
She rode the hot start to the second seed with a total of 1,272 — behind only the 1,357 posted by Teuber. Manifold defeated Fremont senior Sophia Romine 404-288 in the first round, then topped Armada senior Kenzi Nieman 423-335 in the Quarterfinals. She earned a spot in the championship match with a 388-354 victory over Clinton senior Paige Shankland.
In the first game of the championship, Teuber outstruck Manifold 5-2, but Teuber was stung by four open frames, all splits, and finished with 162 to trail by 18. In the second game, with a different ball, Manifold struck six times and picked up three single-pin spares before opening in the 10th to allow Teuber a chance to strike out and win.
Teuber left a wobbly 2-pin on her first effort of the 10th and was denied her second individual title after winning as a freshman and finishing runner-up two years ago.
Manifold credited the ball change — and her father, Lance — for carrying her to victory.
“He’s had such an incredible impact on me,” Manifold said. “All season he believed in me, taking me to lessons, helping me truly find it within myself to be the best version of me. I can’t thank him enough. I owe it all to him.”
Teuber reached her third career individual championship match by beating Three Rivers freshman Jayna Larson 418-314 in the first round and Dundee junior Abigail DeBruyne 361-336 in the Quarterfinals. She faced teammate and fellow senior Lillee-Ann Jacobs in the Semifinals and won 404-332.
Manifold’s championship capped a four-year stretch of her qualifying for the Singles Finals. As a freshman, Manifold reached the Quarterfinals before falling to her sister, Karissa, who was a senior.
She failed to make match play her sophomore year before making it to the Semifinals last year and falling to the eventual champion, Onsted’s Sydney Nichols, who is also Manifold’s best friend.
Manifold would not be denied in her final shot at a title.
“This year has been a knockout season for me,” she said. “Everything has been lining up well. I’ve been putting in so much time on the lanes, so to see it pay off is awesome.”
Manifold said she’d like to bowl collegiately but has not decided on a destination.
“I love bowling and want to continue it for as long as I can,” she said.