Did you see that? (9/3-9/9)

September 10, 2012

School is back in session, and MHSAA teams should be hitting their best strides as league competition gets underway in most sports.

Here's a look at some of the highlights from the first full week of September, with links to additional coverage.

Volleyball

Spikes under the sun: Muskegon Mona Shores finished 3-0 in its home invitational Wednesday against a strong field of Grand Haven, Fruitport and Spring Lake. That's reason to celebrate on its own. But the best part of this story is where the Sailors did their damage -- on two portable courts stretched across the school's football field. (Muskegon Chronicle)

St. Philip takes Cereal City: Despite being one of the smallest schools in the state, it's rare that Battle Creek St. Philip doesn't leave a tournament as champion -- especially in its home town. But the Tigers hadn't won the Cereal City Invitational since 2007, until it did so with a two-set win over Class A honorable mention Temperance-Bedford this weekend. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

FHE is No. 1: Ada Forest Hills Eastern more than justified its ranking as best in the state in Class B by besting many of the best from the Grand Rapids area at the East Kentwood Invitational. Among others in the field were Class A No. 8 East Grand Rapids and reigning MHSAA Class A champion Rockford. (Grand Rapids Press)

Put them in the book: Johannesburg-Lewiston swept Gaylord St. Mary on Tuesday, thanks in part to 10 aces by junior Brittany Cherwinski, a total which will qualify for the MHSAA record book once documentation is submitted. In the team's previous match, junior Julia Nieman qualified for most assists in a match. (Gaylord Herald Times)

Cross Country

Harbor Springs rules the mud: Both the Harbor Springs boys and girls teams won their Charlevoix Classic Mud Runs on Saturday on a course that featured standing water and hay bales among other obstacles. It was the 21st year of the race. (Charlevoix Courier)

Running to records: Sault Ste. Marie has a freshman to watch in Parker Scott, who won his school's Bill Lynn Trails race Saturday in a time of 16:36 -- at least 26 seconds faster than any of the three first-place times from last season's MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals. The time was a school record. (Soo Evening News)

Swimming and Diving

West Ottawa wins West Michigan: Facing many of the biggest and best from that side of the state, Holland West Ottawa won the West Michigan Relays after finishing third in the event each of the last three seasons. Among those also in the field was reigning MHSAA Division 2 champion Holland. (Holland Sentinel)

Tennis

Dow rises again: The Division 2 top-ranked Midland Dow tennis team remained perfect this season by winning its third tournament of the fall, at Grosse Pointe North. Among others in the field were No. 2-ranked Portage Central and No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (Midland Daily News)

Today in the MHSAA: 10/1/18

September 30, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

1. Cross Country: Otsego senior Alex Comerford became the state’s first runner to break 15 minutes this season with a 26-second win at his team’s invitational – Athletic.net 

2. Girls Cross Country: Rockford senior Ericka VanderLende ran the state’s fastest time on the girls side this season, 16:55.9, in winning at the Allendale Invitational – Athletic.net 

3. Girls Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Groves won the most high-profile dual of its quad, over No. 6 Midland Dow, but the Chargers did earn victories over honorable mentions Grosse Pointe North and Fenton – Midland Daily News

4. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 2 Bronson defeated Division 2 honorable mentions Niles and then Edwardsburg to finish its run at its annual invitational – Sturgis Journal

5. Cross Country: The Plymouth boys (LPD1 No. 3) and Northville girls (LPD1 No. 1) won championships at the Coaching Legends Invitational at Huron Meadows Metropark – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Cross Country: Dearborn Divine Child and Salem’s girls and boys teams swept championships at the Marauder Invitational at Lake Erie Metropark; Divine Child and Salem’s girls both are ranked No. 2, in Division 2 and 1 respectively, while the Divine Child boys are No. 13 in LPD2 and Salem’s are No. 9 in LPD1 – Southgate News-Herald 

7. Cross Country: Lansing Catholic’s boys (LPD2 No. 7), DeWitt’s girls (LPD2 No. 5), and both Ithaca teams (girls are LPD3 No. 14) won championships at the DeWitt Invitational – Athletic.net

8. Cross Country: The Petoskey (LPD2 No. 3) and Grandville Calvin Christian (LPD3 No. 4) girls and Pewamo-Westphalia (LPD3 No. 3) and Farmington boys won championships at the Shepherd Invitational – Athletic.net

9. Boys Tennis: Andrew Swirczek repeated as individual Greater Muskegon Athletic Association champion for Muskegon Mona Shores, but Whitehall edged the Sailors by three points for the team title – Local Sports Journal

10. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview returned to the top of the local ranking with a win at the All-City meet – Battle Creek Enquirer