Did you see that?

May 14, 2012

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

It's league championship time for many MHSAA teams, especially with tennis and track and field Regionals coming up later this week. And the week that was May 7-12 provided for a good share the first of many championship-level opportunities to shine.

Tennis

Streak stopper: The Fenton tennis team ended Holly's 29-season league title run by edging the Bronchos by a point in Tuesday’s Metro League championship tournament. The Flint Journal reported that Madison Ballard became the first Fenton No. 1 singles player to win a league championship in 24 seasons. (Tri-County Times)

Softball

On the rise: Division 1 No. 5 Portage Central swept top-ranked Mattawan -- putting Portage Central ahead by two games at the top of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West standings. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Strike 75: Fennville’s Selena Beltran-Pena had strikeouts for 25 of 30 outs in two five-inning wins over Martin. Beltran-Pena threw a no-hitter in the opener and a one-hitter in the second game. (Holland Sentinel)

Tuned up: Saginaw Swan Valley beat three ranked Division 3 teams – No. 2 Saginaw Valley Lutheran, No. 4 Tawas and No. 7 Unionville-Sebewaing – as part of a round-robin brought on by a delay at the Hemlock Invitational that forced the tournament to break up into smaller groups of games. Swan Valley is ranked No. 3 in Division 2. (Saginaw News)

Track and Field

Down to the wire: Two of the state’s best boys and girls teams compete in the O-K Red, and Friday’s conference championship meet no doubt provided at least a partial preview of next month’s MHSAA Division 1 Finals. The top-ranked Rockford girls edged No. 2-ranked East Kentwood, while the top-ranked East Kentwood boys ran away from the No. 3 Rockford boys and the rest of the field to win that league title. (Grand Rapids Press)

Record Breaker: Jackson High’s Cierra Pryor won the 100 meters and also the long jump at Friday’s Siena Heights Invitational, with her jump of 19 feet, 1.5 inches breaking a 31-year-old school record. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

Just getting started: Richland Gull Lake freshman Kirsten Taylor also broke her school's long jump record, which had stood since 1978, with a leap of 18-5. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Still undefeated: Norway’s Dani Gagne had won all 24 events in which she’d competed through Friday, including winning the 100, 200, 400 and long jump at the Norway Miners Co-Ed Meet. Her long jump of 17-0.5 broke her school record in that event set a year ago, and her 58.61 in the 400 broke another school record set during the early 1980s. (Iron Mountain Daily News)

Baseball

Best of the Best: Richland Gull Lake, ranked No. 3 in Division 2, beat top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian 10-4 in the championship game of its Best of the Best Invitational. Gull Lake also beat No. 5 St. Clair during the event. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

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].

Story in Photos: 2025 Ice Hockey Semifinals

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 7, 2025

PLYMOUTH – The 2024-25 hockey season will conclude Saturday with all three No. 1-ranked teams at the end of the regular season playing to finish the MHSAA Tournament also on top at Plymouth's USA Hockey Arena.

Division 2 will start Saturday’s MHSAA Finals at 11 a.m. with top-ranked Flint Powers Catholic (24-4) facing No. 4 Livonia Stevenson (18-8-2). Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood will play for a repeat in Division 3; the No. 5 Cranes (19-8-1) will face top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary's (22-5-2) at 3 p.m. The Division 1 Final will feature top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central (27-2) playing for a sixth-straight title, vs. No. 3 Howell (24-3-2), with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. to finish the day.

Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured plenty of action from the Semifinals – all photos below are by John Castine.

A Howell player works to maintain possession during Friday's 5-4 Division 1 Semifinal overtime win over Salem with Abel Dubanik (84) applying pressure.

A Howell player works to maintain possession during Friday's 5-4 Division 1 Semifinal overtime win over Salem with Abel Dubanik (84) applying pressure.

Detroit Catholic Central's Nino Suhy (2) rips a shot during his team's 8-0 Division 1 win over Sparta on Friday. He had two goals and an assist.

Detroit Catholic Central's Nino Suhy (2) rips a shot during his team's 8-0 Division 1 win over Sparta on Friday. He had two goals and an assist.

The Shamrocks' Connor Laird (15) moves the puck up ice as Sparta's Jameson Meendering (5) trails. Laird finished with a goal and an assist.

The Shamrocks' Connor Laird (15) moves the puck up ice as Sparta's Jameson Meendering (5) trails. Laird finished with a goal and an assist.

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Painesdale Jeffers players work to gain possession of the puck during the Cranes' 2-1 win in Division 3 on Friday.

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Painesdale Jeffers players work to gain possession of the puck during the Cranes' 2-1 win in Division 3 on Friday.

Cranbrook's Nick Timko celebrates one of his two goals with teammates GianLuca DiSalvo (9) and Cam Rocchini (10).

Cranbrook's Nick Timko celebrates one of his two goals with teammates GianLuca DiSalvo (9) and Cam Rocchini (10).

Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Alpena face off during the Eaglets' 9-1 Friday win in Division 3.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Alpena face off during the Eaglets' 9-1 Friday win in Division 3.

The Eaglets' Julian Johnston (9) and an Alpena player battle for possession. Johnston finished the victory with two goals and three assists. 

The Eaglets' Julian Johnston (9) and an Alpena player battle for possession. Johnston finished the victory with two goals and three assists. 

Livonia Stevenson goalie Mark Besedin deflects a shot during his team's 6-2 win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Division 2 on Thursday.

Livonia Stevenson goalie Mark Besedin deflects a shot during his team's 6-2 win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Division 2 on Thursday.

Stevenson's Tanner Champoux (6) celebrates during his team's win to reach the Division 2 Final for the first time since 2016.

Stevenson's Tanner Champoux (6) celebrates during his team's win to reach the Division 2 Final for the first time since 2016.

Flint Powers Catholic goalie Hunter Clark walls off a side of the goal as Grandville's Bennett Eisma (21) makes a run toward the crease during the Chargers' 4-3 Division 2 win Thursday.

Flint Powers Catholic goalie Hunter Clark walls off a side of the goal as Grandville's Bennett Eisma (21) makes a run toward the crease during the Chargers' 4-3 Division 2 win Thursday.

Powers' Blake Dawson controls the puck as his team advanced to play for a potential second title over the last three seasons.

Powers' Blake Dawson controls the puck as his team advanced to play for a potential second title over the last three seasons.

TOP PHOTO Howell players and fans celebrate their team's 5-4 overtime win over Salem on Friday at USA Hockey Arena.