Did You See That? (April 22-28)
April 30, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The clouds finally began to break last week. And as expected, teams in every spring sport quickly got started catching up on what they'd had to put off most of this month.
Read on for some of the top headlines from all over the state, plus our favorite story – which highlights a pair of officials who will be recognized this weekend for their dedication to high school athletics.
Good Read of the Week
Father/Daughter rule the diamond: Ralph Burr will be among those celebrated by the MHSAA this weekend for 50 years of service as an official. But the past 20 have been his favorite – his daughter and umpiring partner Jackie will be recognized this weekend for her two decades of service. (Muskegon Chronicle).
Softball
McClure strikes again: Manchester pitcher Katie McClure moved into ninth in MHSAA history with 511 career strikeouts after totaling 27 more at Saturday’s Concord Invitational. Her team won the event by beating the host 3-1 in the final. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
One vs. One: In what has become arguably the best softball rivalry in the state, Stevensville Lakeshore swept Mattawan 4-2 and 9-4 on Thursday in a matchup of top-ranked teams. Lakeshore is ranked No. 2 in Division 2, while Mattawan holds the top spot in Division 1. (St. Joseph Herald-Palladium)
Another Clinton ace: That’s Cami Prater, who has taken over for graduated standout Tierney Nelson and no-hit the No. 5-ranked host at Saturday’s Springport Invitational. Prater hit a home run as Clinton won last season’s Division 3 championship game. (Adrian Daily Telegram)
Snowbirds down No. 1: Gaylord St. Mary scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to upset Division 4 No. 1 Onaway 2-1 a week ago before settling for a hard-earned split. (Gaylord Herald-Times)
Girls Lacrosse
“Play Day” perfection: Rockford hosted its fourth “Play Day” on Saturday, and the Division 1 top-ranked Rams finished it with wins over No. 2 Hartland and No. 3 Brighton. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, No. 2 in Division 2, also beat Hartland, along with Troy Athens and Division 2 No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys Golf
Upper hand, DCC: Detroit Catholic Central won what is one of the most competitive regular-season events every spring, claiming the Division 1 portion of the Traverse City Central Invitational by edging reigning champion Muskegon Mona Shores. Mona Shores finished third and DCC sixth at last season’s MHSAA Division 1 Final. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Baseball
Long time coming: Gladstone earned its first wins 4-3 and 5-0 over Negaunee on Friday, and those also happen to be the program’s first victories in more than a half century. The Escanaba Daily Press reports this as Gladstone’s first baseball team in 54 years. (Escanaba Daily Press)
East Lansing rises at Dow: East Lansing needed just about every one of its 16 runs over the final two games of Saturday’s Midland Dow Invitational, but came away with the championship after beating Division 3 No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel 8-7 in the final. East Lansing advanced with an 8-6 win over Dow. (Saginaw News)
Weisenberger throws no-no again: Sanford Meridian had three wins after Thursday, and two were no-hitters by pitcher Jonah Weisenberger. He threw his second in that night’s opener against Beaverton. (Midland Daily News)
Portage Northern rallies: The Huskies look like they could be an emerging force again from the Kalamazoo area, and moved to 5-2 by winning their home invitational Saturday. Portage Northern defeated Division 4 No. 2 Gobles in the championship game. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Track and Field
Hornets buzz: Williamston’s boys, who tied for ninth at last season MHSAA Division 2 Final, won the Spartan Classic at Michigan State University, finishing eight points ahead of Division 1 power Rockford. Reigning Division 1 girls champion Grosse Pointe South won its side of the meet by a much more significant 51 points. (Playmakers.com (full results), Lansing State Journal)
All-Battle Creek is all Lakeview: Battle Creek Lakeview continues to dominate its city’s track and field scene, and again won its all-city meets Friday. The girls won despite not running standout Sarita Dotson, who was out with an injury. (Battle Creek Enquirer).
Football
Stoney Creek celebrates Fisher: A Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football coach remembered Thursday how Eric Fisher was 6-foot-1 and 150 pounds as a high school freshman. That night, Fisher was selected first in the NFL draft out of Central Michigan University by the Kansas City Chiefs. (Detroit News)
Coach Called It: Jesuit's Intangibles Lead to Speed, Program's 1st Finals Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 15, 2025
ROCHESTER — When practice started back in November, Detroit U-D Jesuit head boys swimming & diving coach Drew Edson looked at his team and knew it could be a special season.
But his forecast actually had little to do with the talent that was evident in the pool.
“It was because of the way they carried themselves,” Edson said. “It wasn’t the swimming or how many great swimmers we had in the pool. It was the attitude and the work ethic. It was the day in and day out effort they showed every day. It was amazing.”
Amazing to finish this season as well was the fact the Cubs achieved something Saturday they had never accomplished before – win an MHSAA Finals championship.
U-D Jesuit won its first by topping the rest of the Lower Peninsula Division 2 challengers at Oakland University, scoring 305 points. Byron Center was second with 256.5 points, and Birmingham Seaholm was third with 207. Farmington (149) and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (122) rounded out the top five.
Jesuit had three individual winners: seniors Evan Tack and Patrick Mackillop, and sophomore Charlie McCuiston.
Tack won the 200-yard individual medley in a meet-record time of 1:46.28, McCuiston won the 100 freestyle in 45.45 seconds and Mackillop captured the 100 breaststroke in a time of 54.88.
“It just means the world,” Mackillop said. “It’s such a good culture. It’s the greatest feeling ever, and I wouldn’t want to do it with another group of guys.”
U-D Jesuit also won the 400 free relay in a meet-record time of 3:03.68 with the team of Tack, freshman Jack McCuiston, senior Matt Garza and Charlie McCuiston.
“It’s hard to put it into words,” said Edson, who completed his ninth year as head coach. “It was the culture. It was the way they treated each other and the way they’ve built this team off of the things that really mattered. The fast swimming has come after that.”
Stoney Creek senior Will Cicco and Seaholm junior Elliot Rijnovean won multiple individual events. Headed to swim next for Brown University, Cicco won the 200 free in a time of 1:37.36 and the 500 free in a time of 4:28.36.
Committed to Indiana, Rijnovean won the 100 butterfly in a time of 47.85 and the 100 backstroke in a time of 47.10 that set an all-class/division Finals record.
“I just locked in,” Rijnovean said. “Everything was on the line, and I managed to pull through. That was my thought process throughout the whole thing.”
Rijnovean also swam leadoff for Seaholm’s 200 medley relay that won in a time of 1:30.09. He was joined by junior Finn Murray, senior Emmett Knudsen and sophomore Quinn O’Neill.
Utica Ford senior Maximus Dexter won the 50 free in a time of 20.75, and Portage Northern junior William Blind won diving with 508.90 points.
Farmington’s team of senior Luke Morden, junior Josh Luo, senior Paul DeMartini and senior Jack Tomlinson won the 200 free relay in a time of 1:24.04.
PHOTOS (Top) U-D Jesuit's Patrick Mackillop swims to a championship in the 100 breaststroke Saturday at Oakland University. (Middle) Birmingham Seaholm's Elliot Rijnovean swims to an all-Finals record in the 100 backstroke. (Below) Mackillop and teammate Charlie Michael swim side by side in the breaststroke; Michael finished third. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)