Logo

High 5s: 11/7/12

November 7, 2012

This past Saturday saw eight teams and eight individuals crowned MHSAA champions, and this week we feature a few who will be listed among the best for all time. 

Erin Finn
West Bloomfield senior
Cross country

Finn won her second straight MHSAA individual Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, this time in 17:07.9. Her finish was the fastest from any of the four divisions that raced Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, and gave her the victory in hers by 27 seconds. Finn’s time was the fourth-best ever at an MHSAA Final. She has three of the top 15 times ever run at MIS, more than any other runner.

On track for more: Finn also won an MHSAA Track and Field championship last season, setting an all-division/class record in the 1,600 with a time of 10:17.86. That time was nearly five seconds better than the previous best.

Maize and Blue: Finn will run next season at the University of Michigan. The Wolverines cross country team is ranked No. 7 nationally heading into Friday's NCAA Great Lakes Regional. 

Scientifically speaking: Finn intends to study biomechanical engineering at U-M. "My junior year, I found out I love physics, and I already knew I loved bio and chemistry. So, what's better than to combine those?"

Runners to chase: “I looked up to Megan Goethals (of Rochester), number one, and Shannon Osika (of Waterford Mott). They’re people I competed with. I know that one day I can be like that. It’s more real to me.”

Click to read more.

Nick Raymond
Erie Mason senior
Cross country

After dashing to the lead last season and finishing fourth, Nick Raymond dominated the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final at MIS with a time of 15:05.1 – the second-fastest time for a Division 3/Class C MHSAA Final to only Maverick Darling's 14:52.8 for Ovid-Elsie in 2007. Raymond is the first individual cross country champion from Erie Mason (not counting another who finished first among individuals before team and individual placers were combined for one race beginning in 1997) and also placed in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the spring's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Track and Field Final. 

A long drive: "I've been working hard, since the first time (I ran) in sixth grade. Working hard and training hard over the summer and during mandatory practices too." 

Brotherly influence: Raymond began running cross country in the footsteps of his older brother Andrew Raymond, a 2010 graduate. "He told me, 'If you just keep working hard, just look forward at your dream, your goal, you will achieve it.'"

Now the pool, then the track: Raymond swims during the winter, specializing in butterfly and breaststroke. Then it's on to track. Raymond finished fourth in the 1,600 (4:21.84) and seventh in the 3,200 (9:44.91) at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final. 

Looking up to Pre: Like many in the running community, Raymond considers former Oregon and international star Steve Prefontaine a major influence. "I liked how he had a lot of faith in himself."

Click to read more. 

East Kentwood soccer

The top-ranked Falcons edged Grand Blanc 1-0 at Troy Athens to claim their fourth Division 1 championship in six seasons. They finished 22-1-4, their seventh with at least 20 wins in the last eight years. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Today In The MHSAA

Today in the MHSAA: 5/15/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 15, 2023

1. TRACK & FIELD The Remus Chippewa Hills girls – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – and Howard City Tri County boys won Central State Activities Association league meet titles, Chippewa Hills finishing a 20th-straight conference championship run – Big Rapids Pioneer

2. GIRLS TENNIS Holland edged the field by a point to win the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red Tournament by a point – Holland Sentinel

3. TRACK & FIELD The LPD1 No. 4 Zeeland East girls and No. 3 Zeeland West boys are champions of the O-K Green – Holland Sentinel Girls | Boys

4. TRACK & FIELD Traverse City West swept the Big North Conference Championships; West’s girls are No. 3 in LPD1, and the boys are No. 5 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. BOYS LACROSSE Tecumseh finished a Southeastern Conference White title run with a shutout of Ypsilanti Lincoln – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. TRACK & FIELD The LPD2 No. 5 Otsego girls and Vicksburg boys won Wolverine Conference championship meets – Kalamazoo Gazette Girls | Boys

7. TRACK & FIELD The LPD3 No. 5 Manistee girls and LPD2 top-ranked Whitehall boys were champions of the West Michigan Conference Lakes – CatchMark SportsNet

8. TRACK & FIELD The LPD2 No. 2 Tecumseh girls and Pinckney boys won SEC White meet championships – Adrian Daily Telegram (Girls) | Livingston Daily Press & Argus (Boys)

9. TRACK & FIELD The Rochester Adams boys and Rochester High girls won Oakland Activities Association Red/White meet titles – Oakland Press

10. GIRLS TENNIS LPD3 No. 7 Holland Christian dominated in winning the O-K Blue Tournament – Holland Sentinel

Also of note …

TRACK & FIELD Hart swept WMC Rivers meet championships, Hart’s girls are No. 2 in LPD3, and the boys are No. 5 – CatchMark SportsNet

TRACK & FIELD Northville swept championships in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

TRACK & FIELD The Owosso girls and Corunna boys won Flint Metro League Stars championship meets – Owosso Argus-Press

TRACK & FIELD The LPD1 No. 4 Saline boys and Ann Arbor Pioneer girls won SEC Red meet championships – Chelsea Sun Times News

TRACK & FIELD Hamilton’s boys won the O-K Blue meet title – Holland Sentinel

BASEBALL Mendon coach Glen Samson reached 500 career wins during his team’s sweep of Tekonsha – Sturgis Journal