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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: 3/1/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 1, 2022

1. SKIING Cadillac’s girls won their first Finals championship since 1990 while Traverse City Central’s girls, Traverse City West’s boys and Petoskey’s boys all repeated as champions – Second Half

2. HOCKEY Romeo advanced with a 4-0 Division 2 Regional championship win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay – Macomb Daily

3. GIRLS BASKETBALL By way of Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s 48-46 win over St. Charles, Coleman won a share of the Mid-State Activities Conference title – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

4. GIRLS BASKETBALL Traverse City West upset Big North Conference champion Petoskey 32-18 in a Division 1 District opener – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. GIRLS BASKETBALL Farmington and Lake Orion both earned their first District wins in at least a decade – Oakland Press

6. GIRLS BASKETBALL North Muskegon avenged two regular-season losses with a 37-35 Division 3 District win over Shelby – Local Sports Journal

7. GIRLS BASKETBALL Phoenix Burden-Smith’s game winner sent Saginaw Arts & Sciences past Midland Calvary Baptist 40-38 in a Division 4 District opener – Saginaw News

8. BOYS BASKETBALL Owen Varnado went over 1,000 career points in Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s 58-44 win over Manistee – Grand Haven Tribune

9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Walled Lake Northern broke a nine-game, four-year losing streak against Walled Lake Central with a 40-37 Division 1 District Win – Spinal Column

10. GIRLS BASKETBALL Greenville earned its first District win since 2016, 43-38 over Cedar Springs in Division 2 – Greenville Daily News