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:

Track & Field Finals Lead Off Spring Championship Streaming

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 2, 2021

Live streaming video of the MHSAA Track & Field Finals on Saturday, June 5, will kick off three straight weekends of MHSAA Spring Championships action on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv.

Track action begins at 10 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday at Lower Peninsula sites in the greater Grand Rapids area at East Kentwood (Div. 1), Zeeland (Div. 2), Jenison (Div. 3) and Hudsonville (Div. 4); as well as at the Upper Peninsula Finals in Kingsford. All of the action can be viewed by purchasing a Month Pass for just $10.99. Here’s the complete schedule:

Lower Peninsula Finals (All times EDT) 

► 10 a.m. – 3,200-Meter Relay Final; other Running Preliminaries (100-Meter Dash, 100 & 110-Meter Hurdles, 200-Meter Dash)

► 1 p.m. – Running Finals (100 & 110 Hurdles, 100 Dash, 800 Relay, 1,600 Run, 400 Relay, 300 Hurdles, 800 Run, 200 Dash, 3,200 Run, 1,600 Relay)

Upper Peninsula Finals (All event times approximate & EDT) 

► 10 a.m. – 3,200 Relay
► 11:40 a.m. – 100 & 110 Hurdles
► 12:00 p.m.  – 100 Dash
► 12:30 p.m. – 800 Relay
► 1 p.m. – 1,600 Run
► 1:30 p.m. – 400 Relay
► 1:55 p.m. – 400 Dash
► 2:25 p.m. – 300 Hurdles
► 2:55 p.m. – 800 Run
► 3:30 p.m. – 200 Dash
► 4 p.m. – 3,200 Run
► 4:45 p.m. – 1,600 Relay

Field events will not be shown, and awards presentations in all events will be shown when not in conflict with running events taking place at the same time.

Click the following links to watch:

LPD1 | LPD2 | LPD3 | LPD4 | UP (all)

Over the following weekends, MHSAA Finals in Boys and Girls Lacrosse (June 12), Girls Soccer (June 18-19) and Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball (June 17-19) will be streamed live. All events will be archived for on-demand viewing after their completion.

The Lacrosse, Baseball/Softball and Girls Soccer events also will have live streaming audio on the MHSAA Network.

The coming two weeks also will feature pre-Finals games produced by MHSAA members participating in the School Broadcast Program. Today (June 2) features 10 Lacrosse Regional games on the broadcast schedule; click for listings: GIRLS | BOYS

Now in its 13th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 per month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and on-demand video from across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. (Subscriptions must be cancelled before the 30-day period is over to avoid recurring charges.)