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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:

Utica United boys bowlers hold up their championship trophy.

Utica United Completes Championship Run with Narrow Final Victory

By Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com

February 28, 2025

ALLEN PARK – A first-time participant in the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Bowling Final at Thunderbowl Lanes, football powerhouse Belleville attempted to add a championship trophy in a different sport.

But Utica United did not allow that to happen Friday.

The Utica team – a cooperative made up of bowlers from Eisenhower and Utica High – was more consistent and prevailed 3-1, winning the deciding game 174-169.

The lineup of Zachary Kukuk, Evan Cicotte, Marco Mazza, Kingston Corpuz and Dylan Harnden proved too much.

“To win a singles and now a team title is great,’’ said Harnden, last year’s Division 1 Singles Final winner. “I thought the guys bowled great today. We knew all the teams here were good. We knew Belleville was going to be good and Wayne Memorial. 

“We stayed focused. Being a senior makes this extra special.’’

Belleville dominated Livonia Churchill in the semifinal, advancing to the with a sweep. It took Utica United five games to dispose of Wayne Memorial.

Utica then opened the final with a 212-203 win to take Game 1 and kept the pressure on with a 216-182 victory in game 2.

“The fresh oil in the finals was a challenge, but we stayed consistent,’’ Mazza said.

The Tigers finally broke through in Game 3, prevailing 223-213. But Utica then finished the match with the narrow victory in Game 4.

Coach Phil Roberts completed his 15th and last season leading the Tigers.

“I’ll be 81 before the start of next season, so it’s time,’’ he said.

Grandville edged Davison 3,715 to 3,714 during qualifying to claim the top seed heading into match play. Utica was third at 3,707 and Belleville fourth at 3,486.

Grandville’s bracket run was short-lived. After winning the first game of their first match, the Bulldogs dropped the final three and were eliminated by Livonia Churchill.

Davison also fell in its bracket opener, losing the first two games to Wayne Memorial, rallying to tie the match but then losing the decider.

Utica stopped Jenison, 3-2, in another quarterfinal to set up a showdown with Wayne Memorial. Belleville defeated Hudsonville 3-1, setting up a semifinal with Churchill.

Click for full scores.