Michel Finishes with Story to Tell
June 11, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Andrew Michel received the heart-breaking news only moments before leaving his golf team’s Regional on Friday to get ready for that night’s Brownstown-Woodhaven prom.
But missing making the MHSAA Finals by a stroke was not the first thing he shared with those who asked about his day at West Shore Golf and Country Club in Grosse Ile.
Instead, the graduating senior told of the 132-yard shot he dropped for a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole, his second ace but first in competition.
Michel finished with a season-best 76, missing the cut for this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final by a stroke despite firing another eagle during the final holes of his round.
“At the start of the day, I told myself don’t leave anything on the table. Go for it on every hole, make every shot and just have fun at your last tournament,” Michel said Tuesday afternoon as he readied for that night’s graduation ceremony. “Being a senior, I went for everything.”
The best part might’ve been how he came back from a disappointing previous hole.
Michel had just finished off a triple bogey on No. 11, and admitted he was down on himself. He stepped to the next tee with his pitching wedge, and “I didn’t really care what happened. I chose the club I like to hit on that hole, and in the air I was thinking it was really good,” he said.
The ball touched down on the green and spun back into the hole.
Michel also played golf and soccer at Brownstown-Woodhaven. He’ll attend Grand Valley State University in the fall, study engineering, and will try to walk-on the Lakers’ golf team.
“Deep down inside,” he said he’s disappointed he won’t be playing at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West on Friday. But he’s got a quite a highlight to take with him from his final high school round.
“It was very bittersweet. I really wanted to go to state,” Michel said. “But the hole-in-one balanced it out a bit.”
Eye on the official
Hopefully you caught our MHSAA benchmarks piece (also published on Second Half) on longtime official Lamont Simpson, who has worked not only MHSAA Finals but NCAA tournaments and is one of 32 officials in the WNBA. (Here’s the link in case you missed it.)
He also became that league’s first to wear the referee cam, debuting the new gear during a recent game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever.
The camera provides plenty of ref’s-eye views. Click the video below to check it out.
Wheels of Steele
We’ve been watching the inspiring progress of Frankenmuth runner Bobby Steele especially over the last few years as his story became known across the Lower Peninsula.
Steele, who is visually impaired, has run cross country and track for the Eagles, thanks to the help of guides who ran with him to help him stay on course.
If you haven’t heard Steele’s awesome story, check out this 8-minute video. Not only did Steele run, but he cut roughly 12 minutes off his first cross country times over the course of his career.
Volleyball Districts Open on MHSAA TV
November 2, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The volleyball postseason begins tonight, with broadcasts of 60 District openers viewable on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv.
The following will be broadcast online during the first two days of the MHSAA Girls Volleyball District Tournament:
Monday - Nov. 2
Marquette vs. Alpena - 6 PM
Burton Bendle vs. Otisville LakeVille - 5 PM
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Kalamazoo Hackett - 5 PM
Lansing Waverly vs. DeWitt - 5 PM
Livonia Churchill vs. Garden City - 5 PM
Ludington vs. Manistee - 5 PM
Plainwell vs. Paw Paw - 5 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. Dowagiac Union - 5 PM
Walled Lake Northern vs. Hartland - 5 PM
Leslie vs. East Jackson - 5:15 PM
Battle Creek Pennfield vs. Three Rivers - 5:30 PM
Brethren vs. Mason County Eastern - 5:30 PM
Erie-Mason vs. Monroe St. Mary's Catholic Central - 5:30 PM
Morley Stanwood vs. Beal City - 5:30 PM
Niles Brandywine vs. Hartford - 5:30 PM
Vassar vs. Montrose - 5:30 PM
Lowell vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills - 5:55 PM
Bridgeport vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill - 6 PM
Brighton vs. South Lyon East - 6 PM
Caro vs. Frankenmuth - 6 PM
Clarkston Everest Collegiate vs. Oakland Christian - 6 PM
Clawson vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6 PM
Dryden vs. Kimball New Life Christian Academy - 6 PM
Durand vs. Flint Powers Catholic - 6 PM
East Grand Rapids vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 6 PM
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker vs. Cass City - 6 PM
Fulton vs. Portland St. Patrick - 6 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Vermontville Maple Valley - 6 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Linden - 6 PM
Grand Traverse Academy vs. Traverse City St. Francis - 6 PM
Harrison vs. Beaverton - 6 PM
Lake Orion vs. Waterford Kettering - 6 PM
Macomb Lutheran North vs. Armada - 6 PM
Marian vs. Royal Oak - 6 PM
Rock Mid Peninsula vs. Rapid River - 6 PM
Shelby vs. Mason County Central - 6 PM
Warren Woods-Tower vs. Harrison Twp. L'Anse Creuse - 6 PM
Buchanan vs. Edwardsburg - 6:30 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Livonia Franklin - 6:30 PM
Grand Ledge vs. East Lansing - 6:30 PM
Big Rapids vs. Reed City - 7 PM
Croswell-Lexington vs. North Branch - 7 PM
Battle Creek Harper Creek vs. Constantine - 7 PM
Michigan Center vs. Lumen Christi Catholic - 7 PM
Northville vs. Novi - 7 PM
Onekama vs. Bear Lake - 7 PM
Sanford Meridian vs. Farwell - 7 PM
White Lake Lakeland vs. Walled Lake Western - 7 PM
Williamston vs. Owosso - 7 PM
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep vs. Ottawa Lake Whiteford - 7 PM
Munising vs. Eben Junction Superior Central - 7:30 PM
Reese vs. Saginaw Valley Lutheran - 7:30 PM
Tuesday - Nov. 3
Allen Park Cabrini vs. Taylor Preparatory - 5 PM
Benzie Central vs. TBA - 5 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian vs. Chesterfield Austin Catholic - 5 PM
Frankfort vs. Lake Leelanau St. Mary - 6 PM
Cadillac vs. TBA - 7 PM
Escanaba vs. Kingsford - 7 PM
Houghton vs. Gladstone - 7 PM
New Haven Merritt Academy vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney Catholic - 7 PM