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.
Northville Doubles Up, Holding Off Familiar Foe to Complete Repeat
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2026
MIDLAND – The Northville girls tennis team was attempting to repeat as Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion this weekend and had 21 points entering Saturday’s final rounds at Midland Tennis Center and needing to hold off Utica Eisenhower again to finish the run.
Bolstered by three doubles flight championships, the Mustangs finished the day with 27 points, and Eisenhower finished with 23 and second place for the third-straight season. The Eagles had entered Saturday trailing by three points.
Northville picked up important points at No. 3 doubles as second seed Lucia Lachapelle and Aadya Pullalarevu downed Pioneer top seeds Maryn Etheridge and Ayla Altinsel 6-1, 6-0.
Lachapelle and Pullalarevu had finished No. 2 runners-up in 2025.
“We played them in the regular season and lost, so we knew we’d have to eventually play them in the Finals,’’ Lachapelle. “We have this saying in our program ‘play like goldfish’ because goldfish have short memories.
“A second straight title shows how strong our program is.’’
Said Pullalarevu: “We were going into the match, we knew it would help us win a state title. We were obviously nervous. Losing in the Finals (last year) helped us for this year. We were focused on having confidence in our shots and each other.’’
Northville’s No. 4 doubles team of Michelle Lee and Emma Murphy pulled the team closer to the title with 7-6, 7-5 victory over Arya Iyer and Vibha Krishna of Troy.
“It was stressful,’’ said Lee. “It was tie-break, after tie-break after tie-break.
“In the back of your mind you think about winning states. Since freshman year I played singles, and for my senior year I wanted to switch it up. Luckily I got paired up with Emma. Every day at practice, we worked out butts off and we powered through this chaotic match.’’
Northville also won No. 2 doubles as Sravya Doppalapudi and Francine Ong defeated Novi’s Emily Backus and Sruthi Karthik 5-7, 6-1, 6-0. Eisenhower captured No. 1 doubles as Kara Lu and Alexis Gabriel ousted Troy’s Nainika Jasti and Hannah Wanstreet, 6-4, 6-4.
Gabriel was no stranger to state titles.
“This is my third time,’’ she said. “Freshman year I lost in the quarterfinals, sophomore year I won at No. 1 doubles and junior year I won at No. 2 doubles. It’s always exciting.’’
Eisenhower sophomore Morgan Emerick ran her high school record to a combined 74-1 with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Isabelle Hult at No. 2 singles, claiming her second-straight Finals flight title.
“I hope to go to No. 1 singles next year,’’ said Emerick. “It feels really good to win two times. I try not to get too nervous. Just keep going and stay focused.’’
Clarkston junior Kayla Lemke captured the No. 1 singles championship over Saline senior Emerson Jones, but it wasn’t the way she wanted.
Jones, the top seed, slipped and hurt her right knee with the score tied 3-3 in the first set. She eventually got the knee wrapped and tried to continue. She fell behind 5-3 before retiring, unable to play with confidence or ball-striking ability after the injury.
“I definitely wanted a good match,’’ said Lemke. “She deserved it. She’s a senior. She’s worked so hard for this. I hate that it ended this way, but I’m happy how we both played and how it first started.’’
Portage Central’s top-seeded Aarna Betala captured the No. 3 singles title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Holland West Ottawa’s Sydney Shafer. Rochester freshman Jilly Knoester, the top seed at No. 4 singles, clinched that flight with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Eisenhower senior Sofia Gardner.
“I was just out there playing tennis,’’ said Knoester. “I broke her in each set. It was fun.
“I lost one match this year to (Bloomfield Hills) Marian. The season was exciting. I was happy to have the chance to play. I think I learned mistakes are part of the game, and it’s not over until it’s actually over.’’
(Photos by High School Sports Scene.)