Unified Sports: Unified Goal, Unified Effort
By
Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
April 11, 2019
The following publisher's note and cover story were featured in this winter's edition of the MHSAA benchmarks magazine.
At its best, sport breaks down barriers and differences through promoting teamwork, inclusiveness and humility. At its worst, we’ve seen sport do the opposite.
Obviously those involved in school sports aim to create a culture within every school which fosters the best of what all of us can be. Those places that do this best have created a culture in every hallway, classroom, playing field and gymnasium filled with diverse students pulling for one another and working together regardless of the different backgrounds, races, religions, abilities, physical stature or academic acumen of each person. A culture of understanding and acceptance is what we strive for in each of our school communities.
On Nov. 24, such a scene played out on the grand stage of the playing surface at Ford Field in Detroit. In what we hope will be the launching pad for many more such events, Unified Sports competitors from four MHSAA member schools competed simultaneously in two games prior to the MHSAA Division 7 Football Final.
Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program within Special Olympics which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates for training and competition.
From the time competitors walked through the tunnel to perform in front of family, friends, and the appreciative crowds from New Lothrop and Madison Heights Madison awaiting kickoff for the 10 a.m. game, the enthusiasm was unmatched.
Following competition these Unified teams were given tours of the facility, including a visit to the Detroit Lions locker room. We intended to deliver a day filled with an experience and memory for a lifetime for our guests, and feedback suggests that was accomplished. But, make no mistake, the session left lasting impressions on the staff here at the MHSAA, as well.
Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta – schools represented at the 2018 Football Finals – are among the 300-plus schools statewide which are Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®, and it is our hope that the number continues to grow around Michigan and throughout the country.
The MHSAA and Michigan Special Olympics have a wonderful relationship, and we will continue to plan with our valued partner for future events as opportunities present themselves.
There is no limit to the benefits of these games and such a partnership. And, no limit to the enthusiasm of its participants who are helping to redefine school cultures by helping us break down barriers and build inclusive school communities around this great state.
***
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
The pass was lofted high, and floating toward the end zone nearest the tunnel where teams enter the playing surface at Ford Field.
As players from both teams converged, the intended receiver came away with the ball, clutching his prize and raising his arms in jubilant triumph.
It was arguably the best catch of the Thanksgiving weekend football feast in Detroit, and undoubtedly a memory this player will never forget. Moments later, the ear-to-ear grin remained as he high-fived spectators and family members on the way to the tunnel and up to the locker room.
And all of this happened before the second day of MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals kicked off Saturday, Nov. 24.
The play was one of many memorable moments to take place during the first-ever Unified Champion School event held in conjunction with the MHSAA Football Finals. If this year’s exhibition was any indication, it will be the first of many to come.
“The event far exceeded our expectations, and in discussions with the students, coaches and parents involved, I think it exceeded their expectations as well,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “The feedback was positive, and the thanks and appreciation we received was overwhelming.”
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (UCS) is an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.
Last summer, as Uyl was settling into his role as executive director at the MHSAA, Tim Hileman was acclimating himself to a similar role with Michigan Special Olympics. Both were replacing long-time leaders – Jack Roberts at the MHSAA and Lois Arnold at Special Olympics, who both had served their organizations for more than three decades.
The similarities brought Uyl and Hileman together, and they began to nurture seeds that had been planted by their predecessors.
“Mark reached out when the announcement was made that I was to become CEO of Michigan Special Olympics,” said Hileman. “We strongly believed in the benefits of a partnership between the two organizations. We talked about long-term plans and the goal of growing a culture of inclusion within our schools. A more immediate component was exploring existing opportunities to highlight a partnership, and what greater way to do that than at Ford Field during one of the most prominent weekends of the MHSAA sports season?”
The inaugural event included students from Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta school districts, each of which sponsor Unified teams.
Brighton, which has been in the game since 2016-17 and involves a combined 75 general education students and students with intellectual disabilities (I.D. students), recently earned national recognition for its Unified program.
“Andy Doupe, a faculty member who teaches special education here, brought the initiative to our district and it was a no-brainer that we needed to implement the program,” said John Thompson, athletic director at Brighton High School and a member of the MHSAA Representative Council. “It was a great opportunity to be supportive of all students in our community.”
Brighton Unified coach and faculty member Jody Renicker has helped take the lead.
“The foundation of Unified Sports is pretty simple,” Renicker said. “It's the idea that training and competing together is one of the fastest ways to friendship and understanding. The students discover that they are much more alike than they are different. This helps to dissolve the preconceptions and stereotypes often associated with people with disabilities.”
Just up the road in Holt, that community was gaining its own recognition, bringing home the Gold Medal from the USA Flag Football Championships in Seattle last summer. The lessons and experiences proved even more valuable.
“Athletes roomed with UCS partners,” said Val Suszko, a coach for the Holt/Mason program, which involves roughly 80 students with and without disabilities and is in its sixth year of existence. “The friendship that they developed over those 10 days was priceless. They are friends for life. They care for and protect each other. Without this experience, they wouldn’t have ever met.”
That’s the overriding goal of Unified athletics: to break down barriers within schools and communities while introducing young people to those with various challenges, offering opportunities to lead and assist.
“The inclusion of special needs kids and how it makes them feel is a wonderful part of the school community and program,” Thompson said. “We have a young lady with a prosthetic leg who never wore shorts because she was embarrassed. Now, being part of our basketball team, she wears shorts all the time.
“Naturally there’s a huge upside for the special needs students, but the general ed kids are being provided an opportunity to grow and develop leadership skills. The experiences open some eyes and break down some divisions that exist to make for an improved culture throughout the school. The melding of kids with different backgrounds of any kind is always good for perspective.”
Unified programs offer increased participation opportunity for the general education population as well as the I.D. students. For students who may not make the cut for school teams, or prefer to focus on academics or part-time jobs, the Unified option provides just what they are seeking. Others are varsity athletes looking for competition outside their preferred sport seasons.
“We receive a lot of interest from those partners who might have wanted to play on freshman, JV, or varsity teams but couldn’t meet the eligibility requirements or physically do not make the cuts at those levels of team tryouts,” said Renne Wyman, Unified coach at Sparta High School. “So they wander into the gym and join us. What happens is, the level of play ratchets up a notch or two. These kids initially come here to play, not necessarily help the intellectually disabled kids.
“But, then they start giving shooting advice, or directing them where to move offensively or whom to cover defensively. Suddenly they are talking to each other, and no adult staged the mentoring. It carries on between quarters, at halftime, before games and practices. They start texting and offering a seat in the cafeteria at lunch. I’m talking about major culture change in our building.”
This type of interaction serves to reduce the number of negative incidents in the hallways.
“Statistics show that these programs have proven to reduce bullying of the intellectually disabled population,” said Suszko of Holt/Mason. “To have an organized sports team and school support team is invaluable. The students with intellectual disabilities gain so much. They train together, play together and develop friendships through sports with the general school population.”
With such important life lessons in the balance, and 300-plus schools around Michigan sponsoring school programs, the time was right to further shine a spotlight on the product. In the past, Unified basketball events have been showcased during MHSAA Hoopfest events in conjunction with the Boys Basketball Finals, and it was time to take the next step.
“A partnership between the MHSAA and Special Olympics is a natural fit, and our goal is to assist in promoting inclusiveness and leadership components of Unified Champion Schools as opportunities at our tournaments allow,” Uyl said. “These are such worthwhile endeavors, and the student-athletes involved truly symbolize the best in school sports.”
The Ford Field event provided a chance for some serious competition on the field, along with countless smiles – and some tears – from onlookers and support groups following the action.
“My favorite story from that day came as Mark (Uyl) was addressing the group in the Lions locker room and thanking them for being there,” Hileman said. “I looked into the corner of the room and there’s a man – pretty good sized, tough-looking – standing there with his wife, and they’ve got tears in their eyes. The dad came up and told me, ‘I never thought I’d see my son play any kind of sport, and here he is at Ford Field. I’ll never forget this, and never watch a Lions game without thinking of this.’
“So many of our athletes are told what they can't do. Special Olympics is about showing what they can do.”
For Suszko, the highlights began earlier in the morning.
“The most memorable moment for me was watching the expressions on all of the athletes’ faces as they walked through the tunnel onto the field,” she said. “What a great opportunity. The hospitality that Mark Uyl, Nate Hampton, and the rest of the staff gave us was appreciated so much. The parents were excited. They loved seeing their athlete participating alongside the other high school football teams. Watching barriers being broken and teamwork being established is what inclusion is all about.”
There were plenty of emotions to go around, from the guests and the hosts.
“The kids and parents were over the moon when the invitation came. Ford Field, the MHSAA Finals, it really resonated with the kids, the school and families,” Thompson said. “Nate and Mark and all staff involved went out of their way to make it a wonderful and meaningful experience. They did more for the families and kids than anyone expected. We are very appreciative of the MHSAA continuing to work toward inclusion, and events like these help to spread the word.”
Spreading the word will help bolster an already strong movement both in Michigan and nationally. Hileman is excited for the future in partnering with the MHSAA for events like the one in November, which generate a high level of enthusiasm. In the near future, he has some more immediate goals.
“We are concentrating on expanding league play. That’s what sports are; athletes competing, and our athletes want to compete,” Hileman said. “We have league play in the O-K Conference, and in the Lansing area. Our goal and vision is to continue to build on the Unified conference experience; more competitions during the season.”
The Sparta program has been in place for four years, and numbers have increased from a handful to a total of 60 partners and Special Olympics athletes combined. Volunteers are a vital part of the initiative, and Wyman says hundreds of people donate their time at affiliated service projects held twice yearly. The school offers Unified flag football at the league/conference level each fall, Unified ski/snowboard on a smaller scale, Unified basketball at the league/conference level in the winter, and is looking to add Unified track & field at the league/conference level this spring.
Make no mistake; athletes of all kinds like to compete.
“My kids are learning the game like they never did before. The partners don’t dumb down the vocabulary or slow down what they teach. This occurs in real-time scrimmaging with a need to adjust quickly,” said Wyman. “So our Unified athletes are being coached and challenged to increase their skill and conditioning at a level I just can’t replicate in my Special Olympics Physical Education class where no partners are present.”
One also cannot replicate the related successes outside the gyms and away from the fields, where Wyman reports that I.D. students are now being offered rides to school for dances and athletic events, improving their grades to be eligible to participate in the program and becoming healthier through the activities, all while gaining confidence in themselves.
Renicker believes that seeing is believing, and encourages people to attend events in neighboring communities. The impression will likely spur action.
“My No. 1 suggestion would be to come and witness how special a Unified Game is,” Renicker said. “It will give you hope for our future and highlight some pretty amazing things that are going on in schools every day that don't make the front page of the newspaper. I feel so lucky to be part of a school community that values this program and the culture it has created.”
Hileman recently attended a national Special Olympics event and heard International Chairman of Special Olympics Dr. Timothy Shriver proclaim his dream: that just as every high school sponsors boys and girls athletic programs, he hopes that one day every high school in the country will become a Unified Champion School.
It is a big dream, but the slightest nudge can put things in motion, as Wyman has seen.
“It can start small. You only need one or two partners to commit and you can get something going,” Wyman said. “A lot of kids would love to help in supporting roles, whether it’s running sporting events, officiating, keeping stats, designing, or organizing. In the beginning, it is one person reaching out to one school seeing if they can get together and play the game.”
With that, the guidance of Special Olympics, and assistance from partners like the MHSAA, maybe the ball can keep rolling all the way around the state.
***
Inclusion is Primary Mission of Special Olympics UCS
Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too, and much more.
About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.
Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
States Embracing Unified Sports
Young people with disabilities do not often get a chance to play on their school sports teams. More and more states are adopting the Unified Sports approach that Special Olympics pioneered.
Unified Sports is also an integral part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, which was founded in 2008 and funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education to use Special Olympics as a way to build inclusion and tolerance in schools. Unified Sports are now in more than 4,500 elementary, middle and high schools in the United States. Seventy percent of Unified Champion Schools (Pre-K through Grade 12) are engaging in Unified Sports! Also 215 U.S. colleges and universities have Special Olympics College Clubs on campus, providing ongoing Unified and inclusionary activities for students and Special Olympics athletes. Seventy-three of the 215 U.S. colleges and universities activating Special Olympics College conduct ongoing Unified Sports on their campuses. Learn how to get involved at www.playunified.org.
Mission: Inclusion
As part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International “Mission: Inclusion” partnership, the LCI youth network-Leos have become a strong global partner in expanding and implementing Unified Sports together with Special Olympics. The Leos have helped start and sustain Unified Sports in a number of nations worldwide, and serve as one of the movement’s strongest youth leadership networks in bringing inclusive programming to communities across the world. From Zimbabwe to Brazil and from California to India, the Leos continue to amplify the voice of athletes and embody the creed: Play Unified. Live Unified.
Major sports organization, league and event support to Play Unified
Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! This support includes:
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, D-III
• ESPN's X Games Aspen
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
• National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
PHOTOS: (Top) Unified teams from Brighton and Mason/Holt play during the second day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field. (Top middle) Participants from those three schools and Sparta took part in the morning's games. (Middle) Sparta athletes stand together for the national anthem. (Below middle) A Brighton coach and players exchange high fives. (Below) Brighton's Unified basketball team plays during a celebration for receiving national recognition last fall. (Photos by John Johnson.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Finals Weekend Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 18, 2026
There’s an extraordinary amount of anticipation for this weekend’s Girls Basketball Semifinals & Finals at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
For starters, snowstorms pushed one of last week’s Regionals into the weekend, and two of this week’s Quarterfinals a day later into Wednesday (and we’ll update this preview after those winners advance).
And then there’s the field. Seven teams are seeking their first Finals championships, and six of those hope to play in title games for the first time. Tecumseh is back after winning Division 2 last season, but two more past champions are seeking their first title since the first decade of the 2000s, two more their first since the 1980s, and DeWitt its first since 1977.
Semifinals will be played Thursday and Friday, with all four championships games set for Saturday.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
Muskegon (24-2) vs Utica Eisenhower (24-2) - Noon
DeWitt (22-4) vs Detroit Renaissance (22-2) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Flint Powers Catholic (24-3)/Petoskey (23-3) vs Tecumseh (25-2) - 5:30 p.m.
Goodrich (27-0) vs Grand Rapids South Christian (27-0) - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Pewamo-Westphalia (25-2) vs Roscommon (21-3) - Noon
Jackson Lumen Christi (23-3) vs Niles Brandywine (26-1) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Ishpeming (23-3)/Inland Lakes (23-3) vs Morenci (26-1) - 5:30 p.m.
Portland St. Patrick (22-5) vs Onekama (19-7) - 7:30 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:15 p.m.
Division 3 - 4 p.m.
Division 4 - 10 a.m.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are $14 for both Semifinals and Finals and available via the Breslin Center ticket office; please note the ticket office does not accept contactless/tap-to-pay payments such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, and it is strongly recommended that tickets be purchased in advance and added to mobile wallets prior to arrival at the Breslin Center. For ticket information and links visit the Girls Basketball page.
All Semifinals and Finals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on the NFHS Network. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.
The Girls Basketball Semifinals & Finals are sponsored by Michigan Achievement Scholarship/MI Student Aid.
Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by regular-season MPR and statistics through Regional Finals):
Division 1
DETROIT RENAISSANCE
Record/MPR: 22-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Blue
Coach: DaShaun Wood, fourth season (87-11)
Championship history: Class B champion 2005, four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 62-60 (OT) over No. 8 Wayne Memorial in Regional Final, 58-42 over No. 31 Livonia Stevenson in Regional Semifinal, 57-36 over No. 6 Utica Eisenhower, 49-48 (OT) over No. 3 Saginaw Heritage, 59-38 over Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Edison.
Players to watch: Maria Walker, 5-9 soph. G (9.9 ppg, 3.3 spg); Kassidy Cain, 5-5 soph. G, (10.9 ppg, 6.4 apg, 3.4 spg); Jaebri’an Autry, 6-0 sr. F (15 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 bpg).
Outlook: Renaissance is making the trip to the Semifinals for the first time since 2023 and most recently finished Division 1 runner-up in 2021. Autry played 15 minutes in that 2023 Semifinal loss to Rockford and senior Alehia Wade got on the court briefly, and they are two of only three seniors for a team that should continue to contend. Cain runs the point and Walker is the shooting guard, and they are among four sophomore starters who line up with Autry. Sophomore 6-foot-4 center Jayla Adams adds another 8.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
DEWITT
Record/MPR: 22-4, No. 14
League finish: Second in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Bill McCullen, 30th season (575-118)
Championship history: Class C champion 1977, Class A runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 48-41 over No. 13 Belleville in Quarterfinal, 43-32 (Regional Final) and 51-40 over No. 15 Holt, 39-38 over No. 18 Sturgis in Regional Semifinal, 51-41 (District Final) and 51-44 over No. 28 East Lansing, 37-29 over No. 23 Mount Pleasant, 62-38 over No. 29 Coldwater, 50-42 over Division 2 No. 8 Haslett.
Players to watch: Carly Dennis, 5-8 sr. F (12.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Jaynie English, 5-7 jr. G (8.5 ppg, 45 3-pointers); Golden Nicholson, 5-8 jr. G (8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
Outlook: The Panthers are making their first Semifinal run since 2015 after not only stunning reigning champion Belleville on Tuesday but graduating a pair of all-staters last spring. DeWitt avenged midseason losses to both Holt and East Lansing during the tournament and has done it all with a balanced lineup that has eight players averaging at least four points per game. During the playoffs alone, the Panthers are allowing just 38.6 points per game, and for the season they’ve held teams to 44 or fewer in all but two games. Guard Sophia Beland (7.1 ppg, 4.2 apg) joins Dennis as the team’s only seniors.
MUSKEGON
Record/MPR: 24-2, No. 9
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: Bernard Loudermill, fourth season (66-26)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 54-28 over No. 7 Grand Haven in Quarterfinal, 48-30 over No. 5 Midland in Regional Final, 52-34 over No. 3 Saginaw Heritage in Regional Semifinal, 35-27 (District Final) and 58-51 over No. 1 Rockford, 36-6 over No. 15 Holt, 52-37 over No. 19 Hudsonville, 58-34 over No. 25 East Kentwood, 47-25 over Division 2 No. 5 Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Players to watch: Mariah Sain, 5-9 sr. G (20.2 ppg, 42 3-pointers); Camiyah Bonner, 5-5 sr. G (13.2 ppg, 4.5 apg); Dy’nasti Bell, 6-4 jr. C (9.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.6 bpg).
Outlook: An exceptional run through the regular season has gotten even better during the playoffs as the Big Reds have not only defeated Rockford a second time but downed two of the Saginaw Valley League’s best by double digits and then avenged a one-point regular-season loss to Grand Haven in a big way. Muskegon has held its five playoff opponents to an average of 29 points per game, just under its magnificent season average of 29.5 allowed. Sain, who will continue at Charlotte (N.C.), was the Miss Basketball Award runner-up and is one of three senior starters and six who are part of the rotation.
UTICA EISENHOWER
Record/MPR: 24-2, No. 6
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Madison Ristovski, second season (46-5)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 57-43 over No. 34 Fraser in Quarterfinal, 74-69 over No. 17 Clarkston in Regional Final, 53-46 over No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Regional Semifinal, 44-34 over No. 12 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in District Final, 50-31 and 55-39 over No. 33 Port Huron, 50-44 over Division 2 No. 7 Flint Powers Catholic, 64-15 over Division 2 No. 25 Armada.
Players to watch: Janielle Turner, 5-7 soph G (13 ppg); Leah Poggiolo, 5-10 soph. G (12 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.0 spg); Gabriella Gojcaj, 5-9 sr. G (11 ppg, 7.0 ppg, 4.0 spg, 1.0 bpg).
Outlook: In just her second season, Ristovski – who led Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett to two Class C runner-up finishes as a player – has brought Eisenhower to the Quarterfinals and now Semifinals for the first time since 1982. The team’s only losses – both over the first six games of the season – came to opponents still playing, Renaissance and Goodrich. Sophomore point guard Madison Repicky (10 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 spg) and senior guard Natalya Stojcevski (8.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg) round out the starting lineup, and total eight players have scored 11 or more points in a game this season.
Division 2
GOODRICH
Record/MPR: 27-0, No. 4
League finish: First in Flint Metro League Stars
Coach: Jason Gray, 27th season (549-99)
Championship history: Class B champion 2012 and 2013.
Best wins: 52-35 over No. 13 Warren Regina in Regional Final, 43-27 over No. 12 Frankenmuth, 68-46 over No. 16 Parma Western, 53-37 over Division 1 No. 3 Saginaw Heritage, 45-24 over Division 1 No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 45-28 over Division 1 No. 12 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 61-39 over Division 1 No. 6 Utica Eisenhower.
Players to watch: Tanner Schramm, 5-9 sr. G (12.7 ppg, 57 3-pointers); Baylor Lauinger, 5-7 jr. G (15.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.6 spg); Kayla Hairston, 5-2 sr. G (14.1 ppg, 55 3-pointers).
Outlook: Goodrich is making its first trip to the Semifinals since 2023 but is always orbiting the possibility of a deep run, with a combined 100-9 record over the last four seasons and last week’s Regional title its fourth straight. Hairston made the all-state first team last season, and she and Schramm have Breslin experience as Schramm started and Hairston was the top sub as freshmen on that 2023 semifinalist team. The Martians also are unrelenting defensively, giving up an average of 24.8 points per game during the postseason and holding teams to fewer than 20 in 11 games this winter.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/MPR: 27-0 No. 1
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Coach: Erika Brown, third season (66-13)
Championship history: Class B champion 1988, three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 61-48 (Quarterfinal), 50-44 and 73-62 over No. 5 Grand Rapids West Catholic, 67-38 over No. 6 Otsego in Regional Final, 73-45 over No. 28 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 62-47 and 49-27 over No. 19 Wayland, 73-37 and 70-62 over Division 1 No. 27 Wyoming, 52-50 over Division 1 No. 1 Rockford, 49-47 over Division 1 No. 14 DeWitt.
Players to watch: Lizzie Wolthuis, 6-0 sr. G (12 ppg, 64 3-pointers); Sophia Prins, 5-6 sr. G (13.2 ppg, 39 3-pointers); Abby Prins, 6-0 soph. F (12.5 ppg, 4,1 apg).
Outlook: South Christian got past league rival West Catholic one more time Tuesday to reach the Semifinals for the first time since their Class B runner-up season of 2015-16. Sophia Prins made the all-state second team last season, and in addition to the starters above the Sailors get contributions from all over the lineup with Meredith Helmus adding another 10 ppg, Lexi Vermaas (5.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) second in rebounding, freshman guard Kinley Regnery (39 3-pointers) one of the team’s top shooters and 6-foot-3 sophomore Avery Lutke (6.2 rpg, 1.6 bpg) joining Regnery giving a boost off the bench.
TECUMSEH
Record/MPR: 25-2, 20-2
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference White
Coach: Kristy Zajac, ninth season (162-46)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2025), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 75-44 over No. 10 Carleton Airport in Quarterfinal, 59-39 over No. 16 Parma Western in Regional Final, 60-44 over No. 8 Haslett in Regional Semifinal, 58-25 and 60-27 over No. 23 Chelsea, 41-28 over No. 17 Detroit Edison, 55-39 over Division 1 No. 3 Saginaw Heritage, 55-39 over Division 1 No. 5 Midland, 71-44 over Division 1 No. 29 Coldwater, 71-30 over Division 3 No. 6 Blissfield.
Players to watch: Addi Zajac, 6-0 jr. C (13.2 ppg, 11 rpg, 1.2 bpg); Chloe Bullinger, 5-9 sr. G (9.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.0 apg, 3.1 spg); Avery Zajac, 5-11 fr. G/F (13.3 ppg).
Outlook: The reigning champion lost just once to an in-state opponent this season – 54-52 to Grand Rapids West Catholic in a Jan. 3 rematch from last year’s title game – with the other defeat against an opponent from Cincinnati. No one else has come within single digits of catching Tecumseh, which has allowed more than 44 points in game only three times while topping 70 in 12 contests. Addi Zajac earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and she, Bullinger and senior guard Makayla Schlorf (11.7 ppg, 45 3-pointers) all started in last year’s Final. Freshman guard Delaney Brown adds another 9.2 ppg.
Division 3
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/MPR: 23-3, No. 2
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central East
Coach: Scott Stine, first season (23-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 60-39 over No. 13 Brooklyn Columbia Central in Regional Semifinal, 64-53 over No. 9 Grass Lake in District Final, 60-39 over No. 30 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Regional Final, 58-56 over No. 12 Beaverton, 48-36 over Division 1 No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 55-49 over Division 1 No. 24 Farmington Hills Mercy, 50-49 over Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Edison, 50-28 over Division 2 No. 20 Michigan Center, 67-41 over Division 4 No. 5 Mio.
Players to watch: Kenna Hunt, 5-9 soph. G (19.9 ppg, 31 3-pointers, 6.2 rpg, 3.8 spg); Lucy Wrozek, 5-6 soph. G (12.6 ppg, 38 3-pointers); Ruby Boyce, 5-9 sr. F (4.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Outlook: The Titans have broken through to make the Semifinals for the first time after reaching the Quarterfinals on Tuesday for the second-straight season. They’re coached by Stine, who won three of the last four Division 3 titles coaching Ypsilanti Arbor Prep including last year’s after defeating Lumen Christi in a Quarterfinal. The Titans played almost all larger schools during this regular season, losing only to Division 1 Rockford and two Ohio opponents. Hunt made the all-state first team last year.
NILES BRANDYWINE
Record/MPR: 26-1, No. 4
League finish: First in Lakeland Conference
Coach: Josh Hood, 17th season (376-39)
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up 2024.
Best wins: 62-50 over No. 5 Kalamazoo Christian in Regional Final, 52-28 over No. 27 Lawton, 60-42 over No. 32 Kent City, 56-38 over Division 1 No. 49 Kalamazoo Central.
Players to watch: Lily Gill, 5-6 jr. G (13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.6 spg); Mackenna Price, 5-6 jr. G (10.8 ppg, 3.6 apg, 6.0 spg); Karleigh Byrd, 5-6 sr. G (9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 spg).
Outlook: Brandywine has reached the Semifinals the last three seasons with a combined record of 79-4 over that time. The lone loss this winter came to Division 2 Otsego, which fell in a Regional Final last week, and no other opponent has gotten within single digits. Only four opponents have reached 40 points. Gill and Byrd started in last season’s Semifinal, and Price was the top sub, and they are joined among leading scorers this time by freshman forward Zaya Price (12.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.0 spg).
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/MPR: 25-2, No. 3
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Steve Eklund, 17th season (327-74)
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 55-33 over No. 20 Cass City in Quarterfinal, 39-24 (Regional Semifinal), 59-36 and 47-34 over No. 19 Laingsburg, 49-24 and 64-41 over No. 25 Bath, 58-50 over Division 1 No. 28 East Lansing, 55-53 over Division 2 No. 28 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 45-29 and 45-21 over Division 4 No. 14 Portland St. Patrick.
Players to watch: Alonna Thelen, 5-9 sr. F (10.2 ppg, 36 3-pointers); Elly Bengel, 5-7 sr. G (12 ppg, 40 3-pointers); Adrianna Eklund, 5-11 soph. F (12.8 ppg, 33 3-pointers, 5.6 rpg, 3.1 apg).
Outlook: The Pirates are back at the Semifinals for the first time since their 2019 championship run and after losing last season only in their Regional Final. P-W has more defeats this time, but they came to Division 1 Saginaw Heritage and Division 2 Flint Powers Catholic, and they’ve won all but two of their games by at least 10 points. Bengel made the all-state first team last year and leads a potent perimeter attack that also includes junior guard Peyton Eklund (34 3-pointers) off the bench.
ROSCOMMON
Record/MPR: 21-3, No. 14
League finish: Third in Highland Conference
Coach: Greg Kauffman, fourth season (59-36)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 67-63 (OT) over No. 16 Morley Stanwood in Quarterfinal, 47-30 over No. 17 Harbor Springs in Regional Semifinal, 40-37 over Division 1 No. 23 Mount Pleasant, 57-29 over Division 4 No. 11 Frankfort.
Players to watch: Zoey Kauffman, 5-9 sr. G/F (14.5 ppg, 30 3-pointers, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 spg); Alexis Carper, 5-9 jr. F (11.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 bpg); Mara Williams, 5-7 jr. G (7.2 ppg, 3.5 apg).
Outlook: Roscommon will play in its first Semifinal since 1996 after also winning its first Quarterfinal since that season, and the Bucks have done so emerging from a league that had three teams win at least 19 games this winter. They’ve held teams to 30 or fewer points 12 times including in three of five postseason games, and their lone on-court losses were to league champ McBain, which finished 21-1. Junior 6-0 center Nemiah Carper adds six points and just under seven rebounds per game, and senior guard Kylie Traver chips in 8.5 ppg.
Division 4
MORENCI
Record/MPR: 26-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference
Coach: Ashley Joughin, fifth season (102-20)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 42-25 over No. 3 Kingston in Quarterfinal, 40-31 over No. 19 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist in Regional Semifinal, 58-25 over No. 4 Concord, 42-35 and 45-12 over No. 9 Adrian Lenawee Christian, 39-38 over Division 3 No. 6 Blissfield, 45-37 over Division 3 No. 30 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.
Players to watch: Colbie Ekins, 5-11 jr. C (12 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Evelyn Joughin, 5-5 sr. G (8.4 ppg, 30 3-pointers, 5.8 apg, 3.3 spg); Emersyn Bachelder, 5-7 sr. G (18.1 ppg, 31 3-pointers, 5.2 rpg, 3.4 spg).
Outlook: Morenci is a combined 71-7 over the last three seasons after also reaching the Quarterfinals the last two, and this time advanced to their first Semifinal since 2011. Bachelder made the all-state first team last season and has helped pace a run that has seen the lone loss to Division 3 Brooklyn Columbia Central and 20 wins by double digits. The victory Tuesday was Kingston’s lone loss this winter, and Morenci also earned three over Petersburg Summerfield (19-7), including in the Regional Final.
ONEKAMA
Record/MPR: 19-7, No. 21
League finish: Fourth in Northwest Conference
Coach: Dan Mesyar, first season (19-7)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 38-33 No. 11 Frankfort in Quarterfinal, 54-42 over No. 18 St. Charles in Regional Semifinal, 47-38 over No. 15 Buckley, 43-36 over Division 3 No. 7 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
Players to watch: Callie Sinke, 5-3 soph. G (9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.4 spg); Delaney McCarthy, 5-8 jr. C (9.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg,1.1 bpg); Ava Mauntler, 5-4 jr. G (10.5 ppg).
Outlook: Onekama has been another of the most intriguing stories this tournament, as the Portagers emerged from fourth in their league to reach their first Quarterfinal and now Semifinal since 1997. To do so they avenged two regular-season losses to Frankfort with Tuesday’s victory, and they’ve now won nine of their last 11 games and bounced back from those two defeats leading right into Districts. Forward Hailey Hart (5.2 ppg) is the only senior starter for Mesyar, who is in his first year coaching varsity basketball after previously coaching younger levels and varsity baseball at Ludington.
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK
Record/MPR: 22-5, No. 14
League finish: Fourth in CMAC
Coach: Michelle Smith, second season (39-12)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2002), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 29-21 over No. 4 Concord in Quarterfinal, 41-20 over No. 8 Climax-Scotts in Regional Final, 57-39 over Division 3 No. 19 Laingsburg.
Players to watch: Macie Smith, 5-8 jr. F (6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Gracelyn Rockey, 5-7 jr. G (15.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.4 spg); Lily Sandborn, 5-5 sr. G (7.9 ppg).
Outlook: With this first Semifinal appearance in 14 years, Portland St. Patrick is adding to a tradition that saw the Shamrocks win 16 Regional titles from 1982-2012, with Smith part of 1999 and 2000 Class D Finals championships as a player. St. Patrick has done it emerging from a CMAC that has Pewamo-Westphalia here in Division 3 and saw two other Division 3 teams win at least 19 games this winter; all five of St. Pat’s losses were to those opponents. The Shamrocks also have emerged despite losing senior center Maddie Honsowitz (12.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) to a season-ending injury after only five games played. Freshman guard Macie Leonard adds another 6.4 ppg.
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PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Renaissance’s Zahra Richardson (2) drives into the lane during Tuesday’s Quarterfinal win over Dearborn. (Middle) Goodrich’s Tanner Schramm (0) makes her move toward the basket during a Quarterfinal win over Detroit Country Day. (Below) A pair of Pewamo-Westphalia defenders, including Adrianna Eklund, close in on a Bath ball handler during a regular-season win. (Renaissance/Dearborn photo by KMS Photography. Goodrich/Country Day photo by Terry Lyons. P-W/Bath photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)