10 to Remember: 2012-13 Finals
June 27, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championships are culminations of season-long journeys, concluding with the most exciting competitions of the year but steeped in back stories that make those crowning achievements mean so much more.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association awards 127 team championships each school year. Anyone picking 10 favorites could come up with at least 13 different lists.
So the list that follows likely won’t agree with many others. But here’s one person’s take on the 10 most incredible MHSAA Finals performances – focusing mostly on the final competition but with some back story built in – from the 2012-13 school year. (Click on headings for full stories.)
10. Special teams lead to special accomplishment for Brother Rice
Birmingham Brother Rice and Muskegon had combined for 12 MHSAA football championships entering the Finals. But in winning their eighth, the Warriors also accomplished a first in 44 seasons under coach Al Fracassa – their first back-to-back titles. They went ahead in the eventual 35-28 win on a cross-field lateral that turned into a 91-yard kickoff return with 2:13 to play.
9. Lakewood volleyball ends championship wait ...
Lake Odessa Lakewood coach Kellie Rowland has won 787 matches during her 15 seasons over two tenures leading the program, and frequently had brought the Vikings to the cusp of their first MHSAA title. They finally got it by defeating perennial power North Branch in three games in the Class B championship match.
8. ... and so does Bay City Western baseball
The Warriors earned coach Tim McDonald his first MHSAA championship game victory to go with 562 more wins over 21 seasons. Bay City Western won 1-0 in both the Semifinal and then Final over Brother Rice to secure its first baseball title and a 42-2 finish.
7. “Core 4” leave Mona Shores with four more
Seniors Hailey Hrynewich, Morgan Smith, Britni Gielow and Kelsey McKinley finished their high school careers as starters on four MHSAA championship teams, including the one that won the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final this school year by 41 strokes. Hrynewich and Smith both posted top-five individual finishes as Mona Shores shot a two-day 666 at their final championship tournament.
6. Grand Ledge gymnastics sets the bar
Number six on this list makes sense for the Comets, who won their sixth straight MHSAA team championship to set the all-time longest title streak in the sport. They did so with the fifth-highest score in MHSAA Finals history – 149.350 – and despite graduating the Division 1 all-around champion the spring before.
5. Seniors say good-bye at LP Division 1 Final
Grosse Pointe South’s Hannah Meier and West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn brought national acclaim to the Detroit suburbs over the last two years with dominating performances in track and cross country. They finished their careers at the LP Division 1 Track & Field Final, where Meier set all-MHSAA Finals records in the 800 and 1,600 and Finn set an all-Finals record in the 3,200. In the fall, Finn and Meier finished first and second, respectively, at the LP Division 1 Cross Country Final.
4. Fowlerville standout reaches the stars
Gladiators senior Adam Coon, once an aspiring astronaut now turned aspiring aerospace engineer, became the 17th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual Finals championships. And he became the first to do so at the two heaviest weights, earning his titles at 215 and 285 pounds. He graduated with a career record of 211-3 and a 194-match winning streak.
3. Swimming with speed in Saline
Saline also won its fourth straight MHSAA title, in Lower Peninsula Division 1, anchored by seniors David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Adam Whitener. Combined, they hold four Finals individual and two relay records, and Ehrman graduated with all-Finals records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Those four also leave with the 200 medley relay all-Finals record – with their time of 1:30.01 good for third-best in the national record book.
2. Michell sits atop MHSAA medal count
Reed City’s Sami Michell is one of two girls in MHSAA history to win four events at a Track & Field Final – a feat she accomplished both this season and last. And she finished her career this month with 12 individual titles overall, two more than the previous Lower Peninsula record. She graduated with LP Division 3 Finals records in both hurdles races and the long jump, and her 300 hurdles time of 42.23 is an all-Finals record.
1. Football Finals end in overtime classic
The most exciting MHSAA Football Final likely was the last of Thanksgiving weekend – a 40-37 overtime win by Grand Rapids Christian over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s that gave the Eagles the Division 3 title. And at least on this list, it counts as the most exciting of all the buzzer-beating, one-point, by one millimeter endings to the MHSAA’s 127 Finals this school year.
The Saturday night crowd at Ford Field was treated to an incredible performance by Eagles receiver Drake Harris, who had eight catches for a record 243 yards and touchdown and was nearly unstoppable as Grand Rapids Christian drove down the stretch. Quarterback Alex VanDeVusse threw for 307 yards, fourth-most in MHSAA Finals history, as the frazzled nerves of fans, players and coaches alike hung on every play. St. Mary’s ran for 459 of the single-team Finals record 579 yards of total offense; the teams combined for another record of 1,033 total yards between them. And at the end, the game was decided on a 27-yard field goal by Joel Schipper, who had connected on a 28-yarder with four seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
PHOTO:Saline swimmers take a celebratory dip after claiming their fourth straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship.
Preview: UP Girls Finals Paced By Parade of Returning Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 28, 2026
More than two-thirds of last season’s individual champions – winners in 28 of 39 events – will return Saturday to fill out a star-studded lineup at the Upper Peninsula Girls Track & Field Finals.
All three divisions will be hosted by Kingsford High School, with preliminaries leading off the day at 9 a.m. local (Central) time. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream the meets beginning at 9 a.m. (CDT)/10 a.m. (EDT), viewable with subscription. Check out the Girls Track & Field page for meet information and lists of all qualifiers.
Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or early qualification during the regular season. (Although not noted for most, several individuals below also will run on contending relays.)
Following is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all three divisions:
Division 1
Team forecast: Negaunee is the reigning champion and has won two of the last four Division 1 titles – and might have their most dominant team of this recent run. The Miners scored 105.5 points to win their Regional by 70, while Marquette – last year’s Finals runner-up, won theirs by 22 points over Gladstone. Negaunee outscored Marquette 155-109 at the top of last year’s meet.
Baylie Bourdeau, Negaunee senior: The reigning discus champion will throw for a repeat after finishing third at her Regional, and also will compete in shot put.
Ella Brackett, Gladstone sophomore: She debuted last season in a big way winning the 200 and finishing second in the 400, and she enters this weekend with the third-fastest Regional 100 (13.03) and second-fastest 200 (26.48) and 400 (1:03.24).
Ella Fure, Marquette senior: She’s twice won the 3,200 (including last season) and finished first in the 1,600 once as well, and enters with the fastest seed times in those races (11:56.38 and 5:36.68, respectively) and the 800 (2:28.76).
Maggie Karl, Gladstone sophomore: She has a chance to star entering top-seeded in the pole vault (10-7), tied for the top seed in the high jump (4-10) and fourth in the 100 hurdles.
Sadie Rogers, Negaunee junior: She swept the hurdles titles last season and won the 100 hurdles as a freshman as well, and she has the top seed time in the 100 hurdles (16.24) and 300 hurdles (47.63) and fourth-fastest in the 200.
Taylen Todd, Marquette junior: The reigning long jump champion had the second-farthest at Regionals (16-5) and also could run on two top-seeded relays.
Keira Waterman, Negaunee junior: She’s won the 400 and 800 both of her first two seasons and is seeded first in the 400 (1:02.02), fifth in the 800, seventh in the 200 and third in long jump (15-4).
Division 2
Team forecast: Pickford’s championship last spring was its first since winning Division 3 in 2007, and Rudyard will seek to be next to make a jump as it pursues its first Finals team title since 1977 after finishing 12 points ahead of Pickford at their Regional. West Iron County and Ewen-Trout Creek were 1-2 in another close Regional. The Wykons were only three points behind Pickford at last year’s Final and have finished runners-up three of the last four seasons after winning the title in 2021.
Lauren Adams, Norway senior: She won the 100 and 200 last season and is seeded first in both (13.17 and 27.73, respectively) and second in the 400 (1:03.09).
Brielle Anderson, Painesdale Jeffers junior: The reigning long jump champion had the longest Regional leap (14-10) and also will run the 100.
Amelia Fountain, Rudyard sophomore: She finished first in the 400, tied for second in pole vault, third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 last season and enters this weekend seeded second in the 100 (13.19) and 200 (28.03), first in the 400 (1:02.28) and fourth in the pole vault.
Mira Johnson, Bark River-Harris junior: She’s won the pole vault the last two seasons at 8 foot, which was also her Regional vault this month that is ranked second in Division 2.
Talya Schreiber, Pickford senior: She’s won five individual and a relay championship over the last two seasons, claiming the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 a year ago. She’s seeded this time first in the 800 (2:31.23) by five seconds, first in the 1,600 by more than 16 seconds and first in the 3,200 by nearly two minutes.
Bristol Shamion, West Iron County sophomore: She swept the hurdles races and won high jump as a freshman and is seeded second in the 100 hurdles (17.83), first in the 300 (48.52), fifth in the 200 and first in the high jump (5-2).
Division 3
Team forecast: Newberry was first and Lake Linden-Hubbell second last year, reversing their positions from 2024, and LL-H is a Regional champion this time while Newberry finished second to Brimley earlier this month. LL-H will turn to its relays to make a run at another team title, while Newberry’s distance dominance should keep it in contention and Brimley has interesting possibilities especially in field events, hurdles and relays. Dollar Bay and Crystal Falls Forest Park also have scoring opportunities in several events.
Laila Bell, Dollar Bay junior: Last season’s long jump champion tied for the longest leap (16-0) at Regionals and will run on a contending 400 relay.
Destiny Bleau, Big Bay de Noc sophomore: She’s won the 200 the last two seasons (including as an eighth grader in 2024) and is seeded first in that race (26.12) plus the 100 (12.83) and 400 (1:00.87). She’s also seeded third (tied) in the high jump at 5-0.
Kiera Isaacson, Dollar Bay senior: She’s won the high jump the last two seasons and her 5-2 at Regionals was tied for highest in Division 3. She will join Bell on the 400 relay.
Tallulah Slabosheski, Brimley senior: She swept the throws as a junior and enters this weekend with the second-seeded shot put (32-2½) and top discus toss (115-8) .
Abby Taylor, Newberry junior: She won the 800 and was second in the 1,600 and 3,200 to her sister Samantha (see below) last season. She’s seeded first in the 800 (2:29.68) and second to her sister in the 1,600 (5:44.72) and 3,200 (12:41.50) this time.
Samantha Taylor, Newberry senior: After claiming two straight championships in the 1,600 and adding the 3,200 win last spring, she’ll enter her last Finals seeded first in both at 5:18.58 and 11:45.51, respectively.
Avery Visnaw, St. Ignace senior: The reigning pole vault champion ascended 10 feet at Regionals to outpace the division by a foot, and she’s also seeded third in the 100 hurdles (17.28) and fourth in the 300.
PHOTOS (Top) West Iron County's Bristol Shamion wins the high jump with a jump of 5-0 during the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference championship meet May 20. (Middle) From left, Crystal Falls Forest Park's Audrey Williams, Marquette's Emma Ziegler and Negaunee's Keira Waterman run the 800 at the Negaunee Lions Invitational on May 8. Waterman took first place, Williams second and Marquette's Ziegler took third. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)