10 to Remember: Fall 2014
December 12, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This fall saw the start of numerous championship legacies all over the Michigan, the continuation of a few more and the end of one that likely will be recalled for decades to come.
All championship runs are memorable for those fortunate enough to achieve them. But because of historical reference, dramatic impact or in rare cases national significance, some stay in our discussions a little bit longer.
Below is one person’s thoughts on the most memorable finishes from this fall’s MHSAA Finals.
10. Novi, East Kentwood Rise to the Top
Among a number of first-time champions this fall, the Novi boys tennis team and East Kentwood girls golf team celebrated taking final steps after some recent close misses. Novi had finished second at the 2013 Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final, by a point, as Ann Arbor Huron won its third straight title. The Wildcats clinched their first ever this season, by eight points, while the East Kentwood golfers finished 22 strokes better than their LP Division 1 field after finishing 10th and sixth the last two seasons, respectively. Senior Emily White capped her high school career with a 51-foot putt to win the individual title.
9. Saline Clinches on Final Swim
The Saline girls swimming and diving team trailed reigning champion Farmington Hills Mercy by a half-point entering the final event of the LP Division 1 Final. But the Hornets outpaced Mercy by three seconds in the 400-yard freestyle relay to move ahead and claim the team championship by 5.5 points. Saline had finished runner-up to Mercy by 20 points in 2013.
8. St. Mary’s Football Keeps Promise
From an incredible story point of view, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 7-0 win over Muskegon in the Division 3 Football Final was easily the most memorable of the fall. Showing immense courage, Eaglets running back Brandon Adams took the field only two days after his mother died after fighting cancer. He scored the game’s lone points midway through the first quarter.
7. Kestrels Give Coach Best Retirement Gift
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s Diane Tuller coached teams to 595 wins over 17 seasons – and in her final match took the Kestrels to their fifth MHSAA championship. St. Mary downed Schoolcraft in four sets despite dropping the first to claim its third Class C title in five seasons. The Kestrels became the eighth team to win at least five MHSAA titles, claiming all five under Tuller’s guidance.
6. Concord’s Hersha Joins Elite Company
Only 14 runners in MHSAA boys cross country history have won at least three individual championships. Concord’s Jason Hersha became the latest, claiming the LP Division 4 title in 15:23.0, the second-fastest time in LP Division 4 Finals history. He became only the third to win three boys titles since team and individual qualifiers began running the same race in 1996; he also finished first as a sophomore and junior.
5. Canton Never Loses on Division 1 March
Just one on-target kick can change a soccer game. That makes Canton’s undefeated run to this season’s Division 1 boys championship even more impressive. Finishing without a loss in any sport is something – but the Chiefs defeated Rochester Adams 1-0 in the Final to end 24-0-3 and as the 13th undefeated champion in MHSAA boys soccer history. Canton posted 16 shutouts this fall.
4. Spring Lake Surges to First Championship
Despite trailing annual power Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood by six strokes after the first round, Spring Lake rolled through the second at the LP Division 3 Girls Golf Final to best the field by a final margin of 18 strokes and claim the school’s first MHSAA golf championship. The achievement was a crowning one for the program started by George Bitner, who has coached at the school since 1968 and fielded his first girls team in 1980.
3. Fisher Finishes Among Fastest in MHSAA History
Grand Blanc senior Grant Fisher finished his high school career with a second straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship – and the third-fastest time since the Finals moved to Michigan International Speedway 19 seasons ago. Fisher finished in 14:52.5, 1.5 seconds off the second-fastest time in MHSAA Finals history since 5K (3.1 miles) became the distance in 1980. The only runners who have come in faster than Fisher went on to the Olympics (Dathan Ritzenhein) and top American finishes (twice) at the Boston Marathon (Jason Hartmann).
2. St. Philip Stands Alone with 9 Straight Titles
Battle Creek St. Philip continued its near-decade dominance of Class D, but this time with another historical twist. The Tigers downed Leland in four sets in this season’s Final to win their ninth straight MHSAA championship – setting a record for consecutive titles after formerly being tied with the Marysville teams from 1997-2004. St. Philip entered the postseason ranked No. 3 in D but defeated both No. 2 Mendon and the top-ranked Comets during the final week.
1. Monroe St. Mary Ends Ithaca’s Record Run
Much of the credit for this topping the list goes to Ithaca, which brought a 69-game winning streak into the Division 6 Football Final. The streak was the longest active streak nationally among 11-player football teams, and a win would've allowed the Yellowjackets next fall an opportunity to break the MHSAA winning streak record of 72. But St. Mary controlled the clock with a workmanlike running game and held an Ithaca offense averaging 43 points to nearly a quarter of that in winning 22-12.
PHOTO: The East Kentwood girls golf team raised its first MHSAA Finals championship trophy this October. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Hundreds of Bowlers Set to Strike Again at MHSAA Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 26, 2026
Hundreds of high school bowlers will once again converge this weekend for the MHSAA Bowling Finals, the 23rd edition of the season-ending tournament, led by three returning singles champions and three teams seeking repeat titles.
Teams compete the first day and singles the second, with action both days beginning at 8:25 a.m. There’s a slight scheduling change to note, however: While Division 2 at Waterford’s Century Bowl, Division 3 at Jackson’s Jax 60 and Division 4 at Taylor’s Skore Lanes will compete Friday and Saturday, this year’s Division 1 Finals at Allen Park’s Thunderbowl Lanes will be competed Sunday (team) and Monday (singles).
Below is a look at possible contenders for all 16 championships, team and singles. Find the full list of qualifiers and come back all weekend for coverage from all four Finals sites on MHSAA.com.
Girls Division 1
Team: West Michigan has earned the last two Division 1 team championships – won by Grandville in 2024 and Zeeland in 2025 – and Rockford is the top-ranked team rolling into this weekend as it pursues a first Finals team title in this sport. The Rams won their Regional at Sherman Bowling Center in Muskegon with a 3,063, one of four Regional scores topping 3,000 across all of Division 1. No. 3 Oxford and No. 10 Davison rolled the first and second-highest scores last weekend – 3,371 and 3,158, respectively, at Grand Blanc Lanes – and Livonia Churchill rolled a 3,110 to win at Super Bowl Lanes in Canton. Churchill is pursuing its first Finals championship, Oxford its first since 2018 and Davison its first since 2017. Neither reigning champion Grandville nor 2025 runner-up Holt qualified this time around.
Singles: Rockford is paced by junior Sofia DeLuccia, who finished as Finals singles runner-up last season and won her Regional last week with a 1,254 that ranked fourth across all of Division 1. Utica junior Ava Mazza also made the singles semifinals last season and was a Regional champion last week. Belleville junior Madison Thomas and Taylor senior Aria Ragland both made the quarterfinals a year ago and bowled against each other in last week’s Regional at Skore Lanes in Taylor, Thomas winning and Ragland placing third. Churchill senior Sophia Best – another Regional champion – also made the singles match play in 2025. Lake Orion junior Emma Brennan, White Lake Lakeland junior Savannah Reed, Caledonia junior Riley Kalacanic and Holt senior Emma Cadwell also are coming off Regional wins, Cadwell with a Division 1-best 1,391, one pin more than Best’s score last week. Cadwell was the Finals champion in 2024.
Boys Division 1
Team: Top-ranked Jenison finished second at the Sherman Bowling Center Regional last week to 2024 champion Grandville, and they are an intriguing pair this weekend. No. 10 Grand Blanc rolled the highest Regional score in Division 1, 3,713, to outpace No. 2 Davison’s 3,676, and No. 6 Macomb Dakota and Dearborn also topped 3,600 pins in winning their Regionals. After Grandville two years ago, Dakota in 2012 is the team competing this weekend that most recently won a Finals title.
Singles: Reigning champion Lyman Derrick III is back as a Wayne Memorial senior after defeating the 2024 champion to win last year’s title. Salem junior Andrew Fsadini also will return after making the quarterfinals last winter, and Dakota senior Cole Rogus is back after making the match play in a bracket that otherwise was filled with now-graduated seniors. Derrick finished third at his Regional and Fsadini second last week, while Rogus was a Regional champ and joined by Wyandotte Roosevelt sophomore Malachi Attard, Dearborn senior Christian Lamb, Grand Blanc senior Lucas Knowles, Detroit Catholic Central sophomore Gavin Trudeau, Hudsonville senior Mason DeWeerd, Troy Athens junior Gaige Gajewski and Grandville senior Ethan Brown.
Girls Division 2
Team: Swartz Creek is the reigning champion and Flint Kearsley won in 2024, and they are ranked 1 and 2, respectively, and coming off another epic matchup at their Regional at Richfield Bowl in Flint as Swartz Creek rolled a winning 3,187 with Kearsley just 40 pins off the pace. Tecumseh at 3,374 and No. 10 Bay City John Glenn at 3,061 were Regional champions as well and the only other teams to break 3,000 in Division 2. Tecumseh has three championships and four runner-up finishes at the Finals, and John Glenn has finished second six times including two years ago.
Singles: We could see a rematch of last season’s championship pairing, as Tecumseh senior Kierra Pinter will return seeking to repeat and Carleton Airport senior Abby Hill will be back after finishing only 14 pins off the pace a year ago. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore junior Sara Augustitus made the quarterfinals last season and is coming of winning her Regional by 55 pins last week. Cedar Springs senior Phoebe Fisk, Flint Kearsley junior Olivia Hurst, Swartz Creek sophomore Allison Temple and Sparta senior Shallan Momber all will bowl again after reaching the match play as well in 2025. Fisk joined Augustitus as a Regional champion last week, along with Bay City John Glenn senior Lacy Jamrog, Tecumseh junior Katherine Sullivan, Lowell freshman Emerson DeWit, Kearsley senior Delaney Vanier, Three Rivers junior Jayna Larson and Dearborn Divine Child junior Julia Sovinski.
Boys Division 2
Team: No. 3 Kearsley is competing for a fourth-straight Finals team championship and rolled a 3,762 last week at Richfield Bowl to win its Regional by 533 pins and outpace the next-best in Division 1 by 120. No. 8 New Boston Huron finished runner-up last season and in 2023 and also will be back, and Tecumseh has two Finals runner-up finishes over the last seven seasons and rolled that second-highest Regional score of 3,642. No. 4 Carleton Airport also cleared 3,600 pins, winning its Regional at Westland Bowl by nearly 600, and No. 2 St. Clair Shores Lake Shore just missed 3,600, falling six pins shy to win at 48 in Commerce. Top-ranked Bay City Western also was a Regional champ and is seeking its first Finals title.
Singles: Vicksburg senior Jordan Butler is back seeking a repeat after claiming last year’s title by 13 pins. Kearsley senior Jameson Vanier just missed making the match play last year after winning the Division 2 championship as a sophomore, but he’s back after winning his Regional last week by 96 pins with a 1,412, the highest score at any Division 2 Regional. DeWitt senior Griffin Lindemann is back after making the semifinals, New Boston Huron junior Hunter Wyszynski and Lake Shore senior Gregg Winters will return after reaching quarters, and Bay City Western senior Aiden Archuleta adds to a strong returning field after also bowling in the match play a year ago. Wyszynski joined Vanier as a Regional champion last week, as did Bay City Western senior Stefano Clifford, Adrian junior Aiden Voelkle, Sparta senior Gabe Fowle, Grand Rapids Christian junior Ryan Jonker, Lake Shore junior Ethan Edwards and Marshall senior Ayden George.
Girls Division 3
Team: Top-ranked Grass Lake is seeking not only its first Finals team title, but also to become the ninth school in nine years to finish first in Division 3. Neither reigning champion Livonia Clarenceville nor 2025 runner-up Adrian Madison will be in this field, but No. 10 Ishpeming Westwood and No. 4 Flint Powers Catholic are back after reaching the semifinals last year. Grass Lake’s best finish at a Finals was runner-up in Division 4 in 2022, but its Regional-winning score of 3,057 last week at Royal Scot in Lansing was 166 pins higher than anyone else’s in Division 3.
Singles: Maggie Smith finished runner-up at last season’s Final and may be the favorite among a loaded field after claiming a Regional championship at Lenawee Rec Bowling Center in Adrian. Madison Heights Bishop Foley senior Jacey Thibodeau also will be back after making the 2025 semifinals, and Flint Powers Catholic sophomore Payton Swanson, Grass Lake junior Marielle Schafran, Imlay City senior Morgan Robertson and Armada senior Maggie Fradle all are returning quarterfinalists. Armada senior Reese Cecil and Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Mylee Dykstra and junior Ashley Van Linden also advanced to last year’s match play, and Dykstra, Fradle, Napoleon freshman Jada Gallagher, Belding senior Mackenzie Swan, Ovid-Elsie junior Brooke Pugsley, Midland Bullock Creek senior Trinity Rowe and Ogemaw Heights senior Elena Martinez also are coming off Regional titles.
Boys Division 3
Team: The top-ranked team and reigning Finals champion both didn’t make the field this weekend, but the qualifiers from Strikers Entertainment in Richmond might be the pair to watch. Croswell-Lexington enters the weekend ranked No. 7 but also was the Finals runner-up a year ago and won last week’s Regional just ahead of No. 2 Armada with a 3,356 – the second-highest score in all of Division 3. The highest Regional score in Division 3 was 3,378 and belonged to Olivet, which is unranked but shouldn’t be concerned as only three top-10 teams advanced to this weekend’s tournament.
Singles: Croswell-Lexington senior Carter Ramage won his Regional with a Division 3 second-best 1,337 last week and is the only bowler returning who made at least the quarterfinals a year ago. Olivet senior Michael Fitzner is the only other qualifier this weekend who reached the 2025 match play. But another large wave of standouts has arrived. Shepherd freshman Brody Veale rolled the highest Regional-winning score, 1,342, and was one of four freshmen Regional champs, joined by Durand’s Noah Wood, Adrian Madison’s Bently Richard and Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Myles Ott. Ishpeming Westwood senior Roman Yuhas and Bronson junior Clayton Shortridge also won their Regionals, both among five bowlers total in Division 3 who broke 1,300 pins.
Girls Division 4
Team: Top-ranked Ravenna is coming off its first team championship in this sport and might be in line for a second straight after winning its Regional at Muskegon’s Northway Lanes with a 3,044 – nearly 1,000 pins higher than the runner-up at its site and 139 higher than any other team in all of Division 4. Last season’s Finals runner-up Bad Axe – ranked No. 7 this time – will be back as well, and No. 2 Jonesville could provide the strongest challenge after winning its Regional at Jackson’s Jax 60 with a 2,905. Bad Axe and Jonesville are both seeking first Finals championships.
Singles: Ravenna junior Taylor Nutt and Byron junior Kara Chapman both made the semifinals last season and won their Regionals last week – Nutt by 69 pins and Chapman by 92. Bax Axe senior Jasmyn Ranquist is another strong contender after making the quarterfinals last season and winning her Regional last week by 283 pins, and Allen Park Cabrini senior Kourtney Downham could make another move after also making the 2025 quarterfinals and finishing second at her Regional. Ithaca junior Estes Purvis, Ravenna sophomore Gabby Nutt and Sandusky senior Victoria Shea are back after also advancing to the match play, Purvis coming off a Regional title. Other Regional champs last week were Hudson junior Ellie Loar, Jackson Lumen Christi junior Allison Wheeler, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central senior Chloe Orris and Alcona senior Makayla Prince.
Boys Division 4
Team: Jonesville is the top-ranked team in Division 4, won its Regional at Jax 60 and is seeking its first Finals championship since 2018 in Division 3. But No. 10 Blissfield is riding high and could provide a significant challenge after winning its Regional (also at Jax 60) with a 3,568. Traverse City Christian – the Finals champ in 2024 – and 2022 title winner Plymouth Christian Academy both won their Regionals as well, and Ithaca and Burton Atherton joined PCA and Blissfield as Regional winners that topped 3,200 pins. No. 2 New Lothrop was the runner-up to Atherton but missed 3,200 by just three pins.
Singles: Taylor Trillium senior Le’Veon Greenwade was the only non-senior to reach the quarterfinals last year, and he’s back after winning his Regional last week. New Lothrop sophomore Dominick Dilts, Atherton senior Brennen Eaton and Detroit Loyola senior Cody Champion also reached the 2025 Finals match play and will return, Eaton also coming off a Regional title and Champion after finishing runner-up last week to Greenwade. Blissfield sophomore Alex Kudlac, Coloma senior James Anthony, Holton junior Aiden Reilly, St. Charles junior Brenden Servantes, St. Louis junior Thailan Raby and Maple City Glen Lake senior Tanner Crick also won Regional titles, Kudlac with the division’s high score of 1,376.
PHOTO Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central’s Alex McCarthy celebrates during his run to the Division 4 singles championship last season.