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 But because of historical reference, dramatic impact or in rare cases national significance, some stay in our discussions a little bit longer.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.)
Fowler Girls Add Team Title 12, Addison's Brown Wins 3 to Double Career Count
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
HUDSONVILLE – Addison’s Molly Brown lunged toward the finish line, dropped her head and quickly realized she had run her final race.
The senior standout wrapped up a stellar high school career by winning her last event Saturday, the 300 hurdles, and capped the day with three individual championships at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals at Baldwin Middle School.
“I was thinking about it before the race, and I was like, ‘This is it. let’s make it count,’” Brown said. “I crossed the finish line knowing it wasn’t one of my best races of the season, but I crossed the finish line and my immediate thought was, ‘Thank you God,’ because He’s gotten me here.”
Brown also won the 100 hurdles for the third straight year and the 100 dash, while finishing third in the long jump.
She ended with six career Finals individual titles.
“For me to win three state titles my senior year, I’m just so thankful,” Brown said. “I’m a super competitive person and so I never want to lose, and I wanted to win all four. But this was the best long jump final that I’ve ever seen at this state meet, so I’m happy with my third (place).”
Fowler put forth another dominating effort to win the team title for the second-straight year. The Eagles racked up 70 points for the convincing victory.
Frankfort, which won a pair of relays (400 and 800), placed runner-up with 43 points. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep edged Addison by one point to take third.
“Last year I didn't share with them that much as far as seed, but this year I was straight up with them and told them we were seeded with a little bit of a lead and so let's go build on it and the finish will take care of itself,” Fowler coach Neil Hufnagel said. “I think we felt more relaxed and had more fun today than we did last year.
“We had four tremendous seniors who all have high goals and expectations for themselves in everything they do, and they really took our team from the start of the year and gave them that leadership and motivation that we needed to get to a high level at the state meet.”
Senior Ella Hufnagel (also Neil’s daughter) was the lone event winner for the Eagles, leaping to a victory in the long jump.
“Our coach said he was going to be more open with us about the seeding,” she said. “And at practice he said that the target was going to be on us, but we should use that as confidence and go out and race like we do every week. We don't have to do anything special to make it happen.”
Fowler’s depth played a major factor, especially in the sprint relays as they placed runner-up in the 400 and 800.
“Ella had a great day, and what freed her up to run four high-quality individual events is tremendous depth on our team,” Neil Hufnagel said. “It’s as much a credit to our sprint corps that could cover the relays and place high in the sprint relays without her and free her up to score team points where we could best use her.”
Fowler now has won 12 Finals team titles.
“Our underclassmen stepped up huge for us, and I’m pleased with how I did,” Ella Hufnagel said. “No better way to go out than ending on back-to-back championships, and to do it with my dad as my coach … I’m forever grateful.”
Mason County Central senior Payton Haynes repeated as champion in the pole vault (10-3), while Johannesburg-Lewiston senior Allie Nowak also made it back-to-back titles with a victory in the 800 (2:18.45).
Unionville-Sebewaing junior Layla Bolzman won the 200 for the second-straight year with a time of 25.74 seconds, and Whitmore Lake sophomore Kaylie Livingston cruised to a repeat win in the 3,200 (11:03.47).
Hillsdale Academy, which took fifth as a team, won the 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
PHOTOS (Top) Addison's Molly Brown, second from right, crosses the finish line first in the 100 hurdles championship race at Baldwin Middle School. (Middle) Fowler's Ella Hufnagel, far left, faces against Alcona's Addi Beatty and Saginaw Nouvel's Claire Long, among others, in the 200 final. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)