10 to Remember: Spring 2015
June 25, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The close of June officially ends of another school year. And this season’s MHSAA Finals provided another strong finish with a number of memorable moments sure to be recalled for years to come.
Below is one person’s list of the 10 most significant, drawn from the title-earning performances of 129 teams and hundreds of individuals this spring.
10. Rockford Holds On for Third Straight Girls Lacrosse Title
The Rams saw an 8-1 lead dissolve to a one-goal advantage after Bloomfield Hills Marian scored in the 22nd minute of the second half of their Division 1 Final. Rockford goalie Katie Elwell turned away a shot to tie the game with 55 seconds left, and her team won a jumpball deep on its side of the field with 36 seconds to play to hold on to a 10-9 victory – and claim a third straight MHSAA championship. Rockford is one of three programs to win four MHSAA titles during the 11 seasons of tournament sponsorship. Marian is a two-time runner-up.
9. Hartland Baseball Goes 10 Innings to Win First MHSAA Title
Hartland scored in the first inning of the Division 1 Final in pursuit of its first MHSAA championship in the sport – but then didn’t score again until the bottom of the 10th inning. Junior pitcher John Baker threw all 10 innings for the Eagles, allowing only five hits and striking out 11 batters, and he also had two hits and drove in the game’s first run. Portage Northern also was making its first MHSAA Final appearance in baseball.
8. Northville Girls Tennis Joins First-time Champs; Nguyen Joins Elite
The Northville girls tennis team was one of 32 teams over all sports that won their first MHSAA championships during the 2014-15 school year. The Wildcats finished an impressive five points ahead of Midland Dow, winning three doubles and two singles flights. Utica’s Davina Nguyen, meanwhile, finished as one of the most accomplished champions in MHSAA history, becoming only the sixth player to win at least three titles at No. 1 singles. Nguyen also won in Division 1 as a freshman and junior.
7. Cranbrook Kingswood Regains Boys Lacrosse Title on Last-Second Winner
Johnny Wagner scored 177 goals over his three-season varsity career for Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, but his last had to be the most spectacular. Three days after sending the Cranes to the Final with an overtime game-winning goal, Wagner scored in the Division 2 championship decider with 10.5 seconds to play to give his team the final edge in a 10-9 victory over Okemos. The winner was his fifth goal of the game.
6. Gull Lake Girls Soccer Wins Again on Shootout Success
The only shots to find the net in the Division 2 Final came during an overtime shootout won by Gull Lake to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 victory and their third straight MHSAA championship. That’s not to say the game lacked for excitement, with the teams combining for 37 shots. Gull Lake had also won its Regional Semifinal in a shootout and finished the spring 25-1-1. Fenton was making its first MHSAA Finals appearance in the sport, seeking its first title in any sport since 1993.
5. Warren Regina Softball Stuns After Slow Start
Teams that open 3-11 usually don’t finish as championship contenders – but those teams don’t have the MHSAA’s winningest coach, Diane Laffey, running the show to go with a strong group of upperclassmen who emerged from a competative Detroit Catholic League Central. Regina won its sixth MHSAA title and first since 2007 by downing favored Caledonia 5-0 in the Division 1 Final. Senior Marissa Tiano struck out nine batters in giving up only two hits after giving up only four hits in a 7-1 Semifinal win over Mattawan.
4. DeWitt Boys Golf Sticks Winning Shots; Carlson Goes All-Time Low
DeWitt senior Geoffry Croley birdied off the flagstick on the No. 18 hole at Forest Akers East to help the Panthers edge Cranbrook Kingswood 594-595 and claim the Lower Peninsula Division 2 title, its first since 2011. His younger brother, freshman Joey, made par on his final hole (No. 16) to also help secure the win. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Nick Carlson finished his high school career with a second individual title and the all-time low 36-hole score in MHSAA Finals history, a 134, to edge Matt Harmon’s 135 for East Kentwood in 2001.
3. Saline Unbeatable in Claiming First Girls Soccer Title
The Hornets compiled one of the most impressive seasons in MHSAA girls soccer history in making their first Final and then winning it. Saline gave up a mere four goals – tied for third-fewest in MHSAA history – in 25 games and finished with a 22-0-3 record capped by a 4-0 win over Grand Blanc in the Division 1 championship game. The team’s 22 shutouts also rank tied for third in MHSAA girls soccer history. Senior Taylor Mulder set a school record with 43 goals this season with her second of this game.
2. Legend of Beaubien Grows with Monroe St. Mary Softball Title
Meghan Beaubien already was known by those who follow softball statewide – not many sophomores get a chance to commit to the University of Michigan so early. But what she and the Kestrels did in winning the program’s first MHSAA championship was pretty legendary. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central outscored its postseason opponents by a combined 29-0 over seven games, beating Bronson 2-0 in the Division 3 Final with Beaubien taking a perfect game into the seventh inning and hitting a two-run homer.
1. Fisher, Saline Finish Strong in Boys Track and Field Final
The Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final was filled with notable finishes – including a pair that will be listed in the national record book next month. Saline won its second MHSAA title in the sport and first since 2006, finishing ahead of East Kentwood – champion five of the last six seasons. The Hornets were keyed by a 3,200 relay of Logan Wetzel, Josiah Humphrey, Austin Welch and Kevin Hall that finished in 7:38.97 to rank among the best all-time in U.S. high school history Grand Blanc senior Grant Fisher posted the second-fastest 1,600 time in U.S. high school history, going 4:00.28.; he graduated with five individual MHSAA Finals titles. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills’ Donavan Brazier also re-set the all-Finals record in the 800, running 1:48.98.
PHOTO: Grant Fisher, far right, set an MHSAA all-Finals record in the 1,600 that also ranks as the second-fastest in U.S. high school history. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com. Photos by John Brabbs.)
Why Not Cedar Springs? Red Hawks Excited to Chase Finals Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
January 18, 2024
CEDAR SPRINGS – It’s been more than 15 years since a competitive cheer team from the west side of the state has won a Division 2 Finals championship.
Cedar Springs is attempting to change that.
The Red Hawks entered the week ranked No. 3 in Division 2 behind perennial powerhouses Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson.
“Our end goal with the program is not to just make it a goal to be at the state meet, it’s to win it.” Cedar Springs coach Katy Hradsky said. “No one else from around the area has won in Division 2 since 2007, and I know it's a hefty goal, and a lot to say out loud, but at the same time who else is going to do it? Why not us?”
Holland Christian claimed the last Division 2 title before Allen Park and Gibraltar began dominating. The two schools have combined to win the last 16 Division 2 Finals.
“At this point, we know how high we can score and we know what our potential is,” senior Taylor Shadley said. “We are done playing small, and we feel like we should go hard every competition in order to achieve those goals – because why not us?
The Red Hawks’ best Finals finish recently was fifth in 2019. The program made four consecutive trips (2019-2022) before failing to reach championship weekend a year ago.
That disappointment still runs deep for the returning athletes.
“It was really heartbreaking because we went through a lot of adversity throughout our season,” Shadley said. “It was disappointing for us, but it gave us more motivation going into this year.”
Said senior Hannah Wright: “We have a lot of motivation this year. We struggled to do it last year and some obstacles got in our way from getting there, but I think this year we’ve really buckled down and gotten stronger as a team. We’re even more motivated.”
The Red Hawks weathered a tough start this season due to illness and injury and placed third in their first two competitions. They got back on track earlier this month and won their own invitational.
“It was a very rough start to the season, but it's getting there,” said Hradsky, who’s in her third year at the helm but has been a part of the program for the past decade.
“We were really young last year, and we’re still young. Our freshman and sophomore classes outweigh our junior and senior classes by about five, but it doesn't mean they are any less talented or skilled than any other team that I’ve had here. They are just as motivated as last year, if not more.”
In addition to Shadley and Wright, the following also compete in all three rounds: senior Kennedy Klocko, juniors Kadee Rypma, Ashley Buckley and Sarah Buckley; sophomores Taylor Verduin, Marley Salisbury and Brynn Nesbitt; and freshmen Lily Maddox and Ella Roth.
“Our biggest strengths are rounds 1 and 2, and we have worked really hard to get some of those skills back that we didn’t have last year in round 2,” Hradsky said. “We made it our goal all sideline season and at the start of the competitive season to make sure those skills are as perfect as they can be.”
Round 3 is still a work in progress, according to Shadley.
“We are seeing what works for everybody, and we have a lot of girls who are able to be moved around,” she said. “It’s just getting things to click.”
“The bond we have helps, and our coaching is structured,” Wright added. “The coaches know what they are doing, and they know what to give us to motivate us. It’s a very welcoming place to learn, grow and make mistakes.”
The recent winter weather has wreaked havoc on Cedar Springs’ schedule.
A trip to Rochester Hills Stoney Creek was canceled, as well as Wednesday’s first Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold meet. The Red Hawks will be one of the favorites to win their conference and were looking forward to showcase their skills.
“It was disappointing because we felt prepared going in, but with more preparation we will be just fine,” Shadley said.
Added Wright: “We were really excited for Stoney Creek because it’s one that we look forward to and we were really hyped for our first conference meet. We will take that time to practice and perfect everything we need to do to come back stronger for the next competition.”
The aspirations are clear, and the initiative plentiful.
“The goal every year is to get better and better for the state meet, and then to do what we can to be at the state meet,” Hradsky said.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Cedar Springs competes during a meet on its home mat. (Middle) This season’s Red Hawks competitive cheer team. (Photos courtesy of the Cedar Springs competitive cheer program.)