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.)
Perfection: Negaunee Girls Finish Undefeated Record-Setting Season as Repeat Champs
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 17, 2026
NEGAUNEE — This was a highly-successful track & field season for the Negaunee girls, to say the least.
The Miners finished first in every meet they ran, completing a perfect spring by retaining their Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals title May 30 at Kingsford.
The team set eight school records during the season, including a pair by junior Keira Waterman. Her record in the 800 (2:19.78) took place at the U.P. Finals, and she broke the 400 with the top performance (58.5) at the Negaunee Lions Invitational on May 8.
“We had lots of fun,” she said. “I think the season just went by so fast. I was pretty confident we would do well. It feels great to get the school records, which is sometimes unexpected. We were so supportive of each other. This was a fun group to be with.”
Junior Sadie Rogers set a U.P. Finals and school record in the 300-meter hurdles in 45.04 seconds and established an additional school record in the 200 (26.21). Rogers also holds the school record in the 100 hurdles (15.75), which she set a year ago.
She is now a three-time U.P. champion in the 100 hurdles and a repeat winner in the 300.
“You just think about the next hurdle and go on,” she said. “I try not to stutter-step, and get into a rhythm. The 100 is such a fast race. There’s no margin for error. I had a good finish in the Finals, which I think set the tone.”
In the 200, Rogers was runner-up to Marquette freshman Jordyn Anthony who was clocked in a personal-best 26.11 seconds.
The Miners set a school and league scoring record in the Mid-Peninsula Conference meet at Gwinn with a whopping 317 points. Manistique was runner-up at 85.
“We scratched three of our top runners because we were going after the (school) 400 record,” junior Izzy Francisco said. “We got that by six seconds and were surprised by that, but I’d say our biggest highlight was the Lions meet because we didn’t know if we were ready to go. Winning that meet made us realize we were right where we wanted to be.”
Rogers, Waterman, Riley Conklin and Brynn Wieciech combined to set the school record in the 1,600 relay (4:02.64) while putting the finishing touches on their 16th consecutive M-PC title.
“One of our goals is to get under four minutes next year,” Rogers said. “I think it’s cool that our team is so deep.”
Beside winning the M-PC, the Miners were crowned Western Peninsula Athletic Conference champions for the fifth-straight time.
“These girls are very competitive,” coach Vickie Paupore said. “I never saw so much depth among the hurdlers. We were down by 10 points early in the U.P. Finals. We really got pushed by Marquette. Kiera ran the perfect race in the 800. I never had a girl go under 2:20 (through 30 years of coaching).”
Francisco joined Rogers, Waterman and sophomore Elvira Coyne in the 400 relay which set the school record at 50.47 in the Marquette County Meet on May 26.
“It felt good to do that,” Coyne said. “We weren’t really going for the record. It just happened to work out. We always supported and pushed each other and went into the U.P. Finals with a positive mindset. Marquette was our biggest challenge, especially in the distances. Our hard work paid off. It was a lot of fun receiving the (championship) trophy.”
Coyne also set a school record while placing second in the 100 (12.61) at the Finals, topping last year’s record run by Macyn DellAngelo by one tenth of a second.
Junior Priya Morey earned her first U.P. title with a throw of 110 feet, 5 inches in discus.
“I think last year’s experience helped me a lot,” she said. “I had a lot better idea of what to expect. Having my teammates there also helped a lot. Last year I was there to have fun. This time there was a little more pressure.”
Morey says winning the Ram Scram at Harbor Springs on April 24 was a major motivator for the team.
“That was a confidence builder,” she added. “Our coaches just put in so much work to make a happy environment. When we went downstate, our coach came over and watched us because the timing of everything allowed her to do that. She’s such a motivator and great leader. We had such a great time this season. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to throw.”
Rogers was the team’s leading scorer this season with 229¼ points. Waterman collected 213¼, followed by Coyne 195¼, senior Nori Korsman 177¼ and senior Josie Mechling 132. Korsman also is the owner of the school’s pole vault record at 10 feet and finished her career with more than 500 points.
Waterman recently competed at the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Champions of Champions meet at Davison, where she placed fourth in her 800 race.
“That was quite a learning experience,” she said.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's Keira Waterman reacts to breaking the school record in the 1,600 relay (with Sadie Rogers, Riley Conklin, and Brynn Wieciech) as she crosses the finish line during the Mid-Peninsula Conference finals May 18 at Gwinn. (Middle) Negaunee's Sadie Rogers leads and eventually wins the 100 hurdles April 21 at Marquette. (Below) The Miners pose for a team photo after winning the UP Division 1 Finals championship May 30 at Kingsford. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)