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.)
Women & ACL Injuries: Know Risks, Steps for Prevention
August 10, 2021
Whether you’re a casual jogger or elite athlete, you’re at risk for an injury to your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). If you’re a woman, you are at even greater risk for these injuries.
But there are steps you can take to prevent them.
“Among athletes, women are more than twice as likely to have an ACL injury than men,” says Nithin Natwa, M.D., a sports medicine specialist and primary care physician at Henry Ford Health System. “Once you have an ACL injury, you are at greater risk for having further soft tissue injuries in the future. That’s why it is important to prevent these injuries and follow your treatment plan if injured.”
What Is An ACL Injury?
An ACL injury is a strain or tear in the ACL, one of the four major ligaments that support the knee so it can flex and bend. The ACL is a strong band of tissue that helps connect your thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia). “An ACL injury usually occurs without contact when you turn suddenly while running or land off-balance on one leg. These actions overload the knee joint and cause the ACL to be torn,” says Dr. Natwa.
In the United States, 100,000 people have ACL injuries each year. Anyone can experience an ACL injury, though athletes participating in sports like football, basketball, soccer and gymnastics are at highest risk. And summer is a peak time for outdoor sports injuries.
Seek immediate care if you have any of these signs of an ACL injury:
• An audible “pop” in the knee
• Intense knee pain and rapid-onset swelling (within hours)
• Loss of range of motion
• An unstable feeling or locking of your knee
The most common treatment for ACL injuries is surgery followed by physical therapy. After treatment, you can expect to return to normal activities in 6 to 9 months. However, peak athletic performance can take up to two years.
Why Are Women At Higher Risk For ACL Injuries?
According to Dr. Natwa, the differences in athletic training techniques for males versus females have left women at greater risk for ACL injuries. “There has been more emphasis on overall conditioning and mechanics for boys participating in sports compared to girls,” he says.
As a result, women are at greater risk for ACL tears and sprains due to:
• Differences in neuromuscular control: Without conditioning from an early age, women may not have the same ability to land and perform athletic motions that men do. For example, women are at higher risk for an ACL injury after landing from a jump.
• Strength imbalance for muscles that support the knee: Female athletes tend to have more defined quadriceps muscles but weaker hamstrings than men, putting them at greater risk for injury.
According to Dr. Natwa, there are many theories about women’s risk for ACL injury that lack scientific evidence, including:
• Width of the pelvis: Some people have suggested that the wider width of a woman’s pelvis puts more pressure on the knee joint and increases the risk for injury. However, this difference has not been shown to impact a women’s risk for ACL tears or sprains.
• Knee anatomy: The ACL runs through a section of the femur called the intercondylar notch. Women tend to have a narrower notch than men. Regardless of gender, individuals who possess smaller notch dimensions appear to be at greater risk for injury than individuals with larger notches.
• Hormones: Men and women have different hormone levels. But there is currently no concrete evidence that female hormones place women at higher risk for ACL injures.
Steps To Prevent ACL Injuries – Conditioning Early, Often
“The best way to prevent ACL injuries is to begin and maintain regular conditioning exercises at an early age,” Dr. Natwa says. “The more frequently you engage in proper exercises, the lower your risk for injury.”
Consult with a sports medicine specialist, physical therapist or athletic trainer to develop a training routine to prevent ACL and other injuries. Your training program should include exercises that:
• Strengthen the muscles that support your knee: Add strength training to build up your calves, hamstrings and quadriceps muscles. These muscles help stabilize your knee as you move. By strengthening these muscle groups evenly, you can lower your risk for injury.
• Improve overall neuromuscular control: Focus on adding neuromuscular exercises that train your nerves and muscles to react and communicate. For example, you may work on your balance by standing on one leg or sit upright on an exercise ball for short periods of time. And core exercises can strengthen the muscles that support your abdomen and back and help improve your posture as you move. These moves can strengthen your joints and help you learn appropriate balance and technique.
“Exercise really is the best medicine. It can improve your balance and agility as you participate in a sport or prevent injury as you move through your daily activities,” says Dr. Natwa. “Consider adding these exercises to your wellness program.”
Dr. Nithin Natwa is a sports medicine doctor who sees patients at Henry Ford Macomb Health Center in Chesterfield and Henry Ford Macomb Orthopedics and Wound Care in Clinton Township.
Want to learn more? Henry Ford Health System sports medicine experts are treating the whole athlete, in a whole new way. From nutrition to neurology, and from injury prevention to treatment of sports-related conditions, they can give your athlete a unique game plan. To find a sports medicine physician at Henry Ford, visit henryford.com or call 1-800-436-7936.