10 to Remember: Winter 2012-13
April 4, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This winter in Michigan will be remembered by some as lasting seemingly forever. But at least we had plenty to enjoy over the five weeks from the end of February through March.
Below are 10 stories from this winter's Finals that we're likely to recall for years to come. They aren't necessarily the 10 most exciting moments, but rather 10 stories of particular significance covering every sport the MHSAA sponsors during this mostly-indoor season.
A few that just missed the list: Livonia Stevenson winning that hockey town's first hockey title, St. Ignace's first perfect girls basketball finish, Flint Beecher's last-second success in the Class C Boys Basketball Final, East Grand Rapids' four-point win in Division 3 swimming and diving and the emergence of Troy's Christina Shabet as the MHSAA's top gymnast.
There are plenty of others we could mention as well. Feel free to post about them after checking out our 10.
Saline Seniors Leave Mark
One of the most impressive swimming and diving classes in MHSAA history finished its high school career March 9 in Holland the same way it began four seasons ago. Saline won its fourth-straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship anchored by seniors David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Adam Whitener, who combined hold four Division 1 Finals individual and two relay records. Ehrman finished his prep career with the all-class/division records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, and those four hold the all-class/division record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.01 – good also for third in the national record book. Click to read more.
Fowlerville’s Coon Finishes with 4
Only 16 others had accomplished what Fowlerville’s Adam Coon achieved to finish his MHSAA wrestling career. And none had done so wrestling at the heaviest weights. On March 2 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Coon became the 17th athlete to win four MHSAA wrestling individual titles by picking up his second at 285 pounds after also winning two at 215. He finished his career with a record of 211-3 and won 194 straight matches dating to his freshman season. Click to read more.
Comets Shine for 6th Consecutive Gymnastics Win
Despite graduating the Division 1 all-around champion (again) and facing a talented Canton team (again), Grand Ledge won the team title again – for the sixth-straight time, the longest streak in MHSAA gymnastics history. On March 8 at Canton High School, the Comets scored 149.350 points – fifth-most in MHSAA Finals history. What are the chances for seven in a row? They’ll have a strong start: junior Presley Allison won the Division 2 all-around title the next day, and freshman Rachel Hogan won the Division 1 floor competition. Click to read more.
Hudson Completes Drive for 5
The Tigers won three of the final four matches to edge Hesperia 32-24 in the Division 4 Team Wrestling Final on Feb. 23 at Kellogg Arena and earn their fifth-straight MHSAA title – tying the 2002-06 Davison teams for the longest such streak since the Team Finals began in 1988. Hudson was loaded with 11 Individual Finals qualifiers, including three who went on to win their weights the following weekend. Click to read more.
This Time, It’s Romulus’ Turn
Romulus advanced to Boys Basketball Finals weekend at Breslin Center for the fourth time in six seasons, and on March 23 left with its first MHSAA championship since 1986. The Eagles had just fallen short a number of times during the recent run, but controlled from the tip in downing Detroit Southeastern 61-49 to claim the Class A title. Romulus finished this season 27-1. Click to read more.
Grand Haven Wins Repeat Class A Final
Only a few things about Grand Haven were the same this season as in 2011-12, including one significant advantage – 6-foot-5 center Abby Cole. After putting up 23 points, 19 rebounds and 12 blocks in a Semifinal win over Westland John Glenn, she tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks in a 60-54 overtime win over Grosse Pointe South on March 16 at the Breslin Center to give the Buccaneers two straight Class A title wins – both over the Blue Devils. Click to read more.
Puck Stops Here as Brighton Marches On
The Bulldogs claimed their second-straight Division 1 hockey championship March 9 at Compuware Arena with what has become a characteristic defensive stand, this time in a 2-1 win over 10-time champ Detroit Catholic Central. Brighton goalie James Milletics stopped 37 of 38 shots against him, and his team finished a 12-game winning streak during which it gave up only 12 goals total. Click to read more.
No Stopping Carlson’s Cheer Dynasty
All four MHSAA cheer champions March 2-3 at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex were repeat winners from 2012, but Carlson faced an intriguing set of circumstances. Although coach Danielle Jokela basically had served as a co-coach with Christine Wilson through four titles over the previous five seasons, this was her first time leading the team solo with Wilson now coaching Brighton. And the Marauders pulled out a third-straight title despite losing all-stater Annie Hajec to an injury during the Regional the weekend before. Click to read more.
Trojans Skiers Second No Longer
Traverse City Central’s girls skiing team had finished MHSAA runner-up five straight seasons before hoisting its first championship trophy since 2005 on Feb. 25 at Boyne Mountain. The Trojans finished with 81 points, 11 better than runner-up Walled Lake Central. Shannon Weaver was the individual runner-up in both the slalom and giant slalom to lead the effort. Click to read more.
Vandercook Lake Wins Battle of Bowling Powers
After facing each other and splitting the last two Division 4 titles, it seemed fate that Vandercook Lake and Sandusky should meet again in the 10th year of the MHSAA tournament on March 1 at Sunnybrook Golf and Bowl. The teams were separated by only six pins with three frames to roll before Vandercook Lake pulled away for a 1,322-1,166 win. The Jayhawks' Malloree Ambs won the individual title the next day. Click to read more.
Senior-Powered Lansing Christian Makes Good on 2019 Goal, 2021 Promise
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
June 11, 2022
EAST LANSING – Caden Kinnas had an idea that he and his teammates on the Lansing Christian boys golf team were doing well.
But he didn’t want to hear how well until Saturday’s round at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals was over.
“That makes me a little bit nervous when I see the scoreboard,” the Lansing Christian senior said. “I did that yesterday on my third-to-last hole, and then I ended up tripling then parring out for my last two holes. Today, I was like, ‘I’m not going to look at the leaderboard once.’ I didn’t even know we shot a 304 until five minutes ago. I kept hearing whispers like, ‘You’re crushing us’ from other people, but I was like, ‘Don’t tell me. Let me just play and finish this round.’”
Kinnas and the Pilgrims were crushing people as they cruised to the Division 4 title with a two-day score of 622 (318 Friday, 304 Saturday) at Forest Akers West, 24 shots better than second-place Clarkston Everest Collegiate. Maple City Glen Lake was third at 655, followed by Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep at 665 and Charlevoix at 669.
Royal Oak Shrine Catholic’s Jeffrey Andrus was the individual medalist, shooting back-to-back 72s and finishing even par (144) for the tournament, six strokes ahead of Glen Lake’s Blake O’Connor who finished second.
It was the first Finals title for Lansing Christian, which was the runner-up to Kalamazoo Hackett a year ago. The Pilgrims’ five-man lineup featured four seniors.
“It’s a process – you finish 14th your first year, you get to the big dance and you just get a glimpse of it and it just gets you excited, like, ‘What if?’” Lansing Christian coach Jason Block said. “Everybody from summer leagues to winter simulators to the chalk talks that we do on course management – the courses we played this year … I can’t imagine a schedule tougher to get these guys ready for today. I always think of Nick Saban, trust the process. Just do the little things one day after another, one match after another. To be able to do it on the last day, pretty exciting.”
Kinnas, a senior, led the way for Lansing Christian, shooting a 151 and tying 2021 individual champion Remy Stalcup of Everest Collegiate in third place.
He was one of three Pilgrims to finish in the top 10, as senior Davis Garrett tied for fifth at 155 and junior Baylor Brogan tied for eighth at 156. Senior William Combs rounded out the scoring with a 160, while senior Isaac Haley shot a 180.
The 14th-place finish in 2019 came from a Lansing Christian team filled with freshmen. After that tournament, they took a picture with the championship trophy, which was won by Hackett.
That was all about motivation and putting the possibility of taking a picture with their own trophy into the heads of each of the golfers.
“We were happy to make it to state that year,” Block said. “Fast forward to 2021, we play at the Fortress against Hackett, with Hackett, and we end up losing the two-day tournament by six strokes. We go home with a runner-up trophy – happy, but you wanted to win the championship trophy. Coming into this year, we wanted to do three things: want to win the conference championship, win the Regional championship, and win the state championship.”
Kinnas, who didn’t play on that 2019 team, said he thought it was a little odd when he first saw the picture, but was happy to help make it happen three years later.
“Knowing that we had the chance, and realizing the skill we had throughout the last two years, we realized it was pretty winnable,” Kinnas said. “I think that makes it a little more emotional, too, knowing that four out of our five starters are seniors. It really makes you appreciate every hole you play and that we couldn’t have done this without one another.”
The individual title was equally drama free, as Andrus played two incredibly clean rounds on his way to his six-stroke victory.
He did, though, allow himself to check the leaderboard prior to the final hole.
“I didn’t check the leaderboard until my last hole,” he said. “My coach told me I had a big lead. I wouldn’t say I was loose, maybe more conservative.”
For the weekend, Andrus had six birdies, two bogies and two double bogies to go with 26 pars.
“I hit my driver really well,” Andrus said. “I struggled a little bit at the beginning today, but my short game saved me. Overall, my chipping and driving really helped me out.”
O’Connor shot a 150 to take second, followed by Stalcup, Kinnas and Garrett. Saginaw Nouvel freshman Alex McCarthy and Glen Lake freshman Michael Houtteman each shot a 155 to tie with Garrett in fifth. Brogan’s 156 was matched by Hackett freshman Joey Blondia, Riverview Gabriel Richard senior Blake Wagner and Hillsdale Academy sophomore Rykert Frisinger in a tie for eighth.
PHOTOS (Top) Lansing Christian's Davis Garrett lines up a putt on No. 9 at Forest Akers West on Saturday. (Middle) Clarkston Everest Collegiate's Remy Stalcup chips toward the No. 9 green. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)