Eventually, the sun will shine ...
April 25, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We all believe that, right?
Rain – and snow for some – has been the buzzword of this spring sports season. Just about every newspaper is writing about it and every athletic director, coach, player and parent is dreading it on a now-daily basis.
But eventually, we expect the weather to clear up and teams to play catch-up. To that end, there are limitations teams in some sports face when attempting to make up their games – but also opportunities to take advantage of while trying to fill out their regular-season schedules.
- Girls soccer and girls and boys lacrosse teams may play only three games during a week, Monday through Sunday. A weekend tournament – which generally includes 2 to 3 shortened games – counts as only one in this equation.
- Baseball and softball teams can play as many games as they want in a week, but no more than two on a school day – and baseball pitchers must not pitch for two days following their 30th out in a week.
- For tennis, an individual may not play more than three matches in one day – unless she or he is playing in a league championship tournament featuring more than eight schools for which a fourth match would decide the championship. That player also could not have played more than six sets that day heading into that fourth and final match.
- Golf and Track and Field do not have weekly contest limitations. Track and field athletes can compete in only four events per day.
As expected, a number of teams – especially for baseball and softball – are scheduling to smash in as many contests as possible into the next four weeks. Postseason play for tennis and lacrosse begins May 16 – three weeks from today.
But teams do have options.
One rarely used but anticipated to be used more this spring is an opportunity to continue playing regular-season contests through the final day of the MHSAA tournament in that sport. For example, a baseball team can continue making up games through June 15, the day of the MHSAA Finals in Battle Creek. A tennis team can play regular-season matches through June 1, etc.
Also, the MHSAA Executive Committee approved Thursday to allow for this spring two additional multi-team tournament dates for soccer and lacrosse, which will give those teams an opportunity to get in a few more games. That means soccer teams will be allowed to play in four multi-team tournaments instead of two, boys lacrosse four instead of two and girls lacrosse five instead of three.
Teams will have to do some juggling, no doubt, and all other tournament stipulations still apply (games generally are shortened so more can be played, etc.). But with a little creativity, teams could at least get in a few of their make-up games in this way.
Also, the Executive Committee approved a motion to waive the four-contest MHSAA tournament entry requirement for all Upper Peninsula schools in all sports this spring. As of the weekend, snow still covered parts of the U.P.
Gaps shrinking
Much has been discussed about minimums for all four MHSAA classes for 2013-14, and how they are the lowest student totals in at least a decade.
It’s true. The floor in Class A is 893 (down from 911 this school year), Class B starts at 429 (down from 449), Class C at 207 (down from 217) and Class D at 206 (down from 216).
However, there is a better way to crunch the numbers: Consider the shrinking gaps between the largest and smallest schools in each class.
For 2013-14, the gap in Class A is 1,888 students – 261 students fewer than 2007-08 and nearly 900 students fewer than in 2005-06. The gaps between largest and smallest in Classes B, C and D also are trending smaller – which means each class actually includes schools more similar in size, instead of a perceived other way around.
SAC 2013-14 on the way
We’re thankful for a valuable group of students who help us throughout the school year – our 16-member Student Advisory Council, made up of eight seniors and eight juniors from all over the state who are charged with providing feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective, while also assisting at MHSAA championships and with special projects like the “Battle of the Fans.”
Selecting the next class to join is a highlight of every spring – but hardly an easy process.
A six-member selection committee, myself included, considered 62 sophomore applicants today from all over the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, representing all four of our classes and nearly every sport we sponsor.
Every candidate is impressive for a variety of reasons. That’s what makes this difficult – we could pick any number of combinations to make up our new SAC class, and no doubt leaders galore will emerge from another impressive group.
But there are only eight spots on the council. And we’ll announce who received them later next week.
PHOTO: A golfer attempts to keep warm during a round on a dreary day earlier this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Oak Park Sprints to 4th-Straight Team Title Win, Zielinski Rebounds for Winning Finish
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2026
ROCKFORD – It would have been the perfect time for Lorelai Zielinski to toss her cards on the table and walk away.
After suffering a crushing disqualification Saturday in the discus, a disastrous development that ensured she wouldn't repeat her dream of defending her Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals title in that event as well as the shot put, Zielinski could have called it a season.
Instead, the Traverse City Central junior mentally gathered herself by taking several slow walks around the shot put area, listening to some music and generally clearing her head.
"Just tried to keep calm in the moment," she said. "I didn't dwell on what was done."
So instead of falling off a mental cliff, Zielinski went out and captured the shot put with a toss of 48-6¼, two feet farther than the rest of the field.
"I had worked so hard to get better," she said. "But it was a mental battle. I just had to compose myself and get ready for the shot."
While Zielinski had to overcome her mental roadblocks, the Oak Park girls had to overcome their own adversity as well – but employed the same formula they used to win the last three Division 1 titles and claim their 10th over the last 12 years: power in the sprints.
Oak Park finished with 61 points to 48 for runner-up Detroit Cass Tech and 28.5 for third-place East Kentwood. West Bloomfield was fourth with 28. The Knights took firsts in the 1,600 and 800 relays, seconds in the 400 relay, open 100 and 400, a third in the 300 hurdles and a fourth in the 200.
Put it all together and it was business as usual for the team, coach Brandon Jiles said.
"Today was a little tough because we had battles with Cass Tech and East Kentwood," he said. "We had a few tough breaks, but when bad things happen you pick yourself up. The result is you deal with adversity."
Because the team has only two seniors, Jiles said Oak Park had to rely on a handful of younger athletes who were mainstays on the 2025 championship team, including junior Nevaeh Burns, who while not winning the 400 for a third straight time did post one of team's highest individual finishes with a second in the race. Teammate Aubrey Douglas was second in the 100.
"We had to spread things out," Jiles said. "Even though we were the favorite, we knew it would be tough. We do have a lot of experience from last year, but it's always tough to see what a young team will do. Twice we've gone for four in a row and didn't do it. This year we did."
Senior Kamryn Tatum of West Bloomfield won the 100 (11.74) while finishing second behind Malise Brown of Detroit Cass Tech in the 200 (23.13). Brown's time was an all-Finals record and sixth-best in the country this spring.
Tatum said she actually prefers running the longer 200-meter dash over the 100. She entered Saturday as a three-time Finals champ in the 200 while also winning the 100 a year ago.
"I hate the 100," Tatum said. "You have to get out strong to win the 100 because it's shorter. But I do what I do, and it's nice to win. My sophomore year was hard because I was injured, but now I was pretty much healthy."
East Lansing freshman Cayla Hawkins pulled one of the biggest upsets at the meet when she edged Oak Park's Burns in the 400. Hawkins had a 52.89 to creep past Burns' mark of 53.63.
"I know her from AAU," Hawkins said of Burns. "I was kind of shocked with myself, but I really pushed for this. I've had my days this year, kind of in and out. We call it "deep water," which means we save some of the hardest workouts for leading up to the state meet so we know what our bodies are capable of."
Richland Gull Lake junior Lane Isom won the 800 (2:11.06) after finishing just ninth a year ago. She was the best of a strong field which featured seven runners separated by less than three seconds. Isom had run a 2:09 a week ago.
"I knew I could run a fast time," she said. "It just depended on what would happen. I just went out and tried to do my best."
Grand Ledge's Katie Blue was a two-time champion in events with little in common. The Comet senior won the pole vault (14-0) as well as the 300 hurdles (43.14). The pole vault was an all-Finals record after her previous best was a 13-10 two weeks ago.
"My main goal was to go 14-feet," said Blue, who missed on her first attempt at three heights. "It just depends on the person. If you're mentally strong, you can bounce back from that. You can't let it get in your head because that just makes the next two or three attempts harder."
Other individual champs were Natasza Dudek in the 3,200 (10:15.25), Elliana Neuer of Hartland in the 1,600 (4:51.73), Kyleigh Peacock of Troy in the long jump (19-1), Olivia Latunski of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (138-2) in the discus, Detroit Cass Tech's Laila Hawkins in the 100 hurdles (14.15) and Alannah Love of Lansing Waverly in the high jump (5-0).
West Bloomfield won the 400 relay (46.88) and Ann Arbor Skyline took the 3,200 (9:05.75). Clarkston’s Allison Thurman (100, 400) and Fenton’s Molly Katic (200) finished first in adaptive events.
PHOTOS (Top) Oak Park's Nevaeh Burns bursts forward after taking a handoff during for her team's winning 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Detroit Cass Tech's Malise Brown, middle, crosses the finish line in record time in the 100. (Click for more from John Brabbs, Carter Sherline and Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)