Get Prepped for a Fantastic Finale
May 24, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We love this time of year. And not just because school is nearly out for summer.
There’s little argument that the week ahead is the most exciting of each MHSAA school year. And you’ll want to set your bookmarks for MHSAA.com and Second Half for updated results and coverage not just next week – but through the rest of this spring season.
The MHSAA.com Score Center is our home for scores from all District softball, baseball and soccer games, which begin Tuesday. You also can view real-time brackets for every District by going to the “Sports” page for each, and updated brackets for lacrosse by visiting our girls and boys pages for that sport as well.
In the Lower Peninsula, we’ll have same day or next morning results as golf Districts are played, and first-day results from next weekend’s Girls Tennis Finals on May 31 – followed by final results at the conclusion of play June 1. We’ll post Finals results for Upper Peninsula golf and tennis as we receive them Wednesday and Thursday, and then results for all seven Lower and Upper Peninsula Track and Field Finals as they come in June 1.
But results are only the start. As we have during the fall and winter, Second Half will provide coverage including photos from every MHSAA Final – beginning with Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Girls and Boys Golf and Boys Tennis Finals. Keep an eye on Second Half throughout the week, or follow the Second Half feed on the cover page of MHSAA.com.
Transfer rule clarification
We released Monday the actions our Representative Council took earlier this month at its Spring Meeting, including an addition to the athletics-related portion of our transfer rule. Based on some questions we’ve received and read, here’s some further explanation of what will be installed for 2014-15:
The longer period of ineligibility for athletes who transfer because of athletics is not new. This has previously existed for cases in which a school could prove that it lost a student to another school purely for sports-related reasons.
What’s new is what must be proven and by whom for the longer ineligibility period to take effect. Now, a school that lost a student does not have to file a report with the MHSAA for the case to be considered. As long as one of a set of offending activities can be verified – including practicing, competing or training with a member of the new school’s coaching staff during summer or non-school sports activities or seasons – that student will have to sit 180 days instead of the usual period of roughly a semester. The 15 exemptions that allow a student to be eligible immediately – like making a full move to a new district or a student’s school closing – may still apply.
So, to conclude: The longer athletics-related ineligibility period is not new, just how athletics-related transfers are considered and reported. Click to read the full release.
Kickoff is coming
And that means we’re collecting varsity football schedules.
In fact, we have most of them thanks to our athletic directors, their secretaries, coaches and many others who chip in to help us keep complete and accurate information throughout the season.
But there are still plenty of steps in getting ready for August – and a huge one is locking down correct leagues for our teams this season, especially as schools continue to switch things up.
Check out your school’s schedule page by click on the “Schools” button in the menu bar at the top of MHSAA.com and searching for your school. Once on the school page, click the blue “Boys” button next to football. The schedule will appear in the middle of the page, with standings to the left.
See an error in a schedule or the standings? Email me at [email protected]. I thank you in advance.
Kramer’s words of wisdom
Long before Roy Kramer served as athletic director at Vanderbilt University, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and creator of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) for Division I college football, he coached multiple sports at East Lansing High School.
He recently was named winner of this year’s Duffy Daugherty Award, given in honor of the former Michigan State University coach to a valued coach or contributor to college football. The award, presented in East Lansing, is among those recognized by the College Football Hall of Fame.
Kramer finished his acceptance speech with a stirring endorsement of the sport that brought the crowd of more than 300 to its feet. If you’re a fan, former or current player or coach, see below.
PHOTO: Athletes race toward the finish of a relay during this spring's Alma College Invitational. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Clarenceville Girls Follow Captain in Claiming 1st Finals Title
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2025
JACKSON — When it was all over and the realization set upon them, Raegan Priebe could only summon three words while celebrating with her teammates.
“We did it! We did it!” she exclaimed while hugging each one.
The “it” was winning the Division 3 team title at JAX 60 on Friday, the first Finals championship in girls bowling in her school’s history. Livonia Clarenceville defeated Adrian Madison 3-1 in the best-of-five championship, losing the first game 166-131 before rattling off the next three, 204-134, 123-106 and 187-166.
“The key thing was to make our spares and at least match what our opponents were doing,” said John Makar, Clarenceville’s head coach. “Our coaches told the kids that, our team captain repeated it. She’s one of the greatest team captains I have ever seen in any sport.”
That captain is senior Caitlyn Johnson, who willed a lineup laden with youth to the championship.
“These girls have worked so hard, they’ve put all the time, all the effort, all the love, all the tears, all the blood into it,” she said. “Every possible thing they could do, they gave it to me, and I couldn’t be any more proud as captain.”
The last time Clarenceville made the Finals was three years ago during Johnson’s freshman season, and they failed to advance out of the qualifying session. This year, they’re taking home the big trophy.
“It’s a big thrill. I couldn’t have done it without our assistant coaches, especially Art Priebe and Anthony Williams,” Makar said. “I’ve kind of been orchestrating the whole thing, doing the behind-the-scenes work and working with all the freshmen we have.”
Clarenceville qualified first out of 16 teams with a total of 2,944 for the eight Baker games and two team games. The top seed defeated eighth-seed Armada in three games in the quarterfinal, then advanced to the final with a 3-1 victory over Ishpeming Westwood.
Leading 2-1 in the final, Clarenceville had just one open frame in the decisive game with Raegan Priebe throwing strikes in the fourth and ninth and Johnson adding one in the fifth and a spare to clinch it in the 10th.
Johnson, Priebe and freshman Olivia Young qualified for the individual Finals.
Madison earned the second seed out of qualifying, just 36 pins shy of Clarenceville’s total, but had a more dramatic road to the final. Madison needed five games to defeat Gladwin, then went the distance again in the semifinals against Flint Powers Catholic, which included a 156-145 win in the last game.
“These girls, they put their heart and soul in everything,” said coach Randy Ramirez, who credited his assistants with helping the team be successful. “We had an amazing season, we won a couple tournaments. They just caught us at the wrong time.”
Sophomore Vanessa Underwood, freshman Paige Underwood and junior Angelina Alvarez all qualified for the individual Finals for Madison.