Linked Up: 11/15/11
December 16, 2011
We're heading into the final two weeks of the MHSAA fall season, which means playoffs for a few more sports, first practices for many others, and some catch-up on good stories that have made their way into my e-mail or onto my desk. Here are five more I've run across this week.
And again, if you see something high school sports-related that you think others would find valuable, send me a link at [email protected].
Walled Lake Central's Zac Leimbach stands strong after father's death (Detroit Free Press)
Walled Lake Central quarterback Zac Leimbach led his team to the playoffs this fall (WLC lost last weekend). He also is the oldest of three sons and now the man of his house in the wake of the summer death of their father after a battle with cancer. Mick McCabe's passage about Leimbach's final conversation with his father really struck me -- incredible.
Being in the pool makes Zeeland swimmer Becky Taylor feel like equal (Holland Sentinel)
Taylor was born with spina bifida -- "a hole in her back" -- and paralysis from the hips down. But she can leave her wheelchair behind when she takes to the pool as a member of the Zeeland swim team. Dan D'Addona tells us this inspiring story that has made waves on the west side of the state this season.
Mercy's Maddy Doyle takes home Miss Volleyball award (Oakland Press)
Doyle was the spokesperson for her team to the media after tough losses ended their last two seasons. But she was able to stand in once more -- joyfully tearful this time -- in accepting the Miss Volleyball award for 2011. Matthew B. Mowery wraps up her great career.
East Grand Rapids' win over Holland was the Pioneers' 28th straight in postseason play. That's a story unto itself, of course. But another big one for West Michigan high school sports fans was the return of the Press' Jane Bos, who is back in the press box after nearly a year working through medical issues. This is her return column, and I'm sure a loyal reader base is thankful to have her back.
From a standout player, a different sort of care basket (Los Angeles Times)
This is a little old, but came back into the light this week with the start of college basketball season. It's a college story, but also a high school story, of a star hoops player who won $40,000 in scholarship money in a free-throw shooting contest -- and then gave it to the seven runners-up. You'll probably hear about Cal State-Northridge's Allan Guei at some point over the next few years. Here's why.
Today in the MHSAA: 5/24/17
May 24, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This list can get pretty long this time of year as we try to link up to all of the coverage of league, District and Regional championships – almost as long, relatively speaking, as the 14-year league title streaks enjoyed by the Beal City baseball, Big Rapids boys golf and Clare boys track & field teams.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Baseball
Essexville Garber posted a pair of big wins over Bridgeport to lock up the Tri-Valley Conference East title – Bay City Times
St. Clair earned a share of the Macomb Area Conference Blue title with a six-inning win over Warren Mott – Port Huron Times Herald
Beal City swept Lake City, finishing a 14th straight Highland Conference championship run – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood dealt Division 2 No. 1 Detroit Country Day an 11-3 loss – Detroit News
Traverse City West swept Gaylord to win its second straight Big North Conference title – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Golf
Hartland’s boys won a tie-breaker to claim the Kensington Lakes Activities Association title after tying with Howell and Grand Blanc shooting 313s – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Calumet’s boys and Houghton’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked girls won Houghton Invitational titles, clinching West Peninsula Athletic Conference titles in the process – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
The Big Rapids boys – ranked No. 2 in LP Division 3 – won their 14th straight Central State Activities Association championship – Big Rapids News
Gaylord’s boys, No. 3 in LP Division 2, ran their tournament winning streak to nine, this time to clinch the Big North Conference title for the first time – Gaylord Herald Times
From Monday, Munising’s girls and Carney-Nadeau’s boys won Skyline Central Conference championships, with C-N’s Hunter Eichhorn shooting a 68 to lead his team – Marquette Mining Journal
Girls Soccer
Division 3 No. 9 Birch Run clinched a share of the TVC East title with a big win over Caro – Saginaw News
Division 2 No. 8 DeWitt downed Grand Ledge 3-1 to win the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup for the second straight season and fourth time over the last seven years – Lansing State Journal
Softball
Division 3 No. 3 Millington pulled away for a 6-1 win with a late rally against Frankenmuth to claim the TVC East title before dropping its only league game this season, 8-4, in the second of the night – Saginaw News
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley clinched a share of the Macomb Area Conference White title, its first league crown since 2007 – Macomb Daily
Beal City secured its fifth straight Highland Conference title, running its league winning streak to 56 games with a sweep of Lake City – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Division 1 honorable mention Clarkston claimed the Oakland Activities Association title outright with a pair of shutouts of North Farmington – Oakland Press
Division 2 No. 8 Spring Lake downed Comstock Park to finish a perfect run through the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue – Grand Haven Tribune
From Monday, Hemlock swept Saginaw Valley Lutheran to claim the TVC West title – Midland Daily News
Track & Field
The Bessemer boys and Lake Linden-Hubbell girls continued dominating seasons with Copper Mountain Conference titles – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Clare’s boys – top-ranked in LP Division 3 – won their 14th straight Jack Pine Conference title, while the No. 5 girls won their fourth consecutive – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
The Beal City boys, No. 9 in LP Division 4, won their first Highland Conference title; McBain’s girls also were crowned league champs – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Warren DeLaSalle won its first Detroit Catholic League title in 21 years, while LP Division 2 No. 8 Dearborn Divine Child dominated on the girls side – Oakland Press
LP Division 2 No. 5 Coldwater swept titles at the Interstate Eight Athletic Conference meet, the boys to clinch the league title – Coldwater Daily Reporter
The Pittsford girls and Battle Creek St. Philip boys – both ranked No. 3 in LP Division 4 – won Southern Central Athletic Association meet titles – Hillsdale Daily News
Saugatuck swept Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, doubling up or nearly doubling up the runners-up in both meets; the girls are No. 1 in LP Division 3 and the boys are No. 3 – Holland Sentinel
Wyandotte Roosevelt swept the Downriver League meet titles, the girls for the third straight season and the boys for the second time in three – Southgate News Herald