Linked Up: 11/15/11
November 15, 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: 5/22/19
May 23, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The league championship portion of our spring continued in full force Tuesday, with today’s list of achievers topped by a team celebrating for the first time in a long time.
1. Baseball: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern clinched its first league title since 2000, sweeping Cedar Springs in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White – Grand Rapids Press
2. Track & Field: Pittsford’s boys and girls both edged Hillsdale Academy’s to sweep Southern Central Athletic Association meet titles, the boys by three points and the girls by just one; the Pittsford boys are ranked No. 6 and girls No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, and Hillsdale Academy’s girls are No. 1 – Hillsdale Daily News
3. Track & Field: Addison’s LPD4 top-ranked boys clinched their first Cascades Conference championship since 2003, and the LPD3 No. 4 Onsted girls also were victorious – Adrian Daily Telegram
4. Softball: Division 4 top-ranked Coleman clinched its fifth straight Mid-State Activities Conference title with a sweep of Breckenridge – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
5. Track & Field: Corunna’s girls locked up their fifth straight Genesee Area Conference Red title – Owosso Argus-Press
6. Baseball: Richmond swept Algonac to clinch a share of the Blue Water Area Conference title, its 19th in 21 seasons – Port Huron Times-Herald
7. Baseball: Kingsley swept Division 4 No. 14 Maple City Glen Lake to win its first Northwest Conference championship in 13 years – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. Girls & Boys Golf: Iron River West Iron County swept the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference tournament titles – Iron Mountain Daily News
9. Track & Field: Parma Western swept Interstate 8 Athletic Conference meet championships – Coldwater Daily Reporter
10. Track & Field: Clare’s girls and boys repeated as Jack Pine Conference meet champions; the girls are ranked No. 1 and the boys No. 2 in LPD3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Also of note …
Baseball: Division 4 No. 7 Beal City clinched a share of the Highland Conference title with a sweep of Leroy Pine River – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Track & Field: The New Lothrop boys and Byron girls finished championship runs through the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference – Owosso Argus-Press
Track & Field: The Centreville girls and Bloomingdale boys celebrated Southwest 10 Conference meet championships – Sturgis Journal
Baseball: Cheboygan swept Pickford to secure the Straits Area Conference title – Cheboygan News
Track & Field: Kingsley swept Northwest Conference league meet titles; the girls are ranked No. 2 and the boys No. 5 in LPD3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle Boys | Girls
Softball: Division 2 No. 5 Muskegon Oakridge swept Mason County Central to lock up its fourth straight West Michigan Conference championship – Local Sports Journal
Softball: Division 1 honorable mention Jenison swept Muskegon Reeths-Puffer to clinch the O-K Black championship – Muskegon Chronicle
Softball: Cheboygan finished its repeat run in the Straits Area Conference with a sweep of Pickford – Cheboygan News
Track & Field: Newberry’s boys and St. Ignace’s girls won Straits Area Conference league meet titles – Cheboygan News
Track & Field: The Rapid River boys and Felch North Dickinson girls locked up Skyline Central Conference meet titles – Escanaba Daily Press
Track & Field: Warren Mott’s boys and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s girls won Macomb Area Conference Blue meet titles, while Macomb Dakota’s teams swept the Red and are ranked No. 4 (boys) and No. 5 (girls) in LPD1 – Macomb Daily