Linked Up: 11/22/11
December 20, 2011
Thanksgiving week means a short one for most -- and more time for family, shopping, relaxation, watching the MHSAA Football Finals and hopefully a little additional reading.
Here are some suggestions from the last week and as we get ready to leave the fall and jump into the winter sports season.
Remember, if you find something high school sports-related that you think others would find useful or inspiring, send me a link at [email protected] and I'll check it out.
Okemos girl's cancer battle inspires Spartans (Lansing State Journal)\
We believe high school sports are about community. While not high school-related, this is a story about community and its power to do great things. Joe Rexrode tells us about 11-year-old Paige Duren and her battle against brain cancer – with the support of her community including big assists from the Michigan State football and basketball teams. She’s a two-sport athlete herself – playing soccer and basketball – and an inspiration to those who’ve come to know her. Rexrode makes it easy to understand why.
Sister act: Shaw, Halberg share much in common, despite more than 2,000 miles between them (Petoskey News)
That the Grunch sisters are excellent volleyball coaches isn’t a coincidence, Charlevoix people surely would say. But it’s a neat one that Liz (Grunch) Shaw and Christine (Grunch) Halberg both led their teams to their best finishes since 1989 (Halberg) or ever (Shaw). Shaw coaches their alma mater, while Halberg coaches 2,300 miles away in Washington. Steve Foley fills us in on how this worked out.
Avenall the right choice to lead Clarkston into volleyball history (NorthOaklandSports.com)
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal was part of some great teams as a player, but until this past weekend Clarkston had never reached an MHSAA Finals weekend. Dan Stickradt tells us how she’s taken the program to the elite level while also giving a brief history lesson on how it got rolling toward that trip to Battle Creek.
Natural fit: Superior Dome was easy choice for 8-man final according to MHSAA (Marquette Mining Journal)
A few of us spent Friday night at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and count me among those who will look forward to making a return trip. Here’s some of the story behind the MHSAA’s selection of the Superior Dome as home of the inaugural 8-Player Football Final, as well as Semifinals most years.
Lowell's Noel Dean to Receive 2011 Power of Influence Award (AFCA.com)
The Red Arrows are headed back to Ford Field on Friday for the Division 2 Final, but Dean also will be scheduling a January trip to San Antonio, Texas, to receive this prestigious award from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Foundation. Dean started his head coaching career at Bendle in 1991 before heading to Lowell in 1996. He's led teams to three MHSAA championships, and also the fundraising of $425,000 for cancer support through the "Pink Arrow Project."
Today in the MHSAA: 5/26/17
May 26, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The last major night of league track & field meets statewide saw another group of champions crowned, led by Adrian Madison’s girls for the 11th straight season.
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
Division 1 No. 14 Holt held on for a 6-2, 10-inning win over St. Johns in a Capital Diamond Classic quarterfinal – Lansing State Journal
Division 1 No. 19 Mount Pleasant stayed in the Saginaw Valley League title race with a sweep of Flint Powers Catholic that included an extra-inning win – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
From Wednesday, Lake Odessa Lakewood secured a Greater Lansing Activities Conference title with a 3-0 win over Stockbridge – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Golf
Bay City Western battled the elements to win the Bay County Championship with a 334, clearing the field by 18 strokes – Bay City Times
From Tuesday, Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 6 Plymouth clinched a fifth straight Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship shooting a 315 – Observer & Eccentric
Boys Lacrosse
Division 1 No. 9 Clarkston avenged an earlier loss to Bloomfield Hills with a 13-6 Division 1 Regional win – Oakland Press
Girls Soccer
Division 1 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central made two goals over the first 15 minutes stand the rest of the game in a 2-1 win over No. 17 Portage Central – Grand Rapids Press
Holland Black River finished a perfect run through the Alliance League – Holland Sentinel
Softball
Division 1 No. 10 Mount Pleasant swept Flint Powers Catholic to earn its first Saginaw Valley League title since 2010 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
From Wednesday, Norway swept Manistique to clinch a share of the Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Iron Mountain Daily News
Boys Tennis
Negaunee swept all eight flights to claim a seventh straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Marquette Mining Journal
Track & Field
The Detroit Cass Tech boys and Detroit Renaissance girls ran to Detroit Public School League championships – Detroit News
Quincy swept Big 8 Conference championships; the girls finished first at the league meet after entering tied in the standings – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Adrian Madison swept Tri-County Conference championships, the girls (LPD3 No. 4) for the 11th straight season and the boys for the fourth – Adrian Daily Telegram
Onsted’s girls (LPD3 No. 7) and Hillsdale’s boys (LPD3 No. 2) claimed Lenawee County Athletic Association championships – Adrian Daily Telegram
Lake Odessa Lakewood’s boys won the Greater Lansing Activities Conference meet to claim a share of the league title; Olivet’s girls dominated as well – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
The Centreville (LPD4 No. 2) girls and Mendon boys came away champions at the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Blue meet – Sturgis Journal