Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 5/2/16
May 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Included as always is a sampling of coverage of this weekend’s most notable statewide events, but make sure to check out the “Good Reads” section at the bottom of this report for stories definitely worth your time today.
Boys Golf
Reigning Division 1 champion Detroit Catholic Central won the Traverse City Central Tee-Off with a two-day 288 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Softball
Division 1 No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy, a semifinalist last season, swept reigning champion Warren Regina in the Detroit Catholic League – Oakland Press
Petoskey won the Traverse City St. Francis Invitational, including handing a first loss this season to Kalkaska – Petoskey News
Track & Field
Sturgis’ boys won the Don Lukens Invitational, with Johnathon Sholl setting a school record in the 100 meters – Sturgis Journal
Marquette’s boys and girls dominated the Manistique Invitational – Escanaba Daily News
Football
Dan Rohn, who coached Grand Rapids West Catholic to four Division 5 championships over the last nine seasons, resigned – Grand Rapids Press
Good Reads
Muskegon Mona Shores’ freshman Raegan Cox is one of the Midwest’s top soccer players her age – and she’s contributing not only to her school’s soccer team this spring, but also its track & field team – Muskegon Chronicle
A number of sources nationwide, including MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts, weighed in on why we must counteract sports specialization in this story that was published by the New York Times among papers all over the country – The Associated Press
Incredibly, Mason Evans is playing golf – and playing well – for Battle Creek Lakeview using one arm after breaking the other during wrestling season – Battle Creek Enquirer
As Birmingham Seaholm’s Jordan Michalak finishes her term as a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, she tells of her experiences as a contributor and how her tenure has affected her perspective on athletics – Birmingham Observer & Eccentric