Today in the MHSAA: 10/16/15

October 16, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

First-time champions are always worth noting, and we found a few in checking out today’s media reports of Thursday action statewide.

Cross Country

The Calumet girls, ranked No. 4 in Upper Peninsula Division 1, and the unranked Houghton boys won the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference finals at Chassell – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Boys Soccer

Grand Rapids Union clinched its first league title since moving from the Grand Rapids City League to the Ottawa-Kent Conference, downing Muskegon 3-0 – Grand Rapids Press

Manchester edged Hillsdale Academy 2-1 to claim its first Independent Soccer League championship after winning only one league game in 2014 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Volleyball

Class B honorable mention Buchanan downed Class C’s top-ranked team, Bronson, in five sets, and also Class D No. 6 Mendon in five – Niles Daily Star

Class B No. 6 Mount Morris avenged a five-set loss to No. 5 Goodrich in September by sweeping the Martians to improve to 55-5-1 – Flint Journal

Zeeland West claimed its first conference title in this sport, defeating Holland Christian in five sets to claim a share of the O-K Green championship – Holland Sentinel

Good Reads

Longtime Burton Atherton leader Mary Down will become the third volleyball coach inducted into the Greater Flint Area Hall of Fame, having impacted a generation of players and more as a number of former players went on to coach as well – Flint Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 9/4/15

September 4, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The combination of early football and thunderous storms made for a light schedule of other sports Thursday. But here are some of the notable headlines we unearthed – and remember to check back Monday for a full recap of football's Week 2.

Cross Country

The Croswell-Lexington girls won their second invitational, this time at Port Huron and led again by now two-time individual champ Rachel Bonner, while the boys team also was victorious – Port Huron Times-Herald

The Rochester Adams girls and boys teams swept the Cicciarelli Invitational – but the jewel of this report is the story of how Brighton runner Chip Osborne quit his race while running third to assist another runner who had collapsed because of dehydration – Oakland Press

Boys Soccer

From Wednesday, Midland Bullock Creek ended a two-year winless streak by beating Pinconning 2-0 – Midland Daily News

Boys Tennis

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central is the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion and Portage Central tied for third last season, but Portage Central won their match 6-2 on Thursday – Grand Rapids Press

Good Read

A pair of Livingston County communities are mourning the death of longtime coach Lee Smith, who died Thursday at 80 but coached at Hartland and then Brighton until he was 76 – Livingston Daily