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: 8/27/15

August 27, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Much usually changes from the start of a season to its end.

But August provides a great opportunity for the state’s best to see how they stack up against each other before locally-focused league competition gets underway.

Today's list of links includes some of those results.

Cross Country

Nate Carey won last season’s MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final in 17:19.1, with Escanaba’s Joey Wolfe third at 17:28. But Wolfe edged Carey at Tuesday’s Munising Invitational – Escanaba Daily Press

Boys Soccer

Bay City Western only tied Flushing 2-2 on Wednesday, but did so coming back from two goals down to remain undefeated – and with senior Tyler Fulco netting his 14th goal already this season – Bay City Times

East Grand Rapids fell in its District opener in Division 2 last season, but played reigning Division 3 champion Hudsonville Unity Christian to a 3-3 draw Wednesday – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Tennis

Midland’s teams enjoyed a perfect Wednesday, with Midland High defeating Holt, Grand Blanc and Traverse City West and Dow taking down Okemos and Holly to move to 5-0 this fall – Midland Daily News

Good Read

Longtime official Jerry Hendrickson, 78, will begin his 53rd and final season tonight, surrounded by three sons on his crew at Houseman Stadium – Grand Rapids Press

The Lansing Eastern football varsity is 27-126 since its last winning season in 1997, and with a new coach starts again in an attempt to bring success back to a proud program – Lansing State Journal