Today in the MHSAA: 10/2/15

October 2, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday was girls golf and boys tennis league championship day for many across the state, and also saw the second Upper Peninsula Final in two days decided by a point.

Girls Golf

Hanover-Horton claimed the Cascades Conference championship, beating East Jackson by nine strokes in the league tournament and led by freshman Kristin Thompson’s 92 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

The Kensington Lakes Activities Association is loaded this season, with Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 6 Plymouth winning the overall championship ahead of No. 3 Brighton and Division 2 No. 3 South Lyon – Livingston Daily

Sturgis won its first league championship in 25 years, shooting a 380 to finish first in the Wolverine Conference – Sturgis Journal

Grand Rapids West Catholic edged Coopersville by five strokes, shooting 355 to clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue championship – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, No. 3 in Division 2, edged No. 17 Grand Rapids Northview to move into first alone in the O-K Bronze – Grand Rapids Press

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer avenged an early-season loss to Grand Rapids Union to move into a first-place tie with Union in the O-K Black – Muskegon Chronicle

Marcellus Howardsville Christian scored two goals to St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic’s one during the second half of overtime to win their game 3-2 and claim a share of the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference championship – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow won its 10th straight Saginaw Valley League title, finishing seven points ahead rival Midland – Saginaw News

Traverse City Central won seven of eight flights at the Big North Conference Tournament to claim the league title for the ninth season in a row – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Bloomfield Hills fell to Troy in their dual but came back to win the Oakland Activities Association Red Tournament and share the overall title – Oakland Press

Girls Tennis

For the second straight day, an MHSAA Final was decided by a point; this time, Negaunee was the victor in Upper Peninsula Division 1 – Second Half

Volleyball

Class A No. 2 Lake Orion downed No. 8 Clarkston in three sets to improve to 39-2 and end Clarkston’s chances at a ninth straight league championship – Oakland Press

Good Reads

Bay City John Glenn will celebrate not only Homecoming tonight, but also the 50th anniversary of its first football team which “would supply the school with its first identity.” – Bay City Times

River Rouge senior Aaron Vinson has seen things and experienced heartache no youngster should, including the deaths of two siblings. But football has been part of what’s pulled him through – Detroit Free Press

The Capital Area Activities Conference Blue has belonged to powerhouses Okemos and East Lansing for boys tennis, but Holt is contending for its first league title since 1980 – Lansing State Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 10/5/15

October 5, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

One of the final weekends of the regular season included a record-setting performance in tennis and another in boys soccer, plus elite county-wide competition in swimming and diving.

Cross Country

Unranked Grand Haven finished ahead of Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Division 2 No. 5 Cadillac to win the large-school girls race at the Allendale Invitational – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Soccer

Josh Busscher scored what would go down as the fastest goal (once confirmed) off the opening kickoff in MHSAA history, sending a shot into Division 4 No. 5 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s net four seconds in as Division 2 No. 1 Holland Christian went on to a 4-1 win – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Swimming and Diving

Battle Creek Lakeview won its All-City championship meet for the 12th straight season – Battle Creek Enquirer

Utica Eisenhower won the Macomb County Championships for the second straight year, setting a number of meet records in the process – Macomb Daily

Farmington Hills Mercy won the Oakland County meet for the 11th straight year and set meet records in the opening and closing relays – Oakland Press

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow’s Michael Szabo set what would be the MHSAA record for career singles wins, earning his 142nd and 143rd to surpass former Dow standout Johnathan Gurnee – Midland Daily News

LP Division 4 No. 6 Ludington and No. 5 Whitehall tied for the Coastal Conference tournament championship, with Ludington winning the overall league title thanks to a perfect dual match record – Muskegon Chronicle

Volleyball

Mount Morris, down to No. 6 in Class B, could jump back up the poll after beating Class A honorable mention Farmington Hills Mercy in its tournament final and finishing first ahead of a field including Class A No. 1 Novi and No. 2 Lake Orion – Flint Journal