Today in the MHSAA: 10/2/19

October 2, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Notable accomplishments from all over filled a busy Wednesday, and we also share today good news about a Michigan high school alumnus-now-world champion, realignment of the state’s largest league and a sportsmanship story that rang out loud and clear.

1. Girls Golf: Northville – ranked No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – shot a 313 to outpace runner-up and No. 3-ranked Brighton and win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 top-ranked Troy Athens clinched the Oakland Activities Association Red championship with a 5-0 win over Rochester Adams – Oakland Press

3. Volleyball: Hudsonville – No. 2 in Division 1 – edged Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian 3-2 – FOX 17

4. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Okemos defeated Division 3 No. 7 Williamston, and D3 No. 6 Lansing Catholic downed Division 2 No. 4 DeWitt to advance to the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup championship game – Lansing State Journal

5. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD3 No. 8 Holland Christian got past rival and LPD2 honorable mention Holland 107-76 – Holland Sentinel

6. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 1 Southfield Christian downed No. 8 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in four games – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: Lake Orion drew with Division 1 No. 10 Bloomfield Hills to open up the OAA White title race to four teams heading into the league finale later this week – Oakland Press

8. Volleyball: Melina Robertson set a Sault Ste. Marie career assists record during a three-set win over Boyne City – MI Sports Now

9. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West and Division 2 No. 15 Gaylord drew 2-2, with the second-place Blue Devils adding a tie to the Titans’ otherwise perfect Big North Conference-winning record – Traverse City Record-Eagle

10. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow traveled to St. Johns and swept the Redwings and honorable mention Fenton as Claire Newman swam to three pool records – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

O-K Conference: The Ottawa-Kent Conference approved a realignment proposal after two previous failed to pass – Grand Rapids Press

Track & Field – Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 2015 graduate Donavan Brazier broke a 34-year-old American record in winning the 800-meter world championship – FOX 17

Band: Maple City Glen Lake doesn’t have a marching band, and Fife Lake Forest Area’s football team isn’t finishing the season – so Glen Lake brought Forest Area’s band to play at its game Friday – Up North Live

Today in the MHSAA: 5/6/19

May 6, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Special for Second Half

Finishes both close and historic highlighted the first weekend of May as top teams navigated the rain in many places in kicking off the final month of the regular season.

1. Softball: Grace Lehto nearly threw a perfect game as Division 2 No. 3 Eaton Rapids edged Division 3 top-ranked Millington to win the “marquee matchup” of the MI Stars Tournament – State Champs Sports Network 

2. Boys Golf: By way of a fifth-golfer tie-breaker, Gaylord – No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – edged LPD1 No. 6 Grosse Pointe South to win its invitational with a near-school record score – Gaylord Herald Times

3. Track & Field: Zeeland West’s boys won their 12th-straight Holland West Ottawa Von Ins Relays, while Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 6 Grand Haven and No. 7 West Ottawa’s girls shared their meet championship – Holland Sentinel

4. Boys Golf: Nathan Taylor finished as medalist to lead Muskegon Mona Shores to the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship, 30 years after his father won the same tournament – Muskegon Chronicle

5. Track & Field: The Muskegon Reeths-Puffer girls won their 10th straight GMAA title, and the Fruitport boys won their sixth straight – Local Sports Journal

6. Softball: Division 3 No. 7 Standish-Sterling edged No. 3 Sanford Meridian 5-4 to win Meridian’s invitational – Midland Daily News

7. Softball: Division 2 No. 4 Stevensville Lakeshore defeated Schoolcraft in the final to win its invitational for the first time – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Boys Golf: Troy edged Rochester by 12 strokes to win the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press

9. Softball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer and Division 2 No. 5 Oakridge both won their fourth straight GMAA softball titles – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Track & Field: A total of 61 teams including a number of the best from multiple divisions participated at the Triangle Invitational at Saline – Athletic.net