Today in the MHSAA: 10/23/17
October 23, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Girls Golf: Harbor Springs claimed its first MHSAA Finals championship, and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern claimed its first since 1982 on Saturday; Traverse City West also won for the second time in three years and Macomb Lutheran North won for the second year in a row but in a new division – Second Half
2. Boys Tennis: Okemos finished undefeated to claim its first MHSAA Finals title in a decade, while Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett repeated and Bloomfield Hills High School locked down its second title in three seasons – Second Half
3. Boys Cross Country: New champions rose at the Upper Peninsula Finals as Houghton, Bessemer Gogebic and Brimley claimed titles – Second Half
4. Girls Cross Country: Marquette, St. Ignace and Chassell claimed the girls titles at the Upper Peninsula Finals, St. Ignace for the first time in Division 2 and ahead of three-time reigning champion Ishpeming – Second Half
5. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian claimed a District title with a 2-0 win over top-ranked Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian – Local Sports Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 7 Coldwater claimed its first District title in boys soccer with a 3-2 overtime win over rival and No. 6-ranked Marshall, which had beaten Coldwater twice this fall – Coldwater Daily Reporter
7. Cross Country: The Traverse City West girls, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, finished two points ahead of rival and No. 5-ranked Central to win the Northern Michigan Cross Country Championships; West also won the boys title, by 60 points – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. Cross Country: The St. Clair boys, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, finished off a Macomb Area Conference White championship and also won the overall MAC title finishing ahead of 35 others from the league’s various divisions – Port Huron Times Herald
9. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Muskegon Catholic Central won its first volleyball league title, downing Ludington and Manistee to claim the Lakes 8 Conference tournament and overall championships – Local State Journal
10. Boys Soccer: Midland Dow improved to 22-3-1 with a 1-0 Division 1 District Final win over Traverse City Central after losing in District Finals the last two seasons – Midland Daily News
Also of note ...
Volleyball: Class C top-ranked Bronson moved into the Big 8 Conference this season and finishing the volleyball league season by winning the conference tournament and outright title – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Volleyball: Whitehall beat Hart and Class C honorable mentions Shelby and Ravenna at the West Michigan Conference tournament to claim the overall league title – Local State Journal
Did You See That? (May 6-12)
May 13, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.
Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.
Good Read of the Week
One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Boys Golf
Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey News)
TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Track and Field
Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Lacrosse
Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)
Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)
Girls Tennis
FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)
Wrestling
Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)
Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame
High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)
Boys Basketball
Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)