Today in the MHSAA: 10/31/16

October 31, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Regionals all over the Lower Peninsula determined the fields for this weekend’s races at Michigan International Speedway – click for all results – while three more boys soccer teams secured Semifinal bids.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Cross Country

The Caledonia boys, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won their first Regional title in eight years, while Battle Creek Lakeview’s girls (also ranked No. 7) also earned a Division 1 title at Portage Central – Grand Rapids Press

Rockford’s boys (No. 6) won their third straight Division 1 Regional title led by individual Finals favorite Cole Johnson; Rockford’s girls (No. 10) also won ahead of honorable mention Grand Haven and No. 4 Traverse City Central – Grand Rapids Press

The No. 6 Brighton girls won their latest matchup with No. 5 Pinckney by a point in a Division 1 Regional; honorable mention Okemos won the boys championship at Huron Meadows Metropark – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Boys Soccer

Reigning Division 4 champion and current No. 6-ranked Burton Genesee Christian earned a return to the Semifinals with a 3-0 win over Marlette in Division 4 – The Burton View

No. 3 Ann Arbor Greenhills edged top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 1-0 to earn a Division 4 Semifinal with Genesee Christian.

Division 3 No. 13 Lansing Catholic downed No. 6 Grosse Ile in a shootout after the teams were tied 2-2 at the end of overtime – Southgate News-Herald

Girls Swimming & Diving

Northville, ranked No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Central title for the sixth straight season, finishing first in nine of 12 events at the league meet – Observer & Eccentric

Volleyball

Rogers City and Posen won North Star League championships at the conference tournament, Rogers City the Big Dipper title and Posen the Little Dipper division – Alpena News

Today in the MHSAA: 8/24/15

August 24, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

All MHSAA fall sports but football kicked off competition last week, with cross country, boys soccer, girls swimming and diving and volleyball starting Saturday.

Below are some notable headlines from the first weekend of this season, plus links to coverage.

Cross Country

St. Johns hosted its second “Under the Lights” meets Friday; Ithaca’s girls and Saugatuck’s boys bested fields loaded with much larger opponents – Lansing State Journal

The St. Joseph girls and Bridgman boys won championships at the Niles Stampede – the St. Joseph girls, who finished fourth in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last season, by a large margin – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Golf

Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox, last season’s LP Division 4 individual champion, came back to defeat Brighton freshman Annie Pietila at the two-day Lober Invitational at Grand Traverse Resort – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Soccer

Two of the state’s powers met in the championship game of the Detroit Country Day Tournament on Saturday – with 2013 Division 1 runner-up Bloomfield Hills downing the host Yellowjackets 1-0 in a shootout – Oakland Press

Girls Swimming & Diving

Howell won its Kenzie Klassic, which honors swimmer Mackenize Watts, who died in 2005 at age 15. The school also raised enough money to award three scholarships and begin funding cardiac-related causes – Livingston Daily

Volleyball

Novi won the Lakeshore Classic by coming back after losing the first two games to beat Grand Haven 3-2 in a rematch of a 2014 Class A Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

Battle Creek Harper Creek, for the first time, won the gold championship at the long-running Carrie Adams Memorial Tournament hosted by reigning Class D champion Battle Creek St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Read

Mike Steele, a Midland Dow grad and now pitching coach at Long Beach State in California, argues that parents need to raise their athletes to compete instead of providing specific training in one sport – Midland Daily News