Today in the MHSAA: 11/23/15

November 23, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Girls Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving and Volleyball seasons finished this weekend, with two first-time champions crowned both in the pool and on the court and a third volleyball champion ending the longest title-winning streak in that sport’s history.

Swimming and Diving

Ann Arbor Skyline competed in Division 1 this season after finishing second in Division 2 a year ago, and emerged as champion for the first time in any division behind standout Katie Portz – Second Half

Dexter won its first championship since 2002 by clinching Division 2 during the final event of the afternoon at Oakland University – Second Half

Grand Rapids Catholic Central cleared the Division 3 field by 100 points to win its first MHSAA championship in this sport – Second Half

Volleyball

In a rematch of last season’s Class A Final, Novi went from runner-up to champion with a four-set win over Romeo – Second Half

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard became the first undefeated team since 1998-99 by defeating reigning champion North Branch in Class B – Second Half

Bronson earned its first championship since 2009, finishing tops in Class C after entering the tournament ranked No. 1 – Second Half

Leland earned its first Class D title in a decade by ending Battle Creek St. Philip’s record nine-year championship streak – Second Half

Today in the MHSAA: 2/22/17

February 22, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The basketball season continues to speed to a momentous conclusion, but today make sure to get to the bottom of this report for a couple of stories about athletes working through tragedy that you don’t want to miss.

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. 

Boys Basketball

Big Rapids finished an outright Central State Activities Association Gold title with a 60-35 win over Reed City – Big Rapids News

New Haven advanced in the Macomb Area Conference Blue-Gold Tournament with a win over Warren Woods Tower and thanks to 40 points by Eric Williams, Jr. – Macomb Daily

Walled Lake Western edged rival Walled Lake Northern 63-62 to move on in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament – Oakland Press

Detroit U-D Jesuit just got past Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 51-49 to advance to the Detroit Catholic League A-B Final – Detroit News

Dollar Bay’s Devin Schmitz needed four points to reach 1,000 for his career, but scored 43 in a 66-57 win over Hancock – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Parma Western fell into a tie for first place in the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference after a 54-53 loss to Battle Creek Harper Creek – Battle Creek Enquirer

Blake Dunn became Saugatuck’s all-time leading scorer with 1,489 points, adding 19 in a win over Lawton – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Basketball

Brethren’s Taytum Myers became her school’s first 1,000-point scorer during a win over Lake Leelanau St. Mary – Manistee News Advocate

Frankenmuth clinched its 12th-straight Tri-Valley Conference East title with a 47-27 win over Essexville Garber – Saginaw News

Dearborn Heights Robichaud standout Kamaria McDaniel scored 39 points, but Flint Hamady emerged with a 75-67 win – Flint Journal

From Monday, Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian got past Ellsworth 50-49 to secure its first Northern Lakes Conference title since 2007 – Petoskey News-Review

Good Reads

Similar tragedies have struck the Traverse City Bay Reps hockey program over the last three years, as multiple players have experienced the death of a parent. But the team has stuck together, on the rink and in working through those sadnesses – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Gaylord St. Mary’s golfer Noah Kole was hospitalized recently after losing feeling in his legs, and the Gaylord Herald Times wished him well this week (and the good news is he’s now recovering and should be ready for this spring) – Gaylord Herald Times