Today in the MHSAA: 11/7/16

November 7, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The busiest championship weekend of the fall saw 12 MHSAA Finals winners crowned in cross country and boys soccer, plus many more in District volleyball and league girls swimming & diving.

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 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls won in record fashion as Traverse City St. Francis and Otsego repeated and Milford surprised the Division 1 field at Michigan International Speedway – Second Half

Saugatuck repeated as a boys champion, but in a different division, while Pewamo-Westphalia also won a title in a new division, Corunna won for the first time ever and White Lake Lakeland for the first time in a while – Second Half

Boys Soccer

Mattawan and Grand Rapids Catholic Central won their first MHSAA championships in the sport, as Burton Genesee Christian won its second straight and East Kentwood won its fifth total by taking a shootout – Second Half

Girls Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Blanc edged No. 10 Brighton to win Saturday’s Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes meet as Brighton’s Taylor Seaman broke four league records – Livingston Daily Argus & Press

Midland Dow won its 11th straight Saginaw Valley League championship, led by three wins by freshman Claire Newman – Midland Daily News

Volleyball

Davison polished off its sixth District title in seven seasons with a sweep of Mount Morris in Class A – Flint Journal

Traverse City Central downed Gaylord for its first District title since 2008, in Class A – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Class A honorable mention Saline, meanwhile, won its first District title since 2005 with a sweep of Dexter – Saline Post

Allen Park claimed its fourth straight District title, downing Lincoln Park in Class A – Southgate News-Herald

Class B No. 7 Cadillac secured its 11th straight District title, sweeping Big Rapids – Cadillac News

Honorable mention Fruitport swept Montague in Class B for its first District title since 2011 – Muskegon Chronicle

After falling to Manchester in the District Final the last two seasons, Adrian Madison downed Manchester in the first round and went on to win in Class C – Adrian Daily Telegram

Crystal Falls Forest Park, also a state poll honorable mention, won its 17th straight District title, downing Wakefield-Marenisco in Class D – Ironwood Daily Globe

Pentwater won its fourth straight District title, sweeping Walkerville in Class D – Ludington Daily News

Today in the MHSAA: 12/19/16

December 19, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Sports will slow down over the next two weeks as schools go on break and we roll in 2017. But in advance, take a look at a ton of coverage from the busiest weekend of this winter season so far.

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.

Girls Basketball

Galesburg-Augusta improved to 5-0 with a 33-29 win over previously-undefeated Schoolcraft – Kalamazoo Gazette

Cedarville earned what could become a key win in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference, 43-40 over Pickford – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Boys Basketball

Levi Lehman had a monstrous 25 points and 31 rebounds in Ithaca’s 73-49 win over St. Louis – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Sturgis remained undefeated with a league-opening 44-41 win over Dowagiac – Sturgis Journal

Luke Morrell’s basket at the buzzer gave Plainwell a 60-58 win over Paw Paw – Kalamazoo Gazette

Beaverton remained undefeated with a 43-37 comeback win over Sanford Meridian thanks to 31 points from Carter Johnston – Saginaw News

Saginaw Heritage downed neighbor Saginaw Arthur Hill for the first time since 2000, 46-38 – Saginaw News

Ann Arbor Skyline sent a powerful statement with a 95-92 triple-overtime win over Ann Arbor Huron, last season’s co-champion in the Southeastern Conference Red – Ann Arbor News

East Lansing started on avenging last season’s only loss, to Lansing Everett, with a 59-53 victory – Lansing State Journal

Competitive Cheer

Adrian Madison won the Onsted Invitational with a score of 691.52, only four points shy of its Regional score from a year ago – Adrian Daily Telegram

Hockey

Jake Crespi scored with 15:12 to play to give Division 1 top-ranked Brighton a 1-0 win over Division 2 No. 4 Livonia Stevenson – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Alpena won the Blue Line Tournament with a 2-1 win over East Kentwood – Alpena News

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard scored four goals in the third period to down Division 2 No. 10 Saline 8-6 in a matchup of Washtenaw County powers – Saline Post

Wrestling

DeWitt, No. 2 in Division 2, won the Brighton Invitational just ahead of the Division 1 No. 8 Bulldogs – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Addison downed a group including a number of larger schools to win the Ypsilanti Lincoln Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram

Division 3 No. 4 Remus Chippewa Hills earned championships at seven weights in winning its invitational – Big Rapids News

Macomb Dakota, No. 4 in Division 1, won the Macomb County Classic ahead of Warren Woods-Tower – Macomb Daily

Oxford, No. 6 in Division 1, was Oakland County champion, ending Detroit Catholic Central’s seven-year hold on the trophy (although the Shamrocks’ top-ranked A team was at an event in Ohio) – Oakland Press

Petoskey went 5-0 against Upper Peninsula teams to win the annual Bridge Brawl at Rudyard – Petoskey News-Review

Sand Creek won its invitational, taking three of four matches by double figures – Adrian Daily Telegram

Gaylord, No. 7 in Division 2, won the Marquette Challenge with three individual champions to remain undefeated – Gaylord Herald Times

Coloma won the South Haven Invitational with a seven-point victory over Niles’ B team – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Read

From Brooklyn, N.Y., to East Lansing, from helping build the World Trade Center after dropping out of high school to becoming the Trojans’ boys basketball coach, Steve Finamore’s story is truly fascinating – Lansing State Journal