Today in the MHSAA: 1/19/18
January 19, 2018
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. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 5 Gaylord claimed its 11th straight Big North Conference championship with wins over Alpena and Petoskey – Gaylord Herald Times
2. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 3 top-ranked Holland Christian got past No. 6 Otsego 108-75 in the high school debut of standout Ian Miskelley – Holland Sentinel
3. Boys Basketball: The Northwest Conference title race opened back up Thursday as Maple City Glen Lake handed Frankfort its first loss of the season to create a three-way tie atop the standings – Traverse City Record-Eagle
4. Girls Basketball: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central asserted itself in first place in the Huron League with a 52-47 overtime win over New Boston Huron – Monroe Evening News
5. Bowling: The Bay City Western girls won an overtime match over Midland for first place in the Saginaw Valley League, while the Chemics’ boys also remained undefeated in league competition – Midland Daily News
6. Hockey: Petoskey ended an 18-game, eight-year losing streak against Traverse City Central with a 6-1 win over the Trojans – Petoskey News-Review
7. Boys Swimming & Diving: Rockford earned a 167-148 win over Grand Haven in a matchup of LPD1 honorable mentions – Grand Haven Tribune
8. Boys Basketball: Baldwin’s Blake Dockery scored his 1,000th career point in his team’s 77-62 win over Walkerville – Big Rapids News
9. Boys Basketball: Ewen-Trout Creek star Jake Witt grabbed 24 rebounds to go with 24 points and seven blocks in his team’s 63-42 win over Chassell – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
10. Football: Traverse City West coach Tim Wooer has resigned to return as coach at Kingsley; West was 9-2 last season in Wooer’s 10th at the helm, and Kingsley was 1-8 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Also of note …
Cheer: The Battle Creek Enquirer explained one of the most impressive skills in competitive cheer, the back tuck, and why it’s the slam dunk or home run of that sport – Battle Creek Enquirer
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)