Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/15

December 10, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was the first day of winter in full swing with significant matchups coming in six sports as four got into the heart of their first week of the season. Be sure to check out as well a story on MHSAA officials recruiting efforts.

Girls Basketball

Traverse City St. Francis won an early battle between two of the north’s top small-school teams, downing Frankfort (featured today on Second Half) 76-72 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

A pair of Concord players filled the stat sheet in a 62-56 win over Michigan Center; senior Lindsey Lehmen led with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, and sophomore Camryn Ward grabbed 19 rebounds – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Boys Basketball

From Tuesday, Sanford Meridian freshman Lucas Lueder will be among first-year players to watch, if his 18 points in a 65-61 win over Saginaw Nouvel are an indication – Midland Daily News

Boys Bowling

Vandercook Lake could be in line for an exciting season or four after watching freshmen Korey Reichard (278) and Conner Lackey (267) lead the way in a 29-1 win over Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ice Hockey

Division 3 No. 10 Farmington’s two first-period goals were enough as the Falcons scored a key early-season win over Division 2 No. 4 Berkley – Oakland Press

After finishing regulation tied, Division 2 No. 9 Traverse City Central needed only 14 seconds of overtime to get past Cadillac 4-3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Swimming & Diving

Chelsea coach Dave Jolly was the mid-Michigan link to Wednesday’s Waverly Relays, the annual event for Lansing-area teams to kick off the season; his Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 3-ranked team broke Okemos’ five-year hold on the meet championship – Lansing State Journal

Wrestling

No. 3 Davison earned one of the most significant early wins so far this season, 45-27 over No. 4 Brighton, which beat Davison in the Division 1 Semifinals last season – Livingston Daily

Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 8 in Division 3, just escaped Essexville Garber for a 32-30 win – Saginaw News

Good Read

After more than five decades as an official, Dick Kalahar is watching from the stands this season. He is among a growing number of retiring officials the MHSAA is charged with replacing over the next few years, and this piece looks at some of the challenges and opportunities, in part through Kalahar’s eyes – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Today in the MHSAA: 5/21/18

May 21, 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.

1. Track & Field: Saline’s boys won their eighth straight Regional title, in Lower Peninsula Division 1, by a mere point over Ann Arbor Pioneer – Saline Post

2. Track & Field: The top-ranked Ada Forest Hills Eastern girls won their fifth straight Regional title, edging East Grand Rapids by fewer than two points in LPD2 – Grand Rapids Press

3. Track & Field: The reigning Upper Peninsula Division 3 champion girls from Lake Linden-Hubbell continued their undefeated run this spring with a Regional title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

4. Girls Soccer: Division 2 top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Marian got past Division 3 No. 6 Warren Regina 2-1 in overtime to claim the Detroit Catholic League Division 1 tournament title – Oakland Press

5. Girls Tennis: No. 2 Northville swept the flight championships in winning its LPD1 Regional with a perfect 24 points – Observer & Eccentric

6. Girls Tennis: Traverse City St. Francis, No. 3 in LPD4, won its Regional as expected, with Charlevoix also qualifying for the MHSAA Finals for the first time – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Track & Field: Beal City’s boys, No. 2 in LPD4, had only one individual first place but won their first team Regional title since 1999 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

8. Baseball: Division 1 No. 7 Brownstown Woodhaven extended its school-record winning streak to 21 games with a 5-4 8-inning win over Gibraltar Carlson; the previous day, Woodhaven’s MHSAA record opponents’ scoreless streak came to an end at 60 innings – Southgate News Herald

9. Baseball: Ludington swept Division 4 No. 13 Muskegon Catholic Central to clinch the Lakes 8 Conference title, its first league championship since 2006 – Ludington Daily News

10. Track & Field: Deckerville’s girls, No. 7 in LPD4, added their sixth straight Regional title to a league title won earlier in the week – Huron Daily Tribune

Also of note …

Softball: From Thursday, Muskegon Mona Shores’ Taylor Dew hit her 50th home run as she and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard’s Julia Kennedy continue to re-set the MHSAA career record – Local Sports Journal

Baseball: From Thursday, Division 1 No. 21 Byron Center finished a three-game sweep of Division 2 No. 6 Holland Christian to claim a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title – FOX 17

Volleyball: Novi coach Jennifer Cottrill resigned after leading the Wildcats to the last three Class A championships Oakland Press