Today in the MHSAA: 1/25/16
January 25, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s statewide action was highlighted by milestones – be it a 25-year winning streak, 600 wins total or 1,000 points scored.
Girls Basketball
Gaylord St. Mary’s senior Bekah Myler – also a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council – scored the 1,000th point of her career Friday in a win over Fife Lake Forest Area – Gaylord Herald Times
Grosse Pointe South trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter, but came back to beat Romeo in overtime 54-49 – Macomb Daily
Boys Bowling
Vandercook Lake rose from the eighth seed to win the first Mel Wolf Open championship, capped by a 74-pin victory over Belleville in the final – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Boys Swimming & Diving
Battle Creek Lakeview won its 25th straight All-City championship with first places in all 12 events – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 10 Spring Lake won the Bridgman Invitational ahead of the host, an honorable mention in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune
Wrestling
Whitehall won its 10th straight Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship, and senior Reilly Brown became the fifth wrestler in event history to win four individual championships – Muskegon Chronicle
Bronson won its first tournament since 2013, earning five victories including 53-20 over Lawton in the final to move to 20-0 this season – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Holly’s win over Warren Fitzgerald was the 600th of coach Don Pluta’s career, which dating as head coach of the program to 1983 – Flint Journal
Springport, No. 7 in Division 4, won the Lakeshore Super Duals ahead of a field that included Division 2 No. 5 Eaton Rapids and No. 8 Niles – Niles Daily Star
Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.
Girls Basketball
Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal
DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal
St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Basketball
Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal
Ice Hockey
Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News
Wrestling
Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit
Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram
Good Reads
Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News