Today in the MHSAA: 1/7/19
January 7, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
The first weekend of 2019 saw statewide powers meet in gymnastics, wrestling, swimming & diving, hockey and basketball, with the following 10 just a sample of headlining action from across the state.
1. Gymnastics: Reigning MHSAA team champion Farmington United edged host Rockford to win the Rams’ annual Flip Flop Invitational – Coldwater Daily Reporter
2. Wrestling: Reigning Division 1 champ and top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central took first, and 2018 Division 1 runner-up and current No. 2 Brighton was second at the 55th Annual Catholic Central Wrestling Invitational – Oakland Press
3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Saline, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, edged LPD2 top-ranked Dexter to win the Battle Creek Lakeview Spartan Invitational – Chelsea Sun Times News
4. Hockey: Division 3 No. 5 Calumet scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period to get past Division 1 No. 5 Brighton 2-1 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
5. Hockey: Division 2 No. 4 Livonia Stevenson improved to 10-1-1 with a 5-1 win over Division 1 No. 3 Salem – Observer & Eccentric
6. Girls Basketball: Greenville’s Adele Kemp broke her school’s career scoring record with 35 more points in a 48-41 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – Grand Rapids Press
7. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 6 Gaylord improved to 14-0 with wins over Croswell-Lexington, formerly Division 1-ranked Grand Ledge and Hudsonville, Division 3 No. 10 Lake Odessa Lakewood and Portland at Grand Ledge’s invitational – Gaylord Herald Times
8. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 2 New Lothrop took first among 26 teams at its Hall of Fame Tournament – Owosso Argus-Press
9. Hockey: Division 3 No. 12 Midland Dow defeated No. 14 Sault Ste. Marie and then No. 8 Alpena to go 2-0 at the Sault Lions Cup Invitational – Midland Daily News
10. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King edged Kalamazoo Central 45-43 in a thriller at the Muskegon Basketball Showcase – FOX 17
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)