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

Thanks, Mr. Woodley (Saginaw News)

August 24, 2012

LaMarr Woodley was a football star at Saginaw High long before he went on to the University of Michigan and now the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He's given students in his hometown the same opportunity for accomplishment without the cost they would've otherwise incurred this school year.

Students at Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill plus the districts junior highs and middle schools were facing a $75 participation fee until Woodley stepped in earlier this month with a $60,000 donation.

Hugh Bernreuter has covered the majority of Woodley's career, and tells this story.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley pays participation fees for Saginaw Public Schools student-athletes (Saginaw News)