Today in the MHSAA: 2/17/16

February 17, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’re officially two weeks from our MHSAA version of “March Madness,” as basketball teams make final pushes to ready for the tournament while collecting regular-season hardware and memories along the way.

Girls Basketball

Saugatuck’s Kiri Tiemeyer had a triple-double with 31 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocked shots, and her team needed all of it in avenging a previous loss to Hartford, 53-47 – Holland Sentinel

Class D contender Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart held on to edge Morley Stanwood 45-40 – Big Rapids News

From Monday, Niles Brandywine is surging, following up handing Stevensville Lakeshore its first loss last week by giving St. Joseph only its second defeat of the winter, 52-47 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Also from Monday, Skyline Central Conference East leader Munising handed West co-leader Bark River-Harris the latter’s first loss this season, 43-31 – Marquette Mining Journal

Boys Basketball

East Lansing remained undefeated and claimed the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title with a 64-54 win over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal

Rochester Hills Stoney Creek needed nearly all of overtime to get past Lake Orion 62-61 and clinch a share of the Oakland Activities Association Blue title – Oakland Press

Kalamazoo Central won a matchup of the top two teams in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East, clinching the league title with a 55-32 win over second-place Battle Creek Central – Battle Creek Enquirer

Shae Somers went over 1,000 points for his career, becoming the sixth Elk Rapids player to do so, while leading his team to a 60-47 win over Harbor Springs – Traverse City Record-Eagle

From High School to Olympic Swimming

July 11, 2012

Fans of U.S. Swimming already have plenty of reasons to cheer for Missy Franklin later this month at the Summer Olympics -- she's only 17, but qualified to compete in a U.S. women's all-time best seven events.

But fans of high school sports and what they provide athletes at all levels of ability can also support her for how she's chosen to compete when she's not racing against the best in the world.

Franklin, who lives in Colorado, has continued to swim for her high school team despite the financial rewards she could've earned by taking the elite swimmer's usual path of going pro.

A ton has been written about Franklin lately, for obvious reasons. Below is a link to a New York Times story from February that focused on her continued dedication to her high school team.

Before the Olympic Trials, There’s This Big High School Meet (New York Times)