Today in the MHSAA: 2/28/17

February 28, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Michigan high school skiing season came to an end Monday with three repeat champions and a first-time title-winner, while girls basketball and hockey tournaments kicked off and a 2016 champion was eliminated on the first night.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state. 

Girls Basketball

Caledonia upset host East Grand Rapids 53-50 in a Class A District opener – Grand Rapids Press

Saginaw Swan Valley earned an impressive win in Class B, downing host Birch Run 43-28 – Saginaw News

Kalamazoo Hackett got past rival Kalamazoo Christian 44-33 in Class C by scoring the game’s final 12 points – Kalamazoo Gazette

Gladwin’s Carly Hickey made the MHSAA record book grabbing 26 rebounds in her team’s 58-49 Class B win over Pinconning – Bay City Times

Pinckney earned its first District win in 12 years, upsetting Saline 40-31 in Class A – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Hockey

In a matchup of top Division 3 teams, No. 3 Calumet eliminated reigning MHSAA champion and No. 4-ranked Hancock 2-1 in a Pre-Regional – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Skiing

Marquette’s boys won their fifth straight Division 1 championship, this time at Nub’s Nob – Second Half

Marquette’s girls also were repeat champions in Division 1 – Second Half

Petoskey’s boys extended their Division 2 championship streak to seven straight – Second Half

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central’s girls won their first MHSAA title, in Division 2 at Boyne Highlands – Second Half

Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun