Today in the MHSAA: 2/8/16
February 8, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The weekend provided previews of MHSAA championship contenders in gymnastics, cheer and hockey, and also basketball with a matchup of two girls teams that could come away from this winter with titles and the reigning Class D boys champ shining again.
Girl Basketball
A last-second 3-pointer by Lauryn Carroll gave Ypsilanti Arbor Prep a 50-47 win over previously-undefeated Bay City John Glenn, considered arguably the top team in the state regardless of class – Bay City Times
Detroit Country Day edged Southfield-Lathrup 56-52 in a matchup of contenders in Class B and A, respectively – Oakland Press
Mona Shores locked down the usually-potent offense of rival Muskegon in defeating the Big Reds 55-34 – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball
Reigning Class D champion Powers North Central remained undefeated by handing a first loss to Crystal Falls Forest Park, 68-54 – Escanaba Daily Press
Southfield Christian just edged Belleville 70-69 for its 12th straight win – MLive-Detroit
Competitive Cheer
Reigning Division 1 champion Rochester finished ahead of a strong field to clinch the Oakland Activities Association Red championship – Oakland Press
Gymnastics
Rockford/Sparta, the reigning MHSAA champion, showed it’s the team to beat again this winter by claiming the championship at the prestigious Canton Invitational. Howell finished second and Farmington third – Canton Athletics
Hockey
The Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Showcase pitted many of the state’s top teams with some of the key results a 3-0 win by Division 2 No. 3 Livonia Stevenson over Division 3 No. 1 Grand Rapids Catholic Central and 4-3 by unranked Houghton over Division 1 No. 3 Detroit U-D Jesuit – MIHL
Swimming & Diving
Warren DeLaSalle’s boys won their fourth straight Macomb County Invitational, finishing more than 300 points ahead of the field – Macomb Daily
Wrestling
Springport won its seventh straight Big 8 Conference championship, setting a league record in dominating its competition this time – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Allegan won its 12th straight Wolverine Conference title, finishing far ahead of the field and with three individual champions – Kalamazoo Gazette
Niles finished its championship run in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Good Read
Former opponents no doubt remember facing Marshall basketball standout Kari Searles on the court; many who supported her as a player supported her again Friday with a donation toward her care as she fights lung cancer – Battle Creek Enquirer
Today in the MHSAA: 2/1/16
February 1, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Incredible numbers in girls basketball and boys swimming and a matchup of undefeated rivals led the weekend’s headlines across Michigan.
Girls Basketball
Southfield-Lathrup doubled up Southfield in the final regular-season matchup between the rivals – the schools are scheduled to merge next year – Oakland Press
Grand Rapids South Christian made 11 3-pointers to stay undefeated and hand the first loss this season to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 70-50 – Grand Rapids Press
Benton Harbor’s Kysre Gondrezick continues to climb the MHSAA career scoring list and moved past St. Joseph’s Kim Knuth for seventh place with 39 against Niles to give her 2,460 points – St. Joseph Herald Palladium
Competitive Cheer
Portage Central, Plainwell, host Otsego and Delton Kellogg won division titles at the Bulldog Invitational with Plainwell putting up the top score overall – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Midland Dow won its 14th Tri-Cities Swim Invitational title, and Nehemiah Mork broke multiple meet records including one set in 1982 – Saginaw News
Wrestling
Six of the 14 champions at the Lenawee County All-Star Tournament came from Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram
Battle Creek Lakeview won the Bill Evans Memorial Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 4 No. 7 Bronson – Battle Creek Enquirer
Macomb teams dominated the Macomb-Oakland County Challenge, led by undefeated Richmond – Macomb Daily
Unranked Niles won its fourth straight Greater Berrien County Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 2 No. 10 Stevensville Lakeshore – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Good Reads
Fans of all schools will be rooting for Howell coach Ken Richards, who remains the school’s freshman boys basketball coach after being given a 50-50 chance of surviving cancer this past football season – Livingston Daily
Mount Pleasant is mourning the death of longtime coach Jim Powell, who guided more than 4,000 athletes during a 60-year career – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun