Today in the MHSAA: 3/14/16

March 14, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Gymnastics, Hockey and Boys Swimming and Diving seasons closed this weekend with seven team and multiple individual champions honored, and the boys basketball postseason finished its first week with a number of communities celebrating for the first time in a long time.

Boys Basketball

Battle Creek Central claimed its first District title since 2008, downing Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in a Class A Final – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lowell claimed its first District title since 1984 with a Class A win – Grand Rapids Press

Dylan Carl went over 1,000 points for his career as Alma downed Ovid-Elsie in a Class B Final – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Kingsford upset Great Northern Conference champion Menominee to claim a Class B title – Iron Mountain Daily News

In Class C, Hanover-Horton won its 15th straight District championship – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ishpeming Westwood pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, downing rival Ishpeming in a Class C Final – Marquette Mining Journal

Niles Brandywine earned its first District title since 2001 with a Class C win – Niles Daily Star

Rock Mid-Peninsula claimed its first District title in two decades with a Class D victory – Escanaba Daily Press

Pickford also picked up a first District title in decades, beating Brimley to win for the first time since 1992 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Gymnastics

Despite losing senior standout Madi Myers to an injury midway through the meet, Rockford/Sparta repeated as MHSAA champion after finishing with a strong rotation on beam – Second Half

Grand Ledge’s Rachel Hogan followed three top-10 finishes to end her high school career as the Division 1 individual champion Saturday – Second Half

Ice Hockey

Detroit Catholic Central extended its Division 1 title streak to three under a third coach – Second Half

Romeo added a hockey championship to its fall football title, winning Division 2 for the first time – Second Half

Hancock won its first MHSAA title since 1999 finishing an impressive run with a Division 3 clincher over Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Second Half

Boys Swimming & Diving

Birmingham Brother Rice claimed its third straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, outracing the field by 77 points – Second Half

Dexter built an early lead and won LP Division 2 for the second time in five seasons – Second Half

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood also won a third straight title, claiming LP Division 3 ahead of East Grand Rapids – Second Half

Today in the MHSAA: 4/26/19

April 26, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A legendary performance from a Saginaw High long jumper topped our list of Thursday’s best performances stretching across five sports.

1. Track & Field: Saginaw High’s Tony Martin continued an incredible long jumping season Thursday by going 26-6, which would break the MHSAA all-Finals record by more than two feet – Saginaw News

2. Boys Lacrosse: Rockford held on for a 10-7 win over East Grand Rapids; Rockford was No. 4 in Division 1 and East Grand Rapids No. 3 in Division 2 entering the week – FOX 17

3. Boys Golf: Plymouth, No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, shot a 294 and No. 7 Hartland a 298 to set the pace at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association preseason tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Track & Field: Annual contenders and neighbors Zeeland East and West met with East winning the girls meet and West the boys by identical scores of 82-55; East’s girls are No. 5 in LPD2 – Holland Sentinel

5. Baseball: Division 1 No. 15 Richland Gull Lake took an impressive sweep of No. 10 Mattawan, 8-5 and 7-0 – Kalamazoo Gazette

6. Baseball: Division 1 No. 11 Garden City continued its strong start with a 1-0 win over Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Country Day – State Champs Sports Network

7. Boys Lacrosse: Clarkston locked down Bloomfield Hills for a 12-7 win; Bloomfield Hills was No. 7 in Division 1 entering the week – Oakland Press

8. Softball: Grand Haven moved to 11-0 with a five-winning win over Division 1 honorable mention Rockford – Grand Haven Tribune

9. Boys Lacrosse: Traverse City United edged Traverse City St. Francis 6-5 – WPBN

10. Baseball: Division 1 No. 19 Bay City Western swept Mount Pleasant 4-0 and 7-2 – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Track & Field: From Wednesday, the Ishpeming boys and St. Ignace girls won the Division 2 Superior Dome Invitational, the Hematites for the fifth straight season – Marquette Mining Journal