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: 2/26/19

February 26, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Four Skiing Finals champions were crowned Monday – see coverage under “Latest Posts” to the right – as Hockey Regionals and Boys Basketball Districts also got underway and made significant opening-night headlines.

1. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King came back from a 12-point deficit to defeat rival Cass Tech 55-51 in double overtime – Detroit News

2. Boys Basketball: Rochester Adams downed two-time reigning Class A champion Clarkston 38-37 also in Division 1 – State Champs!

3. Hockey: No. 5 Rochester United opened the postseason with a 3-0 win over No. 12 Utica Eisenhower – Macomb Daily

4. Boys Basketball: After sharing the Saginaw Valley League Blue title with Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Grand Blanc eliminated the Cavaliers with a 40-39 win in Division 1 – WJRT

5. Hockey: Big Rapids avenged a 3-0 loss three days earlier to Midland Dow by defeating the No. 13 Chargers 6-2 in a Division 3 Regional opener – Big Rapids News

6. Boys Basketball: In a Division 3 matchup of teams entering with a combined 39-1 record, Iron Mountain remained unbeaten with an 87-38 win over Ironwood – Iron Mountain Daily News

7. Boys Basketball: Mattawan also remains undefeated after a 34-31 win over Kalamazoo Central in Division 1 – FOX 17

8. Boys Basketball: Flint Kearsley earned its first District win since 1999, downing Flint Southwestern 78-54 in Division 1 – Flint Journal

9. Boys Basketball: Brighton earned its first District win in a decade, 69-51 over Dexter in Division 1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. Boys Basketball: Blissfield upset Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 77-74 in overtime in Division 3 – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Autumn Rasner scored 33 points and went over 1,000 for her career in Stephenson’s big win over Rapid River – Escanaba Daily Press