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: 5/9/16
May 9, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend was a major one for tournament events statewide as close finishes and falling records were seen on both sides of the bridge.
Baseball
Montague downed reigning Division 4 champion Muskegon Catholic Central 8-2 to win the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association’s Tier 2 championship – Muskegon Chronicle
From Thursday, Blissfield earned longtime coach Larry Tuttle his 1,200th win; he’s second on the MHSAA record list by just a handful of victories – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Golf
Grand Haven won its inaugural invitational at Grand Haven Golf Course with a 326, seven strokes ahead of Spring Lake – Grand Haven Tribune
Boys Lacrosse
Also from Thursday, Lake Orion, coming off records of 7-12 in 2014 and 5-14 in 2015, clinched the Oakland Activities Association Red championship with a double-overtime win over Bloomfield Hills – Oakland Press
Softball
Hudson’s Lauren Valdez struck out 18 batters in throwing a no-hitter against Petersburg-Summerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram
Girls Tennis
North Muskegon won five flights including all four doubles in claiming the title at the annual Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament – Muskegon Chronicle
Track & Field
The Utica Ford boys just edged Troy to win Sterling Heights’ Harold Arft Invitational, while Grosse Pointe South won the girls meet by nearly 15 points – Macomb Daily
The Sanford Meridian boys cleared Harrison by 5.5 points to win the 32nd Nite Trax Invitational, while Gaylord’s girls won by six over Remus Chippewa Hills – Midland Daily News
Petoskey’s Isabel Anderson should be a contender for an MHSAA Finals championship after besting her previous school record high jump of 5-foot-6 at the Ken Bell meet in Traverse City – Petoskey News
Harbor Springs’ Caylin Bonser broke her school’s discus record with a toss of 135-7 during Friday’s Lake City Invitational – Petoskey News
Pickford’s boys just got past Newberry 142-141 to win the St. Ignace Invitational, while the host Saints girls won their meet comfortably by 24.5 points – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News