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: 4/27/16
April 27, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A southwest Michigan pitcher threw a second straight no-hitter Tuesday, but balls were flying out of the park in that corner of the state’s softball diamonds.
Baseball
Morley Stanwood came back from six runs down to beat Holton and stay atop its division in the Central State Activities Association – Big Rapids News
Maple City Glen Lake improved to 11-1 with a sweep of Frankfort including a walk-off bunt in the second game – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Coldwater’s Nick Shaw threw his second straight no-hitter, this time against Parma Western – Coldwater Daily News
Zeeland East’s Ben Martin struck out nine in a five-inning no-hitter against Muskegon – Holland Sentinel
Softball
Utica Eisenhower handed Utica Ford its first loss this season in a bit of a surprise given last year's results – Macomb Daily
Three Rivers won the first game 15-5 and Sturgis the second 18-11, and together they hit nine home runs over the doubleheader – Sturgis Journal
Stevensville Lakeshore and St. Joseph combined for three grand slams during their doubleheader – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
From Saturday, Escanaba’s Katie Ross threw a no-hitter to beat Norway in the title game of the inaugural Yooper Tournament at Gladstone – Iron Mountain Daily News
Track & Field
The Cadillac girls picked up two more Big North Conference wins over Traverse City West and Gaylord after beating Traverse City Central last week for the first time in program history – Cadillac News
Grand Haven freshman Gabby Hentemann is quickly making a name for herself after adding her school’s freshman records in the 1,600 and 800 to her previous 3,200 record in a loss to Hudsonville; all three times are second-fastest in school history regardless of class – Grand Haven Tribune