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: 2/25/16

February 25, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

There’s a group of athletes in Michigan welcoming the snow storm sweeping the Lower Peninsula over the last 24 hours – skiers competing for league championships who have been some of the few in action over the last two days.

Boys Basketball

Ludington earned one of its most impressive victories this season, pushing through overtime to get past Muskegon Heights Academy 61-57 – Muskegon Chronicle

Warren DeLaSalle came back from three points down with 34 seconds to play to edge Detroit Loyola 53-52 in a Detroit Catholic League A-B semifinal – Detroit News

Skiing

The Elk Rapids/Traverse City St. Francis boys and Harbor Springs girls won Lake Michigan Conference championships at Boyne Highlands – Traverse City Record-Eagle

From Tuesday, The Bloomfield Hills Marian girls and Rochester Adams boys got a final tune up for Monday’s Finals by winning the Southeast Michigan Ski League meets at Mt. Holly – Oakland Press

Football

One of the winningest football coaches in MHSAA history will be back this fall – former Utica Eisenhower leader Bob Lantzy is taking over at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Oakland Press

Good Reads

A group of seniors who have gone to school together since kindergarten are in position to lead Gobles to its third straight perfect basketball regular season – Kalamazoo Gazette

When losing basketball became the ultimatum for Grand Rapids Wellspring’s DonKiece George, he became the student now putting up a 3.4 grade-point average and staying out of the principal’s office – Grand Rapids Press