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: 9/4/15

September 4, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The combination of early football and thunderous storms made for a light schedule of other sports Thursday. But here are some of the notable headlines we unearthed – and remember to check back Monday for a full recap of football's Week 2.

Cross Country

The Croswell-Lexington girls won their second invitational, this time at Port Huron and led again by now two-time individual champ Rachel Bonner, while the boys team also was victorious – Port Huron Times-Herald

The Rochester Adams girls and boys teams swept the Cicciarelli Invitational – but the jewel of this report is the story of how Brighton runner Chip Osborne quit his race while running third to assist another runner who had collapsed because of dehydration – Oakland Press

Boys Soccer

From Wednesday, Midland Bullock Creek ended a two-year winless streak by beating Pinconning 2-0 – Midland Daily News

Boys Tennis

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central is the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion and Portage Central tied for third last season, but Portage Central won their match 6-2 on Thursday – Grand Rapids Press

Good Read

A pair of Livingston County communities are mourning the death of longtime coach Lee Smith, who died Thursday at 80 but coached at Hartland and then Brighton until he was 76 – Livingston Daily