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: 2/19/20

February 19, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A pair of championship celebrations long in the making top one of our fullest lists of headliners this season as league titles were clinched in three sports and star performances shined on the court, ice and hill – not to mention the winningest baseball coach in state history announced his retirement.

1. Boys Basketball: Ravenna downed Muskegon Oakridge 70-36 to earn a share of its first West Michigan Conference title since 1980 – Local Sports Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Lake City clinched a share of the Highland Conference title, its first league championship since 2001, with a 36-26 win over second-place Manton – Cadillac News

3. Boys Basketball: Howell claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with a 75-71 triple-overtime win over Canton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Girls Basketball: Hartland avenged its lone loss and moved into first alone in the KLAA West with a 36-33 win over Brighton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 3 No. 6 Houghton downed top-ranked Calumet for the first time this season, 3-2 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

6. Skiing: Petoskey’s boys and Traverse City Central’s girls clinched Big North Conference championships – Petoskey News-Review

7. Girls Basketball: Ubly earned a share of the Greater Thumb Conference East title with a 42-31 win over Sandusky – Huron Daily Tribune

8. Girls Basketball: Adrian Madison locked up a share of the Tri-County Conference title with a 49-23 win over Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. Girls Basketball: Kingsley moved into a tie for first in the Northwest Conference with a 50-38 win over co-leader Maple City Glen Lake – MI Sports Now

10. Boys Basketball: East Lansing downed Okemos 45-43 on a last-second shot, putting the teams in a tie for first in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue – Lansing State Journal

Also of note …

Baseball: Grand Ledge coach Pat O’Keefe, the state’s winningest all-time in the sport with 1,315 victories, retired – Lansing State Journal

Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids finished a repeat run in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold with a 63-59 win over Grand Rapids Christian – FOX 17

Boys Basketball: Ann Arbor Huron earned the Southeastern Conference Red title with a 57-48 win over Saline – Ann Arbor News

Boys Basketball: Muskegon earned a share of a seventh-straight league title, downing Jenison 86-47 in the O-K Black – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball: Emoni Bates had 63 points and 21 rebounds to lead Ypsilanti Lincoln past Chelsea 108-102 in double overtime – Ann Arbor News

Boys Basketball: Shamar Howard went over 1,000 career points in Lansing Everett’s 57-55 win over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal

Boys Basketball: Brett LaFord went over 1,000 career points in Carney-Nadeau’s 62-56 win over Bark River-Harris – Escanaba Daily Press