Today in the MHSAA: 4/19/17

April 19, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We fully support multi-sport athletes, and check out our track & field headlines today for a notable multi-sport performance helping two teams during the same day.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Baseball

Division 4 No. 9 Concord and Division 3 No. 8 Jonesville split a highlight-filled doubleheader; Jonesville won the first game 4-1 with 15 strikeouts by pitcher Chad Sommers, and Concord won the second 5-4 on a walk-off single – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Onekama’s sweep of Suttons Bay included the 400th coaching win for Portagers leader John Neph – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Lacrosse

Rockford – No. 3 in Division 1 – got past Division 2 top-ranked East Grand Rapids 8-7 in a matchup of top teams from the Grand Rapids area and statewide – Grand Rapids Press

Softball

Richland Gull Lake swept Portage Northern 5-1, 18-10, after Northern had started the season 8-0 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Frankenmuth improved to 10-0 with a sweep of North Branch that included a five-run comeback in the second game – Saginaw News

Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Richmond swept Croswell-Lexington, winning the first game 1-0 – Port Huron Times Herald

Track & Field

Hartland downed Pinckney 73-63 in part because of a hurdles win by freshman Ashlyn Shudick, who took time out mid-meet to score a goal for the junior varsity soccer team in its game one field over – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Marquette’s teams swept the boys and girls titles at the Superior Dome Classic over some of the other larger schools in the Upper Peninsula – Marquette Mining Journal

Kermit's Baton (Birmingham Eccentric)

March 6, 2012

Michigan's track and cross country community mourned the loss two weeks ago of former Birmingham Seaholm coach Kermit Ambrose, who died after a full 101 years including many putting a heavy stamp on the high school running scene.

Of course, Ambrose's influence stretched far outside high school as well. Marty Budner fills us in on the details in the story linked below, and then paints a fabulous picture of a former coach who affected thousands during more than a century.

It's not only the wins and losses — of which Kermit had many more of the former, but it's also the relationships developed and lessons learned. Many coaches will tell you the best part of their job is helping to teach life lessons and striving to make an impact along the way.

Kermit Ambrose was that kind of teacher.

Read more:

Ambrose: Friend, mentor to all

Ambrose makes an awesome run through life (column)