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
Linked Up: 11/15/11
November 15, 2011
We're heading into the final two weeks of the MHSAA fall season, which means playoffs for a few more sports, first practices for many others, and some catch-up on good stories that have made their way into my e-mail or onto my desk. Here are five more I've run across this week.
And again, if you see something high school sports-related that you think others would find valuable, send me a link at [email protected].
Walled Lake Central's Zac Leimbach stands strong after father's death (Detroit Free Press)
Walled Lake Central quarterback Zac Leimbach led his team to the playoffs this fall (WLC lost last weekend). He also is the oldest of three sons and now the man of his house in the wake of the summer death of their father after a battle with cancer. Mick McCabe's passage about Leimbach's final conversation with his father really struck me -- incredible.
Being in the pool makes Zeeland swimmer Becky Taylor feel like equal (Holland Sentinel)
Taylor was born with spina bifida -- "a hole in her back" -- and paralysis from the hips down. But she can leave her wheelchair behind when she takes to the pool as a member of the Zeeland swim team. Dan D'Addona tells us this inspiring story that has made waves on the west side of the state this season.
Mercy's Maddy Doyle takes home Miss Volleyball award (Oakland Press)
Doyle was the spokesperson for her team to the media after tough losses ended their last two seasons. But she was able to stand in once more -- joyfully tearful this time -- in accepting the Miss Volleyball award for 2011. Matthew B. Mowery wraps up her great career.
East Grand Rapids' win over Holland was the Pioneers' 28th straight in postseason play. That's a story unto itself, of course. But another big one for West Michigan high school sports fans was the return of the Press' Jane Bos, who is back in the press box after nearly a year working through medical issues. This is her return column, and I'm sure a loyal reader base is thankful to have her back.
From a standout player, a different sort of care basket (Los Angeles Times)
This is a little old, but came back into the light this week with the start of college basketball season. It's a college story, but also a high school story, of a star hoops player who won $40,000 in scholarship money in a free-throw shooting contest -- and then gave it to the seven runners-up. You'll probably hear about Cal State-Northridge's Allan Guei at some point over the next few years. Here's why.