Today in the MHSAA: 4/29/19

April 29, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Power-packed matchups in golf and tennis highlighted action from the final weekend of April, with close finishes separating champions from the rest at three events topping today’s list.

1. Boys Golf: Rockford – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – shot a 302 to edge Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern by two strokes and win the Bedford Valley Open – Midland Daily News

2. Girls Tennis: LPD1 No. 7 Midland Dow edged No. 4 Northville by two points to win the eight-team Ann Arbor Huron Invitational – Midland Daily News

3. Boys Golf: LPD2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids repeated as Traverse City Tee-Off champion, shooting a two-day 680 to edge Brighton by a stroke – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Softball: Division 1 No. 3 Bay City Western and Division 3 No. 3 Sanford Meridian split a pair of one-run games – Midland Daily News

5. Track & Field: Battle Creek Lakeview swept the All-City meet championships – Battle Creek Enquirer

6. Girls Lacrosse: Elena Salazar had seven goals and an assist to lead Hartland past Brighton 16-8; the teams were ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, entering the week – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. Girls soccer: No. 6 Midland tied No. 10 Rochester Adams 0-0 in a matchup of ranked teams in Division 1 – Midland Daily News

8. Track & Field: Olivet swept the Union City Invitational championships, the Division 2 top-ranked boys by just 26 points ahead of Marshall – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. Baseball: Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Country Day swept Division 1 No. 19 Bay City Western, with Aaron Dolney throwing a no-hitter in the opener – Midland Daily News

10. Softball: Division 3 No. 10 Gladstone improved to 13-1 with Traverse City St. Francis Invitational wins over Charlevoix, Kalkaska and Oscoda – Escanaba Daily Press

From High School to Olympic Swimming

July 11, 2012

Fans of U.S. Swimming already have plenty of reasons to cheer for Missy Franklin later this month at the Summer Olympics -- she's only 17, but qualified to compete in a U.S. women's all-time best seven events.

But fans of high school sports and what they provide athletes at all levels of ability can also support her for how she's chosen to compete when she's not racing against the best in the world.

Franklin, who lives in Colorado, has continued to swim for her high school team despite the financial rewards she could've earned by taking the elite swimmer's usual path of going pro.

A ton has been written about Franklin lately, for obvious reasons. Below is a link to a New York Times story from February that focused on her continued dedication to her high school team.

Before the Olympic Trials, There’s This Big High School Meet (New York Times)