Today in the MHSAA: 5/26/16

May 26, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Track & field league meets, golf Districts and lacrosse Regionals – and the wild ending to the Saginaw Valley League baseball title race – led a highlight-filled night of statewide high school action as the holiday weekend approaches.

Baseball

The Saginaw Valley League title hung on the continuation of a tie game between Division 1 top-10 teams Mount Pleasant and Bay City Western; the game started back up in the seventh inning, and three innings later Western had its fifth straight league title – Bay City Times

Boys Golf

Three Clarkston players broke 80 as the Wolves shot a 315 to win their Division 1 District at Twin Pines in Oakland Hills – Oakland Press

All four scorers broke 80 as Jackson Lumen Christi shot its season low, 305, to dominate its Division 3 District at Calderone Golf Club – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Girls Lacrosse

Reigning champion East Grand Rapids handed Grand Rapids Christian only its second loss in advancing in their Division 2 Regional – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Soccer

Paw Paw remained undefeated at 16-0-1 with a 2-1 edging of Mattawan – Kalamazoo Gazette

Utica Eisenhower finished its regular season a perfect 18-0 with a 2-0 win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay – Macomb Daily

Track & Field

Four girls surpassed the former record in the 1,600 to highlight the most impressive performances at the 38th West Michigan Invitational – Muskegon Chronicle

Traverse City Central’s boys won their eighth straight Big North Conference championship, clearing rival West by 20 points – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Livonia Ladywood won its first league title since 1996, nearly doubling runner-up Wixom St. Catherine in the Detroit Catholic League C-D – Detroit News

Three-sport standout Clayborn Allen was among champions for Detroit Loyola, which won the boys Catholic League C-D title despite having only 11 on its team – Detroit News

Flint Carman-Ainsworth’s boys continued their dominant run with a fourth straight Saginaw Valley League title, winning by 55 points – Flint Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.

Girls Basketball

Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal

DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal

St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Boys Basketball

Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal

Ice Hockey

Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Swimming & Diving

Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News

Wrestling

Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Football

Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Reads

Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News