Today in the MHSAA: 5/6/19

May 6, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Special for Second Half

Finishes both close and historic highlighted the first weekend of May as top teams navigated the rain in many places in kicking off the final month of the regular season.

1. Softball: Grace Lehto nearly threw a perfect game as Division 2 No. 3 Eaton Rapids edged Division 3 top-ranked Millington to win the “marquee matchup” of the MI Stars Tournament – State Champs Sports Network 

2. Boys Golf: By way of a fifth-golfer tie-breaker, Gaylord – No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – edged LPD1 No. 6 Grosse Pointe South to win its invitational with a near-school record score – Gaylord Herald Times

3. Track & Field: Zeeland West’s boys won their 12th-straight Holland West Ottawa Von Ins Relays, while Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 6 Grand Haven and No. 7 West Ottawa’s girls shared their meet championship – Holland Sentinel

4. Boys Golf: Nathan Taylor finished as medalist to lead Muskegon Mona Shores to the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship, 30 years after his father won the same tournament – Muskegon Chronicle

5. Track & Field: The Muskegon Reeths-Puffer girls won their 10th straight GMAA title, and the Fruitport boys won their sixth straight – Local Sports Journal

6. Softball: Division 3 No. 7 Standish-Sterling edged No. 3 Sanford Meridian 5-4 to win Meridian’s invitational – Midland Daily News

7. Softball: Division 2 No. 4 Stevensville Lakeshore defeated Schoolcraft in the final to win its invitational for the first time – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Boys Golf: Troy edged Rochester by 12 strokes to win the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press

9. Softball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer and Division 2 No. 5 Oakridge both won their fourth straight GMAA softball titles – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Track & Field: A total of 61 teams including a number of the best from multiple divisions participated at the Triangle Invitational at Saline – Athletic.net

Today in the MHSAA: 6/10/19

June 10, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Baseball, softball and girls soccer teams earned trips to the final week of the season this past weekend, with baseball teams clinching spots in the MHSAA Semifinals with first-ever Super Regional championships.

1. Baseball: No. 2 Portage Northern earned a Division 1 Super Regional title with a nine-inning win over No. 18 Grand Ledge followed by a 7-3 victory over top-ranked Brownstown Woodhaven – JoeInsider.com

2. Softball: Top-ranked and reigning champion Escanaba will return to the final week thanks to a 1-0 nine-inning win over No. 5 Muskegon Oakridge in Division 2 – Muskegon Chronicle

3. Girls Soccer: No. 9 Marshall got past No. 4 Richland Gull Lake in a shootout, taking penalty kicks 6-5 for a 2-1 win – JoeInsider.com

4. Softball: No. 4 Rogers City shut out No. 3 Onaway 7-0 to claim its fourth straight Division 4 Regional title – Alpena News

5. Girls Soccer: No. 7 Essexville Garber earned its first Regional title in this sport with a win over Williamston – Bay City Times

6. Softball: No. 6 Warren Regina pushed the winning run across in the eighth inning to down honorable mention Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 5-4 and clinch a Division 2 Regional title – C&G Newspapers

7. Softball: Hudson defeated Sand Creek 4-1 in Division 4 to claim its first Regional title in this sport – Adrian Daily Telegram

8. Softball: With a pair of shutouts by pitcher Molly Carney, No. 3 Howell got past honorable mention St. Joseph and No. 9 Richland Gull Lake to win a Division 1 Regional – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

9. Softball: Freeland earned its first Regional title since 2005 with wins over Alma and Frankenmuth – Midland Daily News

10. Baseball: Macomb Dakota avenged three regular-season losses to reigning Division 1 champion Grosse Pointe South with an 11-3 win in a Super Regional Final – Macomb Daily