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: 4/10/19

April 10, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A perfect softball pitching performance leads off today’s list of Tuesday’s top achievers that also includes highlights from baseball, boys lacrosse, boys golf and girls soccer.

1. Softball: Gabbie Sherman tossed a perfect game to kick off Division 3 No. 2 Millington’s doubleheader sweep of Division 2 honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley – Saginaw News

2. Baseball: Division 3 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett earned a pair of shutout wins over No. 16 Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Detroit News

3. Softball: Traverse City West won its opener 7-3 over Division 4 No. 7 Frankfort, and was up 8-0 in the second game before it was called after three innings – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Boys Lacrosse: Traverse City St. Francis edged Petoskey 5-4 – WPBN

5. Girls Soccer: McKenzie Swarts scored four goals in Muskegon Oakridge’s big win over Mason County Central – Local Sports Journal

6. Softball: Mackenzie Noah had a combined 29 strikeouts over two games as Division 3 No. 6 Allen Park Cabrini swept Riverview Gabriel Richard – Southgate News-Herald

7. Baseball: Nico Maloney’s 2-0 shutout win led off Division 3 No. 2 Riverview Gabriel Richard’s doubleheader sweep of Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard – Southgate News-Herald

8. Boys Golf: Aaron Fauser shot a 38 to lead Clinton to the win in the opening Tri-County Conference jamboree – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. Baseball: Farmington scored eight runs, but Division 1 No. 11 Rochester put up 16 – Oakland Press

10. Girls Soccer: Gaylord improved to 3-0 with a 4-1 win over Harbor Springs – Gaylord Herald Times

Also of note …

Baseball: From Monday, Division 3 No. 4 New Lothrop swept Montrose, along the way earning coach Ben Almasy his 500th career win – Flint Journal

Baseball: From Monday, No. 13 Brighton defeated No. 5 Howell 14-3 in a matchup of top Division 1 teams – Livingston Daily Press & Argus