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: 10/30/18

October 30, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Girls Volleyball Districts began Monday with 141 matches across the state, filling today’s list of achievers.

1. Volleyball: After the teams split during the regular season, No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis downed Elk Rapids in a Division 3 District opener – WPBN

2. Volleyball: Ann Arbor Skyline came back from a two-set deficit to win a Division 1 District opener – Saline Post

3. Volleyball: Lake City came back from losing the first set to down McBain in four in Division 3 – Cadillac News

4. Volleyball: No. 4 Lowell improved to 37-3-2 with a sweep of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in Division 1 – FOX 17

5. Volleyball: Niles Brandywine improved to 44-5 with a sweep of Watervliet in Division 3 – South Bend Tribune

6. Volleyball: Manistique swept Bark River-Harris to open the week with a Division 3 victory – Escanaba Daily Press

7. Volleyball: Sanford Meridian and Harrison traded sets, with Meridian coming out with a 3-2 win in Division 3 – Midland Daily News

8. Volleyball: No. 7 Rockford also earned a Division 1 sweep, over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – FOX 17

9. Volleyball: Bay City Western downed rival Bay City Central in a Division 1 sweep – Bay City Times

10. Volleyball: Honorable mention Adrian Madison advanced in Division 3 with a sweep of Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Volleyball: From Saturday, Division 4 No. 5 Camden-Frontier upset No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip to claim the Southern Central Athletic Association tournament title; the two have since traded spots in this week’s final poll – Hillsdale Daily News