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: 1/13/20

January 13, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A pair of basketball buzzer beaters, an overtime game-winning hockey goal and a first-time achievement in gymnastics were among weekend headliners, topped by a titanic matchup in cheer.

1. Competitive Cheer: Two-time reigning Division 2 Finals runner-up Allen Park outpaced Dearborn Divine Child (fourth in 2019) to win the Division 2 and overall championships at its home invitational – Southgate News-Herald

2. Hockey: Division 1 No. 8 Holland West Ottawa got past Division 3 No. 5 Grand Rapids Catholic Central 3-2 in overtime – FOX 17

3. Gymnastics: Escanaba defeated Marquette and Negaunee and broke 120 points for the fourth time to qualify for Regional competition for the first time – Escanaba Daily Press

4. Girls Bowling: Coldwater defeated Macomb Dakota in the final of the Battle of the Baker – Coldwater Daily Reporter

5. Girls Basketball: Saline won a matchup of unbeaten teams, 40-18 over Dexter – Saline Post

6. Boys Basketball: E.J. Bowman’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer carried Waterford Mott past Grand Blanc 60-57 – State Champs Sports Network

7. Hockey: Traverse Bay Reps beat Macomb Dakota and Davison during the North/South Showcase – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Boys Basketball: Centreville also was victorious on a last-second 3-pointer, as Dustin Schwenk sank the game-winning shot in a 68-67 overtime win over Marcellus – Sturgis Journal

9. Wrestling: Chelsea defeated Fowlerville, Riverview, Michigan Center, Allen Park and Melvindale to win its home invitational – Chelsea Sun Times News

10. Wrestling: Kingsley took a major step as a program with a championship at the Grayling Team Tournament – Traverse City Record-Eagle