Today in the MHSAA: 5/8/19

May 8, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Three more league champions were crowned Tuesday, topped by a boys lacrosse team that could be picking up just the first of multiple titles this spring.

1. Boys Lacrosse: Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central locked up a league title with a 16-8 win over Division 1 No. 3 Rockford – FOX 17

2. Girls Tennis: Holland Christian, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, locked up the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green regular-season title with a 6-2 win over former co-leader Byron Center – Holland Sentinel

3. Girls Soccer: Lake Orion earned a share of the Oakland Activities Association Blue title with a 1-1 draw with Birmingham Groves – Oakland Press

4. Baseball: Division 1 No. 11 Rockford edged No. 17 Grand Haven 3-1 and 2-1 in league play – Grand Haven Tribune

5. Baseball: Bay City Western earned an impressive sweep, 3-0 and 6-3, over Division 2 No. 6 Saginaw Swan Valley – Midland Daily News

6. Baseball: Alec Azar was among stars as Division 3 No. 3 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett swept Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Detroit News

7. Track & Field: Ella Block set a school pole vault record to help Romeo’s girls get past Utica Eisenhower – Macomb Daily

8. Baseball: Keegan Spomer threw a no-hitter to highlight Alpena’s sweep of Traverse City West – Alpena News

9. Softball: North Adams-Jerome held on to first place in its league with a sweep of second-place Waldron – Hillsdale Daily News

10. Girls Soccer: Petoskey dealt Traverse City West its first loss of this season, 1-0 – Petoskey News-Review

From High School to Olympic Swimming

July 11, 2012

Fans of U.S. Swimming already have plenty of reasons to cheer for Missy Franklin later this month at the Summer Olympics -- she's only 17, but qualified to compete in a U.S. women's all-time best seven events.

But fans of high school sports and what they provide athletes at all levels of ability can also support her for how she's chosen to compete when she's not racing against the best in the world.

Franklin, who lives in Colorado, has continued to swim for her high school team despite the financial rewards she could've earned by taking the elite swimmer's usual path of going pro.

A ton has been written about Franklin lately, for obvious reasons. Below is a link to a New York Times story from February that focused on her continued dedication to her high school team.

Before the Olympic Trials, There’s This Big High School Meet (New York Times)