Today in the MHSAA: 8/16/18

August 16, 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. 

1. Girls Golf: Northville shot a 304 to edge Plymouth and win the opening invitational at Hudson Mills in Dexter – those teams finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final – Observer & Eccentric

2. Girls Golf: Kalamazoo Hackett was first, St. Joseph second and Coldwater third at the Richland Gull Lake Invitational at Bedford Valley; Hackett was fifth in LP Division 4 last season, while St. Joseph was eighth in LPD2 and Coldwater was 14th – Coldwater Daily Reporter

3. Boys Tennis: Traverse City Central opened by winning its Summer Splash ahead of Holland West Ottawa, Traverse City West and Grandville; Central tied for 14th and Grandville tied for 19th at last season’s LPD1 Finals – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Boys Tennis: After falling to host Zeeland East, Grand Haven stormed back with wins over Grand Rapids Northview and Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Grand Haven was an LPD1 Finals qualifier last fall Grand Haven Tribune

Also of note …

Cross Country: Novi is mourning the death of longtime coach Robert Smith, who led the Wildcats boys to two MHSAA titles and two Division 1 runner-up finishes over 36 years from 1981-2016 – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 9/16/19

September 16, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’re a month away from the start of the postseason in most sports, but many of the state’s best got looks at the competition this weekend at prestigious invitationals for cross country, volleyball and girls swimming & diving.

1. Cross Country: The Brighton boys – top-ranked in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – finished first, and the LPD2 No. 1 East Grand Rapids girls finished second to a team from Ohio as the top in-state performers in the Elite race at the Spartan Invitational at Michigan State University – Athletic.net

2. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 3 Lowell won the Farmington Hills Mercy Invitational, sweeping the host and top-ranked Marlins in the final – Oakland Press

3. Girls Swimming & Diving: Zeeland claimed the West Michigan Relays title at Grand Haven, edging runner-up and LPD3 No. 1 East Grand Rapids by two points – Swimcloud.com

4. Cross Country: The LPD1 No. 3 Dexter boys and LPD1 No. 5 Salem girls were Division I winners, and Saugatuck swept its division’s races among many at the Holly Invitational – Athletic.net

5. Cross Country: Saline (LPD1 No. 4 girls, No. 6 boys) swept the Division 1 races, while the LPD2 honorable mention Tecumseh girls and Adrian boys also were team champions at the 51st Huron Invitational – Athletic.net

6. Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood repeated as Big Rapids Crossroads Invitational champion, sweeping Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the final – Big Rapids News

7. Volleyball: Kingsford continued its tournament success this fall with the championship at the Gladstone Rock Invitational – Iron Mountain Daily News

8. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 5 Mendon lost only one set on the day and defeated Reading in the final in winning the Union City Tournament – Sturgis Journal

9. Volleyball: Manton also lost only one set in claiming its invitational, downing Charlevoix in the final – Cadillac News

10. Cross Country: The LPD1 No. 4 Romeo boys and Sterling Heights Stevenson girls claimed Autumn Classic championships – Macomb Daily