Today in the MHSAA: 8/24/15
August 24, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
All MHSAA fall sports but football kicked off competition last week, with cross country, boys soccer, girls swimming and diving and volleyball starting Saturday.
Below are some notable headlines from the first weekend of this season, plus links to coverage.
Cross Country
St. Johns hosted its second “Under the Lights” meets Friday; Ithaca’s girls and Saugatuck’s boys bested fields loaded with much larger opponents – Lansing State Journal
The St. Joseph girls and Bridgman boys won championships at the Niles Stampede – the St. Joseph girls, who finished fourth in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last season, by a large margin – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Girls Golf
Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox, last season’s LP Division 4 individual champion, came back to defeat Brighton freshman Annie Pietila at the two-day Lober Invitational at Grand Traverse Resort – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Boys Soccer
Two of the state’s powers met in the championship game of the Detroit Country Day Tournament on Saturday – with 2013 Division 1 runner-up Bloomfield Hills downing the host Yellowjackets 1-0 in a shootout – Oakland Press
Girls Swimming & Diving
Howell won its Kenzie Klassic, which honors swimmer Mackenize Watts, who died in 2005 at age 15. The school also raised enough money to award three scholarships and begin funding cardiac-related causes – Livingston Daily
Volleyball
Novi won the Lakeshore Classic by coming back after losing the first two games to beat Grand Haven 3-2 in a rematch of a 2014 Class A Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle
Battle Creek Harper Creek, for the first time, won the gold championship at the long-running Carrie Adams Memorial Tournament hosted by reigning Class D champion Battle Creek St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer
Good Read
Mike Steele, a Midland Dow grad and now pitching coach at Long Beach State in California, argues that parents need to raise their athletes to compete instead of providing specific training in one sport – Midland Daily News
Today in the MHSAA: 3/4/19
March 4, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
An uplifting story behind a game-winning last-second shot tops our list of non-Finals headliners from the weekend, followed by first-time Regional championships won in gymnastics and hockey – and please see the “Latest Posts” at right for all of our Finals coverage of wrestling, competitive cheer and bowling.
1. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Northview defeated previously-unbeaten Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 76-75 in triple overtime in a Division 1 District Final on a putback by Aidan Walker, just three weeks after his father’s unexpected death – WOOD TV
2. Gymnastics: Fowlerville won its first Regional to qualify for the MHSAA Finals for the first time in this sport, taking the championship at Grand Ledge – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Hockey: Petoskey defeated Muskegon Mona Shores 7-3 in Division 2 to claim its first Regional title in this sport – Petoskey News-Review
4. Boys Basketball: Muskegon Orchard View won its first District title in 24 years, edging Spring Lake 55-53 in Division 2 – Muskegon Chronicle
5. Boys Basketball: New Baltimore Anchor Bay claimed its first District title since 1999 with a 54-49 win over Macomb Dakota in Division 1 – Macomb Daily
6. Boys Basketball: Union City clinched its first District title since 2002 with a 41-38 win over Bronson in Division 3 – Coldwater Daily Reporter
7. Boys Basketball: Traverse City St. Francis won a Division 3 matchup of league champions, downing Maple City Glen Lake 59-44 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. Boys Basketball: Wayne Memorial earned a Division 1 District title with a 55-50 win over Canton – Observer & Eccentric
9. Boys Basketball: Bessemer claimed its first District title since 2004 with a 51-50 win over Ewen-Trout Creek – Ironwood Daily Globe
10. Boys Basketball: Grandville Calvin Christian earned one of the biggest District upsets of the week, claiming a Division 3 title with a 63-52 win over Wyoming Potter’s House Christian – FOX 17
Also of note …
Boys Swimming & Diving: Northville, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association league meet followed by honorable mentions Novi, Brighton and Salem – Observer & Eccentric
Girls Basketball: Alexys Carlstrom went over 1,000 career points in Harrison’s 33-30 win over Farwell – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Football: Longtime Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson announced his retirement, having led the team to three MHSAA championships – ABC 10
Girls Basketball: From Thursday, Pickford clinched the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference title with a 67-54 win over Cedarville – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News