Today in the MHSAA: 8/26/15

August 26, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Today is prep football preview section day for most newspapers around the state, and copies will be flying as fans get prepped for Thursday’s opening games.

But there are plenty of headlines that pop up up from Tuesday’s non-football events – see those and links to coverage below, and yes, also a link to a great football story.

Cross Country

Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 4 champion Ava Stenge of Battle Creek St. Philip kicked off this fall with a win at the South Haven Rust Buster Invitational in a time of 18:18 – Battle Creek Enquirer

Staying in LP Division 4, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart won its second invitational this season, claiming the gold division title at the Remus Chippewa Hills Warrior Invite ahead of reigning Division 4 champion Beal City – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

St. Joseph sophomore Anna Fischer set a school record at Tuesday’s St. Joseph Invitational, running 18:52 – but finished second to another impressive underclassmen, Portage Northern freshman Peyton Witt (18:48) – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Golf

Big Rapids hasn’t had a golfer shoot in the 70s since Elizabeth Dawkins in 2009, but younger sister Alexis did so Tuesday in a league jamboree win – Big Rapids Pioneer

Boys Soccer

Flint Powers won the first soccer game played in 29 years at Atwood Stadium, defeating Detroit Country Day 4-1 at the renovated long-serving local landmark, now managed by Kettering University – Flint Journal

Volleyball

Lake Orion, an expected contender in Class A this fall, finished undefeated at the Oxford quad against Oxford, Grand Blanc and reigning Class B semifinalist Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – Oakland Press

Good Read

First-year Traverse City Central varsity football coach Eric Schugars will begin his head coaching career this weekend but grew up following the program of his father Jack Schugars, the longtime and MHSAA championship-winning leader at Muskegon Oakridge – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 5/9/16

May 9, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This weekend was a major one for tournament events statewide as close finishes and falling records were seen on both sides of the bridge.

Baseball

Montague downed reigning Division 4 champion Muskegon Catholic Central 8-2 to win the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association’s Tier 2 championship – Muskegon Chronicle

From Thursday, Blissfield earned longtime coach Larry Tuttle his 1,200th win; he’s second on the MHSAA record list by just a handful of victories – Adrian Daily Telegram

Boys Golf

Grand Haven won its inaugural invitational at Grand Haven Golf Course with a 326, seven strokes ahead of Spring Lake – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Lacrosse

Also from Thursday, Lake Orion, coming off records of 7-12 in 2014 and 5-14 in 2015, clinched the Oakland Activities Association Red championship with a double-overtime win over Bloomfield Hills – Oakland Press

Softball

Hudson’s Lauren Valdez struck out 18 batters in throwing a no-hitter against Petersburg-Summerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram

Girls Tennis

North Muskegon won five flights including all four doubles in claiming the title at the annual Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament – Muskegon Chronicle

Track & Field

The Utica Ford boys just edged Troy to win Sterling Heights’ Harold Arft Invitational, while Grosse Pointe South won the girls meet by nearly 15 points – Macomb Daily

The Sanford Meridian boys cleared Harrison by 5.5 points to win the 32nd Nite Trax Invitational, while Gaylord’s girls won by six over Remus Chippewa Hills – Midland Daily News

Petoskey’s Isabel Anderson should be a contender for an MHSAA Finals championship after besting her previous school record high jump of 5-foot-6 at the Ken Bell meet in Traverse City – Petoskey News

Harbor Springs’ Caylin Bonser broke her school’s discus record with a toss of 135-7 during Friday’s Lake City Invitational – Petoskey News

Pickford’s boys just got past Newberry 142-141 to win the St. Ignace Invitational, while the host Saints girls won their meet comfortably by 24.5 points – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News