Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Today in the MHSAA: 2/19/18

February 19, 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.

Today's Top 10 

1. Wrestling: Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central qualified all 14 of its competitors for Finals weekend at its Division 1 Individual Regional – Observer & Eccentric

2. Competitive Cheer: No. 2 Gibraltar Carlson won its 10th straight District title in Division 2, ending No. 5 Southgate Anderson’s District title run at nine straight – Southgate News Herald

3. Girls Basketball: Marysville handed St. Clair Shores Lakeview its first loss, 53-44, to win the Macomb Area Conference Blue/Gold championship – Port Huron Times Herald

4. Hockey: Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson shut out No. 3 Hartland 3-0 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association title – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Houghton claimed the last event of the Upper Peninsula Finals to edge Marquette for the overall title – Second Half

6. Girls Swimming & Diving: Gladstone claimed its second Upper Peninsula Finals championship in three seasons – Second Half

7. Competitive Cheer: Division 4 No. 2 Sanford Meridian Early College won its first District title since 2000, finishing ahead of Shelby and No. 7 Pewamo-Westphalia – Midland Daily News

8. Competitive Cheer: No. 3 Muskegon Mona Shores posted a school-record Round 3 score to secure its Division 2 District title just ahead of No. 4 Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills – Muskegon Chronicle

9. Girls Basketball: Bloomfield Hills Marian downed Dearborn Divine Child to claim the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship – Oakland Press

10. Competitive Cheer: Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Allen Park claimed its District title ahead of No. 9 Dearborn Divine Child – Southgate News Herald

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Class D Southfield Christian handed Class B River Rouge its first defeat, 68-45, in a matchup of teams that made MHSAA Semifinals last season – MLive-Detroit

Boys Basketball: Haslett edged DeWitt 43-40 to claim the Capital Area Activities Conference Red championship – Lansing State Journal

Girls Basketball: Petoskey downed Gaylord 38-25 to clinch the Big North Conference title for the first time in six years – Petoskey News-Review

Wrestling: Division 4 No. 2 Clinton qualified a school-record 11 athletes from its Individual Regional – Adrian Daily Telegram

Boys Basketball: Holland West Ottawa clinched its second straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title with a 46-43 win over Grandville – FOX17

Competitive Cheer: Sturgis cleared the field by more than five points to win its Division 2 District – JoeInsider.com

Girls Basketball: Muskegon, Kent City and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian clinched at least shares of league titles – Muskegon Chronicle

Hockey: Traverse City Bay Reps’ co-op downed Petoskey 2-1 to claim a third straight Northern Michigan Hockey League title – Traverse City Record-Eagle