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: 10/18/17
October 18, 2017
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. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 9 Elk Rapids came back from a two-goal deficit to get past Northport 4-3 in overtime and advance in their District – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Volleyball: Class C No. 7 Calumet finished an outright Western Peninsula Athletic Conference title with a five-set win over rival Houghton, coming back after losing the second and third games – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
3. Boys Cross Country: Although it didn’t win the final Blue Water Area Conference jamboree, Yale clinched its first boys league title in 22 years – Port Huron Times Herald
4. Boys Cross Country: Jonesville claimed its first league title since 2003, finishing ahead of rival Concord (No. 7 in LPD4) to win the Big 8 Conference – Hillsdale Daily News
5. Volleyball: New Haven improved to 27-0 and clinched the Macomb Area Conference Bronze title with a sweep of Clinton Township Clintondale – Macomb Daily
6. Girls Cross Country: The Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 10 Remus Chippewa Hills girls finished a sweep of Central State Activities Association Gold jamborees to claim the league title – Big Rapids News
7. Cross Country: Bad Axe’s boys won their first league title since 2009, as both Ubly teams and the Reese girls also won repeat championships in the Greater Thumb Conference East and West; Ubly’s boys are No. 4 in LPD4 and the girls are No. 6 – Huron Daily Tribune
8. Cross Country: Spring Lake’s boys (No. 8 in LPD2) and girls (No. 11) also swept league titles, winning in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue – Grand Haven Tribune
9. Boys Soccer: Fruitport downed Sparta 5-0 in Division 2 as Zack Shane scored all five goals and broke his school’s single-season scoring record – Local Sports Journal
10. Cross Country: The Pittsford girls (No. 11 in LPD4) and Battle Creek St. Philip boys (No. 6) also finished league title runs, in the Southern Central Athletic Association – Hillsdale Daily News
Also of note:
Volleyball: Gwinn got past Iron Mountain in five sets and after dropping the first two to secure a share of the Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Marquette Mining Journal
Cross Country: From Monday, the St. Ignace girls (No. 1 in UPD2) and Brimley boys (No. 3 in UPD3) finished sweeps of Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference jamborees to claim league titles – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Boys Soccer: From Monday, Division 4 No. 6 Hillsdale Academy won an early big-time matchup, downing No. 7 Adrian Lenawee Christian 2-0 in District play – Adrian Daily Telegram