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: 2/27/17

February 27, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA postseason is fully in motion, as girls basketball and boys hockey teams begin postseason play tonight and we look back on the Team Wrestling Finals, Bowling and Cheer Regionals and league swimming & diving meets from the weekend.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state. 

Boys Basketball

Sault Ste. Marie completed a perfect run through the Straits Area Conference with a 54-34 win over Rudyard – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Carney-Nadeau fell to Crystal Falls Forest Park 51-38, but Wolves standout golfer Hunter Eichhorn scored his 1,000th basketball point – Escanaba Daily Press

Detroit U-D Jesuit won a record fifth straight Catholic League A-B title, downing Warren DeLaSalle 63-56 in the championship game – Macomb Daily

Macomb Lutheran North got past Riverview Gabriel Richard 70-62 to claim the Catholic League C-D title – C&G Newspapers

Bowling

The Ithaca boys may be in Division 3 this season instead of Division 4, but the success is the same as the No. 4 Yellowjackets won their Regional ahead of reigning MHSAA champion and top-ranked Saginaw Swan Valley – Saginaw News

Coldwater’s boys, ranked No. 4 in Division 2, won their third straight Regional championship, this time by 72 pins – Coldwater Daily Reporter

Bad Axe’s Melissa Steinbis added a Regional title to her league championship while competing as one of only a few bowlers on her team – Huron Daily Tribune

Cheer

Top-ranked Richmond has finished first or second in Division 3 five of the last six seasons, but won its first Regional title Saturday since 2013 – Port Huron Times Herald

Swimming & Diving

Ludington won its first Coastal Conference championship since 2008, finishing only 12 points ahead of runner-up Manistee – Ludington Daily News

Midland Dow won its 15th straight Saginaw Valley League title, edging Saginaw Heritage by 32 points; both are honorable mentions in the Lower Peninsula Division 2 rankings – Midland Daily News

Wyandotte Roosevelt won the Downriver League meet to claim the overall league title ahead of Allen Park, and LPD2 honorable mention – Southgate News Herald

Wrestling

Detroit Catholic Central won a matchup of the top seeds in Division 1, downing second seeded Davison – Second Half

Lowell became the fifth program in 30 years of Team Finals to win four straight, downing Warren Woods Tower in Division 2 – Second Half

Richmond got past rival Dundee on tie-breaker criteria to claim another Division 3 title – Second Half

After falling to New Lothrop in the Division 4 Final the last three seasons, Hudson won Saturday’s rematch and the championship – Second Half