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: 2/16/17

February 16, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

An action-packed Wednesday saw the final 32 wrestling contenders advance with Regional titles, including DeWitt for the first time and Hartland for the 16th straight.

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. 

Girls Basketball

The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan has released its five finalists for this season’s Miss Basketball Award – Detroit Free Press

Boys Basketball

In a matchup of teams both now 12-3, Negaunee emerged as overtime winner over Gladstone 75-71 – Marquette Mining Journal

Bowling

Fruitport’s girls and Muskegon Mona Shores’ boys won Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championships – Muskegon Chronicle

Hockey

Chelsea downed Ann Arbor Skyline 5-4 to clinch its 10th straight Southeastern Conference title – Ann Arbor News

Hartland, ranked No. 2 in Division 2, added a win over Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central 4-2 and has beaten all three of the top-ranked teams in Division 1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Skiing

The East Grand Rapids boys and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central girls won Division 2 Regional titles as both Cadillac teams also advanced – Cadillac News

Wrestling

Caro came back from a 24-point deficit in its Division 3 Regional Semifinal against Beaverton and went on to defeat the Beavers and Ogemaw Heights and win the title – Saginaw News

Division 2 No. 7 DeWitt won its first Regional title in wrestling, avenging an earlier loss to No. 10 Mason with a 48-17 win – Lansing State Journal

Division 1 No. 5 and reigning MHSAA champion Hartland earned a trip to the Quarterfinals for the 16th straight season, downing No. 8 Walled Lake Central and Warren Mott after losing to Central earlier this winter – Detroit Free Press

No. 3 Macomb Dakota edged No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay 31-23 to also move on in Division 1 – Macomb Daily

No. 7 Carson City-Crystal downed St. Louis and Hart by a combined eight points to advance in Division 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Good Read

In the midst of ramping up to make a run at repeating as Class B champion, Marshall’s girls basketball team also has found itself in another fight after sophomore Maddie Reynolds was diagnosed recently with cancer – Battle Creek Enquirer