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: 10/17/16

October 17, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A busy championship weekend ended with two first-time MHSAA Finals golf winners, the end to a near-decade run in tennis, favorites winning in cross country and surprises claiming titles in volleyball.

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.

Cross Country

Corunna’s boys followed standout Noah Jacobs to a Greater Lansing Invitational repeat championship, while Lansing Catholic claimed the girls title paced by a dominant run by Olivia Theis – Lansing State Journal (Boys/Girls)

The Grosse Ile boys and Wyandotte Roosevelt girls won Southgate News-Herald championships – Southgate News-Herald (Boys/Girls)

The Macomb Dakota boys won their third straight Macomb County title, and Romeo won the girls title while Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s Karenna Duffey won the individual girls championship for the third time – Macomb Daily (Boys/Girls)

The Blissfield girls and Tecumseh boys won Lenawee County cross country championships – Adrian Daily Telegram

The Sturgis girls and Detroit Catholic Central boys won the Division 1-2 race at the 52nd Kiwanis Invitational in Sturgis, while Bronson’s boys and Quincy’s girls won the Division 3-4 race – Sturgis Journal/Coldwater Daily Reporter

Girls Golf

Rochester, Midland Dow, Spring Lake and Macomb Lutheran North won MHSAA Lower Peninsula championships Saturday, Dow and Lutheran North for the first time and Spring Lake for the third straight season – Second Half

Boys Tennis

Ann Arbor Huron, Midland Dow, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett won Lower Peninsula championships as well, with Liggett ending Ann Arbor Greenhills’ eight-year run in Division 4 – Second Half

Volleyball

Unranked Muskegon Mona Shores swept Class B No. 8 Fruitport to win the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship – Muskegon Chronicle

Unranked Battle Creek Lakeview downed Class B No. 6 Harper Creek in three sets to win its first All-City championship since 2007 – Battle Creek Enquirer

Calumet downed host Houghton to win the Gremlins’ invitational – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Class A honorable mention Niles won its sixth straight tournament, downing Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Decatur, Kalamazoo Hackett and host Loy Norrix in the final – Niles Daily Star

Class D No. 10 Pittsford swept No. 5 North Adams-Jerome to win the Jonesville “Think Pink” Tournament – Hillsdale Daily News

Adrian Madison downed Adrian in the final to claim the Lenawee County Tournament title – Adrian Daily Telegram