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: 10/6/16
October 6, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Girls Golf Regionals teed off Wednesday with a record performance by arguably the state’s top team, and check out also the detailed coverage of this week’s MHSAA Update Meeting stop in Frankenmuth.
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 Golf
Top-ranked Rochester shot an incredible 289 to win its Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional, dropping an already-impressive school record by seven more strokes – Oakland Press
Two-time reigning LP Division 3 champion and No. 4-ranked Spring Lake began its three-peat attempt with a Regional victory of 56 strokes – Muskegon Chronicle
Second-year program Shepherd reached the Division 4 Finals for the first time finishing third to Freeland and No. 3 Frankenmuth at their Regional – Saginaw News
No. 5 Brighton didn’t surprise by shooting a 314 to win its Division 1 Regional, but Hartland finished third to make the Finals for the first time – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Boys Tennis
Byron Center claimed what is believed to be its first league championship in the sport, edging Zeeland East by six points at the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green tournament – Grand Rapids Press
Volleyball
Class B honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley moved into first place alone in the Tri-Valley Conference Central with a sweep of former co-leader Freeland – Saginaw News
Neighbors Marine City (a 3-0 winner) and Class D No. 9 Marine City Cardinal Mooney played Wednesday in a “Purple Out” for pancreatic cancer research and awareness, a cause close to the Mooney program as coach Dennis Caufield’s wife Pat died after fighting the disease two years ago – Port Huron Times Herald
Good Read
The annual MHSAA Update Meeting series visited Frankenmuth this week, and MLive reported well why multi-sport participation and reaching student-athletes during their middle school/junior high years has never been more important – Saginaw News