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: 3/7/16
March 7, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
What a weekend – we covered all four Cheer Finals, all eight Bowling Finals, and quoted all 56 individual wrestling champions, plus awarded girls basketball District and boys ice hockey Regional champions.
Girls Basketball
Reed City is .500 this season, but rose to the occasion last week with its first District championship since 2000 – Big Rapids News
St. Johns won its first District title since 2005, handing Flushing only its third loss, 37-31 – Lansing State Journal
Bowling
The Davison girls won their fourth Division 1 title in seven seasons Friday, and junior Taylor Davis rolled a 300 and won the individual title Saturday. On the boys side, Wyandotte Roosevelt claimed the championship and Warren Mott’s Brad Delmarle won the individual title – Second Half Team | Singles
The Lansing Eastern boys won the school’s first MHSAA championship since 1981, while Kearsley won the girls title for the third straight year and then got an individual title Saturday from Hannah Ploof. Sturgis’ Austin Robison claimed the Division 2 boys singles title – Second Half Team | Singles
After slow starts, the Alma girls and Saginaw Swan Valley boys won MHSAA team titles in Division 3, while Flat Rock’s Kayla Jackson and Olivet’s Daniel Higgins shined for singles titles Saturday – Second Half Team | Singles
The Ithaca girls won their first MHSAA bowling title in Division 4, while Sandusky’s boys won their first since 2005. St. Charles’ Kyle Tuttle won his third straight singles title Saturday, and Vandercook Lake’s Brianna Fish claimed the girls championship – Second Half Team | Singles
Competitive Cheer
Rochester won its first MHSAA championship since 2009 and record 13th total – Second Half
Gibraltar Carlson set an MHSAA record with its sixth consecutive championship, finishing again atop Division 2 – Second Half
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep closed this cheer season with a third-straight championship in Division 3 – Second Half
Breckenridge continued to recreate its dominance in Division 4, winning its second straight MHSAA title – Second Half
Ice Hockey
Marquette scored five goals during the third period to come from behind and beat Midland 5-1 in a Division 2 Regional Final – Marquette Mining Journal
Birmingham Brother Rice got four goals from Emerson Vogel to down Berkley 8-3, also in a Division 2 Regional Final – Oakland Press
Wrestling
Detroit Catholic Central dominated and Grandville ended the season with an MHSAA individual champion at the Division 1 Final – Second Half
Upsets abounded in Division 2, but St. Johns’ Ian Parker held on to repeat as a champion – Second Half
Lake Fenton’s Jarrett Trombley won his second individual title and ended Devin Schroder’s bid for four in Division 3 – Second Half
Hudson senior Kyle Johnson bounced back from an earlier exit as a junior to win his second Division 4 title in three seasons – Second Half