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: 8/28/15
August 28, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Thursday saw the start of varsity football season, and nearly half of Michigan’s teams kicked off their fall.
Football’s first week in review will be posted Monday afternoon; in the meantime, there is more good news to report from today’s statewide headlines.
Cross Country
The Croswell-Lexington girls and Yale boys won the Mike Jackson Invitational, with Port Huron’s Rachel Bonner – fourth at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final last season – taking the girls individual title by 59 seconds – Port Huron Times-Herald
Girls Golf
Spring Lake set a school record shooting 321 to win the Big Rapids Invitational, also placing the top two individuals – Grand Haven Tribune
Good Reads
Longtime cross country and track and field official Doug Steward was quoted as saying he was close to retiring – in 2009. But this fall, after 51 years, he indeed will start his final races – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
The Lac Vieux Desert Tribe presented Watersmeet schools with $174,000 earlier this year that in part went to a new gym floor complete with the school's nationally-recognized Nimrod logo – Ironwood Daily Globe