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: 6/14/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 14, 2021

1. Softball: The Division 3 Regional Final between top-ranked Millington and No. 2 Richmond went nine innings, with Richmond winning 2-1 – Macomb Daily

2. Softball: No. 5 Owosso won its first Regional title scoring five runs in the 10th inning to get past Lake Odessa Lakewood in Division 2 – Owosso Argus-Press

3. Baseball: No. 2 Portage Central earned its first Semifinal berth since 2011 with wins over Detroit Catholic Central and top-ranked Grand Ledge in Division 1 – Kalamazoo Gazette

4. Softball: Charlevoix and Traverse City West won their first Regional championships – unranked Charlevoix handing No. 8 Negaunee its lone loss of the season and also downing Kalkaska in Division 3, and honorable mention West defeating honorable mention Midland and Fenton in Division 1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. Softball: No. 4 Gaylord got past No. 7 Escanaba 6-5 and then Big Rapids 12-2 to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Petoskey News-Review

6. Girls Soccer: No. 4 Boyne City repeated as a Regional champion with a 2-1 win over No. 9 Big Rapids in Division 3 – MI Sports Now

7. Softball: Honorable mention South Lyon downed No. 3 Hartland 9-3 and then Ypsilanti Lincoln 12-1 to win a Division 1 Regional title – Oakland Press

8. Baseball: Unranked Midland Dow defeated Zeeland West in eight innings and then rallied in the seventh to get past No. 9 Hudsonville in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – Midland Daily News

9. Softball: No. 10 Hudsonville Unity Christian downed No. 2 Muskegon Oakridge 4-3 before getting past Grand Rapids South Christian 13-2 in a Division 2 Regional – Grand Rapids Press

10. Softball: No. 9 Macomb Dakota got past No. 7 New Baltimore Anchor Bay and Utica to advance to a Division 1 Quarterfinal – Macomb Daily

Also of note …

Girls Soccer: Top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian continued its undefeated season with a 2-0 Division 4 Regional Final win over No. 11 Kalamazoo Christian – WWMT

Softball: Shepherd put up seven runs in the eighth inning to clinch a Division 3 Regional title with a 19-18 win over Laingsburg – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Track & Field: Traverse City Central coach John Lober is retiring after 52 years – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Baseball: Reese’s Dave Elliott also announced his retirement from coaching, after 42 years – Saginaw News