Today in the MHSAA: 9/11/19
September 11, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Power-packed matchups took place all over the state Tuesday in a variety of sports, perhaps nowhere more than on cross country courses on both peninsulas that witnessed the closest of finishes.
1. Cross Country: Top-ranked Brighton downed reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion Plymouth in the boys race, and the No. 10 Bulldogs girls edged No. 7 Plymouth by three points – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
2. Cross Country: LPD1 No. 4 Ann Arbor Pioneer outpaced No. 3 Saline in the girls race of the Southeastern Conference Jamboree 1, while the No. 8 Saline boys were victorious ahead of No. 2 Dexter – We Love Ann Arbor Girls | Boys
3. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Marian downed Division 2 No. 6 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in four sets – Oakland Press
4. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 12 Gaylord downed No. 13 Alpena 2-0 in a key Big North Conference matchup – Petoskey News-Review
5. Cross Country: The UPD1 top-ranked Marquette girls and boys teams swept Kingsford Invitational titles, the boys by just a point ahead of No. 3 Houghton – Escanaba Daily Press
6. Cross Country: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart swept the Beal City Invitational championships; the Shamrocks girls are ranked No. 1 in LPD4 and the boys are No. 3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun Girls | Boys
7. Boys Soccer: Grand Haven got past Division 2 No. 9 Spring Lake 2-0 – Grand Haven Tribune
8. Boys Tennis: Traverse City West earned its second win this season over rival Central (No. 10 in LPD2) after entering this fall without a victory in the series in more than 15 years – Traverse City Record-Eagle
9. Boys Soccer: Temperance Bedford earned its first win this season by handing Monroe its first defeat, 3-2 – Monroe Evening News
10. Boys Soccer: Ludington and Division 4 top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian played to a 1-1 draw – Ludington Daily News
Did You See That? (May 6-12)
May 13, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.
Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.
Good Read of the Week
One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Boys Golf
Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey News)
TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Track and Field
Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Lacrosse
Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)
Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)
Girls Tennis
FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)
Wrestling
Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)
Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame
High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)
Boys Basketball
Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)