Today in the MHSAA: 9/16/19

September 16, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’re a month away from the start of the postseason in most sports, but many of the state’s best got looks at the competition this weekend at prestigious invitationals for cross country, volleyball and girls swimming & diving.

1. Cross Country: The Brighton boys – top-ranked in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – finished first, and the LPD2 No. 1 East Grand Rapids girls finished second to a team from Ohio as the top in-state performers in the Elite race at the Spartan Invitational at Michigan State University – Athletic.net

2. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 3 Lowell won the Farmington Hills Mercy Invitational, sweeping the host and top-ranked Marlins in the final – Oakland Press

3. Girls Swimming & Diving: Zeeland claimed the West Michigan Relays title at Grand Haven, edging runner-up and LPD3 No. 1 East Grand Rapids by two points – Swimcloud.com

4. Cross Country: The LPD1 No. 3 Dexter boys and LPD1 No. 5 Salem girls were Division I winners, and Saugatuck swept its division’s races among many at the Holly Invitational – Athletic.net

5. Cross Country: Saline (LPD1 No. 4 girls, No. 6 boys) swept the Division 1 races, while the LPD2 honorable mention Tecumseh girls and Adrian boys also were team champions at the 51st Huron Invitational – Athletic.net

6. Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood repeated as Big Rapids Crossroads Invitational champion, sweeping Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the final – Big Rapids News

7. Volleyball: Kingsford continued its tournament success this fall with the championship at the Gladstone Rock Invitational – Iron Mountain Daily News

8. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 5 Mendon lost only one set on the day and defeated Reading in the final in winning the Union City Tournament – Sturgis Journal

9. Volleyball: Manton also lost only one set in claiming its invitational, downing Charlevoix in the final – Cadillac News

10. Cross Country: The LPD1 No. 4 Romeo boys and Sterling Heights Stevenson girls claimed Autumn Classic championships – Macomb Daily

Today in the MHSAA: 10/25/19

October 25, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Half of next week’s MHSAA Boys Soccer Semifinals field was set Thursday, and it was a great night to be ranked No. 4, as two of those teams eliminated favorites in Regional Finals.

1. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian handed top-ranked Holland Christian its only loss this fall, 2-1 in a Division 2 Regional Final – FOX 17

2. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian eliminated top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian 2-1 in a Division 4 Regional Final – Local Sports Journal

3. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Troy Athens scored the go-ahead goal during the final seconds of overtime to finish a Division 1 Regional championship run with a 3-2 win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley – C&G Newspapers

4. Boys Soccer: Fenton downed No. 9 Detroit Country Day 2-1 to claim a Division 2 Regional title -- WJRT

5. Volleyball: Adrian Madison locked up its fourth straight Tri-County Conference championship with a pair of sweeps of Britton Deerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Boys Soccer: Clarkston Everest Collegiate won its first Regional title in this sport, defeating Bax Axe 2-1 in the championship game – Oakland Press

7. Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Manistique swept Gladstone to clinch its second straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Boys Soccer: No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North clinched a Division 3 Regional title with a 3-0 win over Flint Powers Catholic – Macomb Daily

9. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Mattawan locked up a Division 2 Regional title with a 6-0 win over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg – WWMT

10. Volleyball: Vicksburg swept Otsego to clinch a shared Wolverine Conference title with Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg – JoeInsider.com

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: Top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer defeated No. 8 Ann Arbor Skyline 119-67 in a matchup of rivals and ranked teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – We Love Ann Arbor