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: 10/17/19

October 17, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first District champions are in for boys soccer – and more cross country and volleyball league champs as well – but the top headline from Wednesday highlighted a game on the pitch from earlier in the Division 1 bracket.

1. Boys Soccer: Unranked Ann Arbor Pioneer eliminated reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 4 Ann Arbor Skyline in a 2-1 District Semifinal win – We Love Ann Arbor

2. Boys Soccer: No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North got past No. 13 Imlay City 3-2 to clinch a Division 3 District title – Macomb Daily

3. Boys Soccer: Dowagiac downed South Haven 4-2 in Division 3 to win its third straight District championship – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

4. Boys Soccer: Rochester Adams continued its surge by downing Lake Orion to clinch a Division 1 District title – Oakland Press

5. Boys Soccer: Salem edged Canton 2-1 to wrap up a Division 1 District championship – Observer & Eccentric

6. Boys Soccer: Madison Heights Lamphere earned a Division 2 District Final win 1-0 over Warren Woods-Tower – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: Ludington finished another Division 3 District run with a 1-0 win over Shelby – MI Sports Now 

8. Cross Country: Shepherd’s girls – ranked No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – and No. 11 boys teams finished a sweep of Jack Pine Conference championships in their first season in the league – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

9. Cross Country: The LPD4 top-ranked Breckenridge boys and No. 1 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls completed dominating runs to Mid-State Activities Conference titles – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

10. Boys Soccer: Unranked Holland scored late to get past No. 14 Grand Rapids Christian in a Division 2 District Semifinal – Holland Sentinel

Also of note …

Cross Country: Hanover-Horton swept the Cascades Conference meet championships; the boys team is ranked No. 1 in LPD3 – JTV

Volleyball: From Tuesday, Division 3 No. 6 Centreville came back from two sets down to defeat Division 4 No. 3 Mendon and claim the Southwest 10 Conference championship, its first league title since 2001 – Sturgis Journal

Volleyball: From Tuesday, Dexter defeated Pinckney in five sets to lock up a fourth straight Southeastern Conference White title – Sun Times News

Cross Country: From Tuesday, the LPD2 No. 10 Spring Lake girls and No. 12 Sparta boys won Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue championships – Grand Haven Tribune

Cross Country: From Monday, the UPD2 honorable mention St. Ignace girls and UPD3 No. 3 Brimley boys locked up Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference championships – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News