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: 10/10/19

October 10, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Boys Soccer District play opened Wednesday to join Girls Golf Regionals among postseason events this week in the Lower Peninsula, and those sports together claimed seven of our top 10 spots highlighting Wednesday’s major performances.

1. Girls Golf: Individual medalist Brandi Kautz shot an 81 to lead Almont to its third-straight Regional title, in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – Port Huron Times-Herald

2. Boys Soccer: No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central got past No. 6 Brighton 1-0 in overtime to open their Division 1 District – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Soccer: Rochester Adams opened District play with a 2-0 upset of No. 10 Rochester – Oakland Press

4. Girls Golf: Lauren Posey shot a 77 to lead No. 8 Big Rapids to an LPD3 Regional championship – Big Rapids News

5. Cross Country: Daisy Englund broke her mother’s 1993 school record to lead Rock Mid Peninsula to its third-straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship meet win; Stephenson claimed the boys title – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Volleyball: Richland Gull Lake swept Kalamazoo Central to claim a second-straight Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East championship – JoeInsider.com

7. Boys Soccer: Saginaw Heritage avenged a regular-season loss to Midland with a 1-0 shootout victory in Division 1 District play – Midland Daily News

8. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower also picked up a 1-0 Division 1 shootout win, over Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Oakland Press

9. Boys Soccer: No. 15 Gaylord needed overtime to finish a third win this season over Petoskey, emerging 1-0 in a Division 2 District opener – Gaylord Herald Times

10. Cross Country: Bronson’s teams made themselves contenders for Big 8 Conference championships by sweeping jamboree wins – Hillsdale Daily News

Also of note …

Volleyball: From Tuesday, Dexter swept Jackson to earn a share of the Southeastern Conference White championship – Chelsea Sun Times News