Today in the MHSAA: 9/17/15
September 17, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Today’s know-your-sports checklist includes catching up on impressive feats by some of the state’s top-ranked girls golf teams and enjoying a pair of inspirational stories about leading soccer scorers.
Girls Golf
Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Lake Orion won the Oakland County Division 1 Tournament for the second straight season, edging No. 6 Novi by one shot and No. 1 Rochester by two – Oakland Press
Three Spring Lake golfers carded three birdies apiece to lead the LP Division 3 No. 1 Lakers to a 53-stroke win in the Lakes 8 jamboree on their home course – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Soccer
Freeland improved to 11-1 with its first win over Saginaw Swan Valley in three seasons, also handing the Vikings their first loss this fall – Saginaw News
Boys Tennis
Midland Dow, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, fell to No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Midweek Classic, but still won the tournament thanks to No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit’s win over FHC – Midland Daily News and Saginaw News
Volleyball
Ionia swept reigning Capital Area Activities Conference White champion Williamston, beating the Hornets for the first time under sixth-year coach Jeanna Kraatz – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Niles emerged as the biggest winner from the SMAC 6-Pack Tournament on its home floor with victories over Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central and Richland Gull Lake, all in two games – Niles Daily Star
Bay City John Glenn improved to 9-1 with a win over Tawas, opening North East Michigan Conference play as the reigning champion and with nearly the same lineup as in 2014 – Bay City Times
Good Reads
We’re big fans of athletes who play multiple sports, and Port Huron’s Jon Miller is one of the latest – he’s the soccer team’s leading scorer and the top field goal kicker in school history, plus one of the football team’s leading receivers. A great line from the story: “But if there’s one kid that can take this on, it’s the kid that’s loading his senior year with as many memories as possible.” – Port Huron Times-Herald
Andrew Shippell is Marshall’s leading scorer this season, and after three years of fighting is preparing to celebrate a milestone – the end of his chemotherapy in February – Battle Creek Enquirer
Today in the MHSAA: 5/9/16
May 9, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend was a major one for tournament events statewide as close finishes and falling records were seen on both sides of the bridge.
Baseball
Montague downed reigning Division 4 champion Muskegon Catholic Central 8-2 to win the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association’s Tier 2 championship – Muskegon Chronicle
From Thursday, Blissfield earned longtime coach Larry Tuttle his 1,200th win; he’s second on the MHSAA record list by just a handful of victories – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Golf
Grand Haven won its inaugural invitational at Grand Haven Golf Course with a 326, seven strokes ahead of Spring Lake – Grand Haven Tribune
Boys Lacrosse
Also from Thursday, Lake Orion, coming off records of 7-12 in 2014 and 5-14 in 2015, clinched the Oakland Activities Association Red championship with a double-overtime win over Bloomfield Hills – Oakland Press
Softball
Hudson’s Lauren Valdez struck out 18 batters in throwing a no-hitter against Petersburg-Summerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram
Girls Tennis
North Muskegon won five flights including all four doubles in claiming the title at the annual Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament – Muskegon Chronicle
Track & Field
The Utica Ford boys just edged Troy to win Sterling Heights’ Harold Arft Invitational, while Grosse Pointe South won the girls meet by nearly 15 points – Macomb Daily
The Sanford Meridian boys cleared Harrison by 5.5 points to win the 32nd Nite Trax Invitational, while Gaylord’s girls won by six over Remus Chippewa Hills – Midland Daily News
Petoskey’s Isabel Anderson should be a contender for an MHSAA Finals championship after besting her previous school record high jump of 5-foot-6 at the Ken Bell meet in Traverse City – Petoskey News
Harbor Springs’ Caylin Bonser broke her school’s discus record with a toss of 135-7 during Friday’s Lake City Invitational – Petoskey News
Pickford’s boys just got past Newberry 142-141 to win the St. Ignace Invitational, while the host Saints girls won their meet comfortably by 24.5 points – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News