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: 9/29/15

September 29, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The tennis and golf regular seasons will soon come to a close – and that means Michigan’s best are facing off to decide league titles with MHSAA tournaments beginning next week.

Girls Golf

Brighton continued to post incredible scores Monday, shooting 316 to win the Huron Valley Invitational led by Julia Dean at 69 – Livingston Daily

Unranked Saline won the Southeastern Conference Invitational ahead of Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer, with Samantha Kellstrom’s 72 keying a 329 team score – AnnArbor.com

Boys Soccer

LP Division 1 No. 3 Utica Eisenhower came back from a weekend loss to beat No. 12 Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 2-0 in a Macomb Area Conference Red match – Macomb Daily

Boys Tennis

Ludington, No. 6 in LP Division 4, downed No. 5 Whitehall in a matchup of Coastal Conference powers – Muskegon Chronicle

Good Reads

Battle Creek Harper Creek and Pennfield combined results from cross country and football to determine the winner of a new traveling trophy – and Harper Creek took the honor first, winning both cross country meets Friday and then the football game as well – Battle Creek Enquirer

Mark Novak plans on coaching the Sanford Meridian varsity baseball team this spring, like he has the last nine seasons. But his community is cheering him on this week as well, as he’s scheduled for surgery Thursday to assist with treatment of congestive heart failure – Midland Daily News