Today in the MHSAA: 9/21/15
September 21, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend was packed with prestigious cross country events and also featured a milestone win by a longtime volleyball coach.
Cross Country
Centreville stunned an “elite” field by finishing ahead of reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champ Birmingham Seaholm to win the Spartan Invitational elite girls race at Michigan State University. Novi won the boys elite race despite its top individual coming in only 21st – Playmakers.com
The Otsego girls put five runners among the top six to finish among champions at the Sparta Invitational. Rockford’s boys put three among the top 10 to ascend among boys champions – Grand Rapids Press girls story; Grand Rapids Press boys story
The Holly and Lake Orion boys and Rochester Adams and Holly girls were among champions at Holly’s invitational – Oakland Press
Girls Golf
A number of top teams from the southwest part of the Lower Peninsula played in Friday’s Coldwater Lady Cardinal Invitational, with Division 4 power Kalamazoo Hackett winning with a score of 347 – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Boys Soccer
Battle Creek Central won the first All-City soccer tournament in that community, downing Battle Creek Lakeview in overtime – Battle Creek Enquirer
No. 14 Saline downed No. 4 Northville in a matchup of two of the best in Division 1 – AnnArbor.com
The No. 8-ranked teams in Divisions 3 and 4 met, with Division 4’s Muskegon Western Michigan Christian downing Whitehall, 2-1 – Grand Haven Tribune
Girls Swimming and Diving
Saline, the top-ranked team in LP Division 1, downed a strong field at Salem’s Rock Maurer Invitational, finishing just head of No. 3 Farmington Hills Mercy, with No. 9 Northville coming in third – AnnArbor.com
Boys Tennis
Essexville Garber scored a perfect 24 to win the Bay County Tournament for the third time in four seasons – Bay City Times
Volleyball
Longtime Mount Morris coach Jim Pender celebrated the 700th win over his career as his team went 7-0 to win its invitational Saturday; Mount Morris, No. 3 in Class B, beat Class A honorable mention Farmington Hills Mercy in the final – Flint Journal
Lake Odessa Lakewood, No. 2 in Class B, downed Class C No. 3 Montague to win the Grandville Calvin Christian Invitational – Muskegon Chronicle
Today in the MHSAA: 11/4/15
November 4, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Girls Volleyball Districts continued Tuesday with 55 games across the state, but one of the biggest headlines told of a softball coaching hire in Monroe County.
Volleyball
Saginaw Heritage advanced in Class A with a five-set win over Mount Pleasant; the teams split during the regular season – Saginaw News
Class A No. 8 Rockford opened with a sweep of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – Grand Rapids Press
Class A No. 10 DeWitt swept East Lansing in their first-round match – Lansing State Journal
Reigning Class D champion Battle Creek St. Philip opened with a sweep of Marshall Academy coming off Saturday’s 1,000th win by coach Vicky Groat – Battle Creek Enquirer
From Monday, Carney-Nadeau fell in the first two sets before winning the final three of its Class D opener against Felch North Dickinson – Escanaba Daily Press
Softball
Former standout catcher Caitlin Blanchard, who led Petersburg-Summerfield to an MHSAA title in 2010 and then starred at University of Michigan, will return to her high school as coach – Monroe Evening News