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 21stPlaymakers.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: 9/22/15

September 22, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Check out these close calls in golf and soccer and milestone finishes in tennis that highlighted Monday’s action from across the state.

Girls Golf

Bay City Western won the closest Bay County Girls Golf Championship in the event's 20-year history, scoring 423 to edge reigning champion Bay City Central by a stroke – Bay City Times

Boys Soccer

Two of the top teams in Division 1 faced off in Macomb Area Conference Red play, with No. 4 Utica Eisenhower downing No. 8 Fraser – Macomb Daily

Lapeer’s Eric McGeary scored the winning goal on his team’s Senior Night for the second straight year, this time to down Saginaw Heritage – Flint Journal

Division 2 No. 2 Holland Christian and reigning Division 3 champion Hudsonville Unity Christian tied 1-1 in a meeting of Ottawa-Kent Conference Green contenders; they play each other again Oct. 7 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Tennis

Parma Western, No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, downed Jackson Lumen Christi for the first time in nearly a decade  – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Top-ranked LP Division 2 Portage Central (see today’s 2H feature) won all eight flights to sweep the Greater Kalamazoo Tournament, and didn’t give up a set – Kalamazoo Gazette

Whitehall, No. 5 in LP Division 4, moved to 4-0 in the Coastal Conference with a shutout of Fruitport – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 2 No. 7 Birmingham Groves stayed a step ahead of rival and No. 8 Seaholm in Oakland Activities Association Red action – Observer & Eccentric

Volleyball

Cadillac, No. 3 in Class B, took a step toward unseating Class A honorable mention Traverse City West atop the Big North Conference standings with a three-set win Monday – Cadillac News

From Saturday, Class D honorable mention Crystal Falls Forest Park downed also-honorable mention Stephenson in the final of the Trojans’ tournament – Iron Mountain Daily News