Today in the MHSAA: 9/27/19

October 1, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided championship opportunities for a few teams looking to avenge past years’ defeats – and Muskegon Mona Shores girls golf, Spring Lake boys soccer and Ishpeming Westwood girls tennis took advantage to top today’s list.

1. Girls Golf: Mona Shores broke Reeths-Puffer’s three-year hold on the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship by shooting a 372 to edge runner-up Whitehall, which is ranked No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Local Sports Journal

2. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 12 Spring Lake got past two-time reigning Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central 5-1 to clinch the league title – Grand Haven Tribune

3. Girls Tennis: Ishpeming Westwood swept singles and won two doubles flights to claim the Mid-Peninsula Conference tournament title ahead of runner-up and three-time reigning champ Negaunee – Marquette Mining Journal

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: Ann Arbor Pioneer continued to build on its top ranking in LPD1 with a 136-50 win over No. 10 Ann Arbor Huron – We Love Ann Arbor

5. Cross Country: Harbor Springs swept Class B/C titles (boys are ranked No. 12 in LPD3, and girls are an honorable mention), and the LPD4 No. 8 Petoskey St. Michael boys and Mackinaw City girls also won Mackinaw City Invitational titles – Petoskey News-Review

6. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian stayed unbeaten in Lakes 8 Conference play while handing a first league loss to Ludington, 1-0 – Local Sports Journal

7. Boys Soccer: Fremont and Newaygo played to a 1-1 draw in a matchup of teams that both finished without a loss in Central State Activities Association Gold play – Local Sports Journal

8. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West won the latest matchup with rival Central, 2-1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Volleyball: Onaway swept Gaylord St. Mary to remain perfect in Ski Valley Conference play – Alpena News

10. Volleyball: Petersburg Summerfield came back from a two-set deficit to get past Ottawa Lake Whiteford in five – Monroe Evening News

Today in the MHSAA: 5/6/19

May 6, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Special for Second Half

Finishes both close and historic highlighted the first weekend of May as top teams navigated the rain in many places in kicking off the final month of the regular season.

1. Softball: Grace Lehto nearly threw a perfect game as Division 2 No. 3 Eaton Rapids edged Division 3 top-ranked Millington to win the “marquee matchup” of the MI Stars Tournament – State Champs Sports Network 

2. Boys Golf: By way of a fifth-golfer tie-breaker, Gaylord – No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – edged LPD1 No. 6 Grosse Pointe South to win its invitational with a near-school record score – Gaylord Herald Times

3. Track & Field: Zeeland West’s boys won their 12th-straight Holland West Ottawa Von Ins Relays, while Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 6 Grand Haven and No. 7 West Ottawa’s girls shared their meet championship – Holland Sentinel

4. Boys Golf: Nathan Taylor finished as medalist to lead Muskegon Mona Shores to the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship, 30 years after his father won the same tournament – Muskegon Chronicle

5. Track & Field: The Muskegon Reeths-Puffer girls won their 10th straight GMAA title, and the Fruitport boys won their sixth straight – Local Sports Journal

6. Softball: Division 3 No. 7 Standish-Sterling edged No. 3 Sanford Meridian 5-4 to win Meridian’s invitational – Midland Daily News

7. Softball: Division 2 No. 4 Stevensville Lakeshore defeated Schoolcraft in the final to win its invitational for the first time – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Boys Golf: Troy edged Rochester by 12 strokes to win the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press

9. Softball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer and Division 2 No. 5 Oakridge both won their fourth straight GMAA softball titles – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Track & Field: A total of 61 teams including a number of the best from multiple divisions participated at the Triangle Invitational at Saline – Athletic.net