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: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun