Today in the MHSAA: 9/28/15

September 28, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This weekend’s highlights included elite swimming competitions and a cross country race so fun that a football team came out to run.

Cross Country

The Cadillac girls, No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, and the unranked Middleville Thornapple Kellogg boys won championships at the Muskegon Oakridge Invitational – Cadillac News

LP Division 1 No. 4 Brighton took the top five places to win the Monroe Jefferson Invitational with a perfect score – Livingston Daily

The LP Division 1 No. 6 Bay City Western boys and No. 12 Midland Dow girls won Division 1-2 races at the Delta College Invitational – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer

Unranked Warren DeLaSalle upset Division 1 No. 3 Utica Eisenhower on Saturday, 2-1, on two goals by Aleks Vushaj – Macomb Daily

Girls Swimming & Diving

Midland Dow won the Tri-City Invitational for the fifth straight season, edging Saginaw Heritage after falling to the Hawks in a dual earlier this fall – Saginaw News

LP Division 3 No. 2 Holland Christian won its invitational ahead of No. 1 Grand Rapids Catholic Central and No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian – Grand Rapids Press

Volleyball

Brooklyn Columbia Central swept Concord in two sets to win the 41st Jackson County Tournament, played at Spring Arbor University – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

St. Louis volleyball player Brooke Courter is deaf, but she and her teammates have learned to communicate well while cheering each other on – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Rochester Adams boys tennis coach Al Must earned his 400th victory in 32 seasons earlier this month, and for him, continuing to coach at the high school level remains an honor – Oakland Press

Frankenmuth and Millington are the fiercest of rivals and met again on the football field Friday – but with the experience of working together during a meaningful day this summer – Saginaw News

The Old Skool Classic Cross Country Race puts the “country” back in cross country, according to one of the host coaches, with two river crossings, muddy areas, a corn field and wooded trails – Macomb Daily

Today in the MHSAA: 10/23/15

October 23, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Notable milestones made headlines Thursday – among them, Rockford’s boys cross country team extending an incredible championship streak and one of Michigan’s best volleyball coaches being celebrated for 1,000 victories.

Cross Country

The Milford girls and White Lake Lakeland boys, both ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championships; Milford’s girls finished ahead of No. 4 Brighton and No. 12 Waterford Mott – Oakland Press

The Rockford boys, No. 1 in LPD1, won their 21st straight league title, claiming the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red; Rockford’s 10th-ranked girls added their third straight league title – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Unranked Okemos edged No. 11 Portage Central in a Division 1 semifinal 2-1 after jumping out to a two-goal lead – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 2 No. 14 Petoskey advanced despite three Cadillac comebacks, finally winning a 5-4 semifinal – Petoskey News

Division 3 No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian repeated as a district champion with a 2-1 win over No. 18 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Volleyball

Unionville-Sebewaing, an MHSAA semifinalist in 2014, won its fourth straight Greater Thumb Conference West title by avenging an earlier loss to Bad Axe with a five-set win – Huron Daily Tribune

Class D No. 6 North Adams-Jerome needed to reach 31-29 to win its first set against Pittsford before finishing a sweep – Hillsdale Daily News

Good Reads

Battle Creek Enquirer sports editor Bill Broderick says what a lot of former high school football players have felt in his message to seniors playing their final games this week and over the next few – Battle Creek Enquirer

Longtime Midland Dow, Pinconning and now Bronson volleyball coach Jean LaClair won her 1,000th match last week; her team is ranked No. 1 in Class C and she was the 2015 MHSAA Women in Sports Leadership Award winner – Sturgis Journal