Today in the MHSAA: 9/30/16

September 30, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We kick off today’s “Today” with an excellent story of sportsmanship from Dowagiac, and finish with an outstanding read on a six-sport athlete from Climax-Scotts.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Cross Country

Dowagiac freshman Shawn Little won his race at the Wolverine Conference meet – after redirecting the Otsego runners (tied for No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 this week) trying to catch him back onto the course instead of letting them get disqualified for taking a wrong turn – Niles Daily Star

Girls Golf

Grand Rapids South Christian claimed the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold tournament title by a stroke, shooting 177 to finish just ahead of Grand Rapids Christian – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Division 2 No. 3 Spring Lake just got past Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 2-1 with a goal during the final minutes – Grand Haven Tribune

Girls Swimming & Diving

LP Division 3 No. 6 St. Clair put up 409 points to beat the field by more than 100 at the annual St. Clair County meet – Port Huron Times Herald

LP Division 1 No. 3 Saline earned one of the season's most impressive wins against No. 10 Ann Arbor Pioneer to remain atop the Southeastern Conference standings – Saline Post

Boys Tennis

LP Division 2 No. 1 Midland Dow won all eight flights to claim its 11th straight Saginaw Valley League tournament championship – Midland Daily News

LP Division 1 No. 1 Bloomfield Hills broke No. 5 Troy’s six-year championship streak by winning the Oakland Activities Association Red tournament – Oakland Press

Traverse City Central also took a championship streak into double digits, winning for the 10th straight season in the Big North Conference – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Tennis

Negaunee claimed its third straight MHSAA Finals championship, finishing first in Upper Peninsula Division 1 – Second Half

Volleyball

Brighton is undefeated in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West standings after downing reigning champion Milford in four sets – Livingston Daily Argus & Press

Good Read

We’re big fans of multi-sport athletes, and so we’re big fans of the work of Climax-Scotts’ Zach Scholly, who plans to play football, basketball and golf, wrestle, run cross country and participate in track & field again this school year – Battle Creek Enquirer

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