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: 8/24/15

August 24, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

All MHSAA fall sports but football kicked off competition last week, with cross country, boys soccer, girls swimming and diving and volleyball starting Saturday.

Below are some notable headlines from the first weekend of this season, plus links to coverage.

Cross Country

St. Johns hosted its second “Under the Lights” meets Friday; Ithaca’s girls and Saugatuck’s boys bested fields loaded with much larger opponents – Lansing State Journal

The St. Joseph girls and Bridgman boys won championships at the Niles Stampede – the St. Joseph girls, who finished fourth in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last season, by a large margin – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Golf

Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox, last season’s LP Division 4 individual champion, came back to defeat Brighton freshman Annie Pietila at the two-day Lober Invitational at Grand Traverse Resort – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Soccer

Two of the state’s powers met in the championship game of the Detroit Country Day Tournament on Saturday – with 2013 Division 1 runner-up Bloomfield Hills downing the host Yellowjackets 1-0 in a shootout – Oakland Press

Girls Swimming & Diving

Howell won its Kenzie Klassic, which honors swimmer Mackenize Watts, who died in 2005 at age 15. The school also raised enough money to award three scholarships and begin funding cardiac-related causes – Livingston Daily

Volleyball

Novi won the Lakeshore Classic by coming back after losing the first two games to beat Grand Haven 3-2 in a rematch of a 2014 Class A Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

Battle Creek Harper Creek, for the first time, won the gold championship at the long-running Carrie Adams Memorial Tournament hosted by reigning Class D champion Battle Creek St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Read

Mike Steele, a Midland Dow grad and now pitching coach at Long Beach State in California, argues that parents need to raise their athletes to compete instead of providing specific training in one sport – Midland Daily News