Michel Finishes with Story to Tell
June 11, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Andrew Michel received the heart-breaking news only moments before leaving his golf team’s Regional on Friday to get ready for that night’s Brownstown-Woodhaven prom.
But missing making the MHSAA Finals by a stroke was not the first thing he shared with those who asked about his day at West Shore Golf and Country Club in Grosse Ile.
Instead, the graduating senior told of the 132-yard shot he dropped for a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole, his second ace but first in competition.
Michel finished with a season-best 76, missing the cut for this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final by a stroke despite firing another eagle during the final holes of his round.
“At the start of the day, I told myself don’t leave anything on the table. Go for it on every hole, make every shot and just have fun at your last tournament,” Michel said Tuesday afternoon as he readied for that night’s graduation ceremony. “Being a senior, I went for everything.”
The best part might’ve been how he came back from a disappointing previous hole.
Michel had just finished off a triple bogey on No. 11, and admitted he was down on himself. He stepped to the next tee with his pitching wedge, and “I didn’t really care what happened. I chose the club I like to hit on that hole, and in the air I was thinking it was really good,” he said.
The ball touched down on the green and spun back into the hole.
Michel also played golf and soccer at Brownstown-Woodhaven. He’ll attend Grand Valley State University in the fall, study engineering, and will try to walk-on the Lakers’ golf team.
“Deep down inside,” he said he’s disappointed he won’t be playing at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West on Friday. But he’s got a quite a highlight to take with him from his final high school round.
“It was very bittersweet. I really wanted to go to state,” Michel said. “But the hole-in-one balanced it out a bit.”
Eye on the official
Hopefully you caught our MHSAA benchmarks piece (also published on Second Half) on longtime official Lamont Simpson, who has worked not only MHSAA Finals but NCAA tournaments and is one of 32 officials in the WNBA. (Here’s the link in case you missed it.)
He also became that league’s first to wear the referee cam, debuting the new gear during a recent game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever.
The camera provides plenty of ref’s-eye views. Click the video below to check it out.
Wheels of Steele
We’ve been watching the inspiring progress of Frankenmuth runner Bobby Steele especially over the last few years as his story became known across the Lower Peninsula.
Steele, who is visually impaired, has run cross country and track for the Eagles, thanks to the help of guides who ran with him to help him stay on course.
If you haven’t heard Steele’s awesome story, check out this 8-minute video. Not only did Steele run, but he cut roughly 12 minutes off his first cross country times over the course of his career.
Embracing Expectation, Top-ranked Cranbrook Claims D3 Title by Single Point
October 25, 2025
MIDLAND – Pressure comes with being a favorite. It also provides an opportunity.
That’s how Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood viewed this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals at Midland Tennis Center. The Cranes entered as the No. 1-ranked team and didn’t bend under pressure, neither of that expectation or when Detroit Country Day pressed them through the final round of the tournament.
Both teams advanced all eight flights to Saturday’s semifinals, and Country Day actually ended up with one more flight winner. But Cranbrook sent two more flights into those title-deciding matches, the difference in edging the Yellowjackets 34-33 to take back the championship – the Cranes’ second in three seasons – and after finishing third to co-champs Country Day and Ann Arbor Greenhills a year ago.
“We’ve had many tough moments this year and a lot of positive moments as well,” said senior Jace Bernard, who finished runner-up at No. 1 singles. “And both of those, especially the negative moments, have helped us get to our top level that we know has allowed us to become state champs.”
Cranbrook advanced to championship matches at seven flights with top-seeded senior Kenneth Hu at No. 3 singles, top-seeded junior Josh Day at No. 4, and top-seeded sophomore Dylan Popat and junior Andy Yu at No. 4 doubles claiming championships.
Country Day advanced five flights to title deciders, with four champions – top-seeded sophomore Ricky Jeong at No. 1 singles, top-seeded freshman Samuel Kole-James at No. 2, fourth-seeded senior Charlie Khaghany and junior Preston Blum at No. 1 doubles and fourth-seeded senior Rick Nie and freshman Shiv Kumar at No. 2 doubles.
Holland Christian certainly impacted the championship race as well. The Maroons – last season’s champions at Division 4 – finished third with 26 points, with second-seeded junior Eli Whitmore and senior Evan Disselkoen winning the No. 3 doubles championship and two other flights finishing runners-up.
“There was a lot of parity this year in our division. But we had the deepest team, and ultimately I think that depth is what got us over the hump to the victory,” Cranbrook coach Steve Herdoiza said. “It’s just nice as a coach to see it all come together. … They really worked as hard as they could, and I think they saw the fruits of that effort come today, and they really did play their best tennis today.”
Country Day’s Jeong claimed the No. 1 singles title after winning the No. 3 championship last year as a freshman. He faced a familiar opponent in the final – Bernard, who he defeated for that No. 3 flight title in 2024 – and won the matchup this time 6-1, 6-3.
Hu, meanwhile, won the No. 2 singles championship last season before adding his second championship Saturday at No. 3.
Cranbrook, Country Day and Greenhills have combined to win every Division 3 Finals team title since 2008, and Greenhills finished fourth this time with 23 points as those four teams put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
“Today could have (gone) any way. DCD could have gotten it, Greenhills could have gotten it, Holland Christin which was a severe underdog, could have gotten it as well,” Hu said. “At the end, it came down to how this team is shaped.
“At the beginning of the season, our team wasn’t as high of a level as we are currently. But that’s how every season goes. We start low, a little shaky with the form and bonding. But as the season progresses, the bond deepens. And everyone feels closer, and it’s just a big family here. I think this is what made us come over the top today.”
(PHOTOS by High School Sports Scene.)