New Math: Division & Multiplication Problems
July 25, 2017
By Jack Roberts
MHSAA Executive Director
This is the second part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
High school tournament classifications went viral before there was social media and most of us knew what “viral” meant.
Much as a virus infects computers today or has created epidemics of disease around the world for centuries, high school tournament classification – once introduced – tends to spread uncontrollably. Once started, it tends to keep expanding and rarely contracts.
While we are still some distance from providing every team a trophy as a result of expanding high school tournament classification across the country, there is criticism nevertheless that we are headed in that direction – a philosophy which is supposed to exist only in local youth sports for our youngest children.
Michigan could be blamed for all this. Michigan is generally accepted as the first state to provide different classifications for season-ending tournaments for different sized schools. It started a century ago. Today, every state has various classifications for its tournaments in most if not all sports. And it is a bit ironic that Michigan – creator of the classification chaos – more than most other states has kept the number of tournament classes or divisions under control.
Yes, there is evidence that tournament classifications have expanded over the years in Michigan, especially with the relatively recent introduction of tournaments in football and the late 1990s’ move from classes to divisions in most MHSAA tournaments. But the MHSAA Representative Council has held true to its word when it expanded the playoffs for football from four classes to eight divisions: this is needed because of unique factors of football, factors that exist in no other sport; and all other sports should be capped at a maximum of four classes or divisions.
Kentucky is the preeminent defender of single-class basketball. All of its 276 high schools compete for the single state championship for each gender. In Indiana, there are still open wounds from its move in 1998 from one to four classes for its 400 schools in basketball.
Multi-class tournaments have tended to increase the number of non-public school champions, which some states are trying to lower through enrollment “multipliers,” and also tend to increase the number of repeat champions, which some states are trying to affect with “success factors” which lift smaller schools into classifications for larger schools if they take home too many trophies.
While there is considerable evidence that state tournaments do as much bad as good for educational athletics, state associations persist in providing postseason tournaments because, on balance, the experiences are supposed to be good for student-athletes. And once we reach that conclusion it is just a small leap to believe that if the tournaments are good for a few, they must be better for more – which leads to creating more and more tournament classifications. One becomes two classes, then three, then four and so forth.
While the argument is that more classifications or divisions provides more students with opportunities to compete and win, it is undeniable that the experience changes as the number of tournament classifications expands. It is not possible for state associations to provide the same level of support when tournament classifications expand to multiple venues playing simultaneously. For example, there is less audio and video broadcast potential at each venue, and less media coverage to each venue. Focus is diluted and fans diminished at each championship.
No one can argue reasonably that today's two-day MHSAA Football Finals of eight championship games has the same pizazz as the one-day, four-games event conducted prior to 1990.
In some states the number of divisions has grown so much that it is difficult to see much difference between the many season-ending state championship games and a regular-season event in the same sport.
It is a balancing act. And Michigan has been studying that balance longer than any other state, and charting a steadier course than most.
Addition by Division
The shift to Divisions for MHSAA Tournament play in numerous sports has added up to a greater number of champions for teams and individuals across the state. Following are the sports currently employing a divisional format, and the procedures for determining enrollment and classification.
In 23 statewide or Lower Peninsula tournaments, schools which sponsor the sport are currently divided into nearly equal divisions. They are:
- Baseball - 4 Divisions
- Boys Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Competitive Cheer - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Golf - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Golf - 4 Divisions
- Ice Hockey - 3 Divisions
- Boys Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Girls Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Boys Skiing - 2 Divisions
- Girls Skiing - 2 Divisions
- LP Boys Soccer - 4 Divisions LP
- Girls Soccer - 4 Divisions
- Girls Softball - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Girls Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Boys Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- Wrestling - 4 Divisions
Lists of schools for each division of these 23 tournaments are posted on MHSAA.com approximately April 1. Listings of schools in Upper Peninsula tournaments for their sports are also posted on MHSAA.com. The lists are based on school memberships and sports sponsorships in effect or anticipated for the following school year, as known to the MHSAA office as of a date in early March.
In football, the 256 schools which qualify for MHSAA 11-player playoffs are placed in eight equal divisions annually on Selection Sunday. Beginning in 2017, the 8-player divisions will be determined in a like manner on Selection Sunday as well, with 32 qualifying schools placed in two divisions.
Schools have the option to play in any higher division in one or more sports for a minimum of two years.
The deadlines for "opt-ups" are as follows:
- Applications for fall sports must be submitted by April 15
- Applications for winter sports must be submitted by Aug. 15
- Applications for spring sports must be submitted by Oct. 15
Subsequent to the date of these postings for these tournaments, no school will have its division raised or lowered by schools opening or closing, schools adding or dropping sports, schools exercising the option to play in a higher division, or approval or dissolution of cooperative programs.
When the same sport is conducted for boys and girls in the same season (e.g., track & field and cross country), the gender that has the most sponsoring schools controls the division breaks for both genders.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate Caps Repeat as 1st Undefeated Champ Since 2015
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 23, 2024
BATTLE CREEK – Sarah Bradley and her Clarkston Everest Collegiate volleyball teammates accomplished something Saturday that hasn’t been done since 2015.
Behind 28 kills from the senior outside hitter, the Mountaineers completed an unbeaten season and defeated St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in four sets at Kellogg Arena, claiming their second-straight Division 4 Finals title.
But when it all ended, and she was asked to look back on the accomplishments, Bradley looked more toward the bond she and her teammates had created.
“Yes, we won two state championships, but nothing will ever amount to the amount of fun I had with these girls and this team,” Bradley said through tears. “I’m so sad to leave them and everyone behind. I think this season, we really played for each other, and it’s going to be so hard to leave them.”
Everest won 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-13 to finish 37-0-1 on the year, with a split against two-time reigning Division 2 champion North Branch the only match result that kept the team from achieving perfection. It was the first undefeated season for any Michigan high school volleyball team since Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard accomplished the feat in winning Class B in 2015.
The dropped set was one of just six that the Mountaineers lost all season.
“Everyone on the team was dialed in, everyone was in on the effort to go back to back,” Everest senior middle Addison Pearce said. “It wasn’t just a couple people that were like, ‘Oh, this is something we could do.’ It was everyone combined that worked hard every day, didn’t let anything come in our way to keep our momentum going.”
Madelyn Krappmann had 16 assists and 14 digs for the Mountaineers, and Pearce had 10 kills and five blocks. Erica Walker added 45 assists and 14 digs, while Bradley had 16 digs and Samantha Pietras had 14.
A year ago, Everest came into the final weekend as an underdog seeking its first Finals title. This year, it had to hold off an incredible effort from a St. Joseph Our Lady team that was in a similar position, albeit as a much bigger underdog.
The Lakers were making the first Finals weekend trip in program history, as five seniors led the charge to Thursday’s Semifinals. But they were the only five players on the roster who are actually in high school. Two eighth graders rounded out the seven-player team, which is allowed due to the enrollment of the school (61 students).
“I just feel like we played hard; there’s no question about that,” Lakers coach Erin Cashen said. “We knew this was going to be one heck of a feat to do. Seven players, two eighth graders that had never played before this season. We knew it was going to be tough. They were just too much for us in the end.
“I’m really just so proud of our girls. Nothing’s changed for me. I’m really proud of you guys. I think you did some amazing things. I’m pretty sure you didn’t believe me when I took the position two years ago and said I’m going to take you to state. And, here we are. I did it for you, and you deserve it.”
Nora Proos led St. Joseph Our Lady with 25 kills and 14 digs, while Jojo Marsh had 10 kills and 15 digs. Aislin Sargent added 34 assists for the Lakers (34-4-1), and Ellie Howard had 16 digs.
Winning the third set against the unbeaten soon-to-be repeat champ was certainly a badge of honor for the Lakers, although they agreed it may have woken something up in the Mountaineers.
“I think it’s great that we were able to take a set,” Marsh said. “We didn’t win the whole thing, but we did take a set. That’s huge for all of us. Everyone just played their hearts out, you could tell. You could tell it was our last game, everyone was flying everywhere and the eighth graders really stepped up. It was a really great season.”
After the first three sets were incredibly close, Everest did open things up in the fourth, winning 11 of the final 14 points in the match. It ended, fittingly, with an emphatic spike from Krappmann.
“I’m incredibly grateful that I had that opportunity, that Erica (Walker) set me that ball,” Krappmann said. “Something was off the first few sets. Passing and defense were OK, but hitting, I just had this weird disconnect. … We got to the fourth one, and I was hyped up, ready to go. Something switched, and I was like, ‘I want this.’ I just felt like I had control of the ball.
“On the last one, I felt like, ‘This could be the game point. This could be our second state championship. This could be the last point we play for Everest.’ Of course I want to give everything I have to that point, out of respect and gratitude to this team and my coach, and to all the people that support us.”
PHOTOS (Top) Clarkston Everest Collegiate players raise their championship trophy Saturday at Kellogg Arena. (Middle) The Mountaineers’ Sarah Bradley (4) sends a spike into the block of Rachel Kalamaros (3) and another Lakers teammate. (Below) Our Lady’s Nora Proos (12) and Everest’s Erica Walker (6) contend for a ball. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)