Prepapalooza: Final Countdown Begins
May 26, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Nearly 30,000 athletes will take part over the next six days in what will again be the busiest week of the MHSAA calendar, with teams in all nine spring sports competing for District, Regional or Finals championships at sites across both peninsulas.
The first Finals champions of this spring will be awarded Tuesday in Upper Peninsula boys tennis, followed by six more in Upper Peninsula boys and girls golf Thursday and Friday. Four divisions of Lower Peninsula girls tennis start their two-day tournament Friday, and on Saturday, more than 7,000 athletes will join them competing in four Lower and three Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals.
In addition, baseball, softball and girls soccer teams begin District action tonight, with most of those tournaments wrapping Saturday. Girls and boys lacrosse teams continue Regional play this week, and Lower Peninsula boys golf teams will play Regionals on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Second Half again will serve as your home for all MHSAA Finals coverage, with correspondents providing stories and photos, along with full results, from all of the Upper Peninsula Finals this week and then all 18 LP and UP Finals this weekend, Lacrosse and LP Golf Finals on June 6, and Baseball, Softball and Soccer Finals being played June 11-13.
Check back as well for video highlights from most competitions and sign up to watch all broadcast tournament action over the next three weeks for only $9.95 on MHSAA.tv. All schedules, lists of competitors and tournament brackets updated with scores real-time can be found on MHSAA.com. Keep connected as well with the MHSAA’s social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Preview: Washtenaw Powers to Collide Again in 1st MHSAA Field Hockey Final
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 23, 2025
Field hockey long has thrived in Washtenaw County, and more specifically the Southeastern Conference.
Saturday’s inaugural MHSAA Final in the sport will tell the next chapter, matching up this fall’s SEC champion Ann Arbor Pioneer and runner-up Dexter at Northville’s Tom Holzer Field.
The rivals met twice this season, tying 1-1 on Sept. 15 with Pioneer winning the rematch 1-0 a week later. They also combined to win five of the final six Michigan High School Field Hockey League Division 1 championships, with Dexter claiming a couple of Division 2 titles over the last three years as well.
Game time Saturday is 11 a.m. Tickets are $11, and the matchup also will be streamed on the NFHS Network and viewable with subscription.
Below is a brief look at the finalists:
ANN ARBOR PIONEER
Record: 14-6-1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jane Nixon, 27th season (435-48-50)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference
Championship history: 30 MHSFHL championships, six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Maggie Lamb, sr. F (9 goals, 1 assist); Lily Boardman, jr. F/M (8 goals, 1 assist); Klara Jones, jr. F/M (6 goals, 3 assists), Mara Boullion, fr. GK (1.0 goals-against average, 34 saves). (Statistics through 17 games.)
Outlook: Pioneer won the final three MHSFHL Division 1 titles and is appearing in its seventh-straight championship game. Its only in-state loss this season came to Saline, 1-0 on Sept 8, and the Pioneers avenged it with a 1-0 victory Sept. 17. They haven’t given up a goal during the postseason, their only game closer than four goals a 1-0 overtime victory over Chelsea in the Semifinal. Sophomore Gabby Haudan and freshman Violet Soldan also had scored six goals heading into the postseason. Senior Anne McGowan and junior Olivia Rollins made the Division 1 all-state second team last season.
DEXTER
Record: 15-3-4
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Keely Tamer, 14th season (record N/A)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference
Championship history: Five MHSFHL titles, three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Audrey Owen-Smith, sr. G; Claire Dubuque, sr. M; Lillian Mitchell, sr. M; Aiden Weinmann, sr. M. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Dexter is playing in its fourth-straight championship game after winning MHSFHL Division 2 championships in 2022 and 2023 and finishing runner-up a year ago. Owen-Smith, Weinmann and Mitchell all were named to the all-state Dream Team in 2024, while Dubuque joined them on the Division 2 first team and now-senior Addison Zogaib made the second team. Dexter opened this fall 0-1-2 but went on to defeat all three of those opponents – Grosse Pointe South to avenge the loss, Chelsea, and Saline 4-0 in their Semifinal matchup. The Dreadnaughts also haven’t allowed a goal during the postseason and won all four games by four goals or more.
PHOTO Ann Arbor Pioneer's Lucy Peikert (28) controls possession during her team's 1-1 tie against Dexter on Sept. 15. (Photo by Caroline Sutton.)