'Prepapalooza' Kicks Off 3-Week Celebration
May 31, 2016
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 Wednesday in Upper Peninsula boys tennis (UPDATE: both U.P. tennis Finals have been moved to Thursday due to rainy weather concerns), followed by six more in Upper Peninsula boys and girls golf Thursday. 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 14, and Baseball, Softball and Soccer Finals being played June 19-21.
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.
PHOTO: The Unionville-Sebewaing softball team celebrates last season's Division 4 championship.
Preview: Familiar Foes Meet Again with MHSAA Finals Championship at Stake
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 30, 2026
Ann Arbor Pioneer and Saline High School are seven miles apart, and the two programs will enter Saturday’s MHSAA Final as familiar with each other as any two field hockey teams in the state could be this season.
They’ve played each other twice this fall. Pioneer won the first meeting 5-0, on Aug. 24 in the second game of the season for both. But Saline cut the margin significantly in the Sept.14 rematch, a 1-0 Pioneer win.
And Round 3 at Michigan State University’s Ralph Young Field will be for a bigger prize.
Game time Saturday is 11 a.m. Tickets are $12, 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: 17-3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jane Nixon, 28th season (451-51-50)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Pioneer won last season’s inaugural MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Lily Boardman, sr. F/M (9 goals, 7 assists); Klara Jones, sr. F/M (13 goals, 9 assists); Gabby Haudan, jr. F (10 goals, 7 assists); Lucy Peikert, jr. M/D (10 goals, 6 assists).
Outlook: Pioneer will play in its eighth-straight championship game including the final six Michigan High School Field Hockey League Division 1 title deciders before the MHSAA began sponsoring the sport last season. All three of the team’s losses this fall were to out-of-state teams, and the Pioneers have yet to allow a goal in four MHSAA Tournament games, outscoring their opponents by a combined 19-0. Sophomore Mara Boullion is the scheduled starter in goal and has split time this season with senior Bridget Schafer; together they have given up only 14 goals this season and only two over 15 games against in-state opponents. Jones, Haudan and senior Olivia Rollins made the all-state first team last season, and Peikert and Boullion made the second.
SALINE
Record: 19-2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Sophia O’Connor, sixth season (83-20-12)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: MHSFHL Division 2 champion 2015, two MHSFHL Division 1 runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Elle Pufpaf, sr. M/F (23 goals, 6 assists); Ella Arvai, jr. M (30 goals, 11 assists); Claire Clark, sr. D (10 goals, 1 assist); Alivia Pufpaf, sr. D/M (7 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: After reaching the Semifinals last season, Saline will play in a championship game again after most recently finishing runner-up in the MHSFHL’s Division 1 in 2024. Similar to Pioneer, Saline has allowed only one goal over four postseason games while finding the net 31 times. Minus the two losses to Pioneer, Saline has given up only six goals over 19 games. Arvai made the all-state first team last season, Elle Pufpaf made the second, and Alivia Pufpaf and Clark made the third team.