'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.
Turmell's Near No-Hitter, Byrnes' Blast Deliver Northern's 1st Finals Championship
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
June 13, 2026
EAST LANSING – Grand Haven softball coach John Hall had an idea how Saturday’s Division 1 Softball Final with Walled Lake Northern was going to go.
“I told our coaches last night at the hotel this is going to be a 2-1 game,” Hall noted.
Indeed, it was a pitcher’s duel that saw the teams combine for just four hits in Northern’s 2-1 victory.
The Finals championship was the first for the Knights – and while the result may have been predictable given the talent in the circle, it also took a minute to believe for the winner of that individual duel.
“I didn’t believe it was real until my catcher (Anna Doyle) started running at me,” said Northern senior pitcher Lyla Turmell.
The Knights also made their first appearance in a Semifinal on Thursday, edging Northville by the same 2-1 score.
This game was decided on a home run by junior Shayla Byrnes in the bottom of the sixth inning. Her fly ball down the left field line banged off the foul pole to break a 1-1 tie.
Turmell then struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning.
She had given Northern (39-3) a 1-0 lead on a homer in the first inning.
“I threw her a wicked rise ball, and she got her hands up to it,” Grand Haven pitcher Lorelei Chcuik said. “There was nothing I could do about it.”
"(I was) getting a rally started, at least," Turmell said of her round-tripper. "I knew my bat could help me."
Chciuk scored Grand Haven’s run in the fourth inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice.
Both pitchers were outstanding.
Turnell allowed only one hit, a first-inning single by Ryley Jeltema. She walked three and struck out nine.
She worked out of trouble in the top of the sixth inning, handling a comebacker with the bases loaded to end a Grand Haven rally.
Chciuk was equal to the task, striking out 12 while getting on base three times on two walks and being hit by a pitch.
Grand Haven (36-5-1) also was making its first appearance in a championship game.
“It was a game that could go either way,” Hall said. “It came down to two swings. Would I have liked to win? Sure.
“But I wouldn’t’ve traded this for nothing. Nothing.”
PHOTOS (Top) Walled Lake Northern welcomes Shaela Byrnes (9) as she crosses the plate after her go-ahead sixth-inning home run. (Middle) Grand Haven’s Ryley Jeltema is stuck between third base and home as Northern catcher Anna Doyle runs her back.