Ramping Up for Prepapalooza 2014
May 27, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Over the next five days, thousands of teams representing more than 700 MHSAA high schools will compete for championships at the District, Regional and Finals levels in 11 sports in what annually is the busiest week in Michigan high school sports.
MHSAA.com and Second Half are the places to be for results, coverage and live video from championship events all over both Peninsulas.
Total, 26 Finals champions will be crowned in girls and boys tennis, girls and boys track and field and Upper Peninsula girls and boys golf, with 36 Regional champions rewarded in girls and boys lacrosse and Lower Peninsula boys golf and 320 winners earning trophies in softball, baseball and girls soccer. All tournament rounds combined, more than 8,000 medals will be presented to individual winners or contributors on those team champions.
Game scores as they are reported for baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse will be available on the MHSAA Score Center throughout the week. Full results from golf Regionals also will be posted over the next five days, as will Finals tennis and golf results as we receive them from Lower and Upper Peninsula hosts (Lower Peninsula tennis opening rounds late Friday evening). Track and Field Finals results will be posted Saturday evening.
All MHSAA Finals from both peninsulas will be covered with stories and photos on Second Half by a crew of valuable correspondents from around the state. Second Half will continue its coverage at the Lacrosse and LP Boys Golf Finals on June 14 and the Baseball, Softball and Girls Soccer Finals from June 19-21.
Live championship races from all seven sites of MHSAA Track and Field Finals will be available on a subscription basis on MHSAA.TV, beginning with the 3,200-meter relays at 10 a.m. at each site. The rest of the Upper Peninsula races then will continue, with Lower Peninsula championship races beginning again at 1 p.m. Highlights from this week's golf and tennis championship events will debut on MHSAA.TV in July.
PHOTOS: (Top) Runners push toward the finish during the 2013 LP Division 3 Final. (Middle) Members of the Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart tennis team hold up number ones to signify their place at last season's LP Division 4 Final.
Mustangs Pull Ahead During Final Events with Championship-Clinching Speed
By
Dan D'Addona
Special for Second Half
November 19, 2022
HOLLAND – Bloomfield Hills Marian and Holland Christian were in a fight to the finish at the Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Swimming & Diving Finals.
Marian used a late surge to hold off the home-pool Maroons and win the championship with 245 points.
Holland Christian was second with 230.5, followed by Milan (208), while Adrian (154.5), Grand Rapids Christian (148.5), Wayland (130), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (128.5), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (90), Detroit Country Day (87) and Dundee (82) rounded out the top 10.
"When it came down to it, I knew we needed a lead going into the 400 free relay. Milan and Holland Christian perform so well every year," Marian coach Dave Eichenhorn said. "We knew it would be a major task. The girls bought in. There was nothing but faith and trust. I am not surprised by the performance, but I am surprised at how great it was."
The meet started with Bloomfield Hills Marian winning the 200 medley relay. Lily Low, Rachel Bello, Marianna Becharas and Axelle Ballarin won the event in 1:48.67. Holland Christian was second (1:49.63) and Wayland was third (1:49.94).
Bello won the 100 breaststroke as well to help clinch the title, overcoming the points deficit on paper heading into the Finals. Marian entered the meet ranked No. 3 behind Holland Christian and Milan.
"It is the overall energy of the team. It is so positive and encouraging," Bello said. "The energy never stopped. It means so much to us. We haven't won since 2014, and it was such a close meet. I couldn't ask for a better state meet."
The Maroons were close and led a couple of times late before Marian's stellar final three events. The runner-up finish was Holland Christian's highest since 1997.
"We talked about being content with whatever we walked away with. Today, this is what we had and they just happened to have some really talented girls who swam really well this weekend," Holland Christian coach Lisa Myrick said. "They had more than we had today.”
Here is a look at how the events unfolded:
The 200 freestyle was won by Milan's Annabelle Williams (1:54.09), finishing ahead of Detroit Country Day's Ella Dziobak (1:54.45) and Trenton's Sophia Shaul (1:54.51).
Bello claimed the 200 IM in 2:06.08, ahead of Flat Rock's Lauren McNamara (2:07.21) and Standish's Scarlet Maison (2:08.30).
Wayland's Laney Wolf won the 50 freestyle in 23.89, ahead of Adrian's Ella Salenbien (24.39) and Ogemaw Heights' Kiera Danitz.
Grosse Ile's Kaitlyn Molnar won diving (360.05), ahead of Haslett's Ali Viaches (340.00) and Hamilton's Anevay Hager (336.5).
In the 100 butterfly, Flat Rock's McNamara won in 55.26, ahead of Notre Dame Prep's Emma Ciesla (58.29) and South Haven's Abby Wettlaufer (59.46).
Wolf doubled up after winning the 50 free and claimed the 100 free in 51.93. St. John's Ella Schafer was second (52.24), followed by Milan's Annabelle Williams (52.46).
Dziobak won the 500 freestyle in 5:04.23, followed by Shaul (5:04.30) and Milan's Phoebe Rhoney (5:18.18).
Marian's Low, Ballarin, Lena McKenney and Bello won the 200 freestyle relay (1:38.72) ahead of Holland Christian (1:39.55) and Milan (1:39.77).
Cranbrook Kingswood's Julijana Jelic won the 100 backstroke in 57.35, ahead of Ionia's Madeline McGee (59.19) and Dundee's Joslyn Ball (59.49).
Bello won the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.44, ahead of Mason (1:06.91) and Schaefer (1:07.24).
Adrian's Francesca Scarabottolo, Eleanora Andre, Emily Hess and Ella Salenbien won the 400 free relay (3:37.18). Milan was second (3:37.83), and Marian was third (3:41.85).
PHOTOS by High School Sports Scene.