No Stopping Gibraltar Carlson in D2
March 2, 2013
By Dean Holzwarth
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Gibraltar Carlson senior Annie Hajec was in an unfamiliar place Saturday afternoon during the MHSAA Division 2 Final at the DeltaPlex.
Instead of helping her team compete for another championship, the four-year varsity performer was on crutches with her left ankle bandaged after tearing her Achilles tendon during Round 3 at last weekend’s Regional.
“It was definitely tough not being out there, but I knew they could do it,” Hajec said. “Every single one of those girls is so talented and so driven. It is the best team I’ve ever been on.”
The loss of a seasoned leader, however, didn’t derail the Marauders’ recent success.
Gibraltar Carlson used a dominating Round 2 effort to gain a sizable advantage and claim another MHSAA title – its third straight and fifth over the last six seasons.
The Marauders finished with a three-round total of 782.48 to end ahead of second-place Dearborn Divine Child (772.92) and third-place Mount Pleasant (762.08).
“Today was a wonderful, wonderful day,” Gibraltar Carlson coach Danielle Jokela said. “We’ve suffered a lot of setbacks this week with losing our four-year senior, who was in every round, to an injury. But they fought as hard as they could after losing at Regionals.
“We practiced Sunday through yesterday (Friday) with their whole heart, and so winning today was the sweetest victory that I’ve ever had.”
Hajec’s absence forced the Marauders to shuffle each round and throw different girls into the mix.
The changes were hardly noticeable, especially in Round 2, as the team took control with a high score of 230.48 and opened a five-point lead entering Round 3.
“We made some last-minute changes Friday,” Jokela said. “We took somebody out, and put someone else in, and it was on the line. It was heart that pulled them through because at this point, the skill was already there.”
Hajec was overwhelmed by her team’s Round 2 effort.
“That was the best that round has been all year, and I was so excited to watch it,” Hajec said. “I was jumping and screaming. I was so happy, and the team handled the pressure today very well.”
Gibraltar Carlson capped the afternoon with a spirited Round 3 and left little doubt in defending their title.
“It was a beautiful round, and I’ve never seen a group of girls fight so hard for something,” Jokela said. “We put somebody else new in that round and they decided that it wasn’t going to stop them from being state champions, because that’s what they deserved.”
While the Marauders have transformed into a perennial Division 2 powerhouse, Jokela said remaining a top contender hasn’t been easy.
“It’s real easy when you are second or third or not in the state finals at all to fight to be here, but to be in first place and consistently win is the hardest thing in the world,” she said. “It’s hard to stay on top when everyone is coming after you and you know it.”
It was an all too familiar finish for Divine Child, which won the Catholic High School League this winter.
The Falcons fell short of another MHSAA title and finished second to Gibraltar Carslon for the third straight year.
“My girls had a goal of just having three great rounds, and they just left it in the hands of the judges,” Divine Child coach Amber Genevich said. “Unfortunately, the cards didn’t fall the way we wanted them to today, and it was disappointing. But at the end of the day, I’m proud of my team and the hard work they put in all season and the obstacles they had to overcome.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Gibraltar Carlson competes during Saturday's Division 2 Final at Grand Rapids' DeltaPlex. (Middle) Dearborn Divine Child, also competing Saturday, finished runner-up this season. (Bottom) Carlson poses with its trophy on the DeltaPlex floor. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photo.)
D1 Preview: Rochester Seeks Perfection
March 3, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rochester finished mere points short in 2015 from earning an MHSAA record 13th Finals championship.
If Friday goes the same as the rest of this season so far, the Falcons this time will celebrate another title – and a perfect season as well.
Following are glances at all eight Division 1 teams competing at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex beginning at 6 p.m. Previews for Divisions 2, 3 and 4 will be published Friday morning and early afternoon. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
EAST KENTWOOD
Rank: No. 5.
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Co-coaches: Stacy Geerts, 15th season.
Championship history: Two runner-up finishes (most recent 2010).
Top score: 787.80.
Team composition: 26 total (five seniors, nine juniors, eight sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: East Kentwood is back at the Finals for the first time since its runner-up finish in 2010; the Falcons also were runners-up in 2004. East Kentwood also won its fourth league and third District title in five seasons after missing out on both last season. The Falcons have finished first or second in seven straight events, scoring 780 points or higher in all of them after doing so only once during their first six events, and their top Round 2 score of 231.8 also is tops in any division this season. Senior Ciboney Woods and junior Tyra Hunt made the all-region second team in 2015.
GRANDVILLE
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: First in O-K Red.
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 35th season.
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), eight runner-up finishes.
Top score: 789.90 at District.
Team composition: 30 total (eight seniors, 14 juniors, four sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: After just missing on a championship in 2014, Grandville took the next step last winter to win its first MHSAA title since 2011. The Bulldogs have the top Round 1 (238.7) and 3 (322.0) scores regardless of division this season and an experienced nucleus of upperclassmen despite graduating a strong group last spring. Seniors Mackenzie Brower and Kelsey Russell made the all-state second team last season, and juniors Kayley Schuitema and Daelyn Weir earned honorable mentions.
HUDSONVILLE
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: Third in O-K Red.
Coach: Amanda Isenga, 11th season.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2012.
Top score: 777.52 at the Regional.
Team composition: 29 total (10 seniors, 11 juniors, three sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Hudsonville is back at the Finals after two seasons away and has been steadily building, increasing its overall score four straight events. The Eagles’ strongest round is Round 3, where its 319.4 top score is tied for seventh-highest in Division 1 this season, and they finished first or second overall in six events. Junior Amanda Adams earned all-district honorable mention last season.
LAKE ORION
Rank: No. 9.
League finish: Fifth in Oakland Activities Association Red.
Coach: Nicole Hills, third season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 778.22 in the Regional.
Team composition: 28 total (four seniors, 11 juniors, nine sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Lake Orion emerged after a fifth-place finish in the competitive OAA Red to return to the Finals for the third time under Hills, rising from that league finish to take first in its District and third in its Regional. The Dragons’ top Round 2 score of 229.8 is ninth-best in Division 1, and its best overall score of 780.7 ranks 10th. Senior Destiny Roper and juniors Olivia Duffy and Sydney Johnson both earned all-region second-team honors in 2015, when the team finished fourth at the Finals.
ROCHESTER
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red.
Coach: Susan Wood, 35th season.
Championship history: Twelve MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 789.84 in the District.
Team composition: 25 total (13 seniors, 12 juniors).
Outlook: Last season’s Final, when Rochester finished 1.47 points from winning the championship, was the last time the team finished lower than first in an event. The Falcons have swept the season so far, posting its first of three scores of 788 or higher in just the third event of the winter. None of Rochester’s round high scores are tops in Division 1 this season, but its average total score of 781.9 is 6.5 points better than the field. Senior Allison Surinck made the all-state first team last season, while senior Gabby Leo made the second and seniors Fallon Franczyk and Kaitlyn Kok earned honorable mentions.
SOUTHGATE ANDERSON
Rank: No. 6.
League finish: Second in Downriver League.
Coach: Stacey Shaw, second season.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2014).
Top score: 780.74.
Team composition: 29 total (eight seniors, seven juniors, nine sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Anderson missed the Finals last season after winning three straight Division 1 titles from 2012-14, but the Titans are back after winning their District and finishing fourth at their Regional. Shaw was an assistant on the championship teams before being promoted last winter, and she brings a team that has scored fewer than 770 points only once over its last eight events and boasts the fifth-highest average overall score in Division 1 of 768.7. Seniors Amber Droste, Brittany Prister and Cassidy Tear and junior Alana Vallar earned all-region honors a year ago.
STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red.
Coach: Brianna Verdoodt, 11th season.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up in 2011.
Top score: 787.34 at the Regional.
Team composition: 28 total (six seniors, seven juniors, 13 sophomores, two freshmen)
Outlook: Stevenson’s Titans returned to the Finals last season and finished seventh, but less than a point out of fifth. They’ve finished first or second in their last nine events, including first at their District and second at their Regional, and lower than second only once this season. The top scores in all three of their rounds rank among the top 10 in Division 1, and Stevenson’s overall average score of 775.4 is second only to Rochester’s. Senior Kenzi Denoff made the all-state second team last season, and sophomore Izzie Nitecki earned honorable mention as freshman.
TROY ATHENS
Rank: No. 8.
League finish: Fourth in OAA Red.
Coach: Stephanie Brosky, 16th season; Kaja Clark, eighth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 784.90.
Team composition: 21 total (12 seniors, two juniors, three sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: After a season away, Athens is back in the Finals also coming out of the OAA Red, following up league competition with third-place finishes at the District and Regional. The Red Hawks especially shine in Round 3, where their top score of 320.9 is tied for third over all divisions; their average overall score of 768.1 ranks sixth in Division 1. Athens is on a streak of three straight events with scores of at least 774.
PHOTO: Rochester performs its Round 3 routine at last season’s Division 1 Final en route to an overall runner-up finish.