Preview: Anticipating a Few New Orders
November 16, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A change in division by one state power could change things up significantly at two of this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals.
Regular favorites are expected to contend again in Division 1 after Rockford emerged to claim its first title last year. But Division 2 will welcome East Grand Rapids after the Pioneers posted one of the all-time impressive wins in Division 3 last fall. And a number of contenders are looking to return to the podium in Division 3 after EGR won three of the last four titles.
Prelims are Friday, and championship competition is Saturday. Below is a look at team contenders and top individuals to watch at all three Finals. All three will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and covered with stories posted to Second Half later Saturday evening. Click for full meet information including times and event orders.
LP Division 1 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Rockford
2016 runner-up: Farmington Hills Mercy
2017 top-ranked: 1. Saline, 2. Farmington Hills Mercy, 3. Rockford.
Saline and Mercy are expected to push each other for the top spot – Saline is going for its first title since 2014 and Mercy for its first since 2013, although the Marlins have finished among the top two five of the last six seasons. Saline has 14 swimmers/relays seeded among the top 16 plus two divers competing – and among those 14 on the swim side are six top seeds, including two in the relays. Mercy doesn’t have a top seed, but does have 14 swimmers seeded to score plus three competing divers. Rockford has only 16 athletes/relays total, but 12 are seeded to score swim points and its diver was third at her Regional.
Casey Chung, Ann Arbor Skyline sophomore – Chung is top-seeded in the backstroke (54.69) and also will swim the 50 and on the 400 freestyle and top-seeded 200 medley relays. She finished 11th in the individual medley and fourth in the backstroke last season.
Johanna Jorgenson, Saline sophomore – After taking fifth in both the 50 and 100 freestyles last season, Jorgenson is seeded first in both at 23.05 and 50.30 seconds, respectively. She also could swim on the top-seeded 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Morgan Kraus, Rockford junior – Kraus was second in the butterfly and third in the backstroke in 2016, and enters this weekend with the third seed in the 50 (23.38) to go with her top seed in the butterfly (54.63).
Maddie Luther, Saline junior – The reigning champion in the 200 and runner-up in the 500 freestyles is top-seeded in the 200 (1:48.11) by three seconds and second-seeded in the 500 (5:04.11), while also possibly swimming on the two top-seeded freestyle relays.
Katie Minnich, Farmington Hills Mercy senior – Minnich is looking to cap her career with a fourth straight backstroke championship; she is seeded second to Chung in that race at 55:04 and also third in the IM at 2:05.02
Georgia Mosher, Ann Arbor Skyline senior – Mosher has won two straight 500 freestyle championships and enters seeded eighth (5:06.08) in that race but fourth in the breaststroke (1:04.62). She also could swim on the top-seeded medley relay.
Lola Mull, Grand Ledge sophomore – Mull has the top seed in the 500 at 4:48.66, more than five seconds faster than the field, and is seeded second in the 200 freestyle (1:51.10). She finished sixth in the 200 and third in the 500 last season.
Lizzy Spears, Saline senior – After finishing third in the IM and eighth in the breaststroke last fall, Spears has the top seed in the IM (2:01.37) and third in the butterfly (55.41). She also is an option to swim on both top-seeded freestyle relays.
Ashley Turak, Farmington/Harrison junior – After entering last season’s Final with top-two seeds in both freestyle sprints, Turak finished second in the 50 and fourth in the 100. She enters this weekend in a similar spot – second-seeded in the 50 (23.15) and the 100 (50.52).
Claire Tuttle, Hudsonville sophomore – Tuttle finished third in the breaststroke as a freshman and carries the top seed in that race this time at 1:02.49. She’ll also swim the 100 freestyle.
Saline 200 freestyle relay – The Hornets are seeded first with a time of 1:35.19, identical to the time they swam last season that ranks fourth in LPD1 Finals history and is eight tenths of a second off the meet record.
Zain Smith, Ann Arbor Skyline junior – Smith won her Diving Regional last week with a score of 436.95, the third-highest Regional score in Division 1, and is the top returning finisher from last year’s Final after coming in second to graduated champion Camryn McPherson of Saline.
LP Division 2 at Holland Aquatic Center
Reigning champion: Birmingham Seaholm
2016 runner-up: Dexter
2017 top-ranked: 1. East Grand Rapids, 2. Dexter, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
Last season’s LP Division 3 champion East Grand Rapids is back in Division 2, where it finished runner-up to Dexter in 2015. The Pioneers’ return didn’t affect their ability to qualify – EGR has all three relays and 16 individuals seeded among the top 16 of their events, with two top seeds, plus four divers competing. Without EGR in the mix last year, Seaholm finished 37.5 points ahead of the Dreadnaughts. Dexter has 12 individuals and all three relays seeded to score, plus two divers, while Seaholm has 11 individuals and three relays seeded to score and two divers as well.
Royal Oak senior Julia Boswell – Boswell is seeded to finish her career with a second championship but in a different race, carrying the top seed in the 200 freestyle (2:05.24) by more than two seconds after winning the 500 a year ago. She is seeded second in the 500 (4:58.91), only 42 hundredths of a second from topping that list too. She also took a 10th in the IM last year.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Felicity Buchmaier – The reigning champion in the backstroke and butterfly has won three individual titles total over the last two seasons. This weekend, she’s seeded second in the butterfly (56.79) and third in the backstroke (57.75).
East Grand Rapids senior Ileah Doctor – The reigning Division 3 champion in the 50 and breaststroke also is seeded first at this meet in the 50 (23.12) and second in the 100 freestyle (51.87). She also could swim on the top-seeded 200 freestyle relay and second-seeded medley relay.
Birmingham Seaholm senior Haley Dolan – Dolan won the 50 in 2016 and also swam on two championship relays. She’s seeded fourth in the 50 (24.05), 15th in the 100 and is an option on all three relays including the top-seeded medley.
Grosse Pointe South junior Clarice Fisher – She enters with the top seed in the butterfly (56.13) ahead of reigning champion Buchmaier, plus has the sixth seed in the breaststroke (1:07.13). Fisher was second in the butterfly and eighth in the IM last year.
East Grand Rapids junior Sydney Higgins – Last season’s backstroke champion in Division 3 brings more EGR star power back to Division 2; she’s seeded seventh in the backstroke (59.71) and will swim the IM and possibly two relays including the medley.
Rochester Adams junior Lisa Lohner – She finished ninth in the 500 and qualified in the 200 free in Division 1 last season, but is lined up for a big meet with the top seed in the 500 (4:58.49) and second seed in the 200 (1:52.80). She also could swim on the top-seeded 400 freestyle and second-seeded 200 freestyle relays.
Midland Dow sophomore Claire Newman – After finishing second in both the 50 and 100 freestyles as a freshman, Newman is expected to break through with at least one title. She’s seeded second in the 50 (23.69) behind Doctor and first in the 100 (51.44) ahead of her, plus could swim on the second-seeded 400 freestyle relay.
Dexter senior Annette Schultz – With a combined four individual and two relay championships over the last two seasons, Schultz enters as one of the anticipated stars again this weekend. She’s fourth-seeded in the 100 (52.49) and top-seeded in the 200 (1:52.73) freestyles as she attempts to win both for the third straight season.
Allison Steffin, Temperance Bedford senior – Steffin took sixth in the breaststroke and was part of a runner-up relay a year ago. She’s top-seeded in the breaststroke (1:05.09) and also will swim the IM.
Grosse Pointe North senior Sam Villani – After finishing third in the backstroke and sixth in the 100 freestyle in 2016, Villani has the sixth seed in the 100 (53.10) but the top seed in the backstroke (56.52).
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central junior Anna Hansen – The reigning Finals diving champion’s Regional score last week of 454.45 was more than 28 points higher than anyone else’s in Division 2. She won last year’s title by just more than six points over Fenton’s Taylor Shegos, a senior who also was a Regional champ last week.
LP Division 3 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: East Grand Rapids
2016 runner-up: Bloomfield Hills Marian
2017 top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 3. Holland Christian.
East Grand Rapids put up an incredible 512 points to win Division 3 a year ago, but is in Division 2 this weekend. But Marian put up a similarly impressive 364 points to finish second last year, 189 points ahead of the rest of the field. The Mustangs enter this weekend with four top seeds among their three relays and 13 individuals seeded to score. Cranbrook Kingswood, seventh last season, has three relays and nine individual swimmers seeded to score, and Holland Christian will attempt to move up from third last year with three relays and 11 swimmers seeded to score plus two divers competing.
Bloomfield Hills Marian senior Lauren Biglin – The reigning champion in both races is seeded first in the 200 (1:51.67) and 500 (5:04.80), the latter by nearly nine seconds. She also could swim on top-seeded 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Milan senior Madelyn Cislo – She’s seeded to repeat as the champion in the IM, entering with a time of 2:05.95 that’s more than five seconds better than anyone else’s in Division 3. Cislo also is seeded second in the butterfly after finishing third last season.
South Haven freshman Ellie Frost – Arguably the fastest of a standout group of freshmen as this meet, Frost is seeded first in the 100 freestyle (53.21) and second in the 50 (24.21).
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep sophomore Rhianna Hensler – She had quite a debut last season, setting a meet record in the butterfly (56.21) and finishing 11th in the IM. Hensler is top-seeded in the butterfly (55.13) with a time that would break her record, and she’s also top-seeded in the 50 (23.76).
Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior Susan LaGrand – LaGrand finished second in both the butterfly and IM last season after winning both as a sophomore. LaGrand and Hensler both broke LaGrand’s meet record in the butterfly last year; LaGrand will try to finish back on top in that race and enters with the third seed (58.18) and the top seed in the backstroke (57.55).
St. Clair senior Molly Likins – After finishing second in the breaststroke and qualifying in the 50 last year, Likins will swim both races again and is seeded first in the breaststroke (1:05.26) by nearly three seconds. She also could swim on the second-seeded medley relay.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood freshman Gwen Woodbury – Another standout freshman, Woodbury is seeded third in the 200 freestyle (1:54.85) and second in the 100 (53.31) only a tenth of a second behind Frost. She also could swim on any of relays including two seeded second.
Milan junior Mackenzie Crawford – The reigning diving champion won last year’s Final by more than 62 points, and her 431.25 at last week’s Regional was 64.5 points ahead of her field and the second highest in the division.
Wayland senior Allyson Schafer – She finished second in diving last season to Crawford, but posted the highest Regional score in the division last week at 449.15.
PHOTO: Swimmers launch during a race at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
3 Michigan Leaders Earn NFHS National 'Coach of the Year' Honors
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 18, 2022
Three Michigan high school varsity coaches have been recognized among 23 National Coaches of the Year for 2020-21 by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NHFS) Coaches Association.
Ann Arbor Pioneer girls swimming & diving coach Stefanie Kerska, Bronson volleyball coach Jean LaClair and DeWitt football coach Rob Zimmerman were selected by a committee including representatives from all eight NFHS sections – Michigan is part of Section 4 with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The following brief bios includes an excerpt from each honoree’s coaching philosophy, which nominees were asked to submit after being identified as candidates for the awards.
Stefanie Kerska took over both the Ann Arbor Pioneer girls and boys swimming & diving programs during the 2014-15 school year, and she has led the girls to the last two Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals championships; her 2020 team doubled up the runner-up’s score with 368 points, and this fall’s team climbed even higher with 405.5 points at the season-ending meet. She also led the girls team to a runner-up Finals finish in 2019 and the boys team to last season’s LPD1 Finals championship. Kerska previously served as an assistant coach at University of Michigan from 1997-2012 and on the USA Swimming national team staff from 2008-16. She remains active with USA Swimming, the FINA Swimming Development Team and as a presenter for the Summit for Empowering Women in Swim. She was named the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Coach of the Year for both Division 1 girls and boys during the 2020-21 school year.
“Athletics starts with a belief in belonging and making every team member feel safe and valued. Teammates should depend on coaches and each other for support, guidance and motivation to be the best they can be. Athletics should create an environment where effort, attitude and dependability are valued and required for success. It is often said that athletics builds character. I, however, believe it reveals it.”
Jean LaClair ranks fourth in Michigan high school volleyball coaching history for varsity victories with a record of 1,289-398-99 having led Midland Dow from 1988-90, Pinconning from 1997-99 and Bronson beginning with the 2000-01 winter season. She’s coached Bronson to five MHSAA Finals championships – including four straight in Class C/Division 3 from 2015-18 – and her last two teams have reached the Division 3 Quarterfinals and Regional Semifinals, respectively. She is a longtime executive board member of the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association and has served as president, and was a 2017 inductee to the Michigan High School Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame. She also serves as Bronson’s athletic director and has received both the MHSAA’s Women In Sports Leadership Award and Allen W. Bush Award.
“High school athletics should be a lifelong, fun experience for our student-athletes where they learn what it takes to be a part of a team, what it means to work hard for the team. Those who play competitive spots in high school demonstrate more confidence, leadership and self-respect. They learn to set goals and manage their time! They have a better appreciation for diversity and a more developed sense of morality. These are all reasons why athletics are important, and I love working with our kids to make them better leaders for the community and world.”
Rob Zimmerman led DeWitt to the last two Division 3 championship games and the Panthers’ first MHSAA Finals title to cap the 2020 season with a 12-0 record. He’s built a 241-67 record coaching DeWitt’s varsity since 1999 after previously coaching the varsity at Cedar Springs from 1996-98. He also has served as a head varsity track & field coach and middle school wrestling coach during his tenure in school sports, and he has served as both a regional director and on the executive board for the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. His teams total have played in six MHSAA Finals, to go with 19 league, 14 District and 12 Regional titles during his 23 seasons at DeWitt. He has five times received statewide Coach of the Year recognition from The Associated Press, and in 2020 was named the state Dream Team Coach of the Year by both the Detroit Free Press and MHSFCA and state Coach of the Year by the MHSCA and Detroit Lions.
“In an ever-changing world that poses more social and emotional challenges for young people than ever before, systems that can provide a foundational support and teach high levels of collaboration, discipline, accountability and relationships are more important that ever. Athletics provides young people the opportunity to foster and cultivate these key traits that are crucial for their development. For future success, students need to be equipped to handle a variety of diverse situations and work with a variety of diverse people. This is sports at its core.”
Rockford wrestling coach Brian Richardson was honored in Section 4 after leading the Rams to the Division 1 Semifinals and a 20-4 record.
The NFHS has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982.