Pair of Michigan School Sports' Best Receive National Accolades
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 4, 2021
A pair of longtime and significant contributors to school athletics in Michigan have been recognized nationally as the best in their respective fields by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.
Battle Creek St. Philip volleyball coach Vicky Groat was named national Coach of the Year in her sport, while recently-retired administrator Fred Smith was named national Athletic Director of the Year by the NHSACA.
Both were nominated for the national recognition by the Michigan High School Coaches Association. They received their awards at last week’s NHSACA Annual Conference in Lincoln, Neb.
Groat last season led St. Philip to the Division 4 championship, the program’s 11th Finals title with her as head coach. She ranks sixth in MHSAA history with 1,177 coaching wins (1,177-275-93) over 22 seasons. She also serves as principal and athletic director at her school.
Smith served 38 years total as a teacher, coach and administrator with stops at St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, Comstock, Buchanan and Benton Harbor before retiring in 2017. He received a Citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2019 for his various contributions not only in Michigan but nationally, especially in athletic director education and development.
Both Groat and Smith, coincidentally, are graduates of Battle Creek St. Philip. Both also have served on the MHSAA Representative Council, including Smith four years as vice president.
Additionally, Temperance Bedford volleyball coach Jodi Manore and longtime Warren De La Salle Collegiate lacrosse coach and athletic director Mike Jolly were inducted into the NHSACA Hall of Fame. Manore is the winningest coach in MHSAA volleyball history and all-time nationally as well with a record of 2,128-369-59 at Bedford from 1980-83 and again from 1990-2020. Jolly led the Pilots lacrosse program to a 215-105 record and also coached football, basketball and baseball.
Story in Photos: 2022 Volleyball Division 1 & 4 Semifinals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 17, 2022
BATTLE CREEK – Two of this season’s four MHSAA volleyball championship pairings were decided during Thursday’s Semifinals, with a pair of first-time finalists set to play for the Division 4 title and the remaining Division 1 contenders meeting for the second edition of one of this regular season’s most notable matches.
Saturday’s first two Finals will see the following face off at Kellogg Arena:
10 a.m. – Division 4 – Athens (34-12-3) vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (43-7-6)
Noon – Division 1 – Bloomfield Hills Marian (48-1) vs. Northville (47-3)
Division 2 and 3 Semifinals will be played Friday. Click here for more.
Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Thursday’s Semifinals.
A pair of Northville players, right, put up a block during their 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-13, 15-13 comeback Semifinal win over Saline, which finished 38-9-1.
Mustangs setter Ella Craggs sets up her hitters Thursday. She finished with 45 assists, while Saline setter Laney Burns had 54. Both totals qualify for the MHSAA record book.
Marian’s Ava Sarafa (2) sets as a pair of Mustangs hitters begin their moves toward the net during their team’s 25-23, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, which finished 44-5-1. Sarafa totaled with 36 assists.
Mustangs libero Lauren Heming (1) dives to keep the ball in play. She finished with six digs and eight aces as the back-to-back reigning champions advanced.
Kate Lipscomb (7) serves for Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart during its 25-11, 25-10, 25-22 sweep of Crystal Falls Forest Park on Thursday.
Sacred Heart’s Lillie Laney (9) and Sophie Hauck (2) put up a block on Forest Park’s Leah Feldhausen (15). Laney had a match-high 16 kills and Hauck led the team with 19 assists. Feldhausen had eight kills for the Trojans, who finished 16-5.
Athens’ Kamryn Parlin (4) and Alaina Brubaker (8) put up a block as Lansing Christian’s Anna Jackson (5) looks for an opening in the defense. Athens swept the Division 4 Semifinal 25-18, 25-20, 25-23.
Lansing Christian’s Lydia Brogan (4) attempts to tip the ball over the net with Brubaker and Kylie Quist (1) defending. Quist led Athens with a match-high 11 kills, and Brubaker had a match-high 29 assists. The Pilgrims ended the season 30-12-1.
TOP PHOTO Athens players engulf each other after clinching their first trip to Finals day by sweeping Lansing Christian at Kellogg Arena.