Did you see that?
April 30, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It's only the end of April. But a number of Michigan's contenders already are in championship form.
Check out our best of results, news and notes from the week that was April 23-28.
Boys Track
What a toss: Walled Lake Central junior Cullen Prena tossed the discus an incredible 187 feet, seven inches, to win the event at the Oxford Invitational by nearly 36 feet. In fact, the toss would've won every MHSAA Final dating back to 2003. Earlier in the week he broke the Oakland County record as well. He also won the shot put at Oxford. (Oakland Press)
Girls Track
South still on top: Reigning MHSAA Division 1 champion Grosse Pointe South earned a strong early win at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational ahead of a field that included annual powers Rockford and Williamston and a strong DeWitt team. Bay City Western won the boys meet. (Playmakers.com)
Baseball
Flint Final set: Goodrich’s Bob Foreback and Davison’s Timm Rye will bring more than 1,000 victories worth of experience into this season’s Greater Flint Area Baseball Tournament championship game when their teams face off on Memorial Day. The two will meet after emerging from the field this weekend. (Flint Journal)
How do you score that: Most telling lines from the Kalamazoo Gazette’s story about Comstock turning a triple play and three double plays in one game came from Comstock coach Rich Bailey: “We have not played particularly good defense. In fact, our defense has been a problem. The skill is there; the execution hasn’t been.” (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Girls Soccer
Poll position: Rochester Adams continued to affect the Division 1 rankings while moving up itself. Adams likely helped to knock rival Rochester out of this week’s honorable mentions with a 2-0 win Thursday. The Friday before, Adams downed then top-ranked Troy 4-1. The Highlanders have opened 7-0 and are ranked No. 3 in Division 1. (Oakland Press)
Boys Basketball
Flint Powers coach moves on: Tim Herman led the Flint Powers Catholic boys basketball program only seven seasons, but they were seven of the Chargers’ most memorable. Herman resigned his post last week after more than 100 wins and the team’s only MHSAA championship, in Class B in 2009. (Flint Journal)
Football
Michigan's finest take next step: At least nine former MHSAA athletes were drafted by NFL teams (by my count) over seven rounds Thursday through Saturday. They were:
- DE Nick Perry (Detroit Martin Luther King/University of Southern California) Green Bay, first round
- DT Mike Martin (Detroit Catholic Central/University of Michigan) Tennessee, third round
- QB Kirk Cousins (Holland Christian/Michigan State University) Washington, fourth round
- WR Keshawn Martin (Westland John Glenn/Michigan State University) Houston, fourth round
- CB Chris Greenwood (Detroit Martin Luther King/Albion College) Detroit, fifth round
- S Trenton Robinson (Bay City Central/Michigan State) San Francisco, sixth round
- LB Audie Cole (Monroe/North Carolina State University) Minnesota, seventh round
- RB Edwin Baker (Oak Park/Michigan State University) San Diego, seventh round
- K John Potter (Grand Haven/Western Michigan University) New York Jets, seventh round
Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected].
Bad Axe's Ranquist Meets Her Goal, Sets Another as Newest D4 Champion
March 2, 2024
MUSKEGON – Jasmyn Ranquist had one goal Saturday, and really this whole season – just improve on last year.
Her freshmen run in 2023 was a good one – she reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals. But it was time to take the next step.
She took a few.
The Bad Axe sophomore qualified fifth for match play at the Singles Final at Northway Lanes, then rolled through her first three matches before prevailing 366-344 over Memphis junior Lauren Castillo to clinch the championship.
“One of my friends told me that because the girl last year (Gobles’ Morgan Brunner) won three years in row, that I’m next to win three years in a row,” Ranquist said. “And we’re on year one, so I’m super excited for next year.”
Ranquist bowled a high of 201 during the morning’s six-game qualifying block, while Costello qualified third rolling a pair of 212 games to finish her six.
Ranquist then opened match play with a 416-357 win over Hudson sophomore Ellie Loar before really opening things up with a 492-294 victory in her Quarterfinal and 443-339 victory in the Semifinal.
Castillo, meanwhile, showed some grit winning a roll-off with Ravenna freshman Taylor Nutt in their first match out of qualifying. Costello then stacked victories of 57 and 53 pins on the way to the Final.
Ranquist took a 209-175 lead with the first game. Castillo bested her in the second, 169-157, but not by enough to close the entire margin.
Castillo also was returning to the Finals, for the third time, and reached match play for the first.
“Lauren is one of my close friends,” Ranquist said. “I met her at Regionals last year, and she’s just amazing. And I’m so glad I got to bowl against her in the Finals.”