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High 5s: 11/7/12

November 7, 2012

This past Saturday saw eight teams and eight individuals crowned MHSAA champions, and this week we feature a few who will be listed among the best for all time. 

Erin Finn
West Bloomfield senior
Cross country

Finn won her second straight MHSAA individual Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, this time in 17:07.9. Her finish was the fastest from any of the four divisions that raced Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, and gave her the victory in hers by 27 seconds. Finn’s time was the fourth-best ever at an MHSAA Final. She has three of the top 15 times ever run at MIS, more than any other runner.

On track for more: Finn also won an MHSAA Track and Field championship last season, setting an all-division/class record in the 1,600 with a time of 10:17.86. That time was nearly five seconds better than the previous best.

Maize and Blue: Finn will run next season at the University of Michigan. The Wolverines cross country team is ranked No. 7 nationally heading into Friday's NCAA Great Lakes Regional. 

Scientifically speaking: Finn intends to study biomechanical engineering at U-M. "My junior year, I found out I love physics, and I already knew I loved bio and chemistry. So, what's better than to combine those?"

Runners to chase: “I looked up to Megan Goethals (of Rochester), number one, and Shannon Osika (of Waterford Mott). They’re people I competed with. I know that one day I can be like that. It’s more real to me.”

Click to read more.

Nick Raymond
Erie Mason senior
Cross country

After dashing to the lead last season and finishing fourth, Nick Raymond dominated the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final at MIS with a time of 15:05.1 – the second-fastest time for a Division 3/Class C MHSAA Final to only Maverick Darling's 14:52.8 for Ovid-Elsie in 2007. Raymond is the first individual cross country champion from Erie Mason (not counting another who finished first among individuals before team and individual placers were combined for one race beginning in 1997) and also placed in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the spring's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Track and Field Final. 

A long drive: "I've been working hard, since the first time (I ran) in sixth grade. Working hard and training hard over the summer and during mandatory practices too." 

Brotherly influence: Raymond began running cross country in the footsteps of his older brother Andrew Raymond, a 2010 graduate. "He told me, 'If you just keep working hard, just look forward at your dream, your goal, you will achieve it.'"

Now the pool, then the track: Raymond swims during the winter, specializing in butterfly and breaststroke. Then it's on to track. Raymond finished fourth in the 1,600 (4:21.84) and seventh in the 3,200 (9:44.91) at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final. 

Looking up to Pre: Like many in the running community, Raymond considers former Oregon and international star Steve Prefontaine a major influence. "I liked how he had a lot of faith in himself."

Click to read more. 

East Kentwood soccer

The top-ranked Falcons edged Grand Blanc 1-0 at Troy Athens to claim their fourth Division 1 championship in six seasons. They finished 22-1-4, their seventh with at least 20 wins in the last eight years. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Farmington United's Leah Hodge focuses at the start of an event Saturday.

Decision to Return Pays Off for Hodge, Hill Adds Individual Title to Team Win

By Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com

March 9, 2024

GRAND RAPIDS - Leah Hodge had every reason to believe her gymnastics career was over.

At various times, the Farmington United junior has overcome illness, knee surgery and finally an ankle injury at Saturday's MHSAA Individual Finals at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills.

Put it all together and Hodge, who didn't compete as a freshman, admits she was content to call it a career prior to this season.

And then came a conversation with longtime friend and eventual teammate Elena Anzivino, who "convinced" her to give high school gymnastics a last shot. How does Hodge recall that conversation?

"She yelled at me," Hodge laughed. "She told me it would be fun and that I should do it. I mean, I'm here."

The friends' tale has a storybook ending as Hodge notched first place in Saturday's Division 1 all-around (38.0). She won bars (9.55) and was runner-up on vault (9.5) while taking fourth on beam (9.425) and sixth in floor (9.525).

Salem's Katie Stewart competes on floor exercise.Instead of focusing on how someone bounces back from myriad of problems, Hodge said the title can best be described in another way.

"Mostly I'm happy for the team," she said. "We took second overall (in Friday's Team Final) and we've come a long way. Every single person has improved."

Hodge said her toughest expected event was vault. But she was topped only by Rockford/Sparta's Leah Koch, who finished first with a 9.525.

"I knew if I did well there, I would have a shot at all-around. But floor was also tough for me because I was so tired," she said.

Another gymnast who overcame a couple of rugged moments was Howell senior Maria Petru, whose falls on the bars and beam ended any hopes of an all-around title. But she bounced back to win floor (9.7). She was fifth at the Finals in all-around a year ago and wound up fourth Saturday.

"It was a rough start," said the four-year letterwinner who will attend Spring Arbor in the fall. "I was excited to win floor, especially since I had been forgetting my routine lately. But I put all I had into it, and it felt good."

Novi's Alisa Shiriashi captured first on beam (9.7) to round out the Division 1 event winners. Shiriashi, who took three years off after ending her club gymnastics career, was making her first appearance at the Finals.

Rockford/Sparta's Hailey Hill also competes on floor on the way to winning the Division 2 all-around title."A couple people convinced me to get back in it, and I'm very happy they did," she said. "They got me back into it, and I've got no regrets about that at all."

Salem senior Katie Stewart finished second in Division 1 all-around at 37.675, and Hartland sophomore Abby Griffen was third at 37.175.

The Division 2 winners were Anna Barczyk of Salem in vault (9.3) and floor (9.45), Aubrey Woodman of Farmington on bars (8.9), Kate Tracey of Rockford on beam (9.4) and Hailey Hill of Rockford in all-around (36.325).

Hill, who also competed all-around as Rockford/Sparta won Friday’s team championship, finished her high school career with her first individual Finals title after placing fourth in Division 2 a year ago.

Barczyk was second in Divison 2 all-around at 35.65, and Escanaba senior Sophia Wagner was third at 35.5.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Farmington United's Leah Hodge focuses while competing at Saturday's Individual Finals. (Middle) Salem's Katie Stewart competes on floor exercise. (Below) Rockford/Sparta's Hailey Hill also competes on floor on the way to winning the Division 2 all-around title. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)