Add, Subtract, Divide, Multiply: MHSAA Not Alone
July 25, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
This is the third part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
As the MHSAA faces its most recent classification task with 8-Player Football, and opinions continue to swirl about as to the method, timeframe, location and other procedures, a look around the country provides plenty of company among state association brethren factoring variables into their own equations.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon School Activities Association Football Playoffs are under public scrutiny as leadership ponders a five or six classification format beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
The OSAA has crowned six champions on the gridiron since 2006-07. Many of the state’s smaller schools would like to keep it that way, while larger schools lean toward a five-classification system, citing larger leagues, ease of travel and credibility to state championships as the advantages.
Still others would prefer more than six classes, pointing to safety issues and the opportunity to increase participation numbers as positives.
Moving southeast of Oregon, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association recently voted to hold serve on a classification proposal that was volleyed to the membership.
However, changes still could be forthcoming by as early as the 2018-19 season which would add a fifth classification in more populated southern Nevada while allowing northern schools to participate in four classifications. Such divisions could mean no state championship for the fifth class in southern Nevada.
Because of that, the NIAA wants equal numbers of schools in each classification on both ends of the state. Complicating the issue is the fact that the 24 largest schools in the state, by enrollment, are all in Clark County in Southern Nevada.
Across Nevada’s border into Arizona, charter schools are asking the Arizona Interscholastic Association to reconsider classification that was voted upon and approved in September 2015. That agreement called for the largest 33 percent of charter schools by enrollment to be placed in the state’s largest school classification, 3A, the middle 33 percent into 2A, and the smallest 33 percent into 1A.
Less than two years later the charter schools have had a change of heart and have asked to be considered the same as other Arizona public schools and be placed appropriately by enrollment beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
The situation in Arizona further illustrates how the public/private debate that all state associations have faced throughout existence now has the added dynamic of rapidly growing charter schools in today’s educational system, along with virtual school enrollment.
In the nation’s heartland, Nebraska has retooled its football classifications by using enrollment of boys students only in its schools rather than total enrollment. The Nebraska School Activities Association football-playing schools will kick off the 2018 season using this alignment.
Nebraska has three classes of 11-player football, with the smallest class divided in two, Class C-1 and C-2. The state also will have 8-player football for boys enrollments under 47, and the NSAA will sponsor a new 6-player tournament in 2018 for schools with 27 or fewer boys.
“This is a good proposal because some schools have a sizable imbalance between the number of boys and girls, and there’s a large gap (in enrollment) between the largest and smallest schools in Classes A and B,” NSAA executive director Jim Tenopir said. “I think this addresses both of those concerns.”
Swimmers in Georgia, meanwhile, will feel like they are moving with the current, rather than upstream in 2017-18, as the Georgia High School Association recently doubled the number of team championship events from two to four.
Swim enthusiasts can also count on longer days at the finals, as the top 30 finishers from the prelims will advance to the finals instead of 20, and all championship events will have three heats versus two.
Preview: Reigning Champs, Freshman Standouts Among Anticipated Pacesetters
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 21, 2024
Last season’s team champions are expected to continue building on their title streaks at this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals.
Ann Arbor Pioneer is seeking a fifth-straight championship in Division 1, East Grand Rapids is seeking a second-straight in Division 3 but fourth consecutive overall, and Farmington Hills Mercy is favored to repeat in Division 2.
As always, several standouts also will contend for individual titles, with seniors and juniors dominating those conversations in all three divisions – but a pair of freshmen in Division 2 making major waves as well.
Competition begins at noon for Friday’s preliminaries and Saturday’s championships. Friday’s action will begin with swimming, with divers taking the pool approximately 3:30 p.m. at all three sites. Tickets cost $11 both days, and all three Finals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv both days. Click for information on purchasing tickets, plus schedules and qualifiers for all three meets.
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Holland Aquatic Center
Reigning champion: Ann Arbor Pioneer
2023 runner-up: Grand Haven
2024 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Jenison, 3. Northville.
Ann Arbor Pioneer has won four straight Division 1 championships, and another would give this recent group the second-longest title streak in program history behind the 2000-08 teams that won nine consecutive. Pioneer has all three relays and an incredible 26 individual entries seeded to score (among the top 16 in their respective races), plus three divers competing – so another title wouldn’t stun anyone. Jenison has been rising – finishing runner-up in Division 2 in 2022 and third in Division 1 a year ago – and should make a run at the top spots again. Jenison has all three relays and 13 individual entries seeded to score. Northville, the runner-up in 2022 and seventh last year, has all three relays and 10 individual entries seeded to score, plus a diver.
Makenzie Baldwin, Holland West Ottawa senior: She finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke and fifth in the 200 freestyle last season, and she’s seeking her first championship seeded seventh in the 200 free but first in the backstroke (56.48).
Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield junior: She’s claimed the 200 and 500 freestyle championships both of her first two seasons, and she’s seeded first in both in 1:50.67 and 4:51.29, respectively – with the 500 time more than 14 seconds faster than the field.
Cambell Quijano, Rockford senior: After finishing 10th in the 100 butterfly and 13th in the 200 free as a junior, she’s replaced the 200 with the 100 backstroke and is seeded first in the butterfly (56.59).
Bailey Robinson, Bloomfield Hills sophomore: She debuted last season finishing sixth in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 500, and she’s seeded first in both sprints this weekend with a 23.07 in the 50 and 50.25 in the 100 freestyle – the latter by nearly a second.
Sophia Umstead, Jenison senior: She’ll look to cap her high school career by adding to her two-year totals of four individual and four relay championships – including titles in Division 1 last season in the butterfly and 100 breaststroke and as part of the 200 free and medley relays. She enters this weekend with the top seeds in the 200 individual medley by more than six seconds (1:59.72) and by two seconds in the breaststroke (1:00.68), and she’s likely to swim on the top-seeded 200 medley relay (1:44.59) and second-seeded 200 free relay (1:36.56).
Ann Arbor Pioneer 200 freestyle relay: The Pioneers – potentially of seniors Ursula Ott and Reese Heidenreich, junior Katelyn Van Ryn and sophomore Cecilia Walusek – could make a run at the meet record of 1:32.85 swam by Jenison just last year. The Pioneers’ seed time is 1:33.54.
Tristan Krajcarski, Oxford senior: After finishing third last season – a little more than 25 points off the lead – Krajcarski posted the top qualifying score at her Regional (462.55) by more than 117 points, and her score was 71 points higher than any others in all of Division 1.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Farmington Hills Mercy
2023 runner-up: Birmingham Seaholm
2024 top-ranked: 1. Farmington Hills Mercy, 2. Grosse Pointe South, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
Mercy won last season’s championship by nearly 130 points and enters this weekend with all three relays and 19 individuals seeded to score, and three divers competing. Grosse Pointe South is seeking to move up from fifth a year ago and could with three relays and 14 individual entries seeded among the top 16 in their respective races. Seaholm is seeking to climb the podium again after most recently winning three straight Finals from 2019-21. The Maples have three relays and 14 individuals seeded to score, two more just outside the top 16 seeds in their events, and a diver competing.
Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South freshman: She’ll make her Finals debut seeded first in the butterfly (55.47), second in the backstroke (57.29) and likely to swim on the second-seeded 400 freestyle (3:35.5) and 200 medley (1:47.98) relays.
Tess Heavner, Fenton senior: After winning the backstroke and IM last season, she’ll attempt to cap her high school career with two more titles seeded first in those races in 55.90 and 2:05.32, respectively.
Amelia Malarz, Midland Dow freshman: Another standout freshman, she’s seeded first in the breaststroke (1:04.24) by more than a second, third in the IM (2:08.13) and is likely to swim on two top-six relays.
Vera Roberson, Midland Dow sophomore: She debuted last year by finishing sixth in the 50 and eighth in the 100 freestyle and is expected to take a sizable jump, seeded first in both the 50 (23.70) and 100 (51.78) and also likely to swim on two top-six relays.
Adrienne Schadler, Ann Arbor Skyline sophomore: She seeded first in the 200 freestyle (1:48.61) by more than six seconds after winning the race last season as a freshman, and also seeded first in the 500 (4:53.63) by more than 14 seconds after finishing runner-up in that race a year ago.
Avery Tack, Farmington Hills Mercy sophomore: Her first Finals in 2023 saw her finish third in the 100 and 200 freestyles and swim on the winning 200 free relay and runner-up 400 free. She’s seeded second this time in the IM to Heavner (2:07.98) and in the butterfly to Bryan (56.26) and likely to swim on top-seeded 200 free (1:36.31) and 400 free (3:32.01) relays.
Bronwyn Minnick, East Lansing senior: She placed 10th last season but posted a 395.75 to win her Regional qualifier by 24.3 points with the highest score in all of Division 2.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: East Grand Rapids
2023 runner-up: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
2024 top-ranked: 1. East Grand Rapids, 2. Holland Christian, 3. Bloomfield Hills Marian.
East Grand Rapids has won three straight Finals championships – in Division 3 last year and 2021, and in Division 2 in 2022 – and enters this weekend with three relays and 19 individuals seeded to score, and two divers competing. All three relays are seeded first, as are four of those individual race entries. Holland Christian finished fifth last season after placing second two years ago, and will hope to move back up with three relays and six individual entries seeded to score and three divers. Marian won Division 3 in 2022 and finished third a year ago, and will attempt to make its move with three relays and eight individuals seeded to score, plus a pair of divers.
Ellery Chandler, East Grand Rapids junior: She added the breaststroke championship and two relay wins last season to her Division 2 relay title from 2022, and is seeded first this time in the breaststroke (1:04.91) and butterfly (57.33) and slated to swim on the top-seeded 200 medley (1:48.29) and 200 freestyle (1:37.73) relays.
Ella Dziobak, Dearborn Divine Child junior: She’s the two-time reigning champion in the 500 and seeded first in that race in 5:08.30, and also seeded third in the 200 free (1:56.76) after finishing third in that race a year ago.
Scarlet Maison, Standish-Sterling senior: She placed third in the IM and fifth in the breaststroke last season and will enter this weekend seeded first in the IM (2:08.53) and fifth in the breaststroke as she attempts to add to her championship in the IM won in 2021.
Camryn Siegers, Holland Christian sophomore: The reigning champion in the backstroke and runner-up in the 100 freestyle is seeded this time first in both the 50 (23.58) and backstroke (56.40).
Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids senior: She’s won a combined two individual and five relay championships over her first three seasons and is the reigning title winner in the 100 and 200 freestyles. She’s seeded first in both by significant margins, at 50.92 in the 100 and 1:49.24 in the 200, and she’s also expected to swim on the 200 and 400 free relays.
Laney Woof, Wayland junior: She’s seeded second in the 50 (24.03) and third in the 100 freestyle (54.01) after winning the 50 last season and finishing third in the 100.
Anna McAllister, Chelsea sophomore: Last season’s fourth-place finisher scored a 379.80 to win her Regional qualifier by 41.3 points and outpace the field in all of Division 3 by 12.25 points.
PHOTO Fenton’s Tess Heavner swims to the championship in the 200 individual medley during last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)