Irish Celebrate Homecoming Sky High
October 4, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
You’ve got to see this – from high in the sky – to believe it.
The disappointing news for Pontiac Notre Dame Prep from its Homecoming game last Friday was that the Fighting Irish fell to Detroit Catholic League AA leader Detroit Loyola by seven points.
But the Irish will remember fondly (and probably click on frequently) the video of this sky high view of the game including the team’s entrance to the field.
Thanks to a camera attached to a helicopter-like apparatus flown by local Aerial Imagery Works, Notre Dame was able to capture a rarely-seen view. See more by watching the brief video embedded at the bottom of this post.
SLC-TV Rolls 300
It's fair to assume few television stations in Michigan have been as dedicated to the local football team as South Lyon's SLC-TV, which will celebrate a milestone broadcast Oct. 11 when South Lyon faces South Lyon East.
SLC-TV has followed South Lyon football home and away games for 31 years and will broadcast its 300th game that night. SLC-TV’s games appear on WOW network channel 19 and Comcast Southfield channel 90, which reaches 33 communities in metro Detroit.
Sports director Tedd Wallace will have done play-by-play for 298 of those games, and said he believes no station in America has done TV broadcasts of a team’s home and away games as consistently. Check out more about the network’s weekly work on its Facebook page.
Friendly gesture to opponent in need
One of the most heart-warming parts of following high school sports is experiencing the camaraderie among athletes from opposing teams they likely know nothing about except for what they learn during competition.
Concord’s volleyball team shined especially brightly in this way last week.
Amazingly, Union City junior Marissa Mead played in her team’s match against Concord on Sept. 24 despite her home being destroyed by a fire that morning. As told by the Jackson Citizen-Patriot’s Leanne Smith, Concord’s players had heard about the tragic event and were surprised to then see Mead take her place as defensive specialist that night.
On the bus ride home, the Concord players decided they needed to do something to help Mead and her family. As a team, the players collected $80 – and then pushed the total to $300 with the help of teachers, parents and administrators. They delivered the funds in a card to Mead at Union City’s home match two days later.
It’s a gesture that might seem small, but speaks loudly to the awesome way our athletes relate to each other not just on, but off the court as well. Click to read the entire report.
Official of the Year
Marcy Weston, Central Michigan University’s Executive Associate Director of Athletics/Sports Administration and a longtime contributor to MHSAA officiating initiatives, has been named the Naismith Women’s College Official of the Year.
Weston spoke at the 2001 MHSAA Officials Banquet and has served as part of the association's officials committee and with the National Federation of State High School Associations as a liaison to its Basketball Rules Committee.
She also served as NCAA national coordinator of women’s basketball officiating from 1991-2005 after working as a women’s college basketball official from 1964-84. Click to read more from CMUChippewas.com.
Preview: Challengers Lining Up as Reigning Team Champ Chases 3-Peat
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 7, 2024
This weekend’s MHSAA Gymnastics Finals at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills could see the reigning team champion three-peat for the second time over the last decade – but with another close competition likely in store.
Rockford/Sparta is seeking a third straight team title after also accomplishing that feat from 2015-17 but will face strong contenders including a pair seeking a first Finals championship since the 1990s.
On the individual side, the 2023 Division 1 champion graduated, and reigning Division 2 title winner Lydia Beaton from Grand Ledge will compete in Division 1 this time – meaning at least one new champion will climb the podium.
Team competition begins at 4 p.m. Friday, with individual competition in both Divisions 1 and 2 beginning at noon Saturday. For information on purchasing tickets, Finals rotations for both days and Regional results, go to the Gymnastics page – and see below for several contenders to watch:
Team
Farmington United: With a 37.1 on the balance beam leading the way, Farmington won its Regional last week by 6.4 points with a total score of 144.750. The team is seeking its first championship since winning back-to-back in 2018-19 and finished third at the Final a year ago. Five gymnasts from that team return, and junior Leah Hodge led at the Regional with a 38.425 all-around.
Hartland: The Eagles are seeking their first team championship since 1999 and won their Regional by more than six points as well at 145.75. Hartland broke 36 points on floor, vault and beam, totaling 36.95 scores on the latter two. The Eagles finished fourth at the Final a year ago, and four gymnasts return who competed in that effort. Sophomores Abby Griffen and Kate Gostlin finished third and fourth, respectively, in Division 1 all-around at the Regional.
Rockford/Sparta: The Rams have won the last two Division 1 championships and clinched their Regional title last week with a score of 145.4 – nearly seven points better than the field. That score included a 38 on floor exercise and 37.9 on balance beam. Six of eight gymnasts who competed in last season’s Final will be back this weekend, led by senior Hailey Hill, the Division 2 individual champion at the Regional.
Salem: The Rocks finished sixth last season and are seeking their first Finals team title since 1993, and they won arguably the most competitive Regional last week as three teams scored 140 or higher. Salem posted a 143.250 paced by a 37.900 on floor exercise. Senior Katie Stewart took third in the Division 1 all-around, and senior Anna Barczyk was runner-up in Division 2.
Division 1
Lydia Beaton, Grand Ledge senior: Last year’s Division 2 all-around champion will compete in Division 1 this weekend after finishing sixth all-around at her Regional with a second-place tie on vault and third on floor exercise.
Anna Browne, Brighton senior: She finished ninth in Division 1 all-around last season and fifth at her Regional last week with a 35.95 which included a fourth place on vault and sixth places on uneven parallel bars and balance beam.
Kate Gostlin, Hartland sophomore: As noted above, Gostlin finished fourth at her Regional last week scoring a 36 all-around score and with a first place on vault (9.7). She competed on beam and vault at the team competition as a freshman.
Abby Griffen, Hartland sophomore: Griffen’s third-place Regional score of 36.725 was only a tenth of a point out of second and included a runner-up finish on vault and third place on bars.
Jenna Griffin, Saline senior: She competed on Division 1 vault at last season’s Final, tying for 16th, and will compete all-around this time coming off a fifth-place Regional score of 35.975.
Leah Hodge, Farmington United junior: She won her Regional all-around by nearly two points with a 38.425 and first places on floor (9.55), beam (9.9), bars (9.525) and vault (9.45).
Elsa Kehoe, Forest Hills United senior: She won her Regional all-around championship with a 36.725 that included first places on vault (8.875), bars (8.85) and floor (9.65) and a second place on beam.
Leah Koch, Rockford junior: She was the Regional all-around runner-up to Kehoe with a score of 35.95 that included a first place on beam (9.55) and top-three finishes on the other three apparatuses.
Noelle Licari, Northville junior: She qualified on Division 1 vault for last year’s Final and will compete all-around this time after tying for first at her Regional with a 36.325.
Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United sophomore: She finished Regional runner-up with an all-around of 36.500 that included second places on beam, bars and vault.
Maria Petru, Howell senior: After moving from Division 2 to Division 1 last season, Petru finished fifth all-around at the Final and could contend this weekend coming off a winning Regional all-around of 37.1 with a first place on floor (9.625).
Lia Pinkosky, Canton senior: She also made the jump from Division 2 to Division 1 as a junior, finishing 14th all-around at the Final. She tied Licari for a Regional all-around title last weekend at 36.325 with second places on bars and beam.
Keira Sadler, Linden/Fenton/Lake Fenton junior: She finished Regional runner-up to Petru at 36.375 with a first place on beam (9.35) and will look to improve on her 12th-place all-around in Division 1 a year ago.
Alisa Shiraishi, Novi senior: She finished a close fourth at her Regional with a 36-point all-around that included a first place on beam (9.1) and third place on floor.
Katie Stewart, Salem senior: She finished eighth all-around as a sophomore and 11th last season and should be back in contention coming off a 36.275 Regional all-around that missed tying for first by five hundredths of a point. She won bars (9.475) and vault (9.425) in building that score.
Division 2
Anna Barczyk, Salem senior: She finished sixth in Division 2 all-around last season and heads into this weekend coming off a Regional runner-up finish with a score of 35.700 and first places on vault (8.95) and beam (9.15).
Charlotte Calhoun, Coldwater senior: She went from 15th all-around as a sophomore to second last season and should be back in contention after finishing second at her Regional (36.7) with a first place on bars (9.4).
Alex Cinzori, Plymouth senior: She tied for eighth all-around last season and is coming off her second-straight Regional all-around title, her score of 35.825 including a first place on floor (9.6) and seconds on bars and beam.
Sydney Eiler, Haslett United senior: She qualified on bars for last season’s Final and will return competing all-around after winning her Regional with a 34.625 that included a first place on bars (8.475).
Hailey Hill, Rockford senior: She finished fourth all-around last season and returns after winning her Regional just ahead of Calhoun at 36.975 with a first place on beam (9.825) and top-five finishes on every other apparatus.
Addi Richmond, Jackson Area senior: She’s finished ninth, 10th and fifth all-around over her first three seasons and was third to Hill and Calhoun at their Regional with a 35.925 all-around that included a first place on floor (9.65) and second place on bars.
Sophia Yee, Farmington United junior: She tied for 16th all-around last season and should make a jump after winning her Regional all-around with a 35.575 and first place on beam (9.5).
PHOTO Salem’s Katie Stewart competes on balance beam during the 2023 Finals individual competition. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)