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Linked Up: 11/22/11
December 20, 2011
Thanksgiving week means a short one for most -- and more time for family, shopping, relaxation, watching the MHSAA Football Finals and hopefully a little additional reading.
Here are some suggestions from the last week and as we get ready to leave the fall and jump into the winter sports season.
Remember, if you find something high school sports-related that you think others would find useful or inspiring, send me a link at [email protected] and I'll check it out.
Okemos girl's cancer battle inspires Spartans (Lansing State Journal)\
We believe high school sports are about community. While not high school-related, this is a story about community and its power to do great things. Joe Rexrode tells us about 11-year-old Paige Duren and her battle against brain cancer – with the support of her community including big assists from the Michigan State football and basketball teams. She’s a two-sport athlete herself – playing soccer and basketball – and an inspiration to those who’ve come to know her. Rexrode makes it easy to understand why.
Sister act: Shaw, Halberg share much in common, despite more than 2,000 miles between them (Petoskey News)
That the Grunch sisters are excellent volleyball coaches isn’t a coincidence, Charlevoix people surely would say. But it’s a neat one that Liz (Grunch) Shaw and Christine (Grunch) Halberg both led their teams to their best finishes since 1989 (Halberg) or ever (Shaw). Shaw coaches their alma mater, while Halberg coaches 2,300 miles away in Washington. Steve Foley fills us in on how this worked out.
Avenall the right choice to lead Clarkston into volleyball history (NorthOaklandSports.com)
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal was part of some great teams as a player, but until this past weekend Clarkston had never reached an MHSAA Finals weekend. Dan Stickradt tells us how she’s taken the program to the elite level while also giving a brief history lesson on how it got rolling toward that trip to Battle Creek.
Natural fit: Superior Dome was easy choice for 8-man final according to MHSAA (Marquette Mining Journal)
A few of us spent Friday night at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and count me among those who will look forward to making a return trip. Here’s some of the story behind the MHSAA’s selection of the Superior Dome as home of the inaugural 8-Player Football Final, as well as Semifinals most years.
Lowell's Noel Dean to Receive 2011 Power of Influence Award (AFCA.com)
The Red Arrows are headed back to Ford Field on Friday for the Division 2 Final, but Dean also will be scheduling a January trip to San Antonio, Texas, to receive this prestigious award from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Foundation. Dean started his head coaching career at Bendle in 1991 before heading to Lowell in 1996. He's led teams to three MHSAA championships, and also the fundraising of $425,000 for cancer support through the "Pink Arrow Project."
![Today In The MHSAA](/sites/default/files/2021-03/Today%20In%20The%20MHSAA_8.png)
Today in the MHSAA: 9/26/22
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 26, 2022
1. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Milan – ranked No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – repeated as Monroe Country champion with Hannah Smith earning “Athlete of the Meet” – Monroe News
2. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Pioneer, Tecumseh, and LPD3 No. 3 Jackson Lumen Christi girls and LPD1 No. 8 Ann Arbor Skyline, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard and LPD3 No. 4 Hanover-Horton boys won Jackson Invitational titles – Jackson Citizen Patriot | Athletic.net
3. CROSS COUNTRY The Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and LPD2 No. 3 Otsego girls and LPD3 top-ranked Hart, LPD2 No. 3 East Grand Rapids and LPD1 No. 3 Portage Central boys won at the Cougar/Falcon Invitational – Athletic.net
4. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Wyandotte Roosevelt broke Trenton’s five-meet winning streak in claiming the Downriver Classic title – Southgate News-Herald
5. BOYS TENNIS LPD4 No. 3 Big Rapids won its home invitational against a field that included runner-up Zeeland West and third-place and LPD3 No. 10 (tied) Sturgis – Big Rapids Pioneer
6. CROSS COUNTRY The Midland Dow and LPD3 No. 6 Elk Rapids girls and LPD2 No. 15 Freeland and LPD3 No. 7 Benzie Central boys won Cadillac Invitational titles – Midland Daily News | Athletic.net
7. VOLLEYBALL Division 4 No. 5 Indian River Inland Lakes downed Sault Ste. Marie to clinch the St. Ignace Invitational title – Cheboygan Daily Tribune
8. VOLLEYBALL Sturgis defeated the host in the championship match to win the Bridgman Invitational; Bridgman is ranked No. 9 in Division 3 – Sturgis Journal
9. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 7 Traverse City West, Charlevoix and LPD4 No. 4 Harbor Springs girls and LPD4 No. 3 Petoskey St. Michael, Kalkaska and LPD2 No. 13 Petoskey High boys won Petoskey Invitational championships – Athletic.net
10. VOLLEYBALL Lake City won the Kalkaska Invitational with a defeat of Linden in the final – Cadillac News