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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: 5/25/22
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 25, 2022
1. SOFTBALL Kaitlyn Pallozzi threw a no-hitter as Division 1 No. 6 Farmington Hills Mercy defeated Riverview Gabriel Richard 7-0 in the Detroit Catholic League Bishop championship game – Detroit News
2. TRACK & FIELD/BOYS GOLF Hunter Jones set three school records in leading Benzie Central’s boys – No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – to the Northwest Conference league meet title; the Kingsley girls also were meet champions, and LPD1 No. 2 Traverse City Central clinched the Big North Conference boys golf title – Traverse City Record-Eagle
3. SOFTBALL Division 3 No. 7 Schoolcraft swept Division 4 No. 10 Kalamazoo Christian to clinch the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship – WWMT
4. BASEBALL Division 1 top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s went ahead in the sixth inning on the way to defeating Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 2-1 in the Catholic League Bishop final – Oakland Press
5. BASEBALL Division 4 No. 16 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian scored the winning run in the seventh inning to get past Ludington 6-5 and claim the Lakes 8 Conference title – MuskegonSports.com
6. BOYS GOLF LPD4 No. 14 Hudson repeated as Lenawee County Athletic Association champion with a win at the league tournament – Adrian Daily Telegram
7. BASEBALL Reed City defeated and tied Fremont to lock up the Central State Activities Association Gold title – Big Rapids Pioneer
8. BOYS GOLF LPD2 No. 3 Chelsea shot a 308 to win the Southeastern Conference White Tournament – Chelsea Sun Times News
9. SOFTBALL Division 2 No. 6 Frankenmuth secured a repeat Tri-Valley Conference 8 title with a sweep of Alma – Saginaw News
10. BASEBALL Coldwater swept Jackson Lumen Christi to secure the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Also of note …
BOYS GOLF Quincy finished second at the Big 8 Conference Tournament to earn a shared league title with Jonesville – Coldwater Daily Reporter
TRACK & FIELD The LPD3 No. 6 Onsted and Adrian Madison girls teams were among league champions crowned from the southeastern Lower Peninsula – Adrian Daily Telegram
BASEBALL Division 1 No. 18 Traverse City Central earned a share of the Big North Conference title with a sweep of Cadillac – MI Sports Now
TRACK & FIELD McBain’s girls clinched the Highland Conference title with a league meet win, with the boys championship still to be decided – Cadillac News
TRACK & FIELD The Midland Dow and Gladwin girls and LPD2 No. 7 Flint Powers Catholic and LPD3 top-ranked Clare boys earned league meet titles – Midland Daily News
TRACK & FIELD Saugatuck’s boys earned a Southwestern Athletic Conference league meet win – Holland Sentinel