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Linked Up: 11/22/11
November 22, 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.
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.
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: 4/24/24
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 24, 2024
1. BOYS GOLF Brighton won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association preseason tournament with an event-record 292 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
2. SOFTBALL Division 3 No. 2 Laingsburg earned coach Jeff Cheadle his 900th career win, 11-1 over Ovid-Elsie – WILX
3. BASEBALL Olivet earned coach Bill Whiteley his 800th win with a 3-1 victory over Ionia – Lansing State Journal
4. SOFTBALL Mike Thompson went over 500 career wins with Frankfort’s sweep of Maple City Glen Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. BASEBALL Kalamazoo Christian earned a 13-0 win over Division 4 No. 7 Hackett Catholic Prep – Kalamazoo Gazette
6. SOFTBALL Division 2 honorable mention Hamilton swept Holland Christian with a pair of shutouts, including Kelsey Mersman’s six-inning no-hitter – Holland Sentinel
7. BASEBALL Max Salas set a Zeeland East record with his 18th win during the Division 1 No. 5 Chix’ sweep of Zeeland West – Holland Sentinel
8. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 4 Hartland and No. 10 Salem played to a 1-1 tie – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
9. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 15 Petoskey’s late goal decided a 2-1 win over Gaylord – MI Sports Now
10. TRACK & FIELD Erie Mason’s girls and boys teams both earned sweeps over Ottawa Lake Whiteford and Petersburg Summerfield; the Erie Mason boys are No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, and the Summerfield girls and boys both are ranked No. 5 in Division 4 – Monroe News