Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 20, 2011

We've hit a bit of a slow spot with schools out for break and most contests reserved for holiday showcases and the like.

Here are some suggestions if you have some time for some reading between now and the start of 2012.

High school coaches try to bring basketball back to basics (Detroit News)

For most of the last decade, we've heard about the recessing of basketball fundamentals even among elite high school players. Enter Ben Kelso, Marshall Thomas and a number of other Michigan coaches who have pledged to end that trend. Tom Markowski tells us how the Metro Detroit Basketball Coaches Association aims to do so.

Lantzy retires after more than 4 decades as Ike grid coach (Macomb County Advisor & Source)

Utica-Eisenhower coach Bob Lantzy has been his school's only varsity football coach. He took four teams to MHSAA Finals and this fall became one of only nine state football coaches to win more than 900 games. He has retired after 41 seasons, and Kevin Lozon fills us in on the legacy.

Tabahn Afrik poised for greatness in pool for West Ottawa (Holland Sentinel)

The Holland area has its next big swimming star. Dan D'Addona introduces us to Tabahn Afrik, a freshman at Holland West Ottawa who qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 Finals in two events in his first meet this season.

High school basketball: History of class hoops is just that (South Bend Tribune)

"Hoosiers" made Indiana's former one-class basketball tournament known on a grander scale. But Indiana went to classes (similar to Michigan's) beginning in 1997-98. Al Lesar tells us how some in the state are attempting to revert to one class.

Today in the MHSAA: 4/29/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 29, 2024

1. TRACK & FIELD Grand Haven’s Seth Norder ran one of the fastest mile times in state history, 4:06.22, to win the Barnyard Invitational, and Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Rachel Forsyth also was an Elite Mile champion at Romeo – Macomb Daily | Athletic.net | Grand Haven Tribune | MLIVE-Detroit

2. SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy defeated No. 5 South Lyon and No. 8 Allen Park during a powerhouse quad played at the former – Oakland Press

3. TRACK & FIELD Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Corunna outpaced last season’s runner-up Mason to win the boys title at the Mason Invitational, and the Bulldogs won the girls championship by half a point over Holt – Lansing State Journal | Athletic.net

4. BASEBALL Bay City John Glenn swept Gladwin, sending coach Jeff Hartt past 900 career wins – Bay City Times

5. TRACK & FIELD East Kentwood swept Charlie Janke Invitational championships at Jackson; both Falcons teams are top-ranked in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Jackson Citizen Patriot | Athletic.net

6. GIRLS SOCCER Alpena won all four games by shutout to claim the Sunrise Side Challenge Cup – Alpena News

7. GIRLS SOCCER Ovid-Elsie shut out all three of its opponents to win its Marauder Invitational – Owosso Argus-Press

8. TRACK & FIELD The Cadillac girls and Freeland boys won Clare Invitational overall championships – Cadillac News | Athletic.net

9. BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Indian River Inland Lakes swept its home invitationals; the baseball team is ranked No. 10 in Division 4 – Cheboygan Daily Tribune

10. GIRLS SOCCER Saginaw Nouvel edged Division 4 No. 14 Valley Lutheran 1-0 – Saginaw News