MHSAA Announces Tennis Finals Format
September 11, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Executive Committee of the Michigan High School Athletic Association on Thursday approved an adjusted format for this fall’s Lower Peninsula boys tennis postseason to reduce the opportunity for spread of COVID-19 while still awarding team and No. 1 singles champions in four divisions.
The Executive Committee – comprised of officers of the larger Representative Council – approved a one-season switch in postseason format that will match full teams in head-to-head competition. The format switch will limit the numbers of teams playing together at a single site.
The postseason will begin with Team District one-day tournaments to be played during Oct. 7-10 at 16 sites per division. The District champions will advance to the Team Finals in Divisions 1-4 to be played over two days during Oct. 15-17. For each division’s Finals, the first rounds will be played out at four sites before semifinalists converge for the last two rounds.
The following week, during a one-day tournament to be scheduled during Oct. 22-24, 32 No. 1 singles players will compete in bracketed play for the championships in four divisions (eight finalists per division).
Further details will be provided soon on the Boys Tennis page of the MHSAA Website.
MHSAA Suspends Fall, Winter Sports
November 15, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has suspended its Fall tournaments for girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving and football, and all winter practices and competitions scheduled to begin over the next three weeks per the emergency order to pause activity announced Sunday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The volleyball and swimming & diving tournaments have one week remaining, with MHSAA Finals for both previously scheduled for Nov. 21. The 11 and 8-Player Football Playoffs also are nearing their conclusions, with the 8-player postseason two games from completion and 11-player down to its final three rounds.
Executive Director Mark Uyl:
“We understand the need for action, and we will explore all options to complete our Fall tournaments when restrictions are lifted. We will assess everything over the next three weeks relative to Fall and Winter sports and come up with a plan that keeps us connected to our goal, for months, of having three seasons that are played to their conclusions.”