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February 21, 2012

Check out our must-know scores and news from Feb. 13-18.

(Click on links for coverage.)

Swimming & Diving

First champions of 2012: The Marquette girls and Houghton boys won the first MHSAA Finals of the winter 2011-12 season, claiming the Upper Peninsula championships Saturday at Sault Ste. Marie. Sault Ste. Marie senior Colin MacQuarrie set two U.P. Finals records – he won the 50-yard freestyle in 20.85 seconds (breaking the former record of 22.18 set by his school’s Peter Stevens in 2003) and the 100 butterfly in 52.80 (former record was 53.62, set by his school’s Thomas Stabile in 1988). Marquette senior Kinsey Vear won two individual races and was on two relay champs as well. (Sault Ste. Marie Evening News boys story) (Sault Ste. Marie Evening News girls story)

Basketball

King is King and Queen of PSL: The Detroit Martin Luther King girls and boys basketball teams swept their counterparts from Detroit Pershing to claim both the boys and girls Detroit Public School League championships at Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall. The girls result wasn't too much of a stunner -- although Pershing has held the upper hand between the two of late, King has long been considered one of the state's strongest programs. But the boys result was more of a shocker. Although King has been solid all season, Pershing was undefeated and considered the heavy favorite to win Class A next month. (Detroit News girls story) (Detroit News boys story)

Preview of things to come?: In what could be the first of two meetings between reigning Class A girls champion Inkster and Lansing Waverly, Inkster handed the Warriors their first loss of the season, 56-53 on Feb. 14. Both are considered contenders for the Class A title.  

Wrestling

Oxford defense lives on: The reigning Division 1 team champion needed to defeat two other ranked opponents to win its Regional and move on to Friday's Finals weekend at Battle Creek's Kellogg Arena. Oxford, No. 7, beat No. 9 Fair Haven Anchor Bay 50-18 before upending No. 6 Rochester 31-27 in the final at Utica Ford. (NorthOaklandSports.com)

Gymnastics

10.0, again: For the second time in three weeks, Grand Ledge senior Christina Wilson posted a perfect score on the uneven parallel bars. This time she did so in winning the all-around competition and leading the Comets to a Capital Area Activities Conference meet championship -- their 73rd-straight meet win. (Lansing State Journal)

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High 5s: 10/24/12

October 29, 2012

Two of this week's honorees finished their MHSAA careers over the weekend with Finals championships. The third hopes to accomplish the same on the first Saturday in November.

Kelsey Murphy
Plymouth senior
Golf

Murphy, who finished third individually at the 2011 MHSAA Division 1 Final after leading deep into the second day, claimed this season's championship with a two-day 178 at Michigan State's Forest Akers East. Her rounds of 73 and 75 helped Plymouth to its first MHSAA team championship in any sport. She made two birdies during her second round and edged Utica senior Taylor Clark by a stroke. Murphy made the all-state Super Team as a junior and is among favorites to win the Miss Golf award to be announced later this month.

Drive time: Murphy's favorite club is her Titleist 910 driver. "That's one of my most consistent clubs. When I need to put a good shot out there, I rely on my driver to help me out."

I look up to: "Rory McIlroy. He's always willing to go out there and play a new round each day, and I admire his etiquette on the course. He's not one of those players that shows frustration a lot. He keeps it internal, and that's a good thing to have on the golf course." 

Up next: Murphy will sign with Eastern Michigan University and study nursing. "I knew the coach (Sandy Wagner) before because she was the first swing coach I ever had, and I admired the way she acts as a coach. Plus it has a great nurshing program and it's close to home, so it all worked out. I had a few surgeries when I was little, and I had nurses who were really well-trained and they helped calm me down before. I wanted to do that, at a children's hospital."

Sister act: Murphy's sophomore sister Sydney beat her for the first time this fall, at the DeWitt Invitational at Hudson Mills. Sydney shot a 74 to share medalist honors, while Kelsey shot a 77 to tie for third. "I was proud of her for that. She's going to be a really great golfer. I was getting updates throughout the round, and she was playing a really good round. So I knew she probably was going to beat me." 

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Michael Sienko
Williamston senior
Tennis

Sienko capped a 28-0 run this fall by beating rival Chance Conley of Portland in the MHSAA Division 4 No. 1 Singles Final, 6-1 and 6-0. Conley defeated Sienko in the championship match last season, and both along with third-seeded Matt Heeder of Lansing Catholic all played in the Capital Area Activities Conference White. Sienko won the Division 4 No. 2 singles championship as a freshman and will graduate with a career record of 102-8.

Sign me up: Sienko hopes to choose between Army and Air Force for after high school, and he plans to continue his tennis career. His father Dean is a Major General in the Army and his brother Peter currently is a sophomore on Army's tennis team. Their sister Carolyn is in the Navy.

Taking a Chance: Michael Sienko and Conley have matched up a number of times over the years, but have become friends in the process. Sienko said Conley was his toughest opponent this season. "He hits a good ball. It's hard, and he's a really good competitor too. ... A lot of people think we hate each other, but I think we're good friends. On the court, it's a different thing, but off the court we're nice."

Born to lead: "I'm leaning toward business management or finance or something in there would be interesting. I like numbers, and I'd say math is maybe my best subject, and I kinda like to run things. To be the boss would be interesting."

Right on, Rafa: Sienko's favorite player is Rafael Nadal. "I read his book, and he talked about all the hard work he's done. He talks about the focus and dedication he puts into the sport, and I thought it was amazing that he did that. And the stories he told were just insane."

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Grand Blanc soccer

(Updated Oct. 29.) The Bobcats have advanced to their third Division 1 Semifinal in five seasons, and did so last week with a 1-0 win over Walled Lake Central after falling to Central in a shootout in a Regional Semifinal last season. Grand Blanc scored only 32 goals during its 18 regular-season games, but has scored 18 during five games in the postseason. The Bobcats are 15-6-2. 

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Previous 2012-13 honorees: