High 5s: 10/10/12
October 10, 2012
Two of this week's honorees have combined for five MHSAA championships, and a third has a chance to be part of his first next month.
Each week, Second Half recognizes two athletes and a team for their successes during the current season. To nominate a candidate, email editor Geoff Kimmerly at [email protected].
Below are this week's honorees.
Codi Jenshak
Escanaba senior
Tennis
Jenshak won her second-straight championship at No. 1 singles, and third MHSAA singles title overall, with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Kingsford’s Sam Fleming after also defeating Fleming in the 2011 championship match. Jenshak also is a standout softball pitcher, and led her team to last season's Division 2 Quarterfinals.
Up next: "It's been changing quite a bit. As of now, I'm thinking about St. Norbert (College) in Green Bay or Central Michigan University; one of those two. If I went to Central, I know they have a club tennis team, and I might do that or I might try to walk on the softball team. With St. Norbert, I could play tennis and softball there."
Dr. Jenshak: "I want to be a dermatologist. I've wanted to since I was in eighth grade. Skin interests me a lot, for some reason. ... I guess it's my quirk."
Bring out the band: "I play the saxophone. It's just fun. A lot of my friends are in (band). I used to be in the marching band, but not anymore. It's pretty cool to perform in front of people. It's kind of a big deal at our school, just something fun that mixes up my day."
This is who I watch: "For tennis, I really like John Isner a lot. You know when he has a winner, he makes that little hand gesture? I tried to do that a little bit, and I think people thought it was pretty funny. In baseball, I'm a Tigers fan. I really like Curtis Granderson, although he went to the Yankees."
Dewey Lewis
Rockford senior
Soccer
Lewis, a senior forward, is again pacing the No. 2-ranked team in Division 1 this fall. He's a four-year varsity player and arguably the favorite for this season's Mr. Soccer Award. Lewis has 52 goals and 46 assists over his four-year varsity career, and set Rockford's single-season record last season with 20 goals. He will follow his older brother Sean, a goalkeeper at Western Michigan University, to college soccer when he joins Michigan State's team next season.
Getting Real: "(My favorite team,) I'd have to go with Real Madrid. I like Cristiano Ronaldo. He's one of my idols. I look up to him, and he plays outside mid (which Lewis also has played a lot of this season)."
Up next: Lewis has a 3.8 grade-point average, and is considering majors in biology or business at MSU. "I'm looking to get a business degree so I can own my own business. Or I'll go into the medical field, probably be a doctor or possibly an anesthesiologist or a dentist."
Brother in net vs. brother in the field: "I think I'd made a good percentage of them; from the PK spot probably eight out of 10," Lewis said of facing his brother Sean in a shootout. "He'd probably say six out of 10, or five out of 10."
Pressure cooker: "The big thing is not to oversell yourself. Don't make big expectations you can't keep. Don't tell everyone what you can do. Just go out there and do it."
Muskegon Mona Shores girls golf
Featuring four players who have been part of the varsity lineup all four seasons of high school -- seniors Morgan Smith, Hailey Hrynewich, Britni Gielow and Kelsey McKinley -- the Sailors are playing for their fourth-straight MHSAA Division 2 championship. Mona Shores won its Regional by 37 strokes Wednesday at Bowen Lake Links in Greenville to advance to next weekend's Finals at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University.
Previous 2012-13 honorees:
- Julia Bos, Grand Rapids Christian cross country - Click for more
- Nathan Burnand, Waterford Mott cross country - Click for more
- Aaron Chatfield, Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian soccer - Click for more
- Jacqueline Setas, Lansing Catholic golf - Click for more
- Beal City volleyball - Click for more
- Ludington boys tennis - Click for more
Did you see that?
January 29, 2012
Check out our must-know scores and news from Jan. 23-29.
(Click on links for coverage.)
Competitive Cheer
Eagles fly: Hudsonville was one of four top-six Division 1 teams at Saturday's LMCCOA Scholarship Meet at East Kentwood, with top teams from Divisions 2 and 3 also competing. The Eagles soared above them all with a score of 810.0704. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys basketball
Big Reds roll: The annual matchups between Lansing Sexton and Eastern always are among mid-Michigan's biggest games. But Friday's might've been arguably the biggest regular-season matchup in that city in at least a decade -- especially since Sexton joined Eastern's CAAC Blue this year. Sexton, the reigning MHSAA Class B champion, knocked off the Class A No. 2 Quakers 72-60. They'll meet again one more time this winter. (Lansing State Journal)
Girls basketball
Detroit Public School League tournament begins: First-round games are complete, with the championship game scheduled for Feb. 16. Pershing and Cass Tech received the top seeds. (Detroit Public School League)
Hockey
Cranbrook-Kingswood cruises: The Cranes, ranked No. 1 in Division 3, might have an argument as the state's best regardless of division after beating Division 2 No. 7 Warren DeLaSalle and Division 1 No. 5 Grosse Pointe North by a combined score of 17-6 on back-to-back nights. DeLaSalle did come back with a 2-1 win over Division 2 No. 1 Trenton on Saturday. The MHSAA Network has broadcasts of both Cranes games. (MHSAA.tv)
MHSAA news
Scholar-Athlete finalists announced: More than 1,600 applicants were whittled to 120 finalists, with Marlette, Northville and Rochester Adams placing three apiece. The first winners will be announced Feb. 7. (Second Half)
Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected].