The debate seemed to change every hour: Which high school sports would take place this fall? Which sports are safe to play? How can contact sports be played safely?
Western Michigan Christian junior Abby VanderKooi’s running season often stretches into the winter as part of the national season.
Cross country was one of the few fall sports this year that looked normal to observers. Runners were not required to wear masks during races, and things felt about as normal as they could during actual competition.
Half of the state’s cross country finals took place at Michigan International Speedway on Friday afternoon, with a handful of local runners taking part.
SPRING LAKE TWP. — Friday will mark a unique edition of the state’s cross country finals. It’s still at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, but COVID-19 restrictions are fundamentally changing the way the races are run.
Cross country, swimming and volleyball are in the midst of their postseasons, as regional cross country meets decided qualifiers for the state finals at the end of this week.
Scores and more from a successful weekend of prep sports:
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Midday rain affected both races of Friday’s pre-regional cross country meet, but Grand Haven did what it had to in order to keep themselves alive.
All season, Grand Haven's youth has been its strong suit.
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Cool temperatures usually produce faster times when it comes to running, but a breezy Tuesday afternoon proved difficult for both Grand Haven and West Ottawa in their final O-K Red dual meet of the season.
With varsity football teams on the road this weekend, the only games in town on Thursday night were junior varsity games.
It was a busy Tuesday of local high school sports action, as all four schools had teams in action.
The weekend saw the start of O-K Conference tennis tournaments delayed by rain, and weather affecting a handful of outdoor events.
A busy Tuesday of local prep action featured all four schools.
Plenty of local teams were in action on Thursday, with wins on the soccer field and in the pool for a handful of area programs. Results and more from Thursday’s loaded slate of competition:
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Strength in numbers got the job done for Grand Haven cross country on Tuesday, as both the boys and girls teams were victorious in a home meet with East Kentwood.
Most weeks during a normal fall season, football is the only thing going on a Friday night. With schedules compressed by COVID-19 delays, that might not be the case every week this time around. A handful of different events took place across Friday and Saturday.
SPRING LAKE TWP. — After two weeks without a meet, Spring Lake’s cross country teams were more than ready to race again. Back on their home course, that anticipation turned into fast times, as local runners secured top-three finishes in both races.
The weekend was the first of the fall season to feature indoor events in the region, with volleyball matches and swim meets taking place in the area.
Thursday was as normal a night on the high school schedule as we’ve seen in months. Soccer, swimming and volleyball matches were all part of a busy night, along with the fall sports that had a full start to their seasons.
Grand Haven’s cross country season is still young, but it’s about to get a lot busier.
SPRING LAKE TWP. — After a week of hot weather, Saturday morning was calm and even a little crisp.
A meeting of the MHSAA’s Representative Council Friday yielded little change to current guidelines governing play for boys soccer, volleyball and girls swimming.
Meets will be smaller, spectators will be masked and everything will feel just a little different this fall.
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Without in-person learning this week, the morning sounds like a good time to host a cross country meet.
Try as they might, they just couldn't get it done.
Right or wrong, the MHSAA is aiming to provide athletic competition for its high schools this fall.
Western Michigan Christian cross country runner Abbi VanderKooi was in San Diego participating in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships. VanderKooi placed third running a personal record of 16:55.2.
On Saturday, WMC sophomore Abby VanderKooi competed in the Foot Locker Cross Country Midwest Regional meet in Kenosha, Wisc. There, she raced against some of the top athletes from 13 states. The top ten athletes per gender qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego, Calif. on Dec. 14.
Several local teams were at the MHSAA state finals cross country meet Saturday. Here are the results for the local runners:
While a handful of fall sports march towards the state playoffs, there were wins in plenty of places for area teams. Scores and results from Tuesday's action:
SPRING LAKE – Three Spring Lake runners finished in the top ten during Tuesday's O-K Blue championship as the Lakers tore up their home course. The Lakers' team total of 43 was 10 points ahead of Allendale.
A pair of titles for West Michigan Christian over the weekend plus Grand Haven volleyball hosts a 16-team tournament.
The Grand Haven Tribune is counting down our top five female and male athletes, as well as teams for the 2018-19 season. Our No. 3 female athlete of the year is Western Michigan Christian freshman Abby VanderKooi for lighting the running world on fire with her distance prowess.
The Grand Haven Tribune is counting down our top five female and male athletes, as well as teams, for the 2018-19 athletic season. Our No. 3 boys athlete of the year is Ben Hylen of the Spring Lake cross country and track and field teams for leading the cross team to a third-place finish at …
Former local athletes made their hometown proud this week with a heavy presence on the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll, with 19 student-athletes represented.
The biggest road race in town is set to make its return as the Coast Guard Festival Run makes its 40th start Saturday.
The Grand Haven Tribune is counting down our top five male and female athletes, as well as teams for the 2018-19 athletic season. Our No. 3 team is the Spring Lake boys cross country team thanks to its third-place finish at the Division 2 state finals.
The Grand Haven Tribune is counting down our top five female and male athletes, as well as teams for the 2018-19 athletic season. Our No. 4 male athlete of the year is Andrew Hylen after finishing as an All-State honoree on both the cross country course and track, while picking up a third sp…
The Grand Haven Tribune is counting down our top five female and male athletes, as well as teams for the 2018-19 athletic season. Our No. 4 female athlete is Grand Haven’s Gabby Hentemann, who captured a state title in the highly competitive 800-meter run and a top-eight finish at the Divisi…
A glassy morning on Lake Michigan was shattered by a raucous cheer from eager swimmers Sunday morning as they embarked on a morning of intense, voluntary exercise.
A pair of local road races are set to begin off the summer running season this weekend as the Tri-Cities YMCA Kickoff to Summer Run, presented by Klever Innovations and the Fruitport Old Fashioned Days 5K Run are scheduled for Saturday morning.
Grand Haven
Runners are nuts.
Grand Haven senior runner Andrew Ireland signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his career at Aquinas College this week after a labored decision process.
The awards keep coming for Western Michigan Christian standout runner Abby VanderKooi after a stellar freshman season running for the Warriors and summer running on the national circuit.
Western Michigan Christian freshman standout runner Abby VanderKooi was one of 40 girls competing in Saturday's 40th annual Foot Locker Cross Country National Finals in Balboa Park located in San Diego, Calif.
The Grand Valley State women's cross country team captured its sixth NCAA National Title with a dominant performance in the 6K race after they scored 41 points, while Sarah Berger became the third different GVSU athlete in program history to win an NCAA Cross Country National Title on Saturd…
Following up a state championship can be tough, particularly when it completes an undefeated season.
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