Don HorkeyHail to Tessa Fornari, of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, who won the Division 4 girls cross country championship to give her a third state gold medal to go along with the ones she picked up last spring winning the 1600 and 3200 races in girls Division 4 track.
Is there such a thing as a “grand slam” in running? Tessa is making a case for it in her senior year. In October, she won the Catholic League C-D cross country championship for the fourth year in a row — just as she did as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Come spring, she’ll be out to “slam” the CHSL C-D titles in the 1600 and 3200 for the fourth consecutive year (she holds the records in both events), and win more gold in the state finals, too.
“I love running,” Tessa says. However, that wasn’t how she felt when she started in the sixth grade. “I hated it for about a week, but my mom had just bought me a new pair of shoes, so she told me to keep at it.”
In the eighth grade, she won the Oakland County middle school 1600 race. “I realized how huge of an accomplishment it was, and that I shouldn’t be afraid to win but to run the best you can that day.”
In 59 competitions since, Tessa has finished first in 32 of them.
Besides her parents being her most ardent supporters, there’s her grandpa. “He’s always at my races,” she says. “I love to see how his eyes light up when I’m running.”
Hail to Katie Minnich, of Farmington Hills Mercy, who won the 100-yard backstroke state swim title in the Division 1 girls championship for the second straight year. “You can’t ask any more of Katie,” coach Shannon Dunworth said. “She’s very determined and an amazing competitor ... you’re going to get not only her best effort but her best performance.”
Hail to Mercy’s 200 medley relay team for winning in a record time of 1:44.44. Minnich led off the relay followed by junior Allison Lobbia, junior Alaina Skellett and freshman Annette Dombrowski.
Hail to Sophia Schott, of Bloomfield Hills Marian, who won the 50-yard freestyle in Division 2 girls swim. A year ago, she was a member of the 400 freestyle relay team with junior Christian Schott, sophomore Kailyn Swantek and senior Mollie Pulte that edged Ann Arbor Skyline by six-hundredths of a second in the last race of the meet to deliver Marian the Division 2 team title.
Hail to Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood for sweeping all four doubles matches against Detroit Country Day to win the Division 3 boys tennis state title.
Hail to Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard (42-0), the first undefeated MHSAA volleyball champion since 1999, downing reigning champion North Branch in three sets for the Class B championship. Coach Mayssa Bazzi’s squad was led by junior outside hitter Jurnee Tipton, who had 26 kills, and senior Emily Tanski, 23 kills. Junior Emma Nowak had 50 assists, fifth-most in an MHSAA final. The Fighting Irish also have the 1991 Class D trophy in their showcase.
Hail to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s for successfully defending its Division 3 football championship with a 29-12 defeat of Chelsea. The Eaglets combined a bruising running attack (56 rushes, 293 yards) and a tenacious defense for the school’s seventh state title.
St. Mary’s sealed the deal with a vintage drive, a 13-play, 80-yard march made up entirely of running plays that used up 6:13 off the clock in the fourth quarter before Justin Myrick (20 runs, 108 yards, 2 TDs) scored on a 3-yard run.
“That's our football,” said coach George Porritt (27 years, 245-67).
Finally, a tip of the hat to a pair of state finalists: Macomb Lutheran North, second to Kalamazoo Hackett by nine strokes, in Division 4 girls golf, and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, which lost 7-0 to three-time defending champ Muskegon Catholic Central in Division 8 football.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
