I haven’t checked, but I doubt there is a league in the state that can claim nine state champions this spring, as the Catholic League can. Here’s the lineup:

Cheers to Everest: first ever! — Clarkston Everest Collegiate won the Division 4 state boys golf championship, the first state title in any sport during the school s eight-year existence. Everest’s top five included Tyler Rozwadowski 77-72 (149), Joey McMahon 78-77 (155), Mitchell Lowney 79-85 (164), Nick Korns 83-86 (169) and J. C. James 88-88 (176).

Cheers to Notre Dame – a first! — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s girls soccer team made history by winning the Division 2 state title, the first state championship in the school’s girls soccer program. The Fighting Irish tied the game in the final minute of regulation, then prevailed in an eight-round penalty kick shootout for a 2-1 triumph over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. Coach Jim Stachura’s squad (21-1-3) finished the season on an 18-game winning streak.

Cheers to Mercy – a first! — Senior Andrea Elmore pitched No. 2-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy to a 4-0 shutout of No. 1 Macomb Dakota for the Division 1 softball championship, a first for the program. Nicole Belans smacked a seventh-inning home run to spark a three-run rally and break open a tense 1-0 game. “When she hit it, I jumped over the fence, because I knew it was out,” said senior Abby Krzywiecki, 2016 Miss Softball.

Fourth in five years — Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, coached by Judy Hehs and Jim Slaughter, captured its fourth Division 4 state girls tennis title in five years. Sacred Heart had three individual champions: Selina Fuchs in singles, and the doubles teams of Abby Hildebrand and Gretchen Lemon, and Tate Lehmann and Kathryn Monahan.

Second in four years — Bloomfield Hills Marian blew away the competition for the Division 2 state girls tennis championship. Coach Lincoln Wargau’s squad was paced by these individual champs: the doubles teams of McKenna Landis and Regan Patterson, Christina Serra and Sophie Groves, and Melanie Roma and Shannon Flynn. Sophie Balardo won her singles match.

OLSM repeat track champs — Orchard Lake St. Mary’s won its second straight Division 2 state track and field championship. Coach Sean Clouse’s squad only scored in five events, winning three of them: Kahlee Hamler won the 100 dash, Richard Bowens won the 300 hurdles in a D2 state meet record of 37.46, and both joined Shermond Dabney and Ky Ren Cunningham on the winning 4x200 relay, which set a D2 state meet mark of 1:27.71.

CC repeat golf champs — Novi Detroit Catholic Central repeated as the Division 1 state boys golf titlist. Coach Mike Anderson’s squad was led by juniors Ben Smith 78-70 (148) and James Piot 71-77 (148). Also in the top five for the Shamrocks were senior Max Palmer 75-75 (150), junior Sean Niles 75-76 (151) and junior Sean Sooch 79-83 (162).

Dramatic De La Salle hangs on — Unranked Warren De La Salle scored two runs in the sixth inning to take the lead from second-ranked Saline, then turned a bases-loaded double play in the seventh inning to win the Division 1 state baseball championship, 7-6. Coach Matt Cook praised the team’s senior leadership. “They’re the toughest, grittiest kids,” he said.

It was the Pilots’ fourth state title. The others came in 2009, 2000 and 1993 under coach Brian Kelly.

A dozen in a row for Rice — And, of course, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice won its 12th consecutive Division 1 state lacrosse championship, outlasting Novi Detroit Catholic Central, 10-8. It was the third year in a row that the Warriors and Shamrocks met in the state final. The MHSAA recognized boys lacrosse as a sport starting in 2005 and Brother Rice has now won all 12 MHSAA Division 1 titles since. The Warriors ended their 2016 season with a 21-2 record, losing only to Culver Academy of Indiana. Rice is 174-1 against schools from Michigan since 2005.

Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].