And we’re off – the Midwest sends its best to Elkhart, Ind.
The Midwest Girls High School Championship is the longest standing tournament of its kind, and this year brings teams from seven states into single-school, club, JV/open divisions. The annual Elkhart, Ind., event is organized by Midwest Youth Director Bob Cronquist, with the help Midwest Girls Representative John Waliszewski, and is a leading influence for seeding at the Girls High School National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
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The single-school bracket is the main attraction, as the eight-team competition brings state champions, runners-up and NIT regulars together. Wisconsin and Michigan are the only states that contest their 15s champions in the fall, and more recently named titleholders Catholic Memorial (Wisc.) and Grandville (Mich.) will be present. Penn is the reigning Indiana state champion, and St. Joseph Academy the reigning leader in Ohio.
Wisconsin runner-up Divine Savior Holy Angels has a legacy of Midwest titles and is the reigning NIT champion; Hudson is the Ohio runner-up; and Indiana’s Warsaw has been very active booking competitive friendlies since the fall. The one newcomer is Lane Tech out of Illinois.
“Coach [Chris Milojevich] from Plainfield retired and some new school teams are emerging in Illinois now,” Waliszewski referenced the traditional representative from Illinois. “It’ll be a learning experience for them, but a step in a positive direction to see new programs participate. They have some talented kids and sounds like good numbers.”
QUARTERFINALS
Catholic Memorial (Wisc.) v Lane Tech (Ill.)
Grandville (Mich.) v Warsaw (Ind.)
St. Joseph (Ohio) v Penn (Ind.)
Hudson (Ohio) v Divine Savior Holy Angels (Wisc.)
The semifinals and its consolation games will also be contested Saturday and finals Sunday. See the full bracket here.
The high school club division has an interesting addition this year in Kansas City United, which isn’t considered part of the Midwest competition. But the team is geographically isolated and aspiring to higher levels, and so Cronquist and Waliszewski are including the Missouri squad on a provisional basis this year.
KC United is joined Brunswick (Ohio), which will compete in its first NIT this May, and on-the-rise Pulaski in pool play. In the other pool, Minnesota champ Hopkins is returning as the Midwest High School Club titleholder, and will compete against Brookfield and Walnut Hills Saturday. The placing matches will be held Sunday.
POOL A
Hopkins (Minn.)
Brookfield (Wisc.)
Walnut Hills (Ohio)
POOL B
KC United (Mo.)
Pulaski (Wisc.)
Brunswick (Ohio)
Finally, a two-pool JV/Open division completes the festival environment. Teams will play both pool mates and then one team from the other pool. There are no placing matches.
JV/OPEN ROUND ROBIN
Divine Savior JV
St. Joseph JV
Penn JV
Oak Creek (Wisc.)
Perrysburg (Ohio)
Amherst (Ohio)