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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-January 15, 2003
Contact: John Johnson or Randy Allen
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Jan. 15 -- The recipients of the top Michigan High School Athletic Association's Good Sports Are Winners! Awards for the recently-completed 2002 fall sports season have been named, with each school to receive commemorative banners and crystal trophies from MEEMIC Insurance, the Association's corporate partner in sportsmanship efforts.

Hudsonville Freedom Baptist and South Haven in boys soccer, Hopkins in football, and Byron Center in girls basketball, were selected by the tournament management at their respective finals for displaying the most exemplary sportsmanship by their coaches, student-athletes and spectators. Presentation dates at all four schools will be announced at a future date.

Hudsonville Freedom Baptist was the champion in the Division 4 boys soccer tournament, and South Haven was the runner-up in Division 3; Hopkins was the runner-up in the Division 6 football playoffs; and Byron Center was a semifinalist in the Class B girls basketball tournament.

In addition to receiving the finals award, South Haven was honored at the Regional level; and Hudsonville Freedom Baptist was honored at the Semifinal level. This is the first Finals level award for all of the schools involved in any sport.

The Good Sports Are Winners! Award is making its return in 2002-03 with the corporate underwriting of MEEMIC Insurance. The program had previously been offered from 1989 to 1996, and again during 2000-01.

At the District and Regional level of MHSAA tournaments, all schools which meet a set of sportsmanlike standards will be recognized. There will continue to be standards in the program which would automatically disqualify a school from consideration from the award. Any team which is disqualified for the Good Sports Are Winners! Award at the District or Regional level of a tournament becomes ineligible for the award at higher levels of that same tournament.

In all, 219 teams in girls basketball, football and boys soccer are being recognized for their outstanding sportsmanship at Fall tournaments. Those teams will be recognized through the publication of their names in the MHSAA Bulletin, the MHSAA Finals program series, and on the MHSAA Web site. During the course of the school year, over 1,000 teams will be recognized in 11 activities for their sportsmanship efforts during MHSAA tournaments.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

MEEMIC Insurance Company, with headquarters in Auburn Hills, writes full coverage private passenger automobile protection and homeowners insurance for educational employees and their immediate families in the state of Michigan. MEEMIC was founded by teachers for teachers in 1950. Most representatives of the company are or were teachers themselves. MEEMIC's history of competitive pricing and a commitment to superior service has cultivated a tradition of teachers serving teachers and their families, our "MEEMIC Club."

Click here for the list of Good Sports Are Winners! Award recipients as submitted by tournament managers through January 13 for the recently-completed Fall sports season (SPORTS DIRECTORS/ EDITORS -- Please scan this list for recipients from your coverage area):


MEDIA ADVISORY - For additional information about MEEMIC, contact Mike Post, Director of Sales & Marketing, toll free at 888-4MEEMIC (463-3642), Ext. 7544. You can download the MHSAA's sportsmanship logo from the MHSAA Web Site - click on Forms & Graphics off the home page.

Farm Bureau Insurance and MEEMIC Insuarnce
are year-round MHSAA Corporate Partners