2016-17 Parade of Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 23, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Birch Run, Detroit Edison Public School Academy, Plymouth Christian Academy and Zeeland East celebrated their first Michigan High School Athletic Association team championships this school year, as 97 schools total won one or more of the 129 Finals titles awarded during 2016-17.
Teams earning the first MHSAA championship in any sport for their schools were Birch Run in girls bowling, Detroit Edison PSA in girls basketball, Plymouth Christian in girls volleyball and Zeeland East in boys track & field.
A total of 31 teams won first MHSAA titles in their respective sports. A total of 54 champions were repeat winners from 2015-16 – and 28 of those won for at least the third straight season, while 14 extended title streaks to at least four consecutive years.
The Birmingham Brother Rice boys lacrosse team has the longest title streak of 13 seasons, while the Petoskey boys skiing team and Marquette girls track & field team share the second-longest streak at seven straight championships.
Marquette claimed the most MHSAA team titles, five, winning in Division 1 boys skiing and Division 1 girls skiing, Upper Peninsula boys swimming & diving, and Upper Peninsula Division 1 boys track & field and girls track & field. All five were repeat championship wins. No other school won four or more titles, but six more schools won three: Birmingham Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, East Grand Rapids, Midland Dow, Negaunee and Rockford.
Also claiming multiple championships were Detroit Catholic Central, Detroit Country Day, East Kentwood, Escanaba, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, Ishpeming, Ishpeming Westwood, Jackson Lumen Christi, Lowell, Munising, Pewamo-Westphalia, Powers North Central, Rochester, St. Ignace and Vandercook Lake.
Sixteen of the MHSAA's 28 championship tournaments are unified, involving teams from the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, while separate competition to determine titlists in both Peninsulas is conducted in remaining sports.
For a sport-by-sport listing of MHSAA champions for 2016-17: Click Here.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 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 more than 1.4 million spectators each year.
PHOTO: The Saline baseball team celebrates its first MHSAA championship Saturday at Michigan State University.
MHSAA Accepting Student Advisory Council Applications for Class of 2025
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 10, 2023
The Michigan High School Athletic Association is seeking student-athletes to become members of its Student Advisory Council beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
Four boys and four girls from the Class of 2025 will be selected to two-year terms, and will meet on matters related to maintaining and promoting a proper perspective and sensible scope for high school sports in Michigan. Eight members from the Class of 2024 already are serving on the Council, while eight members from the Class of 2023 are leaving the Council this spring.
To be eligible for the committee, candidates must be a member of the Class of 2025, complete the official application including answering the three short-answer questions, submit a letter of recommendation from a school administrator, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and be available for all scheduled meetings.
In addition, candidates should show a history of leadership on athletic teams as well as with other extracurricular activities, community service projects, or in the workplace; and show an understanding of the role of school sports and have ideas for promoting a proper perspective for educational athletics.
Applications are due to the MHSAA by 4:30 p.m. on April 24. Applications can be downloaded from the Student Advisory Council page of the MHSAA Website and must be returned via e-mail, fax or any mail delivery service.
The Student Advisory Council meets six times each school year, and once more for a 24-hour leadership camp. In addition to assisting in the promotion of the educational value of interscholastic athletics, the Council discusses issues dealing with the 4 S’s of educational athletics: scholarship, sportsmanship, safety (including health and nutrition) and the sensible scope of athletic programs. A fifth S – student leadership – is also a common topic. Members contribute to the planning of Sportsmanship Summits, Captains Clinics and other student leadership events, and assist with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events.
Newly-chosen members will join the following from the Class of 2023: Kannon Duffing, Manchester; Claire Gorno, Gaylord; M'Khi Guy, Muskegon; Dawsen Lehew, Marcellus; Christian Sanders, Detroit Renaissance; Ben Sytsma, Grand Rapids Christian; Madeline Werner, Bay City All Saints; and DaNia Womack, Dearborn Advanced Tech Academy.
The eight new members of the Student Advisory Council will be notified by May 5. The 2023-24 meetings are tentatively scheduled for Aug. 27, Oct. 1, Dec. 3, Feb. 11, April 21 and May 12. Meetings will take place at the MHSAA Office in East Lansing. For additional information, contact Andy Frushour at the MHSAA – 517-332-5046 or [email protected].