2022 Scholar-Athlete Finalists Announced
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2022
The 120 finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2021-22 school year, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, have been announced.
The program, in its 33rd year, has recognized student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year and again this winter will honor 32 individuals from MHSAA member schools who participate in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament.
Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Awards and will present a $2,000 scholarship to each recipient. Since the beginning of the program, 864 scholarships have been awarded.
Scholarships will be presented proportionately by school classification, with 12 scholarships to be awarded to Class A student-athletes, six female and six male; eight scholarships awarded to Class B student-athletes, four female and four male; six scholarships awarded to Class C student-athletes, three female and three male; and four scholarships awarded to Class D student-athletes, two female and two male. In addition, two scholarships will be awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size.
Every MHSAA member high school could submit as many applications as there are scholarships available in its classification, and could have more than one finalist. Brownstown Woodhaven, Freeland and St. Johns have three finalists this year. Nineteen schools have two finalists: Ann Arbor Pioneer, Detroit Catholic Central, Fenton, Fowler, Frankenmuth, Hillsdale Academy, Holland, Holland West Ottawa, Kingsford, Livonia Churchill, Livonia Franklin, McBain Northern Michigan Christian, Montague, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Ortonville Brandon, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Saline, Traverse City West and White Lake Lakeland.
Multiple-sport participation remains the norm among applicants. The average sport participation rate of the finalists is 2.91. There are 81 three-plus sport participants in the finalists field, and all but two of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented.
Of 407 schools which submitted applicants, 26 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,434 applications were received. All applicants will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement. Additional Scholar-Athlete information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the MHSAA Website.
The applications were judged by a 58-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 8, Class B scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 15 and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 22. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA Website.
To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services – life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more – protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 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.
2021-22 Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists
GIRLS CLASS A
Cookie Estelleh Baugh, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Amelia Weyhing, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Piper Barnhart, Brownstown Woodhaven
Sophia Lustig, Brownstown Woodhaven
Madison Hissong, Fraser
Brooke Myers, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
Ana Todesco, Grosse Pointe North
Sonya Konon, Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse
Greta VanZetten, Holland
Elzien Zomer, Holland
Natalie Blake, Holland West Ottawa
Ella Spooner, Holland West Ottawa
Abigail Lueck, Livonia Churchill
Samantha Provenzano, Livonia Franklin
Erica Molnar, Livonia Stevenson
Laura Leiti, Midland Dow
Alexandria Stacy French, Richland Gull Lake
Ella DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Kiera Hall, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Kate Meinecke, Royal Oak
Alexis Maloney, St. Johns
Sara Schermerhorn, Traverse City West
Hannah DiGiovanni, Troy Athens
Maeve Spicer, White Lake Lakeland
BOYS CLASS A
Nathan Pawlowicz, Battle Creek Lakeview
Brady Wright, Birmingham Seaholm
Nathan Jerore, Brownstown Woodhaven
Colin Pearson, Caledonia
Joseph Marano, Dearborn Edsel Ford
Conner Bell, Detroit Catholic Central
Neil Zhu, Detroit Catholic Central
Chase Gibson, Fenton
Nick Temple, Fenton
Ben Taylor, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central
Ross VanBlois, Grandville
Owen Swisher, Livonia Churchill
James Oberman, Livonia Franklin
Colin Koot, Mason
Klay Grant, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
John Bungart, Orchard Lake St Mary's
Thomas Randall, Orchard Lake St Mary's
William Goelz, Petoskey
Blake Coy, Saline
Amod Talekar, Saline
Kaden Keller, St. Johns
Jake Lasceski, St. Johns
Ethan Tennant, Temperance Bedford
Michael T. Schermerhorn, Traverse City West
Caiden Carlson, White Lake Lakeland
GIRLS CLASS B
Elise Rose Johnson, Benzie Central
Sydni Mudge, Birch Run
Claire Thomson, Clawson
Faith Breinager, Frankenmuth
Emma Kerkau, Frankenmuth
Sophia Argyle, Freeland
Whitney Farrell, Freeland
Haley Zerlaut, Fremont
Maggie Duba, Grand Rapids West Catholic
Magdalaina Menghini, Kingsford
Claire Meacham, Montague
Mallory Moore, Ortonville Brandon
Paige Thwing, Ortonville Brandon
Alina Stanczak, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Ashley Bower, Portland
Rylee Tolson, Stockbridge
BOYS CLASS B
Zachary Elmouchi, Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Thomas Hamann, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard
Jeff Ren, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Jace DeRosia, Chelsea
Jared Hanson, Escanaba
Liam Anderson, Essexville Garber
Alex Duley, Freeland
Jack Rellinger, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
Curtis Knapp, Jonesville
Michael A. Meneguzzo, Kingsford
Seth Thompson, Manistee
Jerome Korten, Marshall
Cale Coppess, Montague
Bennett Blase Hitzelberger, Richmond
Joseph Hayes, Shelby
Derek Distelrath, St. Clair
GIRLS CLASS C
Haley Anne Newland, Bad Axe
Karly Smith, Beal City
Isabel Contreras-Spencer, Grass Lake
Gillian Kuehnle, Hartford
Gabrielle Carey, Iron Mountain
Jillian Koski, Ishpeming Westwood
Jordan Fox, Lake City
Isabel Henige, New Lothrop
Trinity Kolka, Sanford Meridian
Anna McPherson, Saranac
Ryann Locke, Springport
Korah Honig, St. Louis
BOYS CLASS C
Mert Oral, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Dylan David Reisig, Bridgman
Cole Garrison Stone, Carson City-Crystal
Samuel Peterson, Charlevoix
Ryan Doty, Clinton
Jack Davis, Holland Black River
Jack Hollebeek, Grandville Calvin Christian
Isaac Backman, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep
Ty Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Joshua M. Fairbanks, Roscommon
Jonah Cerone, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic
Alex Tanner, Whitmore Lake
GIRLS CLASS D
Ashton Hord, Felch North Dickinson
Mia Riley, Fowler
Tara Townsend, Frankfort
Alaina Roush, Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian
Anna Roberts, Hillsdale Academy
Meredith VanDerWeide, Hillsdale Academy
Skylar Wiesen, Leland
Megan Bennett, McBain Northern Michigan Christian
BOYS CLASS D
Cole Robinson, Bellaire
Jack Matrella, Bessemer
Brayden M. Steenwyk, Ellsworth
Jacob Rademacher, Fowler
Eli Shoup, Mason County Eastern
Jonas P. Lanser, McBain Northern Michigan Christian
Samuel Paga, Petoskey St. Michael Academy
Ashton McNabb, Three Oaks River Valley
Scholars & Athletes 2019: Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 11, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected eight student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 30th year of sponsoring the award, will give $1,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at a halftime ceremony during the Class C Boys Basketball Final, March 16, at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Lauren Anderson, Charlotte; Chloe Bartz, Edwardsburg; Olivia Haring, Clare; Zoe Neirink, Frankenmuth; Noah Doederlein, Carleton Airport; Justin Luo, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Pierce Morrissey, Big Rapids; and Connor Swinehart, Newaygo.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Lauren Anderson, Charlotte
Played fourth season of varsity basketball, played four of varsity volleyball and will run her fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-league recognition in volleyball and academic all-league honors multiple seasons in all three sports plus academic all-state in basketball and volleyball. Served as captain of volleyball and basketball teams. Will graduate high school with 24 college credits and carries a 4.0 GPA. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and earned Distinguished Scholar Award from Oakland University. Participating in fourth years of marching band, symphony band and drumline and has served as the percussion section leader and lead snare in those respective groups. Volunteers in youth basketball and volleyball camps and serves as middle school track timer, and earned Junior Rotarian award. Will attend Oakland and study nursing.
Essay Quote: “High school athletics are a minefield. With the pressure of school and other commitments, we rarely have time to think outside ourselves, and that becomes a problem when one’s emotions are not taken into account. When people get stressed or anxious, we don’t perform to the best of our abilities; we lag in our skills. When we get to that point, we need someone to be there, to yank us back from that ledge, to remind us that we are not alone, to give us confidence in our ability to perform as an athlete.”
Chloe Bartz, Edwardsburg
Playing fourth season of varsity basketball, ran four of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring. Qualified for MHSAA Finals three times in track and holds school record as part of 3,200-meter relay. Helped basketball team to two league and two District titles and best finish in school history. Served as captain of all three teams and earned scholar athlete awards all four years. Serving fourth year on student council with two as vice president and participating in second year of National Honor Society with one as treasurer. Participating in third years on youth advisory council and yearbook staff – with two as editor – and fourth year as part of Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter with two as chairperson. Earned regional first place and qualified for state competition twice as part of Science Olympiad team. Will attend Loyola University Chicago and study biochemistry.
Essay Quote: “Sports are often said to reveal character, but I am of the opinion they build it. As student athletes we are reminded daily of the effort, time and passion needed to succeed on the sports field as well as in the classroom. It’s essential for sportsmanship to be practiced as much as a jump shot, for at the end of the game it won’t be a person’s last-second shot you remember in 20 years.”
Olivia Haring, Clare
Playing third season of varsity basketball, ran four of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring; also played junior varsity softball as a freshman. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in cross country all four seasons and track her first three and helped those teams to a combined seven league championships. Earned all-conference, all-region and academic all-conference and all-state honors in those two sports, and has served as captain of all three of her varsity teams. Serving fourth year on student council and as student body president, and fourth year as part of Business Professionals of America and as co-president. Qualified for state BPA competition. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has served as treasurer. Earned Presidential Scholarship and named Junior Business Student of the Year both by Northwood and carries a 3.96 GPA while dually enrolled at Mid Michigan College. Led fundraiser that collected more than $1,000 for breast cancer awareness. Will attend Northwood University and study finance with the intention of earning a master’s in business administration.
Essay Quote: “The high stakes of competitive athletics demand excellent sportsmanship. Failure to meet such expectations can be detrimental to the athlete, team and community. Witnessing unsportsmanlike conduct prompted positive change in my hometown.”
Zoe Neirink, Frankenmuth
Ran four years of varsity cross country and will play her fourth of varsity soccer this spring. Served as captain of cross country team and qualified for MHSAA Finals in that sport all four seasons. Earned all-league recognition in both sports and all-state in soccer. Earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition and participates in National Honor Society. Competing in fourth years of quiz bowl and Science Olympiad; earned all-league honors and served as team captain for quiz bowl and medaled in regional competition and served as vice president for Science Olympiad. Playing fourth year in marching band and second as part of pit orchestra and served as marching band pit percussion section leader. Participating in volunteer and community service efforts and as part of 2019 Graduation Committee as selected by her teachers. Will attend Kenyon College in Ohio and study English, and intends to pursue a law degree.
Essay Quote: “The workload of being a student-athlete can be taxing, but things become easier when one stops regarding school and sports as two separate things. I see the same respect in my teammates cheering for all the runners in a cross country race as I do in a student helping another study for a hard test. The things that make us good students, good sports, and good people are all interwoven.”
Noah Doederlein, Carleton Airport
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will run his fourth of track & field; also played junior varsity basketball as a sophomore. Earned all-league and all-academic honors for cross country and helped track team to conference championship in 2018. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction. Served as a team captain of both varsity teams, taking part as well on school’s Captains Council. Serving as class president for third year and also president of National Honor Society chapter. Served on Monroe County Youth Leadership Board and Monroe County 4-H Council. Selected for the 4-H State Youth Leadership Council and 4-H Capitol Experience Steering Committee, and as part of Michigan delegation to multiple national events. Participating in fourth year of Interact club and third of Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead), and earned multiple local awards for academics and community involvement and also a 2017 Michigan Key Club Award. Will attend Michigan State University and study political science.
Essay Quote: “The communication, teamwork, and goal-setting skills that accompany educational athletics are inherent, while hard work and dedication teach students integrity. But, when poor sportsmanship infects athletics, the lessons being taught are misconstrued. When players, parents, and coaches begin to attack, taunt, or humiliate competitors, petty differences become more important than the skills players are attempting to learn.”
Justin Luo, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, helping team to three MHSAA Finals and Regional championships and earning an individual league title playing singles. Earned all-state and all-league honors and served as team captain. Participating in fourth year of debate and earned one gold and three silver bids to national Tournament of Champions. Qualified for National Catholic Forensics League Tournament and National Speech and Debate Association Tournament, and was named top speaker at 2017 debate state championship. Playing fourth year of clarinet for school’s band, orchestra and pit orchestra and has earned a number of solo/ensemble prizes and served as concertmaster. Participating in third year of American Youth Leadership Foundation and fourth tutoring as part of school’s Horizons Upward Bound program. Serves as president of Horizons and as Peer2Peer student leader. Will attend Princeton University and study operations research and financial engineering.
Essay Quote: “When sportsmanship is not upheld, people begin to solely focus on winning and forget why we play sports. Cheating offers an easy escape for players to avoid dealing with adversity and learning a valuable lesson. Rather than have fun and build friendships, people become angry and are hurt. I have felt the pain firsthand and would not want that for anyone else. Thus, we must preserve sportsmanship in order to maintain the educational value of athletics.”
Pierce Morrissey, Big Rapids
Will play fourth year of varsity golf this spring and has served as captain every season, and also played varsity basketball as a junior and varsity tennis as a freshman. Earned all-state golf honors his first three seasons and made all-state “Super Team” the last two as one of the top golfers regardless of division. Won Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final individual championship in 2018. Serving fourth year on student council and Mecosta County Youth Advisory Council and second on MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council. Also serving fourth year on school’s Athletic Leadership Council and Climate Crew. Participating in fourth year of Project Outreach and this year as president, and was class representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter as freshman and sophomore. Participates in a number of volunteer projects including as mentor for youth golf. Will attend Michigan State University and study business.
Essay Quote: “A fundamental standard of educational athletics, sportsmanship is a code to separate the good athletes from exceptional athletes. A true "sportsman" has no room in their heart for selfish ambition. Of course, this selflessness doesn't happen in the blink of an eye. Most student-athletes would admit that their younger version of themselves had an abundance of maturing to do to become who they are today as a senior athlete.”
Connor Swinehart, Newaygo
Playing third season of varsity basketball, played three of varsity football and will play third of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league honors a total of five times and all-state recognition in basketball, and all-state academic honors in baseball. Served as team captain multiple seasons for all three sports. Served three years as student council president and is participating in second year of National Honor Society. Has earned all As throughout high school. Participates is a variety of sports-related and community volunteer projects including as a peer math tutor. Will attend University of Michigan and study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “I knew I could finish the game, but another victory meant more for me than the actual win. Sitting in the dugout was a teammate of mine who has stuck with baseball his whole life and loves the game with all of his heart. He is a special education student with disabilities, which limits him from consistent playing time, but that does not mean he cannot throw the ball. My teammate has one of the biggest arms on the team. … I tell (my coach) I want (my teammate) to finish the game. I want him to get the victory. He deserves the victory. … These are the moments where sportsmanship is important. Putting a teammate’s needs and desires before your own.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Kamryn Cushway, Big Rapids; Salena Prakah-Asante, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Eleri Giem, Boyne City; Daisy Ansel, Comstock; Sarah Bidgood, Comstock Park; Bridget Kohane, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Dana Wila, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Lindsey Jurecki, Grosse Ile; Robin LeFevere, Imlay City; Sophie Moccio, Milan; Emily Unger, Montague; and Mallory Kean, Yale.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Sam Bussler, Battle Creek Harper Creek; Clark Doman, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Alex Netzley, Cadillac; Adam Bruce, Gladstone; Jack Perry, Michigan Center; Michael Gormley, North Branch; Isaac Waffle, Olivet; Tommee Smith, Sparta; Cooper Clark, Stevensville Lakeshore; Dillon Mochty, Tawas; Dylan Day, Tecumseh; and Ethan McKenzie, Whitehall.
The Class C and Class D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 5, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 19.
Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more—protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 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.