2023 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 14, 2023
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 34th year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 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.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 25 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Jordan Richie, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Carney Salo, Escanaba; Anna Smith, Clawson; Allison Tate, Whitehall; Jacob Fenbert, Dundee; Camden Johnecheck, Williamston; Isaiah Pelc, Portland; and Sreejay Ramakrishnan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
(NOTE: If an athlete intended to play and was part of a spring sports team in 2020, that sport is counted among the athlete’s total although the season was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Jordan Richie, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played four seasons of varsity volleyball, playing third of varsity basketball and will compete in fourth of track & field this spring. Served as captain of all three teams and earned all-county and all-region recognition in track while running on multiple school record-setting relays. Participating in fourth year in Cranbrook Business Club, including as president for second year, and co-founded and serves as president of school’s DECA chapter – and earned all-state recognition in the latter. Carrying 4.2 GPA and achieved highest possible score on three Advanced Placement tests. Will attend University of Texas and study chemical engineering.
Essay Quote: “We have all lost. Every athlete has experienced the frustration of a devastating loss, the pain of seeing a medal in another’s hands and not one’s own. I have never played a perfect game or run a perfect race. I have watched helplessly as a volleyball flew off my hand and into the net on a game point. I have stood idle as a player blew by me to score a buzzer-beater. But, when the final score favors my competitor, I know that taking accountability for my mistakes and appreciating the heart and hustle of the winner will teach me greater lessons than a simple scoreboard.”
Carney Salo, Escanaba
Played three seasons of varsity volleyball, is playing her third of varsity basketball and will play her third of varsity softball this spring. Helped softball and basketball teams to Regional championships and softball team reach Division 2 Semifinals in 2022; also helped volleyball team to multiple District titles. Earned all-state honorable mention and academic all-state in softball and all-league honors in volleyball and basketball, and served as team captain in all three sports. Serving second year on MHSAA Student Advisory Council and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Serving first year on student council, as class vice president. Participating in fourth year of Business Professionals of America and has qualified for state competition, and served as social media liaison for BPA chapter. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study business administration.
Essay Quote: “Players are yelling at coaches, parents are heckling refs, and student sections are getting personal. I believe sportsmanship goes hand and hand with respect. You should treat others the way you want to be treated. Following this simple concept will ensure core values like caring, responsibility, and most importantly respect are being displayed.”
Anna Smith, Clawson
Played four seasons of varsity volleyball, playing third of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity soccer this spring. Earned all-league and all-District honors in soccer and all-league in volleyball, and earned all-state academic recognition and made league’s all-academic team. Helped all three varsity teams to league titles. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on student government, this year as secretary. Also serving fourth year on student senate and Trojans Leadership Council. Playing fourth year in school orchestra and attended Eastern Michigan University Honors Orchestra. Earned Clawson Youth Assistance Recognition Award. Will attend University of Michigan and study kinesiology.
Essay Quote: “The essence of an impressive sportsman stems back to one concept: the willingness to assist teammates. In order for a team to run cohesively, every player must sacrifice themselves for the good of the whole. This notion became extremely apparent following the diagnosis of my season-ending (knee) injury. Not only did I endlessly provide my own support throughout the next sports seasons, I felt that same emotion reciprocated. While I made an effort to attend all practices and games, ensuring my presence was not only seen, but felt, my teammates were displaying the same respect and encouragement towards myself.”
Allison Tate, Whitehall
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and competed in two seasons of track & field. Also played junior varsity tennis. Earned all-conference in cross country and all-conference academic honors in cross country and track. Served as captain of both teams. Also has figured skated competitively throughout high school. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, and for legacy project restarted school’s youth cross country camp. Carrying 4.2 GPA and on track to graduate as class valedictorian. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and National Merit Rural/Small Town Recognition. Serving fourth year as class president and also as student council president as a senior. Competed in three years on school’s National History Day and debate teams. Named National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar. Served as senior class representative of White Lake Interact Club, co-president of school’s environmental club, co-captain of quiz bowl team and school representative on Muskegon Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study international relations.
Essay Quote: “And that is the very definition of sportsmanship ... the ability to compete as the best version of oneself, despite everything else. So, I suppose that, for me, sportsmanship is — in all of its forms — maintaining the tenacity, drive, determination, and self-awareness to ride out the cutting edges in the face of any and all adversity.”
Jacob Fenbert, Dundee
Played two seasons of varsity football, is wrestling his fourth season on varsity and will compete in his third season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state in wrestling, helping that team to three straight Division 3 championships and reaching Individual Finals twice. Earned all-league in football and helped team to playoffs, and qualified for 2022 MHSAA Track & Field Finals in pole vault. Served as wrestling team captain. Earned National Merit Rural/Small Town Recognition and is on track to graduate as class valedictorian. Participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participated in Boy Scouts throughout high school, and was selected to Order of the Arrow Honor Society and National Eagle Scout Association. Earned State of Michigan Conservation Award. Will attend Michigan Technological University and study mechanical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is not just shaking someone’s hand after a game or playing with courtesy and positive intentions toward others. Sportsmanship involves giving back to those within the athletic community so that they too can enjoy sports as much as I have. … I have only one (wrestling) season left and have come to appreciate all the wonderful memories the sport has given me. It is important to ensure my younger teammates get all they can out of the sport …”
Camden Johnecheck, Williamston
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, wrestling his fourth season and will compete in fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in both cross country and wrestling and reached MHSAA Cross Country Finals three times. Served or will serve at least two seasons as captain of all three varsity teams. Attended American Legion Auxiliary Boys State and was elected Speaker of the House. Participating in second year of Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society and as chapter vice president, and participating in fourth year of school’s math and science academy and had research project selected for publication in science journal. Is unsure where he will attend college, but intends to study civil engineering.
Essay Quote: “As (wrestling) practices wore on, we continued to push each other. But my attitude had changed. Now I encouraged him and even thanked him for not holding back. I understood that we were just trying to make each other better. … Retrospectively, I understand how much I learned from this part of my life. In the beginning, I forced myself to return my partner’s kindness, even when I didn’t want to, which is the foundation sportsmanship. The more I did this the easier it became.”
Isaiah Pelc, Portland
Wrestling fourth season this winter, will play his second season of varsity baseball this spring and also played two seasons of subvarsity football. Earned all-state in wrestling and qualified for MHSAA Individual Finals his first three seasons. Earned National Wrestling Coaches Association/U.S. Marine Corps High School Scholar All-American honors three times, and academic all-state in baseball. Served as wrestling and baseball captain. Participating in fourth year of student government and has served as class president and student body president. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and Ionia County Youth Advisory Council, as NHS class trustee and co-chairperson of YAC. Has participated in Boy Scouts throughout high school, earning Eagle Scout rank and serving twice on Mackinac Island Governor’s Honor Guard. Participating in fourth year of BIONIC school suicide prevention and mental health group, serving as co-chairperson. Will attend University of Notre Dame and study business.
Essay Quote: “Throughout my high school career, I have witnessed and been a part of both outstanding sportsmanship and poor sportsmanship. I realized through many competitions that one cannot control their opponents, officials and the calls they make, the outcomes of the competition, and many other factors. But one thing I can control is my composure before, during, and after competition despite the uncontrollable factors that occur.”
Sreejay Ramakrishnan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Played four seasons of varsity tennis and will compete in his second of varsity track & field this spring. Also has played on school’s boys club volleyball team. Earned all-state honors in tennis three times and academic all-state all four seasons. Helped track & field team to Regional championship and 2022 Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals runner-up finish. Served as captain of tennis team and upperclassmen leader in track. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, serving as chapter president, and third on school’s Student Advisory Council. Participating in fourth year of student government, as co-president. Co-founded school’s Kids Food Basket club and youth action board. Playing fourth year in concert and symphony orchestra, as concert master and first chair violinist, and qualified for state competition in solo ensemble. Participating in third year of Model United Nations and serving as club treasurer. Won Grand Valley State University Teen Entrepreneurship Summer Academy pitch competition. Is unsure where he will attend college, but intends to study business, public policy and psychology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is a pillar of integrity, virtue, ethics, and morale – though it is merely a choice. … It is commendable when an athlete shows composure and respect to their opponents. Learning from a loss and congratulating an opponent on a victory shows growth. Winning with humility and class is inspiring.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Elaina Bortolini, Kingsford; Claire Filpus, Houghton; Rylie Haist, Big Rapids; Lauren Harrold, Flint Powers Catholic; Devin Johnston, Almont; Tiffany Keller, Frankenmuth; Molly McNitt, Paw Paw; Matelyn Midkiff, Midland Bullock Creek; Rachel Niskanen, Negaunee; Ainsley VandenBrink, Holland Christian; Ella Wagner, Essexville Garber; and Chesney Wilke, Tecumseh.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Michael App, Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Aldo Barba, Tecumseh; Matthew Bowman, Milan; Evan Jose Evans, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Grant H. Harkness, Newaygo; Nathan Hooker, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; John Kersh, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Nicholas Liparoto, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Philip Nelson, Negaunee; James Oosterhouse, Holland Christian; Jacob Pallo, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Aiden Eric Smith, Adrian.
The Class C/D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 7, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 21.
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 1.3 million spectators each year.
Rep Council Wrap-up: Spring 2019
May 8, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The addition of seeding at the District level in basketball and soccer and multiple adjustments to the process used to select the playoff field for 11-player football were among the most notable actions taken by the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association during its annual Spring Meeting, May 5-6 in Gaylord.
The Spring Meeting of the 19-member legislative body of the Association’s more than 1,500 member schools is generally the busiest of its three sessions each year. The Council considered 26 committee proposals and dealt with a variety of eligibility rule, postseason tournament and operational issues.
Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, girls and boys basketball and soccer will employ a seeding process to place the top two teams in every District on opposite sides of that bracket, guaranteeing those two teams could not play each other before the District championship game.
The two teams to be seeded in each District will be determined using a Michigan Power Ratings computer formula based on regular-season results against other MHSAA Tournament-eligible teams and opponents’ strength of schedule. (Games against out-of-state or non-MHSAA opponents will not count in the MPR formula.) The MHSAA will draw all brackets two weeks before the start of District play. After the top seeds are determined and separated to opposite sides of the bracket, the draw process will place the remaining teams on the bracket based on a randomly-selected order determined earlier in the season. However, the draw process does not guarantee the seeded teams will receive byes or serve as home teams.
The MPR is being used this spring to seed the Boys Lacrosse Tournament. Separate seeding proposals were recommended to the Council by the MHSAA committees for both soccer and basketball.
The changes to the 11-Player Football Playoffs selection process were proposed by the MHSAA Football Committee and are designed to reward teams that play more successful opponents. Beginning with the 2020 season, eight divisions will be determined before the season, and 32 playoff qualifiers from each division will be selected at the end of the regular season based on playoff-point average – there no longer will be automatic qualification based on win total. The adjusted playoff points formula will award bonus points for all opponents’ wins, regardless of whether the team beat or lost to those opponents. Currently bonus points are awarded only if the team defeated an opponent. More points also are awarded for defeating teams from larger divisions. The Football Committee proposed these changes believing the bonus points received for a “good loss” – combined with the elimination of automatic qualifiers – will be enough incentive for teams to schedule more successful opponents, easing the annual difficulty in football scheduling and taking away arguably the most cited reason for the breakup of leagues and conferences.
Also on recommendation by the Football Committee, the Council approved an enrollment limit of 215 students for teams to be eligible for the MHSAA 8-Player Playoffs. This too will take effect for the 2020 season. Currently, a school must be Class D to be eligible for the postseason, or in a one-year grace period if it grew larger than Class D for the current school year. While the Class D enrollment line changes annually, the 8-player line of 215 students will remain static year to year. The grace period also will remain for schools that might receive a one-year enrollment bump before falling back below 215 students.
The Council also approved a committee recommendation to add limited video review of scoring plays or potential scoring plays, or of turnovers or potential turnovers at MHSAA Football Finals for both the 11 and 8-player formats. This process will be available at Finals only because of the availability of camera coverage provided by broadcasts of those highest-level games of the tournament. Although all scoring and turnover plays could be reviewed, a play will be reversed only when there is indisputable video evidence showing the original call was incorrect.
Continuing its focus on safety in football, the Council also approved a committee recommendation to adopt revised definitions and limits on contact allowed during preseason practices and practices after games have begun. Beginning with this 2019 football season, teams will be allowed no more than six hours of full-pads collision contact per week during the preseason and no more than 30 minutes of collision contact during a week of in-season (after games begin) practice. “Collision” is defined as contact at game speed, with the execution of full tackles at a competitive pace, taking players to the ground.
However, while “collision” contact will be limited, “thud” contact will be unlimited. “Thud” is defined as full speed but above the waist only, with no player taken to the ground and no winner or loser. Thud contact is not considered collision contact. The revised definitions of “collision” and “thud” and related time limitations are products of collaboration between the MHSAA, Michigan High School Football Coaches Association and Practice Like Pros, a national movement dedicated to safety in high school football. The recommendation was brought to the Football Committee by leadership of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association and further defines the degree and amount of practice contact following similar practice safety changes approved by the Council for football in 2014 and 2017.
The new sport-specific transfer rule will take effect with the 2019-20 school year, and the Council approved a series of corresponding changes. Most notably, the Council approved a change to the athletic-related (links) rule to not grant immediate eligibility with a residential change if a student follows a coach from his or her former school to a school where the coach has been newly hired. The Council also approved a sport-specific penalty for the athletic-motivated transfer rule so that a student would not be eligible during the current school year in the sport played the previous school year if that student was confirmed to have made an athletic-motivated transfer.
The Council additionally approved clarifications under the sport-specific transfer rule for multi-school districts which have schools that are both geographical boundary schools and schools which are district-wide, for students transferring to nonpublic or charter schools and for students who have taken part in international student exchange programs and chosen to stay in Michigan.
To provide consistency for officials’ jurisdiction across all sports, the Council approved the addition of wording that allows an official to disqualify a student or coach following the conclusion of a contest – but before the official has left the facility and/or grounds – if that student or coach commits an offense worthy of ejection and disqualification against the official. (Example: A player or coach verbally berates an official while following that official to his or her vehicle.) This penalty also would include the next-day-of-competition suspension. This does not apply if the official has remained at the facility and encounters the offense while as a spectator for another event.
Here is a summary of other notable actions taken by the Representative Council at the Spring Meeting, which will take effect during the 2019-20 school year unless noted:
Regulations
• The Council approved an increase from $25 to $40 as the maximum value for any award (trophies, medals, plaques, etc.) that an athlete may receive for participation in an athletic event without conflicting his or her amateur status.
Sport Matters
• In track & field, the Council approved a Cross County/Track & Field Committee recommendation to allow Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula Regional competitions to be conducted on Thursdays, in addition to the current Fridays and Saturdays, to provide for more flexibility for tournament hosts and participants when up against other school activities and college entrance exam testing dates.
• Also in track & field, the Council approved a recommendation to allow for use of a double waterfall mark and step-up start in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters, beginning in 2020 when those events will begin employing a one-turn stagger.
• In golf, a committee recommendation was approved allowing golfers to use cell phones during play in four circumstances – to call a coach or tournament administrator for a health and safety issue, for use in inputting scores for live scoring or other scoring applications, to contact a rules official with questions, and for use as a distance-measuring device.
• The Council approved a Golf Committee recommendation setting the maximum allowable score at 12 strokes per hole, in part to help improve pace of play.
• The Council also approved a Golf Committee recommendation to allow for a Lower Peninsula Regional to be played any day, Monday through Saturday, during the week reserved for that round of the tournament. Similar to track & field, this allowance was made to increase scheduling flexibility.
• In girls competitive cheer, the Council approved a committee recommendation allowing for non-braced static inversions at the high school level only with the following stipulations: the original base or spotter maintains constant contact with the flyer, prior to the static inverted position the flyer must originate from below shoulder level, and the inversion must dismount to the cheering surface, cradle, any waist-level position or a non-inverted stunt at shoulder level. Also, twists from inversions and inversions released to extended level are illegal.
• The Council also approved a recommendation to allow for the review and possible restructuring of the girls competitive cheer format as early as the 2020-21 season, keeping athlete safety and efforts to increase participation as the primary focuses.
• In girls gymnastics, the Council approved a committee recommendation solidifying language stating that when four judges are contracted for a meet in which two events are conducted simultaneously, a total of 28 gymnasts may compete per event in a double-dual or quad meet, with up to 14 per school per event (for schools with A and B teams).
• In boys lacrosse, the Council approved a committee recommendation allowing for a multi-team tournament option of playing two full games (four 12-minute quarters) with a possible four-minute sudden-victory overtime period, instead of three running-time games (25-minute halves) with no overtimes allowed.
• In soccer, the Council approved a recommendation to allow for multi-team tournaments to be played not only on non-school days, but on days not followed by a school day.
• The Council also approved a committee recommendation in soccer removing a rule that previously required District and Regional Finals to begin after 5 p.m. on SAT and ACT national testing days.
• In diving, the Council approved a Swimming & Diving Committee recommendation requiring divers who enter MHSAA Qualifying Meets to provide a name of a designated MHSAA-certified coach to serve on the judging panel. After volunteers are accepted from the list, a random draw of those designated coaches will fill out the rest of the seven-judge panel.
• In tennis, the Council approved two committee recommendations regarding MHSAA Tournament play. The first requires any lineup substitution be made before the end of the last scheduled coaches meeting prior to play to allow for the automatic redrawing of a bracket if a seeded player is unable to play. The Council also approved the allowance of three coaches on the first day of MHSAA Finals, when play often takes place at many courts and at multiple sites. In the case of multiple sites, an additional coach may be added for each site (all coaches must continue to meet MHSAA coaching requirements). On the second day of the Finals, only two coaches are allowed.
• Additionally in tennis, the Council approved a committee recommendation allowing coaches who are on-court for coaching purposes during matches to text coaches or players not engaged in matches, as long as it is not disruptive to play. The Council also approved a committee recommendation allowing coaches at the subvarsity and middle school levels to offer coaching at any time during a match as long as the coach remains off court and does not disrupt the flow of play.
In an effort to increase recruitment of young officials, the Council approved a staff proposal to expand the Student Officials Legacy Program to include freshman and sophomore students at least 14 years of age. These underclassmen will be allowed to officiate with a mentor official at the junior high/middle school level only.
The Council also discussed various other topics, including work by the Multi-Sport Task Force toward a possible awards program and the MHSAA’s growing efforts as a presenting sponsor at junior high/middle school events and at high school events that have ties to MHSAA member schools but are not MHSAA-sponsored sports (that is by competition rules, governance, etc.).
The Council also reviewed reports on membership, with 750 senior high schools and 810 junior high/middle schools in 2018-19 plus 56 elementary schools with 6th-grader participation; cooperative programs, with 313 programs for 552 teams during 2018-19; eligibility advancement applications, which totaled three for this school year; the use of Educational Transfer Forms, out-of-state practice requests, school violations, attendance at athletic director in-service workshops and Coaches Advancement Program sessions, officials’ registrations, rules meetings attendance and officials reports submitted for the past three sports seasons. The Association’s $11.9 million budget for the 2019-20 school year also was approved.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
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.