Century of School Sports: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 10, 2024
While we’ve begun commemorating our “Century of School Sports” at the MHSAA office in East Lansing, you’ll soon see symbols of this milestone at events all over the state – and our game officials and participating teams will have an opportunity to keep a memento of this celebration.
Our 100th Anniversary logo (see the above left-hand corner of our website) has been incorporated into uniform patches and championship medals that will be worn and awarded all over Michigan during the 2024-25 school year.
Medals have been given to champions going back to nearly the start of the MHSAA – a 1933 basketball tournament medal is among the oldest that have been sent back to us over the years – and medals to be awarded during District, Regional and Finals competition this fall, upcoming winter and spring have been redesigned to reflect the anniversary.
Patches, particularly those worn by our game officials, also date back to the MHSAA’s early decades – officials annually receive patches for their uniforms to signify they are registered with the MHSAA, and our collection in East Lansing goes back to the late 1940s. Several officials signed up for this school year already are receiving their 2024-25 patches, and these include a nod to 100 years. Officials selected for our Finals each season also annually receive a special patch – and for this school year, those Finals patches will reflect the anniversary.
Athletes will have an opportunity to wear a commemorative patch as well. Those taking part in several of our championship competitions will receive patches that adhere to their uniforms (in sports where adding a patch does not interfere with the uniform or competition).
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read
PHOTOS Clockwise from top left: (1) 100-Year Anniversary officials patch. (2) 2024-25 Commemorative medal. (3) 2024-25 Officials Finals patch. (4) 2024-25 District medal. (5) 2024-25 Regional medal. (6) 2024-25 Final medal.
MHSAA Announces Tennis Finals Format
September 11, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Executive Committee of the Michigan High School Athletic Association on Thursday approved an adjusted format for this fall’s Lower Peninsula boys tennis postseason to reduce the opportunity for spread of COVID-19 while still awarding team and No. 1 singles champions in four divisions.
The Executive Committee – comprised of officers of the larger Representative Council – approved a one-season switch in postseason format that will match full teams in head-to-head competition. The format switch will limit the numbers of teams playing together at a single site.
The postseason will begin with Team District one-day tournaments to be played during Oct. 7-10 at 16 sites per division. The District champions will advance to the Team Finals in Divisions 1-4 to be played over two days during Oct. 15-17. For each division’s Finals, the first rounds will be played out at four sites before semifinalists converge for the last two rounds.
The following week, during a one-day tournament to be scheduled during Oct. 22-24, 32 No. 1 singles players will compete in bracketed play for the championships in four divisions (eight finalists per division).
Further details will be provided soon on the Boys Tennis page of the MHSAA Website.