Concussion Care Special Awarded Emmy

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 19, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Yellow Flag Productions – which produces State Champs! Sports Network – and FOX Sports Detroit received a Michigan Emmy Award on Saturday for their “Concussions and the Modern Athlete” program that detailed the effects of concussions in athletics and steps being taken by the MHSAA to enhance awareness and care at the high school level.

The award – presented by the state’s chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – came in the category of “Children/Youth/Teens – Program/Special.” The show was hosted and reported by State Champs’ Kiara Hay and included interviews with MHSAA Executive Director John E. Jack Roberts and Assistant Director Kathy Vruggink Westdorp.

The show was part of the State Champs! Summer Series in 2017 and aired on FOX Sports Detroit.

MHSAA Announces Golf Finals Format

September 18, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Executive Committee of the Michigan High School Athletic Association has approved an adjusted format for this fall’s Lower Peninsula girls golf postseason to reduce the opportunity for spread of COVID-19 while still awarding championships to top teams and individuals in four divisions.

The Executive Committee – comprised of officers of the larger Representative Council – approved a one-season switch in postseason format that keeps the numbers of Regionals and Finals intact for this season. However, the size of the championship tournament fields will be reduced to fall in line with regular-season tournament reductions currently in place to limit the number of teams mixing per event. The Finals also will be played as one single 18-hole round, instead of the traditional two 18-hole rounds on back-to-back days, to eliminate teams needing to stay overnight.

The tournament will begin with six Regionals in each Division played between Oct. 5-10, with 10-13 teams at each Regional – falling in line with the traditional format and schedule while keeping the field for Regionals at 72 golfers or fewer. However, the top two teams and top two individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the Finals in each Division – one fewer team and fewer individual than the traditional format, but necessary to keep the Finals fields also at 72 golfers.

The following week, all four Lower Peninsula Finals will be played at Michigan State University. On Friday, Oct. 16, Division 1 will play an 18-hole championship round at Forest Akers East and Division 2 will play at Forest Akers West. On Saturday, Oct. 17, Division 3 will play its Final at Forest Akers East and Division 4 will conclude at Forest Akers West.

Further details will be provided soon on the Girls Golf page of the MHSAA Website.

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.