MHSAA Network Receives MAB Awards
March 5, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA Network was honored Wednesday night with three awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters at its annual Broadcast Excellence Awards presentation for 2019 at the conclusion of the Great Lakes Media Show at the Lansing Center.
This Week In High School Sports, the network’s five-minute weekly flagship program – powered by Michigan Student Aid – which is heard on more than 100 over-the-air and internet audio outlets across the state during the Fall and Winter sports seasons, won the Best of category for Sports Program for Statewide Radio Networks. The program also received a Merit Award in the category.
The MHSAA Network origination of the 2019 Division 1 Boys Basketball Final – presented by Sparrow Health – also took a Merit Award in the Sports Play-by-Play category. The 64-62 win for Ypsilanti Lincoln, decided on a putback at the buzzer by Jalen Fisher, had Topher Goggin and Jeff Sommerville of MHSAA Network affiliate WQBX in Alma on the call, John Kreger as the host and Mike Stump as the sideline reporter.
“We’ve always felt that we were providing quality coverage of high school sports and had never entered the MAB awards program prior to this past year,” said John Johnson, MHSAA Director of Sports Broadcast Properties, who also hosts This Week in High School Sports. “It’s humbling to receive such an honor from those in the broadcasting community that we serve.”
The MHSAA Network produces audio coverage of the Association’s championships in Boys Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Football in the Fall; Ice Hockey and Basketball in the Winter; and Lacrosse, Girls Soccer, Baseball and Softball in the Spring – 90 games in all. All games can be heard on the MHSAANetwork.com website, and the Basketball Finals in March are broadcast by 20 to 40 over-the-air radio stations. In addition to This Week In High School Sports, the Network also produces the weekly 60-second vignette – Be The Referee – which takes a look into the fine art of officiating. Those programs are also available at MHSAANetwork.com and the MHSAA Website.
Six Members Elected to MHSAA Representative Council
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 20, 2021
Elections were completed this week to fill positions on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s legislative body, its Representative Council, with four members receiving re-election, another rejoining the Council after previously serving and a sixth being selected for the first time. All six were elected to two-year terms.
The four re-elected members ran unopposed. Marquette athletic director Alex Tiseo was re-elected to continue representing Class A and B schools in the Upper Peninsula. Gobles athletic director Chris Miller was re-elected to continue representing Class C and D schools in the southwestern section of the Lower Peninsula, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford athletic director and football coach Jason Mensing was re-elected to continuing representing Class C and D schools in the southeastern section of the Lower Peninsula. Jay Alexander, executive director of athletics for Detroit Public Schools Community District, was re-elected to continue representing Detroit Public Schools.
Boyne City athletic director and girls basketball coach Adam Stefanski was elected to represent junior high/middle schools. He previously served on the Council for one year while athletic director at Mackinaw City. Elected to the Council for the first time was Chelsea athletic director Brad Bush, who will fill one of two statewide at-large positions.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members 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 Council meets three times annually. Five members of the Council convene monthly during the school year to form the MHSAA’s Executive Committee, which reviews appeals of Handbook regulations by member schools.
Additional elections took place to select representatives to the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee. Negaunee athletic director and football coach Paul Jacobson was elected to represent Class A and B schools, Ishpeming Westwood athletic director Jon Beckman was elected to represent Class C schools, and Ontonagon superintendent and principal Jim Bobula was elected to represent Class D schools.
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.