Scholars & Athletes 2021: Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 16, 2021
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 32nd 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 during an online ceremony later this winter. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Haleigh Knowles, Sault Ste. Marie; Andrea Kowalski, Chelsea; Elena Schwegman, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Illyanna Marie Taylor, Three Rivers; Wilson Bragg, Gladwin; Hudson Alexander Harkness, Newaygo; Dhilan Nagaraju, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; and Ryan Tang, Detroit Country Day.
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.)
Haleigh Knowles, Sault Ste. Marie
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, is playing her second season of varsity basketball and will participate in fourth season of varsity track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in cross country all four seasons, and earned all-state in track as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-league recognition in basketball. Served as varsity cross country captain, and basketball captain for subvarsity teams. Carries 4.06 GPA and is participating in fourth years of National Honor Society, student government, Business Professionals of America and Students United volunteer group and second year in LINKS program. Served as state and national delegate for BPA, and currently as chapter vice president and historian. Serving as social media coordinator and historian for student government and group leader for Students United, both for second years. Earned gold-level President’s Volunteer Service Award three times and Hospice of the EUP’s Service and Membership Award. Will attend Michigan State University and study pre-law.
Essay Quote: “As the years have gone on, I opened my eyes to the game around me. When the whole gym is packed and coaches, fans, and players are all screaming at one another, sportsmanship is playing with class.”
Andrea Kowalski, Chelsea
Playing second year of varsity basketball and will play her fourth of varsity soccer this spring; also ran varsity cross country as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-league and all-region in soccer. Helped varsity basketball team to league title in 2020 and cross country team to Regional title in 2017. Serving as basketball captain and will serve as soccer captain for second season. Carries 4.425 GPA and earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition. Participating in fourth year of student council and second as cabinet operations chair. Earned positions of flute section leader for marching band and first chair for band/wind symphony, and earned Division 1 rating at all judged musical performances. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and civic engagement club, the latter as a founding member. Will attend University of Michigan and study engineering.
Essay Quote: “Our opponents in educational athletics, club sports, or pickup games are just other people who want to compete. Whether a friend or foe, displaying empathy, respect, and integrity in all contests is what makes the community of athletes a special place for everyone. My adolescent eyes struggled to see it, but sportsmanship makes educational athletics bigger than each player and bigger than the pitch. It equates us all as human beings.”
Elena Schwegman, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Played two seasons of varsity basketball, one of varsity volleyball and will play her fourth of varsity softball this spring. Will serve as captain for second season in softball and helped volleyball team to 2017 Class B championship and basketball team to multiple District titles. Earned all-region in softball and academic all-state in softball and basketball. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and three times achieved either silver medal or honorable mention on National Spanish Exam. Participating in fourth year of student council and has served as vice president. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Co-founded school’s be nice. mental health awareness group and served as activities committee chair. Participating in third year of tutoring and started free service during COVID-19 pandemic. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to major in business and economics and minor in computer science.
Essay Quote: “Sports are an opportunity to bring out the best in all of us, and poor sportsmanship demeans high school sports and discourages participation. … There will always be wins and losses, but there will also always be teaching moments and more importantly, defining moments – opportunities to do the right thing, to claim a deserved victory, and to do so with character and humility.”
Illyanna Marie Taylor, Three Rivers
Playing second season of varsity basketball, played three of varsity golf and will play fourth of varsity soccer and compete in fourth of varsity track & field this spring; also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman. Earned all-league recognition in golf and academic all-state in golf and soccer, and was part of multiple academic all-state golf teams. Helped basketball team to District title in 2020 and has served as captain of basketball and soccer teams. Participating in fourth year of student council and has served as council president and vice president, and class president. Participating in third years of DECA and National Honor Society and served as chapter president of both. Participating in fourth years of marching and symphony bands and earned multiple Division 1 ratings; also sang three years in choir earning a Division 1 award and twice serving as section leader. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to pursue pre-medical studies.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is not just fair play; it encompasses an array of values: Respect. Kindness. Honesty. … Good sportsmanship presents kindness to be a uniform we should wear every day. Helping others and being empathetic is never out of season. We must work together in the pursuit of a collective victory.”
Wilson Bragg, Gladwin
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, played three of varsity soccer, is playing his third season of varsity basketball and will run his fourth of varsity track & field this spring. Earned all-region in soccer and all-league recognition in cross country, basketball and track. Served as captain of cross country and basketball teams. Participating in fourth years of student council and executive council and served three years as class president and two as executive council treasurer. Participating in fourth year of key club and served as treasurer for three. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, carries 4.0 GPA and is earning 18 college credits as part of dual enrollment at Mid Michigan College. Served more than 300 hours as mentor or volunteer for various efforts and earned local Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Award. Participating in fourth year of business club and was treasurer for three. Is undecided where he will attend college, but will study business.
Essay Quote: “I am proud that my positive reputation is recognized by my community, but more importantly, I am pleased to have conducted myself in a manner which has made my community and teammates proud, by modeling sportsmanship, both publicly and privately. Embracing sportsmanship in educational athletics, and in life, builds and reveals character.”
Hudson Alexander Harkness, Newaygo
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing varsity basketball this winter and will play his third season of varsity baseball this spring. Served as captain of varsity football and baseball and junior varsity football and basketball teams, and made all-league for football. Serving as class president for fourth year. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has earned college credit in leadership from George Mason University. Serving as yearbook editor for third year and selected as National Youth Correspondent for Washington Journalism & Media Conference at George Mason, and has had articles and news segments published by local media. Volunteered throughout high school as West Michigan Miracle League announcer and earned school’s Community Service Award. Participating in second year of College Ambassador program and served as assistant community service director. Will attend Northwood University and study sports management.
Essay Quote: “With parents, students, and athletes yelling at officials throughout the entire game, it is sad to see the lack of sportsmanship in today's games. Sportsmanship isn’t just about being respectful to the other team but respecting officials too. … When I see or hear other people yelling at an official I think to myself “how stupid.” These men and women give up times to make sure we can play and learn to love the game. Without them, we would have no games.”
Dhilan Nagaraju, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played three seasons of varsity tennis and is playing his second of varsity basketball. Earned all-state and all-academic honors in tennis and was part of school’s 2018 and 2020 Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship teams. Served as varsity tennis and junior varsity basketball captain. Participating in fourth year of Horizon Upward Bound and has served as president, fourth year of Business/Entrepreneurship Club, and third year of Bridge the Divide group and as a student leader. Participated in LEAD Summer Business Institute and Cornell University Real Estate Exchange. Engaged in chemistry and biology research with faculty and undergraduate students at Oakland University. Founded community service organization to provide personal protective equipment. Earned various awards including at state competition for piano, and participated in three years of debate and earned speakers award. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study business and economics.
Essay Quote: “The contrast I observed among these students and the handful of unsportsmanlike athletes I had competed against at other schools was clear – it was integrity. While these HUB students were naturally driven, proven by their excellent academics and discipline in the classroom, it was the small actions that made the difference. Through their honest line calls on the tennis court to helping opponents up in the gym, I have recognized the important role that integrity plays in athletics.”
Ryan Tang, Detroit Country Day
Played four seasons of varsity soccer and helped his team to the Division 2 championship in 2018 and multiple Regional and District titles. Earned all-state multiple seasons and served as team captain as a senior. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction and named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Received Association of Chinese Americans O.S. Chan scholarship for excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation. Co-founded and served as co-president of Help on the Way charitable fundraising organization, and also co-founded and served as vice president of school’s Finance/Entrepreneurship Club. Created prototype college counseling app as part of finance club and advanced to creative problem solving state finals as part of HOSA Future Health Professionals team. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study business management and computer science.
Essay Quote: “The principles of being a good sport extend far beyond just athletics; they become ingrained in our character and allow us to tackle issues with maturity in the future. Through athletics, I have learned to treat others with respect and carry myself with dignity, which are values that I apply to all aspects of my life. … It's imperative that student athletes strive to be respectful and mature on and off the field, keeping their emotions in check, as maintaining dignity and integrity will serve us well on and off the field.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Katie Acker, Lake Odessa Lakewood; Katie DeVlaminck, Buchanan; Jordyn Disbrow, Kalkaska; London Eldridge, Central Montcalm; Anna Gerardy, Yale; Allison R. Hall, Montague; Rachel Joslyn, Saginaw Swan Valley; Kendall Mathis, Newaygo; Katelyn Moore, Grayling; Caitlin Mullen, Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Riley Schroeder, Clare; and Bailey Taylor, Clare.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Ryan Atkinson, Dundee; Cole Bennett, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Ian Burke, Ortonville Brandon; Drew Collins, Montague; Dillon Dennison, Alma; Nickolai J. Emde, Plainwell; Stuart Hamilton, Lansing Catholic; Brock Holek, Durand; Jackson Hoover, Edwardsburg; Zachary Huitema, Tawas; Jack Parker, Spring Lake; and Cade M. Vota, Niles.
The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 9, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 23.
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Heritage's Hawk Nest Taking Charge
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 11, 2020
SAGINAW – Braeden Dinninger was so stoked before Friday’s Saginaw Heritage boys basketball game against Midland Dow, it felt like he might bounce right out of his neon green headband and hot pink arm sleeve.
A year ago, Heritage’s Hawk Nest became a bona fide all-star student section, even reaching the MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans VIII finals. A year later, Dinninger is a product of what he and his classmates have created on the way back to the championship round for BOTF IX.
“The environment – it's electrifying when you're in there,” said Dinninger, a senior football player and track sprinter who was elected a Nest leader this winter. “Everyone's talking, having a good time. So it's a time when you can come in, cheer, see your friends – talk to people you don't know, meet new friends – and it's an experience that we want people to come out and get more.”
We received our share of that electricity during the MHSAA’s BOTF visit Friday, the first on this year’s finalists tour that will include stops in Buchanan on Tuesday and Zeeland East on Friday.
At Heritage, we met with Dinninger, juniors Sophia Spradlin and Nikki Ambas and sophomore Charlie Davis to find out how the Hawk Nest had changed things up and taken another step this school year.
Two years ago, there was nothing like this. A year ago, thanks to the leadership of a dedicated teacher who made the student section part of her curriculum for the school’s Leadership class, the Hawk Nest was born.
The Hawks received a BOTF finalist banner last March on the floor at Breslin Center, and on the way home then-sophomore Sophia Spradlin brainstormed ways for the section to make a run at the championship this time.
She’s now one of the leaders of the “Battle of the Fans Club” – borne out of but separate from the school’s Leadership class – as the Hawk Next this winter has become fully student-organized and directed.
“We liked the student section how it was, but I feel like a lot of people could agree that it just wasn’t where it could be,” Spradlin said.
Dinninger added: “We wanted to take that step and also include more things that we thought could be fun, not just what we did last year.”
Hence, Hawk Nest version 2.0. Prepare for landing.
Game Time
They’re the Hawks of Saginaw. If you don’t get that by the time you leave a Saginaw Heritage game, you just haven’t been listening.
Over eight years of Battle of the Fans tour stops, some cheers simply have stuck in our heads. Heritage’s “We’re the Hawks of Saginaw” is one of them – “We do it ... any time in the game. It’s just a blast,” Davis said.
Also recognizable from our 2019 visit was a baseline bleachers filled with students in some mix of neon, mostly green again this time with a side of tie dye. But there were many more new features on the Hawk Nest playlist
Before every home game, a different pair of students enjoys the responsibility of providing the “light show” during pregame introductions – which is more or less a pair of flashlights racing around the domed arena, with parents and other fans along the sidelines using their cell phones to add to the mystique. Simple perhaps, but proof it doesn’t take much to add a touch of coolness to something otherwise ordinary at most places.
Introductions end with a Heritage player firing an imaginary arrow into the stands, sending the section falling backward. This is actually a common theme – the Hawks look for any number of opportunities to topple over, including leaders throwing a classmate into the stands like an airborne bowling ball.
What follows is a lot of chants, a lot of “We’re the Hawks of Saginaw” and generally just a lot of fun.
The Nest always has some interactive activity set up for halftime, and this time it was a relay race that included hula hoops and 3-point shots. It took a little while to set up, and to be honest was pretty tough to follow – but who cares? It got a bunch of students moving around, yelling and laughing instead of sitting with their heads in their hands until the game got rolling again.
Like at most places, basketball is the big show during winters at Heritage – and here it’s following the girls team, winners of two straight Class A/Division 1 championships. But the section also follows the boys hoops team, the highly-ranked hockey team and has come together for swim meets, volleyball matches and the Heritage-hosted pompon regional. (See the Challenge Round video below showing the section cheering on a variety of teams.)
“The big thing,” Spradlin said, “is we’re so excited for every single game.”
Be like Heritage
Take some of these tips from the Hawk Nest:
Take ownership: As noted above, Heritage students made a point of taking the baton by becoming the directors of their section this season, and almost everything they do is rooted in that sense they're working on something that belongs to them. That adds a level of meaningfulness. The Battle of the Fans Club meets at least once a week and often more, with about 30 students at many meetings – and Spradlin said every meeting sees someone new show up. Each grade is represented by elected representatives who are counted on to be part of setup and takedown on game nights. All of that leads to that feeling of ownership – and the pride that goes along with it.
Spread the wealth: Heritage has roughly 1,500 students, and while not all of them participate in the Nest, it’s still common – as Dinninger mentioned above – to see classmates in the stands he’s never met. How do Nest leaders make them all feel welcome? By making sure to include them in as many ways as possible. The Challenge Round allowed the Hawks to include a wide variety of students in the BOTF competition, and activities like the pregame light show and halftime games provide more opportunities to get students from various grades involved.
Set expectations: This goes back to ownership a bit. A handful of Heritage leaders have attended MHSAA Sportsmanship Summits, where they learned chants like “Air ball” and the like just aren’t a cool way to go. That and just having a little bit of empathy – of course it’s awful to be the player people are chanting about – have helped the section set some standards. And working hard to develop a positive reputation makes section leaders work even harder to make sure everyone is taking part in keeping it.
Word of mouth works: It’s always smart for student sections to connect with classmates on social media, with posters and daily announcements and even more one-on-one with class visits and all-school assemblies. But at the end of the day, one of the most effective ways to grow a student section is by word of mouth – one friend tells another, who tells another, and so on. Heritage hasn’t put it into practice yet, but is considering something of a buddy program where an upperclassmen recruits an underclassmen to a game. Similar invites bring a personal touch to recruiting efforts.
They said it best
Take a chance: “I think the only thing you have to do is be open-minded,” Spradlin said. “I was always kinda nervous to get involved, and I think the biggest step for me was being the Hawk (mascot) last year. I did it a few different times, and even though I wasn’t in the student section, I could be part of it. You have to push past your comfort zone. I met some of my best friends from the student section; through this club I’ve met so many new people. If (students) just knew what comes out of (getting involved), they would be more open to it.”
Buzz is contagious: “The best part is when it’s a new school week and we’re just talking about the game,” Davis said. “At lunchtime, it’s ‘Are you going to the game?’ or ‘Can I get a ride to the game?’ or ‘Will I see you at the game?’ It’s so much fun. You talk about it at school, and it really hypes it up when you get here and it just brings all the positive energy to one place.”
Be brave: “Everyone’s cheering and no one’s afraid to start a cheer,” Ambas said. “I’m always timid to start a cheer, but everyone’s so inviting. They’re open to when you want to start anything, no matter who you are.”
Don’t miss out: “I think the next step is trying to get a lot of kids out of their comfort zones, to come out and get that experience,” Dinninger said. “Like me personally, I didn't come out until my junior year to the games, and I totally regret it. I wish I would've come out here my freshman and sophomore year. And there's been plenty of kids who said that: They wish they would've come out to the games and had that experience, because you only get this high school experience four times.”
Next stop on BOTF: We will visit Buchanan for its boys basketball game tonight against Watervliet, and finish the 2020 BOTF tour at Zeeland East for Friday’s boys basketball game against Hamilton.
The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Fans filled Saginaw Heritage’s “Nest” for Friday’s boys basketball game against Midland Dow. (Middle) Students light the way for pregame introductions. (Photos by Josh Frank.)