Scholars & Athletes 2022: Class B

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 15, 2022

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected nine 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 33rd 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 26 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Maggie Duba, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Whitney Farrell, Freeland; Claire Meacham, Montague; Rylee Tolson, Stockbridge; Derek Distelrath, St. Clair; Joseph Hayes, Shelby; Curtis Knapp, Jonesville; Michael A. Meneguzzo, Kingsford; and Jack Rellinger, Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

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.)

Maggie Duba, Grand Rapids West Catholic
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, and will play her fourth of varsity lacrosse and participate in her fourth of track & field this spring. Qualified three times for MHSAA Finals in cross country and earned all-state as a senior. Also earned academic all-state and served as cross country team captain. Ranked second academically in class of 125 entering this school year carrying 4.375 GPA with 12 dual-enrollment college credits earned. Participating in National Honor Society and has served three years as student government class secretary. Serving as junior and senior class peer advocate and has participated in a variety of volunteer and community service efforts. Will attend University of San Diego and study business accountancy and economics with the intention of continuing to medical school and studying to become a general surgeon.

Essay Quote: “In the split moment that I threw away an opportunity to achieve all-state, a position that I had prioritized for the five months of training before, I remembered that this is all supposed to be fun. … By sacrificing the race, I gained something much more important than posting my best time. I grew in humility and developed a new perspective on sports and competing.”

Whitney Farrell, Freeland
Playing fourth season of varsity basketball, ran four seasons of cross country and will participate in her fourth of track & field in the spring. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in cross country and track and helped 2019 basketball team to Division 2 runner-up finish. Earned all-state in cross country and track and all-conference in basketball, and served as captain of all three teams. Serving third year on student council and second as part of National Honor Society, and also participating in fourth years of Be The Change club and Students Leading Students. Served as youth basketball coach and referee throughout high school. Will attend Ferris State University and study architecture.

Essay Quote: “Prior to my 2019-20 varsity basketball season, I truly believed that good sportsmanship was offering to help an opponent up off the court or shaking every single opponent's hand after a game. I had participated in sports since the age of 3 and that was sportsmanship in action. However, my experience with and understanding of sportsmanship completely changed throughout the 2019-20 basketball season … (as) each of our opponents was metaphorically helping us up off the court by recognizing the loss of our beloved coach.”

Claire Meacham, Montague
Playing third season of varsity basketball, played two seasons of varsity golf and will participate in her third season of track & field this spring; also played varsity volleyball as a freshman and varsity softball as a junior. Helped golf team to two MHSAA Finals championships, the track team to a Regional victory and the basketball team to league and District titles. Earned all-state recognition in golf and academic all-state in track and golf, and served as captain of track and basketball teams. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has served as chapter president, and is serving second year as part of student senate. Participated in Future Farmers of America and DECA throughout high school, serving as a DECA officer and reaching state finals competition as part of both. Participates in various volunteer efforts as part of church and community organizations. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to study civil engineering.

Essay Quote: “No matter the outcome, every athlete, coach, and individual has to remember that we are all part of a bigger game. We are all striving to improve the game and ourselves through personal growth and dedication. We are supposed to be preparing our athletes to be model citizens who set standards for what is right and just, on and off the court.”

Rylee Tolson, Stockbridge
Playing third season of varsity basketball, ran four seasons of cross country and participated two seasons in track & field. Qualified for MHSAA Cross Country Finals all four seasons, earned all-state three times and won Lower Peninsula Division 3 title as a sophomore. Served as captain of cross country and track teams. Serving fourth year on student council including second as an executive officer, and has served as class vice president. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and serving as chapter president. Playing fourth years of marching and concert band and third of jazz band, and served as section leader for drumline. Participating in third years of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and peer-to-peer assistance program. Will attend University of Michigan and study kinesiology.

Essay Quote: “I try my best to be a support system for everyone around me all of the time. Supporting others includes time outside of sports. Tutoring after school before practice, waking up early to prepare for a National Honors Society meeting, or helping a teammate during lunch with a class that I have already taken allows me to help my peers strive to be their best academically.”

Derek Distelrath, St. Clair
Played four seasons of varsity tennis and is playing his first of varsity basketball this winter. Finished No. 1 singles runner-up in Lower Peninsula Division 3 as a sophomore and made semifinals as a junior and senior. Won United States Tennis Association Midwest singles and national doubles championships. Earned academic all-state in tennis all four high school seasons and twice served as team captain. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and serving as vice president, and participating in second year of student council and serving as spirit corps leader. Participating in fourth year on St. Clair County Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council, including second on executive board. Served as youth tennis coach throughout high school and as youth basketball coach as a senior. Will attend Western Michigan University and study business analytics and statistics.

Essay Quote: “Compete intensely but honor and respect opponents. If athletes transfer this lesson into life, the world would be a much better place because we would take the time to get to know people who differ from us and treat each other with honor and respect. We would seek to unite people instead of divide them.”

Joseph Hayes, Shelby
Playing fourth season of varsity basketball, played three of boys soccer and will play third of baseball in the spring. Helped soccer team to Regional championship and baseball team to District title. Earned all-league and all-District in soccer and all-conference recognition in basketball. Served as soccer team captain multiple seasons. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has served as president, and also participating in fourth year of local Youth Advisory Council. Played two years in school band earning “1” ratings, and has participated in 4-H throughout high school earning “A” awards for showing of livestock. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study business and entrepreneurship.

Essay Quote: “One of the things that I dislike the most as an athlete is not just losing, but losing to a team full of players that are disrespectful to me and my team. Being a good sport during high school educational athletics is very important. Learning how to control your emotions and demonstrate great sportsmanship at a young age will lead you to demonstrate those qualities as an adult.”

Curtis Knapp, Jonesville
Playing third season of varsity basketball and played four seasons of varsity football. Earned all-state in football and set three school records in the fall. Earned Big 8 Conference Leadership Award multiple years and served as captain of both varsity teams. Carries 4.022 GPA. Serving fourth year as student council class president and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participating in fourth year of Students Against Destructive Decisions and is a leader of that group as well. Has participated in various volunteer efforts with Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity and 4-H. Started and owns lawn and landscaping business. Will attend Hillsdale College and study economics.

Essay Quote: “My definition of sportsmanship is the general respect you have for another team or player. … I have grown so much as a person through my four years in high school sports. I am thankful for the opportunity to build relationships with not only people from my own school, but also people that I have played in sports. I learned that sportsmanship is the most important part of sports, and that the overall goal is to have fun.”

Michael Meneguzzo Michael A. Meneguzzo, Kingsford
Playing third season of varsity basketball, played two of varsity football and will compete in third of track & field in the spring; also played varsity tennis as a freshman. Holds multiple school football records and earned all-Upper Peninsula recognition in that sport. Earned runner-up finish at Track & Field Finals. Served as captain of football and basketball teams. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and fourth of key club. Served as school’s representative on Youth Coalition and as French club vice president. Served more than 100 hours of volunteer service including for American Red Cross, Salvation Army and at youth football and basketball camps. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study business.

Essay Quote: “I have always been very competitive. … (But) whenever I exhibited poor body language or questionable sportsmanship, my dad would talk to me after the game about how my actions affect the team and also, how they make me look as an athlete. My dad … has always held me to a different level than other players when it came to sportsmanship and body language during a competition.”

Jack Rellinger, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
Played three seasons of varsity football and will play second of varsity lacrosse in the spring; also played two seasons of subvarsity basketball. Helped football team to three MHSAA Finals championships and lacrosse team to District title. Earned all-league in football and academic all-state in lacrosse, and served as captain of lacrosse team and subvarsity basketball teams. Carries 4.5 GPA and posted “5” score on six Advanced Placement exams as a junior. Received National Merit Scholarship “commended” recognition and earned Harvard Book Award. Serving as head boy for his house as part of student government. Serving second year as student ambassador for Van Andel Institute biomedical research organization and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Is leaning toward attending Notre Dame University and intends to study computer engineering.

Essay Quote: “I think this is what sportsmanship is really all about. An appreciation for the game and the players objectively, regardless of the outcome. When you really step back to look at it, wins and losses make up such a small part of what makes high school sports great. These sports are made special through the bonds formed and shared between coaches, players, and even opponents, as well as a true, unbridled appreciation for the game.”

Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Elise Rose Johnson, Benzie Central; Sydni Mudge, Birch Run; Claire Thomson, Clawson; Faith Breinager, Frankenmuth; Emma Kerkau, Frankenmuth; Sophia Argyle, Freeland; Haley Zerlaut, Fremont; Magdalaina Menghini, Kingsford; Mallory Moore, Ortonville Brandon; Paige Thwing, Ortonville Brandon; Alina Stanczak, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; and Ashley Bower, Portland.

Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Zachary Elmouchi, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Thomas Hamann, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard; Jeff Ren, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Jace DeRosia, Chelsea; Jared Hanson, Escanaba; Liam Anderson, Essexville Garber; Alex Duley, Freeland; Seth Thompson, Manistee; Jerome Korten, Marshall; Cale Coppess, Montague; and Bennett Blase Hitzelberger, Richmond.

The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 8, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 22.

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 1.4 million spectators each year.

2020 Bush Awards Honor Dedicated ADs

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 21, 2020

East Grand Rapids’ Tim Johnston, Maple City Glen Lake’s Mark Mattson, Vicksburg’s Michael Roy and Gaylord’s Christian Wilson all lead programs that frequently earn headlines for success in competition.

But these four athletic directors also are known in their local and statewide sports communities for the positive experiences they help provide students, their own as well as those who take part in the same leagues or tournament events they frequently host.

To honor their often unsung work in creating these experiences for athletes, all four have been named recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Allen W. Bush Award for 2020.

Al Bush served as executive director of the MHSAA for 10 years. The award honors individuals for past and continuing service to prep athletics as a coach, administrator, official, trainer, doctor or member of the media. The award was developed to bring recognition to men and women who are giving and serving without a lot of attention. This is the 29th year of the award, with selections made by the MHSAA's Representative Council.

“Leaders among peers, ceaseless dedication, never saying ‘no’ when needed – these are how this year’s Bush Award honorees are described by their colleagues, and how we’ve come to know them as well,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “What they give willingly for school sports goes far beyond awards they’ve received, and at the same time often receives little attention. We’re delighted to recognize all of their continuing contributions.”

Johnston has begun his 39^th year in education, with the last eight for East Grand Rapids Public Schools, where he has led one of the state’s most successful athletic programs – EGR, which offers 34 varsity sports, was named a Michigan Exemplary Athletic Program in 2018 by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA). Johnson was chosen as his region’s Athletic Director of the Year by the MIAAA in 2017. He previously served as a teacher and coach at Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and then as an athletic director and principal at Hastings.

He has made significant contributions to Michigan’s largest high school league, having served as president, vice president, secretary and realignment chairperson for the Ottawa-Kent Conference, and hosted various MHSAA Tournament competitions for the District, Regional and Finals rounds. Johnston also has served on multiple MHSAA sport committees and its board of canvassers, and as part of the Scholar-Athlete Award selection committee. Additionally, he has served as an instructor for the MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program (CAP) and as a program presenter at conferences for both the MIAAA and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) – and served as Michigan’s delegate to the latter.

After graduating from Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Johnston earned an associate degree from Grand Rapids Junior College and a bachelor’s from Grand Valley State University, and then a master’s in education leadership from Michigan State University. He earned his certified athletic administrator (CAA) designation from the NIAAA.

“Tim has always been incredibly positive in advocating for kids,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “I’ve known Tim for years as a principal and as an athletic director, and there’s absolutely no one who better sees the big picture of how academics and athletics fit together.”

Mattson is into his 22^nd year coaching, teaching or serving as an administrator in Michigan high schools, and in his second tenure as athletic director at Maple City Glen Lake. He previously served in the same role and others at Marquette High School for 11 years and then as athletic director at Traverse City Central before returning to Glen Lake as athletic director and assistant principal. He also coached and taught in Rhinelander, Wis., to begin his career, and served as an undergrad men’s basketball assistant coach at Northern Michigan University.

Mattson also is a frequent MHSAA Tournament host and participated on sport committees for skiing, football, basketball, cross country and track & field, and has served as an MIAAA regional representative and as secretary for the Big North Conference. He received MIAAA regional Athletic Director of the Year awards in both 2008 and 2018, and was selected as the Upper Peninsula Athletic Director of the Year in 2006.

A current member of the MHSAA Representative Council – representing Class C and D schools in the northern Lower Peninsula – Mattson is a graduate of L’Anse High School and earned his bachelor’s degree and then his master’s in educational administration both from NMU. While at NMU and into his tenure at Marquette, Mattson also was a registered MHSAA official in football and basketball for a decade and briefly for softball and volleyball.

“Mark, having served his career in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, always brings a unique perspective on how the largest schools survive in northern Michigan,” Uyl said. “Schools like Marquette and Traverse City Central face a unique challenge. He’s always been an advocate for schools with those unique circumstances – but also for all schools up north, and especially now as part of the Representative Council.”

Roy is a graduate of Paw Paw High School who returned to Michigan after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees – the latter in curriculum and instruction – at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he also was a member of the football team for two years. He is into his 22^nd year as an athletic administrator, serving three years at Lawton before joining the Vicksburg administration at the start of the 2001-02 school year. He has hosted more than 100 MHSAA postseason events and numerous CAP sessions while also serving as a CAP instructor, and his Vicksburg program received the Exemplary Athletic Program award in 2020.

Roy served as president of the MIAAA during the 2019-20 school year and has made vast contributions as part of the athletic directors’ professional organization with more than 15 years as a regional representative and 10 times serving as the state’s NIAAA delegate at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) national conference. He has served more than a decade as a Leadership Training Institute instructor for the MIAAA and as part of the NIAAA national teaching faculty.

He has received three certifications from the NIAAA including the certified master athletic administrator designation in 2005. Roy was named his region’s Athletic Director of the Year by the MIAAA in 2009 and state Athletic Director of the Year in 2012 – when he was also a finalist for national Athletic Director of the Year from the National High School Coaches Association.

“Mike has been incredibly giving with his time, especially with his leadership with the MIAAA,” Uyl said. “He has a can-do attitude, whether it be in hosting events or with other problem-solving he’s provided our entire MHSAA staff over many years.”

Wilson is into his 19^th year in education, serving as athletic director and assistant principal for Gaylord Community schools; he also briefly served as athletic director at Novi High School and as high school athletic director in Mount Gilead, Ohio, and taught in Auburndale, Wis.

Wilson also is a frequent host of MHSAA Tournament events – he hosted more than 10 during the 2019-20 school year alone – and also has served on various MHSAA committees. He has served as president of the Big North Conference and provided his expertise to the local Little League and youth football boards. He was named his region’s Athletic Director of the Year by the MIAAA in 2016.

A graduate of Chassell High School, Wilson then earned his bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University and a master’s in athletic administration from Western Michigan University. Prior to beginning his career in education, Wilson served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at both Michigan Technological University and Western Michigan. He played at Michigan Tech before finishing his career at NMU.

“Christian has been a successful administrator for many years because of his outstanding temperament and the way he connects with people,” Uyl said. “He’s someone who takes the work seriously, but never takes himself too seriously. He has served as a mentor to so many, and he’s very gifted at building relationships. At the end of the day, that’s what our business is about – those relationships.”

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