Battle of the Fans: Vote Now
February 20, 2012
The time has come to decide the winner of the inaugural MHSAA Battle of the Fans contest.
And we've put the decision, in part, in your hands.
Vote today through Thursday on your favorite of five finalists -- Petoskey, Rockford, Reese, Grand Rapids Christian and Frankenmuth -- by clicking the poll link on the right side of this screen.
But before you do, be sure to brush up on each by clicking on the stories behind all five sections and watching our MHSAA-produced videos of those student cheerers in action, shot over the last five weeks during the MHSAA tour of finalists' schools.
The contest is sponsored by the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, and the winner will be decided by a combination of SAC and public vote. You must be a member of Facebook and "like" the MHSAA page to take part.
The champion will be announced Friday on Second Half. Video of all five finalists will be compiled and shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center.
And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Frankenmuth
Read all about it: Frankenmuth Dance Party
Grand Rapids Christian
Read all about it: Halftime is G.R. Christian's Time
Petoskey
Read all about it: Blue Crew Legacy
Reese
Read all about it: Small Town, Big Reese Spirit
Rockford
Read all about it: We are Ram Nation
Performance of the Week: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Rachel Forsyth
September 1, 2023
Rachel Forsyth ♦ Ann Arbor Pioneer
Senior ♦ Cross Country
The latest in a long line of Pioneer distance stars, Forsyth began her final high school cross country season with a nearly 26-second victory in the big-school race at the Benzie Central Pete Moss Invitational on Saturday. She ran a personal-record 17:09.24, which says a ton considering her past work; Forsyth was the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final champion in 2021 as a sophomore and the 2020 runner-up in her first trip to Michigan International Speedway. What's more, she was followed in this Benzie race by reigning Division 3 champion Jessica Jazwinski of Hart in second and last year's Division 4 champion Aiden Harrand of Buckley in third as Pioneer finished second as a team against an elite field.
An injury delayed the start of Forsyth's junior season last fall until the end of September, and she ran only 62nd at the LPD1 Final five weeks later. But she was clearly back to unstoppable during track season, setting personal records in the 3,200, 1,600, 800 and 400 while going undefeated in individual events for the spring and winning LPD1 Finals championships in the 800, 1,600 and as part of the 3,200 relay. She and her siblings have enjoyed an incredible run of success over the last decade; older sister Anne Forsyth was a four-time top-15 cross country finisher at LPD1 Finals and runner-up as a junior in 2016, and sister Sarah Forsyth twice finished among the top 10 individually and as a senior with Rachel in 2021 helped Pioneer to the team title.
@mhsaasports 🏃♀️POW: Rachel Forsyth #xc #crosscountry #pioneer #pr #personalrecord #congrats #letsgo #annarbor #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #MHSAA #fyp ♬ original sound - MHSAA
@mhsaasports 🏃♀️POW: Rachel Forsyth #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #tv #republicofdoyle #disneymovies #mulan #frozen #running #icecream #swimming #emoji #performanceoftheweek #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
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MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
(PHOTOS by Run Michigan.)