Grand Blanc's Fisher, Caledonia's Olsen Lead Past MHSAA Standouts at Olympics
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 15, 2024
Several past Michigan high school athletes participated during the recent Olympics in Paris – and several did so only a few years after starring for their high schools in MHSAA competition.
Among those who graduated from Michigan schools, Grand Blanc’s Grant Fisher and Caledonia’s Alena Olsen provided the most memorable finishes this month.
Fisher, a two-time Lower Peninsula Division 1 cross country champion and five-time champion at Track & Field Finals, won bronze medals in the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000-meter races.
After high school, Fisher went on to win NCAA championships at Stanford, and he still owns the all-MHSAA Finals record in the 1,600 (4:00.28), run in 2015 as a senior. His 14:52.5 in 2014 remains the sixth-fastest 5K time in MHSAA cross country championship history.
Olsen played volleyball and soccer at Caledonia, graduating in 2014, and was part of the bronze medal-winning U.S. rugby team in Paris. She began playing that sport as a freshman at Michigan, where she was a two-time All-America selection.
Also competing this month for the United States were the following (with high school graduation year in parentheses):
- Heath Baldwin, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (2019) – Track & Field (10th in decathlon)
- Adam Coon, Fowlerville (2013) – Wrestling
- Freddie Crittenden, Utica (2013) – Track & Field (sixth in 110 hurdles)
- Aaron Cummings, Grand Haven – Rugby (also played football, wrestled and ran track at Grand Haven)
- Andrew Evans, Portage Northern (2009) – Track & Field
- Hobbs Kessler, Ann Arbor Skyline (2021) – Track & Field (fifth in 1,500)
- Grace Stark, White Lake Lakeland (2019) – Track & Field (fifth in 100 hurdles)
- Abby Tamer, Dexter (2021) – Field Hockey (also played soccer at Dexter)
Additionally, Devin Booker was a member of the gold medal-winning men’s basketball team; he played as a freshman at Grandville before moving to Mississippi. Cindy (Ofili) Sember from Ann Arbor Huron ran the 100 hurdles for Great Britain, Udodi Onwuzurike from Bloomfield Brother Rice ran the 200 meters for Nigeria, Alex Rose from Ogemaw Heights threw the discus for Samoa, and Myles Amine from Detroit Catholic Central wrestled for San Marino.
Rockford, P-CCS Student Broadcasters Honored Among 'Stations of the Year'
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
April 15, 2024
Rockford High School’s “Beyond The Rock” and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools’ “88.1 The Park” were among those named the 2024 Student Stations of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB).
Students from those schools and collegiate winners Hillsdale College (“Radio Free Hillsdale”) and Michigan State University (“School of Journalism”) were rewarded with a trip to a Detroit Pistons game Thursday, and participated in a panel discussion with Pistons’ broadcasters Mark Champion, Greg Kelser, and Johnny Kane. The event was moderated by the President/CEO of the MAB, Sam Klemet.
Student journalists from Davison, Cedar Springs, Troy Athens, Montrose, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, East Kentwood, Bloomfield Hills, Warren Cousino and Dearborn Heights Star International also received awards in high school visual and audio categories.
For a complete list of Michigan Student Broadcast Awards, click here.
PHOTOS (Top) Rockford students enjoy the Pistons game at Little Caesars Arena. (Middle) Johnny Kane (Bally Spots Detroit), Mark Champion (Pistons Radio), Greg Kelser (Bally Sports Detroit), and Sam Klemet (MAB) participate in the panel discussion.