SAC Sound-off: Meet Owosso's Matt Freeman

April 11, 2012

Matt Freeman is a big part of the Owosso football program -- he's 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds and made his all-league team last season -- and will continue to be a big part of the MHSAA's Student Advisory Council as a senior next fall.  He's one of eight juniors on the council; members are selected at the end of their sophomores years and serve two-year terms.

Matt Freeman, Owosso junior

  • Sports: Football, basketball, golf
  • Non-sports activities: Hunting, farming, drummer, theater
  • Favorite class: Weight lifting
  • Must-see TV: ESPN SportCenter
  • One shining moment: Coming back from 15 down to beat Corunna in basketball this season.
  • What’s next: Hopefully, college football. If not, then a small college, and coming home on weekends. Working with my hands – nothing behind a desk.
  • My favorite part of game day is: ... at school, knowing most of the people you see never get the opportunity to be on a team, and knowing you are lucky to be on the team you are on.

    PHOTO: Owosso's Matt Freeman (64) makes a tackle during last season's game against DeWitt. He plays on both the offensive and defensive lines.

    Finalists Announced for 2023-24 MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards

    By Geoff Kimmerly
    MHSAA.com senior editor

    January 19, 2024

    The 120 finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2023-24 school year, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, have been announced.

    Farm Bureau InsuranceThe program, in its 35th year, has recognized student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year and again this winter will honor 32 individuals from MHSAA member schools who participate in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament.

    Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Awards and will present a $2,000 scholarship to each recipient. Since the beginning of the program, 928 scholarships have been awarded.

    Scholarships will be presented proportionately by school classification, with 12 scholarships to be awarded to Class A student-athletes, six female and six male; eight scholarships will be awarded to Class B student-athletes, four female and four male; six scholarships will be awarded to Class C student-athletes, three female and three male; and four scholarships will be awarded to Class D student-athletes, two female and two male. In addition, two scholarships will be awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size.

    Every MHSAA member high school could submit as many applications as there are scholarships available in its classification and could have more than one finalist. Ann Arbor Greenhills, Birmingham Seaholm, East Grand Rapids, Manistee and Midland Dow have three finalists this year. Seven schools have two finalists: Beal City, Britton Deerfield, Dearborn, Mason, Northville, Oxford, and Traverse City West.

    Multiple-sport participation remains the norm among applicants. The average sport participation rate of the finalists is 2.88. There are 77 three-plus sport participants in the finalists field, and all but two of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented.

    Of 445 schools which submitted applicants, 28 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,607 applications were received. All applicants will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement. Additional Scholar-Athlete Award information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the Scholar-Athlete page. 

    The applications were judged by a 65-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 6, Class B scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 13 and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 20. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA Website.

    To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, and submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

    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 1.3 million spectators each year. 

    2023-24 Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists

    GIRLS CLASS A
    Yan Yee Adler, Ann Arbor Pioneer
    Bella Adams, Battle Creek Lakeview
    Katherine Slazinski, Birmingham Seaholm
    Aya Moughni, Dearborn
    Sam M. Peot, East Grand Rapids
    Julia Holt, Farmington Hills Mercy
    Tori Briggs, Fowlerville
    Arianna Pate, Gibraltar Carlson
    Cameron Herman, Hartland
    Brooke Pedersen, Holland West Ottawa
    Ella Chatfield, Jenison
    Meghan Ford, Mason
    Lauren VanSumeren, Midland Dow
    Addison Raffle, Northville
    Ella Boyd, Oxford
    Abigail DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
    Anna Lassan, South Lyon East
    Lily Sackrider, St. Johns
    Cecilia Ruchti, St. Joseph
    Addison Booher, Traverse City Central
    Ava King, Traverse City West
    London Williams, Trenton
    Sarah Fromm, Utica
    Ryah Dewey, Walled Lake Western

    BOYS CLASS A
    Viraj Nautiyal, Birmingham Seaholm
    Dylan Shoresh, Birmingham Seaholm
    Charles Howell, Cadillac
    Erik Giedeman, Dearborn
    Joseph Stachelek, Detroit U-D Jesuit
    Charlie Lentz, East Grand Rapids
    Charlie Seufert, East Grand Rapids
    Chris Piwowarczyk, Fenton
    TJ Silvernale, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
    Jack Ryan, Grosse Pointe South
    Jaden Reji, Livonia Churchill
    Connor Curtis, Livonia Stevenson
    Austin Martel, Mason
    Jonathan Song, Midland Dow
    Logan Yu, Midland Dow
    Jaxson Whitaker, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
    Kyle Brown, Northville
    Sean Wilson, Oxford
    Anirudh Krishnan, Plymouth
    Abrar Hossen, Portage Central
    Andrew Miller, Saline
    Jack Carlisle, Stevensville Lakeshore
    Willem Howard Anthony DeGood, Traverse City West
    Vansh Jvalit Baxi, Troy Athens

    GIRLS CLASS B
    Elaine Gordon, Adrian
    Navya Ashok, Ann Arbor Greenhills
    Anika Bery, Ann Arbor Greenhills
    Hannah Herman, Buchanan
    Gwenyth L. Geiger, Caro
    Reese Herioux, Gladstone
    Julie Ashbaugh, Grant
    Grace deWaalMalefyt, Hudsonville Unity Christian
    Megan Marta, Ishpeming Westwood
    Addison Rutter, Kingsford
    Libby McCarthy, Manistee
    Cecilia Postma, Manistee
    Malena Johnson, Marshall
    Katelyn Baney, Paw Paw
    Malia Thelen, Portland
    Isabella DeWildt, Sault Ste. Marie

    BOYS CLASS B
    Angelo Ciarelli, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard
    Lucas Nor, Ann Arbor Greenhills
    Austin Hinkley, Big Rapids
    Logan Cripps, Brooklyn Columbia Central
    Jackson Dell, Chelsea
    William E. Ribby, Eaton Rapids
    Logan Lipka, Frankenmuth
    Charles Lindemann, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
    Ben Sytsma, Grand Rapids Christian
    Stephen Petersen, Hillsdale
    Michael Stout, Howard City Tri County
    Anthony Mariotti Goatley, Madison Heights Lamphere
    Braydon Sorenson, Manistee
    Ethan Chambliss, Niles
    Aiden Roulo, St. Clair
    Oliver Brown, Williamston

    GIRLS CLASS C
    Mikaela Ann Boyle, Bad Axe
    Kylie Ott, Bridgman
    Allison Bowles, Clinton
    Jaida Schulte, Elk Rapids
    Lauren Borsenik, Hemlock
    Mariah Thompson, Houghton Lake
    Lola Korpi, Ishpeming
    Alexis Ewing, Jonesville
    Adilyn Anne Ruggles, Marlette
    Sara Dammann, New Lothrop
    Brooke Spitzley, Pewamo-Westphalia
    Claire Neumann, Saginaw Valley Lutheran

    BOYS CLASS C
    Carter Upper, Alcona
    Payton Butkovich, Beal City
    Jamisen Latham, Beal City
    Tristan B. Harbaugh, Gobles
    Niko Burgoon, Iron Mountain
    Kannon Duffing, Manchester
    Brad H. McNeill, Montrose
    Jack Lantz, New Buffalo
    Ryin Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford
    Benjamin March, St. Louis
    Julian Ahluwalia, Traverse City St. Francis
    Landen Muska, Vassar

    GIRLS CLASS D
    Makenzee Grimm, Battle Creek St. Philip
    Alivia Salenbien, Britton Deerfield
    Alayna Salenbien, Britton Deerfield
    Caroline Beggs, Clarkston Everest Collegiate
    Rachel Case, Kimball New Life Christian
    Mallory Lowe, Leland
    Bonnie Kiger, Marion
    Hazel Hysell, St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic

    BOYS CLASS D
    Samuel Wallace Lutz, Adrian Lenawee Christian
    Jürgen Griswold, Ellsworth
    Christian Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek
    Trenton Taratuta, Hillman
    Ridley Fast, Hillsdale Academy
    Ben McCaw, Lawrence
    Nathan Mihills, Marcellus
    Clayton Shoup, Mason County Eastern

    PHOTO Scholar-Athlete Award medals are ready for presentation during the 2023 ceremony at Breslin Center.