Performance of the Week: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Gabrielle Haudan
November 6, 2026
Gabrielle Haudan ♦ Ann Arbor Pioneer
Junior ♦ Field Hockey
Haudan scored the only goal of this season’s MHSAA Final at Michigan State with 29 seconds left in the first quarter as Ann Arbor Pioneer repeated as champion with a 1-0 win over Saline. The goal made a memorable day even more so, as Haudan celebrated her 17th birthday Saturday.
The junior forward also was a significant contributor on Pioneer’s Finals championship team in 2025 and already is set to continue her career after high school as she’s committed to national power Northwestern. Haudan will be continuing a Division I athletic legacy as her mother Jenny (Zangara) Haudan was on University of Michigan’s 2001 national championship field hockey team and her father Brad ran track at U-M. Gabrielle also runs track for Pioneer and earned a Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional championship in the 100 meters this past season.
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Past 2026-27 honorees
Oct. 30: Mason Crosby, South Lyon East tennis - Read
Oct. 23: Addilyn Duflo, Bath golf - Read
Oct. 16: Levi Lengemann, Imlay City tennis - Read
Oct. 9: Olivia Buford, Sterling Heights Stevenson swimming - Read
Oct. 2: Sophia McCollum, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer golf - Read
Sept. 25: Jenna Middleton, Kingsley volleyball - Read
Sept. 18: Caden Livermore, Grandville cross country - Read
5 Vie for Best Cheering Section in Michigan
January 18, 2012
Five finalists -- Frankenmuth, Grand Rapids Christian, Petoskey, Reese and Rockford -- have been selected for the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s inaugural “Battle of the Fans,” which will recognize the top student cheering section from among member schools and culminate in a video presentation including all five finalists during this season’s Girls and Boys Basketball Finals at Michigan State’s Breslin Center.
The contest, organized by MHSAA staff and its 16-member Student Advisory Council, will reward the cheering section that best creates the positive and festive atmosphere made possible when students show enthusiasm, togetherness and sportsmanship while rooting for their team.
Finalists were selected based on a vote by the Student Advisory Council. MHSAA staff and Student Advisory Council members will visit all five finalists for home games during the second half of this regular season, with the winner being announced Feb. 24. Video of all five sections will be played on the Breslin Center HD scoreboard during the Finals in March.
Sections were invited in December to submit a short video, via YouTube and Facebook, of their cheering sections in action. Video submissions also included explanations on how that section meets the following contest criteria: positive sportsmanship, sound volume, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group and student section leadership. A total of 19 sections submitted videos by the deadline earlier this month.
“The Student Advisory Council decided to put its primary focus this fall on a sportsmanship campaign that would engage and motivate student cheering sections throughout the state,” said Andy Frushour, MHSAA director of brand management and advisor to the Student Advisory Council. “We’re thrilled with the level of participation and look forward to the coming months as we look to crown our first ‘Battle of the Fans’ champion.”
MHSAA staff will produce videos from each stop on its tour of the finalists. Those videos will be posted to the MHSAA’s Facebook page. An online vote Feb. 20-23 will contribute in determining the winner.
Finalists will be visited for the following home boys basketball games:
Jan. 21: Frankenmuth vs. Freeland
Jan. 27: Grand Rapids Christian vs. East Grand Rapids, Reese vs. Cass City
Feb. 3: Rockford vs. Hudsonville
Feb. 17: Petoskey vs. West Branch Ogemaw Heights
To view finalists’ submissions on YouTube, click on http://ow.ly/8y9s3.
The Student Advisory Council is made up of eight seniors and eight juniors, who each serve two-year terms. The Council acts as the voice of Michigan's student-athletes; it serves as a student sounding board for the MHSAA's Representative Council, assists in planning Sportsmanship Summits, Captain's Clinics and other student leadership events; participates in a yearly focus group about the state of high schools sports for Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and assists with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events.
Photo courtesy Laingsburg student cheering section.