Rep Council Approves Sponsorship of New Sports, Adjusts Winter Schedule at Spring Meeting
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 9, 2024
The Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association took several actions during its Spring Meeting, May 5-6 in Gaylord, including approving the addition of boys volleyball and girls field hockey to the lineup of MHSAA-sponsored tournament sports beginning in 2025-26 and reorganizing the winter championship calendar to end one week earlier.
The Spring Meeting of the 19-member legislative body of the Association’s more than 1,500 member schools is generally the busiest of its sessions each year. The Council considered 28 committee proposals and dealt with a variety of eligibility rule, postseason tournament and operational issues.
After a yearlong conversation about emerging sports at MHSAA member schools, the Council approved a Volleyball Committee recommendation to begin sponsorship of boys volleyball with the 2025-26 school year. The Council also voted to begin sponsorship of girls field hockey beginning with 2025-26. Girls field hockey will be played during the Fall season, and boys volleyball during the Spring season, with the 2024-25 school year to serve as a development period as the MHSAA works with the current governing organizations for those sports. These will be the first sports added to the MHSAA’s tournament offerings since girls and boys lacrosse joined the lineup during the 2004-05 school year.
Changes to the MHSAA Winter Calendar will take effect in 2025-26 and include several adjustments to Finals schedules and practice starts that overall will lead to the winter sports season ending one week earlier – reflecting a fall survey that showed nearly 80 percent of MHSAA member schools felt the winter should be shortened. The reshaped winter sports calendar also completes competition before schools begin their spring breaks – which are being scheduled earlier than in the past – and places championships on dates that avoid potential facility conflicts.
Beginning with 2025-26, the last weekend in February will include the Team Wrestling, Bowling and Competitive Cheer Finals (with Skiing Finals remaining on the Monday of that week). The first weekend in March will include the Individual Wrestling, Boys Ice Hockey and Girls Gymnastics Finals. The Boys Basketball Finals will move to the second weekend of March with the Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals, and the Girls Basketball Finals will permanently conclude the winter season during the third weekend of March. The Upper Peninsula Girls & Boys Swimming & Diving Finals will remain in mid-February. With basketball seasons ending earlier, basketball practices will be able to begin five days earlier (on a Wednesday) to keep tryouts/first practice dates from falling during Thanksgiving week.
More changes to MHSAA Tournament competition will begin in 2024-25. The Council voted to add a team championship for girls wrestling to be awarded to the school with the most success in the girls bracket of the Individual Finals. A girls individual bracket was added for the 2021-22 season, and the team championship will be awarded based on individual finishes similarly to how boys team championships were awarded before the dual format Finals were created with the 1987-88 season. Also for 2024-25, the Council approved Basketball and Soccer Committee recommendations to seed the entire District tournaments in those sports using Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) data, which previously was used to seed only the top two teams in each bracket for girls and boys basketball and girls and boys soccer.
The Council also approved a classification change in football intended to protect the state’s smallest schools sponsoring the 11-player format. Continuing a conversation from its Winter Meeting in March, the Council approved a Football Committee recommendation to cap the enrollment of Division 8 schools at 250 students, and then divide the rest of the 11-player schools evenly to determine the enrollment lines for the other seven divisions. As more small schools have switched to 8-player, larger schools have shifted into Division 8 for 11-player – and this change guarantees Division 8 schools will play only similarly-small schools during the postseason, taking effect with the 2025-26 school year.
To continue supporting schools providing teams at multiple levels despite low participation, the Council voted to allow athletes in two more sports to compete on teams at two levels on the same day. The Council approved a Bowling Committee recommendation allowing bowlers to participate in subvarsity and varsity competition on the same day, provided the events are separate – bowlers may still be listed on only one match roster and bowl for one team during each event – and also approved a Girls Lacrosse Committee recommendation to allow athletes to play in no more than five quarters in one day, with overtime an extension of the fourth quarter. At multi-team girls lacrosse tournaments where both school teams are playing, an athlete would be allowed to play in as many halves or quarters as what the school’s highest team level that day is playing.
The Council bolstered the penalty for inappropriate behavior toward game officials, approving an Officials Review Committee recommendation modifying the penalty for any coach or athlete who is ejected for spitting at, hitting, slapping, kicking, pushing or intentionally and/or aggressively physically contacting a game official at any time during that competition or after being ejected. The offending coach or athlete shall be suspended from competition for the next 14 calendar days and must complete an online sportsmanship course. The offending coach also will not be eligible to coach in the MHSAA Tournament for that sport during that season, nor be allowed to be present at the site or within sight, sound or communication of a tournament event for that team.
Here is a summary of other notable actions taken by the Representative Council at the Spring Meeting, which will take effect during the 2024-25 school year unless noted:
Regulations
• The Council approved a change to the athletic-related transfer (link) rule stating that an athlete is ineligible in all sports participated in during the current or previous school year if that student has transferred to a school where a coach is employed who previously was a school employee or third-party contractor at the athlete’s former school. This change of language bolsters the regulation to include links to a coach at the new school who previously was employed in any way by the previous school.
• The Council approved a change to the football practice and competition rule to state that a school may not take part in an interscholastic scrimmage with another school until the Wednesday of the second week of practice and only if the team has conducted football practice on at least seven separate previous days. A joint practice with another school is considered a scrimmage and may not take place until those seven days of practice have been completed.
Sports Medicine
• The Council approved a Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommendation to require high schools to attest by each season’s established deadline that their high school sports coaches have emergency action plans specific to location which are posted, dispersed, rehearsed, discussed and documented within their practice plans.
• The Council also approved a Committee recommendation requiring MHSAA Tournament host sites to have an AED (automated external defibrillator) within visible distance of the event.
Officials
• The Council approved an Officials Review Committee recommendation requiring a set minimum number of officials required to work an event, designated by sport and level (varsity or subvarsity).
Sport Matters
• BASEBALL: The Council approved a Baseball Committee recommendation requiring varsity teams to submit their pitch count information electronically by noon the day following every game(s).
• BOWLING: The Council approved a Bowling Committee recommendation allowing for Regionals – Team and Singles – to be competed on consecutive days between Wednesday and Saturday of that week to increase the possibility of more bowling centers being able to host. Previously Regionals could be bowled only on Fridays and Saturdays.
• COMPETITIVE CHEER: The Council approved three Competitive Cheer Committee recommendations related to stunting while also prioritizing safety. In a braced suspended forward roll pyramid, the flyer and at least one bracer will be required to have a hand-to-hand/arm connection, with one or both hands/arms of the bracer connected to one hand/arm/foot of the flyer, and with this maneuver performed only to a cradle position or in a forward suspended role without twists.
Another change will allow a backward suspended roll when it originates from the cheering surface as long as both hands of the flyer maintain continuous hand-to-hand or hand-to-arm contact with the original bases or back spot.
A third change allows during an inversion the temporary loss of contact with the flyer while transitioning to a double-based sponge with both feet of the flyer in the hands of the bases, or to a cradle or shoulder-level or below stunt.
• GOLF: The Council approved a Golf Committee recommendation to form a Golf Site Selection Committee to review Regional tournament groupings and determine host schools and courses.
• SOCCER: The Council approved another Soccer Committee proposal to institute a running clock during the first half of matches when the goal differential is eight or more.
• SWIMMING & DIVING: The Council approved a Swimming & Diving Committee recommendation requiring all times entered for MHSAA Finals for both individual and relay swim events to be the times that are the fastest achieved in varsity competition during the current season and electronically verifiable on SwimCloud.com.
• TENNIS: The Council approved a Tennis Committee recommendation requiring the MHSAA to reduce the number of Regional tournaments for a season from eight to six if the number of teams participating that season is fewer than 288.
• TRACK & FIELD: The Council approved a Cross Country/Track & Field Committee recommendation allowing for athletes to qualify for MHSAA Finals by reaching predetermined standards during a window beginning April 1 of that season and extending until that athlete’s Regional meet.
• WRESTLING: The Council approved a Wrestling Committee recommendation to amend the penalty for a team when a wrestler competes at an ineligible weight class during a dual event. If the ineligible wrestler is discovered during the involved match, that wrestler forfeits that match and the opposing team will be awarded six team points, plus the head coach of the team with the ineligible wrestler will be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty resulting in a one-point team score deduction. If the ineligible wrestler is discovered after the involved match, any points earned by the offending wrestler are removed from the team score, along with the point for unsportsmanlike conduct, and six points are added to the offended team’s total. In both instances, neither wrestler involved in the match in question may compete again in that dual. If the ineligible wrestler is discovered after the dual is completed, the teams have left the mat area and the scorebook has been signed by the official, the results and team score will stand.
The Council also reviewed reports on membership, with 754 senior high schools and 774 junior high/middle schools in 2023-24 plus 60 elementary schools with 6th-grader participation; cooperative programs, with 392 high school programs for 720 teams during 2023-24; eligibility advancement applications, which totaled one; the use of Educational Transfer Forms, of which there were 128; school violations, attendance at athletic director in-service workshops and Coaches Advancement Program sessions; officials’ registrations (which were up 4.8 percent from 2022-23), rules meetings attendance, and officials reports submitted for the past three sports seasons. The Association’s $14.8 million budget for the 2024-25 school year also was approved.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
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.
2026 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class C & D
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 3, 2026
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 10 student-athletes from Class C and D member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 37th 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 14 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Maya Carlson, Manistique; Hope Miller, Blissfield; Irelynn Pachulski, Saranac; Gavin Comero, Ishpeming Westwood; Drew Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford; and Ethan Stine, Bridgman.
The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award recipients are Caila Fitchett, Dryden; Madison Karakashian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart; Jack Nelson, Ontonagon; and David Wahl, Gaylord St. Mary.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class C Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Maya Carlson, Manistique
Played three seasons of varsity volleyball, ran three of cross country, played two seasons of varsity basketball, one of golf, and is finishing her first season of swimming & diving. She also will compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring and has played travel ice hockey throughout high school. Finished among the top four at MHSAA Cross Country Finals twice and earned all-state and academic all-state in that sport. Earned all-region and academic all-state in volleyball and qualified for MHSAA Finals all of her first three seasons of track. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as treasurer, serving third year as student council president and first as student leadership vice president. Served on Youth Advisory Council and participated in YETI service club throughout high school and served as president of both. Will attend Trine University and major in exercise science.
Essay Quote: “I learned that being competitive and being a good sport aren’t opposites. In fact, they depend on each other. When you respect the game and the people playing it, your victories feel more accomplished, and your losses teach you more.”
Hope Miller, Blissfield
Ran four seasons of cross country, is playing her second of varsity basketball, and will compete in fourth of varsity track & field this spring; also played two seasons of varsity soccer. Earned all-state in cross country three times and set school record in that sport, earned all-state two seasons in track and set school records in two races, and earned all-league in soccer. Helped basketball team to league and District titles. Served as cross country team captain the last two seasons. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as secretary, fourth on student council and as vice president, and third on Lenawee Youth Council. Founded and serving as editor of school newspaper. Participated in two years of debate and received top speaker awards. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to study ecology or environmental sciences.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship allows for a community to be built around a shared love for the sport and a goal of improving oneself as much as possible. In order for athletes to reach their full potential they must be in an environment that supports their goals and their needs as well as encourages them to have fun with their sport.”
Irelynn Pachulski, Saranac
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball, is completing her second of varsity basketball, and will play her third season of varsity softball and compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring. Also played two seasons of junior varsity football, and participated on the sideline cheer team as a senior. Earned all-league recognition in volleyball, softball and track, also all-region in softball and qualified for the MHSAA Finals in track the last two seasons. Served as captain in volleyball and softball and served on hiring committees for varsity volleyball and softball coaches. Participated in Scouting throughout high school and attained Eagle Scout rank as a sophomore. Played in marching and concert bands throughout high school, serving as marching band drum major and percussion section leader. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and second on student council, as treasurer. Played lead roles in three drama productions. Will attend Montcalm Community College and study exercise science, then transfer to finish her studies in physical therapy.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship in high school athletics starts with strong leadership. When coaches set the pace, players follow. Where an intentional culture of good sportsmanship exists, you can try new things. You can be brave. You can learn.”
Gavin Comero, Ishpeming Westwood
Played two seasons of varsity football, is completing his fourth season of wrestling and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state in track & field and all-conference in football and wrestling, and all-academic in wrestling as well. Served as team captain for football and wrestling. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on student council. Played in concert/pep band throughout high school and competed with Business Professionals of America the last three years, earning state and national places in BPA and serving as president as a senior. Served as student council vice president as a freshman and sophomore and band council vice president this school year. Participated two years in Key Club and as part of local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and served as volunteer youth wrestling coach throughout high school. Will attend University of Michigan and study business administration.
Essay Quote: “Throughout the season I learned the bigger picture of sportsmanship, playing with integrity at all times. No matter what that scoreboard read at the end each Friday night, we continued to play with 110-percent effort. We had every reason to be negative and start pouting, but we remained positive and persisted.”
Drew Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing his second season of varsity basketball and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in football and played on Finals championship and runner-up teams. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in track & field and earned academic all-state in that sport, and earned league scholar-athlete awards in all three sports all four years. Served as captain of all three varsity teams. Serving fourth year as class president and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participating in third year of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as huddle leader. Participated three years in Future Farmers of America and was a state competitor, and has contributed to multiple community service projects. Will attend Hillsdale College, but is undecided what he will study.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is a mental discipline that requires integrity, strength of character, and the willingness to make the right decisions every time. It is also about practicing emotional intelligence, exercising self-control, and speaking with respect to others while on and off the field. Sportsmanship is about respecting yourself enough to accept both wins and losses with humility.”
Ethan Stine, Bridgman
Played three seasons of varsity football and two of varsity soccer, is playing his fourth of varsity basketball and will play his fourth of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league honors in football, basketball and baseball, all-state recognition in soccer and academic all-state in baseball. Helped baseball team to Division 3 Finals championship as a freshman and all three of his other teams to league and/or District championships. Served as captain of football, basketball and baseball varsity teams. Serving second year on MHSAA Student Advisory Council and participating in third year of National Honor Society, and this year as chapter president. Competed on DECA team throughout high school, twice qualifying for state finals. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study engineering.
Essay Quote: “… Sportsmanship is the active choice to empathize with the people around you – whether they wear a stripe, a rival uniform, or our own colors. It's the unwavering commitment to life lessons over scoreboard outcomes. Our wins fade, but the way we treat people under pressure defines us forever. That competitive integrity, built on genuine respect and humility, is the most valuable degree we earn in educational athletics.”
Other Class C girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Ashley Carlson, Norway; Lillian Kwiatkowski, Rudyard; Izabella Latuszek, Laingsburg; Anna Poppema, Bath; Addyson Rhodes, Grandville Calvin Christian; Brynne Schulte, Elk Rapids; Molly Soper, Hanover-Horton; Luella Whipkey, Oscoda; and Emma Winans, Perry.
Other Class C boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Sean Dammann, New Lothrop; Joe Gaffney, Charlevoix; Ryan Kowalczyk, Pinconning; Amos Miller, Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy; Luke Paxton, Pewamo-Westphalia; Sean Siems, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep; Logan Slimko, North Muskegon; Eli Smith, LeRoy Pine River; and Grason Weber, Leslie.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class D Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Caila Fitchett, Dryden
Ran four seasons of cross country and also played her first of varsity volleyball in the fall, bowled as a junior and played two seasons of varsity soccer, and will compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-conference in eight track events during her career and all-state as part of the 1,600 relay as a sophomore. Won league cross country championship and served as captain of both the cross country and track teams. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and has served as chapter president two years. Serving fourth year on student council and has held office of vice president, and also has served as president of National Junior Honor Society, Spanish Club and school’s indoor track club. Participating in fourth year of youth group and co-founded Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. Earned Rural and Small Town Award from College Board and Horatio Alger Association scholarship. Will attend Hope College and study psychology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is powerful because it teaches something the stopwatch never could. … It’s not about perfection. It’s not about medals or times. It’s about creating an environment where athletes realize that kindness, belief, and respect can change a season, or even a life.”
Madison Karakashian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart
Ran third year of cross country in the fall, is competing in third season of varsity skiing and will play third year of varsity tennis this spring. Earned all-region recognition in skiing and has served as that team’s captain three seasons. Competed in equestrian for more than five years including her first two of high school and qualified for national events multiple times. Participating in National Honor Society and serving fourth year in student government. Earned College Board recognition and the Dartmouth Book Award, Women in STEM Award from Rochester Institute of Technology and Rensselaer Medalist Award. Served as captain three years for debate and ethics bowl team, earning all-Catholic honors. Founded school’s all-girls robotics team that qualified for state competition. Founded and served as president of school’s Mental Health Matters Club, and founded company that generated more than $50,000 in revenue in the equine care industry. Is undecided on where she will attend college but intends to study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Athletics have also taught me that sports mirror real life. There are wins and losses, moments of confidence and moments of doubt. Sportsmanship is what helps you navigate all of it.”
Jack Nelson, Ontonagon
Played three seasons of varsity football, playing fourth of varsity basketball and will compete in fourth of track & field and golf and second of varsity baseball this spring. Also ran cross country as a freshman. Earned all-conference recognition in football and basketball, all-Upper Peninsula in golf and qualified for the MHSAA Finals in that sport. Served as captain of basketball team for four seasons and football team for two. Participating in third year of National Honor Society – this school year as chapter vice president – serving fourth as class vice president and attended American Legion Boys State. Serving as school radio station student manager, participating in second year of yearbook committee and fourth with school’s TANGO service group, and has participated all four years as part of St. Nicholas Project service efforts. Will attend University of Michigan and study sports management.
Essay Quote: “To me, the two core values of sportsmanship are respect and humility. These traits are important in every aspect of life, whether it's on the court, in the office, or at your grandparent’s house. Sportsmanship is like a compass, not only guiding athletes through competition, but pointing them towards the character values that will shape their lives, long after the final whistle blows.”
David Wahl, Gaylord St. Mary
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing second of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league recognition in football and served as captain of that team. Earned National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction awards, and College Board National Rural and Small Town recognition. Participating in third year of National Honor Society, serving as president, and third year as part of school student leadership team. Serving third year as local Downtown Development Authority student representative, and served as representative on national Youth Leadership Council. Participating in fourth years in school’s theatre club and music ministry, and played two years in marching/concert/jazz band earning Division 1 ratings for district and state solo and ensemble. Will attend University of Notre Dame and intends to study civil engineering.
Essay Quote: “Since that day, I approach competition differently. I’ve become a captain who models respect for opponents and empathy for teammates. I appreciate every moment I’m given, recognizing that each play, each season, is a privilege rather than a guarantee. I have learned to temper my drive with humanity and to pursue perfection without sacrificing compassion.”
Other Class D girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Emily DelFavero, Wakefield-Marenisco; Isabel Rookard, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart; Alexa Ross, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart; Audrey Stone, Bessemer; Lorna Wiesen, Leland; and Hope Woolman, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian.
Other Class D boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Zyan Breznik, Adrian Lenawee Christian; Ian Flanagan, Deckerville; Connor Hill, Hillsdale Academy; Brady Jungwirth, Felch North Dickinson; Louis Kowalsky, West Bloomfield FJA; and Noah Zeien, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
The Class B scholarship award recipients will be announced Feb. 10, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 17.
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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.
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