MI Army National Guard Presents MHSAA Events
February 24, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Sharing in the values of leadership, sportsmanship and ethics emphasized by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the Michigan Army National Guard is serving as the official military branch supporting MHSAA events and digital initiatives through the 2015-16 school year.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer, and soldiers are eligible for educational benefits including state and federal tuition assistance programs, the G.I. Bill and grants at Michigan colleges and universities that combined usually exceed the total cost of tuition, books and fees at most Michigan post-secondary institutions.
The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Monthly and annual summer training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom, or protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
“The National Guard provides opportunities for young men and women to mature into productive citizens,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “The emphasis the Guard puts on physical fitness, leadership and doing things the right way parallels what we strive to teach in school sports.”
The Guard has served as presenter of the MHSAA Cross Country Regionals and Finals and Football Playoffs during the fall, and this winter of the MHSAA Wrestling Tournament, which will conclude with the Team Wrestling Finals hosted Feb. 26-27 at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena and the Individual Wrestling Finals scheduled for March 3-5 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Guard recruiters also have been on-site attending numerous District, Regional and additional Finals events during the first half of the 2015-16 school year.
The Guard also is featured prevalently as part of the MHSAA’s online presence on both MHSAA.com and the MHSAA mobile app, and supports the “Michigan National Guard Performance of the Week” honoring a successful student-athlete on the MHSAA’s Second Half website.
“The Michigan Army National Guard is proud to support the MHSAA and student-athletes across Michigan,” said Lt. Col. Scott L. Meyers, who serves as recruiting and retention battalion commander for the Guard. “The Guard not only plays a key role in our national defense; we have a responsibility to serve our communities during times of state emergencies. As individuals, we are stewards in our communities and have an inherent responsibility to support our community in that role. One way to do this is to encourage student-athletes to live up to the ethics, values, and positive life choices common to the MHSAA and the Michigan Army National Guard.
“The National Guard is actively seeking these student-athletes to join our team. Their dedication combined with our education benefits and leadership training will provide the tools needed for them to become future leaders of Michigan’s communities.”
Click for additional information on the Michigan Army National Guard.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 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.
Grand Haven Makes Good on Season-Long Expectations by Completing Title Run
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
BATTLE CREEK — The Grand Haven High School boys volleyball team has had the proverbial target on its back since entering the season ranked No. 1.
That target proved tough to hit.
The Buccaneers closed out a 41-1 season Saturday at Kellogg Arena with a 3-1 victory in the Division 1 Final over previously-unbeaten Lake Orion. Grand Haven’s 25-19, 25-11, 29-31, 25-18 victory gave the Bucs the first MHSAA Division 1 Finals trophy in boys volleyball.
“They accomplished exactly what they wanted when they started the year,” said Grand Haven coach Jim VanTol. “We knew we were the team to beat all year, and they came into every match knowing that. They got exactly what they came for and what they wanted. They practice hard, they play hard and they like each other, which helps a lot.”
Grand Haven was paced by the inaugural Mr. Volleyball Award winner Caleb Cryst and the power hitting of juniors Alfredo Ellis and Maddox Krugler and sophomore John Cryst.
In between the second and third sets, senior Caleb Cryst was presented with the Mr. Volleyball trophy.
“It’s so special,” he said. “Bringing (the championship) home with Maddox, Fredo, John, all of my teammates. I’ve played with them for years, and that’s our goal.”
VanTol said Cryst is the “perfect guy” to be awarded such an honor and not just because of his volleyball skills, which he will take to Defiance College next year.
“He’s not just a great volleyball player; he’s so good as a leader and motivator on the team,” Van Tol said. “He just loves volleyball and lives and breathes volleyball, and that trophy should go to a guy like that.”
In the opening set, Lake Orion showed why it entered the Final with an unblemished 23-0 record. With seniors Jan Ludvik and Kuba Wolski handling just about all of the outside hitting duties, the Dragons carved out an 18-14 lead.
John Cryst helped right the Grand Haven ship with three kills, and with the score tied at 19-19, he served the next six points with a kill by Caleb Cryst sealing it.
The Bucs then put on a clinic of how to stop Lake Orion’s attack by blocking just about everything that came their way from Ludvik or Wolski. Grand Haven rolled to a 20-6 lead en route to the 25-11 win.
“This is an incredible season to get to the last game of the season like this and be undefeated until today,” Lake Orion coach Tony Scavarda said. “We just wanted the opportunity to go up against the best team in the state. I think we made a good showing. We had one bad set, but other than that we were very competitive.”
Ludvik and Wolski got rolling in the third set, roaring out to a 17-9 lead on Ludvik’s sixth kill of the set.
“We said before the third set just to have fun, enjoy the moment and embrace it,” Ludvik said.
When it seemed as though a fourth set was moments away, Grand Haven punched back with senior Owen Jiang and Caleb Cryst combining for three block-kills that along with two Krugler kills made it 25-24 with senior Carson Moroney serving match point.
Ludvik’s falling away hit rolled along the top of the net and fell on the other side in-bounds to make it 25-25, and Lake Orion survived two more match-point serves as the score reached 29-29. A Grand Haven service error and a Ludvik kill gave Lake Orion life.
“It’s one of those things, every team we play pretty much knows where the ball is going but not every team can stop it,” Scavarda said. “They had the talent and size to slow us down out there. Our guys still got their kills when they needed to and kept us competitive. They definitely made it tough on us because they’re very good on the other side of the net.”
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair with neither team nudging ahead by more than two points until the Bucs turned a 14-13 deficit into an 18-15 lead. They closed the match on a 12-4 run with a Lake Orion serve into the net ending the match.
Grand Haven had reached three straight state championships in boys volleyball (under the coaches association’s previous direction), falling short each time.
“I feel a lot of adrenaline. I don’t feel like it’s hit me yet,” Caleb Cryst said. “Winning that last point it’s kind of surreal. I’ve been on the opposite side of that the past three years, and to be here feels amazing.”
While Saturday marked the end of Cryst’s high school career, the Bucs return plenty — and will likely have that target etched squarely on their backs again next spring.
“Most of our power guys are back, and our youth program is very strong,” VanTol said. “Our eighth-grade class has two or three or four guys who will push these guys for starting spots.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Haven hoists its championship trophy Saturday afternoon at Kellogg Arena. (Middle) Lake Orion’s Cole Essmann (6) leaps to block a Grand Haven kill attempt.