2016-17 Classifications Announced

March 29, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and postseason tournaments in traditionally classified sports (A, B, C, D) for the 2016-17 school year have been announced, with enrollment breaks for postseason tournaments set up by divisions posted to each sport’s page on the MHSAA Website.

Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was Feb. 10. The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to September 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district.

After all the counts are submitted, tournament-qualified member schools are ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2016-17, there are 751 tournament-qualified member schools with 187 schools in Class A, and 188 schools in Class B, Class C and Class D.

Effective with the 2016-17 school year, schools with 881 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA postseason tournament competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 412-880; Class C is 207-411; and schools with enrollments of 206 and fewer are Class D. The break between Classes A and B increased six students from 2015-16, the break between Classes B and C decreased eight students, and the break between Classes C and D is six students fewer than the current school year.

The new classification breaks will see 22 schools move up in class for 2016-17, while 17 schools will move down.

Schools recently were notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said schools may not subsequently lower their enrollment figure. However, if revised enrollment figures should be higher and indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up.

Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports and October 15 for spring sports.

MHSAA tournament sports that will be conducted in traditional classifications for 2016-17 are Basketball and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points. 

Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Lower Peninsula Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Lower Peninsula Soccer, Skiing, Softball, Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving, Lower Peninsula Tennis, Lower Peninsula Track and Field and Wrestling.  

Visit the respective sport pages on the MHSAA Website to review the divisional alignments.

The divisions and qualifiers for the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. 

A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2016-17 school year can be found on the Enrollment & Classification page of the MHSAA Website.

Here is a complete list of schools changing classification for 2016-17. (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Website, under Enrollment and Classification):

Moving Up From Class B to Class A

Coldwater
Detroit International Academy
Melvindale
New Boston Huron
Warren Fitzgerald

Moving Down From Class A to Class B

Haslett
Jackson Northwest
Lansing Eastern
Saginaw Arthur Hill

Moving Up From Class C to Class B

Canton Preparatory
Ferndale University
Flint Academy West
Grand Rapids Wellspring Preparatory
Ithaca
Montague
Sanford Meridian Early College
Tawas
Ypsilanti Arbor Preparatory

Moving Down From Class B to Class C

Allen Park Cabrini
Detroit Central Collegiate
Detroit Benjamin Carson Science & Medicine
Harrison
Jackson Lumen Christi
Jonesville
Warren Michigan Collegiate

Moving Up From Class D to Class C

Detroit Randolph Technical
Detroit Universal Academy
Kimball Landmark Academy
Kingston
Munising
Newberry
Potterville
Rudyard

Moving Down From Class C to Class D

Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
Burton Madison Academy
Lutheran Westland
Mayville
Merrill
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary

New Postseason Eligible Tournament Schools in 2016-17

Brimley Ojibwe Charter
Center Line Michigan Math & Science
Detroit Cornerstone Leadership & Business
Detroit Delta Prep
Jackson Prep & Early College
Petoskey St. Michael Academy
Southfield Arts & Technology

Enrollment Breaks by Classes – 2016-17

(Number of schools in parentheses)
Class A: 881 and above (187 schools)
Class B: 412 – 880 (188)
Class C: 207 – 411 (188)
Class D: 206 and below (188)

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.

PHOTO: Ypsilanti Arbor Prep won the Class C girls basketball championship earlier this month, but will compete in Class B next season. 

Detroit PSL’s McEvans, Comstock’s Ansel & KLAA’s Masi Named 2024 Bush Award Recipients

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

July 23, 2024

Detroit Public School League assistant director Anika McEvans, Comstock Public Schools athletic director Justin Ansel and Kensington Lakes Activities Association commissioner Bryan Masi all have served educational athletics for multiple decades in high-profile positions – but as is common in those roles, with much of their difference-making work taking place behind the scenes.

To recognize their efforts and celebrate those vast contributions to school sports, they have been named the 2024 recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Allen W. Bush Award.

Al Bush served as executive director of the MHSAA for 10 years. The award honors individuals for past and continuing service to school athletics as a coach, administrator, official, trainer, doctor or member of the media. The award was developed to bring recognition to people who are giving and serving locally, regionally or statewide without a lot of attention. This is the 33rd year of the award.

McEvans finished her fifth school year this spring serving in the Office of Athletics for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which administers programs for the Detroit PSL. She is responsible for planning and implementation of the PSL’s sports offerings for 72 elementary and middle schools in addition to her several responsibilities supporting the league’s 20 high schools.

Anika McEvans headshotThe 1994 Detroit Renaissance graduate, and three-sport athlete there, came to the PSL from Southfield Public Schools, where she served as athletic director from 2012-15 for the former Southfield High School and then as district athletic director through 2017-18. As district director, she supervised more than 100 coaches, staff and volunteers and assisted in the merger of Southfield High and Southfield-Lathrup into Southfield Arts & Technology High School for the start of the 2016-17 school year. She previously served as well in several roles at Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences from 2006-12, and also as director of business operations and then general manager for the Detroit Demolition/Detroit Danger women’s professional football franchise from 2002-06 and as assistant general manager for the Motor City Mechanics minor league hockey team from 2004-06.

McEvans has provided valuable input on a variety of MHSAA committees over the last decade, including athletic equity, junior high/middle school, scholar-athlete and as part of multiple officials and site selection committees and as a key voice on the MHSAA Multi-Sport Task Force during the last half of the last decade. The mother of three – with two current college athletes and a college freshman-to-be – also served as head girls basketball coach at Academy of Arts & Sciences, assistant girls basketball coach at Southfield and assistant boys basketball coach and assistant softball coach at Renaissance. She has a bachelor’s degree in sports management & communication from University of Michigan and a master’s in business administration from University of Detroit Mercy.

“Anika McEvans has provided a valuable voice in a variety of subjects of statewide importance, but especially on topics impacting students as they transition from middle school to high school – relying not only on her experiences as an administrator, but also as a parent helping her children navigate their paths in athletics,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Her work on the Junior High/Middle School Committee and Multi-Sport Task Force directly led to the creation of more opportunities for our younger athletes, but with a continuing focus on providing them with a well-rounded athletic experience.”

Ansel has served the last 17 years as athletic director for Comstock Public Schools, and during his time in the district also has coached varsity girls basketball and boys soccer and middle school girls and boys basketball, soccer and cross country. Both of his Colts varsity programs won multiple league championships under his guidance. Ansel came to Comstock after a decade at Onaway, where he taught and coached all 10 years and also served as athletic director over the final five.

Justin Ansel headshotHis vast experiences on the sidelines and in the athletic office have made Ansel a valuable contributor on several MHSAA committees as well, including most recently the Junior High/Middle School Committee, and he’s also served as Southwest 10 Conference president and in multiple leadership roles with the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA). Locally, Ansel has raised from than $60,000 for various projects at Comstock, several highlighting the school’s athletic history.

A Monroe High graduate, Ansel earned a bachelor’s degree from Spring Arbor University in 1997, master’s degrees in education from Marygrove College in 2003 and educational leadership from Grand Valley State University in 2005, and he completed GVSU’s educational specialist in leadership program in 2018. He also has earned his certified master athletic administrator designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and completed the master elite level of the MHSAA Coaches Advancement Program (CAP).  Ansel was nominated by the MIAAA for the NIAAA’s Jim Teff Professional Development Achievement Award in 2019, and he was named the MIAAA’s Region 4 Athletic Director of the Year in 2023.

“Justin Ansel is known in his community, league and by those who have served with him across the state for his hands-on approach to providing enriching experiences for the communities he serves,” Uyl said. “His style as an administrator reflects what he’s provided as a coach – he’s known as an insightful team builder always working to move his programs forward.”

Masi just completed his fourth year as commissioner of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association, which is made up of 16 of the largest suburban schools in Metro Detroit, with his responsibilities including serving as liaison for the league locally and at the state level. He also previously served as the KLAA’s football commissioner from the league’s start in 2008.

Bryan Masi headshotHe previously served as athletic director at Northville for 17 years, where he created the Northville Athletic Community Service Initiative that has raised thousands of dollars and provided goods and services for needy individuals and community service groups. He also started Northville’s unified sports program and hosted one of the MHSAA’s first junior high/middle school cross country Regional meets during the pilot stage of that program. Northville also hosted several MHSAA postseason events and sessions of the Coaches Advancement Program under his leadership.

A teacher previously and longtime coach as well, Masi was named Michigan Secondary Teacher of the Year in 1997 by the Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAPHERD) and selected to coach in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association East/West All-Star Game in 1998. He was named MIAAA Region 11 Athletic Director of the Year in 2013 and MIAAA Middle School Athletic Director of the Year in 2019, and inducted into the Northville Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021. Masi also has served on several MHSAA committees including for football, gymnastics and junior high/middle school sports.

Masi graduated from Dearborn Edsel Ford, then earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, his master’s from Wayne State University and his certified athletic administrator (CAA) designation.

“Bryan Masi has brought the leadership, perspective and ingenuity he employed to build Northville’s success to the KLAA, and those qualities continue to show as he leads one of the state’s most high-profile leagues,” Uyl said. “Bryan is admired and respected by his counterparts, locally and across the state, not only for how he leads but the values he promotes in doing so.”