8 Elected to Representative Council
October 18, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Elections were completed recently to fill positions on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s legislative body, its Representative Council, with five new members joining three others who received re-election to begin service in December.
Bear Lake athletic director Karen Leinaar was re-elected to continue as one of two at-large statewide representatives, while Gobles athletic director Chris Miller will continue to represent Class C and D schools from the southwestern section of the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace superintendent Don Gustafson was re-elected as one of two junior high/middle school representatives.
They will be joined by five first-time representatives. Marquette athletic director Alex Tiseo was elected to represent Class A and B schools in the Upper Peninsula, and Midland athletic director Eric Albright was elected to represent Class A and B schools from the northern section of the Lower Peninsula. Maple City Glen Lake athletic director Mark Mattson was elected to serve Class C and D schools in the Lower Peninsula northern section, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford athletic director Jason Mensing was elected to represent Class C and D schools in the southeastern section. Jay Alexander, who began as executive director of the Detroit Public School League this fall, will represent the Detroit Public Schools.
All but Albright and Mattson were elected to two-year terms; Albright and Mattson were elected to serve the second year of two-year terms for Council members no longer able to serve. Albright will replace recently-retired Saginaw Heritage athletic director Peter Ryan. Mattson will be finishing the term of Boyne City athletic director Adam Stefanski, who was previously elected to the Class C/D post while athletic director at Mackinaw City, a Class D school, before beginning this fall at Class B Boyne City.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members 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 Council meets three times annually, and five members of the Council convene monthly during the school year to form the MHSAA’s Executive Committee, which reviews appeals of Handbook regulations by member schools.
Additional elections took place to select representatives to the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee. Negaunee principal Andrew Brunette was elected to represent Class A and B schools, and Ishpeming Westwood athletic director Jon Beckman was re-elected to represent Class C schools. Ontonagon superintendent/principal Jim Bobula was elected to represent Class D schools.
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.
Council Approves Proposals Providing Roster, Schedule Flexibility at Winter Meeting
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 23, 2026
The Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association approved a pair of proposals during its Winter Meeting on March 20 in East Lansing that increase roster flexibility in softball and schedule flexibility in track & field and will take immediate effect for this upcoming spring season.
The Council approved a Softball Committee proposal to allow athletes to compete on teams in multiple levels of that sport on the same day, as long as those athletes do not exceed 38 regular-season games in total across all levels. This mirrors what is currently allowed in baseball.
The Council also approved a Track & Field Committee recommendation allowing for Regional competitions to be conducted on Wednesdays, in addition to the current Thursday-Saturday window. This adjustment will allow for Regionals to be competed this season from May 13-16.
Also approved for the start of the 2026-27 school year were matching proposals from the Golf and Tennis Committees adjusting the allowed first day of competition. Teams in those sports may now compete for the first time after three separate days of practice, but not before four calendar days after the first date of practice is permitted. All fall sports for 2026-27 are allowed to begin practice Aug. 10.
Additionally, the Council received a report on personal branding activity (PBA) deals students have made since the Council approved the allowance of PBA on Jan. 27. The Council also discussed the development of the online Transfer Tracker designed to guide schools on eligibility determinations whenever a student transfers schools after beginning ninth grade. The Council will consider taking action on use of the Transfer Tracker during its Spring Meeting, May 3-4.
The Representative Council is the legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members 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.