MHSAA Student Advisory Council Names Members from Class of 2028

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 4, 2026

Eight student-athletes who will be juniors at their schools during the 2026-27 academic year have been selected to serve two-year terms on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Student Advisory Council.

The Student Advisory Council is a 16-member group which provides feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective, and also is involved in the operation of MHSAA championship events and other programming. Members of the Student Advisory Council serve for two years, beginning as juniors. Eight new members are selected annually to serve on the SAC, with nominations made by MHSAA member schools. The incoming juniors will join the group of eight seniors-to-be appointed a year ago.

Selected to begin serving on the Student Advisory Council in 2026-27 are Addi Diepenbrock, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Avery Edwards, Kingsford; Maci Godfrey, Hudson; Karly Grant, St Ignace; Liam Arnold, Macomb Dakota; Kyle Hunter, Detroit Voyageur College Prep; Rahul Prasanna, Novi; and Eli Wolters, Holland.

Those eight new members were selected from 127 applicants, the second-largest group of applicants during the 20 years of the council. The first Student Advisory Council was formed for the 2006-07 school year. With the addition of this class beginning this summer, members will have represented 155 schools from 53 leagues plus independent schools that do not play in a league. Combined, the new appointees have participated in 12 MHSAA sports, and six will be the first SAC members from their respective schools.

The Student Advisory Council generally meets eight times each school year, and once more for a 24-hour leadership camp. In addition to assisting in the promotion of the educational value of interscholastic athletics, the Council discusses issues dealing with the 4 S’s of educational athletics: scholarship, sportsmanship, safety (including health and nutrition) and the sensible scope of athletic programs. There also is a fifth S discussed by the group – student leadership.

This school year, the Council handed out championship trophies at Finals events, led sessions during four Sportsmanship Summits, provided feedback to the MHSAA Representative Council on proposed rule changes, and provided behind-the-scenes social media coverage at MHSAA championship events. They also were featured in public service announcement videos broadcast throughout the last school year.

The new additions to the SAC will join the Class of 2027 members who were selected a year ago: Nichole James, Detroit Edison; Mia McGregor, Mio; Camryn Siegers, Holland Christian; Lucy Weber, Fenton; Brody Hammer, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg; Sam Bentley, Ypsilanti Lincoln; Mason Mireles, Hartford; and Joey Smokevitch, Johannesburg-Lewiston.

Troy Athens' Winning Work Promotes Importance of Becoming MI HEARTSafe

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

July 22, 2022

Troy Athens, and more specifically its girls soccer team, has been selected as this year’s winner of the MI HEARTSafe School Video Contest promoting the importance of Michigan schools becoming an MI HEARTSafe school.

The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation partners with the MHSAA to promote cardiac awareness – and Athens’ student-produced video (above) earned the school $5,000.

Michigan has lost at least 81 students to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and related causes since 1999, according to data compiled by the Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation. Randy and Sue Gillary lost their daughter Kimberly to a cardiac arrest in a high school water polo game in April of 2000. Randy and Sue Gillary founded the Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) charitable foundation within days of losing Kimberly. The mission of the Foundation is to donate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Michigan high schools and to advocate cardiac screening and testing of Michigan high school student athletes.

A major drive of the foundation is for every Michigan school to become an MI-HEARTSafe School. This is a designation given by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHSS) when a school has met the criteria to demonstrate it is prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency on school property. Schools receive a banner and other materials that can be displayed in the school to let those who attend and visit know that the school is an MI-HEARTSafe School.