Scholars and Athletes 2013: Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 7, 2013
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected eight student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 24th year of sponsoring the award, will give a $1,000 college scholarship to 32 individuals who represent their member school 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 which can come from any classification.
Each scholarship recipient will be honored during a halftime ceremony at the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 23 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to other finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Ashley M. Carney, Jackson Northwest; Amanda Ciancio, Comstock Park; Mary Emington, Cadillac; Nicole L. Green, Portland; Alec Robert Fisher, Battle Creek Harper Creek; Patrick Gifford, Haslett; Scott Parkinson, Grayling; and Keeton Thayer Ross, Grosse Ile.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Ashley M. Carney, Jackson Northwest. Will finish high school career earning four letters each in golf, volleyball and tennis. Helped golf team to four MHSAA Finals, and medaled at her conference meet as a senior. All-area, all-conference and a team captain in golf and volleyball. Was team most valuable in volleyball last fall. Academic all-state in all three sports. Helped coordinate a basketball shooting fundraiser for American Cancer Society; and volunteered with Habitat For Humanity, the Jackson Interfaith Shelter and the Salvation Army. Also active in National Honor Society, student government and as an elementary school tutor. Plans to attend Siena Heights University and study sports management.
Essay Quote: “I have experienced many life lessons through sports that will carry me farther in life than any win or loss. The qualities and character that spectators, opponents and coaches remember me by are everlasting. We may not all be ‘winners’ reflected by the final score, but we can all be ‘winners’ measured by our attitude, respect for opponents, and respect for the game.”
Amanda Ciancio, Comstock Park. A standout in cross country, serving as team captain and earning all-conference and team most valuable as a junior and senior. Also lettered in basketball and softball, winning all-district in the latter sport. Participated in student leadership activities and served as class president each year of high school. Involved all four years as a camp counselor; a youth basketball volunteer game official, coach and scorekeeper; and as a volunteer for various elementary school activities. Member of National Honor Society, attendant at church nursery and helped plan school dances. College plans includes studies in math and accounting.
Essay Quote: “Players and coaches can both teach and preach sportsmanship, but before every game or competition, it is up to the athlete to determine whether they will participate for the glory or for the experience.”
Mary Emington, Cadillac. Participated in basketball and softball, earning all-area and all-conference in both sports. Honored twice in each activity with local scholar-athlete award. Captained softball squad the past two seasons, and was team most valuable as a sophomore. Led hoop squad in assists as a sophomore and junior. Served on class and student council; was president of class council as a sophomore and treasurer as a senior. Involved with Art activities, and took part in annual “Be The Change Team” at school, which inspires positive action and connection with others. Four-year member of church youth group. Will attend Calvin College and major in architecture or communications.
Essay Quote: “During physical exertion, blood and emotions run rapidly. Only through the very delicate balance of love for the game and sportsmanship do the matches continue.”
Nicole L. Green, Portland. Will win her fourth letter in soccer this spring to go with three letters in basketball and two in volleyball. A team captain in all three sports, including three years in soccer. Team most valuable in soccer and volleyball, and earned first team all-conference and academic all-state honors in both sports. Academic all-conference in all three activities. Helped organize fundraisers in all three sports for American Cancer Society. Selected school Citizen of the Year by Daughters of the American Revolution. Participant in Academic Letters, Captain’s Club and National Honor Society. Volunteer for local youth basketball and volleyball programs. College plans include studies in Zoology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is important because student-athletes serve as influential role models for younger students. As such, we must model respectful interaction, hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude. Aspiring athletes need to see the positive impact these behaviors will have on the personal and team success.”
Alec Robert Fisher, Battle Creek Harper Creek. Record-setting scorer for soccer and football teams. Own school records for goal in soccer, as well as field goals and extra points on the gridiron. Four-year letterwinner in soccer, where he was a team captain, all-state and academic all-state performer. Also lettered in basketball and track, serving as team captain on the hoop squad. Served on Student Senate as treasurer for four years. Member of National Honor Society. Helps with youth sports activities with school soccer and basketball camps, Special Olympics, and with the First Tee of Battle Creek. Will study business or law at the University of Buffalo.
Essay Quote: “We have been told the same thing since we were young kids playing in recreation leagues or with our friends, to now in competitive sports as highschoolers; always have sportsmanship. It is one thing, win or lose, that can separate the young gentlemen and the jerks that care about nothing but winning.”
Patrick Gifford, Haslett. Captained basketball and tennis teams, and has won academic all-conference honors in both sports. Part of league and regional doubles winning tandem. Class representative to Student Council all four years, and has participated in Key Club and National Honor Society. Sports editor of school newspaper and announcer for its television station. Honored by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and Michigan Association of Broadcasters for television sports play-by-play. Serves as an in-class aide for autistic students in Peer–to-Peer program. Involved in youth sports as a basketball coach and soccer official. Received 69th District Citizenship Award. Broadcast journalism studies await at either Ohio University, Syracuse University or the University of Missouri.
Essay Quote: “As I prepare to graduate from high school and see my athletic career come to a close, I know I will take much more than the tennis and basketball skills I learned in high school with me. The sportsmanship I have been coached to develop will help me move to this next state of my life and approach it with integrity, hard work, and leadership.”
Scott Parkinson, Grayling. Will earn 10 varsity letters in athletic career in three sports – basketball, football and track – and serving as team captain in each activity. Earned all-conference honors in football and track; won most improved award in basketball and track. Conference champion in 110-meter hurdles in track. Selected to an officer’s position on Student Senate all four years. Seven-time winner of Mr. Spirit award as selected by teachers and chosen Most Athletic and Most Spirited by members of graduating class. Four-year participant in Relay For Life and Youth Booster Club, and active with church youth group and local youth sports programs. Will attend Michigan State University and study actuarial sciences.
Essay Quote: “Having sportsmanship in educational athletics can teach life lessons and can also develop a person into a better and more-rounded athlete. In turn, these lessons can be applied to future events in life.”
Keeton Thayer Ross, Grosse Ile. Played baseball, basketball and football, and received all-conference honors on the diamond and the gridiron. Also captained baseball and football teams. Also academic all-state in baseball. Earned the rank of Eagle Scout, served as vice president and president of school’s National Honor Society chapter, and as president of German Club. Involved as student leader in school anti-bullying campaign and to help orient freshman class members. Presented National Physical Education Award as a sophomore and has received an Ad Altari Dei Religious Medal. Has served as a summer youth basketball camp counselor. Planning on majoring in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at either Georgia Tech or the University of California-Berkeley.
Essay Quote: “My personal saying before each game is ‘It’s just a game. Win or lose, life goes on.’ I believe that this saying has helped me to have great sportsmanship throughout my high school career by remembering the big picture behind the games. Every team works their butts off to try and win games, and because of this, every team deserves respect from the opponent as well as its own team.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Brittany Beeler, Spring Lake; Kelsi Caywood, Sturgis; Morgan Kathleen Cinader, Goodrich; Hannah C. Engle, Adrian; Haley June Obetts, Wayland Union; Molly Oren, Hamilton; Catherine Polgar, Grosse Ile; Emily Quinn, Portland; Florence Ann Sobell, Croswell-Lexington; Anjali Sood, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard; Megan Taylor, Houghton Lake; and Shelby Walsh, Livonia Ladywood;
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Michael Azzopardi, Detroit Country Day; Michael Broderick, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Brice Brown, Ionia; Michael Chickeral, Flat Rock; Thomas D. Finch, Otsego; Mark Gibson, Freeland; Andrew Hammond, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern; Michael Heinrich, Ludington; Luke James Hurst, Ovid-Elsie; Matthew Liu, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood; Adam Olszewski, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard; and Ryan Schall, Comstock Park.
Previously announced were the Class C and D scholarship award recipients. The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Kylei Ratkowski, Bronson; Grace Smith, Kalamazoo Hackett; Nicole Winter, Watervliet; Jesse Anderson, Union City; Ashwin Fujii, Ann Arbor Greenhills; and Connor Lockman, Royal Oak Shrine. The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award scholarship recipients are: Elyse Kathleen Lisznyai, Hillsdale Academy; Elena Victoria Luce, Mason County Eastern; Charles Barchett, Watervliet Grace Christian; Chip A. Blood, Hillsdale Academy; and Francisco Jay Noyola, Lansing Christian
The Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 19.
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Bush Awards Honor 4 for Dedication
June 19, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three athletic directors who have provided decades of memory-making opportunities for student-athletes – East Lansing’s Tom Hunt, Troy’s Michael Jolly and Ann Arbor’s Meg Seng – and a member of the media, St. Ignace’s David Latva, who is beloved for documenting those moments, have been named recipients of the MHSAA’s Allen W. Bush Award for 2018.
Al Bush served as executive director of the MHSAA for 10 years. The award honors individuals for past and continuing service to prep athletics as a coach, administrator, official, trainer, doctor or member of the media. The award was developed to bring recognition to men and women who are giving and serving without a lot of attention. This is the 27th year of the award, with selections made by the MHSAA's Representative Council.
“A common theme tying together this class of honorees is how they’ve used various talents to enrich the experiences of Michigan student-athletes,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “All four have played roles in their own ways, and often without the fanfare their contributions deserve. It is our pleasure to recognize them with Bush Awards.”
Hunt recently announced his retirement after 20 years as an athletic administrator, the last 16 at East Lansing High School after serving at Perry for three years and Lansing Waverly for one. During his tenure, Trojans teams have had success at local and larger levels – the girls basketball, boys golf, boys soccer, boys tennis, and boys and girls track & field teams all won MHSAA Finals championships under his department leadership. In addition to his duties as East Lansing athletic & activities director, he served as the district’s Title IX coordinator.
East Lansing, Waverly and Perry all were frequent MHSAA Tournament hosts at the District, Regional and Semifinal levels under Hunt’s direction. He served on a variety of MHSAA committees, providing input on specific sports, officials, tournament site selection or selection of the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards. As part of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) for two decades, Hunt was named Regional Athletic Director of the Year in 2011 and his region’s representative in 2013 and 2015. He also served terms as president of the Capital Area Activities Conference and former Ingham County League.
Hunt previously was a contributing member of the Michigan Recreation & Park Association (MRPA), having served as vice president and state conference chairperson in 1996 as well as athletic committee chairperson and basketball commissioner. Prior to beginning at Perry as athletic director in 1998, Hunt served as assistant director of parks & recreation in Howell, and he was the first boys soccer coach in Howell High School history and coached baseball there as well. He also coached baseball and was an assistant for hockey at East Lansing, and has volunteered over the years as a youth coach for soccer, hockey, softball and baseball. Hunt is a graduate of Michigan State University and Battle Creek St. Philip High School.
“Tom Hunt has set an example of prioritizing students, and not only for encouraging their athletic participation but their development as well-rounded athletes, academic achievers and citizens,” Roberts said. “He is a true professional who embodies the role of athletic director – he leads by this example, yet with many of his contributions unheralded while the programs under his guidance continue to succeed at the highest levels.”
Jolly also is retiring, with nearly three decades in administration. He took over as District Athletic Director in Troy in August 2004 after previously serving four years as assistant principal/athletic director and then four as principal at Boyd Arthurs Middle School in Trenton. He also taught and served as an assistant middle school principal for three years in the New Boston Huron district and taught and then added athletic director duties over two years at Hale. He coached during his first two stops, varsity basketball and softball at Hale and varsity football and track & field at New Boston Huron.
At Troy, Jolly has overseen staff and facilities for two high schools and four middle schools. During his tenure, Troy schools have added skiing and bowling programs as well as non-MHSAA rugby and figure skating, and kept gymnastics available by creating a cooperative program. Under his leadership, the district also has been a frequent host of MHSAA Tournament games at various levels, including Division 1 Football Semifinals 14 consecutive seasons. Jolly served as the chairperson of the Oakland Activities Association football committee for 12 years and as league president in 2008-09, and he was president of the Oakland County Athletic Directors Association in 2009-10 and was named its Athletic Director of the Year in 2012. He also served as director of the Troy district’s K-12 physical education and career technical education departments and as director of enrichment for the district. He served as president of the Oakland Career & Technical Educators Association in 2015-16.
After graduating from Southgate Aquinas High School, Jolly earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan and a master’s from Central Michigan University. He played football for the Wolverines and then for four seasons for the Green Bay Packers. He is a member of both the MIAAA and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
“From his contributions in athletics to his many outside of athletics as well, Mike Jolly continuously has shown himself to be an advocate for students and their education,” Roberts said. “His various duties alone are evidence of that commitment – as are the extra steps he’s always quick to take when needed and the mentorship he’s provided to those who are following in his path.”
Seng completed her 28th year at Greenhills School and has served as the athletic director the last 15 after 13 teaching physical education and health. She has hosted MHSAA tournament events in various sports at various levels and served on a variety of MHSAA committees and the Multi-Sport Participation Task Force. She also is an instructor for the MHSAA Coaches Advancement Program and has served as part of the MIAAA’s Leadership Academy faculty since 2011, and on the NIAAA’s certification committee since 2014. She completed a term as the MIAAA’s Executive Board president in 2013-14.
After graduating from Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill., Seng played both volleyball and softball at Indiana University and then coached at the college level before taking over the Ann Arbor Huron volleyball program in 1985. Over 12 seasons stretching two tenures, Seng led her team to five league titles and a District championship in 1993. She also served as Huron's co-head varsity softball coach from 1986-90. Seng completed her teacher certification at Eastern Michigan University in 1990 and began teaching at Greenhills that year, later coaching that school’s varsity volleyball team from 1993-2000.
Seng received the MIAAA Jack Johnson Distinguished Service Award in 2012 and her region’s Athletic Director of the Year Award in 2008. She also received the Pathfinder Award in 2004 from the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports (NAGWS), and under her leadership Greenhills received the Exemplary Athletic Program Award from the MIAAA in 2017. She was honored with the Girl Scouts’ Leaders and Best Award in 2005 and most recently selected for the MHSAA’s 31st Women In Sports Leadership Award this past February.
“Meg Seng understands the needs at every level of sport, having participated as a successful athlete, coach and now administrator,” Roberts said. “It is impossible to not admire her vision as she not only leads the Greenhills athletic department but teaches her peers how to recognize and provide for those needs.”
Retired journalist David Latva dedicated 30 years to chronicling the achievements of high school athletes. A St. Ignace graduate, Latva went on to report as the lead sportswriter for the St. Ignace News from 1987-2016 covering communities in the eastern Upper Peninsula. He was a member of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association from 1989-2017 and served on the board of the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame from 2008-16. He also was a frequent Upper Peninsula representative on The Associated Press’ all-state selection committees.
Latva’s contributions to schools reached past sports writing. He was a registered MHSAA official for basketball (19 seasons), football (18) and track & field (18) during the 1970s and 1980s, and served eight years on the St. Ignace Area Schools Board of Education. He also coached the St. Ignace golf team for three years.
Latva was named to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan media Hall of Honor in 2005 and received a Distinguished Service Award from the St. Ignace LaSalle High School Hall of Fame in 2012. He received a key to the city from the St. Ignace City Council in 2016 and has been recognized in various ways by other communities in his paper’s coverage area.
“Many who have played school sports in the eastern Upper Peninsula have been impacted by David Latva because of the importance he placed on his local athletes’ achievements, both great and small,” Roberts said. “As the chronicler of those achievements, David has cemented a permanent place in favorite memories for many whose stories he told over the years, and he earned a significant role in those communities by sharing that gift.”