New Math: Division & Multiplication Problems
July 25, 2017
By Jack Roberts
MHSAA Executive Director
This is the second part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
High school tournament classifications went viral before there was social media and most of us knew what “viral” meant.
Much as a virus infects computers today or has created epidemics of disease around the world for centuries, high school tournament classification – once introduced – tends to spread uncontrollably. Once started, it tends to keep expanding and rarely contracts.
While we are still some distance from providing every team a trophy as a result of expanding high school tournament classification across the country, there is criticism nevertheless that we are headed in that direction – a philosophy which is supposed to exist only in local youth sports for our youngest children.
Michigan could be blamed for all this. Michigan is generally accepted as the first state to provide different classifications for season-ending tournaments for different sized schools. It started a century ago. Today, every state has various classifications for its tournaments in most if not all sports. And it is a bit ironic that Michigan – creator of the classification chaos – more than most other states has kept the number of tournament classes or divisions under control.
Yes, there is evidence that tournament classifications have expanded over the years in Michigan, especially with the relatively recent introduction of tournaments in football and the late 1990s’ move from classes to divisions in most MHSAA tournaments. But the MHSAA Representative Council has held true to its word when it expanded the playoffs for football from four classes to eight divisions: this is needed because of unique factors of football, factors that exist in no other sport; and all other sports should be capped at a maximum of four classes or divisions.
Kentucky is the preeminent defender of single-class basketball. All of its 276 high schools compete for the single state championship for each gender. In Indiana, there are still open wounds from its move in 1998 from one to four classes for its 400 schools in basketball.
Multi-class tournaments have tended to increase the number of non-public school champions, which some states are trying to lower through enrollment “multipliers,” and also tend to increase the number of repeat champions, which some states are trying to affect with “success factors” which lift smaller schools into classifications for larger schools if they take home too many trophies.
While there is considerable evidence that state tournaments do as much bad as good for educational athletics, state associations persist in providing postseason tournaments because, on balance, the experiences are supposed to be good for student-athletes. And once we reach that conclusion it is just a small leap to believe that if the tournaments are good for a few, they must be better for more – which leads to creating more and more tournament classifications. One becomes two classes, then three, then four and so forth.
While the argument is that more classifications or divisions provides more students with opportunities to compete and win, it is undeniable that the experience changes as the number of tournament classifications expands. It is not possible for state associations to provide the same level of support when tournament classifications expand to multiple venues playing simultaneously. For example, there is less audio and video broadcast potential at each venue, and less media coverage to each venue. Focus is diluted and fans diminished at each championship.
No one can argue reasonably that today's two-day MHSAA Football Finals of eight championship games has the same pizazz as the one-day, four-games event conducted prior to 1990.
In some states the number of divisions has grown so much that it is difficult to see much difference between the many season-ending state championship games and a regular-season event in the same sport.
It is a balancing act. And Michigan has been studying that balance longer than any other state, and charting a steadier course than most.
Addition by Division
The shift to Divisions for MHSAA Tournament play in numerous sports has added up to a greater number of champions for teams and individuals across the state. Following are the sports currently employing a divisional format, and the procedures for determining enrollment and classification.
In 23 statewide or Lower Peninsula tournaments, schools which sponsor the sport are currently divided into nearly equal divisions. They are:
- Baseball - 4 Divisions
- Boys Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Competitive Cheer - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Golf - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Golf - 4 Divisions
- Ice Hockey - 3 Divisions
- Boys Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Girls Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Boys Skiing - 2 Divisions
- Girls Skiing - 2 Divisions
- LP Boys Soccer - 4 Divisions LP
- Girls Soccer - 4 Divisions
- Girls Softball - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Girls Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Boys Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- Wrestling - 4 Divisions
Lists of schools for each division of these 23 tournaments are posted on MHSAA.com approximately April 1. Listings of schools in Upper Peninsula tournaments for their sports are also posted on MHSAA.com. The lists are based on school memberships and sports sponsorships in effect or anticipated for the following school year, as known to the MHSAA office as of a date in early March.
In football, the 256 schools which qualify for MHSAA 11-player playoffs are placed in eight equal divisions annually on Selection Sunday. Beginning in 2017, the 8-player divisions will be determined in a like manner on Selection Sunday as well, with 32 qualifying schools placed in two divisions.
Schools have the option to play in any higher division in one or more sports for a minimum of two years.
The deadlines for "opt-ups" are as follows:
- Applications for fall sports must be submitted by April 15
- Applications for winter sports must be submitted by Aug. 15
- Applications for spring sports must be submitted by Oct. 15
Subsequent to the date of these postings for these tournaments, no school will have its division raised or lowered by schools opening or closing, schools adding or dropping sports, schools exercising the option to play in a higher division, or approval or dissolution of cooperative programs.
When the same sport is conducted for boys and girls in the same season (e.g., track & field and cross country), the gender that has the most sponsoring schools controls the division breaks for both genders.
2023 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class A
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 21, 2023
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 14 student-athletes from Class A member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 34th year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools 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 who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 25 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class A Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Jane Barnett, Royal Oak; Ella Blank, Birmingham Groves; Nora Chamas, Dearborn; Caroline Colt, Milford; Abby Frushour, DeWitt; Naomi Sowa, East Lansing; Keira Tolmie, Clarkston; James Baer, Holland; Brendan Downey, Grosse Pointe South; Ryan Lee, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern; Shubhan Nagarkar, Midland Dow; Shane Pitcher, Saline; Isaac Postema, Grand Haven; and Ian Robertson, Traverse City West.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class A Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
(NOTE: If an athlete intended to play and was part of a spring sports team in 2020, that sport is counted among the athlete’s total although the season was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Jane Barnett, Royal Oak
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will compete in her fourth of track & field this spring. Also participating in Special Olympics Michigan Unified basketball. Helped cross country team to MHSAA Finals three times and earned all-league honors in track. Contributed to academic all-state team honor. Served or will serve as captain of both varsities. Serving as senior class secretary, second year as representative officer to district’s Parent Student Teacher Association and third year as officer for Model United Nations; also has served on student council all four years of high school. Playing fourth year in symphony orchestra, and was principal cellist. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, and designed and taught lessons weekly to second-grade student as a Study Buddy program mentor. Will attend University of Michigan and study public health sciences.
Essay Quote: “As a coach’s daughter, I have had a lifetime of appreciating the joys and the heartaches of the sport. Supporting others has taught me to be a better runner and person. Sportsmanship is not only a way to keep the peace; it's the foundation upon which the transformative nature of sports can take place.”
Ella Blank, Birmingham Groves
Played three seasons of varsity golf, playing second of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity softball this spring; also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman. Earned all-league in softball and was part of academic all-state teams in golf and softball. Served as captain of varsity golf and softball teams and junior varsity basketball team. Named National Merit Commended Scholar. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third of National Math Honor Society. Serving as president of math club and co-president of Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Playing fourth year in marching and jazz bands and symphony, and second as section leader. Founded and directs Sandlot Summer Camp and has umpired youth softball all four years of high school. Serving as The Hidden Opponent student-athletes mental health program campus captain, and has served as volunteer religious school teacher and camp counselor also throughout her high school career. Will attend University of Michigan and study physics.
Essay Quote: “Being a good sport goes beyond cordiality and shaking hands after a match. Good sportsmanship creates trust, and trust creates respect. ... Actions on the field have effects on opinions off of it.”
Nora Chamas, Dearborn
Ran two seasons of varsity cross country and will play her fourth of varsity tennis this spring. Helped tennis team to league championship as a junior and served as captain in that sport and as alternate captain for cross country. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and serving as chapter president, and also serving fourth year on student council. Serving second year on superintendent’s student advisory council and participating in fourth year of key club, serving as treasurer. Playing fourth year in orchestra and as first chair violinist. Participating in second year of social justice club and as social media manager, and serving as president of Discover Islam Club and DHS Pad Project having also founded the latter. Serving as treasurer of future medical professions club and representative in Arabic club, and in second year of tutoring elementary students. Earned multiple awards for work in voter registration. Is undecided where she will attend college and is still considering her future course of study.
Essay Quote: “To me, sportsmanship is the act of believing in others. … If we want to cultivate a flourishing population of students, we must first believe in one another. Only then will we find thoughtful pupils and passionate futurists.”
Caroline Colt, Milford
Played three seasons of varsity golf and will play fourth of varsity tennis this spring; also created team and is participating in second year of Unified basketball. Qualified for MHSAA Golf Finals as individual as a junior and was part of academic all-state team, and also earned academic all-league in both sports. Served multiple seasons as golf varsity captain and will serve as tennis co-captain this spring. Participating in second years of National Honor Society, DECA and as part of student docent scholarship program with the Milford Historical Society. Serving as vice president of NHS chapter, assistant editor of school newspaper, ambassador for The Letter Project and treasurer of stock market club; also has served as assistant tennis coach for local parks & recreation department. Earned multiple DECA district championships. Is undecided where she will attend college, but plans to pursue studies in medicine and humanities.
Essay Quote: “As a golfer, tennis player, and all-around athlete, I have been told my entire life to follow the rules, play fair, and have fun. Yet, when faced with difficult choices, I often see my competitors lack honor and integrity. I believe that true sportsmanship is rare, yet is the most crucial characteristic of being a great athlete.”
Abby Frushour, DeWitt
Competed four seasons on varsity swimming & diving team and will play her fourth season of tennis this spring. Helped swim & dive team to three league championships and earned all-zone honorable mention and all-league academic honors. Served as that team’s co-captain two seasons. Named a finalist for National Merit Scholarship and earned AP Scholar honor as a junior. Serving as class council president in fourth year as officer. Represented student body at district’s strategic planning retreat. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and first as part of school’s chamber choir. Participating in third year as part of youth camp teen service team. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study political science.
Essay Quote: “We all know the rules for a socially acceptable handshake: right hand, firm grip, eye contact. However, you’ll find that these rules do not apply at the end of the 500-yard freestyle. After charging into the wall, with a pounding heart and burning arms and numb legs and not a single ounce of energy left, it’s difficult to care if you look stupid while congratulating your opponents. … But here’s the truth: It doesn’t matter how strange the interaction may look. So long as you make a genuine effort to recognize and respect the achievements of your opponent, you are practicing good sportsmanship.”
Naomi Sowa, East Lansing
Played three seasons of varsity volleyball and will play her fourth of varsity softball this spring. Earned all-area and all-league in both sports, all-region in volleyball, and also all-league academic honors in both. Served as captain of both varsity teams. Carrying 4.0 GPA and earned AP Scholar Award posting highest-possible score on two exams. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as chapter historian. Playing fourth year in school’s wind ensemble, as first chair clarinet as a senior, and previously earned festival award and performed at Michigan Music Conference. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study computational mathematics or data science.
Essay Quote: “True sportsmanship lies in respecting others, and you cannot call yourself a conductor of sportsmanship without looking inward and reflecting on the actions you take and decisions you make. … Whether we accept it or not, the person we are on the playing surface is the same person we are in our everyday lives. Sportsmanship can be sought out in all things, in all places, and in all people. The empathetic capability goes beyond the playing surface, transcends the world of sports, and prepares athletes to journey through the world with a purpose, cultivating a duty to make the world a better place.”
Keira Tolmie, Clarkston
Playing fourth season of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity softball this spring. Made all-state first team in softball and all-league and county in basketball, helping the latter to three District championships entering this winter. Selected as captain of both varsity teams multiple seasons. Carries 4.2 GPA and is participating in second year of National Honor Society. Serving second year on MHSAA Student Advisory Council and participating in third year in school’s leadership program. Served through high school as youth sports camp counselor and this year as elementary school mentor for refugee student. Will attend Central Michigan University and study on a pre-medical track as she pursues a career as a radiologist.
Essay Quote: “The only way I will be successful in life is to put others first and to earn the respect of those around me. Even in competition, it is possible to be respectful, show kindness, empathy and compassion all while working as hard as possible with a winning spirit. Complaining to officials, faking injuries and displaying anger after a loss does not show any respect as an athlete for the sport that you’ve worked so hard to excel at, and is counter-intuitive to why we compete.”
James Baer, Holland
Competing in fourth varsity season on swimming & diving team and played second season of varsity tennis in the fall. Will compete in second varsity season of track & field this spring and also played junior varsity soccer as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-state in swimming as a three-time Finals qualifier entering this season, and reached Finals flight quarterfinals in tennis. Serving as captain of swim & dive team and was captain of tennis team in the fall. Participating in second years of National Honor Society, serving on the executive board, and student senate. Participating in second year of chess club, as team captain, and also second year of quiz bowl. Selected for school’s top show choir in first year, as a senior, and was lead in school musical as a junior. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study economics.
Essay Quote: “Ultimately, high school sports are outlets for student athletes to gain mental fortitude while learning valuable cooperative and leadership abilities. I am a naturally competitive person who is driven by goals; however, upon entering high school I quickly realized that I stood to gain more through building relationships with teammates and competitors than through setting records or winning matches.”
Brendan Downey, Grosse Pointe South
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will compete in fourth of track & field this spring; also played junior varsity basketball as a freshman. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in track the last two seasons and placed 16th in Lower Peninsula Division 1 in 1,600 meters. Earned all-league and all-county in cross country while ranking among school’s fastest all-time in that sport. Served as captain of cross country team and will serve as track & field captain this spring. Named National Merit Commended Scholar as a senior and AP Scholar with Distinction as a junior. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, serving as secretary, second year of Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and first of Spanish Honor Society. Serving second year as copy editor and staff judge for school’s art and literary magazine, and has had poetry published. Participating in third year of school’s Interact Club and second in peer-to-peer program assisting students with autism. Will attend University of Michigan and major in public policy.
Essay Quote: “Sports are not just about the championship trophy or all-state status. Sports are a blueprint for life: they teach student-athletes to be respectful, to practice empathy, to be generous, and sometimes, to put another’s success before one’s own.”
Ryan Lee, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, earning three all-state honors including making the first team twice, and helped team to two Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals championships while also earning one individual flight Finals title. Served as captain multiple seasons. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and participated in DECA throughout high school, earning state championship in 2022 and serving as club president. Participating in second year with Van Andel Institute Student Journal Club, as chapter president. Founded and serves as president of Racquets for Rapids, which refurbishes used racquets for redistribution to community organizations. Conducted carbon tax research through International Socioeconomic Laboratory, with findings approved for publication in Journal of Student Research. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study economics and mathematics.
Essay Quote: “In a peculiar way, sports are a microcosm of life. We win, and we lose. We form the strongest of bonds and the greatest of rivalries. We learn the value of discipline and resilience, and we compete fiercely with others to reach victory. Through all this turmoil, it is sometimes a challenge to maintain sportsmanship, integrity, and compassion. Through tennis, more so than any other activity, I have had opportunities to develop these qualities such that they have become more important than the outcome.”
Shubhan Nagarkar, Midland Dow
Played four years of tennis, helping team to Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals championship this past fall and reaching flight final and semifinals during last two seasons. Earned all-state honorable mention and ranks in MHSAA record book for multiple doubles categories. Named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, and AP Scholar with Distinction twice. Qualified for national competitions as part of American Computer Science League and Math League, and earned MathCon national honorable mention. Serving as Michigan State University St. Andrews Research intern, and participated in robotics and math club all four years. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on A.H. Nickless Innovation Competition team. Playing fourth year in symphonic band and symphony orchestra, as clarinet section leader, and earned “1” state ratings for solo and ensemble clarinet, and piano from Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “More than learning every detail about tennis in that first year of varsity, I absorbed the complex dynamics of sportsmanship and saw the ubiquity of it outside of sports. Whether it is displaying respect and gratitude to an opponent following a heart-wrenching loss in the state finals or restraining your pride and supporting others after a key win, you will never regret your actions.”
Shane Pitcher, Saline
Ran two years of varsity cross country and will compete in third of varsity track & field this spring. Earned all-region in cross country and all-league in track, and will finish senior year having served as captain of both teams. Participating in second years of National Honor Society – earning silver service honor – and student council. Participated in Boy Scouts throughout high school, attaining Eagle Scout plus earning two Eagle Palms, and was selected to BSA’s Order of the Arrow. Participating in third year including second on executive council for Connecting Club, and wrote $10,000 grant for a disability-inclusive space. Participated with Students About Staying Healthy chapter all four years including as treasurer as a senior, and three years in Generation Global program. Will attend Hope College and study social studies secondary education, with a minor in exercise science.
Essay Quote: “I understand that sports are emotional especially in the wake of a poor performance, but to be a sore loser after that says something about that person. It says to your opponent that you aren’t able to compose yourself and aren’t able to respond to hard situations. Responding with grace is always a more rewarding approach. Taking an inevitable loss with grace is a huge part of sportsmanship.”
Isaac Postema, Grand Haven
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, including at No. 1 singles his final three years. Won league championship and reached MHSAA Finals as a senior and earned all-state honorable mention for second time, and also senior all-state academic award. Served as team captain. Earned National Merit Scholarship Commendation as a junior and made academic honors list at Muskegon Community College during two years of early college program. Participating in second year of National Honor Society. Playing third year in orchestra and second as part of honors orchestra, as first chair cello, and earned “1” state rating from Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and invitation to Michigan Music Conference. Playing third year in school’s GOTAK Fiddle Club and as rhythm leader as a senior. Is undecided where he will attend college.
Essay Quote: “Winning meant nothing if it was accompanied by taunting and celebrations, and losing was incredibly honorable if it was taken with humility and poise. Poor sportsmanship not only reflects badly on the individual but can also influence how people may feel about the sport, degrading it as a whole. Good sportsmanship reflects positively on the player and the sport, allowing everyone to enjoy it.”
Ian Robertson, Traverse City West
Playing third season of varsity basketball, played two of varsity soccer and will play his third of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-state honorable mention and league Player of the Year recognition in soccer and all-league and all-District in baseball. Helped those two teams to District championships and served as captain of all three varsity teams. Participating in fourth year of student senate, as student governor after also having served as recording secretary, and third year of National Honor Society. Has helped raise more than $20,000 for charity through student government work and contributed more than 85 hours of community service. Served as youth basketball coach throughout high school. Served as section leader of school’s “Bleacher Creatures” student section that won the 2021-22 MHSAA Battle of the Fans. Will attend Tufts University in Massachusetts and study on a pre-medical track.
Essay Quote: “At the end of the day, while winning and competing are some of the forefront goals of competitors, equally important is the experience and educational aspect that high school sports have to offer.”
Other Class A girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Colleen Blackwood, Linden; Sophia Borowski, Grosse Pointe North; Abigail Cumings, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central; Kathleen Doneth, Mason; Ana Dunfee, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix; Amyla Eberhart, South Lyon East; Ella Eitniear, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills; Miryam El-Saghir, Dearborn Edsel Ford; Sophia Hekkema, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer; Daria Igonin, Belleville; Kate Mazur, South Lyon East; Leah Merriam, Milford; Wendy Miedema, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix; Adrienne Staib, Fenton; Ella Thomas, Brownstown Woodhaven; Eva Whiteman, Holland; and Rachel Williamson, East Grand Rapids.
Other Class A boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Connor Anderson, Cadillac; Abhinav Attaluri, Northville; Jack Bakus, Midland Dow; Treyton William Carr, Hudsonville; Isaac David Clark, Caledonia; Samuel Gibson, Plainwell; Braylen Himmelein, Davison; Henry Jackson, Bloomfield Hills; Nathan Katic, Fenton; Brayden Ryan LaCroix, Grandville; James Patterson Jr., Lake Orion; James Rocco, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix; Danny Safadi, Midland Dow; Harsimmer Sohi, Portage Central; Gavyn Stout, Muskegon Mona Shores; Trevor Wallar, Zeeland West; and David Whitaker, Northville.
The Class C/D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 7, and the Class B honorees were announced Feb. 14.
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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 1.3 million spectators each year.