Battle of the Fans III: Vote Now

February 18, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We visited, we watched, we enjoyed and now we've returned from our five trips to this season's MHSAA Battle of the Fans III finalists. 

And now it's your turn to vote for your favorite in this season's search for Michigan's top high school cheering section. 

Vote today through Thursday on your favorite of these five (enrollments in parentheses) – Beaverton (427), Bridgman (320), Buchanan (465), Frankfort (152) and Traverse City West (1,653) – by liking, sharing and re-tweeting on the MHSAA’s FacebookTwitter and Instagram sites.

But before you do, take a few minutes to watch all five videos and read all five stories behind the section by clicking the links below. 

The contest is sponsored by the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, which will have the final vote on the champion. SAC members will use all resources available to make their decision(s) – including giving significant weight to the public social media vote. Votes will be valued proportionate to the size of the school receiving them (for example, one vote for Class D Frankfort will mean more than one vote for much larger Class A Traverse City West). 

The champion will be announced Friday on Second Half. Video of all five finalists will be compiled and shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center. The winner will be invited to Breslin for the Class C Boys Basketball Semifinals and presented a championship banner at center court. 

And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:

Beaverton

Read all about it: "Beaverton 'Creatures' Dominate Bleachers"


Bridgman

Read all about it: "Bridgman's 'Orange Crush' Rules the Hive"


Buchanan

Read all about it: "Herd Dat? Buchanan Back for BOTF III"


Frankfort

Read all about it: "Change Does Frankfort's 'Cage' Good"


Traverse City West

Read all about it: "TC West 'Creatures' Of Cheer Habit"


Battle of the Fans III is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

Performance of the Week: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Natasza Dudek

September 11, 2025

Natasza Dudek headshotNatasza Dudek ♦ Ann Arbor Pioneer
Sophomore ♦ Cross Country

Dudek, who finished third at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final as a freshman, opened her sophomore season with a win at the Shepherd John Bruder Classic in a race that also included last year’s Division 2 and 4 champions. Dudek won the race by more than 35 seconds in a time of 17:05.50 – 1:17 faster than when she won her race at Shepherd a year ago.  

Natasza is following in the footsteps of oldest sister Zofia Dudek, who won the LDP1 Final in 2019 and has since gone on to earn All-America honors at Stanford and set Polish national records. In addition to Natasza’s stellar cross country debut last season, she also finished second in the 3,200, fourth in the 1,600 and ran on the fourth-place 3,200 relay at the LP Division 1 Track & Field Finals to conclude the spring.

@mhsaasports 🏃‍♀️‍➡️POW: Natasza Dudek #annarborpioneer #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA

@mhsaasports 🏃‍♀️‍➡️POW: Natasza Dudek #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA

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MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

Previous 2025-26 honorees

Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report

(Action photo by Nina Moore.)