Mason, Okemos Score for a Cure
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 11, 2014
Three weeks remain in the MHSAA’s 2014 fall season, and we’ve collected a few notes to pass along as we wind down the final three sports before moving inside (except for skiing) for the winter.
Below are an update on a fundraising game we previewed earlier, plus recognition for perfection at our Girls Golf Finals and another high honor for one of the top players in MHSAA volleyball history.
Score for a cure
We wrote in September about an upcoming soccer game between Lansing-area powers that would raise money for pediatric cancer research. The “Compete for a Cause” game between Okemos and Mason on Sept. 13 was the third of what has become an annual event started by Mason’s team and coaching staff.
Attendance for this season’s game was nearly double the year before, and funds raised increased more than 500 percent.
The final tally: Roughly 1,400 fans attended the game, which raised $11,000 that was split between the CureSearch for Children’s Cancer national foundation and the Michigan State University Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
The first “Compete” game in 2012 raised $1,000, and the 2013 game drew 800 fans and raised about $2,000. This fall, Okemos was ranked No. 1 in Division 1 and Mason No. 7 in Division 2 when the game was played; it ended in a 1-1 tie. Both went on to postseason success – Okemos advanced to a Regional Final, and Mason fell to eventual Division 2 champion East Lansing in overtime in their Semifinal.
Only one shot needed
It’s a rarity – most of the time. But for the second straight season, a player at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Girls Golf Finals sunk a hole-in-one.
Grosse Pointe South’s Lucy Buzolitz aced the par-3 No. 12 at Bedford Valley in Battle Creek, dropping the shot from 97 yards out during the first round of Division 1 play. Buzolitz was one of two individual qualifiers from her team and shot a 92-97-189 for the two-day tournament.
At the 2013 Division 2 Final, Fenton then-sophomore Madison Shegos aced the par-3 18th hole at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East.
Sportswoman of the Year
Former Leland and Penn State University volleyball standout and current U.S. national team setter Alisha Glass was a finalist for 2014 Team Sportswoman of the Year at the 35th Salute to Women in Sports gala in October in New York City.
The event, put on by the Women’s Sports Foundation, annually recognizes a Sportswoman of the Year for both individual and team sports based on nominations by sport governing bodies and the public. Glass was one of 10 candidates this year for the team award after being named USA Volleyball Indoor Female Athlete of the Year in 2013. She also was named International Federation of Volleyball’s best setter at the 2014 World Championship in Italy after helping the United States to the title.
Olympic gold medal-winning ice dancer Meryl Davis received the Sportswoman of the Year team award, while the individual award when to gymnastics all-around world champion Simone Biles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Members of the Mason and Okemos boys soccer teams present a check for $5,500 to the MSU Pediatric Oncology Clinic and Dr. Renuka Gera last month. (Middle) Lucy Buzolitz receives a plaque recognizing her hole-in-one at the Division 2 Golf Final from Bedford Valley head pro Dean Kolstad.
Century of School Sports: 200+ Representatives Fill All-Time Council Roster
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 6, 2025
When Plymouth-Canton Community Schools superintendent Monica Merritt attended her first meeting as a member of the MHSAA’s Representative Council on March 21 in East Lansing, she became the 203rd voting member to serve on the association’s legislative body since the first Council convened Dec. 13, 1924.
We covered how the Council is comprised in our Dec. 3 installment – “MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council.” Briefly, the 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.
During a typical school year, the Council meets three times, and convened for the third time for 2024-25 this past Sunday and Monday in Gaylord.
The first Representative Council included 11 members, from Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit, Eaton Rapids, Escanaba, Flint, Grand Rapids, Ishpeming, Otsego, Petoskey and Saginaw. While it’s difficult to say how many high schools specifically have been represented over the years – for example, Detroit Public Schools as a district has one representative, and there are multiple statewide positions – it’s accurate to say at least 130 communities (made of one or more schools) have sent at least one delegate over the last century.
Total, 54 Council members have served at least a decade, and 11 of those 54 have served at least 20 years: Detroit’s George Mead (1930-62) and Roy Allen (1976-96), Gwinn’s Leo P. McDonald (1930-52), Saginaw’s Roy J. McMurray (1932-50, 1952-57), Escanaba’s Dan Flynn (1988-2010), Grand Haven's Scott Grimes (2001-24), Deerfield, Beal City, Hartford and Cheboygan’s Paul Ellinger (1985-2007); Gaylord, Benzonia and Bear Lake’s Karen Leinaar (2000-2021); Clare, Maple City and Sanford Meridian’s William Newkirk (1988-2007), Trenton and Gibraltar Carlson’s Eric Federico (1986-94, 1996-2009) and current director of physical education and athletics for the Archdiocese of Detroit Vic Michaels, who has represented non-public schools on the Council since 2003.
A total of 17 Council members have served multiple terms but not entirely consecutively, with Petoskey’s Robert Doctor the only one with two breaks; he was on the Council from 1972-80, 1988-90 and 1994-95. As noted by his 32 years above, Mead was on the Council longest, representing Detroit Public Schools during his tenure as health and physical education director.
At least eight Council members have represented multiple schools, including current member Fred Smith, who has served a combined 15 years over two tenures while employed at Comstock, Buchanan, Benton Harbor and currently Bangor.
Michigan Department of Education representatives are not counted in the totals above as they are non-voting members – but they has provided an invaluable viewpoint during Council proceedings over the years. The current MDE representative on Council is Ross Fort, who serves as special assistant to the deputy superintendent.
The photo above was taken Monday morning. Front row, from left, are MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl, Michaels (who also serves as Council secretary/treasurer), Midland athletic director and Council president Eric Albright, and Brighton athletic director and Council vice president John Thompson.
Second row, from left, are Gobles athletic director Chris Miller, Freeland Middle School principal Jennifer Thunberg, Kingsford athletic director Chris Hartman and Camden-Frontier superintendent Chris Adams.
Third row, from left: Boyne City High School principal Adam Stefanski, Harbor Springs athletic director Anna Novak, Wyoming Godfrey-Lee Public Schools superintendent Arnetta Thompson, Mt. Morris athletic director Jeff Kline and Fenton High School principal Mike Bakker.
Back row, from left: Westland John Glenn athletic director Jason Malloy, Smith, Merritt, Fort, Detroit Public Schools executive director of athletics Jay Alexander and Calumet assistant principal Sean Jacques. (Portage Northern athletic director Chris Riker is not pictured.)
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
April 29: MHSAA Programs Prioritize Health & Safety - Read
April 23: Patches Signify Registered Officials' Role in MHSAA Story - Read
April 16: Student Advisory Council Gives Voice to Athletes - Read
April 9: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories - Read
April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25: Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18: 2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11: Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5: Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25: Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19: MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read