Portland’s Isaiah Pelc named finalist for 2022-23 MHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards

The 120 finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2022-23 school year, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, have been announced.

The program, in its 34th year, has recognized student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year and again this winter will honor 32 individuals from MHSAA member schools who participate in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament.

Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Awards and will present a $2,000 scholarship to each recipient. Since the beginning of the program, 896 scholarships have been awarded.

Scholarships will be presented proportionately by school classification, with 12 scholarships to be awarded to Class A student-athletes, six female and six male; eight scholarships will be awarded to Class B student-athletes, four female and four male; six scholarships will be awarded to Class C student-athletes, three female and three male; and four scholarships will be awarded to Class D student-athletes, two female and two male. In addition, two scholarships will be awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size. Every MHSAA member high school could submit as many applications as there are scholarships available in its classification and could have more than one finalist. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood has four finalists and Kalamazoo Loy Norrix and Midland Dow have three finalists this year. Twelve schools have two finalists: Ada Forest Hills Eastern, Cass City, Fenton, Hillsdale Academy, Holland, Holland Christian, Milford, Negaunee, Northville, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, South Lyon East, and Tecumseh. Multiple-sport participation remains the norm among applicants. The average sport participation rate of the finalists is 2.88. There are 74 three-plus sport participants in the finalists field, and all but two of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented. Of 421 schools which submitted applicants, 25 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,440 applications were received. All applicants will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement. Additional Scholar-Athlete information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the MHSAA Website at https://www.mhsaa.com/about/awards/scholar-athlete-award. The applications were judged by a 65-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 7, Class B scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 14 and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 21. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA Website.

To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more—protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.

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.

2022-23 Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists

GIRLS CLASS A Daria Igonin, Belleville Ella Blank, Birmingham Groves Ella Thomas, Brownstown Woodhaven Keira Tolmie, Clarkston Nora Chamas, Dearborn Miryam El-Saghir, Dearborn Edsel Ford Abigail Frushour, DeWitt Rachel Williamson, East Grand Rapids Naomi Sowa, East Lansing Adrienne Staib, Fenton Abigail Cumings, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central Ella Eitniear, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills Sophia Borowski, Grosse Pointe North Eva Whiteman, Holland Ana Dunfee, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Wendy Miedema, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Colleen Blackwood, Linden Kathleen Doneth, Mason Caroline Colt, Milford Leah Merriam, Milford Sophia Hekkema, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Jane Barnett, Royal Oak Kate Mazur, South Lyon East Amyla Eberhart, South Lyon East

BOYS CLASS A Henry Jackson, Bloomfield Hills Connor Anderson, Cadillac Isaac David Clark, Caledonia Braylen Himmelein, Davison Nathan Katic, Fenton Isaac Postema, Grand Haven Ryan Lee, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern Brayden Ryan LaCroix, Grandville Brendan Downey, Grosse Pointe South James R. Baer, Holland Treyton William Carr, Hudsonville James Rocco, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix James Patterson Jr., Lake Orion Shubhan Nagarkar, Midland Dow Danny Safadi, Midland Dow Jack Bakus, Midland Dow Gavyn Stout, Muskegon Mona Shores Abhinav Attaluri, Northville David Whitaker, Northville Samuel Gibson, Plainwell Harsimmer Sohi, Portage Central Shane Pitcher, Saline Ian Robertson, Traverse City West Trevor Wallar, Zeeland West

GIRLS CLASS B Devin Johnston, Almont Rylie Haist, Big Rapids Jordan Richie, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood Anna Smith, Clawson Carney Salo, Escanaba Ella Wagner, Essexville Garber Lauren Harrold, Flint Powers Catholic Tiffany Keller, Frankenmuth Ainsley VandenBrink, Holland Christian Claire Filpus, Houghton Elaina Bortolini, Kingsford Matelyn Midkiff, Midland Bullock Creek Rachel Niskanen, Negaunee Molly McNitt, Paw Paw Chesney Wilke, Tecumseh Allison Tate, Whitehall

BOYS CLASS B Sreejay Ramakrishnan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern Jacob Pallo, Ada Forest Hills Eastern Aiden Eric Smith, Adrian Evan Jose Evans, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood John Kersh, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood Nathan Hooker, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood Jacob Fenbert, Dundee Michael App, Grand Rapids Catholic Central James Oosterhouse, Holland Christian Matthew Bowman, Milan Philip Nelson, Negaunee Grant H. Harkness, Newaygo Nicholas Liparoto, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Isaiah Pelc, Portland Aldo Barba, Tecumseh Camden Johnecheck, Williamston

GIRLS CLASS C Tailor Onstott, Beal City Saylar Cuthrell, Cass City Kylie McGrath, Cass City Claire Scholten, Charlevoix Ruby Sierer, Clinton Quinn Watts, Fowler Danni Swihart, Hanover-Horton Aziza Burgoon, Iron Mountain Abigail Meyer, Marlette Alaina Andrews, Ottawa Lake Whiteford Laina Harger, St. Charles Samantha Dietz, Watervliet

BOYS CLASS C Logan Pflug, Cassopolis Seth Vanderwest, Kent City Ethan Green, Kingston Andrew Mleczko, Madison Heights Bishop Foley Grant Mason, Manistique Blake O'Connor, Maple City Glen Lake Brock Murphy, Menominee Riley DeSarbo, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central Ty Kohlmann, New Lothrop Noah Etnyre, Plymouth Christian Academy Brennan Cannaday, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic Dirk Rierson, Unionville-Sebewaing

GIRLS CLASS D Kylie Quist, Athens Kasandra Lynn Waldi, Chesterfield Austin Catholic Megan Roberts, Hillsdale Academy Emma Case, Kinde North Huron Monique Brisson, Munising Makennah Uotila, Ontonagon Gabriella Wenzel, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary Macey Springer, Three Oaks River Valley

BOYS CLASS D Ryan McDonell, Bay City All Saints Luke Walker, Clarkston Everest Collegiate Amos Norland, Dollar Bay Brody Appelgren, Hillman Caleb Diener, Hillsdale Academy Matthew Zammit, Marine City Cardinal Mooney James Blackburn, Martin Caleb Munson, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary