EAST LANSING – Over 200 teams representing over 170 schools have been selected to be recognized for displaying outstanding sportsmanship during selected winter Michigan High School Athletic Association postseason tournament competitions through the Good Sports Are Winners! Program and all will receive awards ranging from framed certificates to commemorative banners and crystal trophies from the MEEMIC Insurance Company, the Association’s corporate partner in sportsmanship efforts.

The program is conducted in team sports, with schools being evaluated by tournament management at district, regional and final round sites. This spring, a total of 299 teams at 172 different schools were selected in tournaments conducted in baseball, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, and softball.

The program recognizes one school at each MHSAA tournament center at all levels of play for having met the highest sportsmanlike standards. Those schools will be presented framed certificates from the MEEMIC Insurance Company. Those teams will also be recognized through the publication of their names in the MHSAA Bulletin, the MHSAA Finals program series, and on the MHSAA Web site.

During 2008-09, 739 teams from 422 schools were recognized in 13 activities for their sportsmanship efforts during MHSAA tournaments. At the Finals in those tournaments, the school judged to have met those standards is presented a crystal trophy and commemorative banner.

Shepherd in baseball (Division 3), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in boys lacrosse (Division 2), Flint Powers Catholic in girls lacrosse (Division 2), Kalamazoo Hackett in girls soccer (Division 4), and Gladstone in softball (Division 3) were selected by the tournament management at their respective finals for displaying the exemplary sportsmanship by their coaches, student-athletes and spectators. Presentation dates at each winning school will be announced at a future date.

Shepherd was the champion in the Division 3 baseball tournament; Orchard Lake St. Mary’s was a Division 2 finalist in boys lacrosse; Flint Powers Catholic was a finalist in Division 2 girls lacrosse; Kalamazoo Hackett was the  winner in the Division 4 girls soccer tournament; and Gladstone took the title in the Division 3 softball playoffs.  Gladstone is being honored for the second time at the Finals level in softball, previously receiving the award in 2004. All four schools also received recognition at the sub-Finals level of play in a variety of sports.

Kalamazoo Hackett and Trenton were recognized in the spring at four tournaments, while Bay City John Glenn, Flint Powers Catholic, Frankford, Livonia Churchill, Otsego and Reading were each honored at three.  A total of 56 schools – Ann Arbor Huron, Bay City Western, Beal City, Belleville, Blissfield, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, Bronson, Canton, Cedar Springs, Center Line, Clawson, Climax-Scotts, Clinton, Comstock, Croswell-Lexington, Decatur, Detroit Country Day, Edwardsburg, Fenton, Fife Lake Forest Area, Flushing, Fowler, Fraser, Grand Rapids South Christian, Hamilton, Harbor Springs, Hartland, Holland Calvary, Holt, Homer, Hudson, Hudsonville Unity Christian, Ida, Laingsburg, Leroy Pine River, Livonia Ladywood, Manchester, Marcellus Howardsville Christian, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Mason County Eastern, Mayville, Muskegon Oakridge, Northville, Onsted, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Ortonville-Brandon, Pinckney, Port Huron, Richmond, Shelby, Southfield Christian, Springport, St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, Troy, Troy Athens and Walled Lake Central – received mention in twice. Baseball led the way with 120 teams honored, followed by 119 teams in softball; 51 in girls soccer;  5 in boys lacrosse; and 4 in girls lacrosse.

Good Sports are Winners
Baseball
Districts
Bridgman
Decatur
Edwardsburg
Hartford
St Joseph Michigan Lutheran

Girls Soccer
Districts
St Joseph

Softball
Districts
Buchanan
Decatur
Edwardsburg
Marcellus Howardsville Christian
River Valley