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Statewide recognition: Westwood’s Elizabeth Williams named MHSAA Scholar-Athlete award winner

Westwood's Elizabeth Williams flashes a sign in the girls' 50-yard freestyle during the Upper Peninsula Finals swimming and diving meet held at Marquette Senior High School on Feb. 15, 2020. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

“When we are all held to the same sportsmanship standards, students can have a positive experience in educational athletics.” — Elizabeth Williams, Westwood High School senior, on her Scholar-Athlete essay about the importance of sportsmanship

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EAST LANSING — Senior Elizabeth Williams of Westwood High School is among 10 high school student-athletes statewide that were announced today as winners of the Scholar-Athlete Award from the Michigan High School Athletic Association and Farm Bureau Insurance.

Today’s announcement included the winners from Class C and Class D schools. Numbers of winners are proportional to student enrollment at each size of schools, with six coming from Class C and four from Class D. Next week, eight winners in Class B will be named, and in two weeks, 12 from Class A schools. Each class’ winners are also divided evenly by gender.

The $1,000 scholarships will go out to a total of 32 students, which also includes two at-large (any school size classification) for minority recipients.

Westwood's Elizabeth Williams runs to a fifth-place finish in the girls race at the Al Quaal Recreation Area course in Ishpeming on Sept. 26, 2019, during the Tracy Strom Invitational high school cross country meet that served as the second West PAC meet of the season. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

One other area student was also a Class C finalist, Caden Kienitz from Munising. Only one-quarter of the finalists won scholarships.

One more area student is also a finalist, Kameron Karp of Class A Marquette, whose classification winners will be announced on Feb. 23.

Eligibility requirements in the 32nd year of the program include participating in at least one sport the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament, a 3.50 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), showing active participation in other school or community activities, responses to a series of short essay questions, submitting two letters of recommendation and writing a 500-word essay on the importan

ce of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

Each scholarship recipient will be honored during an online ceremony later this winter, which was altered because of the coronavirus pandemic from the usual recognition during a state championship basketball game downstate in late March. Commemorative medallions will be given to all finalists, too.

Williams is joined as a Class C winner by five Lower Peninsula students — Meagan Lasky of Bronson, Sophia Rayes of Oscoda, Nicholas Errer of Bad Axe, Finn Feldeisen of Ann Arbor Greenhills and David Jahnke of Saginaw Valley Lutheran.

Besides Williams and Kienitz, the only other Class C finalist from the Upper Peninsula was Jeffrey Vanholla of Norway.

Class D winners were Olivia Lowe and Wyatt Sirrine of Leland, Sophia Stowe of Northport and Jaeger Griswold of Ellsworth. Finalists from the U.P. were Molly Myllyoja and Connor LeClaire of Dollar Bay and Elise Besonen of Ewen-Trout Creek.

The MHSAA released information about Williams from her application and essays. It includes her being a four- year member of the Patriots’ cross country team, swimming and diving team and her plans to run a fourth year in track and field, although last spring’s season was canceled.

Williams placed in the U.P. Finals in all three sports multiple times and earned all-state honors in cross country and track along with all-state academic recognition in cross country. She has also been a three-year captain in cross country and two-year captain in swimming.

She has been secretary of Westwood’s Business Professionals of America chapter while qualifying for state competition.

Williams has also spent three years on her student council, including secretary as a sophomore. And she is serving her second year on the superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and is participating in her second year in the National Honor Society.

Williams, who plans to attend Northern Michigan University to study environmental studies and political science, included in her Scholar-Athlete essay this quote:

“Without proper sportsmanship from all parties, student-athletes may have a negative experience in a sport, lose their passion to play, have poor relationships within small communities, and miss out on impactful life lessons….

“When we are all held to the same sportsmanship standards, students can have a positive experience in educational athletics, equipping them with valuable skills and preparing them for life beyond sports.”

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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