CLINTON TOWNSHIP — “More than good sports. Good people.”
The motto on the cover of the program for the Catholic High School League Scholar Athlete Leader Awards Banquet on June 1 at the Fern Hill Golf Club defines the annual event as a celebration of the outstanding faith, leadership, academic achievement and athletic excellence of student athletes during an academic year.
The awards in the 30 sports sanctioned by the CHSL are limited to seniors with a 3.2 grade-point average or better, verified by the athletic director and endorsed by the principal.
Candidates supply information in four areas: academic (awards, scholarships, etc.), leadership (in school, community or work), co-curricular or community activities beyond required hours for graduation, and athletic awards.
A letter of recommendation and an essay complete the process is forwarded to the CHSL Executive Board, who reviewed the nominations for 255 student athletes for the 2025-26 academic year and selects the award winners.
Boys Scholar-Athlete Leader Awards
Ralph Owen Baseball Award — Cam Swearingen, Novi Detroit Catholic Central. (Award named in tribute to Owen, a former CHSL director who instituted the 3-2 count for the league).
Sam Madden Boys Basketball Award — Edward Martel, Warren De La Salle Collegiate. (Award named in tribute to Madden, who was a longtime director of the CHSL and originator of the league’s basketball tournament).
Chris Buryta Boys Bowling Award — Ben Barthel, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes. (Award named in tribute to Buryta, a pioneer promoter of bowling at University of Detroit Jesuit High School).
Frank Guyott Boys Cross Country Award — Andrew Rosso, Chesterfield Township Austin Catholic. (Award named in tribute to Guyott, a longtime sports editor at The Michigan Catholic newspaper and a champion booster of parochial schools athletics).
John Shada Football Award — Jack Tisko, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic. (Award named in tribute to Shada, one of the CHSL’s outstanding football coaches. Originally presented to an offensive and defensive player in each division, it was changed in 1980 to the top Scholar-Athlete football player).
Tom Connell Boys Golf Award — Luke Slankster, Novi Detroit Catholic Central. (Award named in tribute to Connell, who was an outstanding prep mentor at River Rouge Our Lady of Lourdes High School).
Boys Ice Hockey Award — Ryan Dye, Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
Mike Jolly Boys Lacrosse Award — Camden Rocchini, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. (Award named in tribute to Jolly, regarded as the “father of De La Salle lacrosse” and respected for his promotion of the sport throughout the state).
Boys Skiing Award — Zachary Sobczak, Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
Brother George Synan Boys Soccer Award — Joshua Mackey, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic. (Award named in tribute to Bro. Synan, a coach and administrator of old St. Joseph’s and De La Salle high schools. He was named “A Legend of the League” in 1993).
Bernard Krzywada Boys Swimming Award — Christopher Gregg, Ann Arbor Greenhills. (Award named in tribute to Krzywada, one of the pioneer coaches in the CHSL and the championship swimming coach at Detroit Visitation High School).
Msgr. Carroll Deady Boys Tennis Award — Noah Thompson, Novi Detroit Catholic Central. (Award named in tribute to Msgr. Deady, who was a superintendent of archdiocesan schools and a great educator and scholar in the promotion of Catholic education).
Joe Pascuzzi Boys Track Award — Andrew Rosso, Chesterfield Township Austin Catholic. (Award named in tribute to Pascuzzi, a former director of the CHSL who championed improvements in track).
Mike Rodriguez Boys Wrestling Award — Armin Gomez, Clarkston Everest Collegiate. (Award named in tribute to Rodriguez, who coached wrestling at Detroit Catholic Central for 40 years, retiring as the winningest coach in the history of USA high school wrestling).
Girls Scholar-Athlete Leader Awards
Frank Connolly Girls Basketball Award — Camryn Huhn, Dearborn Divine Child. (Award named in tribute to Connolly, a former director of the Catholic Youth Organization and credited for fostering growth in girls basketball).
Girls Bowling Award — Jacey Thibodeau, Madison Heights Bishop Foley. (Award named in tribute to Vicky Kowalski, a member of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the CHSL Hall of Fame).
Girls Cheerleading — Emma Ronchetto, Allen Park Cabrini.
Hal Schram Girls Cross Country Award — Stella Behnan, Marine City Cardinal Mooney. (Award named in tribute to Schram, who covered high school sports for more than 40 years at the Detroit Free Press).
Girls Golf Award — Annamarie Artymovich, Warren Regina.
Field Hockey Award — Ava Tobola, Warren Regina.
Girls Ice Hockey Award — Kaylee Esch, Warren Regina.
Girls Lacrosse Award — Jenna Sikora, Toledo Notre Dame Academy.
Pom Pon Award — Layla Allan, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
Girls Skiing Award — Madison Karakashian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Girls Soccer Award — Clair Dauer, Bloomfield Hills Marian.
Rev. John Zwers Softball Award — Kate Zboril, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic. (Award named in tribute to Fr. Zwers, a former superintendent of Catholic schools in the archdiocese who had a keen interest in fostering equal growth in girls athletics).
Deloris Yager Girls Swimming Award — Clare Hafner, Farmington Hills Mercy. (Award named in tribute to Yager, who started the swimming program at Mercy in 1967. She coached both Mercy and Catholic Central, guiding both programs to numerous league and state titles).
Harvey Barcus Girls Tennis Award — Ania Elsey, Dearborn Divine Child. (Award named in tribute to Barcus, a Detroit News sports writer legendary in his coverage of prep sports).
Sr. Mary Louise Affholter Girls Track Award — Bailee Roths, Warren Regina. (Award named in tribute to Sr. Affholter, a longtime principal at Detroit East Catholic High School).
Edith Glusac Girls Volleyball Award — Lilly Zdankiewicz, Warren Regina. (Award named in tribute to Glusac, a former swimming, basketball, field hockey and tennis coach and basketball, volleyball and swim official for nearly 50 years).
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
