(From the MHSAA)
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has announced that it has selected Bailey Baker of Eaton Rapids and seven other student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance is in its 25th year of sponsoring the award, and gives $1,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 22 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
Bailey Baker, Eaton Rapids
Baker expects to graduate with a school-record 16 varsity letters – four each in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. Earned both all-state honorable mention in softball and was an MHSAA Finals runner-up in discus as a junior, when she made the Lansing State Journal all-area Dream Teams in both sports; also has earned all-league honors in both volleyball and basketball. She is serving as captain of the basketball team for the second season and captained the volleyball team for three years. Baker participated in National Honor Society for three years and raised more than $1,000 for a food program among other volunteer efforts; also organized a fundraiser that led to the distribution of more than $6,000 in goods. She served on the yearbook staff for three years including as editor, and also as a volunteer coach for numerous youth basketball and volleyball camps. Undecided on where she will attend college and her field of study.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is the understanding that while you give everything on the court or field, at the end of the day, the opponents are the same as you – people with goals. This perspective has been reinforced through interscholastic sports – and I am better for the experience.”