Muskegon senior M’Khi Guy poses for a portrait during a CatchMark SportsNet media day at Hackley Stadium during the 2023 football season. (Courtney Jimison | CatchMark)
MUSKEGON – Each year, a Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame subcommittee selects Scholar-Athlete Award finalists and winners from a list of nominees submitted by area schools.
One senior female and one senior male from each Muskegon-area school is nominated for the award.
Scholar-Athlete Award winners for 2024 will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremony and banquet Saturday, June 8, at VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center in downtown Muskegon.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are available to the public and cost $50. You may purchase tickets by CLICKING HERE.
Here are the male Scholar-Athlete Award nominees, finalists and award winner for 2024:
Notes:
- The numbers next to sports listed denote years of high school participation in that sport, not varsity letters.
- Muskegon-area schools not represented below did not submit nominations.
AWARD WINNER
M’KHI GUY, MUSKEGON
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (4).
GPA: 3.91.
Athletic honors/awards: Meijer Scholar Athlete of the Week; Team captain for football; Two-time all-state, two-time all-region, two-time all-conference in football; 2023 MLive Player of the Year in football; Helped Muskegon win two district titles, two regional crowns, and one state championship in football; Team captain in basketball; All-area and all-conference in basketball; Three district titles, two regional crowns, and one state runner-up in basketball.
Academic honors/awards: MHSAA Student Advisory Council member; 2024 class president at Muskegon High School; President of his school’s National Honor Society; President of his school’s Student Leadership Council; Muskegon High School honor roll student.
Extracurricular activities: Muskegon Peer-to-Peer advisor; Muskegon High School Peer Mediation team member; Men of Color reading program; Plays organ and volunteers at his church; Reads and helps Muskegon Public Schools elementary schools; Volunteers with Muskegon High School youth basketball and football leagues.
Future plans: Signed to play football at Wayne State University, where he will major in law with the ultimate goal to become an attorney.
FINALISTS
Whitehall senior Trannon Aylor poses for a photo during CatchMark SportsNet Media Day prior to the Vikings’ 2023 football season. (Courtney Jimison | CatchMark)
TRANNON AYLOR, WHITEHALL
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (4), Track and Field (3).
GPA: 3.992.
Athletic honors/awards: Team captain in football; Two-time all-conference and two-time all-region in football; All-state receiver in football; Team captain in basketball; In 2022 track season, state champion in the 4×200 relay, state runner-up in the 400 dash, and state runner-up in the 4×400 relay; In 2023 track season, state champion in the 400 dash, all-state in the 200 dash and 4×400 relay; Team captain in track; In 2024 track season, all-state in the 400 dash as well as conference, city, and regional champion in the event.
Academic honors/awards: Great American Rivalry Scholar-Athlete Award winner; Whitehall Academic Award all four years; MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award; Coached at youth sports camps.
Future plans: Considering Calvin University for football or Grand Valley State University for track and field.
***
BEN MEYERS, NORTH MUSKEGON
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (3), Baseball (4).
GPA: 3.97.
Athletic honors/awards: Two-time all-conference and one-time all-region in football; First-team all-state in baseball as a junior and honorable mention all-state as a sophomore with senior year awards to be determined; Four-time all-conference in baseball; Three-time all-district and all-region with senior year awards in those categories yet to be announced; Local Sports Journal’s top baseball player award; CatchMark SportsNet Player of the Year in baseball as a junior and senior.
Academic honors/awards: Dual-enrollment student; National Honor Society; Helped coach travel baseball.
Future plans: Plans to attend Davenport University, where he’ll play baseball and study supply chain management.
***
SETH NORDER, GRAND HAVEN
Sports: Cross Country (4), Track and Field (4), Basketball (1).
GPA: 4.10.
Athletic honors/awards: Four-time all-OK Red in cross country all four years and the first-ever three-time champ of the OK Red; All-region and regional champion in cross country for three years; State champion as a senior in cross country and runner-up at the state finals as a sophomore and junior; MITCA Mr. Cross Country award winner as top runner in all divisions as a senior; Cross country All-American and all-region for the New Balance Nationals in 2022; In track, he holds school records in the 800, 1600, 3200, and 3200 relay; All-OK Red in track all four years; Three-time OK Red champion and three-time regional champ in the 800, 1600, 3200, and 3200 relay in track; All-state in track as a sophomore, junior, and senior; Two-time state champion in the 3200 in track as a junior and senior; Posted the 10th-best 3200-meter time in the nation as a senior; Won the Sluka Award for Grand Haven and OK Red Athlete of the Year; Holds West Michigan area records for the 1600 and 3200 in track; His 1600 time ranks No. 7 in the nation; His 3200 time ranks No. 4 all-time for the MHSAA; Voted team captain five times in cross country and track combined.
Academic honors/awards: Six-time individual academic all-state in track and cross country; Scored 1380 on his SAT.
Future plans: Full-ride scholarship to Michigan State University, where he’ll compete in cross country and track. He plans to study statistics or engineering.
***
JAXSON WHITAKER, REETHS-PUFFER
Sports: Football (2), Basketball (4), Baseball (4), Tennis (1).
GPA: 4.19.
Athletic honors/awards: West Michigan Officials Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year; MLive Top 10 area basketball players since 2000; Male finalist for MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award; WZZM Scholar-Athlete of the Week; Triple Crown Award (three-sport athlete) by Local Sports Journal; Four-year varsity player in basketball; Three-time team captain in basketball; All-conference awards all four years in basketball; MLive Dream Team Player of the Year in basketball in 2023-24; All-state in basketball; All-time leading scorer in Reeths-Puffer basketball history with 1,390 career points; Two-time team captain in baseball; Four-year varsity player in baseball; All-conference, all-area, all-district, all-region in baseball; All-area honorable mention in football.
Academic honors/awards: Gold Cord recipient, graduating Summa Cum Laude; Earned 4.0-plus GPA every semester of high school; Presidential Scholarship from Ferris State University; Advanced Placement student sophomore through senior years; Crest bearer for 2022 graduation; National Honor Society junior and senior years; Academic all-state in football, basketball, and baseball.
Future plans: Earned a full-ride scholarship to Ferris State University, where he’ll play basketball. His academic goal is to land a job in the field of Data Analytics with an emphasis on marketing.
NOMINEES
Christopher Aebig, Montague
Sports: Wrestling (4), Soccer (4), Track and Field (4), Football (4), Cross Country (4).
GPA: 4.341.
***
JoseLuis Andaverde, Hart
Sports: Football (4), Wrestling (4), Track and Field (4).
GPA: 2.80.
***
Carter Brant, Holton
Sports: Basketball (4), Baseball (4), Cross Country (1).
GPA: 3.33.
***
Brady Brown, Fruitport
Sports: Football (2), Baseball (2), Soccer (4).
GPA: 3.49.
***
Nicholas Cano, Shelby
Sports: Football (4), Wrestling (4), Baseball (3), Track and Field (1).
GPA: 2.80.
***
Carson Foondle, White Cloud
Sports: Cross Country (4), Basketball (2), Track and Field (4).
GPA: 4.262.
***
Cohen Garrod, Grant
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (4), Basketball (4).
GPA: 3.60.
***
Drew Hackney, Mona Shores
Sport: Tennis (4).
GPA: 4.327.
***
Caleb Jonas, Ravenna
Sports: Cross Country (3), Bowling (3), Track and Field (3), Golf (1).
GPA: 3.96.
***
Croix Klint, Muskegon Catholic Central
Sports: Football (2), Hockey (3), Baseball (4).
GPA: 3.989.
***
Josiah Long, Newaygo
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (4), Baseball (4).
GPA: 3.825.
***
Eli Malek, Western Michigan Christian
Sports: Basketball (4), Soccer (4).
GPA: 4.195.
***
Samuel Martini, Kent City
Sports: Cross Country (4), Track and Field (4).
GPA: 4.00.
***
Stephon Oakes, Orchard View
Sports: Football (4), Basketball (4), Track and Field (3), Baseball (1).
GPA: 3.704.
***
Arturo Romero-Serrano, Oakridge
Sports: Soccer (4), Baseball (3), Football (1).
GPA: 4.14.
***
Sam Schafer, Spring Lake
Sports: Football (4), Lacrosse (4).
GPA: 3.919.
***
Tee Ward, Fremont
Sports: Soccer (4), Wrestling (4).
GPA: 3.93.
***
Ma’Quel White, Muskegon Heights Academy
Sports: Basketball (4), Track and Field (4).
GPA: 3.10.
***
Sam Zelenka, Fruitport Calvary Christian
Sports: Basketball, Soccer.
GPA: 3.7618.
***
Note: Hesperia did not submit male or female nominees for the 2024 award.
