Five graduating seniors from Dexter were recently selected for the Michigan Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Academic Team. At an awards luncheon on April 18th held at the Sheraton Ann Arbor, Morgan Cobb, Nathaniel Fuller, Tristan Fuller, Gretchen Heidebrink and Rishabh Kothari were recognized both for their exceptional participation in Dexter high school athletics and their outstanding academic achievements.
The Michigan SEC is comprised of fourteen schools from Washtenaw, Monroe, Lenawee, Jackson and Livingston counties. Every year, each school selects five graduating student athletes for the All-Academic Team. Selection is made based on an algorithm which takes into account a student’s SAT and M-STEP scores as well as their overall GPA. The schools also look at a student’s overall accomplishments, including community service and participation in school and outside clubs/organizations.
A total of 70 students were recognized at the April luncheon, which was also attended by the principal and athletic director from each school in the conference. Students received a certificate and highlights of their accomplishments were shared with the attendees. Seating for the luncheon deliberately separated each school’s attendees from one another; the principal from one school is seated with the AD from another, and all the students at the table are from different schools. This is done to promote camaraderie between the attendees and throughout the conference as a whole.
As an added bonus, for the past several years Dexter High School principal, Kit Moran, has taken his students out for ice cream at Dairy Queen after the awards luncheon. “We never get enough face time with our students, so we appreciate this bit of extra time spent with them,” says Moran.
Student Highlights
Morgan Cobb
Morgan is a member of the National Honor Society and both the Track & Field and Cross-Country teams. Morgan plans to attend the University of Michigan to study engineering.
Nathaniel Fuller
Nathaniel has been awarded the National Forensics Degree of Special Distinction and was the 2017 Dexter Delight Public Forum champion. He volunteers at the Huron Valley Humane Society, and plans to study pre-med at Kalamazoo College.
Tristan Fuller
Tristan has received the Pinnacle Award for Consistency at the Legacy Center. He also was awarded the R. Goble Golden Globe for Outstanding Performance. He participated in the Wear Orange event in summer 2018. Tristan plans to attend Kalamazoo College.
Gretchen Heidebrink
Gretchen is a National Merit Scholar, a US Presidential Scholar Candidate and a Michigan Youth Arts Distinguished Scholar. She has received the SEC Sportsmanship Award for Swimming and for the past four years, the Scholar Athlete Award. Gretchen is planning to study biology in college.
Rishabh Kothari
Rishabh is an IB Diploma Candidate and a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Kaizen Karate. He is also Captain and a Scholar Athlete with both the Varsity Cross-Country and Track & Field teams. Rishabh was named the 2018 Homecoming King and took 1st place in his age group in the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon. Rishabh plans to study Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Congratulations Morgan, Nathaniel, Tristan, Gretchen and Rishabh and best of luck in your future endeavors!
