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Saline students win state and national recognition in CAD, esports and swimming
Summary
The Saline Area Schools Board recognized student achievements May 13: CAD students won multiple state awards and national placements; the Saline High School boys swim and dive team won the MHSAA Division 1 state championship; the esports program earned state titles and national rankings.
The Saline Area Schools Board on May 13 honored student teams and the instructors who coach them, recognizing the 2025 State Champion Saline High School boys swim and dive team, top finishes from the CAD (Computer-Aided Design) program, and a rapidly growing esports program that has collected state titles and national rankings.
Saline boys swim and dive Board members recognized the Saline High School boys swim and dive team for winning the MHSAA Division 1 state championship on March 13. Coaches and captains were introduced and the district highlighted individual honors: Diego Valdez won the 100 butterfly and Isaac Adanen won the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. The board noted the team’s cumulative GPA (3.7 unweighted, 3.9 weighted) and named several all-state and All-American honorees.
CAD and SkillsUSA success The district showcased students from the SWWC CAD program and their SkillsUSA competition results. The district said CAD students placed in multiple state categories and that Saline produced state champions in both technical drafting and architectural drafting. Presenters said the program has produced multiple state and national champions over the past 12 years and highlighted students accepted to top architecture and engineering programs.
Esports program growth Saline’s esports coach, Steve Vasiloff, presented the program’s second-year results: a state championship in Mario Kart (fall), high finishes in Valorant (state runner-up), and top-8 or top-16 placements in several other titles (Smash Brothers, Overwatch, Rocket League). The program reported national rankings (first in USA Today’s National Power 25 after three weeks this season) and scholarship offers to graduating players. Vasiloff described esports as a student-led program where coaches create an environment for students to improve. He said the program is housed under Community Education while the state association moves toward broader sanctioning.
What coaches said Todd Brunte, head swim coach, thanked the board and expressed pride in the student-athletes’ academic and athletic accomplishments. Esports coach Steve Vasiloff said the program is student-centered: "I create an environment for them to get better… I am not the person who taught them which button to click and when. I create an environment for them to get better in, but once again, I am not the person who taught them which button to click and when." The CAD teacher and students described projects submitted to state competitions, including architectural plans and technical drawings.
The board gathered students and coaches for photo recognitions and thanked families and volunteers who support extracurricular programs.
Provenance: Student recognitions and student showcase occurred early in the May 13 meeting; coaches and students described awards, competitions and next steps.
