2023 HYPE VIDEO

MAY 19 • 7 PM
L’Auberge Event Center

MAY 19
7 PM
L’Auberge Casino & Hotel

ABOUT STAR OF STARS

This is the 39th year The Advocate honors high school athletes from across the Baton Rouge metro area as Star of Stars for their excellence in individual sports. These athletes are selected as the best in their sports for the 2024-2025 school year based on all-district, all-metro and all-state honors, performances at regional and state competitions, along with recommendations of area coaches.

CHOOSING OUR WINNERS

We allow the athletes statistics, achievements and awards to speak for themselves. The Advocate compiles the accomplishments of the top performers in 15 sports sanctioned by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The Advocate also asks metro area schools to nominate top boys and girls athletes from their schools. From those nominees, one boy and one girl are chosen as the Athlete of the Year winners. The accomplishments of each athlete, as well as input from area coaches, are considered as The Advocate sports staff makes its final choices. Athlete of the Year nominees must be in grades 10 to 12 and on track to meet the NCAA’s academic qualifying standards.

EMCEE – MICHAEL D. “MIKE” SMITH

Mike Smith has served as a public address announcer for LSU athletics events for nearly 33 years. For the past 29 seasons, he has been the “Voice of LSU Gymnastics,” the championship program competing in the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge. He has hosted the “Inside LSU Gymnastics” television show for the past 12 seasons and won two National Telly Awards, recognizing it as the best Weekly TV Sports Program in the country. In 2018, the Southeastern Conference invited Mike to serve as the announcer for the SEC Gymnastics Championships and he continues in that capacity today. Last year, he was nominated for the prestigious Bob Sheppard Award recognizing the best public address announcer in professional and collegiate sports.

By day, he is Founder and CEO of MDSA Strategic Communications – a public and government relations consultancy – service clients in the energy, petrochemical, and transportation industries. Mike has been recognizes as on of “the most influential” public relations professionals by a leading national publication.Follow Mike on his social media pages including @MikeTheTiger70775 on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter handles @LSUGymVoice for all things LSU Gymnastics and @MDSAonline for everything else.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

Boys Coach of the YearGirls Coach of the YearBoys Team of the YearGirls Team of the YearCourage AwardSpirit AwardBoys Athlete of the YearGirls Athlete of the Year