Performance: Wayne's Camree' Clegg

March 2, 2018

Camree’ Clegg
Wayne Memorial senior – Basketball

The 5-foot-5 senior guard has led her team to an 18-4 record heading into tonight’s Class A District Final against Dearborn Heights Crestwood. She scored 31 points in Wayne’s 50-46 win over Howell in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship game Feb. 22 to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”

Clegg recently was announced as one of four finalists for this season’s Miss Basketball Award, and she brings plenty of impressive credentials – Clegg is averaging 23.7 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this season and has scored more than 1,000 points for her career. She’s making 46 percent of her shots from the field and 39 percent of her 3-point attempts. Wayne finished 0-21 in 2014-15, but since Clegg joined the program as a sophomore (after transferring from Detroit Country Day) the Zebras have won two KLAA division titles, two overall league titles and a District championship.

Also a strong student, Clegg carries a 4.5 grade-point average and is dually enrolled at Schoolcraft College. She will graduate with nearly 30 college credits and has signed to continue her academic and basketball careers at Clemson University. She’ll major in sports communications with hopes of someday becoming a TV sportscaster, following a lengthy professional hoops career.

Coach Jarvis Mitchell said: “Camree’ embodies the structure of a progressive student-athlete. Not only is she a standout on the court, but she scored 1200 on the SAT test and currently carries a 4.5 GPA. She is a great kid with an unparalleled passion for competing. In my 14 years of coaching, I have never coached a player that competes every possession of a game or practice the way Camree’ does. She scores the ball well, and has a "follow me" like aggression towards the game of basketball. Not only has she propelled herself into an elite company, she has also been the nucleus of Wayne Memorial's plunge into relevancy. As a coach, she provides relief because I know I will get the extent of her effort each contest.”

Performance Point: “We were plagued by foul trouble … so I took it upon myself to carry the team,” Clegg said of the Howell win last week. “That’s kinda something I’ve been doing for the past three years, so it wasn’t anything new to me. Whenever we find ourselves in potentially a dire situation, I take it upon myself like, ‘OK, we’ve got to get this going. I try to get my team going as well as myself going, and usually it ends up working in our favor." 

Fear and encouragement: "I just put some energy into them, like ‘Come on guys, let’s go.’ Nobody wants to lose, so I try to put a little bit of fear into them like, ‘Do you guys want to lose? Come on, now. You guys gotta pick this up.’ And usually it ends up working – they end up getting fired up, they become more confident in themselves, they start hitting shots, they start making the right decisions. ... I think my team, you have to use psychology with them. Like say they miss a shot, they'll get into their own heads: 'I can't seem to make a shot.' You've just got to be like, 'No, you’re OK. Just come on. Just pick it up.' And usually they get the confidence back.”

Program builder: “It’s really a great feeling because I’ve been able to see everything turn around (at Wayne). To know I’ve been a trailblazer, a pioneer in this, it’s a great honor. And I hope it continues to get even better. … The easiest part has definitely been my coach has made it super easy for me – it’s easy to play for him because he has so much trust in me. The hardest part was probably going through the trials and tribulations, trying to make everyone better around me. Making them smarter because most of them came in as freshmen, (and) especially trying to play varsity as a freshman … just getting their minds right, making sure they get better, making sure they know the game is faster and adjusting them to the game. Just being that leader and trying to guide them in the right direction.”

This can be our year: “Everybody’s pretty much locked in. I believe last year we probably could’ve won it. We were definitely set back by injuries. But this year, everybody’s healthy, everybody’s doing good. Everybody’s getting so much better throughout the year, throughout all the preseason workouts. We feel like we’ve worked harder than anybody else, and we feel like we can definitely win it this year.”

Always working: “I have to excel in all facets of my life. I just try to balance it. I have somewhat of a short (class) schedule, so I have some time to do homework before practice, and after practice if I have a little bit left I just do it. I find myself extremely tired at the end of the day, but it’s all paying off. … My Plan A is I definitely want to become a pro basketball player, whether that’s here in the WNBA or potentially overseas, or potentially both. At the end of my career or if I don’t make it, I want to go into (becoming) potentially an analyst or a journalist within sports. My dream is to potentially end up on ESPN one day, so we’ll see if I can make that happen.”

- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor

Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.

The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster. 

Previous 2017-18 honorees:
February 23: Aliah Robertson, Sault Ste. Marie swimming - Read
February 16: Austin O'Hearon, Eaton Rapids wrestling - Read
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read 
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read

PHOTOS: (Top) Wayne Memorial guard Camree' Clegg splits a pair of Novi defenders. (Middle) Clegg fires a no-look pass. (Photos courtesy of the Wayne Memorial girls basketball program.)

Summer Strides, Preseason Confidence Showing in Escanaba's Excellent Start

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

January 27, 2023

ESCANABA — So far, so good for the Escanaba girls basketball team. The Eskymos are 13-0 after rolling to a 65-36 triumph at Bark River-Harris last Friday, with three more wins already than all of last season.

Coach Tracy Hudson said everything started in a cornfield in Carney during the summer.

“We lost to Ewen-Trout Creek, West Iron County and Bark River-Harris in summer tournaments,” he added. “We were taking a step back and a step forward. We kind of found ourselves in a small gym at Carney-Nadeau. We had to go through some growing pains, but played real well at Michigan Tech and Marquette. We came out of the summer feeling we could be all right.”

They’ve been outstanding.

Coming off a 10-10 finish last season, Escanaba has won nine of its games by double digits under Hudson, who took over the girls program this season after leading the varsity boys from 1997-2022.

The Eskymos improved to 5-0 in the Great Northern Conference with a 62-46 triumph over Menominee on Jan. 16 and have a two-game lead in the league standings with three GNC games to play.

“It feels great to be where we are,” said senior forward Mari Bink, who averages 15.1 points a game. “We were confident coming into the season, but you never know what can happen. We enjoy playing together, and we’re having fun. It’s crazy, but we get excited.”

Hudson is happy with all the success as well but knows the Eskymos will be tested in the days to come. They visit Calumet (10-2) tonight and Houghton (12-1) on Feb. 3.

“The teams in the Keweenaw are very good,” he said. “We’re going to have to bring our A game. Our team motto is ‘All In.’ Coach (Lisa) Maki and the girls came up with it. We have to bring it every day. I think we still have a lot of room for growth.”

Still, Escanaba will enter those games having handed the lone loss to another of the elite teams from the Keweenaw. Sophomore center Grayson LaMarche scored the game-winner on a layup in the final 12 seconds of a 50-49 win over Hancock (11-1) on Jan. 13.

Eskymos coach Tracy Hudson talks things over with his team during last Friday's win over Bark River-Harris.“They definitely have some good teams in the Copper Country,” said senior point guard Carney Salo, who was forced out of that game after hitting her head on the floor late in the third quarter. “I had a rough couple days, but it felt good playing in the Menominee game (three days later).

“I didn’t have any hesitation. We were able to take away (Menominee’s) passing lanes. Defense is the one thing you can control.”

Escanaba is giving up just under 46 points per game against a schedule that’s included wins over four teams with at least 10 wins and eight teams .500 or better. Rival Marquette would be a ninth over .500 if not for a sweep by the Eskymos.

Salo, who didn’t play last season due to an ACL injury, is averaging 7.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

“A personal highlight is just getting a chance to play after missing last year,” she said. “I think that makes me more motivated, although you always want to give it your all.”

Junior forward Keira Maki, a 49-percent field goal shooter, scored 24 points and LaMarche added 13 at BR-H.

“That has become a good rivalry,” said Maki. “They’re quick, and they put a lot of pressure on you. They don’t give up. They’re definitely well coached.”

Maki is averaging 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocked shots, four steals and 2.8 assists per game. She went down with an ankle injury during a 49-33 triumph at Alpena on Dec. 13 but returned in time to help the Eskymos post a 74-44 triumph at Gladstone two weeks later.

“Gladstone definitely has a good freshman (Lillie Johnson), but we put it all together and got the ball moving a lot,” said Maki. “They had a few other players we also had to stop. I felt I wasn’t as well prepared as I could have been if I hadn’t gotten injured at Alpena.”

The Eskymos opened this season with a 65-50 triumph at Marquette, then defeated Gaylord St. Mary (60-45) and the host Ramblers (50-42) in the McBain Invitational.

“We felt we needed to get a win at Marquette,” said Hudson. “Gaylord St. Mary and McBain were polar opposites and got on a little bit of a roll after that. The game with Sault Ste. Marie (a 62-57 victory) was a very big game here. That was similar to Hancock. We couldn’t relax for a moment.

“We’ve separated from the rest of the GNC teams a little and found a way to win the close games. We’re excited about where we’re at. It’s like whipped cream right now, but we’ve told the girls to keep the eye of the tiger and keep improving.”

Junior guard Saylor Henderson has provided timely shooting from outside, hitting 37 percent of her shots from 3-point range and 44 percent inside the arc. She’s averaging 7.2 points.

“The 3-point shot is a big part of our game, and Saylor is a green-light shooter for us,” said Hudson. “Because we play uptempo, we get good looks in transition. We’re also a good free throw shooting team (averaging 67 percent).”

Hudson said he also appreciates the help from the assistant coaches.

“Coach Maki has done a real good job,” he added. “She understands the girls, and our younger coaches (C.J. Barron and Darren Landis) absorb everything like a sponge.”

John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

PHOTOS (Top) Escanaba's Keira Maki (12) leads a break against Menominee during a Jan. 16 victory. (Middle) Eskymos coach Tracy Hudson talks things over with his team during last Friday's win over Bark River-Harris. (Photos courtesy of RRNSports.com.)