Amid 2020 Woes, Duba Assist Unforgettable
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
December 30, 2020
GRAND RAPIDS – Nearly two months have passed since Maggie Duba received acclaim for an unselfish act of kindness at the end of the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Girls Cross Country Finals.
Duba, a Grand Rapids West Catholic junior, sacrificed her time and position in the eventual race standings to help a fallen fellow competitor make it to the finish line.
It was an uplifting moment during an unprecedented year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m really surprised at the attention it has received, and I wasn’t thinking at all like the news is going to see this, but I’m glad it did and everyone has said how it was needed in 2020,” Duba said. “It shows the good that can come out of sports, and it’s just another reason for me to be thankful that I was able to run this season.”
Duba was heading down the final stretch of her race Nov. 6 at Michigan International Speedway when she saw Remus Chippewa Hills junior Sarah Storey in anguish.
Storey had fallen to her knees, struggling mightily to rise back up and continue.
“I remember coming around the curve, and I was on the straightaway when my legs started to give out a little bit,” Storey said. “I was determined to try and make it to the end as best I could, but I really couldn't move my legs anymore and then I finally went down.
“After that it was a struggle to get back up, and I was thinking maybe I could crawl or something. I was stuck until Maggie came along.”
After a rough start to the race, Duba had found her form in the second mile and headed into the stadium looking to make a strong closing push.
That’s when she noticed Storey. The pair were about 15-20 yards from the finish.
“I was trying to pass as many people and still get a good time,” Duba said. “I saw her down, and it was just kind of instinct to go right up to her and pick her up. I’ve seen it before in the Olympics, and I guess seeing that made me think that I needed to do that, too. I threw my goal of having my best race out the window because helping her was more important.”
Duba didn’t hesitate, and aided Storey by helping her up and offering encouraging words.
“She did not want to get up so I had to talk to her a little bit and slowly pulled her up and helped her,” Duba said. “The time is still ticking, and the girls I had worked hard on passing were passing me. I did notice that, but I didn't stop helping her.
“I just kept walking with her when she was up and got her running, and when she was running a little bit I slowly let go so she could finish on her own and I ran to the finish a little bit ahead of her.”
Duba was determined to make sure Storey also completed the race.
“I told her that you can’t not finish right now,” Duba said. “She had pushed so hard like everyone there racing, and anyone who has had that great of a finish deserves to finish that race, especially when she was so close to finishing. I was glad that I was able to help her because if she wasn’t able to finish then that would've been really sad, especially this year.”
Unforgettable finish
Although disorientated at the time, Storey vaguely remembered what Duba told her.
“From what I remember, she kind of said, ‘Come on, you can do this, you didn’t come this far not to finish.’ She just really tried to encourage me and convince me to get up and everything,” Storey said. “For me it was a big reminder of how sports are a lot bigger than just how fast you can run or how well you can do. It’s the people that make the sport, and I think what Maggie did showed a lot of people that, including myself.
“I think sometimes, especially at the state finals, you are concerned about your place or your time, but sometimes it’s not about that. It’s about the people you can help instead of just your finish.
Storey collapsed after crossing the finish line, and was taken to an ambulance. She was treated for about 20 minutes and then released.
“It was actually kind of weird because nothing like that had ever happened to me before,” Storey said. “They checked my vitals and everything and they thought about giving me an IV because they thought I might be dehydrated. They didn’t give me anything, and I went home that night and laid low and recovered the next couple days. I was pretty tired.”
Storey visited her doctor a few days later.
“They said it was a fluke thing,” she said. “It might’ve been a combination of a couple things that weren't quite right and they all came together on the same day. It might've been the heat because it was a little warmer than normal for November that day. It really was the perfect storm.”
West Catholic cross country coach Noreen Duba, Maggie’s mother, watched the entire ordeal unfold from the infield while taking pictures.
At the time, she was unsure if it was her daughter who had helped the fallen runner.
“I could see that someone had fallen, and she had helped them up. I got a little panicky at that point,” Noreen Duba said. “I saw her help her up, but I was running along behind the cement walls to get there and I didn’t see the complete finish. I didn’t see Maggie let her go and let Sarah finish on her own. Then we lost track of Sarah.”
The Dubas left the race not knowing the name of the girl, which school she attended or her condition.
“I didn’t know what happened to her, and I was going to go home and look at the results and try to find someone from a school that had a red uniform to see who this girl was and what happened,” Noreen Duba said.
A mutual friend from a cross country camp who was at the meet had seen the finish and recognized Maggie Duba.
Ironically, he went to Remus Chippewa Hills, and the coach called later that night to give an update. Noreen Duba and Storey’s mother, Beth, talked the next day.
Noreen Duba, who became emotional after the race, wondered what she would’ve done with a similar circumstance.
“I’m glad that Maggie did that, and I said to my assistant coach, ‘In that oxygen-deprived state, running hard toward the finish, focusing on that finish, would I have done the right thing?’” she said. “I was very proud and impressed by Maggie because that was her instinct. There wasn’t a thought process.
“Maggie stopped and helped her ,and I think I would’ve done that because that’s the way I’ve raised my kids and how I coach my team. You would do the right thing. Nothing is as important as helping somebody in need. I was really glad and relieved that she did that because you hate to see that happen.”
Maggie Duba, in her second straight trip to the Finals, finished the race in 20 minutes, 43.2 seconds and was 93rd. Storey was 98th (20:46.69). At the time Storey fell, she was among a pack that would go on to place in the mid-70s, while Duba’s group at the time was about 10 seconds behind and would place in the 80s.
Cartwheels up
After Maggie Duba’s show of sportsmanship, she displayed a unique move upon crossing the finish line: She did a cartwheel … sort of.
“It wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be because I was so tired,” Maggie Duba said. “I did that, and it was awful and embarrassing and I looked really dumb, but I did it for my teammates who came to support me.”
Maggie Duba was alone at the meet after West Catholic missed out on qualifying as a team. However, her teammates made the long trip to watch her run and challenged her to do something different at the end.
“They dared me to do that because my friend and I had been working on our handstands all season and she wanted me to walk on my hands across,” Duba said. “There was no way I was doing that, but I did the cartwheel and they thought it was hilarious and they were so glad I did it. They were waiting all race for me to do that so I’m glad I did it for them because they were really happy.”
Duba and Storey hope to return to the Finals next year as seniors. Storey said she learned valuable lessons from her experience.
“I have a little more perspective about how deep the sport can really go and how many people it can reach,” she said. “It just makes me excited to finish out my senior year of cross country and see how I can impact other people by what I’ve learned through this experience.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for four years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Maggie Duba, right, encourages Remus Chippewa Hills’ Sarah Storey while helping Storey complete their Division 2 Final on Nov. 6 at Michigan International Speedway. (Middle) Duba, upon finding Storey on the ground about 15-20 yards from the finish line, assists her to her feet and guides her the rest of the race. (Below) Storey, left, and Duba approach the finish. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Scholars & Athletes 2022: Class A
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 22, 2022
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 13 student-athletes from Class A member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 33rd year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 26 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class A Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Cookie Estelleh Baugh, Ann Arbor Pioneer; Ella DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek; Alexis Maloney, St. Johns; Maeve Spicer, White Lake Lakeland; Ella Spooner, Holland West Ottawa; Greta VanZetten, Holland; Elzien Zomer, Holland; John Bungart, Orchard Lake St Mary's; William Goelz, Petoskey; Klay Grant, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer; Colin Koot, Mason; Brady Wright, Birmingham Seaholm; and Neil Zhu, Detroit Catholic Central.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class A Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
(NOTE: If an athlete intended to play and was part of a spring sports team in 2020, that sport is counted among the athlete’s total although the season was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Cookie Estelleh Baugh, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Ran four years of varsity cross country and will participate in her fourth of track & field this spring. Helped cross country team to three straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championships and finished fifth and 12th, respectively, in the individual standings her final two seasons. Also ran on LPD1 champion 3,200-meter relay last spring. Earned all-state academic honors seven times across her two sports and served as captain of both teams. Participating in fourth year of student council and third of National Honor Society. Serving first year as Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation board member trustee and also fourth year on foundation’s Youth Council. Participated for three years as part of school’s Positive Peer Influencer program and is participating in third year of Pioneer’s Restorative Justice Program. Will attend Michigan State University and study kinesiology.
Essay Quote: “Having begun playing competitive sports at age 3, I have experienced wins and losses, successes and failures. I have felt like the queen of the world, and I have wept like a baby into my pillow. With each experience I learned my why. … To demonstrate good sportsmanship is as much for myself, teammates, coaches, parents, and family; I owe it to them to lead by a positive example.”
Ella DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Participating in fourth season of competitive cheer and will play varsity tennis this spring after previously playing on junior varsity; also cheered four years with football sideline team. Helped competitive cheer team to Division 1 Finals championship as a freshman and is a four-year starter in all three rounds. Earned all-state recognition and twice made academic all-state team for cheer, and twice served as team captain for competitive and sideline teams. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has served as officer and cabinet member. Also participating in third year of Spanish National Honor Society and as a senior officer. Serving fourth year and as leader of school’s Athletic Leadership Council, and serving fourth year in key club. Named Clinical Observer of the Year by Ascension St. John Children’s Hospital department of pediatrics. Will attend University of Michigan and study biology on a pre-medical track.
Essay Quote: “Sports have provided me with some of the best life skills I have ever learned. … Life is not always kind, bad outcomes happen regardless of effort and preparation, and all I can control is how I respond to those moments of adversity. Part of sportsmanship is dealing with adversity and not making excuses when the outcome doesn’t go your way.”
Alexis Maloney, St. Johns
Playing third season of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity tennis this spring; also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-conference and all-academic honors in basketball and tennis, helping tennis team to league championship and Regional runner-up finish. Served as captain for both varsity teams. Playing fourth year in marching band and third with symphonic band and has served as tenor drum and drumline section leader. Earned “1” competition ratings as part of both bands. Participating in fourth year on school’s Student Athletic Leadership Committee, and serving as social media director, and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Also participating in fourth years of school’s Compassion Club (serving on leadership board), Renaissance Club, Garden Club and church youth group. Will attend Trine University and study mechanical engineering.
Essay Quote: “When given the chance to congratulate, help, or support your opponent, do it. There will never be any negative backlash from the positivity you give to them, and know that makes you a better person. Sportsmanship is much like the golden rule; treat others the way you want to be treated. Take these lessons from the game and make them a part of your every day.”
Maeve Spicer, White Lake Lakeland
Competing in fourth season of varsity gymnastics and third of varsity competitive cheer. Also ran junior varsity cross country and participated in track & field as a freshman. Earned all-state in gymnastics finishing sixth on vault at MHSAA Finals as a junior and was conference all-around champion; also earned academic all-state recognition. Helped her Huron Valley United co-op gymnastics team to Regional title as a sophomore. Served as captain of gymnastics and cheer teams. Participating in second years of National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Earned Individual Project Completion of Middle Years Programme as part of International Baccalaureate studies. Participating in second year of Peer Corps, and has organized three clothing drives for foster children as part of work for local center. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to study international relations.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is important because sports themselves are not simply about who is the best, rather what you can learn from them. I have learned valuable life lessons from my sports that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life such as determination, perseverance, teamwork, integrity, and respect, along with so many others that have built up my character.”
Ella Spooner, Holland West Ottawa
Playing second season of varsity basketball and will play her fourth of varsity lacrosse this spring. Earned all-conference and individual academic all-state in lacrosse and helped basketball team to academic all-state honor. Named Michigan Youth Female Athlete of the Year at 2021 Meijer State Games. Will serve third season as lacrosse captain. Ranked first academically in class of 512 with 4.16 GPA, and participating in National Honor Society. Participating in third year of LINKS and second of Peer-to-Peer mentorship programs. Served as writer and editor of school’s newspaper and earned awards from Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and Scholastic. Served as assistant director for West Ottawa Broadcasting Network. Coached youth basketball and lacrosse, and volunteered in multiple other service efforts. Will attend Kalamazoo College and study biology on a pre-medical track.
Essay Quote: “Character is so important in life and can either drag you down or take you far. By teaching sportsmanship, it allows young athletes who are still growing and developing to build their character. Each part of being an excellent sportsman relates directly to more than just a sports game, but to the game of life itself.”
Greta VanZetten, Holland
Participated in four seasons of varsity swimming and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-conference in both sports and qualified 17 times for MHSAA Finals in swimming over four seasons. Served as co-captain of swim team as both junior and senior. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and voted head of school’s leadership pillar. Participating in second year of student senate and third year as part of school’s delegation to Youth in Government; also serving second year as part of Holland Youth Advisory Council’s environmental committee and as chairperson. Participating in third year of school choirs Vocal Dimensions and as president. Initiated Michigan Green School certification for Holland High and participating in third year with Students Helping Our Remarkable Earth club. Participating in second year of Academic WorldQuest and won regional competition and qualified for nationals as a junior. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to double major in mathematics and gender and sexuality studies.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is about wanting the best for your competitors, as well as yourself. When everyone competes at the best of their ability, sports become truly fun. Educational athletics expand beyond winning and achievement. Learning about humility, equity, confidence, and collaboration are all lessons found in sportsmanship and encouraged though high school sports.”
Elzien Zomer, Holland
Playing third season of varsity basketball, swam three seasons on varsity and will play second season of varsity soccer this spring; also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman. Earned all-area honors in basketball and served as team captain for basketball (varsity and JV), co-captain for swimming & diving team and captain for junior varsity volleyball. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as part of leadership pillar, and serving third year as class representative in student government. Serving as school representative to county’s Student Leaders Initiating Change coalition. Participating in fourth year in school’s be nice. club. Served as youth soccer official for three years and community pool lifeguard. Will attend University of Michigan-Dearborn and study either biomedical engineering or physical therapy.
Essay Quote: “Attitude and respect are always a choice, every day, every play. A positive mindset and an encouraging attitude build strong athletes, but also build good role models for life. … We don’t all have the same intensity for sportsmanship, but we each have the tools to build character on and off the court. For me, this is the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. The goal is to teach growth and understanding so that we can choose to put them into practice in our own lives.”
John Bungart, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Wrestling fourth varsity season and will play fourth season of varsity lacrosse in the spring. Also will compete in fourth season on rowing team. Served as captain of both wrestling and lacrosse teams. Earned all-state in lacrosse and all-league and all-country in wrestling. Carrying 4.07 GPA and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Summited second and third-highest peaks in United States as part of Boy Scouts. Has volunteered in multiple volunteer community service efforts including as part of Forgotten Harvest throughout high school. Has served as lifeguard throughout high school. Also has participated in church youth group all four years. Will attend Kalamazoo College and study biochemistry.
Essay Quote: “We speak with our mouths, and we hear with our ears. We also talk with our hands and listen with our eyes. We share with our faces and understand it in our hearts. When any of these cogs in the wheel fail, it can lead to confusion, knee-jerk responses, and chaos in its wake. Communication and mutual respect are the (epitomes) of sportsmanship in educational athletics.”
William Goelz, Petoskey
Competing in fourth season of varsity skiing and played two seasons of varsity tennis. Also played two subvarsity seasons of lacrosse and ran cross country as a freshman. Helped ski team to two Division 2 Finals championships and a runner-up finish, and earned multiple all-state honors. Earned academic all-state in skiing and tennis, and served as ski team captain. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction and National Merit Scholarship commended scholar designations. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on district’s Student Advisory Council. Has served all four years as part of Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation Youth Advisory Committee, including as foundation officer and board liaison, and is serving as PHSACF director as a senior. Participating in third year of key club and as vice president. Completed University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Global Youth Program Business Leadership Academy. Is undecided on where he will attend college and his future course of study.
Essay Quote: “Decades from now, what I will remember are great times spent with great teammates, a sentiment held impossible if not for the utmost sportsmanship within myself and amongst athletes. Not only does sportsmanship in educational athletics spark lifelong memories, it also establishes a careful precedent for sociability and professionalism beyond high school.”
Klay Grant, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
Ran four seasons of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring; also played varsity soccer as a freshman. Earned three Greater Muskegon cross country championships and finished eighth in Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final this past fall. Qualified for MHSAA Track & Field Finals in four events as a junior and earned all-conference. Served as captain of cross country and track teams. Served as student council freshman president and as trustee as a sophomore. Participating in third year of church’s children’s ministry and as student leader, and second year as church intern. Serving as student leader in third year participating on school’s IMPACT leadership team, and served as ambassador for Straight Talk About Tough Stuff coalition. Will attend Colorado Christian University and major in Biblical studies with an emphasis in languages.
Essay Quote: “I believe the integrity of sportsmanship is often downplayed. It is not only the heroic acts of sportsmanship in front of a big crowd, or when the cameras are on, but in the day-in-day-out monotony of relationships. I viewed this highly by encouraging each teammate after practices, telling them: "Nice job today, I'll see you tomorrow."
Colin Koot, Mason
Playing second season of varsity basketball and will play second of varsity baseball this spring, and played four seasons of varsity tennis. Helped tennis team qualify for MHSAA Finals all four seasons and earned all-conference in tennis and baseball. Helped baseball team to academic all-state award. Served as tennis team captain for three seasons. Participating in fourth year of Youth in Government and second as delegation leader, and received servant leadership award as sophomore. Participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participated in Future Farmers of America as a freshman and sophomore and won state championship in Greenhand Conduct of Meetings as a freshman and National Silver Award as a sophomore. Served as school newspaper sports editor-in-chief as a freshman and has umpired baseball throughout high school. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Overall, competitive sportsmanship is the most important facet of educational athletics. The ability for an individual to compete at a high level while maintaining good sportsmanship is crucial in transforming from a person who wins to a person who succeeds. Success is measured in many different ways, but a successful athlete understands that there is more to athletics than just the scoreboard.”
Brady Wright, Birmingham Seaholm
Competing in fourth season on varsity ski team and played four seasons of varsity tennis; also played junior varsity lacrosse as a freshman and sophomore. Reached MHSAA Finals flight semifinals as sophomore and junior. Earned all-state and all-state academic for tennis and all-region for ski, and earned multiple league Scholar-Athlete Awards for both sports. Served as team captain for both. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction and named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Earned perfect score on ACT. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third of National Science Honor Society. Participated in Science Olympiad as competitor and coach and founded high school team, and earned county and state placings. Playing fourth years in school marching and concert bands and served as clarinet section leader. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study chemical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Ultimately, what I learned is that the game and the competition is more important than winning a match at any cost. I have seen kids who struggle with losing and will do anything to win. Honor and integrity get thrown out the window to avoid a loss. … It is important to me that I am honest with myself – I play sports to push myself in ways that academics cannot. Cheating the game does not help you improve or build character.”
Neil Zhu, Detroit Catholic Central
Will play fourth season of varsity golf this spring and has helped team to runner-up and fourth-place finishes at Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. Earned all-state and is ranked among top players for his class in Michigan by American Junior Golf Association. Advanced to match play at Golf Association of Michigan 2021 Amateur Championship. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and National Merit Scholarship commended student designations. Participating in second year of National Honor Society tutoring program. Participating in fourth year of finance club and as vice president. Reached highest level of Michigan Music Teachers Association for piano and earned first and second-place finishes in state competition. Completed University of Michigan summer coding program. Volunteered in multiple community service efforts throughout high school. Served as youth leadership member for church as junior and senior. Will attend Swarthmore College (Pa.) and study computer science.
Essay Quote: “The sport of golf is a medium through which my accountability to my decisions and more importantly my accountability to my competitors and values is tested. Therefore, my integrity plays into the principle of accountability. Moreover, golf offers opportunities to meditate on choices which plays into the skill of decision making.”
Other Class A girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Amelia Weyhing, Ann Arbor Pioneer; Piper Barnhart, Brownstown Woodhaven; Sophia Lustig, Brownstown Woodhaven; Madison Hissong, Fraser; Brooke Myers, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern; Ana Todesco, Grosse Pointe North; Sonya Konon, Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse; Natalie Blake, Holland West Ottawa; Abigail Lueck, Livonia Churchill; Samantha Provenzano, Livonia Franklin; Erica Molnar, Livonia Stevenson; Laura Leiti, Midland Dow; Alexandria Stacy French, Richland Gull Lake; Kiera Hall, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek; Kate Meinecke, Royal Oak; Sara Schermerhorn, Traverse City West; and Hannah DiGiovanni, Troy Athens.
Other Class A boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Nathan Pawlowicz, Battle Creek Lakeview; Nathan Jerore, Brownstown Woodhaven; Colin Pearson, Caledonia; Joseph Marano, Dearborn Edsel Ford; Conner Bell, Detroit Catholic Central; Chase Gibson, Fenton; Nick Temple, Fenton; Ben Taylor, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central; Ross VanBlois, Grandville; Owen Swisher, Livonia Churchill; James Oberman, Livonia Franklin; Thomas Randall, Orchard Lake St Mary's; Blake Coy, Saline; Amod Talekar, Saline; Kaden Keller, St. Johns; Jake Lasceski, St. Johns; Ethan Tennant, Temperance Bedford; Michael T. Schermerhorn, Traverse City West; and Caiden Carlson, White Lake Lakeland.
The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 8, and the Class B honorees were announced Feb. 15.
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The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.