Performance: East Kentwood's Corinne Jemison
May 25, 2018
Corinne Jemison
East Kentwood senior – Track & Field
Jemison, the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion in discus and runner-up in shot put, earned the opportunity to compete for those titles again with a pair of Regional championships May 18 at Lansing Waverly while also earning the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.” Jemison won discus by 16 feet with a throw of 151-9, and shot put by two inches with a personal record 46-10½.
In both events, Jemison also finished just ahead of Waverly’s Malin Smith, a top-three placer in LP Division 2 in 2017 and owner of the longest shot put in the state (48-1) this season. Jemison has the longest discus throw – 158-11 – and they will see each other again at the June 2 LPD1 Finals at her home track. Jemison has surpassed both of her best throws from last season, when she won the discus with a 151-0 and threw a season-best 40-9 in the shot put at the 2017 MHSAA championship meet as well. She’s finished first every time she’s thrown this spring but once, when she finished second in discus to a thrower from Ohio in early April. East Kentwood as a team won last week’s Regional by 100 points and should contend for the Finals championship again after coming in third a year ago.
The 6-foot-3 Jemison is capping an outstanding three-sport career at East Kentwood, where she played four years of varsity volleyball and basketball as well. She earned Division 1 all-state honorable mention in volleyball in the fall and made the Class A all-state second team in basketball this winter. She has graduated with a 3.2 grade-point average and will continue her volleyball career at Miami University of Ohio, where she’ll study kinesiology and physical therapy – and hopes to pick up a second sport when she’s a fifth-year senior. In taking her athletic career to the next level, she’ll also be continuing to follow in the footsteps of her parents, Erica Westbrooks-Jemison and Darin Jemison, who both played basketball collegiately at Louisiana Tech.
Coach Stephanie Stephenson said: “Corinne is an exceptionally gifted athlete. She has chosen volleyball as her college sport, but she could have been a force in college basketball or could have gone on to compete at the highest levels of track & field in college and beyond. Her physical gifts are truly unparalleled. She has really been dialed in this season at practice. Her hard work has obviously paid off in her incredible performances. She is also a very fun person to have on the team. She brings joy and laughter wherever she goes. We will miss her next year, but know that she will have many successes in her future.”
Performance Point: “It was kind’ve scary, especially going against (Smith),” Jemison said of the Regional. “Seeing what her PR (personal record) was and being seeded second in shot, I was kinda nervous. (But) I was excited, especially when I heard that obviously she’s the real deal. I’m always up for a challenge. … I learned that I could shock myself. I didn’t think I was going to PR by that much (in the shot put).”
A natural, but with work: “It took a lot of practice. I spent a lot of time with my coach, Coach Mak (John Makinen), and I spent a lot time with Coach (Tyler) Pettit, and they just really (emphasized) the basics with me. For a while, my first year, I didn’t even touch an implement. It was all footwork. Sophomore year, I was picking up things more.”
Three-sport standout: “Obviously volleyball is my favorite sport, but track and basketball are neck and neck. As a junior, I wasn’t going to play (basketball); I was going to try to focus on travel volleyball in the winter. But I was like, ‘Mmmm … I miss it too much.’ So then I went back. … I don’t know how I balanced (three sports). I don’t know how I made it this far, doing homework in the car, staying up late night to study. But I enjoyed it though.”
Falcon pride: “I enjoy being a part of the track team at EK. It’s a really big deal at our school. I think it’s one of our best sports. It’s really incredible walking through the halls, hearing people like, ‘Oh yeah, she’s in track.’ Especially with our track jackets on, everybody just stops and stares.”
Listen to Mom and Dad: “(Their experiences) helped me a lot when I was younger. … Both my parents played in college, so when they (could) help you with sports, I was like ‘I should listen, because they know what they're talking about.’ They've really helped me on my athletic journey thus far.”
- 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:
May 17: Reagan Wisser, Richland Gull Lake soccer - Read
May 10: Clayton Sayen, Houghton track & field - Read
May 3: Autumn Roberts, Traverse City Central tennis - Read
April 26: Thomas Robinson, Wyoming Lee track & field - Read
March 29: Carlos Johnson, Benton Harbor basketball - Read
March 22: Shine Strickland-Gills, Saginaw Heritage basketball - Read
March 15: Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian swimming - Read
March 8: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County wrestling - Read
March 1: Camree' Clegg, Wayne Memorial basketball - Read
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 West 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) East Kentwood's Corinne Jemison begins her windup for a discus throw. (Middle) Jemison stands atop the awards podium at last year's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Top photo courtesy of the East Kentwood athletic department; bottom photo by RunMichigan.com.)
Sault Ste. Marie Girls End 23-Year Championship Wait with UPD1 Win
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KINGSFORD — The Sault Ste. Marie girls made a statement here Saturday while earning their first Upper Peninsula Division 1 Track & Field Finals title since 2001.
Sault scored 117 points, followed by Negaunee with 94 and Gladstone at 65.
The Blue Devils placed 1-2 in discus, won by senior Katie Anderson at 115 feet, 3 inches, with junior Annabelle Fazzari uncorking a runner-up toss of 101. Freshman Ahnaka Oshelski added a first in the 300 hurdles in 48.29 seconds, followed by Negaunee freshman Sadie Rogers (48.30) and Marquette freshman Chloe Jackson (49.56).
Oshelski also helped the Blue Devils take the 800 relay (1:49.55).
“Our handoffs were a little rough, but I just ran as fast as I could (in the 800),” freshman Grace Mayer said. “It feels great to come away as U.P. champions.”
Mayer was also part of the winning 1,600 relay, clocked at 4:17.4.
Fazzari provided the Blue Devils with a second place in the 100 hurdles (17.07) and a third in shot put (34-0).
Rogers won the 100 hurdles in 16.65 seconds, and Negaunee classmate Keira Waterman placed first in the 400 (59.23) and 800 (2:28.2).
“I didn’t really know what to expect here today,” Rogers said. “I had a good start and just pushed myself real hard. I could hear the crowd. It was very important for me to win this one. I also thought my chances in the 300 were pretty good. I knew I had to push it.”
Gladstone set a UPD1 Finals record in the 400 relay at 50.78, shaving basically ⅓ of a second off the previous record (51.11) run by Marquette three years ago.
The Braves were led by junior Jacie Tuljus, who anchored that relay, won the 100 (12.75) and 200 (26.85) and was runner-up to Waterman in the 400 at 1:02.54.
“My starts were slow, but what we did in the 400 relay was good for today” Tuljus said. “Everybody was pretty hyped. We’re happy with it. Overall, I’m happy with the way everything went.”
Marquette sophomore Ella Fure took the 1,600 (5:31.33), followed by Houghton sophomore Tessa Rautiola (12:13.39) and Marquette junior Monet Argeropoulos (5:37.27).
Rautiola then captured the 3,200 (12:13.39), followed by Fure (12:13.46) and Argeropoulos (12:23.91)
“I just wanted to have fun and asked God to pull me through,” Fure said. “I knew if I just trusted God, He would get me through. My mom is pretty sick and couldn’t be here. I just wanted to do this for her.”
Rautiola also helped the Gremlins win the 3,200 relay in a season-best 10:10.38.
“Our school record is 10:08,” she said. “We didn’t get the record this year, although we’re absolutely happy we won. There was miscommunication in the exchange zone which created some confusion. We weren’t in the proper place for one of our handoffs. Otherwise, I think we would have had it.”
Ishpeming Westwood junior Faith Spiroff became a double winner, taking high jump (5-0) and long jump (16-4½).
Other winners were Manistique senior Danielle Lund in shot put (38-7¾) and Calumet senior Caitlyn Strom in pole vault (10-0), where she edged Westwood junior Lexi Olson on a tie-breaker. Houghton freshman Amy Sziber won the adaptive shot put, 100 and 200 events.
PHOTOS (Top) Sault Ste. Marie's Ahnaka Oshelski, left, edges Negaunee's Sadie Rogers by one hundredth of a second to capture the 300 hurdles title Saturday. (Middle) Houghton's Tessa Rautiola (2) leads the 1,600 with Marquette's Ella Fure (1) and Monet Argeropoulos (4) following close behind. Fure won the race, with Rautiola taking second. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)