Performance: East Kentwood's Sekayi Bracey
June 9, 2016
Sekayi Bracey
East Kentwood senior – Track & Field
Bracey capped off one of the most celebrated careers in MHSAA track & field history Saturday with two more individual championships at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Hudsonville. Bracey won the long jump (18 feet, 10 inches) and 100-meter dash (12.08) to give her 10 championships total over her four-season high school career and earn her the Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Bracey has come a long way since catching a gym teacher’s attention at elementary school field day and then running her first kids track meet in a leotard and water shoes. The 100 title was her fourth at MHSAA Finals, and the long jump victory – by 4½ inches – was her third straight. Bracey also won the 200 as a freshman, sophomore and junior before finishing fourth this time as that race was won by Northville’s Chloe Abbott, Bracey’s future teammate at Purdue University.
East Kentwood finished fourth as a team and also took third twice and runner-up once at MHSAA Finals during Bracey’s championship-laden career. She finished with five school records: long jump (19-6½), 100 (11.68 seconds), 200 (23.98), 400 (56.4) and as part of the 400 relay (47.62).
Coach Stephanie Stephenson said: "Sekayi is obviously an exceptional athlete. We will miss her performances during meets, but more than that she is a wonderful person. She is humble and kind. She is very coachable. She has developed great leadership skills over the last four years. She is just a joy to be around. We will miss her presence much more than her performances."
Performance Point: I got out fast (in the 200). I’m the type of person who gets tired, so I try to burn out all my energy completely. I don’t even know what happened. I was so frustrated when they were all coming up on me. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ I never had that in my life. It was confusing. … (But) I had a good day, great competition. The 200 was the best competition. Pretty much, I had a great last state meet, honestly. Taking home two state titles is a blessing, even though I wanted better. It was good.”
Great start … great finish: “I didn’t really understand it (when I was a freshman). I was just running. I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m doing good.’ I wasn’t paying attention. I just got state titles. I was just running because it was something I love to do. … (Ten titles) means a lot. I’m just really thankful and grateful for it.”
Opponent, now teammate: “(Chloe Abbott) is going to be my roommate. We’re going to Purdue together. We’ve raced our whole lives pretty much. Chloe is a great runner. I’ve seen her become great over time and her fighting through.”
Be the example: “I really started to focus on my grades (in high school), because that’s what was going to get me into the college I wanted to get into. I’m the oldest of all my siblings, and I want to leave an example on the track and academically to show them how important it is.”
Just like Flo Jo: I really look up to Flo Jo (late Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner, who died in 1998), even though she died. I’m inspired by her. I watch her videos all the time, just because she motivates me so much the way she runs. … Long term, my goal is to go to the Olympics. I’m going to work hard to do that. Hopefully in college, with training, I’ll see great improvement.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor,
and Bill KIhan, correspondent
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan 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 protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
June 1: Anna Jefferson, Oak Park girls track & field - Read
May 25: Connor Bandel, Oxford boys track & field - Read
May 18: Kalyn Breckenridge, Birch Run girls soccer - Read
May 11: Morgan Beadlescomb, Algonac boys track & field - Read
May 4: Abby Krzywiecki, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Read
April 27: Mike Mokma, Holland Christian baseball - Read
April 20: Abby Divozzo, Cadillac girls soccer - Read
March 30: Cassius Winston, Detroit U-D Jesuit boys basketball - Read
March 23: Kierra Fletcher, Warren Cousino girls basketball - Read
March 16: Jacob Montague, Grosse Pointe South swimming & diving - Read
March 9: Kyle Tuttle, St. Charles boys bowling - Read
March 2: Brittney Schnicke, Caledonia girls bowling - Read
Feb. 24: Kamari Newman, Detroit East English boys basketball - Read
Feb. 17: Jason Whitens, Powers North Central boys basketball - Read
Feb. 10: Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Read
Feb. 3: Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 27: Mardrekia Cook, Muskegon girls basketball - Read
Jan. 20: Sage Castillo, Hartland wrestling - Read
Jan. 13: Rob Zofchak, Dexter swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 6: Tyler Deming, Caro wrestling – Read
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Sekayi Bracey holds off the pack during the 100 at Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final. (Middle) Bracey launches during the long jump competition. (Photos by RunMichigan.com.)
Divine Child Piles Up Points Across Several Events to Earn Podium Climb
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
HAMILTON – After Dearborn Divine Child’s girls track & field team had captured its first MHSAA Finals title in 11 years Saturday at Hamilton’s Hawkeye Stadium, head coach Danny Foster rattled off the names of the coaches on his staff.
Makes sense: The Falcons earned their latest championship largely through a group effort.
Led by freshman Aubrey Wilson and a cast of point-winners, Divine Child seized the Lower Peninsula Division 2 championship by totaling 46 points. Yale was runner-up with 39 points, followed by East Grand Rapids in third (36), Romulus Summit Academy North fourth (33), and Saginaw Swan Valley fifth (25).
“It’s the best feeling in the world, especially when you know what your young people have went through to get to this point – the belief, the hard work,” said Foster, who is in his first season at the Divine Child helm but has coached for more than three decades, much of that time spent in the Detroit Public School League.
“I mean, to understand and know what they go through, it’s awesome. They are a talented group, dedicated to what we do, to what we believe. The girls team, the boys team, we’re all one team and that’s how they’ve worked all year. They come to work.”
Wilson certainly made a mark in her debut season. She took first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.33 seconds and runner-up in the 200 (25.15). Wilson also ran a leg on Divine Child’s second-place 800 relay team and fifth-place 400 relay quartet.
Junior Kathryn Kurtinaitis also scored valuable points for the Falcons with her runner-up finish in the 400 (57.92).
Divine Child’s depth made a difference. The Falcons placed first and fourth in the 100, second and seventh in the 200, and eighth in the 1,600 relay.
“It’s incredible. I can’t believe we made it. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been dreaming about this night (for a long time). I’m really happy right now,” Wilson said. “(Winning the 100) was so unexpected. I mean, my start (was not ideal). It was a little wobbly, but I’m proud that I kept going through and I trusted the process.
“The way I got here is that I practiced and I worked at it. I wouldn’t be here today without my motivation from my teammates especially, going to practice every day, cheering me on. It was an incredible season. I’m really happy how it ended.”
Saginaw Swan Valley junior Sydney Kuhn also was very pleased with her day.
Kuhn raced to first-place finishes in the 200-meter and 400 dashes. She ran 24.89 in the 200 and a personal record of 55.06 in the 400, plus she anchored the Vikings’ 1,600 relay team that placed fourth.
“It’s been a great season and just a lot of fun,” said Kuhn, who did not play basketball this year because her focus was on track. “Last year I struggled with a (stress fracture) injury, but this year it’s just been amazing. I’ve PR’d, like, every race I’ve ran so it’s just been a lot of fun.”
For East Grand Rapids senior Drew Muller, who won her third straight Finals title in the 1600-meter run, “fun” was the operative word of her final track season with the Pioneers.
Muller won the 1,600 on Saturday with a season-best time of 4:51.49. She also anchored East Grand Rapids’ first-place 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams and placed sixth in the 800.
Muller was part of MHSAA Division 2 title teams for East Grand Rapids in 2022 and 2023. She was also an individual Finals champ in cross country and part of a team that captured a state title in that sport.
“Individually, I had an OK season, so it felt good to kind of end if off in high school at East in a really good spot,” said Muller, who has signed with University of Virginia.
“I wanted to end on, like, a good attitude and savor all the fun high school moments. Super excited to race next year in college, but I’m going to miss this team so much. I have probably stuck with running because of this team. I’ve been trying to savor every senior moment.”
Chelsea senior Leila Wells also made the most of her final high school track meet. She collected her second 100-meter hurdles title in three years with a PR time of 14.92 despite being seeded fifth in the event. She did not compete at the Finals last year because of an ankle injury.
Wells is taking her athletic talents to Virginia Tech, where the 5-foot-7 shooting guard will play basketball.
“It’s been a whole year, so I was kind of hungry and had that fire to be back all season,” Wells said. “Actually being here was amazing. I came in seeded fifth from the Regional, so I was really passionate about running my best time today.”
Other event champions Saturday included: Goodrich’s Layla Jordan in the 800 (2:09.92), St. Johns’ Ava Schafer in the 3,200 (10:39.77), Yale’s Sadie Dykstra in the 300 hurdles (45.00) and long jump (18-½), Eastpointe’s Kalia Monroe in shot put (45-6), Marysville’s Janae Hudson in discus (140-3), Hastings’ Bella Friddle in high jump (5-5), and Ortonville Brandon’s Allison Shelton in pole vault (11-9).
Summit Academy North won the 400 relay (48.75) and the 800 relay (1:40.95). Coldwater junior Brianna Barle won the 100 and 200 adaptive race championships.
Foster gave a shout-out to his four “awesome” seniors and stressed that Divine Child’s team title came through a team effort.
“They put in so much work. Whatever we asked of them, they put in the extra mile. They look at us sometimes, but they put that smile on and they say, ‘OK, coach.’ And that’s what made them so special and they worked so hard,” he said.
“I mean, these young ladies have worked hard since day one. They’re just a special group.”
PHOTOS (Top) Members of Dearborn Divine Child’s girls track & field team hold up their latest championship trophy Saturday. (Middle) East Grand Rapids’ Drew Muller leads the pack during a relay win. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)