24 June 20 • 2019
jn
N
ate Emery is a rock star.
Or, more accurately, a
rock-climbing star. At
age 10.
The Farmington Hills resident
has competed indoors in six states
and climbed recreationally outdoors
in two states. He’
s one of the best
in the country in his age group in
two USA Climbing competitive
disciplines — bouldering and sport
climbing.
Nate works hard so he can stay
ahead of his competition. He
spends 12-15 hours a week climbing
and training. He’
s been a member of
the Madison Heights-based Planet
Rock climbing team since 2016.
“I’
m not nervous when I climb in
competitions,
” he said. “Climbing is
too much fun.
”
He climbs with a purpose and
with special inspiration.
He wears a black-and-blue anklet
when he competes to support law
enforcement.
Before each competition, he lis-
tens to the sound of his own heart
on his late grandfather Dr. Allan
Emery’
s stethoscope.
“We tell him the heartbeat is the
sound of papa cheering him on,
”
said Jerrold Emery, Nate’
s father.
Nate is only 4-foot-7, but he’
s
going through a growth spurt, and
he weighs 75 pounds. He’
s all mus-
cle. His body fat is 8 percent.
His signature long hair — he
hasn’
t had a haircut in three years
— won’
t be around for much lon-
ger. It’
s going to be cut next month
before he heads to Camp Tamarack.
About 9 inches of Nate’
s locks
will be trimmed off and donated to
Children With Hair Loss, a not-for-
profit organization based in South
Rockwood that provides free hair
replacement for children and young
adults who have lost their hair
because of an illness.
“It’
s time to get my hair cut,
” Nate
said.
Why donate it?
“It’
s a nice thing to do,
” he said.
Nate will be a fifth-grader this
fall at Hillside Elementary School
in Farmington Hills, where he’
s
somewhat of a celebrity. He says he’
s
a good student, and he gives some
credit to rock climbing.
“You have to map your route
when you climb and solve prob-
lems. That’
s just like school,
” he said.
Nate’
s latest accomplishment took
place Sunday. He finished third in
his age group in a two-day divi-
sional sport climbing competition
in Bloomington, Minn., and quali-
fied for the nationals July 11-14 in
Bridgeport, Pa.
Twenty climbers from 12 states
competed in the age group in
Minnesota. Forty-eight climbers
from across the country will com-
pete in the age group at nationals.
“I climbed with all my heart,
”
Nate said.
Earlier this year, Nate finished
27th in his age group in the boul-
dering national championships in
Redmond, Ore.
The following week, he fractured
a growth plate in his right arm and
doctors told him not to have any
physical activity for four weeks.
While Nate rested his arm,
according to his father, he ate foods
rich in vitamin D, drank lots of
milk and ate plenty of salmon.
Seven weeks after the fracture,
with little conditioning and limited
strength, Nate won a sport climbing
competition in Columbus, Ohio.
He went on to win three more
Drake Lubin made the
most of his final two sea-
sons of college baseball.
Playing at Maryville
University outside St. Louis
after transferring from
Eastern Michigan University
following his sophomore
season, the outfielder
started all 104 games while he was
at Maryville and batted .315 with 134
hits, 18 doubles, five triples, three
home runs and 58 RBI.
He scored 106 runs, struck out
only 35 times in 425 at-bats, drew 48
walks and stole 41 bases. He made
just three errors in the field
and had 11 assists and a .986
fielding percentage.
Lubin went to Eastern
Michigan after an outstanding
career at Walled Lake Northern
High School. He decided to
leave Eastern after two seasons
because of a coaching change.
He transferred to Maryville primarily
because he wouldn’
t have to sit out a
season under NCAA rules. Eastern is
a Division I program and Maryville is a
Division II program.
Maryville went 29-22 this season,
the best in program history.
10-year-old Nate
Emery is one of the
top rock climbers
in the country in his
age group
quick hits
Hockey player Josh Nodler
verbally committed to
Michigan State University
two years ago when he was
a sophomore at Berkley High
School.
Nodler made his decision
official in April, signing with
MSU.
The Oak Park resident played
last season for the Fargo (N.D.)
Force in the United States Hockey
League, a top U.S. junior league.
The center had 17 goals and 25
assists in 54 games.
Nodler is eligible to be selected
in this month’
s NHL draft. He’
s
ranked the No. 75 North American
skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Coach Barry Brodsky’
s Birmingham Marian
High School girls soccer team was a win away
from another state championship last week.
Marian defeated Flint Powers 3-1 on June 11
in a Division 2 semifinal game that pitted a pair
of two-time defending state champions against
each other.
How was that possible? Powers was moved
up to Division
2 this season after winning the
Division 3 state title the last two seasons.
Marian (17-1) met Grand Rapids Forest Hills
Northern for the state championship for the third
straight time.
BY STEVE STEIN
sports
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
He
Rocks
Nate Emery climbs a
wall during a sport
climbing competi-
tion last weekend in
Bloomington, Minn.
TOP RIGHT: Nate Emery
and his parents, Carolyn
and Jerrold Emery.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE EMERY FAMILY