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

