Just Halfway Done, Tatum Well on Way to Rewriting West Bloomfield Record Book
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
April 18, 2025
WEST BLOOMFIELD – Batting .500 is impressive in baseball or softball, but it’s even more so these days when talking about the track & field program at West Bloomfield.
When gazing at the school record book for the girls program, junior Kamryn Tatum has her name listed at the top for six of the 12 running events.
She owns the school records in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes and is a part of three relay teams (400, 800, 1,600) that own school records.
All of those have been established over the last two years. And if all that wasn’t enough evidence that it’s been quite a start to her high school career, Tatum already also owns three individual MHSAA Finals championships.
Two years ago as a freshman, Tatum won the 200 (24.20) and 400 (55.74) dashes at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 state meet, and followed those up by winning the 200 (24.63) at last year’s MHSAA finale at East Kentwood.
So, what’s the expected encore this spring? Well, more championships and really fast times, of course.
“She’s always a student of the sport, but she’s always driven to beat her previous times,” West Bloomfield head coach Nick Stration said. “She’s always trying to get better. You don’t have to coach her much because she always wants to get better.
“Her will to win is what stands out. She is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve been around.”
Tatum is the younger sister of two past West Bloomfield standouts – current assistant coach Raven Tatum, who ran at Wayne State and Indiana Tech; and current Michigan State football player Dillon Tatum.
Kamryn said she has never actually raced Dillon, but good-naturedly said she’d have a good shot if they did now.
“I believe I would win, especially since Dillon is all about football now,” Kamryn said. “He’s much stronger and bigger, so that makes a difference on how fast or slow he can run. However, back in high school he would have beaten me for sure.”
Kamryn said she started running track at age 7, but didn’t really enjoy it at first, only doing it because her siblings were racing.
But the love of the sport eventually developed.
“When I got to middle school, that’s when I started having fun,” she said. “I was breaking school records, winning, and getting lots of exposure. Overall, I am somewhat searching for my purpose and enhancing my passion in running.”
It certainly didn’t take long for Tatum to make her mark on the rest of the state with those two Finals titles as a freshman, and the thought of her still having two more seasons at West Bloomfield to go faster has to make other runners cringe.
As a junior, Tatum’s college recruitment is peaking. At the moment, she said she has not received any scholarship offers, but she has been communicating with both in-state and out-of-state coaches.
“My biggest goal right now is to work on my self-confidence,” she said. “From my perspective, it’s been a little tough so far, but I will continue to put in the work and believe in the plan God has for me. I would love to beat my freshman personal records and break more school records and hopefully earn a medal (or two) at the state meet and nationals.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS (Top) West Bloomfield’s Kamryn Tatum (5) runs the final leg of the 400 relay at last season’s LPD1 Finals. (Middle) Tatum, left, leads the 200 last spring at East Kentwood. (Photos by John Brabbs/RunMichigan.com.)
Jokela Stars Again, Lake Linden-Hubbell Reigns This Time as Outright Champ
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KINGSFORD — Lake Linden-Hubbell junior Emily Jokela had quite a workout here Saturday and has three individual victories to show for it.
The Lakes also benefitted from her effort as they earned the Upper Peninsula Division 3 track & field team championship.
LL-H, which shared the title with Stephenson a year ago, scored 72 points this time. Newberry edged Stephenson 64-62 for the runner-up trophy.
“Our Regional has been tough since 2016,” Lakes’ coach Gary Guisfredi said. “Since that time, teams from our Regional have won the U.P. Finals eight times. Emily scored 38 points alone today. Our shot putter (sophomore Maddy Dudenas) taking third and our girl (sophomore Cleo Milkey) taking fourth in long jump were big points. We knew Newberry and Stephenson were going to be tough.”
Jokela opened with a victory in the 100-meter dash in 13.04 seconds. Later, she set UPD3 Finals records in back-to-back races, taking the 400 (58.61) and 300 hurdles (44.8) prior to placing second in the 200 (27.03).
“My starts were better than usual,” she said. “Those (open 400 and 300 hurdles) are tough races, but you just got to push through that. You always try to prepare for that in practice. I just try to beat everybody to the next hurdle.”
Her effort in the 400 topped the old mark (58.7) by Superior Central’s Lauren Spranger in 2011, and in the hurdles she bested her own record (45.63) from a year ago.
The Lakes, who finished undefeated this year, also won the 800 relay at 1:52.52.
“I think our handoffs were good,” senior Rebecca Lyons said. “It feels great to be U.P. champions. We were really excited about this meet. We knew Newberry and Stephenson were pretty good.”
Dollar Bay got a first on sophomore Kiera Isaacson’s leap of 5-3 in high jump.
Newberry, coming off a solid cross country season from last fall, showed its strength in the distances. Sophomore Samantha Taylor set the meet record in the 1,600 (5:14.9), topping the previous best (5:17.2) by Amy Kerst of Munising in 2011. She was followed by freshman Abby Taylor (5:22.7), Stephenson sophomore Faith Cappaert (5:36.7) and Newberry senior Kaylen Clark (5:37.49), who will run at Davenport University this fall.
Clark added a first in the 3,200 (12:33.7), withstanding a challenge from North Dickinson’s Mya Grunlund (12:43.65).
“I knew I had my kick and had to use it today,” Clark said. “I just wanted to defend my title one more time. I think my conditioning from cross country helped me. I missed three meets because of bronchitis. Once I got over that, I did a lot of slow miles. It was a struggle.
“I’ll get to run against Lola (Korpi) again in college. I’m real excited about that. It will also be exciting to do something new.”
Newberry also overcame a slow start to win the 3,200 relay (10:24.16).
“We weren’t too worried,” Abby Taylor said after anchoring that relay. “We knew Kaylen and Sam would close it. I felt pretty relaxed and confident in the final leg.”
Cappaert won the 800 (2:25.91), followed by Abby Taylor (2:33.34) and Clark (2:35.52), and senior Kayela Putnam added a first for the Eagles in pole vault (10-0).
Fourth-place Carney-Nadeau got the bulk of its points in the field events where senior Samantha Kedsch set a meet and school record in long jump at 16-11. Her effort also topped the previous best jump of 16-7½ by Ontonagon’s Olivia Suomis in 2012.
Junior teammate Mariska Laurila won discus with a school-record throw of 114-1 and added a first in shot put (33-1¼), with senior Kelsie Smith taking second (32-5).
Big Bay de Noc got a first from Destiny Bleau, who was clocked at 26.73 in the 200.
PHOTOS (Top) Lake Linden-Hubbell's Emily Jokela sets a meet record in the 400 with a winning time of 58.61 on Saturday. (Middle) Stephenson's Faith Cappaert (11) takes the lead and doesn't relinquish it while winning the 800. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)