BRONSON — When it came to making the decision on her athletic future, Bronson graduate Aubree Calloway said there was not much debating.
She could have played either basketball or volleyball at the next level, but ultimately decided hoops was going to be the best option for her. Calloway will continue both her academic and basketball careers with Spring Arbor University. She’s basically a member of the Cougars family already, but before spending time in the classroom when the fall semester begins, she earned one more award as a member of Bronson.
Calloway has been named the Corky Emrick/Tom Mielcarek Female Athlete of the Year for 2025. The requirements for the award are to be a graduating senior at a school the Sturgis Journal covers in addition to competing in a sport during the fall, winter and spring sports for their respective schools as a senior as well.
The award is named after longtime Journal sports editor Corky Emrick, who died in 2019 and Tom Mielcarek, Journal sports writer for decades, who died in 2022.
Sports Editor Brandon Watson gives out the award yearly to both a male and female. In addition to earning a plaque for being the athlete of the year, each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship to use as they see fit. A panel of more than a dozen voters from communities in the Journal coverage area are appointed each year. If those voters represent a school in any way, they cannot vote a student-athlete from that school as the winner, they must vote for one from a different school.
Calloway joins 2023 Bronson graduate Haylie Wilson in the exclusive Emrick/Mielcarek Athlete of the Year club.
“I’m really looking to continue to get stronger and learn a lot more about the game of basketball,” Calloway said on Thursday. “I think the competition at the next level will be a good fit for me as well.”
Calloway was a staple for the Vikings in basketball and volleyball. She also qualified for the Division 3 state finals in track and field this year for Bronson in the high jump.
She’s no stranger to accolades, having earned multiple all-state nominations and awards during her time at Bronson. This past year, Calloway was tabbed First Team by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association for Division 3 on the volleyball courts.
Calloway also earned First Team honors by the Michigan Sports Writers for Division 3 all-state hoops.
Her love for basketball flourished from about the time third grade rolled around, she said.
“I’ve always loved basketball, really since I was little. I’d be going outside and playing anytime I could,” she said. “I think I’ve always loved it more than anything else.”
Calloway should see the lineup at some point this year as a freshman for Spring Arbor. A talented player, she projects out to see time at the two-guard or small forward position, often called the ‘three’ spot. She knows earning her time on the floor will not be easy, but she’s hoping, and expecting, her talent and work ethic to help her see time on the floor.
The Spring Arbor team has already seen some time together on the floor, Calloway said, with a recent team camp. Bu there are still butterflies.
“I’m really nervous,” she said with a smile. “We’ve practiced together and I’m looking forward to it, but I’m super nervous for actual games and practices and all that.”
Spring Arbor is a stone’s throw away from home for Calloway. That was one of the selling points for her to continue her academic and hoops careers, but also allow for her to grow as a person at the next level.
“I think the college experience will be exciting. Everyone talks about how exciting it is for them, how much fun they have,” she said. “I’m looking forward to that. I love how close it is to home.”
In the classroom, Calloway said she plans to study exercise sciences.
She has aspirations of someday becoming a physical therapist.
“I like sports,” she said. “I feel like that is really involved in sports, you know? I like helping people and that would allow me to do both.”
The Corky Emrick/Tom Mielcarek athletes of the year awards are given annually to a graduating senior who played three sports as a senior for their high school. Past winners of the female award include Kali Heivilin of Three Rivers in 2021, Payton Griffith of Mendon in 2022, Haylie Wilson of Bronson in 2023 and Reese Williams of Colon in 2024.
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Calloway named 2025 Emrick/Mielcarek Female Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Brandon Watson, Sturgis Journal / Sturgis Journal
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