Champion

Emmonnie Henderson
Photograph by Tom Atwood

The most amazing thing about this photograph of Emmonnie Henderson is the discus she has just thrown. You may not even be able to see it, it's so high and far away [the red speck just below the big cloud]. Emmonnie is a champion, winning the IHSA state finals in the shot put last year. If she keeps throwing the discus into the clouds like this, she may become the state discus champ, too. As a sophomore. There is something pure about high school sports: no money, no scholarships, no endorsements. Just kids competing for fun, for their school, (okay and yes, sometimes for future scholarships). Occasionally, among them, a champion emerges.

Shutter: 1/400; Aperture: f/6.3; ISO: 400; Focal length: 18 mm