A state champion at Sexton in shotput and discus, Josephine Mask heads to the Hall of Fame
Josephine Mask, a state champion in track and field events while representing Sexton High School, will be inducted next week as part of the 2022 Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame class.
Mask, who also played volleyball and tennis at Sexton, was the state champion in 1978 in both the shot put and discus throw events.
"It's quite a significant honor to be recognized this way and it's an opportunity to share my story as an athlete," Mask said. "I am so honored especially given how big sports has been in this city and how well known Lansing is for its great athletes."
Mask won the state shot put title with a throw of 43 feet, four-tenths of an inch and the discus title with a throw of 130 feet, three inches. She also holds the Sexton record with a discus throw of 133-11.
Mask was elected to the Sexton Hall of Fame in 2015 and was a three-year recipient of the All-Sports Varsity Award while enrolled there. Mask said she owes a lot of her interest and success in athletics to the staff at the school.
"The staff there kept me motivated and sports gave me an incredible outlet," Mask said. "I was involved in a lot of clubs after school, like the Lansing Top Spins tennis club, and the school gave me a lot of support."
Mask, who grew up in a foster home, now hopes to be involved in a foundation to help some of the youth here in Lansing find role models to look up to and help spark a new interest in athletics for inner-city youth.
"Getting children who have interest involved in sports who are in foster homes, as an outlet for them to feel confident about themselves and their efforts," Mask said. "They need someone they can look up to, take away the time they spend near the gun violence.
"These kids are looking for leadership and honesty. Why not me? I love these kids in Lansing."
Mask and six other individuals and three teams will be inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony July 28 at the Lansing Center.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony
When: 4:30 p.m., July 28
Where: Lansing Center
Cost: $35. To order, go to lansingsportshalloffame.org.
2022 inductees: Jim Brandt, Roger Callard, Roland Carter, Josephine Mask, Dan Olsen, Rocky Shaft, Rachel Turney, 2000 Everett girls basketball team, 2001 Everett girls basketball team, 2000 Lansing Community College softball team
Sponsors: Dean Transportation, Shaheen Chevy/Cadillac, Applegate Home Comfort, Gregory Eaton Associates, ASAP Printing, Dan Henry Distributing, One North Kitchen & Bar, AF Group, Bill and Andrew Archer Financial Advisors, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Mary Ellen Sheets
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: A state champion at Sexton in shotput and discus, Josephine Mask heads to the Hall of Fame
