Sandusky's Rameau wins Naismith Courage Award

SANDUSKY — Maekhiya Rameau has known tough times. She's also seen plenty of good in people. That's why Senior Night was special for the Sandusky three-sport standout, who received a prestigious award prior to Tuesday's girls basketball game at the Big House. Rameau was honored as the girls' national recipient of the Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award. Rameau and her family have experienced financial hardship and periods of homelessness, living in cars, hotels and the homes of relatives. "I don't really talk about it. I just stay to myself," she said. "I have to find my own way out of it and cope with the situation. I bond with everybody. I don't like to fuss and fight; there's no point in that. "I feel like everybody deserves to be treated right and kindness should be everywhere." Rameau, a two-time All-SBC Lake Division selection, was nominated for the Naismith award by Blue Streaks head coach John Winborn, who has coached Maekhiya for four years. The two have developed a special bond. Winborn has became more than a basketball coach — he's a life coach. "I have so much anger in me and I try to control it," Rameau said. "I tried to bottle it up. It got to the point where I would go to Coach Winborn and he'd listen to me and I'd be happy the rest of the day. There was no judgment; I could be myself. I'm very appreciative of him." Winborn, in his first season as the Streaks' coach, earned the trust of Maekhiya and her older sister, Maekayla, who is a freshman at Tiffin University and a member of the women's basketball program. "There were times they came to school crying," Winborn said. "I had them lay it all out on the table and we figured out a game plan to at least get them through the day. Unfortunately, I could never take them out of the situation, but I could equip them with confidence and let them know it wasn't always going to be like that. That's where the trust started." Both girls — who have two younger brothers — have been standout players for Winborn, but he's most proud of what they've accomplished outside of sports. Maekhiya, who currently is staying at a friend's house, is a good student and hopes to play college basketball. "She's a great kid; she's a competitor," said Winborn, who learned about the family's erratic housing issue three years ago. "For everything that she's been through, to still be able to come to school, get good grades and be a top athlete in this building is absolutely amazing. "If you didn't know her, you wouldn't think her family went through what they went through. Athletics and school are kind of her safe zone where she can get away from everything else." The Naismith panel was impressed with Winborn's nomination of Rameau. "She was chosen based on her extraordinary self-reliance and the indomitable spirit she has displayed while pursuing her education and athletic goals amidst chronic housing instability," the Naismith group wrote in a press release. Rameau was one of 10 semifinals (five boys, five girls) from across the country. As the girls winner, she received a $5,000 cash award from Jersey Mike's, which sponsors the award. The Sandusky girls basketball program received a $2,000 donation. Rameau moved from Tiffin to Sandusky in 2018, but her mom's health issues led to the family losing its house. The Rameaus lived with a grandparent for a while, but it got to be too much, Maekhiya said. Her mom has since secured housing in Sandusky and her father lives in Tiffin. "I just hop houses a little bit," Maekhiya said. "I stay with my mom a little, but I'll give her a break and I'll go stay at my friend's house. I try to not make her worry. "Wherever my friends go, I normally go because we all do the same sports, so I stay with them and ride with them." That's a lot of rides, considering Rameau's busy sports schedule. She played volleyball last fall and after basketball ends, she will try to compete in track & field, softball and flag football this spring. Rameau qualified for a track regional in the shot put last spring and has worked two recent summers at Cedar Point. The undersized 5-foot-4 power forward's favorite sport is basketball. She has scored nearly 800 career points and is closing in on 500 rebounds. In an 11-day span in late January, Rameau recorded a triple-double against Huron, scored 36 points in a game at Marion Harding and sank a game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer to beat Clyde. "She's like a little Charles Barkley," Winborn said. "She's undersized, but she's fearless. She is determined when she gets in that paint to get rebounds and impose her will." Rameau, one of four Blue Streak seniors, is averaging a team-high 15 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game this season. "I love rebounding," she said. "I know I'm capable of getting the ball. I can time it really well. I foul too much, but I'm really aggressive." She also loves competing against her older sister. Mae's career-high scoring game at Sandusky was 36 points. Khiya matched it only after a scorebook error in the Harding game was corrected. "They were texting that night and Mae said, 'I had 36' and I told Khiya she had 36 and 15 and she instantly texted Mae," Winborn said. Added Khiya: "She always talks trash to me. I know deep down I'm better than her, she's just faster. I know how to play basketball, but she kind of wings it." Maekhiya knows plenty about winging it, although she is thankful to have options and a place to stay. "I know I can be home anytime, but sometimes it wouldn't be peaceful and I'd be worried about other things," she said. "It puts too much stress on my mother." No matter how difficult things get, Maekhiya knows Winborn's door is always open. She began crying when she talked about what her coach means to her. "He really pushed me to be the athlete and student that I am," she said. "I can come to him about anything. Growing up, I was very independent; I don't ask for help. I feel like I just gotta learn to do stuff on my own. I wouldn't ask for help from him, but he would give it and try his hardest to help me with anything. "I've always looked up to him. If I ever needed a smile on my face, I could just go to Coach Winborn. Even when I did not want to smile, he never failed to make me smile."