JASON WHITENS

KALAMAZOO — Former North Central High School standout athlete and current Western Michigan University basketball player Jason Whitens recently received a prestigious scholarship from the university.

Whitens was selected as the Dr. Peter R. and Lois Peterson-Ellis Scholar Athlete for 2020-21. He was selected out of all of the junior and senior athletes at WMU based on his athletic ability and performance, academic achievement, leadership and conduct.

Peter Ellis was program director of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation before his passing in 1989. His wife Lois carries on the interests of the scholarship and has been an active supporter of the university and Broncos athletics. She helps to oversee the selection of the Ellis Scholar Athlete.

“Being able to win the Lois Ellis Scholarship was really a true blessing,” said Whitens in a conversation on Thursday evening. “I have gotten to know her ever since I came to Western and she is a remarkable woman. To be recognized not only as an athlete, and what it means to be a leader on and off the court, but as well as a good student truly means a lot. Coming from a small town in the U.P. just shows how it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can still do big things if you put your mind to it.”

Whitens started and played 21 minutes versus Big East Conference foe Butler at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 25, registering a stat line of three points, three rebounds and two assists. Hinkle Fieldhouse is where the championship game was filmed for the 1980s movie “Hoosiers.”

Since then, the Powers native and current redshirt junior had been in quarantine with a positive COVID-19 test. Whitens returned to practice on Thursday and will be in the Broncos lineup for home games this afternoon versus Detroit-Mercy, and Sunday afternoon versus UW-Milwaukee, with both games tipping off at 1 p.m. Central.

“I expect to play, but will have limited minutes from coming back from quarantine,” Whitens said. He stated that he luckily only lost taste and smell from the coronavirus.

In Whitens’ absence, WMU played games at No. 4 Michigan State on Dec. 6 and versus Adrian College on Dec. 7. The Broncos game at Notre Dame on Dec. 2 was canceled.

“I was very disappointed to not be able to play against Coach Izzo and the Spartans,” Whitens said. Whitens and the Broncos open up Mid-American Conference play Dec. 22 when they host Central Michigan.

With Whitens on the roster, North Central won three straight Class D basketball state championships from 2015-2017 under head coach Adam Mercier. The Jets also won back-to-back 8-player football state championships in 2015 and 2016 under head coach Kevin Bellefeuil, with Whitens at quarterback.