Sport Briefs
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Copyright Stillwater Area High School MMX
January 20, 2012
Graphic by Carla Marin and Sarah Marsnik -- Photos by Tess Williams
Boys hockey team goes for the gold
Two and a half hours a day, six days a week, and meets equals 15 plus hours weekly that the boys swimmers and divers spend at the pool. That may seem like a lot of time to some, but for the boys swim team, they know it is an essential step in the process. READ
Cheerleaders: flaunting their school spirit
"Go Ponies!" is heard echoing in the deserted hallways after school as the winter cheerleaders practice their newest cheers and stunts. READ
Rocketing down the same long slope they have been skiing on for the past month, only to go right back up the other side of the steep, intimidating slope they just went down may not sound like the most fun in the world, but to the Nordic team, this is the reality of what it takes to get to the next level. READ
Curling is a great team sport. It is not widely recognized, but it is exciting and intense. If players make one wrong move than the whole game could be over.
Curling is a simple sport to understand, but is difficult to play. The logistics of the game can be easily broken down. One player on a team slides a large stone, across ice to the other side and tries to get as close to the target as possible. The sweeper’s job is to sweep right in front of the stone to melt a thin layer of ice so there becomes less friction between the ice and the stone.
This usually is not the first choice sport athletes want to play, but many students are missing out.
"The thing that was the most fun about curling was the challenge of stopping the stone in the score zone, it was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done," said senior Joe Stanton.
People do not recognize curling as a pastime like any other sport and how much fun it can be. The St. Paul curling club is a great place to curl with friends or family.
"I think the thing that makes people hesitant about trying curling is that they don’t know where to go to do it. People have the perception that curling is a boring sport, but it is actually a lot of fun and I encourage people to try it," said Stanton.
Intramural basketball is now in full swing. Most teams have played three games so far and they are all very competitive. The Purple Ninjas, however, have shown they are showing up to win and nothing less. The team is made of all music students and as of the latest game, they are 2 and 1 due to a forfeit because of the holiday concert.
Each individual team is made up of students. There are no coaches; the students choose who is on their team and how many are on their team and also they get to create a team name and shirt to go along with the season.
This sports program is made for students who might be too busy to play in junior varsity or varsity basketball. It also gives the students a look into how fun managing a team is with their close friends.
"Being in intramural basketball is a great way to be competitive with fellow students and see them in a different environment other than the classroom. And it gives you time to have fun with your teammates and having the freedom to manage yourselves the way you want," said Nate Ylinen (’12).
Even though intramural basketball is a short season, it is a great way to find hidden talents among fellow peers and also hopefully make new friends.
The girls hockey team started off the season with a strong 6-2 win against Duluth. With only a few losses behind them, the team is working hard to reach their ultimate goal, state.
The team is currently third in the Suburban East conference, behind Roseville and Mounds view. They are working their way up to the top.
"At practice we push each other and ourselves to do the best we can do, to be the best," said junior Dana Milan.
With the addition of many sophomores, and players from last year, the team is connecting well so far. Compared to last year, the team is able to connect better on and off the ice.
"We have good chemistry, we’re really a team together," said junior Hannah Heacox.
With state only a couple months away, the girls will continue to do work hard, and push themselves to reach their goal.
"Hard work and dedication will get us the farthest we can go," said Milan.
Junior Olympics skiing is a group and organization in which young athletes from a variety of age groups learn how to ski, train together and compete against one another. Most athletes in the program have a goal of learning how to ski, staying athletic, learning how to become part of a team and respect each other as teammates.
Practices depend on where the skiers are from; most local groups practice on Sunday afternoons at William O'Brien State Park.
"The best part about skiing is probably the colorful and crazy spandex suits, the intense falls, how insane everyone looks when they are skiing or attempting to ski and the crazy injuries that can happen like being poked in the eye with a sky pole or getting a bloody nose because that is what you fell on when you fell. They tell you the first thing you need to learn how to do is fall and if your falling you are trying," said junior Lea Edwards.
Olympians in training