Life as a Female Wrestler at Champlin Park
By Monica Nkwocha
Female wrestlers in Minnesota have almost doubled in number in the past year. Most people know wrestling to be a male dominated sport, but there are girls all over the country proving this statement wrong. Christabel Ayemere is one of those trailblazers here at Champlin Park High School. Captain Maresh is always recruiting for the Champlin Park wrestling team. Christabel was doing a dance called the footwork at lunch with her friends, when she was approached by Mr. Maresh. He said to her “that footwork would be great for wrestling and you should come to practice after school today.” After thoughtful consideration she decided to give it a shot. She described her first practice as a culture shock. Since it was so far into the season she felt extremely out of place. All the other wrestlers already had experience and she was starting from the basics. A kind hearted teammate named Jackson Miles taught her everything she needed to know about wrestling. Christabel describes herself as very observant and she says that she also learned alot from observing those around her. Christabel found a love for wrestling in her freshman year of high school. Upon joining wrestling Christabel stated that she was quite nervous at first but her good performance shocked her. She even went on to win 5th place at state during her very first year. It’s quite the accomplishment. |
A leader on and off the court
By Alyson grinde, Mariah pates
Senior Mariah Pates, has been making waves as both vice president of student council and captain of the basketball team. Mariah's story is very inspiring, as she has been faced with challenges that have shaped her into the amazing leader she is today. During sophomore year, Mariah was faced with a major hurdle when she was diagnosed with jumper knee tendinitis. However Mariah's determination was shone as she chose to “fight through the pain” and continue to play the sport she loves. Off the basketball court Mariah has also found making a difference in her community as she is a member the Black Student Union, she strives to make champlin park a more inclusive place for everyone. She said “I am committed to learning about different cultures and organizing different events, where students can gather together and learn about our diverse backgrounds.” Back on the court, as her role as a basketball captain, Mariah's motivation stems from her desire to have authority and build relationships with her teammates. She added “to provide the support and guidance for the young girls that I felt I was lacking growing up.” When it comes to inspiration, Mariah looks up to her dad and they have a very close bond and is the reason why she proudly wears the number 22. His constant support has fueled Mariah's drive to succeed both on and off the court. Mariah Pates is a shining example of a leader who goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in her school and community. Her dedication to the Student Council, her passion for basketball and her commitment to inclusivity through BSU makes her a true role model for many. |
Senior football standout receives multiple awards
By Colin Ellingson
Matthew Henien was very productive in his senior year of football playing linebacker and finished the year as the Champlin Park Team MVP. Matthew finished the year with many awards and stats. He was selected as All-Conference, North Metro defensive MVP, metro team, and many more. When Matthew was asked what he felt was his biggest accomplishment from his senior season, he said he was proud to be second-team all-state. “Being part of the all-state team was a big goal of mine” The All-State team is limited to only 64 players. And only four per position. So it’s a very limited award. With all this success, Matthew still faced many challenges. When asked what was the biggest challenge, He responded by staying motivated. “There were some kids on the team who didn’t try as much. It was hard to be a leader for other kids for the kids who didn’t want to put as much effort in.” After a great high school career, Mathew plans to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth and continue playing football. |
High School Freshman playing Varsity Volleyball
By Sydnie Olson
Champlin Park Volleyball is one of the most elite high school programs in Minnesota holding a State Championship victory, but that didn’t stop freshman Rylee Inman from making varsity.
Rylee’s volleyball career started early in 2017 when she was 8 years old. She started out as someone who liked to play volleyball for fun at a non-competitive level, but as she got older she started to love the sport more. Rylee said she knew she was committed to volleyball in seventh grade. At this point in her career, the competition was rising and she put in a lot of time and hard work to match the heightened game. In a recent interview, Inman stated “I think John Yunker has pushed me the most to thrive in my volleyball career.” Yunker has been the head coach of Champlin Park Volleyball for 13 seasons, and has seen Rylee grow since she was young. The varsity family welcomed Rylee and she made great friends and had a great experience for year one. Inman ended the season with 69 kills as an outside-hitter. Rylee is very grateful for the opportunity to play high-level volleyball at a young age, and she is excited for what the future holds. |
15 year old starting on varsity hockey team
By Marisa Peterson
15 and starting on varsity.
This is something you almost never see happen, but is the case of a player on the Cpcr girls hockey team, June Semling. June has been skating since she was 2. She told me in an interview that it was her dads love for the sport that got her into skating, then ultimately got her into playing hockey. When she was asked how high school hockey was different from 15U (the level below high school), she told me that she felt it was a much faster pace, and that the skill level was much more improved. For the previous 9 games June has started for the highschool team, and also been on the power play line. I asked her if she enjoyed being on the starting line, she explained that she likes the girls on her line, and that she switched from center to left wing, which she didn't know if she would like, but says she enjoys more and more as the days go on. Playing in a high school sport has an impact on your life in one way or another, so when I asked June how hockey has impacted her life, she told me that she has made lots of friends through the sport from all over the U.S. She goes on to say that the friends she's made really care about her and love to be around her. She also said that, “ it has also taught me valuable life lessons and taught me that nobody can be perfect.” As a freshman June already has a total of 13 points, with 8 assists and 5 goals, and the number will continue to grow throughout the year and the years to come. |
A flying star on the tennis court also flies among the stars in the sky
By Brady Schornstein
Howard Bennet Foy is a man of many unique qualities and talents. If you need to learn or watch some good tennis, hit up Howard. Also, if you need to travel across the world, he is your guy. His diverse abilities have led him to become a very successful young adult.
Howard has been playing tennis since he was in 6th grade and has been a part of the varsity tennis team since 8th grade. He has opportunities to play at the next level but will not choose to do so. Instead he will be continuing his dream of becoming a commercial airplane pilot. Ever since being a young 4th grader Howie has dreamed of flying planes. Just this past September he went on his first solo flight. He had success and has been training to become a pilot since 8th grade. In 6 months he will have his solo flying license and will be applying to Purdue for aviation school. |
The Road to Varsity
By Ava Yang
7 tournaments, 20 hours of practice weekly.
That’s the standard for JV volleyball player, Vega Yang. Vega is a junior at Champlin Park High School and is currently striving to be a player for the varsity volleyball team. Although volleyball is his sole passion now, it didn’t start off that way. Throughout his life sports were always his forte, in fact he even pursuited basketball for the majority of his life. Ultimately, however, he found it wasn’t right for him. Following this, he chose to pursue a different sport, which ended up being volleyball. Starting in the 1st trimester of his sophomore year he found that he didn’t take a keen interest in volleyball right away. It wasn’t until a month or two when he started to see major improvement, he had felt he found the sport he was meant to play. He also feels that volleyball also helped him with something more than skill. He expresses, “Volleyball did a lot for me, without it, I don’t think I’d have the friends I have now.” |
The Student Athlete Mindset
By Samantha Harbaugh
Miles is a student athlete, he plays basketball and football. To play those sports in school, he needs to make sure that his grade are good. Miles made JV basketball as a freshman, and he was on freshman A for football. Their football team ended up with a 7-1 record, while being undefeated until their last game of the season.
Being a student athlete is a difficult task, you have to learn how to perform well in your sport while also making sure to be getting your school work done. “I make sure to get as much work done as possible during school, so then I don’t have to worry about it later after I’m already tired from my sports. If I don’t get it done, I will do it after practice or try to do get it done in class the next day.” |
Morgan Ellis and her amazing softball journey!
By Carolyn Dull
Morgan Ellis played t ball as a kid and that's where it all started. Her love for the game of softball just grew from there.
After t ball she continued to play association ball for about two years. She played association for Rebels. Then after those two years of association she moved on to club softball. She played club for a little over 5 years. She ended up quitting club because it was very overwhelming and she didn't like the head coach of club. Her favorite coach during her softball career was her last club season coach. Even though she quit club softball she will still be continuing her high school softball career. But she doesn't want to play in college. Because she will want to work on the career that she chooses. Her favorite thing about softball was the people and close friends she made along the way.Her least favorite thing about softball was going to practice because they were very long and she couldnt be on her phone. During the many seasons of softball she played a few different positions. She played second base and she says while she plays high school she will continue to play second base. The other position she played was pitcher in most of her seasons but she ended up quitting because she had a back injury. That was Morgan's softball career from the time she was playing t-ball to her 2nd year of high school softball. |
54 wins in the fall season and 2nd in state, Ella Franz and her team are a powerhouse
By Leah Guyer
Ella Franz has had an amazing start to her softball career. Her and her team won state last year and continue to have amazing wins each season. She won a game 30 to 0 this past season and continues improving yearly.
Ella Franz said ¨I started T-ball at 4 and I did that for 2 years and then I went to slow pitch but I hated it because it was boring. After that I turned 7 I did fast pitch for Champlin Park and Midwest speed.¨ She now still plays for Midwest Speed on the team 15U Gold Bengal. This past fall season her and her team had a 54-6 record and won second in state this season. ¨We won state last year with a record of 78-14. Two years ago we got second in nationals.¨ she said. She said her favorite memory is, ¨We had a game at 11 at night and the team we played was Minnesota National Ice team and we both hated each other because their team would always swear at our parents and us. I hit a triple to start the game and we won and the other team was very upset because they were eliminated in the tournament.¨ In her off-season, she continues training and working hard with her team. After high school, she hopes to get a scholarship to play at a college. |
The Rise of Sophie Torgerson
By Ivy Muzambi
Success is not an overnight outcome. It’s not a microwavable miracle that is instant. But instead the road to success has some trials and tribulations. But in the end it’s all filled with joyful celebrations as they say hard work pays off.
Being part of the Special Olympics can be a rewarding and empowering experience for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics is a global organization that provides opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports and recreational activities, fostering physical fitness, social skills, and a sense of belonging. Sophie is one of the most hard working special olympics athletes. Sophie puts in overtime work, even when faced with a challenge she never gives up, she continues to get stronger and put in more effort to be at the top of that big hill of success. Sophie is not only a great athlete but she is a great friend and teammate. As Sophie is playing her last final unified sport here at Champlin Park High School she leaves with great memories and also hard times she has faced. Sophie always talks about her challenges and facing hard moments when losing to a team during a competition. But she also lets us know that those moments don’t let her down as she continues to give all her best during those hard games when faced with a challenge. Torgerson also talks about her favorite moments as she plays with special olympics unified games, she tells us that her friends and family being there to support her is one of her favorite things. Sophie talked about those that have inspired her to be where she is at. She told us that Justin Jefferson has inspired great celebrations through victory as he dances after his touch downs. Sophie also tells us that Mia Miller's favorite teachers here at Champlin Park High school have inspired her courage and keeps her going with the smile she puts on her face every time she enters her room. She also told us that her community and classmates have played a big role in her life as they keep her going and make her laugh and bring tears of joy to her eyes. As Sophie leaves us with great memories of her, she leaves with great advice. She tells us to have and be yourself and eventually we will see each other again at the top of the mountain where we will laugh about all the memories we had together. She tells us to never give up and always live in the moment because life is the future,present and the past. As this is the end of Sophie's high school year, she is excited to start her amazing journey outside of highschool with a new community but never forget the Champlin Park Community as they will always be on her heart. |
With God, All Things are Possible~ A Voice of A Student Athlete
By Jayi Wilson
With running the 4x1, 4x2, 300 hurdles, 200 hurdles, and occasionally long jumping Makayla Shipman is a 4-event runner in Track and field. With her athletic background, Shipman's passion for track goes back to her brother, Shawn Shipman, who was a former football player at CPHS. Shipman's eldest brother was a part of the CP Varsity football, during game days shipman said “My little brother and I would race on the track while the game is going on to see who’s the fastest, and I would always win”. After seeing that she had potential in running, she went on to running in middle school and as the years went on she grew a love for the sport.
Shipman is a christian athlete and her way of blacincing time for God, sports and training, she says “I don’t think of it as balancing, because we don’t balance God, we incorporate him in everything we do”. Before workouts, or meets, Shipman prays, covering herself up so that she can perform well without holding back, or getting injured. Being a christian athlete can be difficult because many assumed that everything you pray for will be answered, but that’s not the case, Shipman says “Working hard while putting God in the center is what carries you far, even when there’s time you won’t see the best result or hit a PR you’ve dying to hit”. Shipman is not only a student christian athlete, she’s also an entrepreneur with her side business doing nails, while also working at a fast food restaurant. “It can be so overwhelming, and difficult because I have school, training, homeworks to do, but then I remind myself why I do all these things and where I want to see myself, then I keep going,” Shipman says. Shipham believes that hard work does pay off, during the off season when you practice and give it to God, you will see improvement in the upcoming season. One of her biggest accomplishments was being 1st in state for the 4x200m, running mid 26 in 200m, and PR big in 300m hurdles, “I didn’t know I was capable of doing that” Shipman said. For this upcoming season she wants to accomplish even bigger things such as making it to states in 200m, 4x100, 4x200m and possibly the 300m. Shipman wants to run at a collegiate level. She has her eyes on St. Thomas University and the University of Minnesota, “it’s close to home, and also a d1 school” Shipman said”. She also wants to major in psychology, “I want to help people understand themselves, and also bring them to God '' Shipman said. Makayla Shipman is a bright student who strives for greatness for herself and in doing so, always places God at the center. She wants to bring hope to those who have given up, letting their problems define them. |
The end of Amory peterson
By Ivy Muzambi
The road to success for some is through sports, but it’s not always an easy road as there are many challenges filled with many celebrations.
Amory’s journey hasn’t always been the easiest but he gives us a peek on what kept him going and dedicated throughout his high school performance in the sport of basketball. We all know that once you graduate high school that is the end of free education. Amory knowing he has another chance to free education through basketball is what kept him going, not only that but also him wanting to live a blueprint of his name at Champlin park high school. So for him to go to that next level he had to put that work in and use those motivations, but like every human he often fell short. Amroy talks about having the thoughts of quitting and just letting go anytime they had hard conditioning. Knowing how much the sport meant to him and what it has gotten him through and all the relationships he has built through basketball, it made him fight harder through all those thoughts of quitting. Amory also talks about the trainers and coaches as people who have infused his play style and those that have been role models to him throughout his 4 years playing high school basketball. Being athletic is very challenging with the fears of not always giving your best and failing. But with a great community there is always going to be room for hope and that’s what defeated the challenges of Amory’s basketball seasons. He also talked about looking into other sports outside of basketball, such as football because that is also a sport that makes him feel like he is home. As Amory plays his last and final season of high school basketball he leaves us with some advice. To never give up and never look back and to just continue to work hard each time. He also tells his younger self (freshman year) to work harder and make it out on the other side. As his journey of college level basketball begins, it's also the end of his high school journey. But this is not the end of Peterson, it's the beginning of a new story about him. |
A 14 year old girl runs a summer camp
By Caroline Martin
19 kids.
That is how many kids total 14 year old Brooke Martin had come to her summer camp at her house this past summer. Brooke had the kids she babysits come over for four days one week in July. She promoted her camp through her babysitting Instagram account and handing out flyers. She had a pool day, slime day, and a movie day! She said she got these ideas from helping with a local theater group called “Shooting Starzs Productions''. Brooke has been in Shooting Starzs for almost 10 years whether it was in a production or helping as a director. Brooke said the most kids she had in one day was 18 (this was on slime day)! Brooke had help from one of her friends each day so she wasn’t doing it fully alone. She said that she charged $10 a day for her camp and her camp ran from 11-2pm. Brooke said that her favorite day was pool day, she said “it was with a really good group of kids and there were only like 10 kids that day”. Brooke started preparing for her camp six months in advance. She said that she is going to do her camp next year too! |
Kalista’s new life in a new continent
By Ryan Luu
Kalista got a chance to be an exchange student from france. Kalista will be in the united states for 9 months
“I wanted to become an exchange student because of all of the movies and the American dream, and everybody is talking about the exchange year in the U.S.A.” The hardest part for kalista was being away from her family and her friends, it was also hard for her to make friends in america. Kalista finally got a chance to do an activity . She is a part of the cheerleading team on the JV team. She hopes soon enough she will be able to make it up on the varsity team. Kalista would also like to be in a club called letters of love. Her favorite subjects in school are intro to journalism and Spanish because it was easy for her. Kalista would prefer going to school in the United States because it is easier and shorter than the schools they have in france. She will be sad to go back to France at the end of the year. Being an exchange student was decent for her in her words “i think it is ok because like i'm social and like i can go talk to people but at first it was very hard cause i was scared of everything and i felt like a baby because i didn't understand anything and i was lost in this school.'' Being in the exchange program was hard for her because she had to write tons of papers and it was very expensive for her. She enjoys being an exchange student because she can create a new life in a different continent. Kalista is excited to go back to France because she misses her family but she will be sad to leave because she's leaving her new life behind. |
8th grader Chloe Postma takes on Varsity
By Carli Jerpseth
Imagine the pressure of being 14 years old and playing on varsity and what that does to your mental and physical health. 8th grader Chloe Postma shares that being on Varsity is different from other softball teams because it was more “strict and put together.”
During the season, Chloe would leave school early and miss her last period almost everyday just to make it to softball practice and games. She had difficulty managing both, staying up late each night to catch up on homework. During a game, the catcher took a foul-ball straight to her face mask and wound up with a concussion. This was a setback for her because she couldn’t play for a few games. Chloe shares that joining the team while being at least 3 years younger than most girls was scary and intimidating. “The girls were very welcoming,” she shares. Senior captain Emma Husom was especially welcoming to Chloe and made her feel the most comfortable with girls on the team. |
Tryouts take a turn causing for a devastating start to the season
By Aliyah Daves
Tessa Magnan is a 10th grader in Minnesota who plays club volleyball every year, however this season didn’t start off like it usually does.
On November 16th, after 3 long days of fierce tryouts this volleyball player was fighting for a spot on the highest team she could make at her club. She had finally made it to the end of tryouts and they were scrimmaging, Tessa went up to show off her powerful but disciplined swing and she came down jeopardizing her season. Tessa had just sprained her ankle and torn her growth plate. With this big shock, she was put in a boot and concerned if and when she would be able to go back to the sport she loves. Luckily, after many doctor visits she was informed that she would be able to play in about a months but not with the same intensity as she had always played with. This was a devastation to her but as a high level athlete she was willing to put in the work to get back on the court. Still dealing with this setback, Tessa is now finishing up her road to recovery and should be cleared to play in the upcoming week! Tessa had also found out that she made the 16-2s team for the club, showing just how good of an athlete she is, patiently waiting for her return to the court. |
Star athlete’s journey back to success
By Zach Bursheim
“ Champlin park kicker Evan Swanstrom is hobbling out to center field after halftime to kick the ball off for the first time this game, sidelined for the first half due to injury” the announcer says.
Lingering tendinitis in his knee has kept him off the field so far. The whistle blew starting the 3rd quarter, and evan proceeded to kick the ball out the back of the end zone resulting in a touchback. All seeded well until the whole stadium heard the yells from Swanstrom laying on the ground. His whole body shaking, the stadium silent. Later that night after being carted off the field and brought to the hospital, Evan found out he had suffered a fractured tibial and a torn patellar tendon setting him out 6-7 months and requiring surgery. Pushing his dreams of college football into the dark. Every aspiring athlete's worst nightmare. However through months of physical therapy, late nights at the gym, depression and much more, Evan overcame the odds in his recovery and will be able to start physical activity after only 3 months since his injury occurred. His dreams of playing in college back into the light. This is what he has to say to athletes who may be experiencing these same setbacks. “Someone who succeeds is just a person who fails but tries one more time, trust in your work, trust in god, failure is just a part of the process to success.” |
Kate Kelly’s Comeback
By Mia Schellenberg
Tearing your ACL freshman year and than working hard to come back the following year to make Varsity, and to be a top player on the team. Kate Kelly did just that. She tore her ACL freshman year at high school soccer tryouts and was back in time for her Sophomore year.
During the hard week long tryouts Kate went 1v1 with a defender and she stepped wrong than heard a pop in her knee, she wanted to hope for the best but she had a gut feeling of what just happened. Through the 10 months she was out it was hard for her to see her bond and play great games while all she could do is sit on the sidelines and cheer for them. Her physical therapist’s were such a big help with her physically and mentally throughout her time off the field, they were her main support. The following year after she worked so hard to make a come back, she showed up to play and made Varsity and became a top player on the team. In the starting 11 for over half of the games this season. She had a big impact on the team. |
The Road to Success
By Kyle Brooks
Alex Berg is a sophomore at Champlin Park high school trying to make a name for himself.
In his freetime he loves to play baseball and weight lifting. For baseball he plays for the school and he also plays club baseball for a team named Pine Tar Academy. He is a left handed hitter and thrower and he plays mainly in the outfield and does a little bit of pitching. Last season he said he was on Champlin’s 9b team as a Freshman and was on the top Pine Tar team. He states that he does training five times a week, three of them for hitting and the other two for throwing. I quote him on this “If I keep putting in the work the results will speak for themselves.” He told me that he really likes working with his coaches to get better. He is currently lifting at Lifetime. He loves going with his friends and sometimes plays pickleball with them which he says is a surprisingly fun game. To conclude, Alex Berg is determined to succeed and is putting in the work to do so in the sport that he loves. |
The Beast Incarnate
By Riley Ampig and Annikan Yang
Obi Evuleocha is the true definition of a monster, ending his senior football season as one of the top defenders in the state.
There is no one that will work harder than the beast he is always working on his craft. Whether that be in the weight room, or taking time out of his summer and going to camps and practice almost everyday. That has paid off because he has received multiple offers to go to some division two schools, and some division one schools have been noticing his skill with NDSU talking to him. Due to Obi being so good at what he does he was individually selected to play in the all star game. I have played against obi myself and let me tell you, this is not a fun experience. He will stare you down and run at you full force and blow you up. He is one scary dude that you do not want to go against. Obi is a great leader and was selected to be one of the five captains on the team. At the end of the season there was an award ceremony and Obi was hand picked to be All District, All Metro, All Conference, and defensive player of the year. |
Cheerleading is not a sport, but Jordan Majors will tell you otherwise
By Julia Dixon and Connor Odonoghue
Jordan Majors is a local cheerleader from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
She started cheering roughly nine years ago at Plant Spirit, and she said it's really shaped her into the person she is today, and she can't imagine her life without cheer. She has put blood, sweat and tears into her cheer career. All the hard work and dedication finally paid off recently when she and her team were in Chicago competing against many dedicated teams throughout the country. Luckily her team, “Black Ice” got a bid to nationals. Jordan Majors and her cheer team will now be in Florida in April competing at the world championships to showcase their skill, dedication and love for cheer. Next time you think that cheer is not a sport, really think about all the dedication, hard work and effort this sport takes. |
Two All-Time World Championship
By Macey, Daruis, Lorenzo and Ayo
Hard work and dedication certainly pays off. Starting early, Mr. Maresh would fulfill his dream of becoming a pro wrestler. He would wrestle from a young age which would carry into his young adult years. After highschool he would leave to go live at The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
In Colorado Springs Mr.Maresh trained for the elite wrestling championships in 1987,1988,1981. That training was tough and took a lot of grit to complete but the hard work paid off like it always does. He was on 3 different teams representing the US. He took 2nd twice and 5th once. After his days in the Olympics, Mr.Maresh moved on to the Navy to continue his wrestling days with the Navy Seals. He then wrestled for the Navy championship he won both of his tournaments, then moved on to more international championship, like Venezuela. Eventually when he started his family, he relaxed on the hard training and decided to settle to be a coach. At his previous school, he won 2 State Championships, and later came to Champlin Park, and coached many D1 wrestlers. One thing he wants for the future is, “For a leader to step up that bleeds blue, silver, and white for the Rebels and take my place” |
WNBA Wage Gap
By Homaan Biramo, Lacie Lemma, Eric Ryan and Macey Ellingson
According to Jonathan Adams, $71,635 is the average pay for a WNBA player compared to the NBA 3.3million dollars a year. As you can see the gap between the WNBA and the NBA is very big but there are many reasons why this gap has occurred.
The WNBA is way younger than the NBA by 50 years which means the NBA has had tons of time to grow to the point where there are 30 teams in the league currently. WNBA being a recent addition has 12 teams also contributing to the wage gap because the league has less teams and generates less money for the league. NBA generated 7.4 billion dollars in the 2019 season and the average franchise being worth 1.65 billion dollars. This brings up the biggest explanation of the wage gap the amount of money the WNBA brings in was roughly 51.5 million dollars in the 2019 season and the average franchise was worth 24 million dollars. Also the majority of the WNBA does not have their own arenas only 5 of the 12 teams. The wage gap between the NBA and WNBA has been created by the revenue from the leagues. The NBA pays the players 50% of the money made by the league but they can do this because the league makes enough money with the 50% to run the league. Unlike the NBA the WNBA pays their players receive less than 25% of the revenue so they are paid less than NBA players but this is because the league needs the 75% to run the league. Knowing the reasons why this gap exists can help you understand that there is a reason the gap is there because the WNBA which is a business is not as successful as the NBA meaning the players are paid less. But this can change with your help by supporting the players and teams by buying tickets to the games or just watching the games from your home. |
Paige Kalal Next Soccer Prodigy
By Drew Kalal
Paige Kalal born in and raised in Brooklyn Park MN, Paige Kalal Champlin Park student started having a love for soccer when she was nine years old.
Paige and her family knew she had something very special when she was twelve years old. Paige got to play for the ODP (Olympic Development Program). She played up a year and that’s when coaches discovered her and her talent. Paige has always played up with people that are older than her! Coaches like Paige a lot and find her and valuable player because her field awareness is off the charts. Paige Kalal’s high school season was magical even though she is a freshman on varsity, she led her team in goals and she had 14 assists. Paige helped Champlin Park to be the number one seed and make it to state the first time ever in the girls program for soccer. Paige came home with a lot of awards she was on all state first team, all conference, all tournament team, offensive mvp and she lettered. You never see this much quality with a freshman, and she is looking for the next season at CP and hoping it will be even better. |
Road To Recovery
By Chaney Neu and Lexi Gute
Emma Saksa started gymnastics at the age of nine, which is pretty late for most.
She attended Twin City Twisters gymnastics in Champlin. She usually spent around 20 hours a week in the gym. One day at practice during warmups, she landed wrong doing a front tuck- back tuck. At that moment she knew something was wrong; she couldn’t get up. At the doctor, she was told she broke her talus dome in her ankle. Emma was only in eighth grade. On August 3, 2017, she had surgery to remove scar tissue in her ankle. She was out of gymnastics for a whole year, from her eighth to ninth grade. It was a really hard time emotionally for her, because she had to watch her teammates at meets. She wished she could be out there competing with them and missed the sport so much. It was physically frustrating for her, because physical therapy was not working. Due to this, she quit TCT and joined the CPHS team her freshman year. After lots of hard work it was time. When she first came back, her gymnastics wasn’t very good but got better because she had no fear. Gymnastics has made her into a hardworking individual and teaches her discipline and life lessons. Her goal this year is to place at state and get a medal. |
Kylie Stremmel from Jv to Varsity Volleyball
By McKenna Thorup , Ayo Taki, Lorenzo Andrews and Darius Givance
Kylie Stemmel is a Champlin Park volleyball player, she was on JV most of her season until she got moved up to varsity.
She had said that she had a great JV season, and when being asked to move up she was very nervous on how her teammates were going to react, or whether she was going to be supported or not. They ended up being very supportive of her. When being moved up, she questioned herself leading up to her first practice. The practices were ran very different between the two. Everyone on the varsity team was very welcoming and kind to Kylie. After the first practice she was asked to come to a weekend tournament not knowing what the outcome may have been after that day. She didn't believe that she would play much that day but went in within the first three points of the first game, from there on she started all the next matches !! She was then asked to play with the varsity team for sections. Her first game was very overwhelming and nerve racking but she had lots of fun with the team and getting a new experience this season. Overall she said that she wouldn't have wanted her volleyball season to end in any other way , and loved getting to bond with both JV and Varsity teams and had a great experience. |
The ways of a true skater
By Emmanuel Alabi Christian Lempk
Have you ever jumped off a ramp flying at least four feet up into the air to land on a Handrail? Well Chris Achtenburg has.
Chris has been skating for around five years. He started in sixth grade and he is still skating today. His first time ever skating, he basically did what Marty “McFly did in Back To The Future”. He took the handlebars of a scooter then he started shredding. When he's not skating that he's just plays video-games or sleeping during the winter, Chris snowboards. Because all the skateparks gets filled up with snow he goes to 3rd lair is the closest indoor skatepark, and that's in Golden Valley. Chris has improved a lot over the past year in skateboarding, and he says he thinks it’s because the group he skates with is pushing him to learn more tricks so he can stay the best out of all of them. Chris believes that everyone should at least try to skate because you never know if it's for you or not. It's a good way to stay in shape and keep your mental health stable. |
Is Valley scare really Scary?
By Amaya Doree and Angie Rosa
Valley scare is only open in October for Halloween. Throughout the summer it is open and it’s a regular amusement park where all the kids and teenagers go to have fun and enjoy themselves in a nice warm minnesota summer.
If you arrive at valley scare in October in the daytime it’s like a regular day of riding rides but at 7:00pm everything changes. Starting at 7:00pm people come out with costumes on and they dress up as scary creatures. There are 3 different scary areas. In one area there were creepy clowns. In another area there were people dressed up as a countryside scary family with werewolves. The last area was the renaissance themed. In addition to the scary sections there are haunted houses filled with scary people and props. The only downside is that they are usually very busy. We thought it was really scary and the haunted houses were really fun. And we give this a 9/10 because of how busy every haunted house and ride was. |
The dance that never was
By Feenet Emiru
Imagine practicing for a big figure skating dance and not even being able to skate. That’s what happened to my friend Eliza in the fourth grade.
She was just two weeks away from the father daughter dance when tragedy struck. It was a practice session gone wrong. It was her and her dad practicing on the ice and when they were turning, he slipped and fell on top of her. She had expressed to me that she had heard the bone “crack”. Her coach had hoped it was just a minor injury and told her to walk it off, but when they went to the emergency room the doctors told them that she had fractured her growth plate and two toes. She said that the healing time was about six weeks, the dance was two weeks away. She was so disappointed that she didn’t get to skate for that dance, considering that was the first dance that she and her dad were doing together. But she has since healed and learned from that injury and she still skates to this day. |
Freshman makes the varsity volleyball team
By Kayla Dinh
Making the varsity team of any sport is a dream come true. 15-year-old Marlie Hanson, a freshman at CPHS, had her dream come true after finding herself the only freshman on the varsity volleyball team. She is currently 5’9. Marlie plays right side outside hitter.
Marlie’s on a team that consists of upperclassmen. She describes her teammates as “fun, nice and competitive.”Her experience being on the varsity volleyball team has taught her about friendship and making bonds with her friends. She’s been playing CDAA volleyball since the second grade. Her family members actually did not get her started into playing volleyball. She says, “I’m gonna start playing volleyball because I like it.”She played volleyball all throughout the years. During the winter season, she plays for clubs such MN select. Playing for the high school team requires practice every single night. Practices are right when school ends to 7:30 pm, and they do weight training at least two nights a week. Weight training in Marlie’s opinion is “very hard.” During practices they do ball control drills, such as hitting and passing. John Yunker, the varsity volleyball coach, is described as mean. But Marlie thinks otherwise. She describes him as, “nice and funny.” As far as her plans after high school, she’s hoping to get a scholarship from any school with a good volleyball team. She also has her eyes on Arizona State University. |
The end of Drew Pajunen’s career
By Jordan Ronn and Oliver Miton
Drew played on the Pee Wee AA for Champlin Park in the 2017-18 season. At4’4”, Drew was always the smallest guy on the ice, but he had the biggest heart. The AA’s had a tournament in Bemidji from January 12th through January 15th.
Drew was first line with Evan and Matthew. It was the championship game against Grand Forks. Champlin was losing 5-3 with one minute left in the third period. Champlin pulled their goalie, Coen Neu. Mathew won the faceoff to Jordan Ronn. He passed it to Evan and shot the puck on net and sniped the goalie. Evan celebrated in the center of the ice. The score is 5-4. In the championship game. There was only 15 seconds left when Drew Pajunen, Evan Williams, Matthew Blodgett, Gavin Reed, Drew Belleson, and Jordan Ronn were on the ice. Drew B. passed it down low to Matthew, and Matthew passed it to Drew across the crease right in front of the net. He had the whole net open with 3 seconds left and Drew whiffed on the puck, which the Champlain Park team calls a muffin. Still today they call him The Muffin Man because of how he missed the whole net. |
Journey to success
By Grace Rogge
Paige Kalal is a name you will remember.
She is a star soccer player on the Rebels varsity soccer team. Paige began playing soccer at the age of 8. Paige described soccer as, “a sport that gives her something to work for and to get better at.” Paige looks up to a famous soccer player named Lionel Messi. She says, “I admire how smart and creative he is when he has the ball.” Paige played on many teams, but her most recent is the Champlin Park varsity soccer team. She is also playing on Minnesota Thunder Academy for the second year in a row. Paige also has taken home many awards this year: All-state first team, all-tournament team, and attacking MVP on varsity. On any team, Paige definitely catches your eye on the field. She is always looking to make a pass to and play off of her teammates in order to spread out the field. During the regular season she scored 16 goals and made 8 assists, leading the Rebels in number of goals for the season, and it was only her first season! Paige’s future is very bright, she is an outstanding student-athlete. She has many goals that she hopes to fulfill. She wants to get a college scholarship to a school with strong academics and soccer program. Her ultimate dream is to play in the national women’s soccer league. |
Anna Phleger the multitasker
By Kaitlyn Kiffmeyer
Anna Phleger is a freshman at champlin park highschool.
She has done alpine skiing since she was four and has loved it ever sense. Her dad is her coach and her biggest supporter. She skis five times a week and never gets bored of it. She is the youngest captain the girls have ever had on the team for Champlin. Anna also does competitive mountain biking, swimming, and trap shooting, so she is always busy. All these sports take up all of Anna’s free time, but she still manages to do all her school work and do good in school. She is an A honor roll student and has a GPA of over 4.0. She also does our after school math league. Anna has very limited free time but she still enjoys to cook dinner for her family every night and help out her grandma who lives with her. She is a multitasker and is amazing at everything she does. |
The Life of a student athlete
By Annetta Baker and Arianne Welch
Edmund Ocansey plays football at Champlin Park Highschool as a quarterback and a receiver. He discovered his passion for football when he was just in the second grade and has been playing ever since.
He looks up to anyone that’s in college and the NFL that’s in the same skill position. More specifically, players like O’dell or Jalen Ramsey. His family is very supportive of him playing football. Humbly speaking, Edmund overall thinks he’s a good player. The coaches don’t really correct him on things. During the off-season, Edmund works on improving himself by working out. In the winter, he does lifting and the summer he plays in the dome to practice and improve his throws. In the future, Edmund is looking forward to attending Oregon University in the fall of 2021, so that down the road, he can accomplish his dreams of playing in the NFL. |
Rivalries between sports
by Lucy Gauthier, Kaitlyn Kiffmeyer
Rivalries, enemies. They are the same thing. Some rivalries we have here at CP are Anoka, Andover, Armstrong, Coon Rapids, Blaine, Maple Grove and a lot more.
In almost every sport they have to battle it out in sections. Only a few have made it through sections onto the state championship. Some of those sports may include girls volleyball, boys football, girls soccer and boys nordic ski. Only one of these teams have completly stole the gold and won: that is the girls volleyball team in 2018. Some sports are very aggresive and become competive for the spotlight and only a few can say we are the best in the state. The rivalries between some sports can get very intense and most people like to call it competitve. Champlin Park and Anoka football game are very intense and is a very good and competive game. When rivalry teams play agianst each other in a sport, they will want to win the game more than any other game. Certian teams will stay rivalries for many years and some teams can get very competitive. A lot of teams like to talk trash about each other before the game and want to win. |
Gymnastics and its impact on my life as a person
By Chaney Neu
Gymnastics is not just a sport.
It teaches you discipline, self worth, mental strength and much more. It helps build self-morale, determination, and better communication skills. It has made me the person that I am today. It has been my entire life since I was four years old. I don’t know who I would be today if it weren’t for gymnastics . The coaches and support system I have had made me an amazing gymnast. As a child I spent twenty hours in the gym. That was what made me a successful gymnast. I gave gymnastics my all, and dedicated my life to it until this past year…. I blew out my knee luckily after I got my ten on vault, and won the all around three years in a row. But I felt like something got ripped out of me. Something was missing and still is missing. Even though I may never do the sport again, it has taught me everything. I am so grateful that I was a part of the sport and grew up in it. If you want a sport that shapes you into a hard working strong person this is the sport. |
Hockey a perfect Minnesotan sport
By Cale Ihde
If you live in Minnesota and can’t think of a sport to play, I have a great one for you! Hockey is the perfect sport to play in Minnesota and here is why.
First off most neighborhoods you drive through you can spot a hockey net in the driveway. This is just showing that it is a popular sport among kids. Another reason is that we have ponds! Once the winter strikes you don’t have to wait to get into the rinks, you can go outside to skate! Then, Minnesota hockey is a family. All of us our brothers, I have hockey buds all the way down in Chanhassen and all the way up in Hermantown! Hockey is also filled with life long lessons, and memories to last a lifetime. Hockey is just more than a game in Minnesota, it is a lifestyle filled with love and passion. So if you live in Minnesota and want to join a sport, I highly suggest you try out Hockey! |
Paige Kalal has jumped to top scorer in the state
By Kylie Scott
Paige has been a very important factor in the success of the Champlin Park Rebels this season, with her 2 hat tricks, helping Champlin Park tie 3-3 against Rogers and beat Spring Lake Park 3-0.
Her ability to possess the ball in the middle, ability to distribute the ball, and her movement off the ball has given Champlin Park the leg up in their games. She’s definitely a hot topic against their competitions. As the season has progressed, teams have started to put 2 girls on her in the middle to try and stop the Rebels offensive attack. Despite that, she has still managed to remain a threat in the Rebels offensive attack. She scored 8 goals in 3 games, while still having 4 assists. This put her at the top in the state for points. After all these accomplishments, she remains humble and keeps working hard. Paige will continue to be a huge contributor to the team this season and next and has a bright soccer future ahead of her. Her dream is to play for the Virginia Cavaliers. That goal is very obtainable for her as she continues to be a stand out player season after season. If you know Paige, you know she’s very quiet and keeps to herself. Many people think this makes her not a good leader, but being a good leader doesn’t mean always you’re the most outspoken person, it can also mean you show up day after day and work your hardest on the field. This is exactly what Paige does, she leads her team on the field and sets the pace for practices and games. She sets the bar very high and makes all of the people around her better. |
What it's all about being caption of the Champlin Park hockey team
By Brea Peterson
Kylie is a junior captain for the Champlin Park High School hockey team.
Being a caption is a huge honor and really shows kylie's great leadership skills. With her role as caption, she encourages her teammates, keeps them on track, and also plays a huge role on the team. Not only does she play hockey she is also on varsity soccer. So managing both sports and school can be a lot, but with the hard work and dedication she has, she's able to get it all done. After 13 years the CPHS hockey coach resigned and the girls have a new coach. Kylie is very excited to see what he has to bring. She is hoping to make it past the section quarter finals and be a contender in the semi and finals at sections. To get ready for the upcoming season Kylie has been training 4-5 hours each day and has been taking leadership classes to enhance her leadership ability. She has also been working with the new people to make them feel welcome and building team bonding to build team camaraderie. Overall, Kylie is super excited to be captain and to see what this season will bring. |
Rebel girls Cross Country team are ranked in state for the first time ever
By Will Larson
On September 3rd the Rebels girls cross country team ran at Anoka high school.
They destroyed the competition with a first place finish. Because of this win, the girls team moved up to 9th in state for the first time ever. The Rebels have had a dominating season with multiple top 10 runners including Abby Hibbs and Vayda Foy. They are very consistent and have continued to get better and better Captain Gabby Wahl thinks the team has a very good chance of making it to the state championship and says “I am very confident in our abilities.” If the girls do make it to state the girls all agreed that they would try their hardest to bring home a championship. Gabby was impressed with the work Abby Hibbs, a freshman, put in over the summer. Gabby said “Especially Abby Hibbs has put in the most work.” Abby is now the number one varsity runner for Champlin Park. Gabby and the rest of the team are excited about their accomplishment and celebrating their good work. |
Size doesn’t matter
By Karter Khamsisavang & Bryan Corral
Cameron Hammonds is listed at 5’4 160, but height won’t stop his goals. Cameron is a double varsity athlete in both football and baseball.
The Champlin Park athlete helped lead the Rebels to its third prep bowl appearance racking up five interceptions on the season. Cameron is the deepest man on the field playing Free safety and is a hard working athlete who loves the team. “It was fun working hard with the guys and improving every week" he says. But even after the tough loss against Wayzata, he holds his head high and continues to work hard, ready for the baseball season. Cameron, who started varsity in baseball as a sophomore, believes in “heart over height” and is one tough athlete. Cameron’s fielding percentage was an amazing .965. To put that into perspective, the highest percentage in the MLB last year was a .951. The left fielder has unmatched hustle with a 6.75, 60-yard dash matched with a cannon for an arm with an outfield velocity of 78mph. When asked on predictions of the baseball season he responded with “Playing Mounts View will be the toughest part but I feel very good about this season, especially after coming off a great football season.” Seeing the heart Cameron has and the work he puts in, you’d be wanting to see him in this upcoming baseball season. |
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game
By Gavin Rosstedt & Ryan Nelson
The 100 point game. The untouchable game. The record will never be touched. 57 years, 20,805 days the record has held.
On March 2, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain broke the record for the most amount of points in a game. He scored 100 points in one NBA game. He ran up and down the court, coast to coast, making basket after basket. He scored 100 out of the 169 points that the Philadelphia Warriors scored against the New York Knicks. But that isn't the only record he broke that game. He broke 5 other records during that SINGLE game. He made the most free throws in a game, he contributed to the most combined points in a game for both teams, which added up to 316 points. He broke his own record that game. Earlier in the season he scored 71 points in a game. Nobody will ever be able to come close to breaking this record ever. Not Lebron James. Not Kobe Bryant. Not even Michael Jordan, the greatest player to ever play the game came close to this record. This record will forever stand, as the greatest record to ever be done. |
The one behind it all: Sports edition
By Ava Ostendorf & Sammie Mayo
Imagine working here at Champlin Park scheduling buses, setting up games, activities, and finding refs. Marcy Burnevik, secretary of the activities office does it all.
As the secretary of the activities office she faces many challenges, but overall, she says, “ I love my job.” Marcy enjoys her job because it’s always changing. She enjoys talking with students and says “it is very entertaining to hear what they have to say about school and their activities.” She also enjoys the positive environment that comes with her job. This includes supportive coworkers and a positive outlook. She says, “my coworkers are fun, dependable, hardworking, and funny.” Her hardest challenge is during the spring season when she has to schedule buses for all of our spring sports such as track, lacrosse, and baseball. Marcy moved offices this school year due to the construction around school. She is now in the new activities office located by the gyms. The new office is much bigger than the old one located by the main entrance. She says, “it’s very clean, bright, and spacious.” She enjoys all the new space in her office and having a lot of room. We asked what she would change if she could change one thing about her job, and she says, “I wouldn’t change a thing.” |
Upcoming all-star
By Hogan Sinjem, Maya Wood & Allie Kopp
Nolan James Peterson plays hockey for the school of Champlin Park. He is a fifteen year old upcoming star.
Nolan wasn’t always good at hockey, but he wanted to make a career of it. So, over the last six years, he’s been working hard to become a more productive defense men for his school. His teammates have had the chance to work with him for the last six years to improve gradually. This fall, Nolan will travel all over the country with The Minnesota Blades,‘03 AAA premier team. Detroit, Chicago, Nebraska-Omaha, and Pittsburgh to play are just some of the cities. Their team will play against the top hockey players in the United States of America. An opportunity like this is big for him. It will help him to get known by scouts and maybe even commit to one of their schools over the next couple years. We all wish him luck over the next couple of years to get to where he wants to be. |
Out for the season
By Amber Boelter
Soccer player Jake Marsolek was playing in a college showcase out of state. As he was dribbling down the sideline, he got checked by the other team and fell to the ground hard on his shoulder.
As he got up, he thought it was just out of place, but after getting it checked by the trainer, turns out his collar bone was actually broken. When he got x-rays back at home a couple weeks later, doctors said a surgery would be a better option than letting it heal itself. But getting surgery meant not being able to play soccer for a long time. He ended up getting the surgery a few days later. He was out for the rest of the year, from July to October. Jake spent most of his time watching Netflix, going to rehab, and helping the coach out on the sidelines. Finally, the doctors cleared him to play again. Although he missed tryouts for his usual club team, he got lucky and another team let him try out and now plays for them. |
How CP baseball players prepare in the off season
By Gavin Rosstedt
Have you ever noticed the preparation a baseball player does to prepare for the baseball season?
The preparation of a high school baseball player like Owen Dylong starts right after the season ends. He starts his off-season by asking his parents to sign him up for summer league teams. While he is on the summer team, he still does the extra work by going to the batting cage. He also works on his grounders by throwing a tennis ball at the wall so he can work on his foot work. He works on his pop flys by asking his friend to hit ball high into the air so he can get under the ball and catch the ball. It is very difficult to hang out with friends during the summer because he has to juggle baseball training and trying to keep his job. He tries to get as much sleep as he can so he can succeed and win games on his summer team as well as making his boss happy at work so he doesn’t get yelled for sleeping on the job. The grind never stops for a high school baseball player. |
Do not compare yourself to this guy
By Pooja Singh
At 6’ 5", Cole Fredrickson, a student-athlete and a flourishing student at CPHS, recognizes the meaning of time management.
Being on the varsity football team, having a job, and taking high-level classes as a junior, you can catch him starting the day at 4 am by going to the gym or for a run, both during the weekday and weekends. Although the time and reason may seem unsettling to others, his motivation comes from his after high school goal of playing college football. Even though his college choices aren't quite clear yet, he knows that these early mornings will pay off for his future goals in both his education and athletic standards. A regular day consists of waking up, going to work out at around 4 am, going to school, most likely having work right after school, coming home do homework and spending time with his family before heading to bed at the earliest 9:30 pm. The support of his family comes from both ways of not really caring to being a bit resistant. His siblings, for example, have been very vague about the whole idea. His mother, however, would rather have an alternate solution for his essential workout times, but as any parent would do, she still supports him as he says “she wasn’t the biggest fan at first, but she’s warming up to the idea.” Somehow through all of this, he also still finds time to make time for his friends. With the amount of effort put in each day, who wouldn’t want a scholar like Cole at their school? |
Life of a D1 athlete
By Darian Hoek, Kendall Ferguson & Edmund Ocansey
Chaney Neu is the star gymnast for the Champlin Park gymnastics team. Chaney has tons of accomplishments including the first perfect 10 on vault in Minnesota ever, a 9.725 on floor, and she also got her highest score on all around which was 39.125.
She explained how it is all about working hard and never giving up. She has been doing gymnastics since she was just three years old. She also informed us on how much her coach does for her and their team. She says “He is always very supportive and pushing us to get better.” Her family has no history of gymnastics or high level sports. She says “going to a division one school has always been a dream; hopefully it will happen.” Chaney says that she once almost quit gymnastics, but she came back to the sport and started dominating her competition. She also was on the varsity gymnastics team as an eighth grader and has been doing it ever since. Chaney thanks her coaches, teammates and mostly her parents. She explained how her parents have always motivated ger and supporting her through all of her decisions whether it be to stop doing gymnastics or end up pursuing it into college. |
Becoming a successful student athlete
By Cullen Mork
Alex Gamber was the starting center on the freshman A basketball team this past season at Champlin Park as a freshman.
His love for the game goes back to elementary school when he first started playing at around 4-years-old. Staying active and being around his friends are some of Alex’s favorite parts of basketball. At almost 6’ 4’’ Alex is the tallest person in his family, and with his large height, basketball came naturally. High school sports are demanding and take up a lot of your time outside of school. All of the pressure of performing on the court and in the classroom must be challenging with his full schedule during the season. While practicing or playing every day after school, he maintained a 3.65 grade point average. The question is how does he do it? As Alex explains that “staying up late is a necessity when getting his homework done.” Paying close attention and staying focused in class helps him do well on many of his tests and exams. Staying on top of his homework right after basketball ends is the key to exceeding in hard classes like honors English and science. School comes first over basketball for Alex and always has, but he has always been able to stay on top of both. School may be hard sometimes, but when you’re under lots of stress, juggling multiple activities and powering through it will improve your odds of success. Just work hard and stay focused and you’ll exceed in both school and sports. |
Bantam AA end season captain’s point of view
By Carli Thomas & Bradey Heisler
Hogan Sinjem captain of our Champlin Park Bantam AA team, along with co-captain Ethan Mus and their two assistant captains Nolan Peterson and Adam Fischer. Captain Hogan has been playing hockey for eleven years, two of which in Bantam.
Hogan is a very dedicated hockey player. Now that the season’s over, what’s he doing next? Hogan will continue playing hockey for the Minnesota Blades and also will be trying out for our Champlin Park High School team next year. Hogan plays center. He was a main scorer with his record being five points in one game. He believes the season went very well but didn’t go to state and thinks that would’ve made the season a lot better. “The team could’ve done better,” he says. The attitude of the team towards other players is not where he’d like it to have been. The team ended their season at the VFW tournament in Thief River Falls; they got second place. He said he will miss those out of town tournaments the most. Hogan ended the season with no injuries. He says he loved the coaches, and he wouldn’t change anything about how they coached. We asked him if over the years he grew closer to his teammates and he said “yes of course.” He says he’s closest to Nolan Peterson, Ethan Mus, and Jordan Ronn. Hogan was proud to play on the team with all the players but had a special place in his heart for the captains. He’s going to miss playing hockey with the team and wishes them the best in their future hockey careers. Hogan would love to play hockey professionally, but as of right now he doesn't know for who yet. We’ll just have to wait and see where his hockey skills will take him. Good luck to Hogan and the rest of the Bantam AA team. |
The Most Incredible Kick
By Sam Janhonen, Ben Xayabandith & Uchenna Egbujor
Green grass, vibrant blue sky, the feeling of the sun on his back and fresh air in his lungs.
Cyrus Carter, while on a soccer field at Andrews park with his brother and his friend, Cyrus performs an amazing feat while doing a back flip. A back flip in itself is impressive, however, he completed a bicycle kick on an airborne soccer ball and drilled the back of the net while landing perfectly flat on his feet. According to Cyrus it was “ the best moment of my life” and it was only dampened by the fact that no one recorded the kick. Cyrus told us that over the years, he's tried more than 100 times to do this but has always failed. He said his sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. His little brother who was present while Cyrus completed the kick was highly impressed with his older brother. During our interview with Cyrus one of Cyrus’s friends Cade told us he believed that Cyrus was capable of completing such a kick and was surprised that it had taken Cyrus as long as it had. |
A day in the life of a dedicated basketball player at CP
By Anthony Tra & Zach Shelby
Do you ever wonder the daily life behind a basketball player you see playing in a game?
It usually starts very early before school working hard on either homework or getting extra shots up. This can happen as early as 4:00 am for guys like Casey Morrisette and Cade Albers. Then when school starts they need to pay close attention in class due to limited time at home to focus on their academic studies. After school ends, the day is just getting started for them, as they have practice right after school. They practice until 5:00 pm, but sometimes they stay after to get some more shots up. When they are finished with practice, players like Cade and Casey go home, shower and eat, but sometimes they find it hard to finish their homework, as they are exhausted from the long day. When it comes to social life during the season, they find it hard to keep up with everything happening around them, including replying to texts and missed calls. Most social life occurs in school or at the home games. After their day is over, they wake up and do it over again. The daily life of a dedicated basketball player is very busy and exhausting but necessary to perform well on the court and in the classroom. |
From heart defect to varsity athlete
By Dillon Osberg & Mark Hagman
Champlin Park senior Kaiyre Lewis was born in Kansas city, Missouri and later moved to Blaine, Minnesota in the 9th grade.
Although it may look like Kaiyre is normal on the outside, within in him he has a very serious medical problem. He was born with a heart defect and had to undergo heart surgery when he was just a little baby, and had to spend quite some time in the hospital to recover from it. The doctor told his parents that they're not sure if he’ll ever be able to play sports, but that didn’t stop him in any way. He was on varsity football for two years and was a varsity wrestler for three. He even got voted as the captain of the wrestling team this year. Kaiyre has to have another open heart surgery when he graduates from high school, but if that didn't stop him from achieving his goals as a little kid, we don't think that it will stop him from pursuing his dream to play sports in college. |
Izzy Guy is a barrel of fun
By Annika Erickson & Hanna Lee
When you were five, you learned how to ride a bike. But when Izzy Guy was five, she learned how to ride a horse.
For her fifth birthday, her grandmother got her a pony. But, because of her competitive nature, Izzy had been introduced to barrel racing. Barrel racing is a timed rodeo event where the rider and their horse race around a track. The barrels are in a clover leaf pattern. That helps test the horse's athletic ability, the horsemanship skills of the rider, and the horse’s ability to maneuver in a pattern of the three barrels. The horse goes around one barrel, to another, and finally the third to complete the race. Izzy has been racing for five years; along the way she has won a few awards. In 2017, Izzy won the 2017 Minnesota Junior Reserve Champion for barrel racing. She was also the 2016 Fast N Furious 3D Champion. To win these awards, she trains all year round. She has an indoor arena to do so, and every night for four hours she trains with her horses. During the summer is when high school rodeos compete. |
Sophomore scores game winning goal
By Andrew McIntyre
Sophomore Will Heinen scores game winning goal to advance to the section finals.
There were three minutes left in the first round of sections, the opponent was Spring Lake Park, a team that we had easily defeated earlier in the season. Champlin Park was the number one seed in their section this year. Will Heinen had this to say “I had gotten the ball inside the box and wasn’t thinking about anything but putting it in the back of the net, I was unfazed by the pressure.” Ahmed had just stolen the ball then passes it to Armine, Armine then slips and falls which resulted in the ball landing in Wills sweet spot. The sophomore dribbles once up the pitch, then shoots and scores. Will then states that all he remembers was running to the corner of the field while looking back as the ball hit the back of the net. “GOALLLLLLL” says the announcer. This game winning goal lead Champlin Park to the section finals. Although confident, the Rebels sadly fell in their next game which eliminated them from qualifying for state. This thrilling story ends up leading this soccer squad to the best season it has had over the past five years. I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds like a bright future for our soccer community. |
A once in a lifetime experience
By Matt Graba, Dom Witt & Ray Hanson
Coming into the 2018 volleyball season, the Champlin Park Rebels were determined to make history.
They felt like this was their year, so they worked very hard. Jordan Stalpes, in particular, was determined to do something this school has never done. Champlin Park High school has never won a state championship in its 25+ years of being around. Throughout the season Jordan was dedicated and willing to do whatever it would take to get the ultimate victory. The season was very fun and Jordan enjoyed every bit of it. She loved playing with her teammates every single game. Before the championship game, Jordan’s emotions were running high, she was “stressed, nervous, anxious, but also very excited and amped.” After the game, Jordan was very emotional. She was very happy, and she said she even cried. All of her hard work this off-season really helped her and her team win the state championship. When asked to give one word that could wrap up the whole season, she said “dedicated.” Following the state championship game, she was awarded the All tournament team, All state team, and MVP of the championship game. Her hard work really paid off in the end. |
Super Bowl LII dancer
By Khadijah Fofana
Looking around at all the current and retired football players, Nyjah was excited to get the party started. She had been waiting all week for this one day.
She had been approached by a lady at her church to dance at the Super bowl LII pre-party. She used to dance at her Church from time to time, so she was a go-to for an opportunity like this. Nyjah, and a few selected individuals, practiced for weeks just for this one day. They knew it had to be perfect, so they put in effort. As the day came, Nyjah was excited seeing people she thought she would only ever see on her TV screen at home. Nyjah stated that a lot of people were watching, and they definitely had an amazing performance. She was pleased when she heard all the applause at the end of their performance. “We even learned how to clog with the famous Wild Goose Chasers” Nyjah said. Overall, Nyjah described the experience as a “blast,” and she would definitely do something like that again. |
A racing heart
By Brooke Murray
You’re fast.
You can feel the snow underneath your feet as you zoom down the side of a steep hill, and the crowd is cheering as you make it to the bottom. This is alpine racing. You get this thrill while doing this type of skiing. You’re fast, but you know that one wrong move could send you flying down the side of the hill. Or, for Gracie Thomason, there’s a chance of death. In races, there is a course of poles set up, and you have to ski around them. The goal is to be fast, and the faster the time, the better score you’ll get. Now for Gracie. She has something called Prolonged QT, which is a disorder which affects the heart rhythm. People with Prolonged QT are not recommended to do faster sports, like ski racing, but Gracie not only has been on our Alpine Ski Team for more than a year, she is one of the captains of the team; and she has a personal record of 33 seconds down the hill. Skiing at the age of two, and joining the team in her freshman year, Gracie hasn’t had any health related problems while skiing. Although, she does face risks when she skis. She told me that any time she goes skiing, there’s a possibility that she could collapse and die. It’s amazing that she keeps doing what she loves, even with how thing can go wrong. The only thing is that this whole thing only makes her more cautious. We can all learn something from her. |
Dirt bikes,Twitch and a whole lotta fun
By Payton Nelson
Jarod Ernest started dirt biking when he was 8. He says “If I had the choice, I'd skip school and just dirt bike all day.” He has many hobbies such as, football, baseball, but the one he enjoys the most is dirt biking.
Jarod has been dirt biking since he was 8. He enjoys dirt biking with his little brother Joe who also attends Champlin Park High School as a sophomore. I asked Jarod, who inspired you to start dirt biking? He said “My dad got me into it, but it's my favourite dirt biker that inspires me the most. Jeremy Steinberg, AKA Twitch, is my inspiration because he's really funny and is good at what he does. He changed the game by just being himself and I like that. Twitch also taught me how to build jumps and other cool stuff on his youtube channel.” |
Gymnast leaves the sport after 12 years
By Haleyna Young
One basketball game.
That all it took to damage Max’s supraspinatus muscle. The muscle that he damaged is in the shoulder, which lead him to quit the sport and hobby that he had for almost 12 years. It all started outside. He was shooting some hoops with some friends and then one wrong move that changed his life forever. Max Young, now a senior at Champlin Park High School, started gymnastic at the age of two and then joined the Twin City Twister boys team when he was 6. Max lived, slept and breathed gymnastic. He often missed out on traveling and experiencing new things because of his gymnastics schedule. While being at the gym was part of his social life, he now looks back and sees that he could have done so much more. At the end of Max’s gymnastics career he took up a new hobby: Frisbee Golf. This hobby helped him to get outside, and to talk with some friends. If Max wasn’t working out and making his routines “just right” you could see him at Twin City Twisters teaching kids how to do certain skills. He started working at TCT when he was 15 as a coach and continued to work there until this year. While balancing a job, school work (including PSEO), friends, and National Honor Society, you could say that Max kept busy in highschool but is ready to experience new things in college. Looking back on it all, Max was super busy with gymnastics. One thing that he regrets is traveling more and being a normal teen. Max said, “I could miss gym time but I would just fall behind.” He also said “I missed out on some Friday night activities. While my friends were having fun, I was working out.” |
Differences between soccer and volleyball
By Ellie Schmidt & Mia Blanchette
Soccer and volleyball are sports that can be played both indoors and outdoors with teams of either men or women.
But that's about where the similarities between the two end. The fundamentals for playing, rules, players' positions and physical requirements for each sport are very different, so skills and knowledge in one may not transfer over well to the other. Understanding the differences between them can help you determine which sport you want to participate in and which would better suit your skill set. Soccer and volleyball are fundamentally different in the way they are played. Volleyball is played using hands and arms to move the ball around the court. Soccer is played without the use of hands, except the goalie. The goalie can use their hands to grab or block the ball to defend the goal. The number of players on each team and the positions they play differ between the two sports as well. In a volleyball game, each team can have six players on the court at once, three in the front and three in the back. In soccer, each team can have no fewer than seven and no more than 11 players on the field at a time including the goalkeeper, according to FIFA guidelines. Soccer and volleyball are different in how the winning team wins. Determining the winner in soccer is fairly simple: get the ball in the other team's goal without using your hands and you score one point. The team with the most points at the end two 45-minute halves wins the game. Volleyball is a bit more complicated. If the ball is grounded on the opposing team's side, your team scores one point. But players have one hit to get the ball to the opposite side when serving, and three hits to get the ball to the opposite side when returning the ball. Also, only players at the net can spike the ball over the net. If a backcourt player hits the ball over the net, it must done from behind the 10 ft line. Further, a match consists of five sets. The first four sets are played to 25 points and the last set is played to 15 points. Each set must be won by two points, so sets will continue until this is achieved. The team who wins the best three of five sets wins the match. |
Aiming for another win next season
By Aleia Wilbur
30 shots to win. Literally.
Karlie Bizek (10) has this opportunity at every archery tournament. When Karlie was in sixth grade, she wanted to try the archery club; her older brother was already in the club. When Karlie joined, she was a natural at it. A few weeks later she got a letter saying she was invited to the archery team, and only five other girls in her grade were invited. Five years later, now the team is a big part of her life. “It's really special that my brother is in it too; we’re very competitive. I have made a lot of friends at archery and love to hang out with them outside of the team.” These are just a few of the aspects Karlie enjoys about the team. Archery helps improve your mental focus and concentration, which has helped Karlie in other aspects of her life. Not only has the team helped Karlie, but she helps the team. Last March, in the state archery tournament at Bemidji State University, Karlie shot a 290 (out of 300 possible points). This won her second place of all girls shooting at the tournament and fifth place of all archers in the state. Not only was this a huge honor for her but also greatly improved the team score. “While shooting, I wasn’t trying to add up my score. That just stresses me out” Karlie said with a laugh. “When I was done shooting I knew I had done well, but not THAT well! After I counted my points I ran to my mom crying. I was so happy!" Karlie's goal for this upcoming season is to get higher than a 290 by practicing whenever she can and at home. She also plans to continue to beat her brother at shootouts. |
Another win in state for CP gymnast Chaney Neu
By Natalie Notch
At the age of 13, Chaney Neu became the youngest gymnast in state history to win an all-around championship.
Last season, she won all-around, floor, and tied for first place in bars at the state conference making it her second year in a row winning state. Not only is Chaney an impressive athlete, she is also an impressive student. As a freshman, she finished the year with a 3.9 unweighted gpa. She says that working hard in school is just as important as working hard in sports. To add to her amazing victory and accomplishments, she was named “Player of the Year” by Star Tribune and was featured as a celebrity in this year’s back-to-school district video. “No I didn’t think I would win again, but I knew it was a possibility” she says. Chaney shares how she doubted her second victory, but she knows that she worked hard to take home the medal. As for her next season of high school gymnastics, Neu says she’s been doing better on bars and thinks she can really succeed on them this year. Yet again, Chaney doubts another victory in state, but she knows Champlin Park will always be cheering her on. |
The American Dream
By Hunter Sax & James Gbanjah
December 21, 2003, Queen and Eddie Jarpa had a kid by the name of Ernest Jarpa. This kid wonder was born in Donka Hospital in the city of Conakry, Guinea, and later due to hard times and a raging war he began to flee to Liberia.
Fast-forward 14 years. Today Ernest Jarpa is in America and a U.S citizen. His childhood in the U.S consists of bad neighborhoods, schools, bad influences and drugs this made his childhood rough and didn’t point him in a good direction. Later realizing it wasn’t the right play, he began to pursue a basketball career. He started getting hooked on the sport and his favorite player was Russell Westbrook, the point guard for NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder. He began taking basketball very seriously around fourth grade. Then he was also a wide receiver and a cornerback for the Minnesota Phelps. Eventually his football career ended in 7th grade after winning state in a 28-6 blowout. After that he thought his football years were over after that big accomplishment. Then he got fully dedicated his time to basketball as he played for the Champlin Park Rebels/Minnesota Crowns he got invited to multiple different all-star games including the “Under The Radar” Game. With the top hoopers in the Class of 2022, which he did exceptionally well in. In his ninth grade career, he said he would like to at least make to c/o 2021 team which will include other players like Grant Kayl. With this he will have to work hard many days when others are not to achieve this goal. In the future he also wants to play on the varsity team as a starter. “I would compare myself to a John Wall” said Ernest. “He has a dog in him most don’t and also a top five point guard in the league.” Many coaches see fire in Ernests eyes that makes him a special player. For this reason he has a bright future. |
D1 softball commit digs a new varsity sport
By Janice Rakow
The field vs. the court.
Senior Holly Blaska finds a new home away from home. As a sixth grader, Blaska was a multi-sport athlete playing both volleyball and softball for the Champlin Athletic Associations. After a year, she discovered where her heart was and decided to focus more on furthering her softball career. She is now playing volleyball and softball for Champlin Park High School at the varsity level for her final year of high school. Blaska’s decision to return to the court this fall was influenced by teammate Izzy Ashburn (12). Ashburn talked her into the idea of trying out, and after a few open gyms she decided to give it a shot. As well as playing during the high school season, she is also involved in power volleyball class at CPHS. Have it be her first year playing competitively, Blaska states that making varsity “was pretty exciting and a big accomplishment.” This season, she is currently playing middle blocker for the Rebels who are currently ranked number one (at the time of this article’s publication) in the state of Minnesota according to Max Preps. Besides making it to state for the fifth year in a row, Holly says that her biggest goal is “to be the best teammate and the best player I can be.” |
Bump, set, spike... out the stereotypes
By Aunya Chanthavongsa
Champlin Park Senior, Patrick Moua, enjoys his free time on the court.
“My passion and interest for volleyball began during my freshman year. I would play with my friends and family often over the summer and the more I played the more I fell in love with the concept of the game” Moua says. As Patrick continued to grow his love for volleyball, he gained an interest to play more competitively. In November of 2017, he tried out for the Men’s MN Select team in Maple Grove, MN and was excited to begin his journey with the Selects for their 2017 fall season. I asked a few of my classmates what they thought of when they heard the word “volleyball,” and the most popular response was “I imagine females bumping a ball back and forth on a court.” Also, according to a sports article published by The Collegian, “Many spectators perceive volleyball as ‘a girl’s sport’.” When asked how he felt about this statement, Patrick said he supports this claim and disagrees on how these spectators typically perceive the required skills of the sport, and that it’s unfortunate that volleyball is seen as predominantly female. He says he’ll continue to introduce the sport to more male spectators and try and increase the love for the sport to both genders. “There is so much more to it then ‘hitting a ball back and forth on a court”. Patrick said he often feels not many males are given the opportunity to play the sport, and when given so they eventually see the true technique behind it. “Sure Volleyball isn’t as physically aggressive as football or hockey, but that shouldn’t automatically make it a girls sport. You gain the same competitive mindset as you would any sport, the intensity is just at a different angle. ” When Patrick plays at local open gyms around the Brooklyn Park area it’s usually co-ed. However when he plays with just male athletes, the intensity of the game changes, making his passion for the game increase. Patrick plans to continue to improve his skill playing with the MN Selects, and is anxiously awaiting to hear how his love for volleyball will extend this 2018-2019 season. |
Football fenom
By Tyler Hanson & Carter Jokinen
“Miller Killer” The students chanted as Jaice Miller proceeded to his second touchdown of the night. Jaice Miller has been playing the sport of football almost his entire life. But he has always only played one position: quarterback.
Although this year, his junior year, he made the switch to playing wide receiver for our Champlin Park Rebels. We interviewed him about this and he said “ It was hard in the beginning because I had to learn to play a new position that I have never played before but after a few practices I got the hang of it.” As many of you know, in the first game of the season when the Rebels took on East Ridge, Jaice caught two touchdowns in that game to lead the Rebels to a 27-23 win in the season opener. We asked him about this and he said “It was a crazy feeling, my first varsity touchdown. I’m excited for the rest of the season.” Jaice is more than ready to continue his hot streak throughout the remainder of the year and beyond. We hope that his success will continue throughout the rest of the Rebels season and into the future as this young star continues his football career as a Rebel. |
Record Breaker
By Izzy Quick
Senior guard Erica Hicks has been playing basketball almost her entire life and has been excelling in it ever since, but her senior year of High School basketball is one for the books.
While facing many obstacles during the season, whether it’s managing school by getting ahead on the weekends, or not knowing when she’ll be able to return due to injuries. Still, she managed to achieve many great accomplishments. With just six regular season games left in the season and only a few points away from becoming a big part in Champlin Parks history , Erica hits a shot to break the girls all time leading scorer record set at 1,513 points. After hitting the shot, Erica said “It felt great, almost a sense of relief knowing all my hard work had paid off”. Erica broke 1,000 points as a Junior and ended her career with 1,650 points. Also, being selected for the All-State team for class 4A. Although Erica will not be going on to play basketball in college, she will never forget all the relationships she has made with her teammates, and especially all the accomplishments she has made throughout her high school career. |
Boynton breaks CP wins record
By Jack Karges
30 wins.
That’s how many it took for starting boys hockey goaltender, Brennan Boynton, to break the school record. This feat wasn’t accomplished or prepared for without any work. Boynton credits his hard work and dedication to the game for achieving this record. Furthermore, he added another win towards the end of the season to extend the record to 31 wins, with another year of high school hockey left to play. Boynton’s most memorable win came on Jan. 13th of his junior season. A 38-save performance led the Rebels to a victory over the 8th ranked Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers. However, he recalled that his most memorable performance was a 69-save performance against the #1 ranked Elk River Elks his sophomore season. Boynton thanks his parents, coaches, and teammates for helping him make it this far, especially crediting his dad. The 4-year starter is being recruited by UNH and Princeton at the Division I level. Boynton plans to play in either the NAHL or the USHL after his senior season. Champlin Park’s netminder believes the team will continue to grow next year. He feels lucky to have been able to play in Minnesota high school hockey and dreams of making it to the state tournament with the Rebels in his final season. |
Underdog team on their way up
By Alyssa Stommel & Ella Carlson
The youngest…and the worst.
Working her butt off this summer, a well loved teacher, Ms. Carlson played on a kickball team last spring through fall. Her team was youngest, yet it the was worst team. Although they had the most injuries, they trained hardcore, nonstop to make up for it. She tells us that kickball is a lot harder than you would think. She once fooled a Spanish speaking team by telling them (in Spanish) to run left instead of right. Ms. Carlson also got kicked out of her first game by chucking the ball at someone’s head. Students came to the games to cheer her on at the end of the season in the fall which really motivated her. Although they were the worst team, they are the “underdog team on their way up.” |
Life of a D1 Volleyball commit
By Hannah Prasky & Aubree Leste
Only four percent of high school athletes end up on college teams for their sport. And only two percent end up at a division one school.
Emma Schmidt, starting outside hitter at Champlin Park High School, has always dreamed of playing D1 Volleyball since she started the sport. Emma committed to University of Northern Iowa at the start of her junior year. Emma said “It is relieving to know all my hard work has paid off, and I know where my future will take me next.” It isn’t easy for any athlete to play in college, let alone division one. Many sacrifices in Emma’s life were made, such as missing out on events, and other activities for extra training or tournaments. At the end of many choices, and multiple hours spent in the gym, Emma chose UNI, as she says “ So I could play volleyball at a high level, attend a highly educated school, and still be close to my friends and family at home.” We’re all very proud of Emma and all of her accomplishments. She will be very successful, and do many great things in her college career. |
No time to relax with lax
By Jonah Salzwedel, Blake Bachand & Sam Knutson
Caden Nafstad (10) plays lacrosse for Champlin Park high school. Before lacrosse even starts, every kid trying out is expected to go to captain’s practice every week night. Captains practice is two hour long and is usually from 8:00-10:00 PM. So before the season even starts, players are expected to be cutting into their sleep to practice and take two hours out of their already busy nights to get ready for tryouts.
Once tryouts start, they span for one week and are from 8:00 to 11:00 PM every night. Making JV or Varsity will depend if your time commitment will grow or stay the same. Caden is on JV, and he practices for two hours per day and six days of the week with other events like team weight lifting. Come mid-April, the season will be in full stride and the boys will be playing two to three games a week with tournaments normally every other weekend while still practicing five to six times a week. “Lacrosse is an extremely fun sport, and I highly recommend people try out” said Caden. |
2017-2018 Minnesota Wild
By Gavin Rinehart, Sydney Paine, Alexa Salo & Nyah Ashanti
The Minnesota Wild are in fifth place in the Central drivison as they pass the halfway point in the season. The Wild have played 46 games which included 24 victories, 17 losses and 5 overtime losses. The Wild have been battling injuries and illness all season but with the return of star Zach Parise and Nino Niederreiter the season is looking up for the team.
Eric Staal is leading the team with 19 goals and 19 assist that equal to a total of 38 points. Mikael Granlund is not far behind with 36 points that included 13 goals and 23 assist. And in third is Jason Zucker with 33 points with 17 goals and 16 assist. The rest of the Wild team is doing there part with blocking shots, winning faceoffs and hitting the other team. The wild are hoping for a playoff berth, and will compete for the rest of the season to earn it. |
The GOAT
By Cooper Olson & Jaice Miller
On December 30th, 1984, the greatest basketball player of all time was born. LeBron Raymone James. He attended St. Vincent- St. Mary high school where he became a super star. He soon was known as “The Chosen One.”
LeBron skipped college and went straight into the NBA. He was drafted number one in the 2003 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His hometown team. In his first game in the NBA, LeBron scored 25 points. He went on to average 20.9 points in his first season. Along with 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. These numbers helped him get the rookie of the year award. He became the first Cavalier to receive this award. LeBron is now in his 15th season in the NBA. Throughout his career he has achieved many things. He has been named the Most Valuable Player of the league three times. He is a three time champion. He has been an all-star 14 years in a row. Those are just a few of his many accomplishments. LeBron is currently 32 years old. He currently sits 7th all time for points. He also sits 12th all time in assists. If Lebron keeps scoring the way he is and plays until he is 40 he has a good chance to become the league leading all time scorer. |
House basketball legends
By Jay Vang & Johnston Freeman
The 3 on 3 tournament at Champlin Park is one of the biggest events in the state of Minnesota. There are hundreds of people watching, even D3 scouts.
This tournament takes two days and goes from 8am to 6pm on both days. Each team has 10 players, but they divide to two teams (red and blue) for the tournament. The rules for these games are different. Instead of having 8, 5 minute periods per game, each game is 20 minutes long. Subbing is allowed after every whistle, unlike a regular game where each player plays all 5 minutes in their assigned period. BPAA-Martinez is a powerhouse basketball team. They have won the 3 on 3 tournament two years in a row (red bracket). They are currently 2-1 in regular season play, with their only loss coming from the number two ranked team in the league. BPAA-Martinez is currently sitting at #6 in the league’s standings. Another Powerhouse BPAA team is BPAA-Kovacovich. Although they did not win first place in the tournament, they are still sitting first in the league with a record of 3-0 and point differential of +82. Both teams are hoping to face off in the mid season Jaboree to test out each other skills before the end of the season tournament. They are currently in the gold bracket, the best bracket in the league. |
The greatest shooter ever
By Jay Vang & Johnston Freeman
Stephen Curry coming out of high school and even college, was considered “undersized” for the NBA. Now, standing at 6’3” and weighing in at 190 pounds he has grown out of that “undersized” name.
Curry has changed the game of basketball, from his crazy shooting ability to the unwanted brand of Under Armour. When he won his first MVP award, there were so many videos of kids shooting from “Stephen Curry Range” “Stephen Curry Range” is a way of saying way beyond the arc (three point line). A lot of people bought his first signature shoes, even though Under Armour was not a top brand shoe for basketball. He is probably the best shooter in NBA history. Ray Allen has long been considered the best and held the three point record in a season for six years (2006-2012). Curry beat Allen’s record in his fourth year in the NBA, and could’ve beaten it earlier as he was injured in most of his first three seasons. Allen had made 269 three pointers in a single season, while Curry shattered the record by recording 272 in a single season. He then beat it again three more times, his highest being 402. He is the first person ever in NBA/ABA history to have over 300 hundred then also over 400 hundred three pointers made in a season. Stephen Curry is currently eighth in total three pointers made (2072) in NBA history. He is only 901 away from tying Ray Allen’s record (2973). At the pace that he is on he will beat in 3-4 seasons. He truly is the best shooter ever. |
4 best reasons you should be on the Trap and Skeet team
By Jake Lande
Trap and Skeet is all about shooting clay targets traveling 40 mph in random directions. It is becoming one of the fastest growing sports nationwide, and for good reason. It’s a difficult sport to master but when you do it is extremely satisfying. So why should you consider joining? Here’s why:
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The new wave
By Cooper Olson & Jaice Miller
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most prestigious teams in NBA History. They have won 16 NBA championships with their latest being in 2010.
With Kobe Bryant retired from the league, the Lakers have some rookies running the show. Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball, are both rookies who are putting up big numbers. Lonzo Ball has been averaging 10.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 7.1 apg. While Kuzma has been averaging 16.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.9 apg. At the moment, the Lakers record is 19-30. Even though they are looking better winning 7 of their last 10 games. The Lakers might not be in the playoffs this year, but in the next few years they are going to be tough to beat with so much young talent. They just need some more experience and they will be good. With a net worth of about 3 billion dollars, the Lakers are one of the richests teams in the NBA. That gives them the cap space to draw big time players. There are rumors that even some of the biggest stars like Lebron want to come play in Los Angeles. That team would be unstoppable. The lakers are the future of the NBA; you better watch out. |
Championship team
By Austin Thiphaseng
Ever since Kyrie Irving former Cleveland Cavaliers player has left the team, the next team to go to was the Boston Celtics, they have been doing an outstanding job making them the number one in the rankings with a 35-14 record so far, while Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling to even get a win.
The Boston Celtics really had to make some big adjustments to be the number one ranking. They sacrificed their number one point guard, Isaiah Thomas, with additional of a 2018 first round draft pick. It was a very risky trade but from what it looks like they have made a great decision. I also think that the Boston Celtics will make it to the finals with the Golden State Warriors and will sweep Golden State. The record in the finals will be 4-2 Boston taking it all, with the rivalry between the two point guard stars, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. This will be a great match up between one another. The Boston Celtics are really on a uprise from here on out; they will keep on winning and will continue to become the best team in the league. If the 2018 Boston Celtics keep this performance up, it will be the best year for the Boston Celtics yet. They have many pieces to become a championship team. If they take this championship, it’ll be their first in 10 years. |
Soccer is one of the world’s most popular sports
By Kevin Arthur & Jack Bovy
Over the years, soccer has become the most played sport worldwide. Outside the United States, most of the richest athletes play soccer as professionals. Soccer does not require much skill, it is more about your physical ability, endurance and ability to kick the ball in different directions. Almost every country has a National Soccer team that competes in the World Cup. Most soccer stars are recognized a lot and are role models for the uprising stars. There are about 10,000 fans at a professional soccer game.
However, some people play soccer to get in shape and keep the body moving. Since it is more of a running sport, people tend to use it as a form of exercise. In the United States, soccer is not valued as much as football and basketball, but it’s still the most popular sport in most parts of the world. |
The greatest dunker of all-time
By Cooper Olson & Jaice Miller
Vince Carter is considered the greatest dunker ever. In the 2000 Olympics he stole a pass and took aim at posterizing 7-foot-2 center Frederic Weis, a 1999 15th-overall pick of the New York Knicks who never played a single NBA game. Vince jumped over the defender and slammed it down, people still talk about it today.
He was invited to the 2000 NBA slam dunk competition, that was where he proved that he was the best dunker in the NBA. throwing down a 360 Windmill. A windmill from starting under the basket. Also an Alley-oop between the legs dunk. Vince Carter is still dunking today in the NBA. He is 40 years old but still going strong. Whenever you see him on TV, he still throws down his crazy dunks. At age 40 Vince Carter can still between the legs dunk, we would just be happy to between the legs dunk ever. No one will ever forget his amazing dunks, he is and was like a super hero to many kids growing up. Vince Carter is the best dunker ever without any debate. |
Undrafted star leads Vikings into playoffs
By Jack Foss, Bryce Petit, Alex Sewell & Hamdija Mustafic
In a year of unforgettable sports stories, Minnesota’s own NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings has stood out.
By leading the Vikings in receptions with 91 catches and yards receiving with 1,276 yards, good for fifth in the NFL, Adam Thielen truly has arrived onto the scene as one of the NFL’s top receivers. But unlike many other top receivers, Thielen’s trip to the top was a bit unorthodox. Growing up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, a mere 200 miles from the Vikings current home, U.S. Bank Stadium, Thielen grew up a Vikings fan, especially of star receiver Randy Moss. Even though Thielen finished high school an All-State player, he drew little D1 interest. Instead, Thielen went and played D2 football at Minnesota State-Mankato, where he steadily improved into one of the top receivers in the division. But once again, NFL interest in Thielen was low, invited to a tryout with his hometown Vikings, Thielen was staring down the end of his football career. Luckily for Thielen, the Vikings interest was true and he was invited to training camp in the summer. After the ensuing camp, he was cut again but signed to the practice squad where he spent the rest of the season. The next year, Thielen was determined to make the regular season roster and, after a strong preseason, he did and became a standout on special teams. Thielen was satisfied to make it, but hungry for more. Over the next two seasons, his production steadily grew until this season when he truly caught fire. Thielen was named to the Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro team along with bringing the vikings to the playoffs and the 2 seed for the NFC. Thielen is great example of how some players with tremendous talent slip through the cracks at the highest level. But you can know for sure, there are plenty of NFL executives who wish they’d given Adam Thielen a chance. |
The case for KAT
Aaron Kilyun
Standing seven feet tall, Karl Anthony Towns is arguably the best player on the Wolves. In fact, a case can be made that he is one of the best centers in the entire NBA.
So far in the 2017-2018 season, he is averaging 20.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and having a 0.532 field goal percentage per game, which is a pretty remarkable feat. Born in New Jersey to an African-American father and Dominican mother, he excelled in both basketball and education through school, graduating with a 3.96 GPA. After aiming to be a doctor his freshman year of college at Kentucky University, he later committed most of his time to basketball. He played with teammates such as Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, and Willie Cauley-Stein, who all eventually played for the NBA. In his first year in the league, 2015, he earned the rookie of the year award. He continues to be a very consistent player and makes a huge impact for the Wolves. He may, after all, be the best player on the team. |
Reasons why Joel Embiid will become a great player
By Abdi Hadafow, Yarik Prohorovich & Ray Njau
Joel Embiid start in the NBA was severely negative. After getting drafted in 2014, he missed his rookie season and sophomore season. Embiid is, of course, is not expected as well as the other players in his new class. Since he is coming off an injury and the rest of the rookies were healthy.
Although that doesn’t define what type of career he was going to have. Dominance is one thing we’ve known about Joel from his time with the Kansas Jayhawks. It’s always been a hard time for the defenders attempting to control him in the paint. Even if you can get in front of him with his strength he can probably get through you. This is the type of game that helps lead teams to wins and one of the main reasons the Sixers made sure they picked him even with his injury. During his time with the Sixers he has developed into an amazing rim protector. Being 7’2” is an advantage while playing defense, but his size and strength let him and do some spectacular things that other centers can’t. Embiid is great at contesting shots players that try to attack the rim averaging 2.3 blocks in his career. Embiid has one of the best young teammates, and they got to debut together -Ben Simmons. Although Joel Embiid was unable to get cleared in time for the summer league, we got to see how wonderful Simmons can put the ball anywhere on the floor. Imagine how easy it’s going to be for Simmons to set up Embiid once they get on the floor tighter. Joel Embiid, if he stays healthy will be an elite center in the league. He is an elite defender already. Offensively, he is a menace in the paint due to his various skills and physical tools. Although he is a bit raw offensively with all the turnovers he averages. However Embiid is an exceptionally fast learner so I have no doubt in my mind that he will become one of the best to walk on the court. |
The secrets behind why you should join cheerleading
By Roxana Arnold
Being in the cheerleading team can be fun because we get to make new friends, meet new people, we cheer for a team and make close friendships with the cheerleaders and coaches.
We can travel with the team we cheer for at their finals, we perform perform a dance or some cheers in front everyone at the pep fest and we go on parades on the summer. Being in cheer comp, we get to compete with different schools, and cheerleading teams, and we get to make new friends with the other cheerleading teams. We get to bond with sideline cheer and comp cheer, we get our cheer uniform order and some other clothes for the cheer season. In the spring we can go to the cheer camp, we can go tumbling with the tumbling coach and other cheerleaders that sign up for tumbling class. being in cheer can make you flexible and good at doing jumps. Your cheer team can be your second family and you can forget about bad and rough times you're going through in your life. These are some reasons you should join the school's cheer teams. |
Dance competition day
By Kaile Cosman
The smell of fresh air, the morning sunrise, and the lovely sound of birds chirping outside, just as I remember it’s competition day. The day of dance competitions brings so much excitement.
Dance competitions are my favorite; from the time I get up in the morning, until the time I get home, I am constantly going. I love every part of competitions. I love watching others dance and supporting my friends as they go out and perform their best. I love practicing and getting ready to go on stage to dance. At the end of the day, I love the feeling that comes with knowing you practiced and performed the hardest and best you ever have, knowing that you and your team did their best. |
2018 NBA Honors predictions
By Evan Schulte
After every NBA season, a select group of sportswriters vote on the year's best players. The player who receives the most votes in a category is named its winner. Here are my predictions for the winners of the 2018 NBA Honors.
MVP:
Defensive Player of the Year:
Rookie of the Year:
Most Improved Player:
Sixth Man of the Year:
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Mastering Freerunning series: “Backflip”
By Davis McElmurry & Rodnee Yang
Step 1: Start in a straight posture looking forwards with your arms in a high position to swing back and up.
Step 2: As you swing your arms back start into the eagle position you want to squat down to build up your set for the flip. The angle of your squat shouldn’t go too deep down to the point where it takes too much energy or too high to the point you get no power to it. There should be a happy medium between them which is found by countless hours of practice. Step 3: Now you’re ready for the set of the back flip. Swing your arms as hard as you can. Throw straight up over your shoulders and jump straight up going off the balls of your feet. As you take off--spot at a point in the sky. Don’t whip your head straight back. Your rotation comes from your knees going to your chest NOT whipping your head straight back. Step 4:As you‘re spotting the sky, drive your knees to your chest as hard as you can whilst tensing your core. Step 5: Tuck as hard as you can. It doesn’t matter if you feel like tucking under the hamstring or tucking over your shins/knees. This is based on personal preference, but generally speaking, for the most efficient tuck you want to tuck over than under. Step 6: Spot the landing as you come down and start to release your rotation from your tuck. Release too late and then you will land hard, and if you release too early, you might not make it all the way around. The timing of untucking comes with confidence from practice. Step 7: Land on the balls of your feet and bend down to absorb the impact of the back flip. If possible, try not to land on the heel of your foot because it can bruise your heel if landed improperly, especially if it’s on a hard surface like concrete. Step 8: Once you landed your first back flip be sure to celebrate! Give yourself credit for being able to something that most people can’t do. |
Top 5 most popular sports watched in America
By Melanie Baker & Greta Bahe
According to Statista, Americans spend five hours watching sports each week. These are the top five sports that people watch on TV.
The Top most watched sports on tv according to “Sporteology”. 1. American Football According to “By the Numbers” 64% of Americans watch football: 73% of men and 55% men. 2. Baseball According to “CBS Sports” 48% of U.S. adults over 18 years of age watched an MLB game between 2011-2012. 3. Basketball According to “Morning Consult” 32% of Americans watch Basketball on TV throughout the year. 4. Ice Hockey According to “ The Atlantic” 22% of Americans watch hockey during the playoffs which is the most out of the year. 5. Soccer According to “Morning Consult” 16% of Americans watch college soccer. |
5 most important injuries this NFL season
By Evan Schulte
Injuries have dramatically changed the trajectory of this NFL season. High profile players on contending teams have been lost for the season. Here are the top five most important NFL injures by week six.
1. Aaron Rodgers Rodgers is considered to be the best quarterback in the league, making this injury especially devastating. Before he broke his collarbone in a week six loss the Vikings, the Packers were a Super Bowl contender. Now there is serious doubt if they will even make the playoffs. No single player in the NFL raises the ceiling of his team more than Rodgers. 2. J.J. Watt 2017 was supposed to be a comeback season for the three-time defensive player of the year. Watt missed all but three games in 2016 with a herniated disc in his back. Fully recovered from his corrective surgery, Watt was primed to dominate the league once again. Since being drafted in 2011, Watt leads all defensive lineman with 76 sacks and became the only player in NFL history to record 20+ sacks in two separate seasons. After several years of defensive excellence, the Texans offense is finally starting to improve. For the first time in Watts career, his team is balanced and had a chance to make a deep playoff run. His loss is a major blow to the Texans playoff chances. 3. Eric Berry Eric Berry has consistently been one of the best safeties in the league when he can stay healthy. After overcoming a torn ACL and leukemia, Berry dominated in 2016 earning first team all pro honors. In the first game of this season against the Patriots, Berry helped shut down Rob Gronkowski and secure a Chiefs win. Sadly, Berry suffered a Achilles tear and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. 4. Odell Beckham Jr. Since entering the NFL in 2014, Beckham Jr has been one of the league's most dynamic players. Since 2014, Odell ranks third in receiving yards with 4424 and first in receiving touchdowns with 38. He was an essential part to the 2016 Giants 11-5 record and was primed for another dominant season. In week five Beckham fractured his left ankle, ending his season. This looks to be the last nail in the coffin for the 1-5 Giants. 5. Dalvin Cook Cook was making a case for rookie of the year before his gruesome non contact ACL tear. The Viking back had collected 354 yards and two touchdowns before his week four injury. At the time of his injury, the Vikings were already down their starting QB and were relying on Cooks dynamic running to open up the field. Without him the team has been inconsistent in both the rushing and passing game. |
How Barry Bonds ruined baseball
By Evan Schulte
In 2007, when Barry Bonds retired amongst scandal, baseball was changed forever.
When it came out that the sport's biggest name, Bonds, had been using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), it opened fans eyes to the reality of the last 10 years of baseball. The late 90’s and early 00’s of baseball were defined by the boom in home runs. Players like Mark Mcgwire, Sammy Sosa and Bonds captured the nation's attention with their yearly home run record chasing. Baseball’s popularity exploded in these years, and it looked as if baseball was once again America's sport. After the realization that Bonds used PEDs, it soon came to light that many other stars from this era were also using. Many fans were disgusted by the impure state of baseball that they stop following the sport all together. In the years that have passed, baseball's reputation has slowly healed. However, anytime a player is playing exceptionally well it is assumed they are using PEDs. The damage that the steroid era has caused is still being felt across the sport. |
The future of Rebels basketball
Kato Seley
Last year the Champlin Park boys basketball team was very successful. They held a undefeated record all season but fell short to the Eagles from Apple Valley in the state tournament final.
The Champlin Park Rebels were lead by a very talented starting five with all five having D1 ability. So who will lead the Rebels this year? I sat down with returning varsity player and future captain senior guard Josiah Strong and asked him some questions. I asked what are your goals for the team this upcoming season? Josiah’s reply was “Get back to state, win the conference, also win 20+ games. The ultimate goal is to win state but by baby steps.” Josiah said that his individual goals are to average 25 points 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game, to be a Mr. Basketball top five finalist, and to get a high major division 1 offer. Josiah just came off a monster AAU season with PowerHouseHoops playing across the country against the best players in the country. The Rebels captain holds many offers from Army, Navy, and Kanas city. Can he be what the Rebels need to get back to where they were last year? Let’s hope so. Come out and see your Rebels this year. The first game of the season is Saturday December 9th @Hopkins VS New Prague. |
Volleyball star lets us into her life
Abdishakur Hadafow
Imagine playing in a state final game as a freshman.
For Jordan Stalpes, this is a reality. When she’s not playing volleyball, Jordan finds time to help the kids in her neighborhood by tutoring or teaching them some of volleyball techniques. She said that she wants to make sure that they get the help that they need to in order to succeed in life and become the best people they can be. After her high school season ends, she plays with Minnesota Select which is ranked number one in the state of Minnesota. Jordan has been a 4.0 student since the beginning of middle school. What makes that even more shocking is that she takes every honors class there is while playing volleyball. When I asked her how she does it she said “ I just make sure to set my priorities straight.” During the times she has off she takes vacations with her family to several different countries such as Mexico, Canada, and England. She visits art museums to get an understanding of what their cultures are like in comparison to her home country. |
Star goalie becomes captain
By Bennett Otto
With a percent save of 91.5%, Boynton has been a key to the success of the Rebels hockey team.
Brennan Boynton has been playing hockey since he was four-years-old. He first learned to skate at Andrews Park in Champlin, Minnesota. He was first taught by his father, who had been playing since he was young as well. Brennan found his love as a goalie from the very beginning. He has been playing for the Champlin Park youth hockey program for 12 years and then joined the high school team and was talented enough to make varsity as a freshman. After two successful years as varsity goalie, Brennan was nominated for captain as a Junior. “I felt very honored and excited to be able to customize the new jerseys and sweatshirts and I plan to lead the team to the state tournament” said Boynton. Boynton is currently in the process of getting recruited. Many teams have interest in him. A few of these teams include the University of New Hampshire and Saint Cloud. He has been working with the Minnesota Gophers coach over the summer. He also went to the UNH elite camp over the summer. With hockey season right around the corner, Brennan is ready to make his final decision for college and lead the Rebels to a successful season. |
17-year-old gymnastic star from Champlin
By Ser'William Humphrey
Olivia Trautman (11) is a phenomenal gymnastic stand out for the Twin Cities Twisters located in Champlin Minnesota. Her success has taken her to extreme heights with major colleges offering a chance only a lucky few have been able to acquire. LSU ,Georgia ,UCLA ,and Nebraska but the school she picked was the University of Oklahoma , Olivia said "I loved the atmosphere when I entered the facility it felt like somewhere I could call home” also Olivia said “I felt the coaches really wanted my best interest that's why I chose them.” Her career with the Twin Cities Twisters started around the age of 3 when she fell in love with the sport.
From then on and worked her tail off to be the best. She loves to do every event at a gymnastics meet but her favorites would have to be vaulting and floor. Olivia said “ I love soaring high through the air and doing different things to get big scores during competitions.”
Interviewing Olivia was breathtaking with her impeccable resume of wins she has role models like Simone Biles and Shawn Johnson both of these athletes took their talents to the next level and winning gold in an Olympics.
Olivia Trautman still has high school to finish, but when she does, she will take the gymnastics world by storm.
From then on and worked her tail off to be the best. She loves to do every event at a gymnastics meet but her favorites would have to be vaulting and floor. Olivia said “ I love soaring high through the air and doing different things to get big scores during competitions.”
Interviewing Olivia was breathtaking with her impeccable resume of wins she has role models like Simone Biles and Shawn Johnson both of these athletes took their talents to the next level and winning gold in an Olympics.
Olivia Trautman still has high school to finish, but when she does, she will take the gymnastics world by storm.
Top 10 golf courses in the Twin Cities
By Jake Jaccott
10. The Refuge Golf Club (Oak Grove, Minnesota).
9. Victory Links Golf Course (Blaine, Minnesota).
8. Majestic Oaks Golf Club (Ham Lake, Minnesota).
7. The Links at Northfork (Ramsey, Minnesota).
6. Bunker Hills Golf Club (Coon Rapids, Minnesota).
5. Rush Creek Golf Club (Maple Grove, Minnesota).
4. Edinburgh USA (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota).
3. North Oaks Country Club (North Oaks, Minnesota).
2. Golden Valley Country Club (Golden Valley, Minnesota).
1. TPC Twin Cities (Blaine, Minnesota).
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Who are we? Titans!
By Johnny Vang
Most people don't have a clue what Hmong Flag Football (HFF) is. Most people even think that Flag Football is weak or trash. But Flag Football is more difficult than it seems. Hmong Flag Football isn't that much different from tackle football. “Basically tackle football but with adjusted rules as you cannot tackle a person, so you have to pull a flag that's wrapped around their waist” said Anthony Vang (11). Anthony Vang is a flag football player for a team call Titans.
He plays DE, Center, TE, MLB, and RG. His favorite game he's played in was up against ESPN. “ESPN because it was fun playing against another classmate, and playing against more experience and larger people.” said Anthony. Titans has four captains on the team and one of them name is Austin Thiphaseng. Austin has been playing flag football since 2013. “I was a young buck that sat on the bench, but as the years went on I became captain of my team” said Austin(11). Austin plays DE and Wide Receiver. The way Titans was created was “by a group of friends who played flag football, who use to play for a team called Avengers. Titans started with a group of friends that weren't all that close but football built a bond between us”. Titans had a record of 3-3 last season. Hmong Flag Football is across the whole U.S. The top states that do Hmong Flag Football are California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Hmong Flag Football rules are the same as Eau Claire Rule Book with nine people each team. Just like the NFL Super Bowl, every July, Hmong people from around the U.S. comes to Minnesota to play against other teams. There are leagues from Men’s, Women’s, and High school leagues. Every year there’s a new team. Let’s see who wins this year! |
The best things about golf
By Joey Roberts
Golf is a sport that challenges a person both mentally and physically, making every shot important, with great patience and love for the game. The game of golf is played with respect, on and off the course.
Golf was introduced to me by my dad when I was young. I became fascinated with the game, always wanting to improve and play more golf. The atmosphere of golf is one of my favorite things. The sun is shinning, the birds are chirping, and you are walking to your next shot with the main goal of getting the ball into the hole with the least amount of shots. With every shot, focus is needed to shoot the best you can. My favorite thing about the game is the feeling after a great shot that fills my body with excitement. The game of golf has been around for centuries and will continue to entertain and provide enjoyment for everyone. |
A recap on the Masters
By Joey Roberts
Sergio Garcia does it. He wins his first major, closing the gap of 73 majors without a first place finish.
The Masters took place at Augusta National Golf Course, in Georgia. Augusta National is a golf course founded by two legends of the game, Cliff Roberts and Bobby Jones. Sergio Garcia won a prize of 1.98 million dollars, with the total Masters purse being 11 million. Throughout Sergio’s golf career, he has made over 70 million dollars from endorsements and tournament payouts. The Spanish golfer finishes his final round with a score of 9 under par, forcing a sudden death playoff round with Justin Rose. The 18th hole is the designated place for the first hole of the playoff. Sergio Garcia finishes the 18th hole with a birdie, and Justin Rose finished with a bogey, making Sergio Garcia the 2017 Masters champion. Sergio Garcia is now ranked the 7th best golfer in the world! |
The history of the Minnesota Timberwolves
By Luke Stoughton
The fact the Minnesota Timberwolves have never won an NBA championship is really sad. So far there have been 27 seasons for the Timberwolves, and only 7 out of the 27 we had a winning record. There have been 2 years when they went 15-67.
Timberwolves have done some very stupid trades in the past, like trading Ray Allen and a first round draft pick to get Stephon Marbury. The Wolves have also made some terrible draft decisions like drafting Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn and not picking Stephen Curry. The Timberwolves have always been known for being a bad NBA team, but they have some young talent on the team right now. The future looks bright for them. They have five good players that are twenty-two or less. (Andrew Wiggins-21,Karl-Anthony Towns-21,Zach Lavine-21,Tyus Jones-20,Kris Dunn-22). One of the best Timberwolves players of all time is Kevin Garnett. The Timberwolves drafted Kevin in 1995, and he was the fifth pick of the first round. He was on the Timberwolves for 15 years. Garnett just retired at age 40. Many people think that in two or three years the Timberwolves could be NBA champions if they can keep their young talent. The future should be brighter than the past. |
NBA MVP race
By Nick Brekke & Cabaas Abdulkadir
Right now, the four main players in the NBA MVP race are Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Lebron James. The top two players now are Westbrook and Harden. They are currently playing against each other in the playoffs. The crazy thing about these two players are that they were former teammates.
The reasons why Westbrook is in the MVP talk is because he started of the season great with lots of triple doubles ( More than 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assist). He ended up breaking the NBA record for most triple doubles in a season. He carried his team into the playoffs with no other all star player on his team. He is also one of the clutchest players in the league. James Harden is in the MVP talk because he has over 20 triple doubles also with no other all star players. He leads the league in assists per game and is second in scoring. Another reason people are saying he's MVP is because of his great scoring. James Harden is one of the best at scoring when his team needs a basket. The third Player in the MVP talk is Kawhi Leonard. One reason why he is in the MVP talk is because he is one of the best all around players in the league today. He is also known for being one of the best defensive players in NBA history. The difference between him and Westbrook and Harden is that Kawhi has allstar players on his team. The fourth player in the MVP talk is Lebron James. The crazy the thing about Lebron is that he has been in the MVP talk his whole career. The reason why Lebron is in the MVP talk because even though he has two other all stars he makes every player around him better. He made it to the championship with one of the worst playoff teams of all time because he carried the team there. These are the top four candidates for the 2017 NBA MVP. There were a lot more players in the talk at the beginning of the year but injury and other things brought them out of it. The award will be announced in the beginning of June. One thing in common with all of these players is that they're always the one with the ball at the end of games because they're teams trust them. |
Soccer fever: not a disease
By Joe-Perry Lainjo
In a survey of 320 students, most showed they liked watching rather than playing soccer. These are the results.
Who will win MVP?
By Danny Kloeppner & Andy Novak
In a wild NBA regular season, there are many great options for MVP of the league. Records were broke and legacies were set, but there is one remaining question: who will win MVP? In the race for most valuable player, there are two main candidates: Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
First we will start with the favorite, Russell Westbrook. This Season has been a historic one for Westbrook, where he broke records in the process. Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple double. Also, he passed Robertson for most triple doubles in a season. For the next candidate, we take a look at James Harden. This season Harden impressively averaged 29.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 11.2 assists. Harden led a team that was 8th in the west last year to a 55-27 record. James Harden has the argument that his team did a lot better than westbrook’s team this season. The Rockets(Harden’s team) and the Thunder(Westbrook’s team) are playing in the playoffs, and the Rockets have a 3-1 lead over the thunder as of 4/25/17. The race for MVP is very close and will probably only come down to a couple of votes. |
From homeless to NBA all-star: The Jimmy Butler story
By Newton Obiri
Growing Up in Tomball, Texas, the odds of Becoming a successful multi-millionaire are slim to none. Jimmy Butler was one of the few that had aspirations to become one. As an only child, Jimmy Butler had many struggles with his mother. He was constantly getting into trouble in school, staying out in the streets, and getting kicked out of the house on a regular basis. Jimmy was headed down the road that many in the city were: gang violence and legal troubles. One Day, his mother reached her breaking point. She directly told Jimmy “I don’t like the look of you, you won’t become anything in life” she later kicked him out of her house for good, leaving a 13 Year Old Jimmy alone on the streets.
Nobody knew that Jimmy was homeless at the time, until a close friend decided to bring him and let Butler stay with his family. As Jimmy decided to start playing basketball, he worked hard both on the court, and in the classroom. He became one of the top players in Texas High School Basketball. He, unfortunately did not earn a Division I Scholarship offer, making him motivated to dominate the junior college scene. Fast forward a couple years, Jimmy Butler enters his name into the 2011 NBA Draft and gets selected By the Chicago Bulls. Having the same type of motivation he did in high school, Jimmy was motivated to be a star. He worked harder than everyone else on his team, eventually earning an All-Star selection. In July of 2015, Butler signed a 5-Year $95 Million Contract extension. Since becoming an NBA star, butler never forgets the words his biological mother told him. It motivates him every day to become great. He just wanted to be different from everyone in Tomball. |