| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 3 | |||
| MONDAY | NOVEMBER 28 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 29 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Visitation | WSP Ice Arena | |
| WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 30 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm / 4:00pm | 2:10pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Meet | Elm Creek Reserve |
| THURSDAY | DECEMBER 1 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| FRIDAY | DECEMBER 2 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. St. Croix Prep | HOME | |
| SATURDAY | DECEMBER 3 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 9:00am | 6:30am / 3:00pm | Wrestling Invitational | Fridley High School |
| 1:00pm / 3:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Rochester Lourdes | HOME |
Category Archives: Sports
Highland Park MTB team
By: Toby Martin-Kohls
The Highland Park Mountain Bike team ended its season at the State Championships at Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm, MN on October 16. It was the most significant and final race of the five-race 2022 season. Highland had 8 high schoolers racing across four different categories. Karl Haaland and Toby Martin-Kohls were the lone Varsity riders for Highland, while Josh Thompson raced JV3. Liam Hefferan, August Johnson, and Benji Brunner raced JV2, and Theo Miller and Trevor Kristjanson raced Freshman. Minnesota has a high school league for mountain biking, the Minnesota Cycling Association, that is not affiliated with MSHSL.
There are a few differences between racing in the Minnesota Cycling Association and a typical MSHSL sport. There are still Varsity and Junior Varsity athletes, but there is no limit to how many can race in a category. For team scoring, high schools with a larger team are in Division 1, while smaller schools are in Division 2.
Also, unlike some MSHSL sports, there are many more categories for athletes to race under. Everyone who wants to race gets to race, regardless of ability. Because of this, the Minnesota Cycling Association has seven categories of races. Races are also separated by gender. 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, Freshman, JV2, JV3, and Varsity. Racers are put into the appropriate category by age and racing experience.
Mountain Biking is a great way to get outside and improve your fitness. The Highland Park team officially practices 2-3 times a week, starting at the beginning of July and ending in mid-October. The first races are usually in late August and run until mid-October. Like other Highland teams, we practice with the Saint Paul Composite Mountain Biking team (SPY MTB). However, we race as different teams.
Practices are usually around 2hrs long. On Tuesdays, the team meets at Hidden Falls for a road ride. On Thursdays, we meet at various trails around the Twin Cities
There is no obligation to race, many people join the team just to have fun biking the outdoors with a great community.
Below is an interview with Karl Haaland, who is a Junior, and races at the Varsity level.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Mountain Biking Team?
A: Because my dad had started coaching, and I wanted to try something new.
Q: What is your favorite part about being on the team?
A: Being able to bike with friends and be able to compete against others from all around the state.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering joining the team?
A: You should join it, you don’t have to race if you don’t want to but it is not stressful at all.
Q: What is your favorite trail in the Twin Cities?
A: Lebanon Hills in Eagan.
Q: If you had unlimited money what bike would you buy?
The Trek Supercaliber 9.9 XX1
UFC 281 recap: Better than 280?
By: Dylan Moore
(*NOTE: prelims not included*)
Following the card of the year that was UFC 280, I was one of many people that had to remind myself that not every card could be that exciting top to bottom. In saying that, I was one of many people who was shocked to see the fights of 281 (which we’re overall less high-profile) matching and even surpassing the far more anticipated 280 card.
Dan Hooker vs Claudio Puelles: In this fight, an up and comer in Claudio Puelles (13-3) looked to prove himself against Dan Hooker (22-12). Throughout his respected career, Dan Hooker has had electrifying fights in which his toughness and ability to go to war with a fighter of any caliber has been put on display. Coming into this fight, Dan had lost 3 of his last 4, losing against very difficult opposition like Islam Makachev and Michael Chandler, and was looking to bounce back. He did just that. Puelles was dominated from start to finish, looking to go to the ground all throughout the fight against a lethal opponent. In the second round, Dan Hooker showed why he is so respected with a KO/TKO stoppage.
Frankie Edgar vs Chris Gutierrez: The storyline behind this fight was a young contender looking to prove himself against a legend of the sport in his final fight. Frankie Edgar, a former champion and 15 year veteran of his sport, announced that this would be his last fight. Gutierrez looked to use the notoriety of a fighter like Edgar to make himself more known as a contender in the Bantamweight division. In the first round, Gutierrez scored a highlight reel KO, which knocked Edgar out cold. A sad way to go out for sure, but a very very impressive display from Chris Gutierrez, slightly overshadowed by his opponent’s retirement.
Michael Chandler vs Dustin Porier: 2 heavily respected and battle hardened lightweight contenders in Michael Chandler (23-8-0) and Dustin Porier (29-7-0, 1NC) duked it out. The first round of this fight was one of the best rounds of a fight seen in a long long time. It showed the versatility and toughness of both fighters. Following a second round that showed that they still had plenty of gas in the tank, Porier got in control of Chandler on the ground and didn’t look back. Porier submitted Chandler on the ground in round 3, and both fighters faces we’re bloodied up from this short-lived war of a fight. Me, along with many other fans, are very excited to see what comes next from both of these fighters.
Carla Esparza vs Weili Zhang: In the co-main event, the women’s Strawweight title was on the line. Carla Esparza (20-7-0) fought Weili Zhang (23-3-0). While Zhang was seen as a scary contender with an outside shot to win the title, most had confidence in Esparza to keep this title. With that being said, Weili Zhang took it to Esparza and stripped her of her title via a submission early in round 2. This performance put Zhang on the map, giving her much deserved respect in the mainstream MMA world.
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira: The dominance of Israel Adesanya in the Middleweight dividsion cannot be understated. He defeated all of the contenders in his division in such convincing fashion, his next opponent was the relatively unproven Alex Pereira (6-1 coming into the fight). The reason the champ fought such an unproven fighter was because these 2 had some history. The last time Adesanya lost in his actual weight class was back when he did kickboxing, and guess who he lost to? Pereira. Twice. Once Pereira took up MMA, he beat his opposition in convincing enough fashion that the UFC fast-tracked him to a title shot, to test the seemingly invincible Adesanya. Throughout the first 4 rounds, it was a back and fourth fight, with Adesanya seemingly having the upper hand. Towards the very end of the round, Adesanya had a huge knockdown, in which Pereira was saved by the bell. In the fifth round, Pereira used his control of positioning to his advantage, backing Israel down before landing a series of punches that lead to a stoppage, shockingly giving Pereiera the title and third victory over Adesanya. Their is a lot of controversy over the nature of the stoppage, many fans thinking it came too early.
Of the 5 events on the main 281 card, all of them lived up to expectations and then some, each fight bringing its own unique storyline and traits to the table. Full of controversies, battles, and shock victories of an all-time caliber, UFC 281 was a great card, and rivals 280 in the actual fights it produced, despite receiving far less media attention and hype then its predecessor.
A dramatic 2022 MLS Cup might go down in history as the best!
By: Aedon Evenson-McDermott
On the 5th of November, 2022, the eyes of America’s biggest soccer league turned their attention to the Banc of California Stadium. The teams were solid and quite evenly matched which made it to be an insightful affair between the squads.
LAFC came into the final as the Western Conference 1st seed, and champions, and likewise as Philadelphia Union was the Eastern Conference 1st spot, and champions. Bedoya for the Union was a big miss as he was one of their biggest leaders and a stud in the midfield.
For the first 25 minutes, both teams ran up and down the field as they searched for the early goal. Two minutes later, when the 27th minute came, LAFC’S Acosta struck the net with a thunderous hit which struck the back of the net. 1-0 LAFC and the supporters section went crazy!
The second half would be all a soccer fan would dream of. The Union’s Gazdag put the ball in the back of the net in the 59th minute. 1-1! The constant drama of the back and fourth would be a lead runner for the rest of the game.
LAFC would respond near the end of the 90 minutes in the 83rd minute with a goal from Murillo. When most thought it was over and LAFC would walk away with the Cup, Union’s Jack Elliot smashed the ball into the back of the net with his thunderous header two minutes later in the 85th minute. The very few Philadelphia Union faithful fans had a lifeline.
The end of the regular 90 minutes of regulation would end thus prompting the 30 minute layover of extra time. Both teams had chances and in the 116th minute a bad back pass from center back Murillo to LAFC’S goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau led to the horrific collision between Crepeau and the Union’s Cory Burke. Crepeau is Canada’s number 1 keeper but will unfournately miss the World Cup. Milan Borjan or Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair would get the start. Crepeau was carted off and unfortunately would break his leg. This would prompt substitute goalkeeper, and penalty specialist, John McCarthy to come in for the remaining extra time.
After the end of the additional 30 minutes, there would be an additional 9 minutes added on after the injury for stoppage time.
In the 124th minute, a second incredible goal from the Union’s Elliot went in and it was the first lead of the game for the Union. 3-2! Four minutes later, the storylines would be written as the almighty Welshman Gareth Bale bails them out with an incredible jump for the header. 3-3 in the 128th minute!
After both teams finished tied at 3 a piece, it would all come to a penalty shootout. John McCarthy who played before, for the Union, would be in goal as Crepeau’s replacement. Knowing a lot of where the guys put their shots on goal he would put his mind to the test. Andre Blake, one of the MLS’s best, would step up first as he would save the penalty. Philly would miss their second penalty as it skied over the bar. Bouanga converted for LAFC making it 1-0 on their second kick. Union would miss their second kick. Hollingshead for LAFC scored and made it 2-0 in the shootout. The Union would miss their third shot as well. IIie would step up and put the winning shot into the back of the net. No coming back for the Union as they missed their first three shots. McCarthy would be the hero of the game and go on to win MVP.
It couldn’t have been more of a Hollywood ending with a great effort put on by both teams! Congratulations to the champions LAFC and better times for the Union. It was a joy to experience such a great game and a nail biting ending. It should be an interesting offseason for both teams and it will be fun with the league resuming in later February and early March!
Minnesota Vikings come out on top in the NFL’s game of the year
By: Abby Altman
*NOTE: This article was written prior to the game against the Cowboys
Last Sunday’s noon matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills will go down as one of the best regular season games that the NFL has ever seen. Kirk Cousins, also known as “The Noon Nightmare”, led the Vikings to yet another show stopping 4th quarter comeback this week, earning yet another 1 score win.
“Frauds” and “Pretenders” are just some words that will not be following the Vikings name anymore.
After a very sloppy 1st half, the Vikings found themselves down by 14 at halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, the Vikings still did not appear to be playing their best football. Minnesota went almost the entire quarter scoring 0 points, and giving up 3. With 1:48 left in the 3rd quarter, Dalvin Cook rushed for an 81 yard touchdown up the side to make it a 10 point game.
Going into the 4th quarter down by 10, Kirk Cousins is arguably the 1st QB you’d want on your team. This season, Cousins has led the team to 5 4th quarter comebacks, and is 7-0 in 1 score games. Last season, the Vikings finished 6-8 in 1 score games.
The 4th quarter was one that will likely not be forgotten for a very long time.
Minnesota’s defense stepped up big time for this 4th quarter comeback.
Patrick Peterson showed up with an interception in the end zone on 4th and 2, running it back to the 35 yard line.
Minnesota’s offense then responded with a long drive capped off with fullback CJ Ham’s first touchdown in 5 years. The touchdown put the Vikings down by 4 with 4:34 left in the game. Kicker Greg Joseph then missed the extra point, putting the Vikings in a position where a field goal would not suffice, and a TD would be necessary to win.
The defense once again stepped up big, with Harrison Smith breaking up a pass to Stefon Diggs on 4th and 15.
On the next drive, Cousins was sacked 2 plays in a row, setting up Minnesota with 4th and 18 with 2:14 on the clock.
At their own 27 yard line, the Vikings were forced to go for it. Cousins sent a pass deep downfield, hitting Justin Jefferson at the Buffalo 40 yard line.
Jefferson took that opportunity to make one of the best catches ever made. Jefferson jumped up in double coverage, grabbing the ball with 1 hand while fighting off Buffalo’s Cam Lewis, who had 2 hands wrapped around the ball. Jefferson managed to bring in the ball, and transfer it to his other hand without losing control.
“One of the more remarkable catches I’ve ever seen,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, “He’s such a special, special player. I’m really proud of the way Justin has battled all season long against a lot of different looks and a lot of different coverages.”
This catch was the first of multiple miracles for the Vikings.
The Vikings drove downfield, and had the ball at 1st and goal at the 3 yard line. Things then went south for Minnesota.
On 1st down, Cousins was tripped up behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 5 yards. On 3rd down, Cousins completed a catch to Jefferson, who appeared to break the goal line at first, but was later ruled down at the ½ yard line.
On 4th and 1, Cousins passed to Cook on the side, who was unable to make the catch. However, offsides by the Bills gave the Vikings a repeat 4th down, where they opted for the QB sneak.
Cousins was ruled short of the endzone, and the ball was turned over to Buffalo with 44 seconds left in the game.
The Bills received the ball on the 1 yard line. Unwilling to take the safety and risk a Hail Mary, Buffalo decided to have QB Josh Allen run the ball out of the endzone. Allen, however, fumbled the ball on the snap. This was miracle #2 for Minnesota.
Erik Kendricks recovered the fumble in the endzone, for a Vikings touchdown. Minnesota took a 3 point lead, with 37 seconds left in the game.
Buffalo did not forget that they have one of the best offenses in the league. Allen connected with Gabe Davis downfield to set up a 29 yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining.
The field goal tied the score and sent the game into overtime.
Minnesota won the coin toss, and although they had an impressive drive downfield, they were unable to get the touchdown. The Vikings settled for a 33 yard field goal by Greg Joseph, and put the defense on the field to win the game.
Josh Allen and the Bills offense drove downfield, and got into field goal range easily. Josh Allen threw 2 passes into the endzone from the 25 yard line. The first pass, intended for TE Dawson Knox was broken up by Duke Shelly, who joined the Vikings active roster the day before the game.
The second pass was miracle #3.
Patrick Peterson made his 2nd interception of the game, picking off Josh Allen in the endzone, and securing the win for Minnesota.
Bills QB Josh Allen blamed himself for the loss, after multiple turnovers.
“Losing sucks,” Allen told reporters. “Sucks this way even worse. Horrendous second half. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better … It’s on me. Can’t have that.”
Although coming into this game with a better record than Buffalo, Minnesota was seen as a heavy underdog. The win secured the Vikings as a legit threat in many eyes, and moved Minnesota way up in most rankings.
Clearly, this win wasn’t an easy one for Minnesota, but not just because of the comeback. The refs were not making good calls, and several of them could have cost Minnesota the game.
The most important missed call by the refs came late in the 4th quarter, just before Buffalo made the game tying field goal. On a 20 yard pass to Gabe Davis, the refs failed to call for a review on the completion. The catch then set up the field goal leading to overtime.
The NFL later stated that the catch should have been reviewed, as it was within the final 2 minutes and couldn’t be challenged. The NFL also stated that had it been reviewed, the catch would have been overturned, as Davis did not keep control when he made contact with the ground.
With 5:27 left in overtime, the refs missed another crucial call. With the Vikings in the red zone, Dalvin Cook rushed up the side, and was tackled for a 3 yard loss. On that play, Buffalo had 12 defensive men on the field. This should have resulted in 1st and 1 for Minnesota, but was instead 2nd and 5. The Vikings were later forced to make a FG.
While it is unrealistic to expect the refs to notice everything, there were several other missed calls that impacted the game. Minnesota was able to overcome these odds and won the game.
This game extends Minnesota’s win streak to 7, and Buffalo’s losing streak to 2. The Vikings are sitting comfortably atop the NFC North with a significant lead over the 4-6 Packers.
The Bills, however, fall into 3rd place in the AFC East, behind the Dolphins and the Jets. This comes as a surprise to many, as Buffalo was largely the expected winner of the division.
Next week Minnesota heads home to host the Dallas Cowboys while Buffalo stays home to host the Browns.
2022 World Cup preview
By: Dylan Moore
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is only a couple of weeks away. The world’s biggest sporting event will go throughout the holiday season, lasting up until December 18th. This edition of the World Cup will be played in Qatar, which means most of the games will be at 7:00 or 10:00 AM CST. The prime time games will fortunately be a little later, with kickoff closer to 1:00 PM.
Group A: Consisting of Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands, group A is quite exciting. Although Qatar did not qualify (the host nation doesn’t need to), the host nation has a historically good record in the opening match. Their quarter final appearance in the 2014 Cup seemed just as likely before that tournament, as a deep run does before this one, but anything can happen. Ecuador could prove to sneak into the knockouts, given their excellent showing at the recent Copa America. Senegal is one of the many exciting African nations of the tournament, with a core of superstars like Sadio Mane (may be injured) and Edouard Mendy expected to take them deep into the tournament. The Netherlands bring a fully fit team (unlike the Euros) to the World Cup, after missing out on the 2018 edition. With a captain like Virgil Van Dijk and midfield talent like Frenkie De Jong, the sky’s the limit for the Dutch.
Group B: It doesn’t get more politically charged than group B. Consisting of England, Wales, The United States and Iran. Soccer ability aside, you could write up 2 articles worth of narratives between these countries. With that being said, it is an equally interesting group as far as soccer goes. The US and England play their first World Cup game against each other since 1950. While England are favorites to qualify, given their finals appearance in the Euros, the second spot is seemingly up for grabs. The US sees their first World Cup with their golden generation, led by talent such as Christian Pulisic, Weston Mckennie and Gio Reyna. Wales makes their first World Cup appearance in 64 years, given a masterclass from waning superstar Gareth Bale. Which leaves Iran, who have dominated Asian competition in the qualifiers and in friendlies leading up to this tournament. Safe to say the world will have its eyes on this group.
Group C: Group C consists of some of the most in form players in the world. Argentina is a heavy favorite coming into the tournament. Messi’s team enters the tournament a few short games behind the record unbeaten run recently set by Italy. This will be Messi’s last World Cup. Poland’s Robert Lewandowski has acclimated to life in Barcelona quite well, setting LaLiga on fire. Lewandowski and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny look to get revenge for their poor performance in the Euros. Similar to Iran, Saudi Arabia have torched their Asian competition, and are impossible to count out in this group.
Group D: Just by looking at group D, there appears to be 2 clear favorites. The 2018 winners, France, will look to exact revenge for their early exit in the recent Euros. They enter the tournament as a favorite, given their deep squad, but will face the World Cup curse (no team who has won a World Cup has made it out of the group stage since 2006). The second team most think will qualify is Denmark, who recently made the semifinals of the Euros. Now that star man Christian Eriksen is back to form, most think they will continue to ride the momentum from the Euros to success in the knockouts. Australia and Tunisia, 2 teams who barely qualified in a weaker qualifying path, have a lot to prove in these group stage matches.
Group E: Consisting of Spain, Costa Rica, Germany and Japan, group A will very quickly grab the attention of many. On paper, it should be very clear that Spain and Germany, 2 of the nations considered able to win the entire tournament, will be the 2 from the group to advance in the competition. That being said, it’s impossible to count Japan out. In the recent international break, they beat the US, considered to be a much better side, in dominating fashion. Expect Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo, both in flying form, to put on performances that will keep their nation in every game. As for Costa Rica, a team with a goalie like Keylor Navas can never be counted out, with his famous efforts in the 2014 World Cup getting him signed to the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid. Their quarter final appearance seemed just as likely before that tournament as a deep run does before this one, but anything can happen.
Group F: Similar to group B, group F is one of the more balanced groups in the competition, with no clear favorites and no team that is lacking compared to their competition. Belgium faces the end of their golden generation, with Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku among others looking to have more to show for their cumulative talent than a measly third place at the 2018 World cCup. Canada returns to the competition after qualifying in dominant fashion. Unlike Canadian teams of the past, they have household names, like striker Jonathan David and speedy defender Alphonso Davies to lead them in this competition. Croatia, runners-up in 2018, look to ageless wonder Luka Modric yet again to produce some magic in this competition, now knowing there are no limits to how far the red and white checkered team can go. Morocco, a surprise qualifier, brought Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi to the world’s biggest stage with the hope of shocking the globe in this surprisingly stacked group. Nothing is guaranteed in group F but steep competition.
Group G: Group G has everything, from powerhouses to dark horses to new faces and perennial knockout stage qualifiers. To start, the hype behind Brazil is real. A nation still healing from their devastating 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi finals of the 2014 World Cup that they themselves hosted, Neymar has confirmed this is his last dance. If a nation could play 11 forwards, they certainly would. In my opinion, I believe that no one is more likely to qualify for the knockouts than Brazil. Switzerland, fresh off of eliminating France in the recent Euros, have a whole host of players in amazing form. With that being said, they will go as far as goalkeeper Yann Sommer takes them, as we saw in the Euros. If you asked someone even 5 years ago if Serbia were any good at soccer, they would laugh in your face. Nobody is laughing now, as they boast superstars like Filip Kostic, Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, the latter 2 being some of the most in-form strikers in the world. Whether or not Serbia performs is more or less entirely up to if Vlahovic and Mitrovic can score the way they have been in the Premier League and Serie A, respectively. Cameroon look to phenomenal goalkeeper André Onana, along with midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa to help them through this tough group. Although most are quite sure Brazil will qualify, who will claim the second spot is far less certain.
Group H: The final group consists of Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea. The Cristiano Ronaldo effect can really be felt in Portugal. Always having been a nation carried by 1 or maybe 2 outstanding players at a time, Portugal comes into the 2022 World Cup with a load of young players at their first tournament, who all grew up idolizing Ronaldo, who will captain his nation in his fifth (yes, fifth) World Cup. Electrifying talents such as Nuno Mendes, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao enter their first World Cup hungry to win their hero his first World Cup in what will almost certainly be his last tournament. As for Ghana, the “Black Stars” enter the 2022 World Cup with the smell of revenge in the air. In the group stage, they will play Uruguay, and (more importantly) Luis Suarez. He is the man who hand balled a header off of the goal line, saving what would have surely been a goal in the last minute, after he got sent off, the penalty kick went off the crossbar, and Ghana wert on to lose in heartbreaking fashion, sending Uruguay instead into the semifinals. 12 years later, nobody has forgotten what Suarez did to them, and they will be hungry to win, at all costs. Speaking of Suarez, his Uruguayan side look to be the strongest since their 2010 semi finals appearance. New star striker Darwin Nunez looks to take some of the workload of off Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani’s shoulders in their collective old age. Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde finds the form of his life, seeming to become one of the best and most adaptable players in the world, seeing as he can play just about any position and thrive. As for South Korea, they look to the Tottenham sensation Son Heung-min, fresh off winning a golden boot in the Premier League, to lead them to upset this group full of powerhouses.
Starting on November 20th, people around the world prepare for the endless entertainment the World Cup is sure to bring during the holiday season. As the stars of this generation like Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo, Lewandowsi and Suarez play in their last World Cup, look for an exciting team full of youngsters to stake their claim as the prominent figures of the future of this sport for many years to come.
Beginning of the season for the top women’s swim team in the country
By: Mia David
A few weeks ago, the University of Virginia’s women’s swim team was ranked the top team in the nation. They have built up a strong team for the last few years and proved their speed in 2021 and 2022 when they won the NCAA championships.
The women’s team is stacked with Olympians and record-holders. However, Virginia is still one-step ahead and planning for the future. This fall, they have recruited five top-20 girls from the class of 2024—more recruits than their competitors, the University of Texas and Stanford.
Earlier this season, the Cavaliers took on the Florida Gators and shocked people with some insane times. The sophomore Gretchen Walsh was truly the star of the meet. She started the meet with a 21.91 50 fly in the medley relay, which out-splits her teammate Kate Douglas who had the fastest split in history.
Walsh wasn’t done there; she pulled out a 50.53 in the 100 fly, which became the fastest unsuited time in history. She whipped out some speedy 50 and 100 freestyles as well. Gretchen, Douglass, and their teammates Alex Walsh and Maxine Parker went a speedy 3:11.37 in the 400 free relay to finish off the meet.
On November 4th and 5th, the Cavaliers took on the second-ranked women’s team, the Texas Longhorns. Both women and men’s teams competed against each other down in Texas.
The Cavalier women won six events, according to Virginia Sports. Gretchen Walsh had a phenomenal meet, three times being the fastest in the country this season. Walsh also went the fastest time ever in 100-yard IM (the 100 IM is not an NCAA event, nor is it competed at any world championship meets, but it is sometimes added to meets as an extra fun event).
The meet was a fun showdown with music and a light show to add to the energy and excitement, according to Swim Swam News. This dual meet was unlike any other dual meet with the amount of technology and energy put into making it a fun and competitive environment.
Although the meet was exciting and full of great swims for the Cavaliers, they, unfortunately, lost to Texas with a final score of 95-91 for the women.
The team is not yet finished; they are heading to the Tennessee Invitational on November 17-19, and they still have an NCAA championship title to defend.
Florida Gators basketball season preview
By: Toby Martin-Kohls
The college basketball season kicked off on Monday, November 7th, and with that, a new era of Florida Gators basketball. Florida, picked to finish 8th in the SEC, by the media poll, is coming off a 20-14 season in which its head coach left the program for SEC rival Georgia.
Kentucky is poised to win the SEC this year, placing No. 4 in the Preseason Top 25 rankings. The Wildcats return 2021’s Wooden Award winner, given to the nation’s best player, Oscar Tshiebwe. He is currently the favorite to take home the same award this year, and if he does, he would become only the second-ever player to win the award twice and in back-to-back seasons. Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983 for the Virginia Cavaliers is the only one to do so.
Even with the bluebloods like Kentucky favored atop the conference, Florida is still expected to do well and make the NCAA Tournament come March. The roster has been heavily overhauled following Mike White’s departure, as new coach Todd Golden takes over. Golden is coming off a head coaching gig for the San Francisco Don’s in which he took them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. Golden is a young mind, and at 37 years old he is by far the youngest coach in the SEC.
His predecessor lasted 7 seasons in Gainesville, leading the Gators to four NCAA Tournament appearances and an Elite 8 appearance. However, fans were upset about the handling of the program after White failed to make the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and only advanced to the NIT.
Golden has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, as Florida is still a solid program in the sport, having more wins than every SEC team, except for Kentucky, since 1990, and winning the most NCAA Tournament games this century, except for Kentucky.
Golden has brought in one of the best transfer classes in the country. Kyle Lofton highlights the point guard position. Lofton comes to the Gators as a super senior from St. Bonaventure where he was a 4-year starter who led the Bonnies to the NCAA Tournament and earned All-Atlantic 10 honors on 2 occasions, including 1st-team honors in the 2020-21 campaign.
Golden has also brought in a former 4-star prospect from LSU, an All-Ohio Valley player in Will Richard of Belmont, and a dynamic scoring guard in Trey Bonham of Virginia Military Institute.
The Gators are projected to be a very strong defensive team under Golden, with his new shiny transfers and a defensive-minded head coach. The Gators should be at least a top-40 defense this year. With that being said, this team’s ceiling very much depends on how well they shoot. Last year they shot just 30.3% from behind the arc which ranked 317th in the country. That year they attempted the 22nd most attempts, which is clearly an issue to address.
I think that the Gators project as a dark horse SEC team that should make the NCAA Tournament and will outperform their SEC Media Day projection. It will definitely be hard to unseat Kentucky, but in such a deep conference you never know what can happen.
Overview of the Highland Park Volleyball season
By: Grace Blumer-LaMotte
The Highland Park volleyball season started on August 22nd, 2022. It continued until October 18th, 2022, when they lost in the semi-finals against Two Rivers High School.
Varsity consisted of these players: Grace Blumer-LaMotte (Senior, #10), Grace Adrian (Senior #12), Sunshine Vang (Senior #3)), Bella Kottke (Senior #18), Ayana Bougie (Senior #13), Leila Hagedorn (Senior #27), Kate Reubish (Junior #11), Alyssa Ramos (Junior #2), Molly Hanley (Junior #9), Ella Johnson (Junior 1), Mary Koch (Sophomore #14), Ella Sutherland (Sophomore #6). Varsity is coached by Sonje Odegard (Head).
The Two Rivers game was the end of the great season that Highland had. They lost the match 3-1.
Highland went the season with 14 wins and 11 losses.
Team Attack Stats: Highland got a combined total of 722 kills throughout the whole season. They had 432 attack errors, 2,330 total attack attempts, hit a .124 hitting percentage, and had 6.4 kills per set.
Team Serve Stats: Highland had a total of 217 service aces, 129 service errors, 1.9 service aces per set, and a .917 service percentage.
Team Defensive Stats: Highland got a combined total of 1,121 digs, averaging 9.9 digs per set.
General Team Stats: Highland had 12 ball-handling errors and played 113 sets.
Bella Kottke, the starting middle hitter, had a total of 233 kills this year, the highest number of kills on the team. Kottke also had 81 attack errors. She hit a .303 attack percentage and averaged 3.1 kills per set. She also had 21 service aces.
Kate Reubish, a right-side hitter, had a total of 130 kills this year, 104 attack errors, a .059 hitting percentage, and averaged 1.8 kills her set. She also had 17 service aces.
Molly Hanley, a right-side hitter, had a total of 121 kills this year, 104 attack errors, a .038 hitting percentage, and averaged 1.6 kills per set. She also had 41 service aces.
Mary Koch, another middle hitter, had a total of 95 kills this year, 48 attack errors, a .164 hitting percentage, and averaged 1.3 kills per set. She also had 3 service aces.
Ella Sutherland, an outside hitter, had a total of 59 kills this year, 43 attack errors, a .054 hitting percentage, and averaged 1.1 kills per set. She also had 3 service aces.
Ayana Bougie, the setter, had a total of 46 kills this year, 10 attack errors, a .228 hitting percentage, and averaged 0.6 kills per set. She also had 41 service aces.
Ella Johnson, another outside hitter, had a total of 27 kills this year, 31 attack errors, and averaged 1.0 kills per set.
Grace Adrian, another outside hitter, had a total of 8 kills this year, 6 attack errors, a .061 hitting percentage, and averaged 1.0 kills per set.
Leila Hagedorn, another right-side hitter, had a total of 3 kills this year, 5 attack errors, and averaged 0.4 kills per set.
Grace Blumer-LaMotte was unfortunately out for the season due to a season-ending injury to her shins.
What is Topgolf?
By: Toby Martin-Kohls
Topgolf is an entertainment venue for golfers and non-golfers alike. The facility is a driving range with colorful targets, and guests can play various golf games from their bay. They serve food and drinks to your climate-controlled bay, and have TVs and golf ball tracking screens. They provide a variety of complimentary clubs, so no need to go buy expensive clubs. They also have spots in each bay for your golf bag if you do decide to bring your own clubs. They make a welcoming environment for people who want to try golf, or just want to have a fun night out with friends.
So, you’ve decided you want to go? Excellent. First, I would recommend you or someone you are going with download the Topgolf app. Once you play for the first time and make an account, you’ll be able to see all your visit and game history right in the app. If you go at a popular time, you can join book a bay in advance on the app, or join the waitlist. This is really helpful and I would recommend you do this every time so you spend less time waiting and more time at Topgolf!
Game play can be expensive. Prices are less on weekdays and more on weekends, and prices rise again for the evening and are cheaper earlier in the day. For first-time visitors, you’ll be required to buy a one-time lifetime $5 membership.
On weekdays, depending on what time you go prices range from $35/hr bay to $55/hr bay. This is also why I would recommend going with a group of friends. You can have up to six people in one bay and it makes the price much more affordable if you spread the bill around. I would also recommend going on Tuesdays, as their Tuesday promotion is half-price.
Once you’ve arrived, if you’ve reserved in advance or gotten on the waiting list, a bay number will be texted to you. The Brooklyn Center location has three levels. My personal favorite is the 3rd level because it’s the highest, however, they will just assign whatever bay is open. They have right-handed clubs in the bay, so it’s important to remember that if you need lefty clubs, to ask at the front desk. There is no additional charge for these clubs.
Once you get to your bay, you will all sign in with your phone numbers and select the amount of time you would like to play. Then it’s up to you to choose from the wide variety of games they offer. They have three HD TVs in your bay, one you can choose a channel and the other two are for a scoreboard and ball tracking technology. Your bay host/server will explain all the details if you haven’t been there before, and get you started with drinks. They do ask to put a card on file at the beginning, but you’ll be able to split the tab and pay separately at the end.
There are a couple of games Topgolf recommends, specifically for beginners. The first is the signature game “Topgolf”. In this game, the objective is to score the most points by hitting balls into any one of the colored targets. The more accurate your shot is to the middle of the targets, and the farther your shot goes, the more points you earn. Another one recommended for beginners is the Angry Birds mode. It is exactly what it sounds like, virtual Angry Birds come up on the screen and you try and hit targets with your golf balls.
Topgolf offers a variety of food and drink options. My personal favorite appetizer is the cheesy macaroni bites, especially on a cold winter day. The burgers and chicken sandwiches are decent, and my friends and I really enjoy their Chicken Caesar salad. You can finish it all off with a dessert, they offer a huge cookie crumble sundae that is pretty good (but also has 2,040 cal!) or their more unique injectable donut holes. Syringes come filled with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry filling which you can inject into your donut holes.
Even if you have never golfed before, Topgolf is a fun way to have fun with friends. I’ve noticed that most people who go there aren’t even great golfers, they are just there for fun. Hopefully, this review has encouraged you to go try it out!
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