Category Archives: Sports

Most popular sports in America

By: Isabel Strack

Image created with Spiceworks.com

The most popular men’s sport in America is football also known as the NFL. Almost 37% of Americans have said that football is their favorite to play, or enjoy watching. The NFL also has the highest number of people who show up to their games, which is 67,591. This league has 32 different football teams.

The season starts in September and ends in December, with every team playing 16 games. As the best teams advance we go into playoffs, which lead into the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the biggest annual sporting event in the country.

The NFL also gets the highest TV ratings as it is on every Sunday during football season. In 2014, a record of 167 million people watched Super Bowl Sunday.

The most popular sports for women in America are women’s basketball and women’s soccer. Both of these sports are big options for many girls in high school and college.

Women’s college basketball has a world wide fan base of almost 50 million. The women’s basketball TV rate has 56% of viewers tuning in to watch. The WNBA popularity is due to the first pro year of college students like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink who all brought attention to college women’s basketball during the previous year’s NCAA tournament (NCAA stands for National Collegiate Athletic Association). They set new scores during this tournament and also set new records for scoring and viewership during their undergraduate careers. As these women athletes were recently drafted into the WNBA many of their fans followed them. Their fans boosted ticket and merchandise sales, and TV ratings. The Olympic events are also very popular with 35% of viewers tuning in.

In college, women’s soccer is also a popular choice. In 2023, soccer was one of the most popular women’s sports to watch on TV. They have 74% of viewing hours. The national women’s soccer league has a fan base of almost 36 million people.

For more information please visit:

Tara Dower

By: Kara Fini

Appalachian Trail sign

A record previously only held by men was broken last year by a woman.  In September of 2024, Tara Dower ran the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in under 41 days beating the previous record held by Karel Sabbe, a male ultrarunner, by a whole 13 hours.

Tara is a 31-year-old ultra runner from Virginia. She’s run thousands of miles in her life and attempted to hike the Appalachian Trail twice. Her first time in 2017 she didn’t make it due to anxiety, but two years later she completed it with her husband. This time she wanted to make history.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Appalachian Trail, it’s a long hiking trail that spans from Georgia all the way to Maine going through the Appalachian Mountains. This trail is 2,190+ miles long and is open to the public. There are many parts of the trail for doing shorter hikes. The total amount of elevation gain for the entire trail is 520,000 ft with the highest elevation being 6,643 ft.

Annually, about 3,000 people attempt to complete this 2,000 mile journey, but only about 25% of people complete it. For the average hiker, it takes 5 to 7 months to complete with several stops along the way.

With all of that in mind, it puts into perspective how crazy and amazing it is for Tara to run this in only 41 days. Tara was running the equivalent of two marathons every day across the mountains. She had different pacers, people who ran with her to make sure she was going the right speed, throughout the whole time who helped her stay encouraged and motivated. She completed it at 11:53 at night on September 21.

This moment is powerful for women and girls in sports, especially running. In most things related to endurance sports, men have the fastest time. Seeing a woman not only beat the women’s fastest known time, but the overall known time shows how capable and strong women in sports can be.

If you want to see more of Tara’s running journey, she has a TikTok and Instagram that you can follow. Her username for both is @tara.dower.

Sports schedule for: Jan 6-11

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 11  
MONDAYJANUARY 6 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:30pm JV: 4:30pm V: 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. JohnsonHOME
TUESDAYJANUARY 7
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:45pm2:10pm | 5:15pmNordic Ski Race – ClassicTheodore Wirth Park
4:30pm Alpine Ski MeetAfton Alps
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. HastingsWSP Ice Arena
WEDNESDAYJANUARY 8
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Wrestling vs. Como Park and East RidgeHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Boys Hockey vs. HopkinsCharles M. Schulz Highland Arena
5:30pm Girls Basketball vs. TCATwin Cities Academy
6:00pm Gymnastics vs. CentralHOME
7:30pm Girls Hockey vs. VisitationSt. Thomas Ice Arena
THURSDAYJANUARY 9
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:30pm Adapted Hockey vs. CooperArmstrong High School
5:00pm3:15pm | 7:15pmBoys Swimming and Diving vs. Como ParkHumboldt High School
FRIDAYJANUARY 10
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:00pm JV: 5:30pm V: 7:00pm Boys Basketball vs. HumboldtHumboldt High School
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. HumboldtHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. East RidgeWSP Ice Arena
SATURDAYJANUARY 11
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
10:00am5:30am | 7:30pmNordic Ski Mesabi InviteGiants Ridge – Biwabik
  Nordic Ski Loppet InviteTheodore Wirth Park
 11:15am | 3:30pmBoys Swimming and Diving True Team MeetArt Downey Aquatic Center
B: 11:00am JV: 1:00pm V: 2:30pm9:45am | 5:30pmBoys Basketball vs. New PragueNew Prague High School
JV: 12:00pm V: 2:00pm10:00am | 4:00pmBoys Hockey vs. Chisago LakesChisago Lakes Arena

Volleyball Day in Nebraska

By: Siri David

Volleyball Day in Nebraska took place August 30, 2023. This was a historic day for Nebraska volleyball and female sports overall. Nebraska volleyball broke a world record this night. They broke the record of the most people to watch a female sport in person. There were a total of 92,003 people in the Memorial Stadium which is their football stadium.

The idea for this was created by the head coach of the Nebraska volleyball team John Cook. The goal was to beat the record Wisconsin had just created a few weeks before. The issue was there was no indoor stadium that could hold that many people, so they decided to do it outdoors in the Nebraska football stadium. The stadium can technically only hold 85,458 but has exceeded that number many times before. A lot of the administrators at University of Nebraska thought that this might not be successful but they were definitely proved wrong. The night tickets went on sale; they sold out in the first hour. Everyone was shocked by how fast they sold out.

The day of the game, the Nebraska volleyball team did a meet and greet with a ton of Husker fans. The goal of this meet and greet was to show the love the Nebraska volleyball team has for their community and the love the community has for them. The meet and greet was truly so special, so many young fans got to meet their idols in volleyball and it was amazing to see.

The game was against Omaha, and the University of Nebraska won in three sets. It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky. Once the second set ended they found out the attendance number, and how they broke the record. All the players were trying to stay locked in for the game but could not contain their excitement. A lot of tears were shed by coaches, players, and fans. It was truly an amazing thing to hear and learn about as a younger volleyball player. Nebraska is the volleyball capital of the world and it truly is such an amazing atmosphere.

Sports schedule for: Dec 16-21

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: DECEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 21  
MONDAYDECEMBER 16 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
TUESDAYDECEMBER 17
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:30pm JV: 5:30pm V: 7:00pm Boys Basketball vs. SimleyHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. SimleyVet’s Memorial Arena
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Boys Hockey vs. South St. PaulCharles M. Schulz Highland Arena
WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 18
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:45pm2:20pm | 5:15pmNordic Ski Race – SkateBattle Creek
4:30pm Boys Swimming and Diving vs. HardingHumboldt High School
5:00pm Wrestling vs. WashingtonWashington Tech
THURSDAYDECEMBER 19
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:30pm JV: 5:30pm V: 7:00pm Boys Basketball vs. Holy AngelsAcademy of Holy Angels
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pmJV: 3:30pm V: 5:15pm | 9:00pmBoys Hockey vs. SimleyVet’s Memorial Arena
6:00pm Girls Basketball vs. WaconiaHOME
FRIDAYDECEMBER 20
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. Heritage Christian AcademyHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. South St. PaulWSP Ice Arena
SATURDAYDECEMBER 21
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
9:00am6:50am | 4:00pmWrestling InviteTrinity School at River Ridge
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Boys Hockey vs. IrondaleCharles M. Schulz Highland Arena

Sports schedule for: Dec 9-16

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: DECEMBER 9 – DECEMBER 16  
MONDAYDECEMBER 9 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. CHOFHOME
TUESDAYDECEMBER 10
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:45pm2:10pm | 5:15pmNordic Ski Race – SkateElm Creek Park Reserve
B: 4:15pm JV: 4:15pm V: 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. Rochester STEMHOME
4:30pm Adapted Hockey vs. MinneapolisMinneapolis South High School
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm3:00pm | 9:00pmBoys Hockey vs. Rochester LourdesGraham Arena
WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 11
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Wrestling Triangular vs. CentralHOME
6:00pm Gymnastics vs. JohnsonJohnson High School
6:00pm Girls Basketball vs. Nova ClassicalNova Classical Academy
THURSDAYDECEMBER 12
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
THURSDAYDECEMBER 12  
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:15pm JV: 4:15pm V: 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. Two RiversHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pmJV: 3:30pm V: 5:15pm | 9:00pmBoys Hockey vs. MinneapolisParade Ice Garden
FRIDAYDECEMBER 13
FRIDAYDECEMBER 13  
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:00pm JV: 5:30pm V: 7:00pm2:45pm | 9:00pmBoys Basketball vs. TartanTartan High School
JV: 4:00pm V: 6:00pm Girls Hockey vs. Hill-MurrayAldrich Arena
5:00pm3:15pm | 7:20pmBoys Swimming Conference PreviewHumboldt High School
SATURDAYDECEMBER 14
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
 8:00am | 5:00pmDance Team InviteOwatonna High School
9:00am6:35am | 4:30pmWrestling InviteMaple Grove High School

Nebraska volleyball recruitment class of 2023

By: Siri David

Nebraska had some of the best recruitments from the 2023 class. These players, who are now sophomores, changed Nebraska’s team as a whole. There were five players, with one who was a redshirt for the team. Four of their starting players in the 2023 season were freshmen. This is not commonly seen as most freshmen come into schools not planning on getting a lot of playing time.

Now, let’s talk about each of these players individually. First, there is Harper Murray who is an all around outside. She won Gatorade National Player of the year, and was top of her class for her position. Next is Bergen Reilly, she is the all-around setter for Nebraska. Some would say she is the best setter in the NCAA right now. She was top of her recruiting class for her position as well. The next player is Andi Jackson. Jackson is a middle blocker. She has the highest hitting percentage this season, and a lot of people say is on route to becoming an Olympian. The last player is Laney Choboy. Choboy is a DS which stands for defensive specialist.

All of these players played on the U19 national team, and won the Pan American Cup. Reilly won MVP and best setter. Murray won best attacker, and Choboy won best defensive player. These four players have changed Nebraska volleyball in so many ways. They each bring something different to the court and their team. Reilly has this calm sense on the court and that is what makes her so unpredictable to opponents and such a consistent setter. Murray is a really good all-around player, she has good coverage when she is in the back row. She averages 3.36 kills per set, which shows how consistent of a hitter she is. Jackson had the highest hitting percentage of .504 leading the nation, and she was also in the top 25 hitters as the only freshman. Choboy brings a level of competitiveness that nobody else can. She is also a very scrappy player. She will hustle for any ball and not let anything stop her.

This class is truly amazing and is the reason the Nebraska team went to the National Championship game and only lost two games last season. I can’t wait to see what Nebraska does this season.

Sports schedule for: Dec 2-7

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 7  
MONDAYDECEMBER 2 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
  Boys Swimming Practice Starts 
TUESDAYDECEMBER 3
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:15pm JV: 4:15pm V: 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. Mounds ViewHOME
JV: 4:15pm V: 6:30pm Girls Hockey vs. HastingsHastings Civic Arena
WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 4
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Wrestling Triangular vs. Armstrong and HopkinsHOME
6:00pm Gymnastics Conference PreviewJohnson High School
THURSDAYDECEMBER 5
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
B: 4:15pm JV: 4:15pm V: 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. Hill-MurrayHOME
FRIDAYDECEMBER 6
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. WashingtonHOME
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Boys Hockey vs. BaldwinCharles M. Schulz  Highland Arena
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. Moose LakePhalen Arena
6:00pm Gymnastics vs. South St. PaulHOME
SATURDAYDECEMBER 7
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
9:15am 9:15am 11:00am Boys Basketball vs. SPAHOME
10:00am Wrestling InviteRush City High School

Sports schedule for: Nov 25-30

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 25 – NOVEMBER 30  
MONDAYNOVEMBER 25 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
TUESDAYNOVEMBER 26
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. SouthMinneapolis South High School
5:15pm | 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. Northern TierEast Bethel Ice Arena
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 27
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:00pm Girls Basketball vs. HumboldtHumboldt High School
THURSDAYNOVEMBER 28
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
FRIDAYNOVEMBER 29
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
JV: 1:00pm V: 3:00pmJV: 11:00am V: 12:30pm | 5:00pmBoys Hockey River Falls InviteWildcat Center
SATURDAYNOVEMBER 30
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pmJV: 3:00pm V: 4:30pm | 9:00pmBoys Hockey River Falls InviteWildcat Center

Sports schedule for: Nov 18-23

ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 18 – NOVEMBER 23  
MONDAYNOVEMBER 18 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
  Boys Basketball Practice Starts 
  Wrestling Practice Starts 
TUESDAYNOVEMBER 19
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 20
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm Girls Hockey vs. MinneapolisWSP Ice Arena
THURSDAYNOVEMBER 21
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
V: 6:00pm Girls Basketball vs. CentralHOME
FRIDAYNOVEMBER 22
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
SATURDAYNOVEMBER 23
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
JV: 1:00pm V: 3:00pm Boys Hockey vs. SimleyCharles M Schulz Highland Arena
JV: 1:00pm V: 3:00pm Girls Hockey vs. VisitationWSP Ice Arena