Golf completes season with place at state ryanMINEAR staff writer
When you are on the bottom of the totem pole, you realize that the only direction to go is up. That is what sophomore Chad Phillips did this past season. Phillips faced a difficulty with tryouts in the previous year. “I barely made the team last year and I had the position as the JV alternate,” Phillips said. “[Now] I have worked my way up to playing varsity.” Head golf coach Ryan Harshaw has taken notice of Phillips’ great improvement over a year. “[Chad] has improved a lot,” Harshaw said. “He was an alternate last year and has worked hard throughout the summer. He went from being number 18 on the team to the top six.” Phillips credits his success on the green to his hard work to strive to improve. “I worked hard on improving my chipping and iron shot,” Phillips said. “Also, being in weights class this semester has increased my distance a lot.” Due to the effort Phillips has put into his game, he has been able to see signs of improvement. “It feels great to see how much I have improved over only one year and see my hard work paying off,” Phillips said. Phillips continues to work hard to improve his game so he can reach his full potential. “I have to work hard at playing consistently in every tournament,” Phillips said. Not only is Phillips making progress, but his team as a whole has won their league championship. “Going in [to the league tournament], we thought we
had a chance to win and we played well,” Harshaw said. “It felt great because our last league championship was in 2007.” The team will attend the state competition in Newton on May 23. On a team that is making huge strides, Phillips looks to one day to become on of the main contributors for the team. “I think he will keep improving and next year he will be in the top four on varsity and contribute a score every tournament,” junior Ryan Hoover said. Senior Corbin Mihelic placed fifth at the state tournament while he team placed seventh overall.
Kansas 5A State Golf Corbin Mihelic 71 Ryan Hoover 77 Ben Hotaling 84 Evan Clopine 89 Chad Phillips 90 Michael Morris 92
DEVIN DYMKOWSKI
Junior Ryan Hoover swings his golf club during a golf meet. Hoover has been on the varsity team since his freshman year.
Sports bring America together through tragedy, triumph chrisJONES
The singing of the national anthem is an event that happens before every sporting event around this country. The American flag is flown around the stadium and everyone, no matter what team they are rooting for, takes off their hats and puts their hand over their heart. This one small act of patriotism is a small example that outlines the big picture that sports are what truly bring America together; through triumph, tragedy, and everything in between. At the time of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, America was in a state of turmoil. Conflicts with the Soviet Union, an energy crisis at its pinnacle, along with many other conflicts had led to unexistant American pride throughout the nation. America needed something to take their attention away from the countries current state. They needed something to believe in. Enter the United States Olympic Hockey team. A group of amateur and collegiate hockey players, assembled by Herb Brooks, would even-
tually shock the world and revive some of the American pride that laid dormant at the time. Heading into the Olympics, the Soviet Union team were overpowering favorites, being considered by many to be the best hockey team in the world. They had outscored their opponents 175-44 in 29 previous matches, going 27-1-1 during that time. The Soviets were an elite, professional hockey team. The Americans were amateurs. Defying the odds, America continued to win throughout the Olympic tournament. Momentum was being built and America started to recognize and follow the team. Then came the night of Feb. 22, 1960. The United States faced off against the juggernaut Soviets. Due to the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union were natural rivals. It was considered the Cold War on ice. The field house was filled with American flags waving and chants of “USA, USA” ringing throughout. American pride seemed to have returned. Americas stunning victory, capped off by a late go-ahead goal by Mike Eruzioni, was a massive upset that echoed throughout the world. It was truly the “Miracle on Ice”. This victory brought the country together once more, and for one night none of Americas mattered. We were once again victorious. Although this hockey game paled in comparison to the rest of Americas problems at the time, it gave America something to cheer about and gave them a reason to be proud of their country once again. Not only do sports bring America together
in times of triumph, they also work in times of tragedy. This was no more prevalent than the weeks after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. Major League Baseball and the National Football League postponed their scheduled games because no one wanted to be out watching sports. People were scared and only wanted to be home with their families. A total of 91 baseball games and a whole Sunday of football were postponed for the week after the tragedy. Games resumed the following week and the country rejoiced. The main example was at the New York Mets game against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 21. Security was at an all time high for this game and rightly so. The Mets’ players wore caps and badges commemorating the efforts of the FDNY, NYPD, and other organizations aiding in the relief effort. Rudy Giuliani, who was the mayor at the time, was honored for his actions during the dark time for the city. Despite being a Yankee fan, he received a roaring standing ovation. Before the game, American flags flew throughout the stadium, mixed with the tears and cheers of the New York faithful, who for the first time since the 9/11 attacks, had a reason to cheer. The Mets accomplished a late inning victory behind the home run by team leader Mike Piazza. The win was a microcosm for how New York, despite the horrific tragedy that they had experienced a short week ago, were on the way back to normal. Later in the season, then President George
Bush threw out the first pitch in one of the World Series game between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. As he walked to the mound, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd and pitched a perfect strike. The crowd went into an uproar. The game ended in a walk-off win for the Yankees and the entire city erupted in celebration and rejoicement. After the horrific acts of terrorism brought upon America on Sept. 11, mere baseball games caught the attention of the entire country, brought them together, and gave them a reason to cheer together in the midst of tragedy. Ten years later, at the stadium of the Philadelphia Phillies, American pride sprung up once again in the form of the death of Osama Bin Laden. The Phillies were playing the New York Mets on the nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN. Towards the end of the game, the network broadcasters interrupted their analysis of the game to announce that Osama Bin Laden, mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, had been killed. As the news spread throughout the stadium, chants of “USA, USA” spread. The announcement was how I personally found out the news, and seeing the entire stadium showing their American pride in chants gave me chills. In the midst of triumph and tragedy, simple sports games throughout history seem to bring America together and give us a reason to cheer and rejoice.
May 26, 2011
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