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SPORTS
editor | Heather Kruger
sports@exponent.montana.edu
[club profile]
Hooping for Healthier, Happier Lives
A Bozeman Hoopers Club member practices her routine.
Cassie Wilson If you haven’t picked up a hula hoop for years because you think it’s for kids, think again. The Bozeman Hoopers are proving how hooping can bring smiles, lower stress and provide an artistic outlet for people of any age. Hooping is a semi-new up and coming recreation. It combines dance and art with
Image by Maury Neipris
hula hooping, usually using the hula hoop as a prop or dance partner. It isn’t all free movement, however. Certain moves take technique and practice — hula hoops can be used on more than just the hips, including the chest, neck, arms and legs. Unlike the hula hoops you used as a kid, hooping requires a heavier and thicker hoop. Hooping takes after rhythmic gymnastics, freestyle dance and twirling.
Ryan Quire, the president and founder of the club, is a masters student at MSU. “A meeting is an informal jam session where we listen to music, hoop, dance and share,” Quire explained. “Hooping has become a part of who I am. It has made me happier and less serious, and I am so grateful for the feeling of pure creation when I dance and flow with a hoop.” After hooping for nearly five years, Quire said it is easily possible for people to find their own groove and dynamic. No two hoopers have the same style. Outside the club, many hoopers participate in festivals and music shows. They also love to hoop outside when the weather is nice. Hooping is more than fun — it provides an exercise and art form that improves health and happiness. Quire encourages anyone who enjoys dancing and having fun, and any child at heart to attend a meeting. For more information, visit hoopcity.ca or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Bozeman-Hoopers/164112790330735. Let your inner child play! What: Bozeman Hoopers When: Romney Gym Where: Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Cost: Free
Chasing Winter with Outdoor Rec Kyle Lowis This past weekend Outdoor Rec hosted a snowshoe hike through Yellowstone National Park along the Fawn Pass trail. Outdoor Rec took a small group of students down south, looking for an appropriate snowshoe hike. In Yellowstone National Park, the group found what they were looking for. Outdoor Rec originally meant to trek up Indian Ridge, but continued down through the Gallatin Canyon in search of more snow. While signs of spring continue to spread through Bozeman, this was not the case at Fawn Pass. High winds, low temperatures and snow flurries greeted the
group at the beginning of the trip as they ventured across the plain. Conditions were harsh and tested the will of the hikers, some of whom had never previously been in the snow. However, once the travelers reached the treeline, the winds subsided and temperatures rose, allowing hikers to enjoy the wonders of the wilderness. One thing to never take for granted on these outings is the people with whom you adventure. MSU is continuing to grow, attracting students from all ends of the country and globe. One can learn a lot about a person from hiking with them, and this outing was no different. Conversations led to a further understanding of fellow students,
THE ASMSU EXPONENT |April 5, 2012
a learning opportunity often missed by many. Sharing a long conversation with an exchange student from Saudi Arabia, I learned more about my fellow man, the global community, a previously unknown and compelling culture and much besides. Venturing into the wilderness with your fellow man leads to a learned experienced unmatched by any classroom on campus, a value incomparable to any tuition. There is more to be gained than just a good workout from the Outdoor Rec outings. The next adventure is a float down the Madison River on Saturday, April 7. For more information, visit http://www. montana.edu/outdoorrecreation.
Bobcats Swept by Tough Hornets Squad Anthony Varriano After back-to-back wins at Weber State and Idaho State by scores of 5-2, the MSU women’s tennis team returned to the friendly confines of the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center for a tough conference match against No. 59 Sacramento St. After a delay of nearly an hour due to an earlier match against the Grizzlies — Sacramento St. winning 5-2 — the Hornets went right back to work on the Bobcats. Sacramento St. started strong, winning all three doubles matches by a score of 8-2. The Bobcats seemed to have trouble with the height of the Sacramento St. team, who dominated at the net. MSU couldn’t seem to get lobs over the long, outstretched arms of the Hornets, which also made difficulties for the MSU doubles teams attempting passing shots. The trouble continued for MSU in singles matches. The Bobcats won just one set in the match, as Paulina Lopez Trevino won her first set in a tiebreaker 7-6, but eventually lost the third set tiebreaker 10-8 to No. 3 singles player Clarisse Baca. It was the only chance MSU had to avoid a sweep. Coach Denise Albrecht knew what to expect from Sacramento St., and wasn’t surprised by their performance. “Sac. St. is ranked 59th in the country. They are a very good team. In conference play they are 98-0, I think. They haven't lost a conference match for 12 years,” Coach Albrecht said. “The women's team had a great weekend with wins on the road against Weber State and Idaho State. MSU fought hard, but Sac. St. was just too strong and had a lot of depth.” The big road wins against Weber State and Idaho State should not go overlooked, however. With the wins the Bobcats improved their Big Sky Conference record to 3-2. Though MSU should be happy to be done with Sacramento St., they have another tough test when the women next host Northern Colorado at the BobcatAnderson Tennis Center on Sunday, April 8.