SPORTS

Local athletes say decision opens gates for pay to play

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

There are a couple of schools of thought when it comes to the recent Supreme Court decision that extend benefi ts to student-athletes as part of their scholarships. such as computers.

The decision was 9-0. Last week, the NCAA approved compensation for athletes’ use of images, names and likeness. Last month’s court ruling does not allow students to receive money for playing college sports. But some local college athletes think that day is coming.

“I honestly do believe college athletes should get paid,” said Fort Lupton High School alumnus Antonio Marquez, who runs track and cross country at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison. “If you look at the stats of where college makes most of their money outside of registering students, it’s from athletics. You can see colleges with bigger stadiums, then some NFL ones now, and it’s just crazy because they have the same media, equipment, and fans as a professional team. But they just don’t get paid.”

Former Frederick football player Blake Duran agreed with the court’s fi ndings.

“Student athletes live very busy lives with practice and school. We don’t have the time to worry about jobs or getting paid somehow because we are so busy,” said Duran, who is playing football at Dakota University in Madison, South Dakota. “With most kids living off campus in apartments, it makes it a lot harder to have to pay for all of that. But with the Supreme Court’s ruling, it will change a lot, and I think it is good.

“I believe in change,” Marquez said. “I would be planning to take advantage of it. I believe they should be paid and (the court’s 9-0 decision) could defi nitely open the door to further conversations about the topic.”

“I do plan on taking advantage of this because as a student-athlete, I can use all the help I can,” Duran said. “I think college athletes should get to have paid endorsements if they would like them. Endorsements are a great way for athletes to get their name out there and establish themselves for the pros off the fi eld or court. I think this decision will open many doors that will overall help the student athletes a ton. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with their decision.”

Fort Lupton graduate Antonio Marquez.

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BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Beatriz Hatz has a full summer ahead of her.

The Westminster resident continues to train in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meters and the long jump because it’s part of her routine.

There’s also this. She qualifi ed for the Paralympics in Tokyo Aug. 24 through Sept. 5.

“Trials were in Minneapolis June 17 to 19,” she said. “To qualify for the team, you had to hit a certain percentage of your standard in that particular event. For example, my 100-meter A standard was 12.9 seconds, and I ran 12.86, meaning I had more than 100 percent of the A standard.”

Hatz, who is 20 and a 2019 graduate of D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School, was born without a fi bula in her right leg. Doctors amputated the leg below the knee.

“My two younger brothers (John and Ryan) always did sports growing up. And because I’m so competitive, I did the sports they did,” Hatz said. That list of sports included softball, basketball, soccer, karate and skiing.

“When Ryan did basketball, I had to try basketball,” she said. “When Buddy did baseball, I tried softball, etc.”

She tried other sports, too. Hatz is the American record holder in the long jump at 18.7 feet.

“I used to do softball, basketball, skiing, snowboarding, CrossFit and even karate before trying track,” Hatz said. “I only joined track because of a friend who made a bet with me my freshman year of who could make a varsity meet fi rst. I was the fi rst of my friend group to go to a varsity meet and since then, I stuck with it.”

Like other athletes, Hatz had to do without events because of COVID until this past April.

“My coaches did a good job of keeping me interested,” she said. “We had tried different workouts on the track and in the gym, so it wasn’t always the same stuff. It was diffi cult at times because meets were not happening, so I couldn’t tell where I was at compared to my competition. But training with the able-bodied professional heptathletes helped me so much.

“Getting to chase them in all my workouts and getting destroyed by them on the track every day pushed me to work harder and to try to catch up to them even more,” she continued. Working and getting better with them just meant that I would be getting prepared to do amazing things against my competitors in the Paralympics.

“Why train with people like me when

I can train and get my butt whooped by people better than me?”

Hatz gets a lot of support from her family.

I am very, very close with my family, so their support means everything to me,” she said. “They always remind me that I am going to do big things, and their faith in me gives me an incredible amount of confi dence.”

Hatz called herself “very stubborn” when it comes to sports.

“So, competing in sports gives me a way to show everyone that I can do everything anyone else can do,” she said. “I have always hated pity, and when people doubted my abilities, it gave me an excuse to show them up.”

Hatz isn’t sure when she’s leaving for Japan. She is sure she won’t be able to see much of the country.

“I am excited to be able to represent the United States on such a large platform,” she said. “This will be the biggest moment of my life so far, and I’m excited to show the world what I can do. Unfortunately, we will not get the opportunity to sightsee because of COVIC protocols.

She fi nished fi fth in the 200-meters in the 2019 world championships and eighth in the 100-meters. Hatz enjoys drawing painting, snowboarding and drawing.

“I’m extremely grateful to be working with my coach, Kris Mack,” she said. “Switching to Coach Mack and his training group was the best decision I ever made, and I am proud to be his fi rst Paralympian. I’m grateful to be able to train with the best athletes (Annie Kunz, Riley Cooks,

Erica Bougard and Harrison Williams.”

Beatriz Hatz

COURTESY PHOTO

Solution

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

TRIVIA

1. GEOGRAPHY: How many states are in Australia? 2. LITERATURE: The character of Miss Havisham appears in which 19th-century novel? 3. ASTRONOMY: What is the name of the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space?

4. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:

What creature was a hood ornament on the 1933 Hudson Essex Terraplane car? 5. TELEVISION: What were the names of the boys on the 1990s sitcom “Home Improvement”? 6. MUSIC: The Jug saloon was the setting in which Lynyrd Skynyrd song? 7. MOVIES: What was Charlie Sheen’s nickname in the 1989 movie “Major League”? 8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What are the offspring of echidnas (Australia) called? 9. U.S. STATES: What is the state fl ower of West Virginia? 10. FOOD & DRINK: Which country produces Gouda cheese?

Answers

1. Six 2. “Great Expectations,” Charles Dickens 3. The Karman line 4. A griffi n 5. Brad, Randy and Mark 6. “Gimme Three Steps” 7. Wild Thing 8. Puggles 9. Rhododendron 10. The Netherlands (c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

Crossword Solution