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January 12, 2021
SPORTS
Self Isolation breeds better mindset for new members of Men’s Basketball team “This pandemic gave me the opportunity to remember what life is all about, enjoying it,” Gennett said. “The time Nothing sounds better than a fresh spent with my family doing activities we start after a year like 2020. With sports were never able to do because of a craon hold for a while, this gave student ath- zy basketball schedule will always be remembered letes time to sit and well down and reflect needed.” on their lives Gennett outside of their said he’ll sport. A few never take members of the This year I want to be more playing basMen’s Basketketball for mindful and thankful for ball team took granted. He some time to self what I have and to also take said it was a reflect and set struggle tryNew Year’s resadvantage of everything I ing to find an olutions. have been given so I can beopen park to Freshman shoot hoops Guard Colby come the best man I can be, to at. Usually Gennett said Gennett has actually do it. his New Year’s access to inresolution was door basketto “simply enjoy - Gaige Ainslie, Freshman ball courts, life during the but due to forward pandemic.” COVID-19 “2020 will be restrictions viewed as a dark that was no time for a while longer a posbut for me, I saw sibility. it as an opportu“By doing the little things like making nity to grow as a person,” Gennett said. Gennett said he just wanted to be bet- DIY projects to help dribbling and shooting ter whether it was for basketball or not. at your house, that made the difference,” He said he took full advantage of all the Gennett said. “It’s the little things in life that are now so important during this time.” free time that got put into his life.
Rey Green Sports Editor
Photo courtsey of Gage Ainsli
Colby Gennett from Post Falls High School drives to the basketball to finish an acrobatic lay up. Freshman forward Gaige Ainslie said the little resources I had then once I am he has learned that your life can change back to a gym and weight room every day, I would be one of the hardest workers, completely in one day. “This year I want to be more mindful because I knew what it was like to have and thankful for what I have and to also nothing,” Ainslie said. CWU’s men’s basketball team finished take advantage of everything I have been given so I can become the best man I can last season 17-11 falling just short of a playoff run. In the upcoming season head be,” Ainslie said. Ainslie said everything that hap- coach Brandon Rinta says he will make pened last year has made him work sure his team is well prepared for the seaharder because he didn’t know whether son. Rinta said COVID-19 has given the or not he was going to be able to workout consecutive days at certain gyms due to coaching staff more time to look at the game at a much deeper level and says the COVID-19 restrictions. “I thought that if I worked hard with staff is way better because of it.
GNAC member Azusa Pacific discontinues football Sean Bessette Senior Reporter Last month, GNAC member Azusa Pacific University (APU) ended its football program effective immediately after 55 years of competition in the NCAA and NAIA. “You hate to see any program discontinue because it ultimately affects those student athletes, coaches and staff personnel,” CWU Director of Athletics Dennis Francois said. “For a lot of them, it’s the reason why they came to a university, whether it be athletics or academics, and when those [programs] get discontinued or dropped, it’s heartbreaking for those student athletes and coaches.” According to an official release on athletics.apu.edu, one of the biggest reasons for the discontinuation of the program was the extensive travel necessary for APU to participate in all of their scheduled away games. In 2019, APU had to take air travel for all six of their away games. This made APU the only DII school that had to fly for all of their away games. With APU ending its program, a large hole opens up in CWU’s schedule. There are now only three GNAC schools with football programs, including CWU, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser. One solution to this is a scheduling alliance between the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and the GNAC. LSC member institutions are located in the southwestern United States.
Photo courtsey of CWU atheletics
Michael Roots (Middle) running for a touchdown against Azusa Pacific back in 2019. “The Lone Star Conference is definitely going to play a major part in us continuing to have a very competitive schedule and have that opportunity to push on with football at CWU,” Francois said. This scheduling alliance means football will face schools that CWU has never faced before. “I’ll be excited to play new teams that we haven’t faced before,” senior running back Michael Roots said. While there is excitement for what
the future brings, there’s also room to reminisce on some of the memorable moments between CWU and APU in recent history. “It was a great rivalry. Every single game was a barnburner. You knew you had to bring your ‘A’ game every time you went against them,” Fisk said. The most recent matchup between CWU and APU resulted in a 27-24 victory for the Wildcats on Nov. 2, 2019. Roots rushed for 196 yards on 22 attempts and
one TD on the evening. Before discontinuing the program, APU won four division championships during their eight years in the GNAC, including a shared championship with CWU in 2018. “It’s a blow to DII football on the west coast. We feel terrible for the players and the coaching staff of that program,” Fisk said. “Azusa had quality people surrounding their program and we had a mutual respect for one another.”
