Viking Magazine Volume XVII Issue 5

Volume XVII, Issue 5

Magazine

YEAR IN REVIEW

Athletes of the year Grant Morgenfeld and Erin Li. Photo

by Jason Hu.

Viking

Volume XVII, Issue 5 May 2024

magazine

would like to thank our sponsors...

Reed Gaither

Scoot Joachim Berkeley Belknap

Tania Nanevicz

Editors-in-Chief Claire Cho, Ethan Wang, Roan Haney, Emil Bothe Creative Director Nathan Lee

Gormley Family

Steele Family

STAFF

Photo Editor Lucas Tung Business Manager Sarah Thieman

Steve Haney Molly Stitt Harrison Family Bertelsen Family

Copy Editor Scarlett Frick Head Columnist Tyler Cheung Social Media Manager Amanda Goody

Staff Writers Carter Burnett, Kamili Fossati-Moiane, Luke Joachim, Grace Gormely, Tyler Frick, Tyler Martin, Josie Vogel, Trey Collins, Avery Reller, Katie Yen, Eliza Gaither, Aspen Stitt, Jason Hu, Ben Levav, Alena Lotterer, Max Merkel, Dylan Robinson, Evin Steele, Jonathan Yuan, Tyler Harrison, Beau Revenaugh Adviser Brian Wilson

on the cover:

This cover, featuring upperclassmen of the year Grant Morgenfeld and Erin Li, with photo by Jason Lu, can be read on page 18.

Viking Magazine Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Follow us @vikingsportsmag or go to vikingsportsmag.com for current game updates/scores.

Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Viking, please contact Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, five times a year by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif.

Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck

Letter from the EDITORS Hey Vikes!

What an exciting year this has been for Paly Sports! League championships, deep playoff runs, and incredible individual accomplishments have all contributed to a truly special year.

We are excited to announce our new leadership team—Emil Bothe, Claire Cho, Roan Haney, and Ethan Wang—and we can’t wait to continue producing Viking issues for our readers in the coming fall.

As is traditional with the final issue of the school year, we have distributed the Viking awards to the teams and individuals that our staff sees as most deserving.

On page 18, Girls Upperclassman of the Year is granted to Swarthmore tennis commit Erin Li. On page 20, Boys Upperclassman of the Year is awarded to Grant Morganfeld

Claire Cho

for his record-breaking high school track career.

Freshmen three-sport athlete Justin Fung and all-league MVP Maura Hambley are recipients of Boys and Girls Underclassmen of the year (page 22), respectively.

Girls Volleyball went undefeated in league this season, well-deserving of the Girls Team of the Year (page 24), and Boys Tennis won their league earning them Boys Team of the Year (page 26).

Recipients of the Alok Subarro Sportsmanship award (page 28) are senior varsity baseball player Ari Smolar-Eisenburg and senior varsity girls water polo player Anne Threlkeld.

The feature on page 30 goes into the ever-present sexism that exists in sports, and Late Night Grind (page 34) dives

Roan Haney

into the challenges athletes face in trying to keep up with their schoolwork, sports, and sleep.

We also cover what athletes do and where athletes go during the summer season on page 14 in Summer Shape Up, and on page 40 in Hitting the Road.

Page 12 has a fun Viking Summertime Puzzle, and page 16 holds tradition with the Recruitment Map to take a look at where Paly athletes are heading next.

Seniors take the spotlight in Captain’s Legacy (page 36), Favorite Senior Moments (page 38), and Seniors Before/ After (page 42).

The Final Word (page 45) covers the dangers of court storming and why it should be banned.

Have a great summer and see you in the fall!

Emil Bothe

Ethan Wang

STAFF OPINION

Lack of Financial Diversity in European Soccer For the first time in eleven years, a team other than Bayern Munich Football Club has won the Bundesliga (German soccer league).

Although the dethroning of a superteam is an exciting event, the issue lies in the fact that one sole team can be dominant for so many years. Furthermore, if the past gives us any indication of the future, Bayern will most likely reclaim their title as soon as next year, as out of 60 possible Bundesliga titles, Bayern has won 32.

How can one team be so dominant?

While yes, prestige plays a factor, the main contributor to non-stop success is the lack of a salary cap and draft. Every summer (transfer season), superteams like Bayern can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the best players to bolster their rosters for the coming season. On the contrary, smaller clubs have a fraction of the budget, and therefore can rarely compete at the same level as

clubs who seem to have no spending limit. In American sports leagues such as the NBA and NFL, there is a limit to how much money teams can use to form their rosters. If teams are overspending they face consequences such as fines and losing of draft picks.

Furthermore, there are no equitable distribution players. The recent NFL draft highlighted an important step in how teams can rapidly improve. Every year, the worst teams in the league get their pick of the best players coming out of college. Although nothing is guaranteed, an early pick in the draft is an excellent opportunity to fill a void in the roster.

In recent years, picks like Joe Burrow for the Cincinnati Bengals and C.J. Stroud for the Texans have shown exactly how influential the draft can be.

European soccer, however, has no sort of draft. Instead, players play for a club’s youth teams, before getting called up to be on the professional team. If they start

at a smaller club, they may play for that professional team for a few years, but the best players are almost always snatched away by wealthier teams for eye-popping prices. With no significant opportunities for bottom-league teams to improve their rosters, the league standings stay relatively rigid. Aside from a few rare exceptions, the same teams always come out on top, making each season repetitive. The Champions League tournament, meant to bring together the best clubs throughout Europe has also lost its competitive appeal. Although the knockout-style bracket does provide more surprises, soccer club Real Madrid has won five of the last ten and will be playing in the final once again on June 1st.

What the European soccer financial system highlights is one, the importance of a strict managing body for sports leagues, and two, that the age-old financial system of European soccer needs to change. @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 3

Viking’s

Volume XVII, Issue V 2024

Table of Contents

6 12 14 16 18 30

Zooms Viking Summertime Puzzles Summer Shape Up Prospect Pathways Viking Awards PLAY FAIR

Late Night Grind Captain's Legacy Graduating Gratitude Hitting the Road Field to Future Final Word

34 36 38 38 42 45

Paly students in the students section display their phone flashlights at the Homecoming Game. Photo by Jason Hu.

6 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Photo by Jason Hu

STREAMLINE SPRINT Paly Varsity Boys Swim and Dive placed second at CCS finals this season. Pictured: Lachlan Kirby (‘24) dives into his 100 yard butterfly. @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 7

Photo by Lucas Tung

8 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

BARRIER BOUND Paly Girls Track and Field showed out at senior night versus Los Altos.

Pictured (left to right): Julie Yang (‘27), Yara Chaib (‘26), and Ashlyn Zeman (‘27) sprint to the finish.

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 9

A BIRDIE BEATING Paly Badminton fought hard against Cupertino but ultimately lost 19-11. Pictured (left to right): Gary Yan (‘26) and Nathan Chang (‘26) fight hard for a tough point.

10 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Photo by Lucas Tung

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 11

Su m m er Sh ap eu

u p e u p p e u p e a p p a u e h p a h S SummerShapeup S r e r m e r m u e S umm e m S um m S um S

by Eliza Gaither and Katie Yen Photos courtesy of Celeste Bates, Karen Hickey, and Brooke Hudacek

Paly athletes were asked how they choose to spend their free time over summer break while still staying active.

These are some great ways to get outside and have some fun in the sun.

“I like to go on runs and walks with my friends outside during the summer.”

- Lydia Mitz (‘25) “When I’m home, I’ll go to to the YMCA to get a good workout in.”

- Ivy Hardy (‘26) “We just try to stay active by going on walks with friends or going to the gym. ” - Brooke Hudacek and Grace Gormley (‘24) 12 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“I play league basketball over the summer so I just like continue playing throughout the off-season.”

- Gavin Haase (‘25)

“I lift during the summer three times a week and play beach volleyball over the summer since the weather is super nice in Santa Cruz.”

- Julian Hong (‘25)

“At the end of every summer I do like to practice my specific technique skills for my sport right before the season starts so I don’t feel too rusty.”

- Ella Bishop (‘24)

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 13

Viking's summertime

by eliza gaither and katie yen

S O C C E R W G V B Y D

D V M P S F S B T E Y J

U G M X A J U T R A G C

M S N A P X R E N C I Z

PUZZLES

Word Search T D W F K F F N U H Y N

Y B F I B R I N P V Q S

J E V B M L N I C O O R

A Z D A A M G S A L L M

L P S S L P I Q L L Y F

J Q U E V Z L N G E M F

F I N B M E M N G Y P N

R P S A M X M N X B I D

I C C L W X O J Z A C C

S D R L P Z C B U L S M

B T E J R N T I M L L C

E U E S T Z D A A J E O

BASEBALL

OlyMPICS

SURFING

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

SAILING

SWIMMING

FRISBEE

SOCCER

TENNIS

GOLf

SUNSCREEN

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E T N J S A I L I N G U

A H C D G B G O L F I P

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Grab a pen or pencil and try to crack our puzzle! Have fun vikes!

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5

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CROSSWORD u M M E R

10 11

12 13

14 15

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across (2) Underwater activity (3) It’s not hot; it’s just ...

(5) Helps protect your skin from the sun (11) LIGHT UP THE SKY (13) a sea creature that movies sideways or obliquely (15) A castle built out of sand, typically by children (16) Helps cool down your drink

Down (1) Hang out on the sandy _____ (4) Bites you all summer at night (6) What you wear to block your eyes from the sun (7) Summer dessert on a stick (8) Hottest season of the year (9) jump to cool down (10) outside meal on the grass (12) when you go out of town to relax @vikingsportsmag @vikingsportsmag || MAY MAY 2024 2024 || 15 15

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ROSPECT AT H WAY S

by Nathan lee, Ben Levav, Ethan Wang, and Jonathan Yuan

TH E PA LY R E C R U ITM E N T M A P “I’m super excited to play baseball with the guys at Lawrence they were all super cool guys. I’m also really happy to go to school so close to my grandparents in Milwaukee” - Ari Smolar-Eisenberg, Lawrence University, Baseball

“I’m beyond excited to go somewhere completely new to me with such a fun, caring, competitive team. I’m especially excited to get to come back to California and play NCAA teams!.” - Mary Henderson, University of Toronto, Water Polo

“I’m super exited to experience the freedom that college has to offer and to be able to play football for 4 more years” - Jason Auzenne, Sacramento State University, Football

“I’m most excited to bond with my teammates and the entire athletic community on campus.” - Kiana Feldis, Carleton College, Soccer

“Being surrounded by kids who have the same passion as me is something I really look forward to.” - Chase Kacher, University of Denver, Golf

“I’m super excited to meet my new teammates and spend the next 4 years with them.” - Erin Li, Swarthmore College, Tennis

“I’m super excited to be part of such a high-caliber team while having the opportunity to study at this amazing academic institution.” – Alena Lotterer, University of Viriginia, Diving

“I’m excited to be part of a competitive team and looking forward to finding success on a collegiate level.”

- Grant Morgenfeld,, Wake Forest University, Track

“I look forward to playing at a high level with big crowds along with traveling my team.” - Iki Topou, Brigham Young University, Football

“Really excited to meet new people and experience a different school and social culture” - Anzel Zhen, Swarthmore College, Soccer

16 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“I look forward to making friendships that will develop among teammates along with the opportunity to travel and compete with other schools.” - Richard Ogawa, Clark University, Soccer “I’m most excited about being on a team and being able to travel to different states and colleges to compete against other teams.”

- Alexa Pineda, Santa Clara University, Golf

Charlie Bates, Stanford, Baseball

“I’m looking forward to competing at a new level and the opportunity to learn and grow as a player and person” - Elsie Parigi, University of San Francisco, Soccer

“I’m excited to get close with my team and get the chance to further improve in my sport” - Lili Wakenshaw, Bucknell University, Track and field

Vincent Braga, Santa Clara University, Baseball

Savith Gurunathan, Football

Photos by Jason Hu and Charlotte Lungren.

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 17

GIRLS UPPERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR

ERIN LI E

Senior and Captain Erin Li has earned recognition as the Upperclassmen Girl of the Year through her hard work, leadership, and kindness towards others.

rin Li began playing tennis at others on and off the court. four years old, and quickly fell in “My teammates have helped me love with the sport. and supported me so much,” Li said.

“I used to pick up balls for my grand- “Having people cheer you on during parents whenever they took me to matches and being able to challenge their club to watch them,” Li said. “As each other to push to our limits during I got a little older, my grandparents practice gives me motivation to always started playing tennis with me, and give my 100 percent.”

I realized how much I enjoyed the As a sophomore, Li won the CCS sport.”

Doubles Girls She joined EaTennis Title, gle Fustar Tennis competing with “There were times Academy, where her teammate when I felt like giving she played unand close friend up and wanted to quit der coach Ryan Iris Li. The pair Hudelson and decided to combecause I wasn’t getting started competpete together as the results I wanted,” ing in tournaa tribute to Iris, a ments.

There, graduating se-Erin Li she developed nior. her early skills.

“I won the CCS “The key to being successful in any doubles in my sophomore year. It was sport is consistency in training, playing unexpected as we decided to play tournaments, and fitness, and Erin has doubles for fun … and winning the been doing these things from the be- CCS never really crossed our minds,” ginning,” Hudelson said.

Erin said.

In her freshman year of high school The victory strengthened Li’s belief Li joined the Paly tennis team; a turn- in herself. However, with higher aspiing point in her career. Up to that rations came a new wave of challengpoint, Li had mostly played tennis as es for her to face. an individual sport. The environment Every weekend, Li would travel long of a tight-knit team taught her the im- distances to compete for her club portance of teamwork and supporting team. Tournament after tournament,

Text by SARAH THIEMAN and JASON HU

HONORABLE MENTION she struggled to get the outcomes she never pressures us,” Tess Li said. “She desired and lost a lot of her matches. helps our team come together and These losses, combined with the de- bond, and even when we lose, she almanding schedule, took a toll on her ways makes sure that we had a good mentality. time and will learn for the future.”

“There were times when I felt like givFor Li, having a strong support sysing up and wanted to quit because it tem was a crucial part of her athletic was time-consuming and I wasn’t get- success. Her family and coaches have ting the results I wanted,” Li said. “I felt significantly boosted her career, and really disappointed and frustrated and she appreciates their guidance and thought that I was wasting a bunch support. of my parent’s time in addition to my “They have spent as much effort and own.” time as I have, helping and guiding In the face of challenge, Li learned to me to become a better player,” Li said. take her losses and use them as tools “From waking up at 5:00 a.m. to take for improveme to 8:00 ment. Tess Li, a.m. matches, Erin’s youngto being there “Use the bad results as er sister and for me no opportunities for growth teammate, matter if I win has watched or lose, they and learning and use Erin’s mentalhave shaped them to come back even ity change for me into who I the better. am as a player stronger,” “ W h e n today.”

[Erin] has a Currently, Li - Erin Li bad game, is committed she always to continue takes time to reflect on herself, but her athletic and academic career at moves on and learns from her mis- Swarthmore College, where she will takes,” Tess Li said. play Division III tennis.

Li began dedicating time off the “I chose to play tennis at the next levcourt to focus on building up her el because I really enjoy playing the strength through lifting, hitting prac- sport, and I loved playing high school tice, and endurance training. As she tennis which makes me super excited began competing again, she started to have a team aspect again at Swarthseeing better results, helping her re- more,” Li said. gain self-confidence as a player.

Aside from the on-court success Li “Eventually, as I began to play tour- has achieved, it is her legacy as a naments again, my results slowly be- leader and team mate that makes gan to improve, making me feel like her deserving of Upperclassmen Girl I was improving as a player,” Li said. of the Year. She continues to inspire “Overcoming all the struggles as a stu- the people around her, and wants to dent-athlete instills me with a feeling see the next generation of Paly tennis of pride.” succeed.

Not only does Li set a good example “I think advice I would give to youngwith her performance, but through her er athletes is to believe in yourself and attitude as well. As captain, Li prioritiz- don’t let a few bad results get in the es being a friend to everyone on the way: Take the bad results and turn team, and her encouraging demeanor them into opportunities for growth is noticeable. and to come back even stronger,” Li “She has a positive attitude during said. our games in the school season and

KYLIE YEN With her impressive stats and strong leadership qualities, Senior Kylie Yen played a key role in a memorable season.

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s captain of the well-accomplished Girls Volleyball team, Senior Kylie Yen is Viking’s honorable mention for Upperclassman Girl of the Year.

Yen is a two-year co-captain and threeyear varsity player for the girls volleyball team. This past season she led the team in points scored. Paly Varsity head coach Chris Crader mentioned that she achieved the highest single-match total for any player in his five years at Paly.

“She was near the top of the team in aces, digs, blocks, and serve receive, and is a great all-around player, a great leader, a great student, and a great person,” Crader said.

Yen’s strong play and leadership was reflected in the overall success of the volleyball team.

They w o n the SCVAL league with an undefeated 12-0 record, and finished 27-7 overall.

Yen was selected for the SCVAL All-League Team and won the team MVP award, showing how highly her teammates value her and her skill as an individual. @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 19

BOYS UPPERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR

GRANT MORGENFELD

Through his four year career, Paly track star Grant Morgenfeld has become one of the most dominant runners in Paly history.

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enior captain Grant Morgen- es at national competitions such as the feld has spent his four-year New Balance Nationals Indoor, Morcareer at Paly dominating the genfeld has committed to Wake Forest track. Although Morgenfeld University to continue his athletic and grew up playing a variety of sports, academic career. he didn’t start running until middle His standout statistics have yielded school, when he joined the cross coun- a variety of awards across his 4-year try team for fun. As a result of enjoying career. In 2021 he aided his team to a his middle school running experience, conference and sectional championMorgenfeld joined both the Paly cross ship, as well as receiving multiple indicountry and track teams as a freshman. vidual awards for his efforts. He was 1st “I came in my freshman Team All-Conyear without any expec“[Track] really became ference, 1st tations and I just wanted Team All-Rea big part of my life gion, All-State to have fun with it,” Moras I have progressed Division 1 3rd genfeld said.

Morgenfeld Team, Norththrough the ranks,” quickly realized that ern California -Grant Morgenfeld track is something he Sophomore of is really good at and the Year, and should take more seriCentral Coast ously.

Section Sophomore of the Year. “[Track] really became a big part of However, this success does not come my life as I have progressed through without the necessary training. Morthe ranks,” he said. “I have always been genfeld works tirelessly year-round to competitive on the CCS (Central Coast maintain the necessary stamina, enSection) level, and I eventually started durance, and mental toughness needbecoming competitive on the state ed to compete at the highest level. level and national level. Once I real“Right now my workouts are full ized I can compete at a high level, I of track workouts, tempo workouts, wanted to keep competing at a high level and getting better.”

By his senior year, Morgenfeld has become one of the most prolific runners in the nation and has cemented himself as a Paly track legend. Morgenfeld holds the Paly record for both the 1600 meter (1 mile), and 3200 (2 mile) events, with times of 4:09.06 and 8:49.21 respectively.

Through his impressive performanc-

by TYLER MARTIN and LUCAS TUNG

HONORABLE MENTION

CHARLIE BATES Paly baseball standout Charlie Bates has starred on a strong Paly team for years.

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long runs and getting in the gym,” there being very outspoken,” senior he said. “It is time consuming but I Zachary Spain said. “He leads by exenjoy the grind and I enjoy getting ample, he puts in the work, he’s in better.” the gym every morning for an hour Not only has Morgenfeld shown doing cardio, then he does running his prowess on the track, but he is and cardio. Him putting his head also an amazing leader and team- down and working is the leadership mate. he shows for this team.”

“Grant is a really great leader, he’s a Morgenfeld has had a really memchill guy who creates a nice respect- orable four years on the Paly track ful team bond,” and cross country junior Monty Web- “[Grant] leads by exteams, leaving a ber said. “[Grant] ample...Him putting his lasting impact on has good skills the team and its for leadership like head down and workfuture. leading the team ing is the leadership “I am super through warmups he shows for the team,” grateful to have and promoting a had this experi-teammate Zach Spain ence in my life,” nice environment.”

Morgenfeld exMorgenfeld said plains the adjustment of needing to While Morgenfeld has enjoyed his become a leader this season. time at Paly, he expresses his enthu“It was different this year coming in siasm for competing at the division and having to step up and be more one level. of a leader on the team,” Morgen“I am super excited for it, it’s going feld said. “We have a great group to be awesome,” Morgenfeld said. of guys and the team is really great “I am ready to take the step to the and we are all really close. At least next level. I know it is going to take a from our perspective, I feel like we lot from me and be really time conhave done a good job at setting an suming and really challenging, but I example.” chose it because I wanted to. SpecifAlthough a proven leader through- ically I chose Wake Forest, because out this season, he is not a stereo- the team and coaches there are gotypical mentor-esque captain. ing to be a great support system. I “He’s a silent leader, he’s not out am ready for it.”

enior Charlie Bates is a four-year varsity baseball player and is committed to Stanford University to play Division I baseball. Bates has been playing the sport from a very young age, and always dreamed of playing D1 baseball. He made that dream a reality after committing to Stanford for baseball during his sophomore year.

“Luckily, I got into contact with Stanford early in my sophomore year,” Bates said.

“When they offered me it was a no brainer.”

Throughout his Paly baseball career, Bates and the Vikings have made two D1 CCS playoff runs, including a championship appearance his sophomore year. He looks to continue to lead the Paly team to a deep playoff run this season during his senior year. As of May 8, the Paly baseball team is 15-11 overall with a 10-3 record in league. Through 25 games, Bates has a .405 batting average (34-84) with 24 runs scored, 23 runs batted in, and seven home runs. As Bates heads into his final few games as a Viking, he looks to finish his incredible Paly career strong as he transitions into D1 baseball over the summer.

“This is the last time where baseball is fun, [in college] it gets really serious,” Bates said. “This is my last run with people who I grew up playing with so I really just want to make this special.”

by AMANDA GOODY

UNDERCLASSMEN OF THE YEAR

Maura Hambly

Freshman Maura Hambly has made her presence on the Paly girls volleyball team known. This year, Hambly was awarded Viking’s underclassman of the year.

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hroughout an impressive first season on the girls volleyball team, freshman Maura Hambly showcased her passion, ingame IQ, competitiveness, and skill. In addition to her SCVAL league MVP and first team all league selection, Hambly has earned the honor of Viking girls Underclassman of the Year.

Despite losing seven players (including four starters) from a 17-15 season the year prior, the team was able to improve to a 27-6 overall record. Head coach Chris Crader credits Hambly as an important part of the team’s success.

“Having Maura come in was a significant part of our turnaround,” Crader

said. “She is a really well-rounded player with a high volleyball IQ. Maura just makes so many great plays in a row, in all aspects of the game, and it adds up to lots and lots of wins.”

Hambly’s stats speak for themselves, as she finished the season with 276 kills, ranking 24th in the Central Coast Section (A kill is awarded to a player any time their attack leads directly to a point scored). She recorded her season high with 18 kills this season against both Mountain View and Los Altos respectively.

However to Crader, Hambly’s in-game success isn’t the only quality that made her a standout player.

“She shows up to practice every day, ready to work hard, and ready to compete – and that can rub off on your teammates too, and inspire them to give their best every day,” Crader said.

Crader also highlights how Hambly’s mentality extends into practice.

“She is extremely competitive,” Crader said. “It seemed like, no matter what the drill was, and no matter which other girls were on her side, Maura’s team won nearly every drill in practice when we kept score.”

This competitiveness allowed Hambly to continue to grow her skills as a player.

“She [Hambly] added variety to her hit-

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ting, became a more consistent passer, and continued to learn what she needed to do to beat girls who were all two-tothree years older than her,” Crader said.

Sophomore teammate, Reese Japic, moved from Texas to Palo Alto last summer and joined the Paly volleyball team, where she met Hambly.

“What makes Maura stand out to me is her great attitude and fearlessness on the court as a freshman playing with and against mostly upperclassmen,” Japic said. “She is a very technical player and is great at knowing just what to do in a specific moment to get us the point.”

Throughout the season, Hambly has maintained existing relationships and created lasting connections with new teammates.

“For me, coming in as a new player was relatively easy mostly because I already knew the coach and a few of my teammates,” Hambly said. “However, my relationships with my other teammates grew significantly as the year went on.”

Hambly acknowledges these teammates as a major part of her success, along with help from coaches.

“Receiving this award shows not necessarily my abilities on the volleyball court but all the work my teammates and coaches put in this season to help me and our team get to where we were,” Hambly said.

“Maura Hambly is the total package as an athlete” - Coach Crader

by BEAU REVENAUGH

Justin Fung

Justin Fung finished the fall season as the starting Varsity quarterback. He earned AllLeague honors in basketball and is currently excelling on the baseball field. Fung was awarded the boys underclassmen of the year award.

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reshman Justin Fung started the 2023-2024 football season as the starting quarterback for the JV team. Fung led the team to an 8-3 record, totaling 11 touchdowns and 1183 yards over the course of the season. The JV season culminated in a 33-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Fung to freshman Adam Maldonado to win the league title.

“That was definitely a challenging game,” Fung said. “When Adam caught the ball, we all just went crazy.”

After being pulled up to varsity for CCS playoffs, Fung helped prepare the team for three playoff weeks as the backup quarterback. At the end of the CCS title game against Mountain View, senior starting quarterback Declan Packer took a big hit and got a concussion.

This meant that Fung would be the starting quarterback in the state semifinal against St. Vincent De Paul.

“When Coach told me I was going to be the starting quarterback, it was definitely nerve wracking,” Fung said. “I was a little scared at first, but when we got there and the game started all the nerves went away and I was just having fun.”

While down 14-0 in the first quarter, Fung threw a 27-yard t o u c h down to his older brother, Jeremiah Fung.

“I’ve played on teams with my brother before, and we have really good chemistry and the connection is always there,”

Fung said. “Throwing my first varsity touchdown to him was really cool and special.”

Although Paly ended up losing, Fung’s performance in this game was unforgettable.

“I helped coach him and watch film on the sideline with him during the game,” senior Declan Packer said. “I know Paly football is in good hands for the next three years.”

Fung will be the starting quarterback for varsity football as a sophomore, and hopes to maximize his development and progression.

“I definitely want to win CCS and maybe eventually get to state, and overall just improve the program and myself,” Fung said.

For the winter season, Fung made the JV basketball team. The JV team ended up only losing one league game and ultimately winning SCVAL. Fung finished sixth in points on the team, with 102 points and finished third team all-league.

“I knew a bunch of the sophomores so we already had really good chemistry as a team,” Fung said. “The best part was just playing with all my friends and having a good time.”

Right now, Fung is in the middle of his JV baseball season. While the team started out 0-4, they bounced back and

“I definitely want to win CCS and maybe eventually get to state” - Justin Fung

hold a 11-8-1 record and are 9-2-1 in league.

“It’s kind of the same situation as basketball because I know a bunch of the older kids,” Fung said. “It’s been a really cool experience, especially with the new coach.”

Fung is currently is hitting at .298, has 9 runs, 14 hits and 6 runs batted in.

In all, Fung was awarded the underclassmen of the year not solely because of his performance in one specific sport.

His excellence in three different sports makes him the standout candidiate, and his future as a Viking tri-sport athlete is bright. @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 23

GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR

VOLLEYBALL After an extremely challenging season last year, the Paly girls volleyball team bounced back with an undefeated record in league, which included taking home the SCVAL title.

I

n the unpredictable world of sports, a team can flip from last to first in a heartbeat. Paly Girls Volleyball struggled prior to this year, placing last in the SCVAL league in the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 17-15.

The loss of six key players (including four starters) coming into this season was another major setback.

Varsity coach Chris Crader noted that winning a league title was not the predicted outcome.

“It was rather unexpected,” Crader said. “We were no one’s choice to win leagues.”

Crader saw the team’s potential early on during a match versus Mercy last August. “At the beginning of the year, we got behind two sets to none against a good team from Mercy, in Burlingame,” Crader said. “We came back and won the next three sets, fairly comfortably, to win the match. I think that’s when we re-

alized we could be pretty good.”

The game would be a foreshadowing of the exciting season to come. Paly captured its sixth league title in eight years, finishing with a league record of 12-0 in the SCVAL-De Anza Division.

In addition to an impressive league campaign, the Viking’s 27-4 regular season record marked their best performance since the 2011 state championship team.

They closed out their season with losses versus state runner-up Mitty in the CCS Open playoffs and NorCal finalist Rocklin in the

NorCal D-1 first round.

Senior and co-captain Kylie Yen received recognition as the league’s Most Outstanding Senior, and Maura Hambly made history as the first freshman to earn league MVP honors.

Juniors Sophie Mies, Naama Green, and Sophie Pan had standout performances as well. Mies led the Vikings’ season total with 787 assists, Green had a total of 86 blocks, and Pan had a final count of 126 kills.

“The seniors provided great leadership, a group of juniors showed how much they had improved over the last year, and a newcomer showed up with talent, personality, and great competitive spirit,” Crader said. “In the end, it was the perfect blend to go from worst to first.”

“This season was definitely the best season out of the four years I’ve played volleyball.”

- Kylie Yen (‘24)

ROSTER

Photos courtesy of Karen Ambrose-Hickey and Paly Girls Volleyball

24 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

1 Noa Rochkind (Jr) 3 Risha Suvarna (Sr) 4 Reese Japic (So) 5 Joyce Huang (Jr) 6 Maura Hambly (Fr) 6 Mackenzie Zhao (Jr) 7 Clarissa Lee (Sr) 8 Sophia Yang (Sr) 9 Naama Green (Jr) 10 Ella Hunt (Sr) 11 Sophie Mies (Jr) 12 Reine Shultz (Sr) 13 Sophie Pan (Jr) 16 Kylie Yen (Sr) 17 Anja Covert (Fr) 20 Emily Mulkey (So)

by SCARLETT FRICK and CARTER BURNETT

Leadership was an important factor throughout the season. Seniors on the team included Risha Suvarna, Clarissa Lee, Sophia Yang, Ella Hunt, and co-captains Reine Shultz and Kylie Yen. “Our seniors were amazing teammates and selfless leaders,” Crader said. “Even when their own situation wasn’t what they wanted, they were always doing what the team, and their teammates, needed.”

The seniors’ leadership and hard work were appreciated by teammates such as sophomore Reese Japic as well.

“As the only sophomore on the team, everyone was so welcoming and supportive, and that is how we worked together the entire season,” Japic said.

“A lot of our success comes from having so many experienced upperclassmen to guide us and show us better ways to play and win.”

Strong leadership was not the only factor that contributed to success.

“The girls just showed up every day, worked hard, treated each other really well, and competed hard – and all the rest took care of itself,” Crader said.

The girls worked on bonding on and off the court. Junior Sophie Pan describes the different ways the team connected.

“We would practice or play five times a week, and we always have our annual team bonding at Poplar Beach, which is a great way for the team to bond before the season is in full swing,” Pan said. “We also had team dinners before games and have a tradition of singing the song ‘Shots’ before games. I think all these things built a strong team culture, which showed on the court.”

This team culture was appreciated by not only the players, but the coaches as well.

“The staff, the players, and their par-

“It was really a highlight season and a true success story!”

- Coach Crader

SWIM & DIVE A

nother Paly girls team that excelled this year was Swim and Dive. The team has had a good track record in recent years, placing third in last year’s CCS championships.

This year, the girls dominated the regular season.

The Vikings finished league 6-0, winning every dual meet by at least 30 points each time. They finished out the league season as SCVAL champions, beating second place Los Gatos 555316.

“We have so many talented and dedicated swimmers, and so much depth on the team,” sophomore Romy Kirby said. “With a combination of hard work at practices and talent, we were able to perform really well this league season.”

The season continues, as the CCS and

State Championships are now front and center in each swimmer’s mind.

This year, the girls have a deep roster of 14 total girls attending.

Kirby has high hopes to come out with a victory. “Our goal for CCS is to pull out a win and have around 20 people from girls and guys combined go to states,” Kirby said.

The girls will be losing seniors and captains Grace Gormley, Brooke Hudacek, and ser Scarlet Kwan. “We will miss our seniors so much,” Kirby said.

“They have really led our team this season.”

Sophomore Fallon Porter shares the future looks bright. “Next year is looking good, because we are getting some fast freshmen. The rest of us incoming seniors, juniors, and sophomores will

ents, are great people, and fun to work with,” Crader said. “As a coach, you mostly just want to be somewhere where you feel appreciated, and where you feel like you can make a difference, and that happened on this team.”

Kylie Yen reflects on the season, highlighting not only their performance on the court but also the joy shared along the way.

“This season was definitely the best season out of the four years I’ve played volleyball at Paly,” Yen said. “Not only in terms of our performance but because we had a lot of fun along the way. I think just knowing that we all had each others’ backs and we all wanted to support each other made this season great.”

The 2023-2024 season was a great success for the Vikings. The girls were able to bring together several factors, including talent, leadership, and team bonding to bring home an undefeated league season and title.

“Sometimes you just get a great mix of players who are all at good places in their growth, and everything just fits together,” Crader said. “It was really a highlight season and a true success story!”

HONORABLE MENTION continue to represent,” Porter said.

Girls diving had a successful season as well. They won each dual meet in the SCVAL season, and ultimately placed second in league. Senior Alena Lotterer was a key player to the achievements of Paly Dive, according to junior Svina Narang.

“Alena was an important diver for us,” Narang said. “She placed second at CCS and was a big leader on the team.”

Photo courtesy of Grace Gormley

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 25

BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR

TENNIS

After destroying their league, moving up divisions, and making it back to CCS, the Paly boys tennis team had one of their best seasons in recent memory.

L

ast year, despite having a strong season, the Paly boys tennis team failed to qualify for the CCS team tournament. After participating in CCS in 2022, missing the tournament was a huge let down for players – including Dhruv Shetty (‘24) – who felt they were good enough to make it. “[Missing CCS in 2023] definitely motivated us a lot more heading into this season, as we learned to not take qualifying as a given,” Shetty said. “We made sure to play our hardest in every match.”

Shetty emphasized that the team needed to come together to achieve the group success they wanted for this year.

“We have a lot of strong players but we need to work on playing with each other more,” Shetty said in a Viking article recapping the 2023 season. “We became too focused on individual competitiveness rather than winning games.”

Shetty’s advice came to light; this year seniors were confident in the talent and the team flipped their script and came ability of the younger players. back better than ever. Paly concluded “I think our underclassmen could finish their season with a 13-1 league record, the job we started and have a great seaa league championship, and a qualifica- son [in 2024],” Singh said after last year. tion for CCS. “I hope to come back home and see that The championship didn’t come easy, they won the league next year.” as the boys faced many adversities On top of the returning players, Ment h ro u g h o u t lo School transfer Leo Terman the year. and freshman Tom Li “Once we [added] two (‘25), One major have helped to fill the void of of our best players, challenge last year's seniors. was replacAfter seeing the new addiI realized we were ing the protions, Watson Koegler (‘24) going to be really duction of realized the potential that this the exiting team could hold. good” seniors from “We were already good last - Watson Koegler last year's year, so going into the season team.

Yash I knew that we were kind of Shetty, Ayush Singh, Josh Kaplan, and the favorites to win the league,” Koegler others were important contributors to said. “Once we [added] two of our best the winning 2023 season. Though these players, I realized we were going to be shoes were difficult to fill, the outgoing really good.”

Koegler knew the team was going to be tough to beat when they had their full arsenal, but another challenge they encountered was a lack of consistency with their lineups. Due to injuries, academic suspensions, transfer rules mandating players to sit out (for Terman) and most notably star Tyler Kuo (‘25) battling sickness over a month-long period, the team dealt with players coming in and out of the lineup constantly.

For Terman, being a transfer from Menlo meant that he had to sit out for the first half of the season, preventing the Vikings from operating at full strength for a large chunk of both non-league and league play.

“While it was sometimes confusing to set our lineup each match, we were lucky to have ample amounts of players so we always had a full roster,” Shetty said. “We also brought up a couple players from JV which helped refresh the lineup and provide further depth.”

Photos courtesy of David Zaydman

26 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

by TYLER FRICK and MAX MERKEL

Another way the tennis team was able rematch against Los Gatos to determine to overcome these obstacles was the the league championship. team’s chemistry off the court. Through Rivalry games already mean more, but the leadership of senior captains Beck- when they determine the sole possesett Annes and Mihir Menon, the team sion of a league championship, the anfound ways to connect outside of tennis, ticipation only heightens for players. helping their chemistry and overall com“We definitely came into the match mitment to collective success. hoping to win, knowing we had a stron“Everyone is always getting along, and ger, healthier lineup than the first matchwe often get food up,” Shetty said. and hang out [as Paly prevailed in a “We came into the a group],” Koegler 6-1 demolition of the [Gatos rematch] hoping said.

Wildcats, including to win, knowing we had key individual match In league play, after a blistering 5-0 start, wins from both Tera stronger, healthier the boys took their man and Li. lineup than the first first league loss in a The win against Gamatchup” 4-3 nailbiter versus tos clinched the De Los Gatos.

Anza league champi- Dhruv Shetty “The loss [to Los onship, and set themGatos] was definitely rough,” Shetty said. selves up for a CCS playoff berth. Win“Our coach was out sick so we had to set ning their league also means that they our lineup ourselves.” get promoted to a higher division for However, they bounced back quickly next season. with six straight wins to set up a home “Winning the league is a huge accom-

plishment, and it feels really good to leave Paly knowing that we ended [in a better league] than we started in,” Shetty said.

Santa Clara Valley’s All League awards have not been announced yet, but the group expects plenty of nominations due to their elite play against league opponents.

In CCS, Paly won their first match 5-2 against Leland, before falling to Menlo in the next round, ending their season.

Through the challenges, the boys tennis team dominated their league, ranked up a division, and got back to CCS – hopefully setting an elite precedent for the tennis program in the future.

“I’m really proud of everyone, we had a lot of roster changes this year and I think everyone did a great job at adapting and sometimes playing in a spot they weren’t used to in order to make sure our lineup was always as good as possible,” Shetty said.

BASKETBALL A

fter a competitive regular season rounded off with a state quarterfinal appearance, the boys basketball team delivered an amazing season. They ended their 29 game season with 20 wins, and a second place finish in the De Anza league.

“We had a really special group this year and I think this year stood out in terms of team chemistry, where we were not only a team but also a group of friends,” senior Riley Yuen said. “After the first few games we knew we had a unique squad that would have a chance of making it to state.”

The team qualified for Division I CCS playoffs as a top four seed, receiving a bye through the first two rounds.

They won their first game in a 59-52 back and forth battle against Carlmont High School, before falling short to

Menlo Atherton in a 54-49 nailbiter in the semifinals. Their semifinal appearance earned the team a bid into the Division IV state championship playoffs as the eighth seed.

In the first round, a second half comeback fueled a two point win against the ninth seed Ripon. Next, the team went on the road to face number one

HONORABLE MENTION

seed Santa Teresa, and showed out in a dominant 15 point road victory.

The run came to an end against Union Mine in the state quarterfinals, ending a successful season.

Starters Jorell Clark, Riley Yuen, Gavin Haase, and Alaap Nair were recognized as all-league players.

Photo courtesy of Karen Ambrose Hickey

@vikingsportsmag | APRIL 2023 | 27

ALOK SUBBARAO SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Anne Threlkeld

Anne Threkeld has shown endless commitment to the team, progressing from a reserved freshman to a team captain and manager.

“Anne is the textbook definition of a leader who leads by example,” Henderson said. “She shows up to practice every day fired up and with an incredible work ethic. Not only that but Anne has a deep respect towards everyone she plays with whether that be a teammate, coach, referee, or even an opposing player.”

Threlkeld’s positivity and role model behavior doesn’t just show out in the pool. When the water polo team had yet to have an official captain, Threlkeld embraced the challenge and stepped up to the role of team captain.

“Having her as a captain was really sweet because she is so supportive and I always felt like she was a person that I could go and talk to if I needed help on anything or if I had any questions,” Sophomore Fallon Porter said.

Threlkeld, having grown up swimming, has felt that it greatly impacted her life.

For Palo Alto High School, Threlkeld has been on both the swim and water polo teams throughout her years. However, midway through junior year she came across some mental and physical health struggles, forcing her to stop doing what she loves.

Despite these challenges, she wanted to continue helping the swim team in

any way she could, and found her role as swim team manager.

“I really wanted to stay in the environment and help the team in any way I could,” Threlkeld said.

In her final year at Paly, she knew she had to work harder then ever. Threlkeld helped the team to a record of 13 wins and two losses, placing them second behind competitor Los Gatos.

Sophomore Fallon Porter has done water polo and swim with Threlkeld, and shares her experiences as another of Threlkeld’s teammates.

“Anne is a wonderful person, a wonderful water polo player and she is just amazing,” Porter said. “She really values sportsmanship and keeps us all on track and focused.”

Their phenomenal record placed them as the eighth seed in Open Division CCS, though their season was cut short due to a first round loss to eventual CCS winners Sacred Heart Prep.

“I believe that Anne has been an incredibly positive force on our team dynamic, and truly believe that she is going to have a lasting impact on the Paly girl’s polo program,” Henderson said.

This year, Threlkeld has been nominated as the winner for the Anok Subbarao award because of her leadership withinthe team and her inspirational drive to be the best version of herself.

“When physical challenges arise, Anne always finds her own way to adapt and become successful.”

-Grace Henderson

A

s the game clock ticks down and the pressure starts to mount, it’s not just the scoreboard that counts for the Paly water polo team. In these crucial moments, talent takes a backseat to the leadership that inspires and rallies. This is where senior Anne Threlkeld excels, not just playing the game but elevating it, transforming every challenge into a testament to her own resilience and spirit.

Threlkeld’s determination and never-ending drive to become better has shone through to teammates, such as sophomore Grace Henderson.

28 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

by KAMILI FOSSATI-MOIANE and NATHAN LEE

Smolar-Eisenberg embodies the spirit of a true Viking athlete.

His story is about resilience, leadership, dedication, and hard work that has shaped who he is today.

Ari

Smolar-Eisenberg

F

or the Paly baseball team, Ari Smolar-Eisenberg shines in his role as one of the prominent leaders on his team. During the closest games, it is this leadership that matters the most and Smolar-Eisenberg’s attitude always keeps his team in high spirits.

His determination drives his success on the field that translates to his academic pursuits, where Smol a r- E i s e n b e rg ’s uplifting spirit and natural leadership will continue to shine.

Smolar-Eisenberg is in his third year as a first baseman on Paly’s varsity baseball team. For Smolar-Eisenberg, baseball has been a significant influence in his life. This is set to continue as he commits to playing as a first baseman for Lawrence University.

“Baseball has impacted me in a bunch of ways,” Smolar-Eisenberg said. “It motivates me to get better on and off the field.

His unwavering hard work and commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Junior Coco Vonderhaar, a teammate, recognizes his dedication.

“Ari is different from other players because no matter what the circumstances are he always works hard to get better every day,” Vonderhaar said.

Although he’s been recruited to be a first baseman, Smolar-Eisenberg is a pitcher at heart. This year he went through a UCL sprain before the high school season, forcing him into recovery for a couple of weeks

as well as physical therapy.

The injury has been tough on him being able to train and play baseball yearround; however this didn’t dampen his passion for the sport he loves. He feels that as a senior, he’s become an important role model on the team.

“Although I’m not a captain on the team I think I do a good job leading by example,” Smolar-Eisenberg said. “I always practice and play hard, and when I’m not playing I find a way to help the team.”

He was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for perservering despite challenges. Through his hard work and dedication to the sport and the team, many of his teammates have also felt the impact he’s made.

“Ari is a very fun The Palo Alto High School Alok Subbarao Sportsmanship Award person is a prestigious recognition given to student-athletes who show and leadexceptional sportsmanship and character on and off the field. The er to be award is a tribute to a Paly cross-country runner Alok Subbrarao around (08’). He encompasses what it means to represent the Paly name and just His story is inspirational as even though he was one of the slowmakes my est runners at first, he never gave up. With hard work in his four overall years, he became team captain and went under five minutes in experithe mile. ence on This year, the award celebrates the achievements of seniors the team Anne Threlkeld and Ari Smolar-Eisenberg. Both athletes have much betearned the respect of their peers and have been honored by the ter,” Vonstudent body as the recipients of the Alok Subbarao Sportsmanderhaar ship Award. said.

“ Ari is different, no matter the circumstance he’s in, he’s always working his best to get better” -Coco Vonderhaar

About the Award

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 29

by GRACE GORMLEY, TYLER CHEUNG and LUKE JOACHIM

Play

Female athletes, like all women, must confront instances of sexism that can impede their performance and damage their well-being. How do Paly athletes navigate these issues?

FAIR I

n last year’s NCAA championship game between Louisiana State University and Iowa State University, one gesture made by LSU forward Angel Reese drew a flurry of media attention and criticism.

Celebrating a fourth-quarter lead and an assured victory, Reese threw up John Cena’s famous “You Can’t See Me” pose at Iowa star Caitlin Clark and ran around the court.

This move generated hate from all over the internet. Keith Olberman, a famous sports journalist who had his own show for several years, posted on X, “what a f***ing idiot.” Founder of Barstool Sports Dave Portnoy called her a “classless piece of s***.” Hundreds of others weighed in on social media to comment on Reese’s lack of class, or disrespect.

Reese, along with many other supporters who fired back at these comments, said, “I don’t fit in a box that you all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, you all say nothing.”

Sports journalist Holly Rowe also defended her on X, saying “Unapologetically confident young women should be celebrated … Get used to it.”

Reese was referring to the fact that Clark did the exact same gesture earlier in the tournament, with practically no push-back. Reese, who is Black, pointed out the obvious double stan-

30 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

dard from her critics. But beyond the racist double standard, why is this simple little gesture of trash talk a problem at all? After all, no male athlete is ever critiqued for their trash talk unless it devolves into full-on violence.

In fact, in an article in Bleacher Report

by Patrick Buscone, the NBA’s greatest trash-talkers were celebrated, like calling Allen Iverson “as confident a player as you could find in the NBA. He simply oozed confidence on and off the court.

Thus, it is natural that he was unafraid to talk a lot of trash on the court.” He “oozed confidence” while she is a “classless piece of s***.” The disparate language is glaring.

Steph Curry’s iconic “ring me” moment at the Celtics arena in 2022 was lauded by fans as an iconic moment of greatness after a great play; the parallels between his celebration and Reese’s is striking, but the reaction couldn’t be more different.

Players like Kevin Garnett can get on all fours and bark at an opposing player and fans brush it off as funny trash talk, but when Reese puts her hand in front of her face she’s (according to former football player Danny Kanell on X) “doing WAY too much to taunt Clark”?

This double standard is almost comical. But many fans don’t even seem to notice their hypocrisy. This is because sexism in women’s sports is so com-

monplace that it often goes completely accepted by fans and even players.

According to a poll of 46 Paly athletes, the general consensus is that sexism is present in sports. 76% observe instances of sexism in sports media. One example of this is when women’s teams are covered differently compared to men.

When men’s teams have aggressive play, they’re seen as feared and intimidating and masculine, like the 1980s and 1990s Detroit Pistons, who were known as the “Bad Boys.” But when a women’s team is more aggressive, they get labeled as villains. In the words of an LA times writer, the LSU’s women’s team in 2023 were “America’s … dirty debutantes.” He has since apologized for this crass choice of words.

Another societal problem that leaks into sports is the objectification of women’s bodies.

In some sports, women are often viewed as accessories to the male athletes. One such example is MMA ring girls.

Starting in the 1960s, ring girls were hired to hold signs around boxing matches to “add an exciting addition” to boxing, according to Spartacus. Traditionally, ring girls were considered a part of the event’s atmosphere as they wore scandalous clothing and kept the audience engaged. MMA borrowed this concept

later on. wear on, it doesn’t have to be anything As times have changed, questions major. We don’t have to wear football have been brought up about whether helmets all the time, but there should ring girls were appropriate for today’s be some kind of protective garment society. People argue that ring girls on but we don’t [wear that] and I think promoted negative stereotypes about that’s to please people that are viewwomen and their ing us. You know, According to a survey of 46 Paly athletes: stature.

Some cheerleaders are more than media personsupposed to be alities have sugpretty, dancers gested that ring are supposed girls should be to be pretty… I replaced with know the US has “ring people”, a history of sexuathletes have experienced a mixture of instances of sexism in their sport. alizing the sport people from all a lot.” walks of life. Many argue that they are an In soccer, the former president of FIFA outdated aspect of the sport that values Sepp Blatter (who resigned in 2015 fola woman’s body over her skills or per- lowing criminal charges) reportedly said sonality. that the women players should “wear Another example is cheer. Initially, the sexier uniforms to boost ratings.” sport (intended to organize and excite Women’s uniforms in many other crowds as football games) was only for sports beyond cheer have often priormen, but as women joined, people be- itized visuals over functionality, in the gan viewing the sport as an accessory to past and today. Nina Faust, a sophothe men playing football. Paly junior and more who has wrestled and played field cheer captain Emma Yang notes that this hockey at Paly, notes that the field hockpreconceived notion persists today. ey uniforms tend to prioritize style over “We have competitions specifically substance. for cheerleading and we have all star “For field hockey, we had to wear skirts, cheerleading, but I think that’s just a not even skorts,” she said. “We had to lot less well known than wear skirts, so we had to bring our own traditional sideline shorts and put them underneath.” cheer,” she said.

The pressure placed on women to al“Usually when ways look good leaks into athletics as I say I’m well. According to ESPNW, “68 percent a cheer- of female athletes said they felt presleader to sured to be pretty” and around a third of people… female athletes felt worried about lookthey say, ing too muscular.

‘Oh, you Men can be impacted by unfair body cheer for standards too. For example, men in f o o t b a l l cross country tend to be leaner, since g a m e s ? ’ their intense aerobic exercise doesn’t [And I will build muscle in the same way that other re s p o n d , ] sports like football do. According to an ‘Yes. And I anonymous source, this can lead to teashave my own ing of the boys for their bodies. competitions “All the boys in [cross country] are disand we have our criminated against and labeled as gay,” own division.’” they said.

Another issue that arises for But while this does impact men, it is cheerleaders is the fact that, since it is far more common to see women sexua performance sport, often the cheer- alized, both in general and in the sports leaders’ looks are prioritized over their realm. safety.

The sexualization of women is evident “It’s a sport that’s focused a lot on in the professional world as well. Nike’s making it look pretty,” she said. “We’re kit for the US team in the 2024 Paris a really high contact sport. If you’re Olympics was received with a wave of just looking at what we’re doing, we criticism. The men’s outfits had a tight should have some kind of protective tank top and shorts that covered the

2 in 5

“For field hockey, we had to wewear skirts, not sseven skorts” - Nina Faust ‘26

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 31

thighs. The women’s? Essentially a bathing suit. Former runner Lauren Fleshman made the crucial point in an instagram post. “If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it.”

It’s not the only Nike outfit that women have to choose from for the Olympic games, but many athletes still expressed their disappointment that it was even an option.

And when these women are forced to wear inappropriate and impractical outfits, the men around them assume they’re dressing for them and trying to be as sexy as possible.

When Tara Davis won the women’s long jump event in 2022 at the Millrose Games in January 2022, she went viral on tiktok.

But instead of getting congratulations for her hard work and in-

credible performance, she was instead the victim of a thirst trap which showed her landing in slow motion. Men in the comments repeated ideas like, “she knows what she’s doing,” with the disgusting attitude that in this mom e n t — when Davis was focusing all her energy on culminating all her hard work in the perfect jump — her biggest worry was looking “sexy” for the people watching her.

And of course, this harrassment can continue into assault, such as with the serial abuser Larry Nassar, who exploited dozens of young gymnasts for 18 years, and hundreds of other examples of coaches and trainers exploiting the women in their care.

This is not an issue isolated to the outside world; Paly athletes are at risk just like all other women. According to a survey of Paly athletes, two in every five athletes have experienced instances of sexism in their sport.

Last year, an incident occurred on the Paly swim and dive team where a member of the team took an inappropriate photo taken of a female swimmer and circulated it. An anonymous member of the girls team (not the one who was the subject of the photo) notes how it impacted the team. “ I t

“If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it.”

- pro runner Lauren Fleshman

“[For safety,]

there should be

some kind of protective

garment on but we don’t

[wear that] and I think that’s to please people that are viewing us.”

- Emma Yang (‘25)

honestly shook us,” she said. “We had been really close with the boys team and felt like a cohesive unit. And even though most of the boys weren’t involved and didn’t even see the picture, just the fact that one of our peers would do that was really tough.”

She notes that since the swim uniform is more revealing, it is important to create a positive culture.

“We’re walking around in our suits and trusting that we have a good culture where people don’t take advantage of each other,” she said. “When someone violates that culture it kind of ruins that trust and sets a damper on the season.”

Fortunately, the incident was dealt with and rules were put in place to avoid that situation in the future. “[The administration] did deal with it, and I think there are some new policies, which I appreciate personally,” she said.

Another scenario occurred at Paly last year which involved the football team and the cheer team. Football players shared inappropriate comments about the cheerleaders, both in text group chats and in person to some of them. Junior cheer captain Emma Yang mentions that their comments often regarded the girls’ bodies.

“We’ve had players directly come up to our cheerleaders telling them different things regarding what they’re eating [or] how much they should be eating,” she said.

Because of these comments, the team filed a Title IX claim against certain boys who had made them. The situation was dealt with, but the trust between the two teams was damaged. Yang worked this year to try to extend a hand and rebuild the relationship, but it was a challenge.

“This year we really tried to repair that relationship we had with them,” she said.

“There was a pretty big wall of shot up between the two sports. … We had created a group chat with the football captains and we were thinking of different activities we could do with both teams together.”

These events didn’t pan out this year for logistical reasons, but

hopefully the relationship can be re“When you’re a female footballer topaired following the violation of trust by day when you’re playing in the D1, you the boys on the team. can regularly find yourself in situations As can be seen in these examples, sex- where you find yourself with the last time ism and harassment are not just present slot left free by the boys training, i.e. the in the real world, but 8pm/10pm also exist in our own time slot,” Do you observe sexism in french soccommunity.

That’s sports in the media? not to mention all cer player the examples of little Melissa Plamoments of harassza said. ment that women Faust, who choose to tolerate switched instead of report. from wresIn many cases, the tling to field people who perpeh o c k e y trate these examples during her of harassment don’t sophomore YES mean to be harmful year, notes NO at all. Sometimes that the they think they’re not women on being inappropriate, the wresor they get carried tling team away in peer pressure. are also not Survey of 46 Paly students So, to avoid accidentally prioritized. being disrespectful, everyone should “Wrestling in genbe conscious of the way that they talk, eral is a very male especially avoiding any comments that dominated sport,” discuss someone else’s body that they she said. “The sexdidn’t invite. ism that I saw in Another, more systemic issue that the sport was … comes along with sports is stuff that you distribution of resources wouldn’t relike equipment and faally call sexcilities. In professional ism until you sports and Paly sports, reflected on women have found it more. For themselves with lowexample … er quality equipment there were and inconvenient three captains time slots for gyms on the enand fields. tire team.

In a Euronews There’s two article by Mario males and Bowden, it is reone female. flected that boys They’re all were always priseniors. But oritized for more in the pracfavorable time tice room, slots. our

female captain wouldn’t act like a captain for the whole team … she wouldn’t lead warm ups or anything, unless the boys weren’t there.”

Along with the boys leading the practices without the female captain, the girls also had to wrestle with the boys JV team. “[Our captain] also had a wrestle with us on the JV team,” Faust said. “Imagine having a girls varsity team having to play with the JV team.”

This unfair distribution of equipment and facilities is also present in our Paly community. During the basketball seasons, girls teams were often forced to play their games in the small gym due to the boys taking up the big gym. Having few stands, the small gym made it more difficult for fans to watch the girls basketball games.

In conclusion, sexism has remained a prominent issue in the world of sports.

While progress has been made to improve the matter, the presence of body objectification and double standards is still significant in women’s sports. In reality, sexism is often a trait based on subconscious rather than intention. It is important for us as individuals to reflect on our intuitive stance on sexism and how we can improve it. Our world is continually changing, and the sexism towards women in sports needs to be an issue more scrutinized in the public eye, because with awareness, we can eliminate the issue.

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 33 @ vi-

LATE LATE NIGHT NIGHT

GRIND Long school hours, late practices, and early games leave student-atheletes at Paly forced to balance their rigorous academic schedules with demanding athletic commitments.

Text by EMIL BOTHE, TYLER HARRISON, DYLAN ROBINSON and SARAH THIEMAN Design by DYLAN ROBINSON and SCARLETT FRICK

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nown to have a competitive academic environment, Paly students struggled to maintain healthy sleeping habits. To counteract this, Paly shifted to a 9:00 a.m. start time. But did this change actually have the positive impact it was supposed to?

The timing of school days significantly affects student-athletes who must navigate both academics and sports. While the later start time at Paly is intended to benefit overall student well-being, its impact on student-athletes schedules is becoming increasingly evident.

With practices and games often extending well into the evening hours, student-athletes find themselves faced with the intimidating task of balancing their academic responsibilities with the strict demands of their athletic commitments.

Especially within Paly, a school known for its academic excellence, student-athletes like freshman Justin Fung are more likely to feel the weight of expectations.

“I feel like I’m constantly juggling school and sports,” Fung said. “Missing classes for games puts me behind in school and it’s extra hard to keep up, especially at a school like Paly.”

Pushing back school start times might seem like a good idea at first, as it gives students more time to sleep in the morning.

However, this delay means student-athletes like senior Jason Auzenne have less time to complete homework after school, leading to late night studying and fatigue.

“I think it takes away from after school activities separate from sports, and

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makes me lose sleep in the long run,” Auzenne said. “Although I do appreciate sleeping in, I don’t like it because it leaves me with little time after (football) practice to do other things like homework, walking my dog, or spending time with family.”

A s i d e from loss of sleep, later start t i m e s m e a n s school ends later as well, and since g a m e s a r e n ’ t pushed back to accommodate the late start, athletes often have to miss entire class periods to play. Games cutting into the school day disrupts

“Missing classes for games puts me behind in school and it’s extra hard to keep up especially at a school like Paly.”

- Justin Fung ‘27

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student-athlete’s learning, and forces students to teach in-class material to themselves without the support of a knowledgeable teacher. What’s more, athletes often miss crucial tests or assignments, and need to allocate free time during or after school to make them up and avoid a drop in their grades. When student-athletes are already lacking free time, this can lead to students not being able to feasibly make up missed work or lessons.

“From what I’ve seen the general trend is yes, they tend to fall behind, not just in fourth period but also in other classes, as their outside commitment is too much,” Deng said.

“I have swimmers in class and it affects them in class, they are tired in class and busy outside of class.

They have no time to rest.”

Junior Sam Helft highlights another challenge that arises from missing class: procrastination.

“Obviously I like being able to miss class for lacrosse games, as I’d much rather be playing lacrosse than sitting in a classroom,” Helft said. “But missing class consistently can cause me to procrastinate. I know that I won’t be at class the next day so I don’t feel motivated to do my work. Lacrosse is sometimes an acceptable excuse for my teachers, but it eventually puts me behind.”

Paly currently uses online resources such as Schoology to let students learn remotely when they miss class.

“Most teachers generally put material from the day of the class and future classes on their class Schoology page,” Wang said. “This makes it easier for students to un-

is when [students] return to class the following day and expect me to ‘catch them up’ during class time,” Ambrosio said. “I feel that they are responsible for looking on Schoology to see what activities were done and get them done on their own time.”

Teachers can’t prioritize athletes over other students, so open communication between teachers and stu“The general trend is yes, dent-athletes is key to ensure that academic success they tend to fall behind, behind, remains a priority alongside athletic pursuits. not just in fourth period but “I do not offer any special also in other classes, as their accommodations, per se, for student-athletes. If they outside commitment is too are doing their part and still much.” need support, then I can meet with them during Prime or af- Margaret Deng ter class,” Spanish teacher Angela Ambrosio said. Stronger collaboration between teachers and student-athletes can work when done effectively.

“I really appreciate how if I have to miss a class for any sport, teachderstand what ers are mostly willing and happy to happened in the class they help me with any questions,” Fung said. missed.”

There is no single solution to the The use of technology still places a daunting task of balancing classes, athlot of responsibility on student-athletes letics, and sleep. The most important who may not be able to handle it effec- thing for students to do is be mindful of tively, which can be an issue for teachers their limited time outside of school, and as well as students. communicate with teachers when they “Something that I do not appreciate are struggling.

TYPICAL schedule of a water polo player Morning conditioning begins

Paly’s new start time

4th period afternoon excusal game

Game ends- Post game talk begins

Arrive home, shower, and eat dinner

Finally begin hours of homework @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 35

CAPTAINS LEGACY

by EVIN STEELE and ALENA LOTTERER

Team captains are leaders both on and off the field. Here are some Paly captains who have made an impact with their role as team captain, and what they’re leaving behind for the future of their respective teams.

Alessandra Chandler

GIRLS SOCCER

Alessandra Chandler (‘24), a member of Paly’s varsity girls soccer team since her freshman year, has seen the community to be an important pillar in making the team fun and successful.

“I think being on this team has impacted me because of the community we have,” Chandler said. “Everyone is super nice and we have so much fun during practices and our pasta dinners, which are so lively. We also push each other but at the same time we support each other.“ Chandler talks about how she motivated and kept the team on track as well as what she is leaving behind for the future of the team.

“I always come to practice and games with a smile on my face which is hopefully encouraging to my teammates,” Chandler said. “As captain, I always try to make sure we’re having fun while still on task and doing the drills. By keeping everyone on track and by keeping everyone motivated, I’ve helped the team progress further in the season.

Lastly, I’d like to think I’m leaving behind an image of what being captain should look like. As captain you don’t mess around as much, arrive earlier to games and practices, and have a positive attitude to encourage team members.”

Anne Threlkeld

GIRLS WATER POLO

Anne Threlkeld (‘24) is a long-standing member of Paly’s girls water polo team. She began her time with the junior varsity team in her freshman year and quickly moved up to varsity in her sophomore year.

“When I joined varsity my sophomore year, I felt a little imposter syndrome,” Threlkeld said. “I felt like I didn’t really belong on that team, so as a captain now, one of my priorities was making the younger players feel that they had a place on the team.”

Threlkeld has also used her leadership role to make sure everyone feels that they’re an important part of the team, having fun at practice, and are spoken to in a way they are happy with.

36 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Alaap Nair

BOYS BASKETBALL

Alaap Nair (‘24) has been a part of Paly’s basketball program since his freshman year. During his sophomore year on junior varsity, he was a player with stand out leadership skills, which came from watching the varsity captains (at the time), and stronger players.

“What really set our JV year apart was the seniors - they really taught us composure as players and how to act like a varsity player and be on that different level,” Nair said. “They set a really good example for us, leading through all situations and making the most out of every game as well as

just hyping everyone up for every practice and every game.”

Now as a senior, Nair has worked with co-captain Aiden Hangerbrauck to keep the team’s energy high, lead workouts and drills in practice, give elite pregame speeches, foster a cohesive working team, and maintain players’ composure through challenging situations. Hoping to pass his inspiration to younger players, Nair aims to ensure the program’s future leaders have a smooth transition and are well prepared to play at an intense varsity level.

Chase Kacher

BOYS GOLF

Chase Kacher (‘24) has been a member of the Paly boys golf team since transferring to Paly his junior year. As captain, his primary job has been to keep the team motivated and organized throughout the season.

“Every night before the matches, I send out a text and make sure that we’re ready to roll, because we take things personally and when somebody talks bad about are name behind our back,

we don’t like it, so I make sure we show up ready to win,” Kacher said.

Kacher hopes to have instilled a more competitive mindset into the team.

“I’m not gonna lie, golf can get kind of boring, which is why I’ve made sure the team takes things personally to stay motivated, not just showing up and not caring and goofing off. This is business, and we need to take care of it,” Kacher said.

Declan Packer

BOYS LACROSSE AND FOOTBALL Declan Packer (‘24) has captained both Paly’s boys lacrosse and football teams.

Packer has played for both teams all four years at Paly, playing varsity lacrosse since freshman year and moving up to varsity football his junior year. Becoming a captain in both sports, Packer has focused on creating respectful and healthy cultures and motivating strong work ethic.

“Since being on the football team as a senior and captain, the chemistry between the offensive players has increased,” Packer said. “I was a lot more confident my senior year, and I think others saw that and it rubbed off on them to step up their game and play with more focus and intensity. I felt like this developed mutual respect for every player across the team, which was something good we needed and made a

difference for this year.”

Lacrosse teammate Griffin Sturino (‘24) adds on how Packer has been a positive influence on Paly teams.

“He 100% has changed our atmosphere and culture for the better,” Sturino said.

“He always gives 100% and keeps the rest of us dialed in. He has spearheaded us into being better winners, better players, and better people, and it has leveled up the way we work practice and present ourselves on the field.”

After leading both teams by example and commitment, Packer is excited for the future of Paly’s football and lacrosse teams. He hopes to continue to see future captains lead with confidence just as he did.

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 37

Graduating Gratitude with

As senior athletes prepare to graduate, they share their gratitude for the memories, relationships, and experiences they’ve gained as a result of their dedication.

“

Overall we had an amazing season both on and off the court. Based on the past few years I feel like the team was a lot more connected and liked to spend time together outside the context of volleyball. A big part of our connection was our pregame ritual where we would work to hype ourselves up for our game that day.

Reine Schultz ‘24

“

”

Photos courtesy of Reine Schultz

My favorite moment was beating Harker on their senior night. They beat us badly at the start of the season but we didn’t let that slow us down. It was really big for team morale and confidence.

Photos courtesy of Brian Stewart 38 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“

Brian Stewart ‘24

by AVERY RELLER and JOSIE VOGEL

“

Going into the season I wasn’t really sure what to expect from high school soccer as it was my first year, but I found that I really enjoyed representing my school as well as playing and making friends with new people.

Anzel Zhen ‘24 Photos courtesy of Anzel Zhen

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”

My favorite aspect of my senior season has been the excitement the team shares before each game.

Everyone on the team is really passionate about what they’re doing and all the hard work comes through on the field! All the seniors have been working to make lacrosse very enjoyable and a fun getaway.

Alice Lifshitz ‘24 Photos courtesy of Alice Lifshitz

”

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 39

Hitting Hitting The Road

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text and design by: ASPEN STITT and TREY COLLINS

any Paly teams, as well as club teams and individual players travel over the summer to a variety of places for trainings and tournaments. Paly athletes have gained valuable life and athletic experiences, team bonding, and opportunities like college scouting through these trips.

Senior and future D1 golfer Chase Kacher constantly finds himself on the move for his sport; his most memorable trip was this year to Denver, Colorado to commit to the University of Denver. “It was a pretty unreal moment for me, all my hard work felt like paying off,” Kacher said. “The weather was pretty ideal and the food was awesome.” He reccomends every tourist in Colorado to visit the Cherry Cricket. “[It was] probably the best Mexican food I have tasted,” Kacher said.

Photo court

esy of Chase

Kacher

Every summer, the club lacrosse teams gather in Palm Springs for the annual Sandstorm tournament. The trip is an opportunity to bond with teamates, as well as enjoy good food. “I really enjoy eating the bbq at the stands in palm springs because it just hits the spot every time,” sophomore Charlotte Barclay said. Senior Ellie Roth played in the tournament as well for Norcal.

“I love this tournament every year because the fields are so pretty and the merch stands are sick,” Roth said. In addition, Chase Kacher travels to Palm Springs to compete.

“Palm Springs is always very hot when we go.

You need lots of liquid IV and gatorade just to make it,” senior Chase Kacher said.

Photo court

esy of Charl

40 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

otte Barcla

y

Over the summer the CCB baseball team traveled to Arizona to compete in the USA Baseball tournament against the other top traveling teams. Many athletes get scouted at this tournament, as well as gain valuable training experiences. “It’s always so hot on the fields that liquid IV is an essential,” senior Nate Donaker said. Many players found that their favorite memories from the trip were hydrating and fueling up with the team. “Paco’s Taco’s was basically all we ate that weekend. The birria tacos and quesadillas hit every time,” senior Julian Davis said.

Photo courtesy of Nate Donaker

The Alto swimming team, which many Paly students are a part of, went to Hawaii last summer for a training camp and small meet.

This trip consisted of many hikes to waterfalls, tanning on the beach, and of course, training. “I loved this trip so much because it was a bonding experience for the team,” junior James Meehan said. “We all had so much fun playing MarcoPolo in the ocean.” The Stanford Swim and Diving team also went on various trips including SoCal, Oregon, and Texas. “I feel so appreciative that I was able to go to these places and I could not have done it without my sport,” junior Gunnar Grubbs said. “After the meet, some teammates and I hit up Voodoo donuts and it was delicious. I hope I can go back soon.”

Photo courtesy of

James Meehan

Junior William Backstrand developed his water polo skills last summer in Barcelona. “It was a super unique experience getting to learn a completely different technique of water polo, it definietly transferred over nicely during the Paly season this fall,” Backstrand said. Backstrand also touched on how the food in Barcelona influenced his athletics, “The food in Spain was just so fueling and the diet I was on made me more energized and able to play better during my games,” Backstrand said. Backstrand played against local Barcelona talent and picked up many technique foreign to him. “I am so grateful I got to go on this trip and I really hope to go back,” Backstrand said.

Photo courtesy of William Backstrand

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 41

FieldTO

Future

For many Paly seniors, commitment to their sport extends beyond freshman year tryouts. Many began playing their sport soon after they took their first steps as toddlers. This commitment provides a unique relationship between the athlete and their sport and abundance of memories and experiences that have shaped these seniors into who they are today.

by AVERY RELLER and JOSIE VOGEL

Chase Kacher Chase Kacher has been playing golf since he was three years old, and since day one he has found it to be an escape from the everyday stressors. He loves being out on the course, meeting new people, and tweaking his game to perfection. A benefit of this time consuming activity is the social connections he has made.

“I’ve gotten to know people from all over the country and across a great variety of age ranges,” Kacher said.

He finds great value in the longstanding relationships he has created with fellow golfers and coaches.

“My Coach Phil has been really influential in my life and is always supporting and helping me out on and off of the course,” Kacher said.

“He has done more for me than most people.”

He has also found golf to be not only a practice of the sport, but of

everyday life skills.

“Golfing has taught me a lot of social skills, especially with talking to people who are much older than me,” Kacher said.

He will continue playing golf for the University of Denver next year.

“I’m super excited about having the opportunity to improve my skills and meet new people who share my passions and lifestyle,” Kacher said.

“

“Hitting a drive down the middle is better than anything in the world.”

Chase Kacher ‘24

Photos courtesy of Chase Kacher

Alessandra Chandler Alessandra Chandler has been playing soccer since first grade, and has remained passionate about the sport since her first day on the field. Her love for the sport blossomed from being an active fan of the women’s national team and the Stanford women’s soccer team. She found watching the games throughout her childhood to be a big source of inspiration and she looked up to the players. Chandler was able to make close relationships and find joy in her time on the

“I’ve found soccer a great [sense of] community and a great way to workout and have fun.”

Alessandra Chandler ‘24

field.“I’ve found soccer to be a great [sense of] community and a great way to workout and have fun,” Chandler said. She does not plan to continue playing in college, but Chandler is grateful for the experie n c e s soccer has given her over the years.

“I think playing since childhood has led me to have a very strong connection and passion for the sport,” Chandler said.

Photos courtesy of Alessandra Chandler

Brooke Hudacek

Brooke Hudacek has been swimming competitively since her days on the five-and-under Polliwog swim team.

“It’s a very sentimental sport for me because I have been swimming since I was so young and it’s been great to grow up with

some of my coaches and teammates and have them alongside me throughout my life,” Hudacek said. Along with its sentimental value, swimming has been a great tool for learning life skills.

“It’s rewarding when you finish a tough workout which has instilled perseverance in me,” Hudacek said. “The

sport has also taught me a lot of discipline because it’s not always easy to get yourself to just keep swimming during practice.” Her years in the pool have given her memories and relationships that she will cherish.

“The fact that even though it’s not a team sport, the team is still so connected is super special,” Hudacek said.

From a UC Shark to a Paly senior, Hudacek is now stepping off of the pool deck and diving into the next chapter of her Brooke Hudacek ‘24 life.

Photos courtesy of Brooke Hudacek

“It’s a very sentimental sport for me because I have been swimming since I was so young.”

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 43

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Storming to Catastrophe

BY TYLER CHEUNG

Every sporting event ends with celebration, but how much is too much?

Recent college basketball court stormings have resulted in players getting injured. Should court stormings get banned due to their safety concerns?

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andemonium ensued after the Ohio State women’s basketball team upset second seeded Iowa in a 100-92 victory. Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark tried to get off the court while Ohio State fans poured onto it.

Then all of a sudden, an Ohio State fan collided with Clark and knocked her to the ground. Getting the wind knocked out of her, Clark needed to be rushed off the court by security. The uncontrolled chaos of a court storming nearly injured one of the biggest names in women’s sports.

Court stormings have always been iconic in college sports, but recent incidents have caused fans to question the morality behind these stormings.

A majority of court stormings happen at college basketball games. These stormings usually occur when an underdog beats a formidable opponent. However, these stormings often come with consequences. Seven foot star Kyle Filiposwki was tram-

pled by opposing fans after Wake Forest from a young age that it is expected that beat the Duke Blue Devils 83-79. The win we celebrate appropriately and respect was a major upset, which caused a frenzy the contending team. It is a recurring of celebration among Wake Forest fans. theme in court stormings that the opFilipowski was temporarily unable to posing team’s stars are the ones getting final word walk and needed to be supported out of overwhelmed and injured. In addition the arena by the Duke staff. Filipowski’s to causing injuries, fans often go up to injury wasn’t too severe, but he later ex- opposing players and rub the victory in pressed he believed the fans intentional- their face. ly ran into him.

Field stormings are also a common ocIn an interview with ESPN, Wake Forest currence in college football as well. The coach Steve Forbes despised the storm- uncontrollable crowds that come along ing despite being on the celebratory with these stormings can sometimes inside. terfere with the “I didn’t see what live game. Most happened in the in “I don’t like court storm- famously, end,” Forbes said.

1982 during the “I hope he’s [Filipannual football ings. I never have. I’ve owski] ok. I don’t Big Game bebeen a part of those be- tween Stanford like court stormings. I never have. and UC Berkefore, they just don’t feel I’ve been a part of ley (Cal), the safe.” - Wake Forest coach Stanford band those before, they just don’t feel jumped on the Steve Forbes safe.” field before This incident the final play raised an imwas over. The portant question among the sports band potentially altered the result of the community. Are these court stormings game because they caused confusion worth risking the health of fans and play- on whether the play was still live. The Cal ers? This controversy polarized the me- player would proceed to score a touchdia. Some believed that court stormings down, which caused significant controshould be banned, while others thought versy on whether the play should have these injuries were purely a side effect of counted. This shows that even organised a monumental event. groups like the Stanford band often get I believe there has to be new rules im- involved in these stormings. plemented regarding the court stormIn addition, these stormings often ings in college. Court stormings give cause a considerable amount of properoff the aura of rubbing a win into the ty dam losing team’s face. We have all learned @vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 45

age. Most notably, in 2022, a storming occurred after the Tennessee football team beat highly ranked Alabama for the first time since 2006. During this storming, Tennessee fans took down the football goal posts and proceeded to dump them in the Tennessee river. The SEC went on to fine Tennessee 100,000 dollars on top of the cost needed to replace the goal posts.

These reckless crowds are a formula for disaster. The definition of celebration is making one’s victory more enjoyable.

Imposing property damage and risking injury only devalues the greatness of Photo by Jason Hu the victory. Celebration should serve as a meaningful tribute to a special event, trol these stormings is to create a way to Instead, we should focus on convincing rather than regressing into a reckless allow the players to exit the court before students to make the correct decision. party that fails to improve the signififans storm the court. A perfect exam- The best way to prevent stormings is to cance of the initial victory. ple of this is the game between Purdue make the students not want to join the When it comes to excessive celebraand Nebraska this January. Nebraska crowd. The predominant cause of all tion with large crowds, Paly is no strangwas a major underdog heading into the these students stormings is FOMO: Fear er. During a rival match between Paly game, and was ahead by 16 heading of missing out. A few individuals can start and Gunn in 2022, a large number of into the final seconds. Knowing the fans a chain reaction which leads to a larger Paly students ran across the track to the would rush the crowd joining opposing teams stands way before the court, the ofthe storming. game was over. The Paly administration ficials called a When Paly “It is important to consider proceeded to ban Paly students from the timeout with students ran next football game and unscheduled any that it may be impossible two seconds across the football games between Gunn and Paly remaining in track at the in the future. to physically stop a court the game. This Paly vs Gunn However, at the college levels, the allowed all the football game storming. Instead, we sanctions implemented on Paly students players and last year, I was would not be appropriate. With the sheer should focus on convincing staff to head off left conflicted. amount of students at college games, the court safely.

I decided to students to make the correct no punishment could be impactful withOnly two playstay, but there out ruining the environment of college decision.” ers needed to was a voice in sports. Most college students only have remain on the my head tellfour years to experience a celebration of court to play ing me that this scale. No consequences will stop a out the final seconds. The fans were then the crowd was always right and the only college fan from participating in a once allowed to storm the court freely without thing more mentally damaging than rein a lifetime opportunity. risking the injury of any players. The stu- gret is anticipation of regret. We feel With all these concerns, what is the dents respectively stayed in their seats the pain of missing out of something far solution? In a perfect world, court stormbecause the game wasn’t officially over. more than the pleasure of experiencing ings can be entirely banned, but the inevNo matter how drunk and rowdy they it. This fear of missing out often causes us itability of court stormings is never quesare, they will still respect the rules of the to make poor decisions. In large, college tioned. After the court storming at Wake game. Students students gain FOMO through social meFo re s t , who participate dia. The best way to prevent these court the NCAA in stormings stormings is to guide social media to began in“Celebration should serve as a u n d e r s t a n d prevent people from having FOMO. creasing the risks and In conclusion, while court stormings security meaningful tribute to a spec o n s e q u e n c - have been a long tradition in college and setting cial event, rather than regress- es. It is primar- sports history, recent examples have up ropes ily important shown the dangers of them. College adon the peing into a reckless party that to ensure that ministrators need to acknowledge the rimeter n o n - p a r t i c i - risks and develop plans to make them fails to improve the signifiof courts. pants can safely safer. The media portrayal of court stormHowever, in cance of the initial victory.” exit the court. ings need to be exacerbated overtime. It my opinion It is important is time to reconsider the practice of court there is no to consider that stormings and prioritize the safety and amount of it may be impos- well-being of all people involved in colsecurity that can stop the sheer size of sible to physically stop a court storming. lege sporting events. college crowds. The proper way to con46 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

LAST CHANCE! FRIDAY MAY 17!

Pre-order a yearbook by

Yearbook distribution will be on Wednesday, May 22 Seniors during brunch and 9th-11th graders at lunch Questions? Email adviser Brian Wilson at bwilson@pausd.org

advertise with viking! 1/4

@vikingsportsmag | MAY 2024 | 47

Vikingsportsmag.com

Ethan Wang keeping a smile on his face at CCS Finals. Photo by Charllotte Lungren.

Photos by Jason Hu.