Viking Volume 5 Issue 1

October 2011 Volume V Issue 1

On the World Stage 69

Pushing the Limit

A profile of Jasmine Tosky Byron Sanborn

by Grant Shorin and Nikolai Solgaard

>>>p. 28

Über Ünderdog

U19 Womens’ Lacrosse World Championships

by Charlotte Biffar

>>>p. 24

The Viking

F U N C T I O N A L R E H A B I L I TAT I O N & SPORTS THERAPY

“Return to sport in a state of the art facility for all ages” TRUDI HENEWEER TRYGG, PT

Extraordinary Gifts Town & Country Village (near The Cheese House)

401 Lambert Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94306 (650) 493-FRST, FAX (650) 493-7441 “3778” www.frst.com

Staff List Editors-in-Chief Emy Kelty Nathan Norimoto

Managing Editors Mira Ahmad Sam Borsos John Dickerson Alan Lamarque Photo Editor Paige Borsos

Copy Editors Anne Hildebrand Hilda Huang Columnists Peter Dennis Brennan Miller Shannon Scheel

Business Managers Kevin Kannappan Jacob Lauing

Staff Scotty Bara Emma Beckstrom Charlotte Biffar Spencer Drazovich Kevin Dukovic Marina Foley Michelle Friedlander Sapir Frozenfar Jonny Glazier Nina Kelty Austin Poore Rohit Ramkumar Nora Rosati Alana Schwartz Grant Shorin Nikolai Solgaard Sammy Solomon

Adviser Ellen Austin

The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Letters to the editor The 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. The 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 The 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 The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com or call 650-329-3837 for more information.

Printing Services The Viking is printed six times a year by FrickeParks Press in Fremont, Calif.

Staff View

New weight room rules affect Paly athletes

Last September, the Palo Alto High School weight room was constantly filled after school. Not only with the ‘jocks’ of the school, but students ranging from a plethora of boys and girls trying to get in shape to varsity athletes trying to get stronger.

This September, the weight room is often empty after school. With safety in mind, Paly set a rule mandating that the weight room may only be open for use when adults are present. Part of Paly’s athletic success can be attributed to individual athletes’ drive to improve, in particular by spending time in the weight room.

Whether it be the girls’ basketball team or just students trying to get in shape, the Paly weight room has been a blessing for many. Located on campus, students do not need to join a gym, which can be costly, or drive to far away locations.

Not only do students lift to improve their athletic abilities, but also many use the facility to rehabilitate their injuries. Quoting The Viking’s article Silent Impact, “according to The Journal of Athletic Training, in soccer, girls suffer from concussions 68 percent more often than boys. Although there are no medical explanations for this, some theories argue that girls have weaker neck muscles than boys.”

An open weight room would allow students to rehabilitate more often, and hopefully heal quicker. Stronger athletes are more injury resistant, and less likely to spend time in a doctor’s office.

“The weight room must be supervised at all times by an adult,” Paly athletic trainer Josh Goldstein said. “It’s been the rule forever, but it’s really being enforced this year.”

Many students at Paly frequented the weight room after school, typically from around 3:30 to 5 p.m. With after school sports requiring most of the Paly athletic staff’s supervision, these prime lifting hours have been greatly affected.

The Viking acknowledges that adult supervision would provide students with an increased level of safety, especially with our history of weight room related injuries. Constant adult supervision, however, would be costly, and has already resulted in a decrease of available lifting hours.

The Viking believes that an open weight room is critical to athletic success, and proposes a liability waiver, signed by the students and their parents, to allow students more scheduling flexibility. This waiver would give students access to the weight room, assuming they are willing to deal with the risks of injuring themselves while exercising. It would also allow students who are not members of a gym to continue lifting at Paly after school.

The proposed waiver would be a win-win situation: the athletes would be able to put in hours in the gym, while the school would minimize its risk.

With this new waiver, hopefully the weight room would benefit as many students as it once did.

Hi everyone!

We would like to personally thank last year’s editor-in-chiefs Mary Albertolle, George Brown, and Will Glazier for their guidance and support. Their leadership and guidance has shaped who we are as a magazine today and has set The Viking’s high standard of excellence. This year we look forward to continue covering what matters in the Palo Alto sports community. At The Viking we believe in responsible, truthful reporting, so if you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact us at vikingeds@ gmail.com. We wish everyone a happy school year and GO VIKINGS! Best, Emy Kelty and Nathan Norimoto

3

The Viking

The Lineup October 2011

24 | ÜBER ÜNDERDOG

10 | 10 QUESTIONS WITH MADDIE KUPPE

28 | PUSHING THE LIMIT

COVER

Volume V, Issue 1

Charlotte Biffar’s U19 women’s lacrosse World Championship experience in Germany gives her insight into her love of the game.

by Charlotte Biffar

KICK OFF

3 | STAFF VIEW

11 | INSIDE THE MIND OF KEY’CHAUNDRE HILL 12 | ZOOM

Swimmers Byron Sanborn and Jasmine Tosky represent Paly at the 2012 Olympic Trials.

by Grant Shorin and Nikolai Solgaard

32 | OLYMPIC ATHLETES AT PALY

14 | FALL PREVIEWS

Short profiles on three world class athletes at Paly.

by Alan Lamarque and Rohit Ramkumar

p.14

Fall Previews How our Paly teams are doing so far in the fall 20112012 season. design by Mira Ahmad

p.28 PALY ON THE WORLD STAGE

Swimmers Byron Sanborn and Jasmine Tosky represent Paly at the 2012 Olympic Trials.

by Grant Shorin and Nikolai Solgaard

Pictures (clockwise from top left) by Paige Borsos, Paige Borsos, provided by the Dickerson family

p.22 SUPER CONFERENCES

How the creation of super conferences affects small schools.

by Spencer Drazovich and Jonny Glazier

Pictures (clockwise from top) by Pellerins Photography, Paige Borsos, Scotty Bara

p.24 Über Ünderdog

Charlotte Biffar’s experience in the womens’ lacrosse World Championship in Germany

by Charlotte Biffar

p.42 DANCING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

Paly’s Dance team has been working hard since their conception last year.

by Sammy Solomon and Annie Susco

p.37 KELLER PROFILE

Palo Alto’s quarterback Keller Chryst plays his first season at Paly.

by Michael Strong

FEATURES

COLUMNS

34| SHAVING IN SPORTS

9 | VIKING TRIES

37| THE KELLER PROFILE

18 | TURNOVER ON DOWNS

42| DANCING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

21| MLB PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Does it really take shaved legs to drop the last milliseconds in a race?

by Scotty Bara and Sapir Frozenfar Palo Alto’s new quarterback Keller Chryst plays his first season at Paly.

by Michael Strong Paly’s Dance team has been working hard since their conception last year and hope to qualify for nationals this year.

by Sammy Solomon and Annie Susco

40| MARRIED TO THE GAME

Following the lives of seven Palo Alto wives of retired professional athletes and current professional coaches.

by Emma Beckstrom and Michelle Freidlander

44| TOP 10 PUMP UP SONGS

by Sam and Paige Borsos

Cover Design by Emy Kelty Cover Photo by Grant Shorin On the cover Jasmine Tosky (‘12)

The Viking starts off another year with some hardcore nomming on Ike’s.

by Peter Dennis and Shannon Scheel The journey to giving up the sport I loved most.

by Kevin Kannappan The Philadelphia Phillies and their superior pitching will lead to postseason success this year.

by Austin Poore

22| SUPER CONFERENCES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Confrence changes have changed NCAA football into a new kind of game.

by Spencer Drazovich and Jonny Glazier

47| THE LAST WORD

Beer, hot dogs and overweight shirtless men. Its football season!

by Brennan Miller

Intro Section

POP CULTURE GRID Audrey Debruine (‘14) Cross-Country The Office without Steve Carrell is...

I’ve been too busy!

Best Paly fall sport

Football

NFL or NCAA football?

Trick-ortreating is...

NCAA

The best

Nick Ortiz (‘12) Wrestling

Lindsay Black (‘12) Basketball

Kevin Mullin (‘14) Basketball

Bret Pinsker (‘13) Water Polo

I don’t watch that show

That’s what she said

Not a very good show

Terrible

Volleyball

Football

NCAA

Depends on the game

For fiveyear-olds

For kids

Football

Water Polo

NCAA

NFL

Really fun

Exciting

Corrections: In Issue IV Volume 6 the Viking left out Talia Moyal (‘11) and Jack Smale (‘11) from the Viking graduating class.

ASKS...

What sports did you watch this summer? photography by Nina Kelty

“The womens’ [soccer] World Cup final game, live in the stands.”

Hope Crockett (‘14)

“The women’s World Cup.” Samantha Newell (‘14)

6

“The X Games [extreme sports].”

Christian Lonsky (‘12)

BY THE

NUMBERS HOT NOT 7

OR

girls are currently on the varsity dance team.

12

countries represented at the U19 womens’ Lacrosse World Championships last summer.

54

straight combined victories for Paly volleyball and football before the streak ended.

32.2

yards running back B.J. Boyd averages per reception.

121

goals scored by the boys’ waterpolo team this season.

“I watched LeBron choke in the NBA Finals.”

Mathias Schmutz (‘13)

Lunch entertainment ASB teacher Mr. Hall provides occasional lunch entertainment with his juggling shows.

Paly under construction Ongoing construction around the history, language, and math buildings disrupt the classroom environment.

Paly - Gunn rivalry Varsity volleyball and football teams defeated Gunn in their first meetings of the year. Volleyball won in three quick games; football trumped Gunn 45-14.

Weight room supervision The newly enforced rule requiring adult supervision in the weight room whenever an athlete is using the facility is unecessary.

Detroit Lions With two early season combacks from 20-point secondhalf deficits it’s safe to say that football is back in Detroit. The Lions started 4-0 for the first time in 31 years and look to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

San Francisco Giants After exceeding all expectations last year by winning the World Series, the Giants failed to make the playoffs this year, losing a division battle to NL West rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Paly goes international Paly is home to a variety of athletes taking their talents to the international level, be it at the world championships or even the Olympics (see p. 24).

Senior poll drama This year’s senior polls caused more negative drama than excitement. Due to the cheating, the polls must be redone.

“Womens’ soccer. It was good, the level of play was very good.”

Ernesto Cruz

7

“Tennis.”

Olivia Vort (‘15)

The Viking

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WWW.PaloAltoOnline.com

TRIES IKE’S PLACE So starts another year of Viking Tries. And believe us when we say we have large shoes to fill. Not only were Dustin Nizamian’s (‘11) feats legendary (LIGHTNING BOLT!), but I only have so many funny t-shirts to rival his.

So Shannon here decided we should try out the legendary Ike’s Place right across the street at the lovely Stanford University. Ike’s, for those of you scratching your head right now, is a fantastic sandwich establishment tucked away in the JenHsun Huang Engineering Center. My source (again, Shannon) told me that it was a complete heresy that I had not been to Ike’s before, that it was a staple and that simply would not do.

You might be thinking to yourself, what does a sandwich shop have to do with sports? You have a fair point. See, the sandwiches at Ike’s are named after prominent professional athletes, among other things. You’ve got the John Elway, the Matt Cain, the Jim Rome, the SF Giants, the McEnroe, the Bill Walsh, the Maples Pavilion...you get the point.

Now normally, I would not encourage getting something named after a Giant. Even while living in close proximity to San Francisco, being a Giant’s fan has never crossed my mind. Though I moved to Northern California right before kindergarten, I’ve cherished being a Dodgers

Layers of cheese, turkey, ham, and bacon? Nuff said.

by Peter Dennis and Shannon Scheel photography by Peter Dennis

Sandwich connoisseur and fellow columnist Shannon Scheel snags a scrumptions and satifactory snack. fan, no matter how tough it’s been.

As far as eating a sandwich named after Lincecum, I can deal with it. Especially if we in blue have Clayton Kershaw (can’t spell ClaYton with out CY [meaning the inevitable Cy Young award he’ll win this season] and you can’t spell Kershaw without a capital K) going against Lincy...well, the stats say it all. His season ERA against the Giants (1.04) went up after he gave up one earned run in 7 ⅔ innings on last Tuesday. Bottom line: Kershaw is 5-0 against the Giants this year, leaving Lincecum with a paltry 0-3. and he just won the Triple Crown.

But as much as I can razz on Lincecum, the sandwich in his honor is fantastic. After going to Driftwood Deli the day before, believe me, I know what a good sandwich tastes like. Now, I’m can’t even compare the two. That would be foolish. Suffice to say, the sandwich was bangin’.

And then to channel my inner Food Network critic; the ham was intricately layered and combined with the turkey; the bacon gave the sandwich a nice crunch while also adding subtle flavors. Because as we all know, bacon can make anything better. Anything. Havarti cheese on the sandwich is a fantastic choice, be-

9

cause it doesn’t have the sharpness of Swiss, but a more creamy taste.

And then the bread. Now Ike’s claims that their Dutch Crunch is ‘world famous.’

And I would tend to agree with that.

Normally, I’m a sourdough kinda guy. But this...well...I could go on and on about their Dutch Crunch. Not too crunchy, but not too chewy. Just right.

I am convinced that any problem, be it freshmen on the senior deck, world violence, underclassmen parking in the Churchill parking lot, Palestine vs. Israel, Jon Stewart vs. Bill O’Reilly, underclassmen girls not wearing enough— literally any conflict—could be solved if both sides came down and ate Ike’s Dutch Crunch roll. Not even the entire sandwich, fillings and all (but I’m sure that wouldn’t hurt). Just the roll.

After such a mouth-watering escapade, it is safe to say that my taste buds will be craving Ike’s for extra days. Though I didn’t climb Mount Everest, enter a boxing ring or attempt some other ridiculously awesome feat fairly typical of Viking Tries (mark my words—the year has just begun), I would say Ike’s sandwiches are an adventure all on their own. They say you can’t taste happiness? Well in this case, sports fans, you certainly can. <<<

The Viking

10 Questions

with

Maddie Kuppe

WHO KNOWS SENIOR VOLLEYBALL SENSATION MADDIE KUPPE BETTER? BEST FRIEND/ TEAMMATE CAROLINE MARTIN (‘12), MAN FRIEND HOLGER THORUP (‘12) or BROTHER PRESTON KUPPE (‘15)? as told to Alana Schwartz Photography by Alana Schwartz

Maddie Kuppe

Caroline Martin

Holger Thorup

Preston Kuppe

Josh Duhamel

Dream Date

Holger

Jackie Koenig (‘12)

Funniest Teammate

Jackie Koenig (‘12)

Jackie Koenig (‘12)

Jackie Koenig (‘12)

Pregame Snack

Pasta, salad, and chocolate milk

Frozen mango

Nuts

AP Psych

AP Psych

Prep

Bella’s energy gummies AP Psych

Favorite Subject

Brad Pitt

Best Vacation Spot

Cabo

Posters!

Best Part of ASB

Spirit Week

Spirit Week

Depends on the time of year

Favorite Sport to Watch

Volleyball

Beach Volleyball

Everything ;)

Best Physical Feature

Everything

Legs

The Other Guys

Movie That Describes Your Life

Awkward panty lines

Volleyball Pet Peeve

Grand Cayman

Images taken from

Avatar Panty Lines

40% Correct

10

Hawaii

Million Dollar Baby Few fans

20% Correct

Holger

Grand Cayman Bossing everyone around Volleyball Nothing, I got all the good genes Anchorman Losing

20% Correct

Inside the Mind

of Key’Chaundre Hill

Key’Chaundre Hill (‘12), the football and track superstar, was kind enough to talk to the The Viking about what goes on in his mind.

“

by Alana Schwartz photography by Alana Schwartz

AKA “g-boy”

er led me in the wrong direction and that’s how I became the football player I am now.

ON BEING A ‘G-BOY’ Being a G-boy is pretty much great because I get to do whatever I want, whenever I want.

Nobody can tell me what to do. That’s why they call me G-boy because I always say ‘so what’ about everything.

So yeah. G-Town is basically where I stay. It’s where I’m from, where I was born and raised. We call it the ‘G-Town’ because it’s short for The Gardens; all the streets are named after flowers. I stay on Daisy.

ON HIS STYLE My favorite jean brand is True Religion because everytime I wear my True Religion [jeans] I get at least ten to 15 compliments at school from the teachers and students. I also like PF Flyers and Vans and Nike slippers because they’re comfortable.

ON THE NEW QUARTERBACK The new quarterback [Keller Chryst (‘14)], he’s a giant. He’s only a sophomore, he still has a lot to grow. I think he’s [going to] do very [well] at Paly because he still has two more years and he gets better everyday at practice. The whole team is making him better.

ON HIS TATTOO I have one tattoo and it’s on my arm. I put my mom’s name on my arm because she is my everything and she’s been here with me since I was a baby. She’s been the one telling me what’s right and what’s wrong. My dad has been there but not that much, so it’s really just me and my mom.

“

ON RAPPERS My favorite rapper is Drake because what he raps about is not necessarily about the streets but it’s about life and reality. But we got another boy over here, named Miller. I mean I’ve only heard him spit a couple verses but his lines are nice and I think he can go far with that if he actually puts his mind to it.

ON HIS IDOL Myself, just playin’. My idol is probably someone like coach Hansen because ever since I came to Paly, I always wanted to meet him because he’s the varsity football coach and I love playing football and he’s always telling me the right things to do. He’s nev-

11

The Viking

Story Title

ZOOM

Bret Pinsker (‘13) advances towards his opponent at the Roche Tournament on Sept.

16. The boys’ varsity water polo team (51, 9-2) hopes to win the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Championships this year. “I think we have a better team this year than last year with a lot more talent,” Pinsker said.

Photography by Grant Shorin Photo Illustration by Paige Borsos

69

69

The Viking

Fall Previews

FALL PREVIEWS The Viking kicks off the 2011-2012 school year with a look into fall sports.

For updated game coverage, visit the vwww.vikingsportsmag.com, like The Viking magazine page on Facebook, or follow @thevikingmag on Twitter

FOOTBALL

OVERALL RECORD: 3-1 LEAGUE RECORD: 1-0

Photo by Paige Borsos

Wide receiver Jayshawn Mouton (‘13) carries the ball at a Paly practice.

Mouton is a returning varsity player.

After capturing a state championship last season, the varsity football team (3-1) ended its 15game win streak with a loss to the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs (2-1), 27-21. The team looks to continue the success of last year.

Ten Vikings graduated last year, leaving seven returning varsity members to step up and fill the empty leadership roles.

The Vikings are entering the season with a new quarterback, Keller Chryst (‘14). Chrsyt moved to Paly from Weddington, North Carolina this year. He has proved to be a valuable addition to the varsity squad.

Chryst, who has thrown for 492 yards in four games, is replacing Christoph Bono (‘11) in hopes of finding an equally sucessful season.

14

Other newcomers include the starting strong safety Matt Tolbert (‘13), and starting line backer and tight end Ozzy Braff (‘12) who both transferred to Paly this year.

Returning players have also proved to be key to the Vikings’ success this season. B.J. Boyd (‘12) leads the team in with 276 returning yards.

Returning starters Tory Prati (‘12), Chris Martinez (‘12) and Nathan Hubbard (‘12) lead the defense.

Even though the new team has had intial struggles playing with consistency, coach Hansen feels confident that the Vikings can live up to the expectations that are circling them.

“I think we are going to be very solid,” Hansen said.

VOLLEYBALL

After capturing the CIF Division I State Championship last season with an overall record of 41-1, the Paly girls’ varsity volleyball team has a lot to live up to this season. But the 2011 team is not focusing on a repeat of near perfection; it’s looking to take each game one step at a time.

“We set our goals every day,” libero Tiffany Tsung (’12) said.

“It’s not about winning this year, it’s about improving.”

So far, the Lady Vikes have a record of 17-3 (1-0 league), falling to Dos Pueblos High School (131) and Santa Barbara High School (6-4) in the Mitty Tournament on Sept. 17 and 18.

OVERALL:17-3 LEAGUE: 1-0

The week of Sept. 20, the team took on Gunn High School (10-8, 0-2) in the first game of league play and beat the Lady Titans 25-9, 25-16 and 25-18. Paly also defeated the Mountain View Spartans on Sept. 22 before falling to Saint Francis in five games: 2025, 26-28, 25-19, 25-22, and 8-15.

The Lady Vikes have three players committed to Division I schools next fall: Outside hitter Maddie Kuppe (‘12) to the University of Connecticut, middle blocker Melanie Wade to the University of Washington and setter Kimmy Whitson (‘12) to the University of the Pacific.

BOYS’ WATER POLO Photo by Grant Shorin

Brian Berry (‘13) looks to pass to an open teammate. The Vikings are 4-1 in league.

Photo by Paige Borsos

Maddie Kuppe (‘12) bumps the ball against early league competition.

OVERALL RECORD: 5-1 LEAGUE RECORD: 9-2

Boys’ water polo (5-1) kicked off the 2011 season with a 20-6 victory over Los Gatos High School.

The Vikings’ hard work over the summer is paying off as they won five of their first six games.

After losing to Bellarmine College Prepatory in the quarterfinals of Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) last year, the varsity squad aims to improve the 7-2 record and make a run at the CCS title.

But, their focus remains on winning leagues.

“We are confident,” co-captain Peter Rockhold (‘12) said. “We feel like we have all the tools that we need to win [Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL)] championships this year. It is our primary goal and it is definitely achievable.”

Nelson Perla-Ward (‘15), Will Conner (‘14), Bret Pinsker (‘13)

15

and Quinn Rockwell (‘13) lead the team in number of goals with a combined total of 63 of the Vikings’ 101 goals this season.

Goalkeeper Daniel Armitano (‘12) is a key factor in the success of the Vikings. He has a 78% block rate this season, a significant improvement from last season.

The underclassmen also have an impressive presence in the pool.

Conner has had a terrific start to the season, scoring 16 of the team’s 79 goals. Perla-Ward has also found early success on the team, with 17 goals in his first six games with Paly.

“We have a pretty young team,” Pinsker said. “We’ve lost a few key players but overall I think we have a better team this year than last year with a lot more talent.”

The Viking

Fall Previews

GIRLS’ WATER POLO The girls’ varsity water polo team will look to young talent to start the season strong. Nine senior Vikings graduated last year and the Lady Vikes are working to create new team chemistry.

“I think we’re all really great friends, but working together as a team [in the water] will be a little difficult because I know we all have different strengths,” Emma Wolfe (‘14) said.

They must also learn to work with a new coach, Spencer Dornin, who played water polo for the University of California at Berkeley and was a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. national water polo team.

“He does work us hard, but I think that’s a good thing,” Wofle said.

Because of the significant loss of

players and the lack of scrimmages, the young team has been focusing on walk-throughs during practice.

“We review plays so the newer girls know what to do in man-down defense and man-up offense,” Shannon Scheel (‘12) said.

The Lady Vikes’ captains this year are Scheel, Skylar Dorosin (‘12), Hannah Park (‘12), and Eve Higgins (‘12), the only four seniors on the team.

Their main goals include beating Gunn High School and qualifying for Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.

The team lost to Gunn in the quarterfinals of CCS last year and hope to get revenge this season.

“Well, I would love to kick Gunn’s butt,” Wofle said. “And it’s safe to say the whole team feels the same way.”

OVERALL RECORD: 5-6 LEAGUE RECORD: 1-3 Photo by Scotty Bara

Skylar Dorosin (‘12) makes a pass in her game. Dorosin is one of four seniors leading the Lady Vikes.

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY Photo by Anne Hildebrand

Varsity cross-country runner Kevin Lavelle (‘13) races for the Vikings.

Paly’s next meet is October 20.

After a disappointing fifth place finish in leagues last year, the boys’ cross-country team is revved up and ready to improve with the dawn of a new season.

Although only one of the last season’s two leading runners returned, the young roster has matured, giving way to a new group of strong upperclassmen.

This year, the team is led by Nikolai Solgaard (‘12), who is coming off the 2010 season in which he qualified for and ran in the Central Coast Section (CCS) meet.

The team also has other promising athletes for the 2011 season.

The junior class is led by Ben Hawthorne, Justin Zhang and Ben May. Returning varsity runner

16

COACH: Joe Ginnani

Matan Geller (‘13) suffered from an injury this summer, which delayed his training and return to the team as a lead runner.

In addition, Sam Carilli (‘12) and William Hall (‘12) provide leadership as additional senior varsity runners.

Two underclassmen, Samuel Mignot (‘14) and Jack Hansen (‘14), are also running for the varsity team this year.

As the meets continue on a weekly basis, the team continues with its training regiment to work towards their goal of qualifying fo CCS. To achieve this goal, they must place in the top three at the Crystal Springs race on November 11.

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY The girls’ cross-country team is rebuilding after the loss of last year’s top runners Susan Heinselman (‘11) and Gracie Cain (‘11).

With a large influx of talented underclassmen led by Katie Foug (‘15) and Sophia Robinson (’15), the Lady Vikes look to improve upon last year’s Central Coast Section (CCS) performance.

Foug placed second for Paly and 15th overall in her first varsity race at the Lowell Invitational in Golden Gate Park. Her strong finish indicates strong girls’ cross-country teams to come.

Anchoring this year’s team is Chika Kasahara (‘13), who has placed first for Paly at the first two meets. The only other returning varsity runner is co-captain Nora Rosati (‘13).

COACH: Paul Jones

Photo by Grant Shorin Even with the lack of returning runners, coach Paul Jones has high expectations for the season.

“I’m hoping the team can place [in the] top two in leagues and hopefully top two in CCS to qualify for states,” Jones said. “Our biggest competition is from Gunn and Carlmont. I think we are better this year than last year.”

Rosati shares Jones’ optimism about the upcoming season.

“We have a bunch of really good, committed underclassmen [this season] and as a team we hope to place highly in CCS and possibly go to states,” Rosati said.

The Lady Vikes close out their season with the SCVAL League Champi- Chika Kasahara (‘13) runs in the onships and the CCS Championships Gunn Invational for Paly. Kashara both at Crystal Springs on Nov. 1 and has placed first in Paly’s first two 12, respectively.

meets.

GIRLS’ TENNIS Photo by Rohit Ramkumar

Aashli Budhiraja (‘14) returns a serve in her match. Budhiraja is the No. 1 singles player for the Lady Vikes.

OVERALL:4-5 LEAGUE: 3-3

After a strong second place finish at the Santa Catalina Invitational, varsity tennis is expecting a promising 2011 season under head coach Andy Harader.

Harader hopes to see continued improvement and wants to qualify for Central Coast Section Championships (CCS) this year.

“We’re getting a good look at the strengths and weaknesses [in the Paly Invitational],” Harader said.

“We want as many wins as possible and as few losses as possible.”

The Lady Vikes will play Monta Vista High School for the second time this season on Oct. 6 at 3:30 at home and Saratoga High School for the second time on Oct. 11 at Saratoga, in preparation for the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League

17

(SCVAL) championships on Nov. 1 and CCS rounds on Nov. 8 and 9.

Co-captain Amy Ke (‘12) has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I think we have a lot of potential because we’ve been playing really good teams which will prepare us for the rest of the season,” Ke said.

Led by a group of talented underclassmen such as Aashli Budhiraja (‘14), the No. 1 singles player, Wang and Kool, the Lady Vikes will look to their young talent to lead them past tough league opponents Saratoga and Monta Vista.

Felicia Wang (‘14) pulled out victories in both of her No. 2 singles matches against Saratoga and Monta Vista earlier this season.

The Viking

Turnover on Downs

Turnover on Downs My story about leaving the game I loved most

by Kevin Kannappan

Photo by Paige Borsos Three horns pulse. A cardinal flag tails an adrenaline-pumped college kid as he blazes around an oval. The crowd roars and claps as a fight song plays and trees and dolls come alive. A loud “thud” reverberates. The three horns pulse again.

In what seemed like a simple touchdown to a spectator at a Stanford football game, it was like living a fantasy for me. These football games were the most enthralling events in my childhood. On a Saturday afternoon, there was rarely a time where I wasn’t at a game. I would skip the jump-house, the magician, and even the circus to get to suit up in my cardinal red shirt and white snap-back.

But it wasn’t just Stanford football that I loved. On Sunday, I had the same dedication watching the Montanacursed and Owens-traumatized 49ers on TV. It was all about the football.

The hitting, the tackling, the bat-

tling, the throwing, the catching, the running, the kicking. All of these things happened in a few hours on a football field. I wanted nothing more in my life than to be a part of it. Flag football as a six year-old wasn’t nearly enough, and tackle football had my name written all over its shoulder pads.

After a reluctant half-nod by my mom which easily could have meant no, my dad signed me up to play for the Palo Alto Knights, a Pop Warner organization and a power-house in the Bay Area. I got my football gear, and though it was all a little big, I figured it would suit me just fine. As I was looking forward, I thought that the next day would be the best of my life.

Greg Beratlis. I still remember that name even though it was 11 years ago. That was the name of my first ever football coach, and he made his presence clear on the first day of practice. I thought football was going to be

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fun and easy because I figured it was like all the other youth sports. In these sports you have your practice where you basically do nothing and just have fun, then you have your games, and then you have your snacks; the latter of which seemed the most appealing to all the little kids that were playing. Football was different.

I didn’t get to be the quarterback or a wide receiver, instead I started out on the offensive line. Even though my dreams of being the next Randy Fasani at Stanford were shot down, Beratlis did not care. He seemed to do it with ease, breaking both mine and everyone else’s hearts who thought they could play quarterback. Even though it was his first day coaching youth football, it sure seemed like he had done it for a long time. In fact, I am not sure if he was even coaching. He seemed more like a drill sargent.

That first day of football could very

well have been the best and worst day of my young life. I finally was able to play, but I began to realize how much I hated football practice. The conditioning was horrible. I never knew I could do so many sprints. I was hoping my legs would fall off so I wouldn’t have to do any more. We only had one water break. The rest of the time our helmets had to be on our heads and they weighed 10 pounds; at the time I think I weighed about 70.

Practicing three hours every day for four weeks was absolutely horrible. I hated football so much I would tell my mom I wanted to quit on the drive over before every practice. Yet, at the end of the four weeks, I got to play in my first game. Finally, I wasn’t hitting the same guys. It was something new, and it was the most fun I had ever had in my life.

The first hit I ever smacked in my life was in a scrimmage against the Menlo-Atherton Vikings. I was aware that they were in Division II while our team was in Division I. To me, I didn’t really understand the difference until game time. It was the first play of the game on offense, and I piled into the huddle at left guard. The first play was a sweep to my side. The kid lined up across from me looked like he was scared out of his mind.

I guess what Beratlis did for me in the preseason worked out for me after all; I had the crap beat out of me long enough that I didn’t fear my actual competition. The ball was snapped and I flattened the tackle and then flattened the line backer, and then there was no one else to hit. We scored.

Though I thought I did everything right, Beratlis yelled like there was a fire on the field. He came running and screaming up to me, but I couldn’t really understand him too well. From what I could tell though, through all the spit and the balloon-red face that he was giving me, was that he was saying the

whistle hadn’t stopped. I had stopped before the whistle. In a football game, that was like waiting in the lunch line and then leaving it before you get your food. I managed to let out a measly “yes, sir.”

That was the first thing that football taught me, not necessarily perseverance, more like not-quitting.

We were to always address our coaches as “sir,” take care of all the gear and pads that we needed, and go 100% at practice without complaints. The ones who weren’t able to obey these rules were punished, and many of those who were punished quit. They permanently labeled themselves as “quitters” and thus fueled the fire of the coaches to make the ones that remained standing practice harder.

There was a distinct difference between hurt and injured. Hurt meant a lot of pain, and pain you could play through. Injured, however, meant unplayable.

These “requirements” for playing football taught me a lot. I didn’t know toughness until I spent hours on the field going as hard as I could. I didn’t know perseverance until after I made it

through one of these practices. I didn’t know discipline until after I made it through a week of practice. I didn’t know respect until a firm handshake and a yes sir were ingrained into me as I talked to coaches.

Essentially, what football taught me was how to be a man. After 11 years of rolling around the dirt and countless hours of sweat and toil, it paid off. We won the 2010 CIF State Championship. In Pop Warner, we went to two super bowls, but never took home a title. I didn’t know what the state championship meant to me until the summer before my senior year.

This was it. This was as far as my football career was going to take me. I didn’t have the size or the speed for the next level. I spent the previous year trying to make Kevin Anderson (’11) better by being his blocking dummy, and believe me, it wasn’t fun. I figured that this year, it was my turn to get better in other things. That is why I chose to leave football.

I will never forget what football has done for me, football taught me life and how to suck it up and get through it. <<< Photos provided Ken Kannappan

There is nothing better than beating Mitty with a touchdown catch my freshman year. We went on to lose that game, but came back and beat them two years later.

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The Viking

Story Title

ZOOM Running back Dre Hill (‘12) picks up yardage against the Homestead Mustangs on Sept. 30. Hill contributed two touchdowns for the Vikings (3-1, 1-0) who went on to win the game 29-13.

“Every time I get a chance to touch the ball I try to keep the offense on the field,” Hill said.

Photo by Paige Borsos

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“Citizen’s Bank Park” © 2009 Art Siegel, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.

Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park at a night game during the 2009 playoffs. The Phillies, who had a 2011 home record of 52-29, have earned home field advantage this year.

I do not suffer from the chronic East Coast bias that plagues the media. No, I am not from Philadelphia. And no, I am not a Yankees, Red Sox or Brewers hater. In fact, if someone were to call me a hater, I would probably be called a Phillies hater. I strongly dislike these National League Yankees and their oversized payroll more than I do any other team. However, even I must admit that the Phillies are the strongest, most talented team in Major League Baseball (MLB) this year, and in the postseason, it will show.

Joining the Phillies in the playoffs this year are the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Rays. None of these squads, however, have the right combination of offense and pitching to win the World Series.

The Phillies made waves by acquiring one of the biggest names in the game, Cliff Lee, in Dec. 2010, and instantly became the National League front-runners. Although several other teams, including the Yankees and Rangers, were interested in the crafty left-handed ace, Philadelphia ultimately signed Lee to a five year contract with $120 million guaranteed. Lee’s return to the Phillies, his 2009 squad, bolstered a pitching rotation already considered one of the strongest in the MLB. There is a common saying in sports that offense wins games and defense wins championships. In baseball, the saying should be that offense wins games and pitching wins championships. Just look at the 2010 San Francisco Giants, led by Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. The 2011 Phillies, with a team earned run average (ERA) hov-

with AUSTIN POORE

Look for the Phillies to dominate this postseason with superior pitching.

The Phillies have five pitchers who have made at least 20 starts this year.

Of those five, three [Lee, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels] have an ERA below three, which is outstanding. Compare that statistic to that of the 2010 Giants, who did not have a single starting pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA to call his own. Since nobody can score against the Phillies and their aces, it makes them very tough to beat.

The Phillies are in no way offensive pushovers either. With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the middle, the Phillies lineup still has the capability to pack enough of a punch to carry the team through the playoffs. Howard leads the squad with over 30 home “Cliff Lee” © 2009 Peter Bond, used under a Creative Commons Generic Attribution license.

Come late October, the Philadelphia Phillies will be World Series champions. No,

MLB PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Cliff Lee of Philadelphia delivers a fastball on July 31, 2009. Lee’s six shutouts pace the Phillies this year.

Astros slugger Hunter Pence in the middle of the season, and his arrival has provided an additional spark for the Phillies offense.

To be sure Milwaukee, Philadelphia’s likely National League Championship Series opponent, has a more potent offense behind the big bats of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

Both sluggers have hit over 30 home runs and driven in more than 100

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plus slugging (OPS) numbers near 1.000. The Brewers lineup also boasts speedy center fielder Nyjer Morgan, a talented and outspoken lead off hitter from the Bay Area. Unlike their Phillies counterparts, however, the Brewers lack the elite pitching to go all the way.

They have a team ERA of over 3.50, a half run more than the Phillies, and lack a starter with an ERA under 3.00 [Shaun Marcum and Yovani Gallardo are just over 3.50]. Winning games in the playoffs ultimately comes down to great pitching, and the Brewers lack enough of that to be relevant past their first series.

Some people will probably argue that the Yankees have the offense to take on the Phillies’ pitching. While I agree that the Yanks have a very potent offense and will reach at least the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the fact remains that besides CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, the Yankees rotation has been mediocre throughout the season. In a [potential] showdown with the Phillies, the Yankees, like the Brewers, will hardly stand a chance against the likes of Halladay, Lee, and Hamels.

Of course, I have not even mentioned the main reason that the Phillies will win the World Series this year, which is that the Giants will not be joining them in the playoffs. Without certified Halladay assassin Cody Ross hitting home runs or Brian Wilson protecting leads against the beard-fearing Phillies, there is no team in the postseason that can compete with them.

The beauty of the playoffs, however, is that the best team does not always win. Any of the eight contenders could hit a hot streak and cruise all the way to a title. And that of course, as the saying goes, is why they play the games and why everyone should be sure to tune in this October to watch it all play out.

And remember, go Giants! <<<

The Viking

“Tyrod Taylor” @ 2010 Daniel Lin, used under a creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

In the Shadow of the Super Conference

by Jonny Glazier and Spencer Drazovich Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor scrambles past Boise State defenders. Super conferences may leave Boise without a conference.

Picture yourself 50 years in the future. As you drive your grandson to soccer practice in your hover car, he quizzically asks, “Pappy, what was the Big 12?” Despite your fading memory, aching back, and late nights of bingo, you fondly reminisce about the good ol’ days of college football, when conferences were as plentiful as cornfields in Nebraska.

Flash back to the here and now. College football is playing a game of musical chairs. However, each time the music stops, it’s not a pouting child that begrudgingly sits out, it’s an entire conference. While the possible elimination of one conference may seem insignificant in the national spectrum, those of us who know physics have the fact drilled into our minds: every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The Big 12’s possible annihilation could result in a domino effect, thus dissolving the Big East, Mountain West, and others. With schools’ programs on the line, college football is on the brink of a game-changing shift in power.

To understand college football one must first comprehend the system of conferences. Conferences are groups of

schools, ranging from eight all the way to 14, that annually play each other.

Some of these bigger conferences have conference championships which give automatic BCS (Bowl Championship Series) berths. BCS busters such as TCU and Boise State are small schools from non BCS conferences who become everyone’s favorite Cinderella team in bowl season.

However, perennial powerhouses like Louisiana State or Oregon call the Southeastern Conference and Pacific 12 Conference home respectively.

These competitive conferences, which inherently have a BCS Bowl berth, annually overwhelm smaller conferences and nab up Bowl bids with the ferocity of an offensive line at an open buffet.

For those who are unfamiliar with the BCS system, here is a little intro. Every year a school’s performance is put into numbers, stats, and votes. These teams are then ranked accordingly and they are put into respective bowl games. While some games pit conference champions against one another, others showcase automatic qualifiers.

The caliber of your bowl and if you make a bowl at all comes down to your

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BCS ranking.

Despite these smaller conferences already having the odds stacked against them, the David and Goliath situation that is college football is taking a turn in the favor of Goliath. With the possible departures of Florida State and Texas A&M to the SEC, along with the possible additions of Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State to the Pac-12, these already dominant conferences are about to get a whole lot better.

However, as the age of the ‘super conference’ may be upon us, we cannot help but wonder: how will this potential shift in power affect the little guy?

While high profile schools such as Oklahoma and Texas would survive on their own with no issues. Smaller schools such as Boise State, TCU, and Baylor will be crippled if left on the door step of college football conferences. Through this consolidation of power, these high profile programs will monopolize recruiting, money and BCS rankings, leaving the smaller schools to fight for the scraps.

As it is, the SEC and Pac-12 dominate recruiting and own 9 of the top 15, 2011 recruiting classes according

to ESPN’s Recruiting Rankings. A small conference team could not even manage to wiggle its way into the top 25.

However, the allure of the David vs.

Goliath and the colorful turf of some of these smaller schools still coerces some of the nations middle of the pack recruits to come to their programs.

However these teams rely on one or two top players to carry them through the season instead of a whole roster of strong prospects. If these teams are left out of these super conferences, their already mediocre recruiting would become as laughable as the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the loss of TCU’s star quarterback Andy Dalton, The Horned Frogs have taken more of a beating this year than Dalton took from Ndamukong Suh in the Preseason. The already shallow TCU would not able to compete with the depth displayed by such programs as Oregon and LSU if left out as an independent.

Not only would these programs suffer from the possibility of super conferences, it would crush the schools themselves. According to CNN, Boise ranked 5th among small conference schools in revenue. Not only is this surpris-

high profile teams and BCS Bowls to fund their programs. Last years BCS Bowls gave a rough payout of $17 million to each team that participated.

Now while that may seem like a staggering amount, it is astronomical when compared to the smaller bowls, like the Papa John’s Bowl, which had a meager payout of $300,000. Kyle Brotzman, who sent Boise to the lowly Maaco Las Vegas Bowl after they were in line for a sure BCS bowl, certainly felt the heat after he cost their program a near $15 million off his shanked field goals against Nevada. One could say he is still “kicking himself” over it.

While bowl games make up a large percentage of schools’ revenue, smaller conference teams also make loads of money from playing ranked powerhouses. Last year the Alabama Crimson Tide gave schools a combined $2.2 million reasons to come down to Tuscaloosa to receive a beating. While one may wonder why a small school such as the San Jose State Spartans would agree to that, these games make up the vast majority of the annual revenue. Since these teams seldom find themselves playing in a bowl at all, the prospect

play extremely tough opponents week in and week out. This type of a schedule would result in an unparalleled strength of schedule, the likes that we have never seen before. These stacked schedules would result in even higher rankings for those in the SEC, Pac-12 and other major conferences. As a result, all of the bowl games you would watch would be filled with these super teams, while Boise State and TCU would not even have a shot at a BCS game or the paycheck that comes along with it.

College football is being ruined by “football factories”. These are high profile, state schools who rely on the success of their football programs to generate revenue for the oncoming year.

The coalition of these schools is placing a monopoly on college football and destroying the chances of success for dozens of schools. The unfortunate part of the situation is that there is no way to stop it. Conferences can get as big as they like and become as dominant as possible. With the confirmed additions of Pitt and Syracuse to the ACC, not only is the greed of some schools affecting College Football, however it

ingly low for the pride of the Mountain West, but the Broncos would be a meager 63rd out of 68 major conference teams. Now we certainly do not want to say football is everything, but when it comes to schools revenue, football takes up a massive portion.

As we all know, but might not like to admit, college football has become a business, and that business is powered by these big name programs. The smaller schools rely on games against

of the paychecks coming from these games gets the athletic directors drooling.

Perhaps the most important reason these super conferences will be created is the consolidation of BCS power. With there being only three or four possible super conferences, the only ranked teams would come from big conferences. While Boise State may whomp on a team like Idaho State, the teams in these super conferences will

also affects all of Collegiate Athletics, including Basketball, Baseball, and others.

With conferences losing teams at the speed of football players losing brain cells,the Big 12, Big East, and others are threatened to become faded memories in the minds of our generation. We don’t know about you, but we for one, don’t want to become ‘that crazy old hermit who still remembers the Big East.’ <<<

You fondly reminisce about the good ol’ days of college football, when conferences were as plentiful as cornfields in Nebraska.

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The Viking

über ünderdog

The U19 women’s Lacrosse World Championship in Germany

über ünderdog

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by Charlotte Biffar design by Emy Kelty Pellerins Photography

There was one thing the German national team was lacking as we stood linked arm-in-arm at the opening ceremony of the U19 Lacrosse World Championship, hesitantly singing the German national anthem in front of a tremendous crowd: confidence.

Although this national hymn felt unfamiliar to me, the emotions did feel familiar. Once again I was part of a team that was relatively new and inexperienced. I knew that four years ago, this team had come in dead last. We could feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. We were the über-underdogs.

When I first picked up a lacrosse stick in fourth grade, I was told my only option would be to throw on a helmet and pads and learn how to play boys’ lacrosse. Instead, I found a team short of players that allowed me to play up with older girls, despite being half the size of most of them. It was difficult for girls’ clubs to find coaches, and even harder to get access to practice fields, competing with the more established boys’ club teams and the multitude of soccer teams.

I soon became a driven player, and at the age of 11 I was selected to represent Northern California in a tournament in Boston. This was my first exposure to the aggressive level of East Coast lacrosse, where the sport is deeply rooted. I remember my coach turning to me before a game against a massive East Coast team, informing me that I had two minutes to double in size.

When I returned to California, I was acutely aware of how far the sport needed to expand in order for our teams to compete west of Colorado, but the East Coast competition fed my determination to reach that level. I knew my passion and my love of the game would make the hard work worthwhile.

This past summer before the World Championship, I played back on the East Coast in some highly competitive college recruiting tournaments, where the familiar support from the sidelines was replaced by intimidating college coaches lined up with clipboards. It seemed all my hard work now amounted to these few moments of playing that could determine my future happiness.

The tense environment instantly created a competitive edge among team members. It changed the game, undermining the important aspects needed to succeed as a team. Players felt pressured to stand out, be a ball hog, and ruthlessly

do whatever it took to be a star. The love of the game that a team projects, when at its best, seemed to fade. I returned to California two weeks before I was to leave for Europe and the World Championship training, now disillusioned by my East Coast experience. I found myself questioning what it meant to be a selfish versus a selfless team player when it came to college goals.

Nervously looking around at my German teammates as we took our positions for the first draw of the opening game, I realized that they had never experienced the pressure of impressing colleges while on the field. Most other national lacrosse players were not competing with dreams of being recruited to top universities or m , visions of later playing professional lacrosse. In Germany, the government pays for university education, so students focus solely on academics.

I found it refreshing and inspiring that these women had come together purely for the love of the game.

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German student athletes are unaccustomed to much support from family, schools, and communities in comparison with American student athletes. I tried to imagine athletes I knew at home taking long train rides alone to big cities all over the country where trainings are held during weekends, or sleeping overnight on gym floors after a long day of practice.

I admired the immense work ethic and dedication each team member possessed. Every day during the World Championship, we took pride in being the only team to run to the practice fields early in the morning in the foggy rain, even on game days, rather than take the shuttle bus. Whether we were warming up on the field or spending time together in the hotel dining room with all the other teams, I was encompassed by my teammates’ tremendous enthusiasm.

I found it refreshing and inspiring that these women had all come together purely for the love of the game, despite being underdogs.

The passion my teammates showed for lacrosse did not seem to carry over, though, to their hesitant singing of the anthem before the first game. Later, some players informed me that most signs of patriotism, such as proudly singing a national anthem, have been discouraged in Germany ever since World War II. The war’s legacy has meant that Ger-

The Viking

über ünderdog

(‘13) tte Biffar as lo r a h C e w am, ld. Sh rforrosse te e c fi la id ly m a P laying er pe On the goals p -league for h 5 5 d d by the all e d r m score a a e w t a has 1 as d first awarde 2010 and 201 League. Biffar ams in ic mance ra Valley Athlet ms, regional te la tea .

Santa C ipated on club al Team ic n t r io t a a p N o als man the Ger and on

Lacrosse around the world Lacrosse is one of the fastest grow-

ing team sports in America, according to the U.S. Lacrosse Association, with youth participation in the sport growing over 138% since 2001. Considered America’s oldest sport, with Native American roots, lacrosse is a fast-paced combination of basketball, soccer and hockey.

The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) now includes 44 countries, ranging from previous world champions like Australia to recent additions such as Thailand and Uganda.

At the local level, Palo Alto High School added a girls’ lacrosse team in 2008, followed by a boys’ team in 2010, when both teams won the 2010 League Championship title.

man fans are careful in waving flags and displaying national pride. I thought of the exuberant patriotism Americans show, and did not recognize how unfamiliar these expressions of national allegiance were to my German teammates, and the significance their pride held for them.

I still felt thrust under a load of high expectations. Although I fulfilled the eligibility requirements for the national team -- including German citizenship -- and had proven myself during the tryouts held in August last year, I now faced many challenges.

Constantly speaking a different language on and off the field was a new experience that often made me nervous, as the only American on the German team. Our head coach was American, but only spoke German, even to me. I was asked to do press interviews in German that were stressful at times.

More importantly, there were times under pressure on the field during a game when I worried that, on top of everything else, my German would fail me when communicating with other players.

It was clear that I needed to make adjustments to play at a different level and with a new team, while staying mentally tough. In comparison, adapting to the nine-hour time difference, the rain, and the punishing schedule demands over ten days seemed trivial.

At 16, I was almost the youngest on the team, and had not had many opportunities to build bonds with other team members, most who had played together before. Yet the coaches told me repeatedly that they were looking for me to take on a leadership role. I was concerned about being accepted both on and off the field. Yet everyone was supportive and friendly, and I really appreciated their honesty, directness, and generosity. When my team showed their excitement towards me as top scorer, or when I won Most Valuable Player after the Holland game, their support felt genuine, and made me realize just how close we had become.

The toughest frustration was simply the fact that my team came into this international competition with so many disadvantages. We had shared less training time together than other teams, and were certainly one of the least experienced. It was hard not to get upset when our inexperience undermined our hard work and determination. Yet we each improved individually over the course of the World Championship, and most importantly, we grew as a team.

None of these concerns were in my thoughts when the first whistle blew to start the opening game against the Czech Republic.

My mind was also not on the thousand pairs of eyes intensely tracking my every move, the echoes of the German national anthem, the fresh turf tearing up with each determined stride, the defender I had maneuvered past seconds

26

before now closing in, or the desperate sticks being thrust towards the yellow ball I carefully cradled.

My focus was only on an opening of soft, white mesh, quickly vanishing behind the massive figure guarding the goal.

With the force of every muscle in my body, I instantly drove the ball down, towards the opening in goal, releasing all the pressure, frustration, and challenges I had felt building up to that moment.

“Tor für Deutschland.” Goal for Germany.

The first goal of the Lacrosse World Championship. In that moment, I felt something that every underdog, every athlete on a team that experiences a bitter loss, every person who has ever been told, “there is no chance,” feels at least once: we can do this. The “this” does not mean win, if by win it means we will have a higher number on the scoreboard by the end. It means we will do our best and have an amazing time doing it.

This realization was a turning point. While I had anticipated that the World Championship experience would leave me more frustrated than ever, it had the opposite impact, despite our losses.

My own uncertainty going in to this World Championship, as well as my team’s hesitancy in singing the German anthem, melted away over the next seven games.

Although we ended up losing to the Czech Republic 8-12, a team we had also narrowly lost to earlier in the summer during the Prague Cup, we played them again, almost beating them before losing 10-11. This was heartbreaking for many on our team, however, I was surprised to realize that I was so excited about how well we had played, that I failed to be upset about the close loss. Overall, we beat both New Zealand and Holland twice, moving up to tenth out of 12 teams, compared to our last place position four years earlier. In 2015 I am confident that the German national team will move up again, led by their passion for the sport, and undoubtedly sing the national anthem with a new pride.

Surrounded by so much passion for the sport, not only shown by the players from around the world, but shared by the officials, the coaches, the administrators, the World Cup staff and the fans, I was reminded of why I love sports, why I love being a part of a team, and why I love lacrosse.

We entered the World Championship as über-underdogs.

We finished as über-underdogs. This was not a Disney film happy ending by any definition. Although my competitive nature had previously told me otherwise, I learned that it is possible to be successful and gain more from an experience after losing. There will always be losers in sports, as we all know, but it is exciting to truly discover that what we love about sports is not only connected to a score or a ranking. <<<

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B

iffar was awarded Most Valuable Player after her team played Holland in the World Championships.

The Viking

Pushing the Limit

A profile of Paly swimmers Jasmine Tosky and Byron Sanborn

by Grant Shorin and Nikolai Solgaard photography by Grant Shorin design by Emy Kelty

Byron Sanborn (‘12) works out at PASA (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics) practice. Sanborn and Jasmine To

Four years ago, Jasmine Tosky (‘12) and Byron Sanborn (‘12) first dove into the Palo Alto High school pool.

Fast forward through thousands of hours of intense practices, and the result is a combined 14 top-three finishes at the Central Coast Section (CCS) swim meet over their first three years, and a sure-to-be lasting legacy with the Paly swim team.

Tosky and Sanborn will compete at the 2012 Olympic swimming Trials in Omaha , Nebraska after qualifying for

the event during the Junior Nationals Swim meet this past August. Despite their competition, the best swimmers in the United States, both Tosky and Sanborn have high hopes to perform well at the trials.

Not surprisingly, the commitment required of this elite level of swimming is enormous. Both Sanborn and Tosky push their bodies to the limit by training 20 hours each week, which includes time in the water as well as on land. Typically, they have five after school practices and

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Batis also discussed how Sanborn and Tosky could reach their Olympic aspirations.

“From the time they started swimming with me, a lot of the growth is in the understanding of where the sport can take them,” Batis said.

For Sanborn, qualifying has been a long-standing goal. He qualified for the trials in the 200 meter breaststroke, as he posted a five second improvement over his previous personal best at the Junior Nationals this Au-

“This past summer [Tosky] was practicing in the same lane as Michael Phelps,” Tosky’s dad Julian said.

gust.

“I personally was ecstatic because trials had been this big goal and I hadn’t really been expecting it before 2012,” Sanborn said. “When I realized I had the chance to do it, I was amazed, and then I actually got it and was really happy.”

Batis feels that both Sanborn and Tosky have “grown up and become great young people in our program [at PASA].”

Undoubtedly the Olympic trials will be a highlight of the earlier segment of their swimming careers, but both have plans that extend well beyond the 2012 Olympics.

Nevertheless, their accomplishment is something to take pride in.

“I think that was a big accomplishment and a very pleasant surprise,” Batis said.

However great their careers at Paly have been, both Sanborn and Tosky’s future careers on the world stage promise to be even more thrilling.

e Tosky (‘12) both spend 20 hours a week training. three morning practices each week, which take place from 4:00 to 5:30 a.m.

“The intensity [of practice] is always rising, and it always feels like the amount of hours in the pool is more and more,” Tosky said.

Tony Batis, Tosky and Sanborn’s Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) coach of four years, believes that a large part of their mentality and devotion to the sport has been developed during practice.

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The Viking

Pushing the Limit

BYRON SANBORN

For athletes, finding a balance between sports and academics is a constant struggle, but swimmer Byron Sanborn (‘12) achieved a balance that has allowed him to excel.

Sanborn’s motivation to swim stems from his early youth when he lived in Hong Kong, a country of which he is a citizen. Sanborn’s mother, Virginia Lee, first introduced him to swimming, but as he grew older, he began to take more control of his swimming.

“He has always liked swimming,” Lee said. “Even when he was really young.”

Sanborn also thinks that his love for swimming was instantaneous from the beginning.

“I guess I had a natural affinity for it,” Sanborn said. “So when I came to America, [my mother] decided to try me out for the team and I liked it. Actually I ended up quitting for a month one time, but then I got back into it because I realized I was really bored without it. After that I was motivated by myself.”

Sanborn acknowledges that there are some downsides to swimming. As a dedicated student, he has had to sacrifice time academically since the time considerations required by swimming do not allow for a complete focus on school.

“You miss a lot because our practices are sometimes during prime time for social activities,” Sanborn said. “I’ve [also] had to sacrifice [academically]. I would have probably taken harder classes last year, but that would have been impossible.”

Sanborn’s junior year classes consisted of AP U.S. history, AP Calculus AB, Physics 1A, American classics H, Humanities H, Chinese 4, economics and living skills. This year he is enrolled in Chinese 5, AP psychology, AP english, AP statistics, marine biology, sociology and foreign policy.

His mother believes that his academics have not sufferred despite the time he spent swimming.

“Basin li r in Be ly e iv it t e

ed a cally in our famcomp d r g o in c e r im ily we care a lot After sw ow, Sanborn .73 in the about our kids sc 20 and Mo est time of 2: is sum- doing well in h t t b a l a e person r breast-strok ough to school,” Lee n e t e t s e fa m , 200 ationals ic trials. said. “So he

lymp unior N mer’s J he upcoming O rt qualify fo

knew that he couldn’t slack off because of swimming. So what he had to sacrifice was other activities like soccer, arts, or even volunteering, so time came out of that instead of academics.”

Sanborn’s classmate Nassim Fedel (‘12) understands the pressure of Sanborn’s workload better than anyone.

“I don’t know how he balances school and swimming the way he does,” Fedel said. “For me, I’m up past midnight on a regular basis and that’s without competitive swimming.”

Balancing the two will prove even more difficult as he grows older because Sanborn aspires to swim in the Olympics.

He qualified for the trials in the 200 meter breaststroke, as he posted a five second improvement over his previous personal best at the Junior Nationals this August with a time of 2:20.73.

“I personally was ecstatic because trials had been this big goal, and I hadn’t really been expecting it before 2012,” Sanborn said. “When I realized I had the chance to do it, I was amazed, and then I actually got it and was really happy.”

Sanborn’s Paly swim team teammate Youngkuk Lee (‘12) believes that Sanborn has earned his success.

“It’s not very surprising that he got that far [in qualifying for the Olympics],” Youngkuk said. “Honestly, he’s just well rounded.”

People who know Sanborn will tell you he is well rounded.

“What stood out to me even more than Byron’s abilities [in the classroom] was his modesty,” Fedel said. “You don’t often have people who are that smart and modest about it.”

Sanborn plans to continue his swimming career well beyond the trials.

“Right now I’m looking into colleges, [and] that’s kind of a big part of the motivation the past few years,” Sanborn said.

“And through college, I’m thinking of maybe trying to swim for Hong Kong and possibly qualify for the 2016 Olympics.”

His mother is happy with wherever Sanborn decides to go with swimming, as long as he plans to work on academics as well.

“Wherever he wants it to take him,” Virginia said. “I know that he is being recruited by the top schools that he is interested in. As a parent, that is obviously what we wanted, is for him to go to a good school. But as far as he wants it to go in swimming, that is up to him.”

Whatever Sanborn chooses to pursue over the next few years with school and swimming, one thing remains certain: He will leave Paly with the legacy of performing on the world stage.

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This su mm Australia er Tosky wen tt a With th nd Shanghai fo o Brisbane, e rs times in most Olympic wim meets. tria t hopes t he United Sta l qualifying o fi tes, 11 , she meter b nish in the top utterfly a six in th e t the up pic trials coming 200 .

Olym-

On a typical day, Tosky may eat the following: A waffle and some milk for breakfast, than cereal after morning practice.

Throughout the rest of the day she may eat a yogurt and a tuna sandwich, a vegetable plate and maybe a powerbar.

She finishes the day with a regular dinner prepared by her mother. Of all the foods she can no longer eat, Cheez-Its are what she misses most.

“All the sacrifices are worth it,” Tosky said. “I socialize at swim meets so that makes up for missing out on social events.”

Paly teammate Alex Lin (‘12) believes that Tosky’s talent is complimented by her attitude.

“I think she has a really great work ethic,” Lin said. “I’ve never seen her complain once. I think she has a great mentality about swimming and I can tell that she really loves it.”

Julian agrees that the mental aspect of Jasmine’s swimming is just as valuable as the physical.

“She is very competitive, and she also is always working on improving her stroke,” Julian said.

Her dedication to her training is part of what has led to Tosky’s success. Currently, Tosky’s eleven Olympic Trial qualifying times are the most of all swimmers nationally (even more than swimmer Michael Phelps), an impressive feat considering she is only 18. Tosky has qualified in: the 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 meter freestyle, 100 and 200 meter butterfly, 100 and 200 meter breaststroke, and 200 and 400 meter individual medley.

While the 2012 Olympic swim team trials will certainly be memorable moment in her swimming career, Julian believes that there is still much to look forward to.

“We always hope to get to the Olympics,” Julian said.

“That’s always the big hope. But she has gotten onto the U.S. national team. This past summer she was practicing in the same lane as Michael Phelps, so she has gotten into that level of swimmers, where she was swimming with Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer, Rebecca Soni, and Jessica Hardy.”

Tosky also has goals that extend past the trials.

“I would like to travel and just swim internationally at big meets,” Tosky said. “And of course, I’ll be swimming in college, and I plan on swimming more after college.”

Tosky’s criteria for college are slightly different than your average student.

“Actually, her choice of colleges was determined by the swimming schools,” Julian said. “I looked it up and found the top five swimming schools in the U.S. and we went from there. We didn’t really look at any other schools.”

With considerable talent and a great attitude, Tosky’s hopes of qualifying for the Olympics at this years’ trials look within reach.

JASMINE TOSKY

During Tosky’s first three years swimming for Paly, she has swum in 10 top-three finishes and set five new CCS records, including a national high school record of 51.92 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly.

Tosky’s passion for swimming stems from her father efforts, as Julian Tosky was a large reason why she started swimming, and he continues to play important role in her development.

“When I was little, I used to watch him swim and I got interested and so I just kept swimming,” Tosky said. “My dad made me go to all the practices.”

Julian knew she was a swimmer from the moment he introduced her to swimming.

“The first time I put her in the pool she was a year and a half old and I remember taking her into the pool, and she just screamed. She thought it was the greatest thing in the world,” Julian said. “She always had a really good feel for the water.

She somehow moved in the water very well.”

While Tosky has reached great distances, she has had to give up many things for her swimming.

“Right now I’m kind of dieting,” Tosky said. “I’m pretty much eating my vegetables and fruit and lean meat. I mean, my dad plays a big role in this because he’s making me eat all this since he makes my meals. And I mean, the better I eat, the better I feel.”

Julian prepares the majority of Tosky’s meals and believes that poor nutrition is detrimental to performance.

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The Viking

Oympic Athletes at Paly

OLYMPIC ATHLETES AT PALY

by Alan Lamarque and Rohit Ramkumar

Palo Alto High School has showcased incredible world class athletes through the years including Mark Schultz (wrestler ‘79), David Schultz (wrestler ‘80), Theresa Noyola (soccer ‘08), Michela Fossati-Bellani (swimming ‘08) and Rinkk Babka ( discus ‘54) just to name a few. Here is a short profile of a few current Paly students who have competed internationally.

Sara Billman

Sarah Billman (‘13) has been selected for the last four years to represent the U.S. Figure Skating Association in international competitions around the world. She has been skating for 12 years at the Winterlodge in Palo Alto. Billman is coached by Charlie Tickner, and Julie Lowndes, two former Olypmic figure skaters.

Photo by Spencer Drazovich

Cole Plambeck

Photo by Spencer Drazovich

Cole Plambeck (‘13) competed in the Diving Junior Nationals in Knoville, Tennessee Aug 1.-Aug 6. His strong performance during this meet earned hin a spot in the 2012 Olympic Trials in Seattle. Plambeck spends about 12 hours a week plus personal training practicing. Plambeck’s favorite moment was competing in a meet in Montreal, Canada this past September.

Karine Hsu Karine Hsu (‘12) represents the U.S. in the Badminton World Federation. Hsu traveled to Mexico last year for the 2010 World Junior Championships. She is sponsered by Yonex, the leading manufacturer of badminton equipment in the world. Hsu practices year round, 2-3 hours a day on a club team in Menlo Park, Calif. Raju Rai, a badminton player who competed in the Beijing Olympics coaches Hsu’s team.

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Photo provided by Eric Tsu

David Fichtenholz Private Academic Tutoring

PSAT, SAT, SAT II, ACT Cell: 310.995.3283 davesemail1212@yahoo.com

Shaving In Sports

Shaving In Sports

The Viking investigates the subject of shaving in swimming with the Paly swim team

by Scotty Bara and Sapir Fr o ze n f ar photography by Scotty Bara

Aaron Zelinger (‘12) demonstrates the meticulous effort that goes into shaving his legs to prepare for a smooth-skinned uncoming meet.

To shave or not to shave? That is the real question. The physics behind shaving suggest that the drag is decreased.

Can shaving really increase the speed of a swimmer? Athletes are concerned with improving their game anyway they can. With all the training, could shaving really be the secret for success?

In a sport where as little as one tenth of a second can be the difference between first and second place, most swimmers would rather avoid the risk of a frustrating loss because of their hairy legs.

All swimmers approach a competition with their personal strengths and weaknesses. Some may shave because they feel like that means they have an advantage, while others shave to boost their confidence in preparation for facing their opponents.

“Do what the pros do,” former swimmer Scotty McComas (‘12) said regarding the shaving dilemma.

“Shaving is more of a mental thing,” varsity water polo player Shannon Scheel (‘12) said. “It does help but it’s more like I’m getting into the mindset of racing. It does help a small amount but it’s pretty minimal than actually going out and trying your hardest.”

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However, the issue of hair removal appears to be a bigger nuisance to the male athletes than females. Girls, who are already used to shaving as a normal routine, are not as shocked or disturbed as are the boys.

“I enjoy the feeling of not having hair on my legs, but the act of shaving my legs makes me feel less manly,” Paly varsity swimmer Quinn Rockwell (‘13) said.

Members of the Paly boys’ varsity water polo and swim team share many different opinions and preferences towards the possibilities of hair removal.

Varsity swimmer Corso Rosati (‘12) believes that shaving is an additional factor to prepare for upcoming races. The varsity team holds annual shaving parties before Central Coast Section (CCS) in which all the swimmers come together for their pregame ritual.

“The shaving parties are just fun, good team bonding before the race,” Rosati said.

As far as the effects of the pre-race rituals go, Rosati feels they are the final steps to prepare for a race after workouts and tapering.

“You feel like it’s the last step of your taper - it just feels good,” Rosati said.

Then again, there is always someone on the team who marches to his own drum, choosing to compete hairy legs and all.

Varsity swimmer Youngkuk Lee (‘12) describes his previous experience with shaving and how he feels about it now.

“Shaving takes up too much time, too much effort, and it’s just a hassle,” he said. “There is never any pressure to shave because there is really no need to shave. I think it’s definitely a psychological thing because I don’t really see how shaving can drop time.”

“Every year we shave for Leagues or CCS. My first year of shaving was freshman year and I would say it felt great. I’m not gonna lie, it felt like silk on my legs. I felt super aerodynamic but knew it was all psychological. But, there is no reason for me to keep shaving. Why would I?” Lee said.

The scientific reasoning of physics supports shaving as an ideal method for improving times. Anything that causes water resistance slows down the swimmer and hair is no exception.

“I swam a race after I shaved my legs and there was a dramatic difference,” Rockwell said. “I dropped a lot of time.”

Since the swimmer’s main goal is to increase their speed in the water, the need for smoother skin makes shaving appear a more appealing option than not.

“It improves aerodynamic effects,” McComas said. “That theory holds up.”

“Removing hair decreases the amount of bumps and dead skin cells on one’s body,” Paly physics teacher Josh Bloom said.

However, there are other alternative options for those who are uncomfortable with the idea of shaving. Swimmers have noted that the LZR Racer aids their times, and it may in fact be the fastest body suit for swimmers.

Unfortunately, it is suggested that one should still shave for the swimmer to reach his/her full potential. It can still serve as a useful tactic to improve speed though.

So, if it is not for the physical advantage, why do swimmers prefer to shave before a race?

Some swimmers whip out the razors and shaving cream for faster times, while others admit to shaving because of the mental aspect of it.

“I think it is a good way to mentally and physically prepare yourself for a race when you are trying to get that time you want,” Rockwell said.

For swimmers who have little body hair, the question is whether it is worth the time and the trouble. Is it even worth that tedious hundredth of a second difference?

“For me, I think it is more physical,” Rockwell said. “But, for some people who barely have any hair on their legs it’s all psychological.”

Others, however, have come see this burden in a more optimistic light, as something swimmers must learn to ultimately embrace as a part of a swimmer’s pride.

“It’s also is bragging rights,” junior Brent Schroder said. “I did not shave my legs and I got a better time than you.”

The question of whether shaving is the key to a swimmer’s speedy success will continue to be a mystery. Only time will tell if smooth legs are the real secret to a swimmer’s victory. <<<

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TOP TEN TIPS FOR MEN’S SHAVING 1. Do not use your sister’s razor. Go buy your own!

2. Invest in a qood razor. The Viking ladies suggest Venus Glide.

3. The color of the razor does not matter, so don’t be shy to get those baby blues or pinks boys!

4. Have band-aids ready incase of any slip-ups. There will be slip-ups.

5. Use shaving cream.

6. Use hot water while shaving to soothe skin.

7. Be careful shaving behind the knees! It is the last place you want to get a cut.

8. Do not use the same razor you use for your face.

9. Lather moisturizer. Never dry shave.

10. If you’re looking for that extra sparkle to impress your teammates, put cold water on your legs for a natural shine.

The Viking

Shaving In Sports

The new Harbaugh era

by Charlotte Biffar and Sammy Solomon photos by Sammy Solomon designed by Nina Kelty

In his first regular season game, Palo Alto High School graduate Jim Harbaugh (‘82) led the San Francisco 49ers to a 33-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Sept. 11.

The 49ers are undergoing many changes this season, including the addition of new coaching staff led by Harbaugh.

The Viking had the opportunity to watch the game from the sidelines, and discuss changes squad will face with both the team’s president and chief strategy officer.

“We have a new head coach, assis-

tant, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator,” chief strategy officer Gideon Yu said. “Giving coach Harbaugh his first win in the NFL was important.”

Team president Jed York expects that under Harbaugh’s leadership, the 49ers will be able to bring back the success that the team has experienced in the the past

“First and foremost, you have to make sure you can build a team that can be consistent, not just with three to four key players,” York said. “You want someone who understands the quarterback position.”

Pictures clockwise top left: Coach Jim Harbaugh directs his players. Wide reciever Doug Baldwin on the Seattle Seahawks scores against the 49ers. Both teams fight for the control of the line of scrimmage. Key running back Frank Gore prepares to go back into the game.

The 49ers defense prepares to huddle on the field. Gore takes a breather on the sideline.

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Same Face, New Place: Keller Chryst

by Michael Strong photography by Scotty Bara The newest addition to the Paly football team looks to live the dream

Keller Chryst (‘14), Palo Alto High School’s new quarterback and student looks forward to a new year of football.

With the 2010 State Championship still in the back of Paly minds, Palo Alto High School students and the Palo Alto community are excited for another run at the State title. Last year’s team was dominant, clinching a championship that has never been won by Paly.

Led by veteran player and quarterback Christoph Bono (‘11), the Vikings were flawless, winning all 14 of their games on their way to a season that no one thought was possible. Bono talked with San Jose Mercury News shortly after the amazing victory.

“I’m not the biggest, I’m not the fast-

est, but I’m a winner,” Bono said.

Alas, the previous season is over and it is time to move onto a new season; full of new expectations, new coaches, and a new quarterback. Keller Chryst (‘14), a 6-foot-3, 215 pound quarterback towers over the competition. Ever since his first season of tackle football in fourth grade he has impressed coaches and players with his mental toughness and arm-strength.

“Keller has got some great natural abilities,” coach Earl Hansen said. “He just needs to work on relaxing and seeing the field...he doesn’t quite have that

37

down yet,” Coach Earl Hansen said.

Chryst’s father, the current 49ers’ quarterback coach, has largely influenced how Chryst plays the quarterback position. Geep Chryst has been around the sport of football since he was a young boy, just like his son. He played linebacker for Princeton University from 1981 to 1984. After college, he played pro football in the WFL (World Football League) for the Orlando Thunder.

After his playing career, Geep moved to coaching. He is coaching in his 19th season in the NFL and has

The Viking

Keller Chryst

“A quarterback is someone who knows every position on the field recently been given a job as a quarterback coach by Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers organization. For Chryst, having a dad who knows so much about how to be a good quarterback, both mentally and physically, gives him a serious leg-up on the competition.

When Geep got the job as the 49ers quarterback coach this year, the family was forced to make the move from Matthews, North Carolina to Palo Alto.

This is not an uncommon thing for the Chryst family, as they have moved six times in the past.

“Coaching is a very unpredictable job,” Chryst said. “It’s hard to move so much but you get used to it after awhile.”

Although Chryst is new to Palo Alto, he does have one friend who is in

a similar situation. Matt Tolbert (‘13), the strong safety for the Vikings this year, moved from Saline, Michigan this past summer to attend Paly. He to moved to Palo Alto because his dad got a strength and conditioning job on the 49ers’ coaching staff.

“Keller is funny and easy to be around,” Tolbert said. “I think we are good friends because we are both new so we are in the same situation at Paly, and our dads work together so we met there.”

Chryst maybe has an ally in Tolbert, but he still has to build relationships with the rest of the players on the team. As the quarterback, it is essential for Chryst to have the respect and confidence of his teammates. While he possesses all the physical attributes neces-

sary to be great, his leadership skills are still untested.

Gabriel Landa (‘12), a veteran captain who plays wide receiver and safety for Paly this year is content with Chryst’s performance so far.

“Keller is a new guy,” Landa said. “But he is learning the offense and the plays quickly and he knows what he needs to do and he is getting a lot better every day.”

Chryst is definitely enjoying the loose and open environment of the Paly football team. But, he does understand that people are expecting not only the team to win, but for Chryst to play well for the Vikings. In a recent loss to Archbishop Mitty (ending a 15 game win streak for the Vikings), Chryst’s resiliency and ability to lead was tested.

“We should have finished in the

Keller Chryst (‘14), throws a pass to a Paly wide receiver in a practice to prepare for the Archbishop Mitty game.

It turned out not to be enough, as Paly ended up losing 27-21 to the Monarchs on September 17th.

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and can lead a team to a victory despite the adversity,” Chryst said. end but we are just going to come back stronger and get better,” Chryst said.

“We are not going to lose again.”

Ron Jaworski, a former NFL quarterback once said, “The heartbeat of a football team is the quarterback position and I think everyone who has any intelligence about the game understands you must have consistency at that position to be a championship team.”

His teammates are confident in Chryst, but he is aware of the fact that he can always work to become a better leader like Bono was for the State Championship Vikings.

“A quarterback is someone who knows every position on the field and can lead a team to a victory despite the adversity that comes with being a quarterback,” Chryst said.

Chryst, along with many other people at Paly, thinks that he is a good leader and fit for the Vikings team.

Chryst admits that he can always work to become a better leader like Bono was for the state championship Vikings.

“I need to become a more vocal leader,” Chryst said.

Chryst has another thing in common with Bono: he wins. But, sometimes being a good leader isn’t defined by the wins and losses. Instead, it means you don’t worry about the future, and simply focus on each particular game every week. He is careful not to get too far ahead of himself with the pressure of winning another state title, as he understands there will be games when he wins and there will be games when he loses.

With the hype of a new quarterback and a new Paly football season, some people have forgotten about one Andre Guzman (‘13). Guzman was the quarterback for the junior varsity team at Paly for his freshmen and sophomore seasons. In those two years, he built strong relationships with players and coaches on the team. Guzman was gearing up for his chance to become the starting quarterback for the Vikings varsity squad this past summer.

Towards the end of the summer, Guzman was made aware of the fact that Chryst would be transferring to Paly. Guzman realized that Chryst was a very strong quarterback who was well liked by the coaching staff. Guzman made the difficult decision of transferring to cross-town rival Gunn where he would try to become the starting quarterback for the Titans.

Guzman, in just two months of working with the Titans team, has earned the starting job.

Looking back, Guzman doesn’t feel that he was given a fair chance to win the starting quarterback job at Paly.

“I am not angry that Keller got the job at Paly as the starting quarterback,” Guzman said. “I’m more disappointed

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with the way it was handled. If Keller had earned the starting job based on the fact that he was better than me then that’s one thing, but he basically got the job once he walked onto that field.”

Chryst on the other hand does believe Guzman got a very fair chance to beat him out for the job.

“He did get a fair chance,” Keller said.

“We split snaps from day one no matter how good or bad we were doing.”

Coach Hansen agrees with his starting quarterback.

“It was even all the way through the Stanford thing...at that point Keller was stepping up,” Hansen said.

Keller is very excited to get a chance to play Gunn, but not because of the fact that Guzman is Gunn’s quarterback. He is simply excited to get a chance to play in the cross-town rivalry against a good football team.

I’m very excited to get to play Gunn this week. It’s always fun to play rivalry games,” Chryst said.

Guzman is excited to play his old friends at Paly. Just like Chyrst, Guzman is excited to play in thecross-town rivalry against Paly, even if it will be playing for a different team.

“When we play Paly, it will not be for revenge,” Guzman said. “I’m happy because I’m getting a change to play a sport that I have a true passion for. Best of luck to Keller and the rest of the Paly football team.”

Chryst doesn’t want this season to be any bigger than any other season.

Whether it be the atmosphere of the Gunn game, or just another practice at Palo Alto High School, Chryst looks forward to getting better and becoming a better quarterback.

“We expect to stay focused and are determined to win the rest of the gam this season and have great practices everyday to prepare us for the games,” Chryst said. “I expect to get better as a practice player as in working better during practice so the games can come easy and to put our team in the best position to win the game.” <<<

The Viking

Married to the Game

MARRIED to the

GAME

A look into the lives of the wives of professional coaches and former athletes

by Emma Beckstrom and Michelle Friedlander While Steve Bono was playing in the National Football League (NFL), his wife Tina Bono was busy taking care of their two kids, setting up a lease on their house and the car, and finding a new gym to teach aerobics at.

“I would do the physical work,” Tina Bono said.

In the same year that Steve Bono was entering his second season of playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers (his fourth year in the NFL), Wendell Davis was being drafted onto the Chicago Bears for his first season in the NFL. During the time that he was playing and practicing, his wife Trish Davis worked in the city to help provide for her family of three.

Three years prior, Shelly Pederson was organizing her family’s move to Los Angeles. After living in over six different states and two countries, her husband Stu Pederson finally had his Major

League Baseball (MLB) debut with the LA Dodgers.

Over four million professional athletes reside in the United States alone.

But what does it mean to a be the wife of a professional athlete? Is it traveling across the country, or even the world, meeting and bonding with new people, getting clothing contracts, financial security, and free leases on cars for a season? Or does it mean something else?

“People think you have this really magnificent life and [those are] things that go along with being a professional athlete and it’s always nice,” Pederson said.

“But you have to really be able to handle the change and traveling.”

Living easy and magnificent lives may not always be the case. Four million spouses and families are constantly making sacrifices for their partner, moving around the world or coping with liv-

TINA AND STEVE BONO

Met: At UCLA outside her dorm

Tina and Steve Bono stand outside the Lambeau Arena in the team uniform.

window wearing a dorky outfit First date: Shrimp & Sausage Pizza at Mario’s Quarterback: Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers Children: Christoph (‘10),Sophia (‘13) Perks: Clothing contracts (Nike), car for the season, appearances, free dinners

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ing apart. These wives have a crucial decision to make: Do they pack up their lives and move from city to city with their busy husbands, or do they stay behind, completely readjusting the dynamics of their relationship?

Mutual trust and independence was a unanimously stressed aspect of marriage by the wives The Viking met with.

“As I told my son Joc, make sure you find someone that’s really comfortable with themselves and is okay with being independent,” Pederson said. “You have to have a lot of mutual trust because you are apart for so long.”

Many wives decide to move with their husbands because of the difficulty of maintaining long distance relationships.

“It kept us together if I moved with him and the kids,” Bono said.

Pederson dealt with a similar situation.

“To be any kind of professional wife you have to be there for your husband to support them, otherwise you are separated,” Pederson said.

“You’re away from each other, and long distance is very difficult.”

However, some wives were lucky enough that they didn’t have to move or make any huge sacrifices for their

MEG AND KEVIN TOLBERT

Met: In Philadelphia, PA First date: “Blind dinner date” Coach: Stanford Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers Children: Kim (‘07) Kate (‘09) Courtney (‘10) Matt (‘13) Perks: Meeting wonderful people, living in different parts of the country, excitement of games

husbands. Trish and Wendell Davis lived only in Chicago while he was playing for the Chicago Bears.

After he got injured, he tried to come back with the Indianapolis Colts, but I was pregnant at the time and I was working a lot so I decided to stay in Chicago,” Davis said.

Along with talking on the phone several times a day, Davis also drove to Indianapolis once or twice a month so they could see each other.

Wives of coaches, however, have a totally different life. Coaches move around just as much as players do, but they work more hours. Wendell Davis became a coach as the assistant wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2009. His wife quickly noticed the differences between being an athlete’s wife and a coach’s wife. “[Coaches] don’t get any time off. I would never see [Wendell]. He worked from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and he would sleep there once a week,” Davis said.

“Players are coddled. People do everything for them, but its not like that for the coaches.”

By the time Wendell got home from work, his wife and kids would already be in bed.

Another professional coach, Geep Chryst, the quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers, is rarely home and can’t always be there when his wife Shelley needs him to be.

“Some days are longer than others,” Chryst said. “He has a really unpredictable schedule.”

Chryst says one of the hardest things is having to make decisions without the luxury of picking up a phone and consulting her husband, since there’s almost no way to reach him during the day. She feels that she has to do a lot so her family can stay focused on what they need to do especially because Geep is not always there to help.

“I have to be on task all the time because there’s no other person to pick up the slack,” Chryst said.

These wives also lack the ability to consult their husbands about important decisions is if they live in different states. Meg Tolbert, wife of Stanford football’s strength and

THEIR STORIES

conditioning coach, Kevin Tolbert, lived in Michigan for two years with their three kids while her husband lived in Palo Alto for his job.

“Doing [everything] without Kevin around was very hard,” Tolbert said. “There was a lot going on with graduation, going to college, proms, etc. and my husband missed a lot of that.”

There is a general agreement, however, between these wives that in order to maintain a healthy marriage, it is important to make time for each other.

“Friday is our only night for [the LaVonna helped Edrick train for the family], the kids won’t see [their 1996 Olympics when she was pregnant with their child E.J. dad] the rest of the week,” Chryst said. “We have to make the best of LAVONNA AND EDRICK our time together, even if that means FLOREAL only family dinner once a week.”

Met: At the Olympic Village at the Bono agrees that it is important 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain to spend as much time with her hus- First date: Went to track together band as possible. to prepared to compete “Go with your husband,” Bono Team: ‘88 and ‘92 Olympic Teams said. “Set up your family, be the Children: EJ (‘13) Mimi (16‘) strong one because you’re going to Perks: Training together go though ups and downs with your Other: 1992 Olympic Silver Medalhusband. Go and support him; ev- ist for hurdles erything will work out.”

TRISH AND WENDELL DAVIS Bono is not alone; Lisa Kerr, wife Met: Chicago Bears’ team picnic of former Euroleague Basketball Wide Receiver: Chicago Bears, player Darren Kerr, also feels that Indianapolis Colts it is the wives’ job to be there for Children: Sydney (‘10), Malcolm her husband, no matter the circum(‘14) stances.

Perks: Financial security “Either he’s a hero or a zero, but Other: Born and raised a huge you have to be there for him at all Chicago Bears fan times, even if he’s a zero,” Lisa Kerr said.

SHELLY AND STU PEDERSON Although these wives sacrificed Met: Asked out by Stu in training their lifestyle for sports, moving room at Foothill College (she was around and dealing with constant a trainer) change, not one of them has regrets.

Career: Los Angeles Dodgers Whether it was the excitement, the Children: Champ (‘06), Tyger financial security, meeting new peo(‘08), Joc (‘10), Jaycee (‘16) ple or traveling, all of these wives Perks: Travel Hobbies: Playing tennis and bikhad positive experiences with their ing husbands’ careers. <<<

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The Viking

Dancing Into the Spotlight Photo by Paige Borsos

Dancing Into the Spotlight A glimpse into Palo Alto High School’s dance team

by Sammy Solomon and Annie Susco design by Sam Borsos

The Palo Alto High Schools girls’ dance team performes at halftime at the Vikings football game against Homestead.

It all started for Palo Alto High School dancer Isabel Obrien (‘12) at age four, when she first tied on her ballet shoes and slipped on her pink leotard and tights. She learned the basic techniques of dance, such as pointing her toes and straightening her legs, at a very early age. From the beginning of her dance career, she dreamed of performing in front of an audience of thousands.

Fast forward to Friday Dec. 17, 2010 when these dreams became a reality for her and the other four members of Paly’s dance team. During halftime of the California Division I football state championship game, the fluorescent lights illuminated the stadium in Carson, Calif. as the six girls stood ready on the 50 yard line. Amid the pouring rain, they twirled and kicked their legs to the beat of the Black Eyed Pea’s “The Time” setting the perfect stage for their first season as one of Paly’s newest varsity

sports.

“Dancing at state was awesome,” team member Obrien said. “It was under really treacherous conditions. We had two inches of water in the grass underneath us. Girls slipped and one fell but it was so much fun. We pulled it off and I think it went really well overall.”

Unlike mainstream sports at Paly, the dance team was founded last fall by aspiring Paly dancers who dance together at Dance Connection in Palo Alto. The current senior members were part of Paly’s dance club in the 2008-2009 school year, but they wanted to expand the club into a performing team. “[The current seniors] had been in the dance club and they wanted to have a more formal team where they could have auditions so that they could make the best team possible,” dancer Kate Apostolou (‘13) said.

Now in its second year, the dance

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team has expanded with the formation of a junior varsity team, the addition of a seventh member on the varsity squad and a new coach. Last year, the girls on varsity took over the reins by choreographing their own routines without a coach. Olivia Maggi (‘13) helped put together many of the routines.

“I help my team by creating the routines each week, and making up routines comes really easily to me,” Maggi said. “I ask my team for their input about song choices and then I listen to the song on repeat so that I can visualize a routine in my head.”

With the establishment of a junior varsity team, the addition of a coach was much needed. Mandy Bowen, recently moved to California, and volunteered to coach the girls in order to stay involved with dance.

“I help [the junior varsity team] with practice, choreography, music, and

.

Dance 7 members Jazz/lyrical Individual expression dances with band

Cheer Pom poms

(sometimes for dance)

Football game performances

Spirit

16 members Stunting/tumbling Team-oriented Yell cheers

What’s the difference between the dance team and the cheer squad? Here’s a venn diagram to help you spot what makes each unique and what they have in common. edge,” Apostolou said.

In order to succeed at dance competitions, dancers take many aspects into consideration.

“We are judged on technique, costuming, choreography, performance, expression and execution,” Obrien said.

It is the combination of all of these components that creates the ideal dance performance. The team will participate in their first competition of this year on Oct. 9. This competition involves a new style of dance called pom.

Pom is a jazz style of dance with pompoms.

“It’s been pretty stressful getting our routine together, because pom is a

new where what we are used to is more [flowing] and rhythmic,” Brock said.

When people watch the dance team perform at halftime, they often don’t realize the amount of time and effort that these girls put into the dance team. Despite all the hard work the athletes put in, they still look forward to performing in front of the crowd.

“Being up there and getting to perform and having the football lights on you is all worth it because you feel the crowd watching you and reacting to your energy and what you really want to portray through your dance,” Obrien said.

<<<

Photo by Sammy Solomon

making sure the girls are where they need to be,” Bowen said. “[The varsity girls] take care of everything themselves.”

The girls are self driven and set their own goals. This year, one of those goals is to perform against a wider range of competition.

“Because we have so many senior dancers this year, we really want to go to nationals,” dancer Natalie Brock (‘12) said.

The dance team will compete in a competition in Vallejo, Calif. in February in order to qualify for nationals.

In order to accomplish this goal, the dance team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. They also take technique classes outside of the dance team to maintain their skill level. These extra classes improve the girls’ form and technique, which allows them to perform high-level routines at home football and basketball games.

This year, the team will participate in more dance competitions outside of school. The girls hope to differentiate themselves from their competitors by displaying their own unique style of dance.

“We mostly do jazz with a hip-hop

The Paly girls’ dance team practices a routine to rehearse for the Gunn football game on Friday, Sept. 23. They hope to compete in Nationals.

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The Viking

Top Ten Pump Up Songs

The Viking’s

Top 10

by Sam and Paige Borsos

Let’s face it. Even athletes love to get their groove on. From the volleyball teams’ flash mob dance alongside “What Is Love” by Haddaway to last year’s football state champions making a music video to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”, Palo Alto High School athletes pump up their energy through music.

But maybe lately you’ve found that the songs on your iPod are sounding more like “Friday” by Rebecca Black than something that really gets you pumped. Whether you listen to music blasting over the loud speakers in the gym or play it on your iPod while you run, consider adding the top 10 songs The Viking picked to spice up your playlist.

1

‘Til I Collapse’ by Eminem

Eminem

Pretty much anything by Eminem could make it to the top of The Viking’s pump up play list, including “Not Afraid”, “Lose Yourself” or Bad Meets Evil’s “Life In the Fast Lane”. But this 2002 song is the classic Marshall Mathers we all know and love. It has everything a great warm-up jam should have: a good beat, sick lyrics, and some additional vocals from Nate Dogg. We love everything about this song, including the intense build up. If you want to hear 50 Cent and Tupac drop a verse in this song, check out the remix.

‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’ from Jock Jams

‘Riot Maker’ by Tech N9ne

4

3

If you don’t have any Tech N9ne on your iPod, you’re going to cause a riot. This sweet song is like a combination of rock and rap all mixed into one. It’s the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of music, and The Viking thinks you should take a bite.

‘In the End’ by Linkin Park

Next time you’re about to head to practice or go on a run, definitely put this song on play. It will get your blood pumping and make you perform the best you ever have. Ok, maybe not. But in the end, it won’t even matter because you’ll have a great song to listen to.

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Linkin Park

Attributions.

Two words: instant classic. This throwback warm-up song was on the original Jock Jams album in 1985, but that doesn’t make it any less catchy when you’re exercising to the beat. So grab your short shorts and your high socks. This song is still awesome.

“Linkin Park @ American Airlines” Center © 2011

2

“Eminem” © 2010 Courtney Bolton Creative Commons Generic Attributions.

PUMP UP Songs 5

‘Moves Like Jagger’ by Maroon 5 Maroon 5

Sure, Maroon 5 has come up with some slow, laid-back tunes in the past like “She Will Be Loved” and “Sunday Morning.” But this single featuring Christina Agueilera is fast-paced and will be sure to get you moving like… well… you know.

‘Headstrong’ by Trapt

6

“Maroon 5 On Soundcheck” © 2010 Lunchbox LP Creative Commons Generic Attributions.

If you find that most of your pump up songs are rap or pop, try dipping a toe into the river of rock songs out there. This 2002 single is a head-banger that will surely mess up your hair before any upcoming sporting events you have.

7

8

Fort Minor

‘Remember the Name’ by Fort Minor

“Artist: Fort Minor” © 2005 united_kingdom_2610 Creative Commons Generic Attributions.

The lyrics of this 2005 hit being with “You ready? Let’s go!”

Everything in this song will get you pumped from the beat, to the rapping, to those fun percentages. Fort Minor will give you 100% reason to remember this song.

‘300 Violin Orchestra’ by Jorge Quintero There’s no law that says that pump up songs have to have sick lyrics. This absolutely epic beat will not only get your blood boiling, but probably cause you to want to go out and buy yourself a nice violin as well.

‘All I Do Is Win’ by DJ Khaled

10

Who likes to sing about losing? Not us! Put your hands up because this song will put you in a “refuse to lose” mentality before any game.

9

‘I’ll Make A Man Out of You’ from Mulan If Mulan doesn’t get you pumped, who will? This epic song from the 1998 movie is a crowd pleaser and an easy sing-along tune that will get you in the mindset to defeat any opponent, including the Huns.

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The Viking

ZOOM Setter Kimmy Whitson (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;12) cheers with her teammates after a scored point against St. Francis on September 26, 2011. The Lady Vikes (3-0, 16-3) lost to St. Francis 15-8 in the fifth set of the match.

Both Paly and St. Francis won the CIF State Championships for Division I and Division II, respectively.

Photo by Paige Borsos

My First Last Word I’ve had 49ers sea-

son tickets my entire life. From the age of five onwards, I have spent countless fall Sunday afternoons sitting on a hard orange seat behind Big Mike.

Big Mike and his son are at evby Brennan Miller ery game. Always. photography by Paige Borsos Rain or shine, they show up at Candlestick Park—woops, Monster Park— and turn into stereotypical football fans. Angry, drunk, shirtless. The real face of American sports spectation.

For those of you who have never been to a live profes-

But Sunday is my day to relax and just take it in. To watch the pure perfection, or imperfection as the 49ers teams of late have had, from the outside in reminds why I play the game. It’s like Martin Scorsese watching a movie or Yo Yo Ma listening to music. I feel reinvigorated to play my game every time I watch theirs.

Football is an art and an expression of what makes America great. We are the fans. For six months, which always go so quickly, we live and breathe America’s Game. We live and die with our teams. We spend hours watching documentaries about Lombardi Trophies now weighted down with dust, and seasons covered over by new players and more recent games. The perseverance and dedication that we give to our teams are emblematic of the American spirit. Is Tom Brady George Washington? Maybe not, but they’re both Patriots.

The community of Niners Faithful that sits in section 52, rows six, seven and eight is bonded by years of celebration followed

There’s something different about being there, feeling the beer spilled down your back by the guy above you, hearing the peanut shells crunch under your feet. sional football game, let me tell you, you are missing out.

I relish these Sunday sports spectaculars. There’s something different about being there, feeling the beer spilled down your back by the guy above you, hearing the peanut shells crunch under your feet. Seeing the game in person is so much different from watching it on TV. The cameras only follow the ball; they only capture about a third of the action.

Seeing the whole field, the whole game: that’s where it’s at.

Watching the game as a fan is much different than playing it. Monday through Thursday, I’m at practice. Friday is gameday.

by years of sadness. We have been sitting with this crazy crowd since 1985, the first year my Dad got the tickets. I wasn’t even born yet, and neither were my brother and sister, for that matter.

But I know Mary Ann and her husband, who sit in row 8, brought the chocolate chip cookies to the games because they still do. Mike is always there with his son. But I have no idea what they do on the other six days of the week. Monday through Saturday they are strangers. But for eight Sundays a year, we’re family. <<<

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The Viking

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