5
Sports
Volume 111, Issue 5
February 20, 2015
Tragedies highlight vital need for winter safety Perzentka believes there is an effective way to avoid very serious problems. “People need to use common sense,” he said. “If the ice looks bad, don’t test it. It’s not worth taking the chance because if it goes bad, it goes really bad really fast. So people need to keep up on ice conditions, play it safe.” Before even approaching the ice, people can determine if it is a good day for winter activities. “I spend a lot of time in advance talking to local fishing clubs and doing some actual f ield research by drilling some holes in the ice,” auto teacher Ma rk Boushele said. “It’s a lot of conser vation and homework in advance, but it’s required.” Determining the thickness of the ice is only half the bat tle. Senior J a k e Yo d e r understands the www.montanaoutdoor.com
On January 25, a truck, carrying a 40year-old father and his eight-year-old son, fell through the ice on Lake Winnebago. Even though both were pulled from the water, they tragically died from the injuries that they had received. This type of accident is sadly common in the winter months, and it is vital for those who participate in ice fishing, and numerous other sports, to know how to stay safe while still enjoying the arctic outdoors. Science teacher Brian
importance of safety gear. “You need to have Department of Transportation approved helmets so that if you fall off your snowmobile at 100 mph you’re still alive,” he said. “Some snowmobiles have rip cords so if you do fall off, the snowmobile will shut down so it doesn’t run you over.” Even though the ice may offer a more thrilling experience for snowmobiling, senior Cody Hinn grasps that it can turn deadly. “It can be dangerous riding snowmobiles on the river because the river is never 100% safe,” he said. “Also, people need to follow the speed limit at night, which is 55 mph on snowmobiles, because you never know what is in front of you.” Snowmobile trails are there for the safety of the riders, but when operators take more dangerous routes, they put their lives at risk. People don’t always realize that they are not invincible. “I wish people wouldn’t take for granted all the advice of the experts,” senior Sean Jirschele said. “People think they’re not going to be that person who falls through the ice today, or accidentally shoot their best friend while hunting, or I’m not going to be that person who gets in a crash when snowmobiling.” Before even getting outdoors, Boushele realizes that the weather truly determines if it is safe to travel. “In inclement weather, stay home,” he
said. “When the weather is bad, it’s better to have something to go wrong when you’re at home than out in the storm in a car.” Those who are not directly involved with the action on the ice still have great concern for those who are potentially putting their lives at risk. “My parents always worry, my mother more than anything,” Jirschele said. “I think it’s because she doesn’t hear all the successful ice fishing stories and hunting stories; she only hears about all the people who had an accident. But when I see her worry, I’ll go do more research about what I’m doing and what I need to do to stay safe if something does happen.” Science teacher John Mueller enjoys the great outdoors that Wisconsin has to offer. “I’m a Wisconsin purebred and I believe if you can get out in all four seasons, you should,” he said. “I learned everything cold weather safety related from my dad, and he was a Wisconsin farm boy, so I know what to do in a dangerous situation.” Although he hopes such dangerous situations never arise, Perzentka explains what one must do in order to lift their chances of survival. “People need to remember to keep your head about you and to not panic, because as soon as you panic, you lose common sense,” he said.
by Taylor Ferrere
Force proves strong with Ryf in Cali marathon Every mile is magic: a phrase only applicable for a Disney Marathon. Every winter, Disney hosts a series of races at the Disney Parks, accompanied with special themes for each year. Running through the park and meeting all the characters is just one of the benefits from all the training and hard work that goes into preparing for any distance competition. On January 18, cross country coach and art teacher Jason Ryf checked the Disney Half Marathon off his list. “I have done marathons in Chicago, the Twin Cities Marathon, the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, the Boston Marathon, and the Olympic Trials in New York and Birmingham, and in Alabama,” he said, “but this was my first marathon in Disney.” Traveling all over the United States for his races, Ryf enjoys a change in scenery and temperature. “The race was in Disneyland, which is in Anaheim, California,” Ryf said. “The weather was great; during the day it was in the 70’s and would cool down to the 50’s at night, much better than January in Wisconsin.” Ryf was not the only Wisconsin native seeking to escape the frost. “It was fun seeing and meeting people from all over, but I also met some volun-
teers from here in Wisconsin,” he said. This marathon attracted runners from all over the world, from Olympic athletes to those just participating for the experience of running through one of the most magical places on earth. “There was a different type of crowd for this race,” Ryf said. “Most of the races I do are fairly competitive and people are really looking to run a good race. This race had some people like that, but most people were there to celebrate Disney or Star Wars.” The theme for this year’s half marathon was Star Wars, which many of the runners fully embraced even if it inhibited their running ability. “There were a lot of people dressed up in costumes, either Disney or Star Wars characters. Some of these costumes were not conducive to running, but they looked cool,” Ryf said. The other assortment of runners were the ones taking on the distance and putting their training to the test. “The toughest competition was the Force coming from Darth Vader and the Dark Side,” Ryf joked. “Nicholas Arciniaga, a pro-runner who lives and trains in Flagstaff, Arizona, was the winner, so he was the biggest competition. He was a bit ahead of me and I was ahead of third place,
so we all pretty much ran alone.” runner and a person. With the help of Yoda and R2-D2 to “He always wants to make you betward off the Dark Side, Ryf was able to ter. When I was a sophomore my mental finish the race in good standings. attitude was horrible,” he said. “I always “The race started at 5:30 in the morning complained about doing hard workouts and so it was really dark- the sun was just com- he straight up told me to quit whining. If I ing up when I finished,” said Ryf. “Some of wanted to get better, I needed to work for it. the rides were lit up for us and there were I will never forget that moment.” a lot of Star Defining moWars characments and quotes ters cheering that stick with his us on. I ran runners forever is 1:10.56, not just what Ryf supmy best time plies in the coachbut I was ing position. Ryf happy w it h proved to Rost it since I am that “superheroes getting older are real” and that and slower. I no obstacle is too was second large. overall a nd “Coach Ryf first Masters h a s t a u g ht m e [40 and over] how anything can photo courtesy of Jason Ryf runner.” be done with a The sup- Jason Ryf (right) and his girlfriend Charity enjoy fooling strong work ethic por t of t he around in Disney after the Star Wars themed marathon. a nd a p o sit ive characters mental attitude,” and the heroes of the galaxy boosted the he said. “I want to continue running after runners’ confidence just as Ryf models college and maybe make the Olympics, and competitive running to the cross country he has showed me that it’s possible.” team. Senior runner Jake Rost feels Ryf’s by Kaitlyn Landolt running and life lessons impact him as a