Sports1209.12.2008 TROJAN TRIBUNE

CalendarTonight:• Varsity football vs. Cathedral @ Broad Ripple-7:00p.m.- Varsity Volleyball Crossroads Classic tournament in Illinois.

Tomorrow:• Girls and Boys Cross Country @

Accomplishments• This summer, senior football player Zack Martin, committed to play football at the University of Notre Dame next year.

-Senior Sabbath McKiernan-Allen committed to play soccer at Samford University.

• Senior Cross Country runner Carly Sobolewski earned first place in the first two Cross Country meets. She broke her personal record in both of the races.

• Girls cross country placed first in their first meet at Brebeuf. They are currently ranked ninth in the state.

• The Varsity volleyball team went 3-1 at the prestigious Yorktown Invitational. They are currently ranked number three in 3A.

•The Varsity soccer team earned second place in the highly c o m p e t i t i v e Hoosier cup.

• F r e s h m a n f o o t b a l l d e f e a t e d Carmel 15-7 in a rain-delayed and rain-soaked victory on the G r e y h o u n d ’ s

Sports Desk

StatiStiCS•For the first time in four years, the varsity volleyball team defeated Lawrence North in the first match of the year.

•Carly Sobolewski broke her own school record by running a time of 18:35 in the 5K race at the Brebeuf invite.

Ben Davis- 9:00 a.m.• Varsity Boys Tennis @ Terre Haute North invite- 9:00a.m.• Freshmen football vs. Cathedral @home-10:00a.m.Monday:• Girls Volleyball triple-header @ Roncalli-4:30p.m.• Freshmen (at home) and JV (away) football vs. Brebeuf at 5:00 and 5:30p.m. respectively.•Varsity Girls soccer vs. Park Tudor at Lawrence Park- 6:15.•Varsity Girls golf vs. Cathedral-3:45. (Location is TBD)•Varsity Boys soccer plays @ Heritage Christian- 6:30 p.m. JV plays @ Lawrence Park- 5:00 p.m.

home turf.

• The JV boys soccer team defeated Guerin Catholic on August 28. The score was 1-0.

Freshmen football players prepare to kick off against Carmel.

Mental toughness adds extra element to successAn athlete maintains focus as the crowd around screams

and yells. She fights through the pain and uses her mental stability to push her muscles to the limit, and it all pays off when she finishes the state meet in first place. How do athletes control their mental state? Why does one athlete crack under pressure and another excel?

“Mental toughness is having confidence in yourself to be able to think positively when things are tough,” said Carly Sobolewski, senior cross country runner.

Athletics have proven to be extremely challenging, not only physically, but also mentally. In an effort to increase mental toughness in athletes, coaches have different methods of coaching to enhance mental toughness. Ms. Stephanie Theis, cross country coach, pushes the athletes in practice to become stronger mentally. “I emphasize the teamwork aspect. I remind them to do it for the team, but also to fight through for themselves,” said Ms.. Theis.

Mr. Mike Harmon, baseball coach, has similar techniques. Coach Harmon also likes to use practice to enhance mental toughness in his athletes. “I put them

in [tough] situations in practice so that when it happens in a game,

they can relax. They have practiced it enough

and they have done it before, so they can do it again,”

s a i d C o a c h Harmon.

W h i l e there are ways

t o b e c o m e m e n t a l l y tough, it is easier said than done.

S o m e

athletes simply have what it takes to be mentally tough, while others may need to work harder at it. For some, it is just having the confidence to perform in difficult situations. “I’m not going to lie. I come through in the clutch,” said Bobby Akin, senior football and baseball player.

Coach Harmon believes Akin to be a mentally strong athlete. “Bobby Akin is a multi-sport athlete so he has been in other situations. He has been on Varsity since half way through his freshman year. He has the experience and has been in some big games,” said Coach Harmon.

Other athletes work on staying focused. “I don’t say a lot before competitions. I prepare myself to try to be as positive as I can for people around me,” said Sobolewski. She also refuses to be intimidated before or during races. “I don’t let the competition scare me.”

Even the most focused athletes struggle occasionally to stay strong in particularly difficult mental challenges. Athletes can relate to this strategy of managing nerves. “I remind myself of all of the hard work I have put in and I know it will pay off; I tell myself to stay strong no matter what,” said Sobolewski.

Others use their practice and experience to get them through the most challenging sports moments. “I push myself physically, so I learn to push myself mentally, too,” said Akin. “I always try to stay positive, especially when I make a mistake.”

According to sportspsychologist.com, there are specific steps that can be taken to increase confidence in athletes. Start by asking yourself if your thoughts are positive or negative. If they are negative, ask, “Is this thought helping me?” “What would a more helpful thought be?” Try to express your thoughts in positive ways rather than negative ways. For instance, “What do I want?” Not “What do I not want?” These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to stay on track with positive thinking. These steps could help increase your confidence once you begin to think and act in

a more positive way.While it is so important to be mentally tough in

athletics, there is also such a thing as being “too mentally tough.” According to sportspsychologist.com, it is a good thing for an athlete to be determined and to work hard toward their goals. It is not a good thing when a runner,

for example, runs twice a day, and even occasionally finds themselves waking up in the middle of the night to get an extra one-hour run in. On days when athletes are sick, they may do the same work out or an even harder one in fear that they may lose their fitness. The result of actions like these will not be a stronger, faster, better ath lete . Instead, this behavior will cause overtraining, physical aches and pains,

a weakening of the body’s defense system and a decrease in performance.

With the help of psychological techniques, athletes can find the confidence within themselves to be able to think positively when things are tough.

Carly Sobolewski, senior cross country runner, finishes first in the Brebeuf meet. photo by Paige Snyder.

Varsity baseball c o a c h M i k e Harmon, believes B o b b y A k i n , shortstop, to be a mentally tough athlete. Citadel Photo 2007-2008 yearbook.

Katie McCalleysports editor

How to manageyo

ur

1. Take a series of short inhalations, about one per second, until your chest is filled.2. Hold for five seconds.3. Exhale slowly for 10 seconds while thinking to yourself the word “relax.”4. Notice your body becoming more and more relaxed, as all the tension leaves your body.5. Repeat this process at least five times, each time striving to deepen the state of relaxation you are experiencing.

Information gathered from sportspsychologist.com

nerves

Diving for the

save

The 2008 ISTEP scores arrived, and the results are less than desired.

GHS scores have dropped since the 2007-2008 school year in both English and math-ematics. English has decreased from 75 percent to a 62 percent passing rate, while math has de-creased from 78 percent to a 70 percent passing rate. This year, however, a teacher was potentially responsible for a room full of students not passing the English portion of the test.

“One test administrator left out a por-tion of the English exam,” Ms. Susan Ed-wards, department chair, said. “It cancelled the score, and it comes back as a ‘did not pass.” Students were upset that they failed the test due to circumstances beyond their control.

“It’s ridiculous that a teacher can’t read a manual that tells him exactly what to do,” sopho-more Jacob Barker said.

The school is trying to help the students who were affected by the situation.

“Right now, we’re working with the Depart-ment of Education to assist those students,” Mr.

Bill Ronk, guidance director, said. “We want to try and offer another opportunity in the Spring, but it’s up to the Department of Education.”

Students who tested in that particular room are less than enthusiastic about retaking the en-tire test.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to retake the test. It’s silly that we failed because of a teacher’s mistake,” sophomore, Matt Beaman said.

Administrators have not pinpointed a spe-

TimberlinesIssue 7 Volume 56 January 23, 2009 615 W. Smith Valley Rd. 889-4000 ext 442

By Samantha AshworthIn-Depth Editor

Nothing NETS

What drink quenches your workout thirst? Page 5

Obamainauguration

Page 4

cific reason for falling scores.“There are many factors that can contribute

to the decline in the overall scores,” the guidance director said. “These include instructional meth-ods, students demographics and statistical varia-tions.”

The Math and English departments are spe-cifically reviewing teaching methods and the cur-riculum.

“The students who need help have been spe-cifically identified,” Ms. Edwards said. “Mrs. Bon-ham and I are putting a program together to meet

with freshman and sophomore teachers to get in-put on what they think will help the students.”

English tests will be changed slightly in or-der to help students be more prepared for the ISTEP.

“We are going to rewrite English tests so they will be in the same format as the End of Course exams, which used to be the ISTEP,” Ms. Ed-wards said.

Beginning this Spring, new testing measures will begin.

“Graduation exams are no longer going to be in the ISTEP, but they will be in End of Course Assessments (ECA’s) in Algebra 1 and English 10,” Mr. Ronk said.

The state sets a minimum level of improve-ments schools must reach each year in order to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is a reflection on how the school is performing. ISTEP scores are considered when determining schools’ AYPs.

“The goal is always improving,” Mr. Ronk said. “Traditionally, we’ve made AYP until last year, which we missed because of graduation rates, which we have improved. Decline in test scores could have a negative result in the score.”

Last Wednesday, a swim coach’s challenge went too far: Coach Chas Grimm challenged everyone on the swim team to get out of practice early by beating him in an underwater dis-

tance race.Coach Grimm was in the process of dominating his swimmers when

the unthinkable happened. He experienced a seizure while underwater. Fresh-man Hannah Fuller was the first person to respond.

“Coach told us that we could get out of practice early if we could beat him swimming underwater holding our breath,” Fuller said. “He just held his breath too long, passed out and had a seizure. I was just the first one to get

there.” Coach Grimm experienced the phenomenon known as ‘shallow water black-

out’, which is caused by cerebral hypoxia, a lack of oxygen for brain tissue. His being an experienced swimmer had virtually nothing to do with this condition, as this usu-ally happens to fit, established swimmers. Coach Grimm was not an exception.

The reaction from Fuller was not exactly a surprise to others on the team. She has often been called ‘Miss Gullible.’

He started bobbing up and down, and we all thought he was joking; Wes (Shea) and I said it was impressive,” junior Josh Syberg said. “Hannah was the first to respond; everyone calls her ‘Miss Gullible,’ because, well, she’s really gullible. There were six certified lifeguards on the scene, and we went right into lifeguard mode. He did his flip-turn on the wall and came up to the top, but his head never came out.”

Fuller was modest when asked about the situation; she made it clear she was not alone in the effort to save Coach Grimm.

“One thing I want to emphasize is that I was not the only one who was trying to help; I was just the first one who got there,” Fuller said. “There was another guy who helped me pull him out, and it was the lifeguard who revived him.”

Syberg was one who helped get his coach out of the water.“Coach Grimm is a big guy. I ran across the pool, jumped in and swam him to the bulkhead. I

threw him on it, and Chris (Ellsworth), the lifeguard, jumped down and helped me,” Syberg said. “I was holding his head as Grimm’s mouth was foaming and bloody, and Chris went straight into chest compressions. I tilted his head to get the stuff out of his mouth.”

Others also played key roles, such as Ellsworth and senior Scotty FoxSyberg said. “Scotty Fox was keeping middle schoolers back from him as Kelly, the middle

school coach, was calling 911.”In the end, though, it was Fuller who stepped up to the plate and did what was necessary to

start the rescue. “All of us were proud of her,” Syberg said. “The guys got back to the locker room, and we all

started arguing about it. We really all thought he was joking. Everyone did what they should have, but Hannah went above and beyond; all the lifeguards were proud.”

Syberg said everyone’s hesitation, excluding Fuller’s, was caused by personal involvement.“I talked to my old lifeguard instructor, and he said we reacted slowly because we knew Coach.

We knew how he acted; that’s what caused our hesitation,” Syberg said. “If Hannah wasn’t the first one to respond, who knows how long it would have been until someone did?”

ISTEP test results fail to bring success

By David RogersSports Editor

By Taylor EckertHealth & Fitness Editor

“It’s ridiculous that a teacher can’t read a manual that tells him exactly what to do.”

sophomore Jacob Barker

“It’s unfortunate that we have to retake

the test. It’s silly that we failed because of a teacher’s mistake.”

sophomore Matt Beaman

In Africa, a child dies of malaria every 30 sec-onds. But, students can help Interact Club fund a campaign called Nothing but Nets to

save some of these children.“Nothing But Nets is a campaign donating

money to people in Africa. We will incorporate it into our boys basketball games,” Mrs. Kim Bruns, Interact Club sponsor, said. “The profit will be used to purchase mos-quito nets for people in Africa.”

The club knew they wanted to help better the world, and Nothing But Nets just seemed right.

“We were look-ing for an international foundation to raise money for,” junior Shane White, Interact Club president, said. “There were a couple of ideas but Nothing But Nets was the best one because of everything going on in Africa with all the malaria.”

Sometimes, the best foundations are found where they are least expected.

“I actually came across this in a magazine,” Mrs. Bruns said. “I presented it to my group. They were interested in doing something to prevent malaria.”

Senior Sam Richardson traveled to Africa last summer for a mission trip; he experienced the poverty first-hand.

“I think it is great to support organizations

because it really does go to the people; even one net can help,” Richardson said. “The average an-nual income is only $100 American dollars per person. People are living in the mud all over the place.”

Interact Club sold 50/50 raffle tickets dur-ing the last half of the junior varsity game and the first half of the varsity boys basketball game on Jan. 10 against Whiteland.

“We really did not set a goal; we just need to really work hard and sell tickets,” Mrs. Bruns said. “We will probably have to do more than one game or other activities to raise enough money to make a difference.”

Every dollar counts, and donations are always needed.

“Since it is a 50/50, if we raise $200, we will only have raised $100 which will only buy 10 nets,” Mrs. Bruns said. “I imagine it will be a net to go over a bed to keep the mos-

quitoes out.”GHS did its part to impact African families.“From the 50/50 raffle, $110 was raised,”

Mrs. Bruns said. “This will buy 11 families nets.”A Nothing But Nets fundraiser could be

done again; it is all up to the students involved with the Interact Club.

“We are done for the year unless they come up with another idea to raise money,” Mrs. Bruns said.

Freshman Mallory Ward sells tickets for the Nothing but Nets fundraiser organized by Interact Club. The winner of the raffle got to keep half of the profit while the other half went towards mosquito nets. Eric Newton photo

People die from diseases car-ried by insects, especially Malaria, every day. The nets purchased by the Interact Club will help protect people from the bugs.

but

SPORTSFEATURE12 NOVEMBER.21.2008

MIC athletics prove competitive for teams

Best of the MIC from 1996 to 2008

MIC1996

METRO

POLI

TAN IN

TERSCHOLASTIC CON

FERENCEFOUNDED

EXC

ELLE

NCEOPPORTU

NIT

Y

Schools’ conference championships are highlighted by years won

Boys Soccer- 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Boys’ Cross Country- 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007Volleyball- 1996, 2003, 2004Boys’ Tennis- 2003, 2004, 2008Football- 2000, 2008 Girls’ Cross Country- 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 Girls’ Soccer- 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Girls’ Golf- 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007Boys Swimming and Diving- 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Girls’ Basketball- 2005, 2006, 2007 Girls’ Swimming and Diving- 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007Wrestling- 1997, 1998, 2007 Baseball- 1998, 2000, 2006, Boys Golf- 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 Boys’ Track and Field- 1997, 1999, 2000 Girls’ Tennis- 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007Girls’ Track and Field- 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Softball- 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002

OVERALL WINNER:Spring Sports

OVERALL WINNER:Fall Sports

CARMELFootball- 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003Boys’ Cross Country- 1996Boys’ Basketball- 1998, 1998, 2001, 2002Girls’ Basketball- 2003, 2004, 2005Baseball- 2003

North Central Athletic Director Chuck Jones describes competing in the Metro-politan Interscholastic Conference as very rough.

“Every week is like playing for the State Championship. It’s a rugged, rugged, brutal competition. I don’t know if that’s a down-side, it’s just rugged,” Jones said.

The MIC is an athletic conference con-sisting of eight high schools around central Indiana. It started in 1996 because North Central, Ben Davis, Warren Central and Lawrence North were not a part of a confer-ence.

“It just made sense to join forces,” said Jones. “We had that core group and we put out to any other schools kind of like an invi-tation to maybe 16 other schools. And from that came Carmel, Center Grove and the Terre Hautes.”

The MIC is the second-toughest football conference in the country, according to USA Today.

“I think it’s awesome. I love it. It’s a huge sense of pride because we are great. To heck with them, we’re the most powerful,” said Jones.

JV volleyball defensive specialist sopho-more Abby Bullerdick thinks that the rank-ing is very deserving.

“It’s one of the toughest conferences in Indiana. It’s definitely not handed to you, it’s something you have to work for,” said Bullerdick.

Freshman and varsity forward in soccer Collin Crane agrees about the toughness of the competition.

“It’s pretty intense. Competing in the MIC is like being a lion in a pen of sheep. You just have to pick the best one to eat,” said Crane.

Because the MIC is so competitive, it forces the athletes to keep im-proving.

“We see a lot more kids going out on the next level because of the competition. [USA Today ranking the conference #2 in the country is] surely the result of increased competition. It makes the kids better,” Athletic Director Grant Nesbit said.

Sophomore and JV cornerback for football Zach Mahone agrees that the tough competition makes the athletes try harder to win.

“It’s really tough because the coaches push them [the athletes] a lot but we’re being pushed the same amount as everyone else so someone’s got to come out on top. The coaches are the best in the league,” said Mahone.

Bullerdick thinks that keeping a winning streak is the most difficult aspect of the MIC.

“Being able to stay consistant is probably the toughest part. You can’t afford to lose any of the MIC games,” she said.

Nesbit thinks that the MIC is a very positive experience for the ath-letes at LN to have.

“It’s a great competition, which competition makes you better,” said Nesbit. “It’s the best and we want the best for our kids.”

Terre Haute South Athletic Director Tony Brewer agrees with Nesbit that competing in the MIC is good for the athletes.

“It affects them positively with the competition being on such a high level. It gives them an early indication if it’s something they really want to do,” said Brewer.

While Brewer thinks that the MIC is generally a positive competition, he does see some disadvantages, specifically for Terre Haute South.

“We have a long way to travel, and we’re short on numbers. We have less than 1,900, and we’re competing against schools with double that,” said Brewer.

The MIC is not just helpful for the athletes, but also for the adminis-trators, according to Ben Davis Athletic Director Kevin Britt.

“It helps us be better athletes as well as everything else. The depart-ment chairs get together and share ideas. It makes us and everyone else better,” said Britt.

Carmel Athletic Director Jim Inskeep also thinks that the adminis-tration benefits from the MIC.

“It’s a pleasure working with the administration from the other schools because of what they bring to the table. They’re very experi-enced,” said Inskeep. “We know that when we send our athletes to their school that they will be treated well, and that they will have a first-class competition. We have no worries when we send them to the other schools.”

Britt agrees that all of the schools look for the same fundamental values in their athletes.

“We’re all quality schools that believe in quality athletes and quality academics. We all work well together to share ideas. We have various competitions that aren’t athletics-related that benefit the schools,” said Britt.

Britt thinks that while the MIC helps the athletes im-prove, it also builds up their self-assurance.

“In the end, it develops confidence. Playing against some of the best competition in the state makes them bet-ter physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Britt. “It’s physically and emotionally difficult. So it can be tiring, but it makes everyone better.”

Crane knows from experience that the MIC can teach athletes a lot about sports.

“It’s given me an idea of high school competition and I’ve gotten a lot better at soccer because of it,” he said.

While the rest of the athletic directors think that the competition is rough on the athletes, Center Grove ath-letic director Jon Zwitt thinks that it is easier.

“It’s difficult to get ready to be fired up to play against a lesser team, but if you’re playing against the best, then it’s easier to get pumped up in practice and in preparation,” said Zwitt. “You have to have your ‘A’ game every game you compete and that, in the long run, makes you a better team.”

Sophomore and varsity outside hitter for volleyball Jenny Merritt agrees that playing their best every game is difficult.

“You get an adrenaline rush from it. You have to work for it but it’s fun. It’s worth it,” she said.

Sophomore varsity wrestler Jordan Johnson knows that the challenging competition can be physically demand-ing.

“You go in knowing that you’re going to be wrestling some of the best kids in the state, so you have to train twice as hard because you know that they’re going to be training just as hard,” said Johnson. “It’s instilled hard work in me becasue I know to beat the other teams, I have to work hard.”

Jones thinks that the MIC helps athletes not just on the playing field, but for their future.

“It comes back to how tough the competition is. If kids succeed in sports, it makes them recruitable for scholarships and colleges,” said Jones. “If they can compete on a high school level and are successful, then they should be able to compete at a collegiate level, too. It really opens a lot of doors for colleges.”

Jones also thinks that the MIC makes scheduling a lot easier.“For the season, you have eight immediate games so you don’t have to

search for other teams to play. Like in football, there’s nine games total, and only two are not in the MIC. It just makes scheduling a whole lot easier,” said Jones.

While the MIC focuses on athletics being more important for the school’s reputation, Jones thinks that academics are equally important.

“Schools want to base reputations on academics but the general pub-lic wants to base it on athletics. So it’s a big deal. It’s important for ath-letics, important for the school to be in a great conference,” said Jones.

Because the MIC focuses on athletics so much and is such a competi-tive group, some worry that it has become a “power conference.”

“I’m not worried about it. Our academics are strong. I think we’ve got things in perspective, so I’m not worried about it,” said Jones.

RACHEL STENGERREPORTER

CARMEL

BENDAVISLAWRENCE

NORTH

TERRE HAUTENORTH

CENTERGROVE

NORTHCENTRAL

Boys’ Soccer- 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002Boys’ Tennis- 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006Girls’ Soccer- 2000Boys’ Basketball- 1997Boys’ Swimming and Diving- 2005, 2006, 2007Boys’ Track and Field- 1998, 2004Girls’ Track and Field- 2005Girls’ Tennis- 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005

Baseball- 2004Boys’ Golf- 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001

WARRENCENTRAL

Football- 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006Boys’ Cross Country- 2005, 2006Volleyball- 2002 Wrestling- 1999, 2000Boys’ Track and Field- 2005, 2006, 2007Girls’ Track and Field- 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007

TERRE HAUTESOUTH

Volleyball-2003Girls’ Tennis-2000Baseball-2001, 2002Boys’ Golf-2003, 2006

Winter SportsOVERALL WINNER:

CARMEL

SAM DICKEN/ILLUSTRATION

SAM DICKEN/ILLUSTRATIONSEMMA SHIELDS AND OWEN NEELEY/INFORMATION

CENTER GROVE

Volleyball- 2007, 2008Boys Cross Country- 2000, 2004Girls Cross Country- 1999, 2002, 2003Boys’ Basketball- 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006Wrestling- 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005Boys’ Track and Field- 2001, 2003, 2003Baseball- 1999

Football- 2000Boys’ Tennis- 1999, 2001, 2002Volleyball- 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008Girls’ Soccer- 2000Gymnastics- 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006Girls’ Cross Country- 2006Boys’ Basketball- 2007Girls’ Basketball- 1997Baseball- 1997, 2007Softball- 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007