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Tyler Graff of Loveland, top, wrestles Tino Laureles of Rocky Mountain during their 130-pound Class 5A state championship match at the Pepsi Center on Feb. 23. Graff won his fourth consecutive state title, while Ponderosa took home the Class 5A team title. The Alumni/Jessica Vidal
Wrestling for mat gloryIn this issue ...
Teacher of the Month
Silver Creek High Schoolscience teacher andboys basketball coachBob Banning
Page 8
The AlumniColorado’s Authority for High School Academics, Activities and Athletics News Volume I Edition V Established 2006
Athlete of the Month
Longmont High Schoolsenior Elizabeth Stover
Page 11
Then and NowWayne Manzanares
Page 9
In a career that spans four decades, Wayne Manzanares has seen it all. The former band teacher is now president of the Colorado Bandmasters Association and continues to pave the path for Colorado high school band participants. Read his story inside.
Rebels are diamond ready Page 12
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From the Publisher Dear readers,
Staff members at The Alumni have attended many of this year’s tournaments and state championships and applaud all of the people involved for their great sportsmanship throughout these activities. Competition evokes many emotions, and we would like to give thanks to school administrators, athletic directors, coaches and teachers who have helped foster the practice of sportsmanship. Above all, we want to thank the student-athlete and student-activity participant, because only you can exhibit sportsmanship and other practices to better yourself not only as a participant but also as an individual. The staff at The Alumni wants to foster sportsmanship, and starting in May, The Alumniwill publish tidbits of good sportsmanship practice. Let us know your ideas. Go to www.thealumninews.orgg and click Contact Us to send us your helpful examples of sportsmanship.
Thank you,
Matthew A. Castilleja CEO/Publisher The Alumni News Agency/The Alumni
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April ’08April ’08www.thealumninews.org
Matthew Gurule, the Class 5A 103-pound champion, stands atop the podium next to runner-up Jared Rieck, left, of Coronado and third-place fi nisher Jeremy Robledo of Brighton. Elias Rosales of Lakewood fi nished fourth, Junior Romero of Denver East fi nished fi fth and Jeremy Luna of Rocky Mountain fi nished sixth. The Alumni/Jessica Vidal
Academics.........................................................................CHSAA...............................................................................The Alumni Top 50...........................................................School of the Month.........................................................Students of the Month.....................................................Teacher of the Month.......................................................Then & Now......................................................................Athletes of the Month.......................................................Baseball............................................................................Skiing.................................................................................Wrestling............................................................................Fitness...............................................................................Activities............................................................................Swimming..........................................................................Around the State..............................................................
AcademicsAdvancing the Colo. cause
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AcademicsApril 2008
high expectations. With 75 percent of U.S. high school graduates heading to college, college is becom-ing more accessible. But high college dropout rates and the fact that about half of college freshmen are taking at least one remedial course show that secondary schools need to do more than just help students gain admission to college. “If we are to succeed in democratizing what really matters — completion of a college degree — the gap be-tween high school graduation standards and freshman col-lege course requirements must be eliminated,” said Caperton.
“Educators, and administrators, deserve tremendous credit for enabling a wider segment of our nation’s youth than ever before to achieve success on an AP exam.”
GASTONCAPERTONCollege Board president
ALMOST19 percent of public school gradu-ates from the class of 2007 achieved an
Advanced Placement Exam grade of 3 or higher a quantity that ranked well above the na-tional average of 15.2 percent. The AP exam score is often predictive of college success. Colorado high schools led the nation with the greatest five-year increase in the num-ber of students who achieved a score of 3 or higher. “These results demonstrate that Colo-rado students can and do per-form at a very high level,” said Com-missioner Dwight Jones. This represents a vast improve-ment since the class of 2002 gradu-ated, with Colorado notching the fourth-highest gain in AP exam proficiency in the country. The College Board, the not-for-profit membership association that administers the AP pro-gram, released its third annual
Advanced Placement Report to the nation, indicating that students who participate in AP have significantly better college grades and college graduation rates than aca-demically and economically similar students who did not take the demanding course and exams. “Educators, and adminis-trators, deserve tremendous credit for enabling a wider segment of our nation’s youth than ever before to achieve success on an AP exam,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “But there is still work to be done in preparing under-represented
students to succeed on these challenging courses that open the door to college and oppor-
tunity. Schools need to start preparing students as early as
middle school so they are equipped to take on the challenges of AP courses once they get to high school.” While AP exam success — earning a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam dur-ing high school — in Colorado has experi-enced a rate of growth among both black and Hispanic students, overall participation
in the AP exam has increased by more than 10 percent in the last year.
Of the estimated 13,765 Colorado students who gradu-ated from public high schools in 2007, an average of 8,574 students earned a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. Jo O’Brien, assistant com-missioner of standards and results for the Colorado De-partment of Education, attrib-uted the positive development to the “increased mind-set among school districts and principals to encourage stu-dents to tackle the rigors of Advanced Placement classes.” O’Brien also noted the state-wide efforts of the College in Colorado campaign, which has encouraged students to set
Colorado high schools — Peak to Peak is shown here — led the nation with the greatest fi ve-year increase in the number of students who achieved an AP exam score of 3 or higher. The Alumni/Jessica Vidal
Colorado sets national pace for success on AP examsBY JOANNAGOMEZUniversity of Colorado
303.757.5166
4/THEALUMNI
CHSAACALENDARMarch 19•Speech scheduling committee meeting9 a.m.•Basketball committee meeting9:30 a.m.
March 20•Budget/property administration committee meeting9:30 a.m.
March 21•Spring break CHSAA offi ce closed
March 30• Second semester spring sports eligibility lists due
March 31-April 25•Large group musical festivals
April 7•CASSA/CHSAA committee meetingNoon
April 8•Gymnastics draw11:30 a.m.
April 9•Spring academic team nominations due
April 10•Board of control meeting— Radisson SE8:30 a.m.
April 15•Vision committee meeting11:30 a.m.
April 16•Football draw8:30 a.m.
GET TO KNOW: Steve Espinoza
PiccoloSince 1955
Italian and Mexican
Family owned and operated
3563 South Monaco Pkwy.Denver, CO
80237Fax: 303.757.5171
• Banquet Facilities• To-Go Menu• Off-Site Catering• Private Party Room
Steve Espinoza began his tour as CHSAA assistant commissioner on Jan. 16.
PROFILE
Name: Steve R. EspinozaAdministration: Colorado High School Activities AssociationTitle: Assistant commissionerEducation: Montezuma-Cortez class of 1969; Colorado State University, B.S. 1974; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, master’s 1990Tenure: Taught for 31 years in El Paso County School District No. 11Notable organizations: Colorado Athletic Directors Association, National Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association and Colorado High School Activities AssociationAwards: 2000 CHSAA Distinguished Service Award, 2001 5A Athletic Director of the YearFamily: Donnie Vee (wife), Erin Maria (daughter) and Michael (son)
CHSAACHSAAwww.thealumninews.org
Last month, The Alumni chatted with newly appointed CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Steve Espinoza. Here are some highlights:
Q
Q
Q
Q A What advice do you have for the Colorado high school community?
“Support your athletes, support your team and support your school. High school is a time of great learning experiences where kids and coaches learn to deal with adversity, stress, winning and being the runner-up. That is what makes this time so special.”
A How do you like being an assistant commissioner so far?
“ It is very interesting. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes type of things that go on — coordinating hundreds of volunteers, setting up state championship events, updating score clocks and organizing the workers. People do not see the amount of work and the time spent to do these things.”
A How important is the participation of the student-athlete?
“ I am a very strong advocate of the student-athlete. Having ownership in your school doesn’t mean that you have to participate in athletics — it can be other activities too, such as theater and debate. The more a student can get involved the more success they are going to have in school and beyond.”
A What was the motivating factor for joining CHSAA?
“ I thought my expertise was with CHSAA. I love kids, I love sports and I love extracurricular activities. It’s just something about seeing kids compete at a high level and I really enjoy the aspect of the educational process.”
Berthoud
Eaton
Eads
Mullen
Peak to Peak
Broomfi eld
Grandview
CommentsRank Last Month School
Merino
The Raiders won the state championship in ice hockey with a 3-2 OT win over Battle Mountain and swimming fi nished third in Fort Collins at the state championships.Regis Jesuit
Boulder
Monarch
Eaglecrest
Loveland
Bear Creek
Holy Family
Columbine
What a year for the Eagles in boys and girls basketball. Girls took home the Class 4A state title, defeating Silver Creek 50-34.
Ralston Valley
Faith Christian
Highlands Ranch
2
Legacy
Cherry Creek
8
Fairview
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8 N/A
9
6
5
4
5
6
10
11
12
17
14
15
7
13 Douglas County
18 CSCS
25
16
23
22 Cherokee Trail
31
20
34
7
3 3
2 4
1 1
The Mustangs won their second consecutive Class 4A state swimming championship and the school’s ice hockey team had a great run at state but fell short again in the semifi nals, losing to Battle Mountain 2-0.
The Bruins took home their fourth consecutive Class 5A state swimming championship last month at the EPIC center in Fort Collins.
The Wolves fell out of the top three for the fi rst time this year but had a strong showing at the state wrestling championships placing third in team standings with two fi rst-place fi nishes.
The Knights fi nished runner-up to the Bruins yet again at the state championships but still had a strong year.
Girls soccer hopes to match the season it had last year with another state title.
The Panthers fi nished fourth at the state swimming championships and slowly continue to inch their way up the rankings.
The Pumas are required to accumulate 100 hours of community service before graduation. The school scored an EXCELLENT rating on the SAR’s and had four fi rst- place fi nishes at the state speech festival.
The Lightning fi nished sixth at the state wrestling championships.
Tyler Graff won his fourth consecutive state wrestling title at 130-pounds and the Indians fi nished second in team standings behind Ponderosa.
The Falcons rolled to their third consecutive Class 5A girls state basketball title, defeating Regis 58-54.
The girls basketball team fi nished with a 19-1 record. The Tigers’ only loss in the regular season was to Faith Christian at home, but they redeemed themselves with a 38-33 win over Faith in the Class 3A state title game.
The Eagles had a strong season in boys and girls basketball. Girls took home the Class 1A state title, defeating Briggsdale 59-37.
The Eagles boys basketball team defeated CSCS in the Class 3A state title game 54-42. The girls basketball team fi nished ahead of Holy Family in the Class 3A Metro League with a league record of 9-0.
In 2007, 95 percent of the school’s graduates went to a four-year university or college.
The Bears fall out of the top 10 for the fi rst time this year.
Huskie International Baccalaureate Scholars have received $3.5 million in scholarship funding.
Coach Guhl led her Lady Lions to the fi nal four in the Class 3A state basketball tournament.
The Reds had a school accountability rating of HIGH. 100 percent of the teachers at Eaton teach in the subject in which they received their degree.
On Saturday, May 12, at 8 a.m. at Clement Park, the Rebels will conduct the Run for Remembrance. Proceeds will help fund memorial scholarships and The Heart of Columbine Emergency Fund.
Girls basketball had a great season but lost to Moff at County 61-38 in the second round of the Class 4A state tournament.
The Cougars have a graduation rate of 91.2 percent and a dropout rate of 1.4 percent.
The Raptors have quitely put together a solid year and break into the top 25 for the fi rst time this year.
Student attendance rose from 93.2 percent in 2005-06 to 96.7 percent in 2006-07 with no dropouts.
RANKINGSCRITERIA1. Academics2. Activities3. Athletics4. Community service 5. Sportsmanship
*Every high school is eligible for the Top 50
Go online at www.thealumninews.org and tell us why your school should be on the list.
Rankings are determined by the staff at The Alumni along with academic information and statistics from the Colorado Department of Education and the help from our partners at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) with state records and statistics.
... THE NEXT25
26. Kent Denver27. Akron28. Erie29. Niwot30. Air Academy31. Longmont32. Cheyenne Mountain33. Lewis-Palmer34. Ponderosa35. Centaurus36. The Vangaurd37. Alamosa38. The Classical Academy39. D’Evelyn40. James Irwin Charter41. Pueblo Tech42. Denver East 43. Chatfi eld44. Simla45. Arapahoe46. Denver Christian47. Battle Mountain48. McClave49. Flagler50. Fort Collins
DIDYOUKNOW?
Kyle Sand of Arvada West High School (2001-04) holds the all-time winning percentage in wrestling in the state of
Colorado with a career record of 125-0 (1.000).
For more information, go to www.chsaa.org
Ralston Valley soars up the rankings to the No. 2 position with strong performances in basketball, swimming and wrestling. Peak to Peak debuts in the top 25 at No. 8 with stellar eff ort in the classroom.
Mustangs make their move
THEALUMNI/5
Top 50Top 50April 2008
PROFILE
School: Peak to Peak High SchoolLocation: 800 Merlin Drive, Lafayette Mascot: PumasColors: Royal blue, black and whiteClassifi cation: 3ADistrict: Boulder Valley School District RE #2League: MetropolitanEnrollment: 480Principal: Kyle MathewsAthletic director: Peter ChandlerRival: Holy Family
SCHOOLS are evolving. Compiling vast amounts of data, being accountable
and focusing on details have shaped the way high school administrators ap-proach kids today. Peak to Peak High School, a Class 3A charter school in Lafayette, has em-braced the changing of the times and has benefited from these methods exponen-tially. When the Colo-rado Department of Education released the School Account-ability Reports in December, Peak to Peak administrators were not surprised by the excellent rat-ing the school received — in fact, they were expecting it. “We have families in the county that from the get-go are thinking about where their kids are going to go to college and they are thinking about how good their kids can pos-sibly be,” said Peak to Peak Principal Kyle Mathews. Only 36 high schools in Colorado received a rating of excellent, and of those, five were located in the Boulder Valley School District. “I’m not that surprised by the performance of our kids at the school,” Mathews said. “When you create a great program, kids who are really heady, really smart and really driven are probably driven in more than one particular area.” The Pumas of Peak to Peak
6/THEALUMNI
Charter school Pumas prove that character counts
BY RENEETORRESThe Alumni
Peak to Peak pushes to elevate
Kyle Mathews
Peak to Peak High School is an innovative K-12 charter school in Lafayette. The Alumni/Renee Torres
school career. “By the time they are in 10th grade, we expect them to lead tours, we expect them to deliver some of our open enrollment messages. That is part of the expectation,”
Mathews said. Chandler wants his stu-dents to be accountable for their actions while attend-ing extracurricular activities
are part of a K-12 community driven by strong character — a trait so important to the school’s mission that remind-ers of character are plastered on the school’s walls. School officials also point to the involvement of parents as a vital part of the success. “We have parents that get involved,” said Athletic Director Peter Chandler. “I think it is about being in the trenches daily and using com-mon sense as administrators,
teachers and parents.” More than ever, high schools are tak-ing a look at the vast amounts of data at their disposal, and they are deciphering how to use the information to their advantage. “We are data driven today. We know what works and what doesn’t,” Mathews said. “For example, statistics show that if kids are involved in activities and athletics, then they are probably going to do well academically and probably have
better self-perception and better relationships with other kids.” School officials use data and new philoso-phies toward kids when finding out where they excel and what passions they have. “More is not better now. Colleges know that, we know that and when I talk to a kid that is going to take three or more advanced-place-ment classes, I say, ‘Don’t do it.’ Instead I ask, ‘What are you doing for athletics and what are you doing for fun?’ Colleges want to see that kids are good at fewer things and can show more depth in a couple dif-ferent areas rather than be-ing a mile wide and an inch deep. There is plenty of time
to experiment, so let’s find out what you are passionate about, and I think we do that very well here,” Mathews said. The charter school requires students to log 100 hours of
community service starting their freshman year. School administrators want students to take initiative and show ac-countability early in their high
School OF THE MonthSchool OF THE MonthApril 2008 Sponsored by
Peter Chandler
and athletic events. He has implemented a rule to cheer for your team and not against your opponent. “As the athletic director, I’m not trying to restrain our kids to the point where they
are not having fun at games,” Chandler said, “but it is difficult when spectators and athletes at the professional level be-have the way they do and it just filters down. It is hard for high school kids not to emulate that kind of spectatorship. We just want our kids to cheer for their team.” Mathews and Chandler want to cater to what mo-tivates each student rather than having to follow one blueprint. “I can remember [Ex-ecutive Principal] Tony Fontana pushing to have all of our teachers in the halls during passing periods,” Chandler said. “And once our teachers started to do this, you
could see a difference in the kids. It is some of these small things that you think don’t have a big impact, but they do.”
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SOPHOMORE year. Sec-ond semester. Math. Every student can remember a class
where she should have done better. Kate Hopkins remembers her sophomore math class well because it’s the only class in which the Peak to Peak senior has received a grade lower than an A. “It’s one of those things where I did poorly on the final,” Hop-kins said. Since her sophomore year, Hopkins has maintained a 3.97 grade-point average. This fall, she’ll head to Yale University in New Haven, Conn., where she plans on studying biomedical engineering or economics. Hopkins said it was an incred-ible feeling when she found out she had been accepted, especial-ly because the acceptance rate for Yale is so low. “I had been checking online all day and finally, during seventh period, I was notified that I had been admitted,” Hopkins recalled. “I had to read it a couple of times to make sure that is what it said. I called my mom crying and she didn’t know whether that was yes or no. And then I called my dad and he asked to make sure that it wasn’t a mistake.” What interested Hopkins about Yale was that unlike most other schools, the professors at Yale, not teaching assistants, teach the un-dergraduate classes. The senior attributes her success to the curriculum at Peak to Peak. She said the charter school is just big enough to offer advanced-place-ment classes, but not too big so size classes are overfilled. “I think that if I had gone to a bigger school I probably wouldn’t have been able to be involved as much, which would have limited what I had been able to try,” she said. “I would have been too intimi-dated to try out for cross-country. Most importantly, I wouldn’t have been offered the advanced-placement classes that have helped me with my college ambitions.” Hopkins competed for the school’s cross-country team that finished runner-up to the Classical Academy at the Class 3A state championships last fall at the El Po-mar Sports Complex in Colorado Springs. “I used to ski race outside of school and my dad said I should give cross-country a try. I thought it would be good train-ing, and it turns out that I wasn’t bad at it,” Hopkins said. Until Hopkins graduates and moves on to New Haven, she will continue her duties as president of the school’s stu-dent council, a captain of speech and de-bate, and a member of the National Honor Society.
BY RENEETORRESThe Alumni
Zane HarkerSenior ramps up for Ivy LeagueBY RENEETORRESThe Alumni
Kate Hopkins
SOME kids change schools and struggle, while others accept change and thrive in
unfamiliar settings. After transferring from a public school to the charter school Peak to Peak, Zane Harker has capitalized on a setting with smaller class sizes and more one-on-one interaction with teachers. “I came [to Peak to Peak] from a bigger public middle school in seventh grade and I didn’t like [public school] as much,” Harker said. “I felt it wasn’t as challenging and it was hard for me to interface with my teachers because I ask questions like, ‘Why is this how it is,’ in-stead of accepting things the way they are.” Harker explained that his first year was difficult because of the tran-sition between school districts and the change of curriculums, but he soon realized the difference in his progress. “Being here in middle school definitely prepares you for being here in high school. We have a challenging curriculum,” Harker said. “You get the cool community opportunities, too. When I was a freshman, one of my best friends and I got to tutor a fifth-grade math class, and that is easy to do here because all you have to do is walk over to one of the other buildings.” The senior has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average and is the stu-dent council vice president. Harker also is a member of the National Honor Society, concert choir and chamber choir and stars as Captain Von Trapp in the school’s production of The Sound of Music. “I have had opportunities to try a lot of things,” he said. “At a pub-lic school, you tend to get locked in at doing one thing and that’s it. Whereas here, you can be in track, musicals and speech and debate. People really know you and it is encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities.” After graduation, he plans on attending either Brigham Young Uni-versity or Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, with a two-year reli-gious mission after his first year in college. “We have three teachers at Peak to Peak who are alumni of Swarth-more and they all are very interesting, multidimensional and diverse people,” Harker said. Swarthmore appeals to Harker because, like Peak to Peak, it offers a challenge in a small setting. “Since we have smaller, more intimate classes, there are opportu-nities for all kinds of leadership roles,” Harker said, “and you need people to fill all those roles. I think Swarthmore will provide much of the same.”
PROFILE
Name: Zane HarkerSchool: Peak to Peak High SchoolGrade: SeniorGPA: 4.0Activities: Student council vice president, concert choir and NHS
“At a public school, you tend to get locked in at doing one thing and that’s it. Whereas here, you can be in track, musicals and speech and debate.”
ZANEHARKERPeak to Peak High School senior
“ I had to read it a couple of times to make sure that is
what it said. I called my mom crying and
she didn’t know whether that was
yes or no. And then I called my dad and
he asked to make sure that it wasn’t a
mistake.”KATEHOPKINS
On being accepted to Yale
Students OF THE MonthStudents OF THE MonthApril 2008 Sponsored by
DIDYOUKNOW?
Of the 21,101 students who applied for
acceptance at Yale in 2006-07,
only 9 percent were accepted.
THEALUMNI/7
The Mortgage NetworkSince 1985
www.ColoradoMortgageFunder.com
PROFILE
Name: Kate HopkinsSchool: Peak to Peak High SchoolGrade: SeniorGPA: 3.97Activities: Student council president, speech and debate captain and cross-country
Student council VP seizes opportunity
Teacher OF THE MonthTeacher OF THE MonthSilver lining, on and off the court
April 2008 Sponsored by
8/THEALUMNI
Silver Creek’s Banning excels as teacher, coach and role model
BY RYANRUSSOThe Alumni
Silver Creek science teacher Bob Banning tutors students David Pond (center) and Daniel Brunelle (right). Banning is also the school’s head boys basketball coach. The Alumni/Jessica Vidal
PROFILE...................................................................Bob Banning School: Silver Creek High School Title: Biology teacher and head boys basketball coach Mentors: His parents, Angie (wife), Lindsay and Kendall (two kids), Bob Caviness and Frosty Castilleja Did you know? Banning led Niwot High School to the 1992-93 boys basketball championship
“He showed me the subtleties of being a great play-er, the importance of weight room work ethic and the concept of team be-ing family. You feel if you don’t work hard you are letting him down and the program down.”
MATTMERRIOTTFormer player and assistant
HAVE you ever had a teacher who brought the competitive na-ture of the basketball
court to your biology class-room? Since 1981, students who have attended the many classes taught by Bob Banning in the St. Vrain Valley School District have excelled in an environment that brings the intensity of an overtime basketball game to an honors science class cat dissection. Banning, Silver Creek High School’s head boys basketball coach, is also the head of the school’s science department. “The fact that I wear the label as head basketball coach I see as an allure for some students — that you don’t have to be the best basketball player in the school for me to care about your future as a student and as a human being,” Banning said. The evolution of Banning began at Aurora-Hinkley High School, where he excelled at track and basketball. He went on to Colorado State University, running track for the Rams. Banning realized quickly that if he was to be competitive in college, he would have to increase his distance from the half-mile to the mile. “I knew after the first two weeks of practice that if I wanted to do this, I would really have to love to do it,” Banning said. “Those guys are just animals, especially at that level.” When his interest in track dwindled, Banning remembers interrupting a high school basketball practice behind his apartment. “I had jumped the fence from where I was living and asked the head coach if I
could help out,” Banning said. “I loved basketball so much that I would go to school during the day and then go to practice at Poudre High School at night.” Poudre head coach Edd Telez asked Banning what he was majoring in at Colorado State. Banning replied, “Forestry.” Telez said, “You’re a teacher.” Banning went to Telez’s classroom, where Telez introduced him to a science teacher who gave him the opportunity to teach a lesson. “After that I changed my major,” Banning said. He began his teaching career at Niwot High School, where he taught from 1981-97. At Niwot, Banning coached tennis and track and
won a state championship in basketball in 1992-93. After 17 years at Niwot, the tenacious teacher and coach needed a change of venue. “Although Niwot was a great school, with great students and great teachers, I knew if I had stayed there, that is where I would have ended up,” Banning said. Banning accepted a teaching position at Skyline High School and coached girls basketball. It was a coaching position very unfamiliar to Banning. “I thought if I was a true teacher I would need to give coaching girls a shot too,” Banning said. As a testament to Banning’s coaching skill, his girls team won league his last year there and after he left, they won
state the following year. In 2001-02, intrigued by the opportunity to join a startup school, Banning headed to Silver Creek, where he remains today. “I feel like a dinosaur,” Banning said. Being in the building is a big advantage. I’m not sure if it equates to wins and losses on the floor, but it does equate to wins and losses in life. I think it is so important that students see you as an educator and a teacher first.” Matt Merriott, a former basketball player under Banning, said Banning is so successful because he makes everyone accountable. “He showed me the subtleties of being a great player, the importance of weight room work ethic and
the concept of team being family,” Merriott said. “You feel if you don’t work hard you are letting him down and the program down.” Silver Creek Athletic Director Phil Borchelt credits Banning with helping give the school identity once the basketball program started to have success. “Bob’s basketball program is the first to break out of mediocrity and set the bar high for our school,” Borchelt said. “As a teacher he is very tough but very fair, and he requires his kids to work a lot. But they always end up enjoying his classes.” Behind the coach, the teacher and the man, Banning said his wife, Angie, and his two kids, Lindsay and Kendall, are his biggest accomplishments. “My family has made me who I am today,” Banning said. Whether in the classroom or on the court, Banning said you never know whose life you are going to touch. “I was at Disney World having dinner,” he said. “And when dinner was over, the waitress came over and said, ‘Your tab has been picked up,’ and I asked by who, and she said, ‘A former student of yours. They just want to say thank you.’ And till this day I have no idea who had bought my dinner for me.”
WWW.VIDALPHOTO.COM
THEALUMNI/9
Then & NowThen & NowSponsored by
Colorado’s music manManzanares brings state’s marching bands to the biggest stages
DO you ever watch the halftime show of a football game and wonder how all
the members work together? Maybe you wonder how The Ohio State University spells the word “Ohio” with mov-ing people or how University of Tennessee students form a large “T.” For the past 30-plus years, displays such as these have been achieved by high school marching bands through the help of Wayne Manzanares, chairman of marching affairs for the Colorado Bandmas-ters Association. Manzanares coordinates all the marching contests in Colorado, includ-ing the state championship. He was headed toward this position almost his entire life. “I told my dad when I was in fourth grade that I wanted to be a band director and he didn’t believe me,” Man-zanares says. “He said, ‘Oh yeah, here’s a fourth-grader just talking.’ ” But Manzanares’ father bought him a trumpet, one of about 20 instruments he plays. Manzanares claims to play six instruments well. He’s played drums and bass guitar in bands and has recently taken up the mandolin. During his sophomore year at Centennial High School, he was taking music more seriously than most. “About halfway through high school, I realized that if I was going to be a band di-rector and I was going to get prepared for college, I could not go to that high school. They had a very small band program,” Manzanares says. So he enrolled at the private Holy Cross Abbey School in Canon City for his final two years of high school. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in band and choral studies and a master’s in music theory from Adams State in Ala-mosa. Manzanares says his college education taught him to play his main instrument, the trumpet, very well, all the other marching band instru-
BY KYLEGARRATTThe Alumni
ments well and some music theory, none of which pre-pared him entirely for his first job as band director of Doug-las County High School. “I was really nervous, really young, but I learned with the kids. It was a weak band and a weak band director, but we grew up together and got to be a pretty good-sized band,”
Manzanares says. “It re-ally defined what I was at a later date because I learned so much. There’s so much to know as a band director.
You’re teaching jazz band, you’re teaching concert band, you’re teaching marching band, you’re the director of the orchestra for the musical.
Then there’s the band boost-ing organization, the financial side where you’re fundrais-ing and all of those hats that
you wear that you don’t learn anything about in school. Because the program was so young, it was good for me to learn with them. If it had been
a big-time program and young band director like me, I might have bombed out.” Halfway through his 12-year tenure at Douglas Coun-
ty, Man-zanares was heading the larg-est band in Colo-rado high schools. The band
he took over had 39 mem-bers, and when he left it had 280, or about a third of the school’s student body. The
average high school band makes up about 8 percent of the student body, according to Manzanares. The culmina-tion of this tenure was when
Then: Wayne Manzanares started working with high school bands in 1971.
“I told my dad when I was in fourth grade that I wanted to be a band director and he didn’t believe me. He said, ‘Oh yeah, here’s a fourth-grader just talking.’ ”
WAYNEMANZANARESChairman of marching aff airs for the Colorado Bandmasters Association
Douglas County was invited to perform in front of 1.6 mil-lion people at the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1981. After transforming the Douglas County program, Manzanares went on to Pon-derosa High School, where he won six state championships in eight years. It took 20 years of 14-hour days for Man-zanares to build a program out of nothing, create a dynasty, influence hundreds of kids and lose plenty of his hear-ing before he called it quits to take over as band director at Castle Rock Elementary School, in favor of shorter days and less-damaged ear-drums. He also took a position as the assistant entertainment director for the Denver Bron-cos, planning halftime shows using high school and college marching bands as well as booking acts to perform the national anthem. In 1991, he started his duties as chairman of the Colorado Bandmasters Association, serving as the self-described founding father of unifying and better funding marching bands around the state. He retired from Castle Rock in 2001. “What I like most is paying back the organization for the opportunity that I had when I was a high school band di-rector,” Manzanares says. “I went to state championships and when I went there, the events were very well-orga-nized and I was a recipient of that organization. Somebody did that job for me and now it’s my turn to provide the same thing.” When Manzanares started working with high school bands in 1971, there was no uniform manner of judging competitions and several pri-vate organizations ran compe-titions. Now there is one way to judge competitions, the state championships are held at Invesco Field at Mile High and revenue for marching band events is up 600 percent since Manzanares joined the Bandmasters Association. “Standing in front of a band and conducting a concert is an empowerment that you can’t believe,” Manzanares says. “When you’re on stage, you don’t worry about what’s wrong, you just worry about what’s right.”
Now: Manzanares has helped boost recruiting, judging and fundraising.
10/THEALUMNI
Northglenn junior fi nds motivation for 2009
BY KYLEGARRATTThe Alumni
Grout rebounds from title-match lossPROFILE
Name: Phillip GroutSchool: Northglenn High SchoolGrade: JuniorGPA: 3.30Sports: Baseball and wrestlingYears lettered: ThreeDate of birth: Jan. 8, 1991
“My ultimate reaction was concern for Phillip. He always impresses me with the way he handles defeat. I think that is his best characteristic.”
BRIANHUFFORD Northglenn head coach
IT was right there, seemingly for the taking. Phillip Grout, the de-fending 112-
pound state champion and a junior at Northglenn High School, headed into overtime of the state title match at the Pepsi Center against an opponent he thought he could beat. When the mats cleared there was no title defense as Grandview High School’s Eric Wilson claimed this year’s crown after a 2-0 victory over Grout. Grout was the second state champ Wilson defeated in the tournament after pinning Jeremy Schmitt of Rocky Mountain High School, the 2005-06 champ, in the semifinals. The loss was tough to take for Grout, who had been ranked as 5A’s top 112-pounder for the entire season. “I couldn’t believe it because going into the match I thought that I could control [Wilson],” Grout said. “It was just disbelief after I lost.” Grout, Schmitt and Wilson were ranked in the top three of their weight class for much of the year, so the depth and difficulty of this group was no secret. “You always get nervous for a kid that knocks off a returning state champion in a semifinal match,” Brian Hufford, Northglenn head coach, said of Wilson. “A lot of times in the state tournament, not necessarily the best wrestler wins state, it’s who had the best tournament.
“I think you could ask eight coaches if their kid’s the best wrestler and I hope that each coach has that confidence in their kid. I’ve worked with Phillip for three years and he’s an incredible athlete. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought he was the best wrestler in the state in that weight. Certainly every coach thinks his kid’s the best and I hope that the top eight kids in the state think that.” Grout provided plenty in the way of expectations after taking third place in the state tournament as a freshman
before capturing the title last year. He broke his own school record for victories in a season of 40 after going 44-2 this year and set the school record for career victories with 120 after only three seasons. Even with these lofty standards, Hufford didn’t react with disappointment when Grout failed to bring home a second straight state title. “My ultimate reaction was concern for Phillip,” Hufford said. “He always impresses me with the way he handles defeat. I think that’s probably his
best characteristic. I told him after the match I was more proud of him then than when he won the state title because he handles losing with such maturity. It’s really neat to see as a coach.” Next year, if Grout duplicates his win total from this year he will own the record for most victories in a career for a Colorado wrestler, set this year by Tyler Graff of Loveland with 162. “I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t come back and go undefeated as a senior,” Hufford said. “I think he has a chip on his shoulder right now.” Grout still feels what his most recent loss left on his shoulder and it just might end up costing his future competition. “It’s still getting at me today,” Grout said. “It will motivate me a lot in the next season for sure.” Grout’s motivation will take a pit stop in Virginia for a national tournament this month. He took fifth place at the event last year and hopes to place in the top three this year. The sting of the state title loss might linger a little longer, but little else from the contest will. “I think he just had an off match. I think he just needs to work hard, continue to grow as a wrestler,” Hufford said. “You can’t change everything you’ve been doing, which has brought him a ton of success, over the loss of one match.” Only 13 Colorado high school wrestlers have won more matches in a season than Grout did this year, but there’s something more impressive about Grout than all those wins. “What I like about Phillip is every time his character shows, it’s always a good thing,” Hufford said. “He deals with things really well and takes them in stride. I guess that’s why he’s successful. Everything he does is because of that attitude where he’s going to find a way to get around it and doesn’t make excuses for himself.”
April 2008
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THEALUMNI/11
Elizabeth Stover: Shooting for lucky 13
April 2008
Athlete OF THE MonthAthlete OF THE MonthSponsored by
Pole vaulter has clear goal for 2008, and beyond
BY JOANNAGOMEZUniversity of Colorado
PROFILE
Name: Elizabeth StoverSchool: Longmont High SchoolGrade: SeniorGPA: 4.0Sport: Track and fi eldYears lettered: FourDate of birth: Oct. 2, 1990
“It was surreal when I fi rst found out I broke a state record. I was the underdog coming out. It defi nitely took a couple of weeks for it to sink in that I broke a state record.”
ELIZABETHSTOVERLongmont pole vaulter
FOR the past four years, Eliza-beth Stover has managed to routinely place among the top pole vaulters in the state.
Stover, who set Class 4A state re-cords last season as a Longmont High School junior, has more on her high school to-do list before taking her tal-ents to Purdue. “It was surreal when I first found out I broke a state record. I was the un-derdog coming out. It definitely took a couple weeks for it to sink in that I broke a state record,” Stover said. A year ago, Stover eclipsed 12 feet for a record-breaking win in the pole vault in the Re-1J championship, mak-ing her a two-time defending 4A state champion and giving her a ranking of No. 24 in the nation. Stover knows that the journey to winning and breaking state records could not have been accomplished without her coach, Warren Franz. “It’s great having a coach that I can learn so much from and who believes in me enough to keep pushing and motivat-ing me to get to the next level,” Stover said. “This year Elizabeth is taking on a little bit of a different role,” Franz said. “She took a leadership role last year as a junior, but this year as a se-nior she really needs to step up and help the younger athletes so that there will be a pole-vault legacy after she is gone. We have some good female pole vaulters coming up the ranks, and Elizabeth is a good mentor to look up to.” “I think it’s really just a great thing for girl pole vaulters in Colorado to be breaking records, because pole vault-ing for women is still a pretty new sport, so it’s pretty cool to be one of the top girl pole vaulters in the na-tion,” Stover added. “Me and some of the others have started a legacy and I want to leave having taught the younger girls. I want them to have as many resources as possible so they can go on and create their own legacy”
When Stover began her high school track and field career in 2004, she knew little about pole vaulting. “Track I had casually done in middle school and they didn’t have pole vaulting, so I just did jumping and hurdles and stuff,” she said. “As a freshman, I had a friend who was a gymnast and she pole vaulted, so she kind of talked me into it, and now I love it.” Stover has signed a letter of intent to compete in pole vault at Purdue
University next year, and she hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. “I really just thought that Purdue was the best decision for me,” Stover said. “I love their engineering program and the pole-vaulting program is re-ally strong too. I think it fits me good and I am really excited for the future and the goals that I want to accom-plish.” It’s been a fun experience, and one of hard work. “I’ve had to work and train really hard to get to this point,”
Stover said. “It can be time consum-ing and doing drills is never easy, but it’s fun and I enjoy doing it because I know it’s making me improve and making me better each time I do it.” “Elizabeth is a hard worker, and in the end it pays off, because she is constantly taking it to the next level,” Franz said. Stover is one of the best prep vault-ers in the country and is favored to win the 4A title again. Her next goal is to break the 13-foot mark. “I just want to get out there and get to where I was last year. And hopeful-ly get there quicker than I did the year before,” Stover said. “So I hope to be jumping at 13 feet again and then at the end of the season see how much higher I can get. I can’t wait to get out there and do my personal best. I think that is all anyone can ask for.”
DIDYOUKNOW?
Longmont High School students scored a 3 or higher on 60 percent of their Advanced
Placement tests.
The Brokerwww.TheBrokerRestaurant.com
Rebels rarin’ for diamond dominance
TWO years removed from a state champi-onship, the Columbine High School baseball
team may be on its way back for another one. Last year, the Rebels reached the semifinals, com-ing up one game short of a return to the title game. This season, the Rebels return sev-en starting seniors, including their entire infield.
That experience and leader-ship could lead to a deep run in the state playoffs. Colum-bine was slated to kick off its season March 6 at Northglenn High School. Columbine, which plays in the Jeffco League in Class 5A, will be without four-year catcher C.J. Gillman. Gillman, who graduated last spring, hit .390 and drove in 27 runs last season, second most on the team. RBI leader and first baseman Curtis Cun-ningham is back for his senior season. Cunningham drove in 35 runs and belted 10 homers
while hitting .493. In the infield with Cun-ningham is shortstop Jeff Cic-chinelli, who hit .449 last year and scored 33 runs. “He does everything for us,” Columbine coach Chuck Gillman said. “We call him little Ty Cobb.” Cicchinelli is excited about the season. “I like our pitch-ing this year,” he said. “We don’t have one dominant pitcher. We have five strong guys. All will win us some games.” The experience of the team also has Cicchinelli excited. “Our whole infield is back,” Cicchinelli said. “We’re all seniors. We have two of our
three outfielders back. It’s going to help us a lot.” Those seniors saw their season come to an end last year at the hands of Wheat Ridge. The Farm-ers defeated the Rebels 8-5 in the elimination game. “It’s a big hurt losing [Gill-man],” Cicchinelli said. “Besides that, we’re pretty strong.” Cicchinelli’s
double-play partner, second baseman Brett Weibel, was as excited as Cicchinelli. “Two years ago, we had a lot of seniors when we won state,” Weibel said. “It’s a lot of fun. I know the potential of this team, and we can do as well as that season.” With such a strong program, the Rebels get good work throughout the season, build-ing for playoffs. “Being a top team in the
state, we get everyone’s A game,” Weibel said. “It pre-pares us for playoffs and the state tournament competition. As long as we play our game and take care of business, we’ll win a lot games this year.” Weibel admittedly struggled at the plate last season, but is optimistic for 2008. “I have a lot higher expectations and confidence,” Weibel said. “I was a little overwhelmed last season starting, pushing too much. I feel like I fit in better at the plate.”
Not only are the seniors familiar with each other on the field, but also Wei-bel said the team is a close-knit bunch. He and Cicchinelli have played to-gether for 12 years,
going back to Little League. They’re also best friends. Third baseman/right fielder Morgan Blatnik agreed with
mound. The players said the tough-est competition will come from defending champion Rocky Mountain and league opponent Dakota Ridge. Blatnik said the team has the ability to match that championship team of two years ago. “I think we have the potential,” Blatnik said. “It’ll be a hard road. This team has got the potential and great work ethic.”
Weibel. “We’re all friends,” Blatnik said. “We hang out a lot.” Blatnik said the team’s strength is at the plate. “Our offense is going to be great,” Blatnik said. “We have a lot of great hitters. Our offense will really stand out.” Last season, Blatnik hit .286. For the most part, he’ll play right field, except when Kyler Brady, the everyday third baseman, takes the
“Two years ago, we had a lot of seniors when we won state. It’s a lot of fun. I know the potential of this team, and we can do as well as that season.”BRETTWEIBELRebels second baseman
BY SCOTTKANIEWSKIThe Alumni
Senior-laden Columbine packs an off ensive punch
12/THEALUMNI
BaseballBaseballwww.thealumninews.org
After just missing the title game last season, the Rebels return seven starting seniors, including their entire infi eld.The Alumni photos/Jessica Vidal
Experience and cohesiveness might help the Rebels forget their 8-5 loss to Wheat Ridge in last season’s state tournament.
1795 folsom street - boulder, co 803031795 folsom street - boulder, co 80303 303.440.8808 303.440.8808 303.440.8808
Chris Woods fi nishes as state’s top-ranked skier
Summit takes two team titles
THEALUMNI/13
CHSAA State Skiing Championships — Feb. 21-22 — Steamboat Springs, Colo.
SkiingSkiingApril 2008
Place High SchoolGiantSlalom Classic Slalom
Free-Style
TotalPoints
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Summit
Vail Mountain
Steamboat Spgs.
Aspen
Nederland
Evergreen
Battle Mountain
Eagle Valley
Lake County
Middle Park
Vail Christian
Clear Creek
Platte Canyon
Ridgeview
Colo. Rocky Mtn.
170
133
162
137
147
158
130
72
0
0
47
33
70
0
43
155 165 160 650
168 139 176 616
144 156 141 603
165 140 149 591
118 150 119 534
68 154 71 451
78 143 87 438
115 104 104 395
154 0 146 300
122 37 134 293
77 36 78 238
29 64 28 154
0 66 0 136
31 0 59 90
0 41 0 84
Place High SchoolGiantSlalom Classic Slalom
Free-Style
TotalPoints
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Summit
Aspen
Steamboat Spgs.
Vail Mountain
Nederland
Battle Mountain
Lake County
Evergreen
Middle Park
Eagle Valley
Colo. Rocky Mtn.
Clear Creek
Vail Christian
Platte Canyon
163
145
146
127
115
170
70
135
88
114
78
73
28
27
162 159 159 643
165 154 160 624
154 162 156 618
154 127 158 566
129 113.5 128 485.5
71 174 33 448
140 63 135 408
65 115.5 67 382.5
128 32 127 375
67 115 69 365
61 78 63 280
61 74 65 273
95 0 104 227
0 85 0 112
Boys Team Results Girls Team Results
ON Feb. 21-22 in Steamboat Springs, high school ski-ers competed in the
CHSAA state skiing champi-onships. The Summit High School Tigers took home titles in the boys and girls competitions. After the state champion-ships, the nordic 2007-08 all-state teams were released. Chris Woods of Vail Mountain High School fin-ished the season as the state’s top-ranked skier and was followed by Tyler Reinking (Summit), Sean Woods (Vail Mountain) Whit Parker (As-pen) and Tony Ryerson (Vail Mountain).
Staff report
WrestlingCHSAA State Wrestling Championships — Feb. 21-23 — Pepsi Center, Denver
14/THEALUMNI
Wrestlingwww.thealumninews.org
“Going undefeated in high school is awesome. And me as a freshman coming out and taking that away from somebody feels great doing it.”
NICKADAMS 2A 112-pound champion,
On taking an undefeated season from Justin Lacovetto of Soroco in a
3-1 decision
Class 3A 103-pound champion Josh Jaime of Lamar savors his win.
2008CHAMPIONSClass 2A results•Team/individual champions1. Grand Valley 2. Paonia 3. Wiggins
103-pound championDavid Garcia, Rocky Ford
112-pound championNick Adams, Discovery Canyon
119-pound championChad Stroh, Holyoke
125-pound championChris Gebauer, Akron
130-pound championTy Sickels, Nucla
135-pound championColten Huskey, Dove Creek
140-pound championHugh Hardman, Norwood
145-pound championJustin Smith, Paonia
152-pound championTyler Miles, Grand Valley
160-pound championCody Miles, Grand Valley
171-pound championDevon Brown, Paonia
189-pound championMike Satterly, Burlington
215-pound championStryker Lane, Norwood
285-pound championBryan Crespin, John Mall
Class 3A results•Team/individual champions1. Roosevelt 2. Centauri 3. Florence
103-pound championJosh Jaime, Lamar
112-pound championPablo Mascrenas, Mountain Vista
119-pound championJake Eitzen, Estes Park
125-pound championEthan Martinez, St. Mary’s
130-pound championDan Frank, Roosevelt
135-pound championNate Halpin, Florence
140-pound championMatt Addington, Florence
145-pound championMitchell Polkowske, Centauri
152-pound championJordan Larsen, Bayfield
160-pound championZach Diaz, Yuma
171-pound championNathan Heuer, Roosevelt
189-pound championDavid Clark, Platte Valley
215-pound championScott Redden, Gunnison
285-pound championAustin Kinnison, Highland
146.00113.00105.00
186.50125.00116.50
“ I wrestled my heart out. This win makes it so much better, especially against our rival La Junta.”
JOSHJAIME 3A 103-pound champion,
On his 4-2 decision over Kurtis Romero of La Junta
Forever a champion
“That is what I had been working for for 10 to 11 years, and that kid beat me at regionals, so that is what made it all the sweeter.”
JORDANLARSEN 3A 152-pound champion,
On defeating Mike Smith of Pagosa Springs by a 3-1 decision in OT
Jessie Meis of Alamosa, top, battles Jerry Huff of Broomfield at the Pepsi Center on Feb. 23. Meis won the Class 4A 103-pound title by a 10-0 decision.
Photos by Jessica Vidal
“ I knew it was going to be tough. All of those kids are really good.”
JESSIEMEIS 4A 103-pound champion,
On the competition at the state tournament
Travis Himmelman of Conifer, top, controls Vinnie Sanchez of Pueblo West in their Class 4A 119-pound title match. Himmelman defeated Sanchez by decision 3-0.
THEALUMNI/15
CHSAA State Wrestling Championships — Feb. 21-23 — Pepsi Center, Denver
WrestlingWrestlingApril 2008
View from the mat: photos by Jessica Vidal
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“ I was thinking about how shiny that medal looked when I was warming up.”
DALESHULL4A 125-pound champion,
On what he was thinking as his match was winding down
Class 5A 119-pound champion Josh Kreimier of Loveland, left, squares up against Chris Wessel of Legacy during their championship match.
2008CHAMPIONSClass 4A results•Team/individual champions1. Northridge 2. Fort Morgan 3. Alamosa
103-pound championJesse Meis, Alamosa
112-pound championGabe Gomez, Broomfi eld
119-pound championTravis Himmelman, Conifer
125-pound championDale Shull, Fort Lupton
130-pound championNick Ludwig, Berthoud
135-pound championSaul Guerrero, Fort Lupton
140-pound championEaston Ramirez, Northridge
145-pound championJustin Gonzales, Northridge
152-pound championMatt Chavez, Fort Morgan
160-pound championJohnny Ortega, Thompson Valley
171-pound championCody Yohn, Alamosa
189-pound championTony Chavarria, Pueblo West
215-pound championJoe Hochanadel, Fort Morgan
285-pound championTim Saucedo, Northridge
Class 5A results•Team/individual champions1. Ponderosa 2. Loveland 3. Grandview
103-pound championMatthew Gurule, Central G.J.
112-pound championEric Wilson, Grandview
119-pound championJosh Kreimier, Loveland
125-pound championDominic Valenzuela, Centaurus
130-pound championTyler Graff , Loveland
135-pound championNick Jones, Pomona
140-pound championJake Snider, Ponderosa
145-pound championDaniel Kelly, Ponderosa
152-pound championDenzel Washington, Regis
160-pound championGarrett Lanham, Centaurus
171-pound championCasey Norgard, Rocky Mountain
189-pound championLuke Vandenburg, Loveland
215-pound championRobert Tucker, Grand Junction
285-pound championCody Gilmore, Grandview
161.50151.00114.00
160.00128.00 89.00
“ I have had several matches where I had to come back and win in the last ten seconds. So I know the match is never over.”
JOSHKREIMIER5A 119-pound champion,
On coming back to win against Chris Wessel of Legacy
WORKOUT:TOTALBODYBLAST Kara Ashcraft — 24 Hour Fitness — Trainer of the Month
16/THEALUMNI
FitnessFitnesswww.thealumninews.org
PROFILE
Name: Kara AshcraftFitness center: 24 Hour Fitness (Thornton Express)Certifi cations:ACSM, APEX and certifi cate in emergency medical servicesActivities: Soccer and runningCollege: B.A. physiology, University of Colorado Nutrition tips: Don’t completely deprive yourself of your weaknesses, indulge in MODERATION!Training tips: Keep all motions slow & controlled and strengthen your core it is the root of all movement. You’ll see twice the benefi ts.
Squat thrust, biceps curl, shoulder pressStart with moderate weight (two dumbbells), holding both dumbbells, place on ground, kick legs back into squat thrust; kick legs back in toward hands (1). Stand and bring weights up to a biceps curl (2), rotate hands outward and press up into shoulder press (3).• Repeat 12 times
Backward lunge with leanHold two dumbbells and step backward into lunge (4). Hinging at the hips with back straight, bend forward, placing weight onto ground. Return to upright position and step forward onto both feet.• Repeat 12 timesJump rope• 2 minutesPush up (with feet on raised platform and body at decline)Bend elbows into push up and return to start position (5).• Repeat 10 times
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Party safe, party sober on prom nightMADD drives home a powerful message
PROM is a night most teens live for. Unfor-tunately, it is also a night some teens die
for. Etta Stewart lost her son Ryan on the night of his senior prom. “I can just remem-ber him leaving home that day, and me stop-ping on the corner and waving goodbye. And that was it. I was never going to see him again. Not alive.” Ryan Stewart was killed in a car accident involving alco-hol. As a result, Etta, along with thousands of others, have become active members of Mothers Against Drunk Driv-ing. From its humble beginning
25 years ago, MADD has evolved into one of the most supported nonprofit organiza-tions in America, with chap-ters throughout the United States, including Colorado. As part of its ongoing effort to scorn drunk driving and pre-vent underage drinking, the MADD chapter in Colorado holds pre-prom presentations that educate teens on safe party planning and the dam-
age that can be caused by underage drinking and driving on prom night. Smoky Hill, Green Moun-tain and Thunder Ridge are a few of the Colorado high schools that will participate in MADD’s pre-prom program this year. “We want to get the mes-sage across to teens that drinking and driving can ruin someone’s life,” said Tiffany
Hanson, the youth program specialist at MADD. “They really need to place the per-son they love the most in the victims’ shoes. Drunk driving doesn’t end with impact, it ends with someone’s mother or brother living without their daughter or father.” So with all the excitement and picture taking on prom night, what can parents do to keep their children safe?
“Know who your kid’s friends are, know who their [friends’] parents are,
know where they are going to be, and communicate,” Han-son said. Plan safe transportation, and although limousines are expensive, they are one of the best ways to get teens home safely. “Encourage your child to attend school-sponsored pro-grams like a prom breakfast where there will be no alco-hol,” Hanson added.
MADD’s Youth and Action program is another option for teens to learn more about drinking and driving and get involved with the community. “We try to get teens in-volved as much as possible. We even have ride-along in which teens can go with law enforcement to see things first hand and gain knowledge of the consequences,” Hanson said. MADD’s Think.Prom also sponsors a video scrap-ing contest during prom season for high school students. Keeping in mind the theme “Party Safe. Party Sober,” high school students are encouraged to submit a short video that encourages their peers to think about their choices with lifesaving messages. MADD’s goals for the video contest are to not only show off talented teen work, but also to promote a fun, safe prom without alcohol. “I wish he could have come home that Saturday
morning and told me all about it. But it didn’t happen,” Etta Stewart said. “I never got to hear about his night.” Every prom night must to come to an end, but the weeks and years following should be filled with happy memories. Every teen deserves to live to tell the tale.
THEALUMNI/17
JOANNAGOMEZUniversity of Colorado
ActivitiesActivities April 2008
“We want to get the message
across to teens that drinking and driving can ruin someone’s
life. ... Drunk driving doesn’t end with
impact, it ends with someone’s
mother or brother living without their
daughter or father.”TIFFANYHANSON
Youth program specialist at MADD
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www.thealumninews.org
Swimming
Salon OdysseySalon Odyssey
Cindy Knight - BoiesStylist/Nail Tech303-564-9533
Jeanette Nunez720-935-2811
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STATESWIMMING
pro kicking academycoaching training recruiting
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COMINGNEXTISSUE
School of the Month•Erie High School
Coach of the Month•Jim Danley, Eaton
Speech•State championships
Teacher of the Month•Brian Kenney, Longmont
Tennis•Broomfi eld
Girls Soccer•Mullen
The Alumni Top 50•Who’s in, who’s out
Swimming
4A championship results
Individual/medley: 200 medley relay, Rock Canyon, (1:48.30); 200 freestyle, Caroline Shea, SR, Mullen (1:54.10); 200 individual med-ley, Katie Johnson, JR, Ralston Valley (2:06.31); 50 freestyle, Kelsey L. Conci, SR, Moff at County (24.48); 1 meter diving,
Jamie D. Bristol, SR, Mountain View (440.05); 100 butterfl y, Taylor K. Curado, JR, Rock Canyon (57.18); 100 freestyle, Kenzie L. Hewson, SR, Estes Park (53.05); 500 freestyle, Shannon Garlie, SR, Fos-sil Ridge (5:05.26); 200 freestyle relay, Estes Park (1:39.79); 100 backstroke, Kirsten M. Milberg, JR, Rock Canyon (58.56); 100 breaststroke, Lauren E. Hewson, SR, Estes Park (1:06.06); 400 freestyle relay: Rock Canyon (3:35.62)
Team standings
1. Ralston Valley 2. Rock Canyon3. Thompson Valley4. Estes Park5. Mullen6. La Junta7. Windsor8. Broomfi eld9. Montrose10. D’ Evelyn
302269.5161159115.5115102 95 94 86
4A/5A State Swimming Championships — Feb. 14-16 — EPIC Center, Fort Collins
5A championship results
Individual/medley: 200 medley relay, Boulder (1:48.92); 200 freestyle, Jackie H. Cromer, JR, Lewis Palmer (1:53.16); 200 individual medley Caroline Piehl, FR, Smoky Hill (2:07.16); 50 free-style: Tricia Nelson, SO, Ft. Collins (24.17) and Shelley C. Perkins, JR,
Chatfi eld (24.17); 1 meter diving, Elizabeth Yovich, SR, Chaparral (479.10); 100 butterfl y, Lauren Rigg, SO, Fairview (57.50); 100 freestyle, Jenna L. Gre-goire, SO, Rampart (52.03); 500 freestyle, Loren Brandon, JR, Cherry Creek (5:01.63); 200 freestyle relay, Cherry Creek (1:38.55); 100 backstroke, Bre-ann Fuller, SR, Brighton (57.17); 100 breaststroke, Christine Wixed, SO, Cherry Creek (1:06.49); 400 freestyle relay, Cherry Creek (3:32.60)
Team standings
1. Cherry Creek 2. Fairview3. Regis Jesuit4. Boulder5. Mountain Vista6. Arapahoe7. Rampart8. Grandview9. Chatfi eld10. Fort Collins
302269.5161159115.5115102 95 94 86
Around the StateAround the State
RALSTON VALLEY has integrated a help-ful Web site for its counseling services.
Featured under the counseling department Web site, students and parents can find scholar-ship applications, NCAA Eligibility Center information, college applications and more tools to assist students and parents in the college selec-tion process… Windsor will receive additional funding after the citizens of Windsor and Weld County voted in favor of bonds to help keep their educational facilities up-to-date… Fort Morgan’s The Close Up for New Ameri-cans Club participated in its third annual Soldier Support Coin Collection. Using only change, the club raised money to send soldiers serving over-seas care packages for Val-entine’s Day… Thompson Valley will be turning more focus to the Problem Solving & Critical Thinking program, with teachers implementing complex problems that re-
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Students from Legacy practice for their fashion show. Log on to www.thealumninews.org to get the full story.
Mustangs make choosing a college easier with new Web site
quire dissection, causes and effects, consideration of op-tions and an eventual solution. This system of problem solv-ing was implemented to help students better problem solve for whatever career path they chose… Skyline, through generous donations from Longmont businesses, hired a professional grant writer to help with its STEM/V-P Arts proposal. The STEM/V-P program will teach students skills for today’s modern technology using state-of-the-art equipment and software… Poudre’s Poudre Pals in accepting applications for membership. Poudre Pals pairs juniors and seniors at Poudre High School with elementary school students. With one-on-one interaction, Poudre students mentor the elementary school students on school, life and other issues. They also mentor the students on making wise life choices as they grow older. Poudre students can receive credit for their service in the Poudre
Pals Program… Horizon had the most improved 2006-07 CSAP/ACT scores in the Adams 12 Five-Star School District. Horizon is allowing students to utilize testGEAR online software that provides students an opportunity to raise ACT test scores through aligned content, practice ex-ams and personalized study sessions formulated through a brief diagnostic. The software allows students to access their personal tutorials 24/7. The tutorials focuses on students’ weaknesses and help improve
test-taking abilities… Rocky Mountain had 11 students selected to participate in the Colorado All-State Orchestra at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Rocky Mountain’s Model United Nations del-egates participated in the Regional High School Model United Nations International tournament in Salt Lake City. The delegates received the prestigious Best Delegation Award for Security Coun-cil/Counter-Terrorism Com-mittee…During remodeling construction at Wheat Ridge,
the school’s “WR” monu-ment was destroyed. As a senior gift, the current senior class is looking for financial assistance for rebuilding the monument. If interested in helping out, contact math teacher Mike Schmidt at 303-982-7782 or send donations to Wheat Ridge High School, Attention: Mike Schmidt, 9505 W. 32nd. Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. Make checks out to Wheat Ridge High School, and in the memo section write “Senior Class Gift.”
Chad [email protected] W. Union Ave., #CEnglewood, CO 80110
Call us today for a free design consultation, and let us help you create your own outdoor sanctuary! 303-794-3866
THEALUMNI/19
April 2008
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