AL Soccer Team Defeats St. Alberts

Here, the JV soccer team faces off against St. Alberts (Photo by Sabina Grenaderova)

And this is the Varsity game. This is also the first time AL has defeated St. Alberts in soccer in 6 years. (Photo by Sabina Grenaderova)

AL Boys Tennis Team Remains Undefeated

Photo by Pat Whitsell

 The last time the boys’ tennis team went undefeated is unknown to head coach Myron Wilder and players, but could this year be the one to break that streak? Perhaps so, as the boys’ current record remains 11-0, they also claim titles from Atlantic and the Missouri River Conference Tournaments. The boys’ dedication has definitely paid off this year, with hopes of making it to state yet another year.

“I think our seniors have led the way, by wanting to go undefeated, setting goals, and winning conference,” said Wilder. “They also try to keep practice fun.”

Though a few seniors graduated last year, this year’s team was able to come back with players from the previous season to work hard, stay in shape, and continue to play tennis every chance they get.

“I think the team has more success because of more experience and harder work,” said Collin Crowl ’10.

Not all matches have been easy for the boys to win; they have had a few close calls such as the Missouri River Conference, where the win comes down to mental concentration and a little encouragement from fellow team members and coaches. Players Cody Hollinger ’10 and Nathan Stuart ’11 had the chance to experience the pressure to win their match during their match at the Missouri River Conference Tournament.  

“I just mainly try to stay calm and relaxed,” said Hollinger. “I also talk about a lot of strategy with my partner.”

In the end they were able to push the pressure aside and focus on how to win the match. Although they were not alone in their match, fans, parents, players, and coaches were in the stands helping them to defeat Heelan.  

“I think it helped by having the rest of the boys and girls team there to cheer them on,” said Wilder. “And also telling them they didn’t necessarily have to win.”

By winning some of the bigger tournaments that in previous years the team has lost, the boys remain motivated each time they show up to play.

“What’s keeping everyone motivated is the dedication we have to the sport,” said Stuart. “We all give it all we have in practice and in matches, so we succeed very well.”

The team will prepare for districts and hopefully make it to state again. The season has been a success so far and the players have put in a lot of effort toward making each chance to practice an effective and worthy time.  

“The guys will have something to look back on,” said Wilder. “Their success is something to be proud of.

 -by Amber Michael

Intramural Basketball Becomes Girls vs Girls

              May 4, 2010 goes down in history for the intramural basketball program at AL. Early Tuesday morning the Sparks played the Nuggets in the first ever girl v. girl team at AL. Normally the Sparks have two boys play on the team as well, Chris Battaglia ’10 and Kyle Birnley ’10, but this game they decided to sit out.

            “We just had all of the girls play against each other,” said Battaglia. “That way it is more even.”

            Even though they planned to let the girls play, Birnley did contribute to the game, and with him the Sparks had their way with the Nuggets beating them 57 to a measly four points. The Nuggets had Jordan Kinney ’10 and Ali Lombardo ’10 score for them, while Maddie Whiteaker ’10 and Emily Olsen ’10 were the top girl scorers for the Sparks. Even though the game was not very competitive it was enjoyable for those playing.

    "I had fun playing them," said Bailey Kinney '12. "It was interesting seeing who would be better between the two teams. I still like playing the boy's teams better. They don't go easy on us, but the girls goof around like we do, and it made it sad that we lost by so much."

            The Sparks ended their season with a record 5-2, losing to the Kings in the playoffs. As for the Nuggets, they didn't win a game this year and finished 0-5. As the year comes to an end the senior girls leave with many memories, one of which is making history here at AL. Only the future will tell if the girl v. girl game will become a tradition, but for now it is history. 

-by Dan Hopper

Photo by Danielle Peabody

Track Season Successful for AL Boys

Photo by Christian Schlater

The AL Boys track team has been having a successful season. With school records being broken faster than one can snap their fingers and back to back titles at the Lewis Central invatational; the team has been doing a great job of maintaining peak performances. Though in the end it is a team effort to win the meet, there always is that star player that gets the job done for the team, and scores the points. For the Boys, that person is Austin Ebertowski'11.
                       
This past week at the Drake Relays, the boys had a chance to prove how good they were, and try to compete with athletes at the college level.It had been two years scince any events for the team qualified for Drake, and though only eight members of the team went, and only qualified in three events, some of the key athletes who have been competing well throughout the season were on the travel list to go run. Among those on the travel list was one of the fastest kids in the state Ebertowski. Ebertowski had not only broken the school record in the 100 meter dash, but he also anchored the 4x100 meter relay, and 4x200 meter relay which also broke the school record .Yet for those who still don't know him, a look at quick stats shows his impressive 10.30 second hundred meter dash time, which has been state record in the hundred for about two weeks. Ebertowski placed second in the hundred at Drake, and anchored their 4x100 to 9th place out of the 80 teams competing; now more than ever, his team mates admire his speed.

" Every time I see him run I just think wow, this kid is fast and has alot of talent, and when I run against him it pushes me to do better," said Cleo Harris'12
 
On top of the team success throughout the season, Austin has been excelling in the indavidual events he competes in. He has broken the school record in the 100 meter and  200 meter dash, which he  held the records from the previous season. He also has been showing trumendous talent in events outside of his usual area of experience. One week before Drake Ebertowski ran the last leg of the  4x400 meter relay and ran an incredible split of 48.67.
 
 " When I heard about my time I was shocked, it had never happened before and it really excited me," said Ebertowski'11.
 
Even his teamates that usually have nothing to do with running events like Thrower for the boys track team, Josh Kinney'11, are left in awe after they see him run.
 
" When he runs all I think about is how ridiculously fast he truly is, " said Kinney.
 
With Ebertowski on the team, there are a few gaurenteed first place finishes, and a chance for those collaborating with him in relays to shine as well. The team is off to an impressive start winning, two of their last three track meets this past week, and with Ebertowski as a weapon in their arsenal, their chance to win is definitely increased.

-by Devon Jefferson

Students Warm Up For Summer Sports

Photo by Pat Whitsell

The school year is nearing end, and that only means one thing for softball and baseball: official practice begins soon. With experience leading the team and new players backing it up, both seasons seem to be promising, and senior players have high expectations for success.

            “I think we should be really good,” said 1^st and 3^rd baseman Kyle Rommel ’10. “We have a lot of seniors coming back and should have a lot of experience playing. The juniors coming up will also help us and play key roles in what we need to get done.”

            The outlook for the lady lynx softball season is similar. Senior 3^rd baseman Kristin Burhenne not only looks forward to the fun that softball season always brings, but also believes her team, that was one win away from state last season, will stand out and be successful.

            “I think we will be even better than last year,” said Burhenne. “We only lost one player and have a lot of 8^th graders that will help us improve even more.”

            Both senior players will trade their lynx caps for a college team’s. Burhenne plans on playing at Bellevue University and Rommel will play at Briarcliff University . The Lynx summer’s sports are expected to do well this year, and Burhenne has three final goals for her senior season and lynx baseball could agree.

            “We want to go to state, be conference champs and have fun.”

-by Jessica Jerkovich

AL Welcomes TJ Athletes

Photo by Christian Schlater

  Transfer students are nothing new to AL, but for two boys that transferred Mid-March, it surprised several people. On Mar. 22 Cole Millard '11 and Cameron Molitor '11 arrived to AL for their first day of classes. The boys are both athletes from TJ, and their presence was welcomed by many coaches and other athletes.

 "It doesn't bother me that they're here," said Justin Kammrad, head football coach. "They just wanted the experience to be successful and they didn't think they could do that at TJ. I'm more than happy to let them come out [for football] and let them work for a job on the team. This pushes our guys even more."

 Despite popular belief some transfers do not have to sit out of activities. According to Jeff Novotny, athletic director, in-district transfers are eligible right away; out of district transfers are required to sit out 90 days.

 The fact that the boys transferred wasn't very newsworthy, until shortly after, the TJ head football coach, Steve Cozad announced that he was resigning at TJ and moving to Missouri to coach. Cozad said that the job cuts in the district pushed him to look for a new job. Then a week after that Dave Lutz, the head basketball coach, resigned as well. The news left some asking if the boys knew the coaches were leaving before deciding to transfer.

 "I didn't know [Cozad was leaving when I decided to transfer]," said Millard. "I said I was leaving and then found out he had applied for other jobs. I transferred because I knew the coaches up here, and I wanted to be apart of the winning attitude."

 The new head coaches are still a mystery at TJ, and whether any more students plan to transfer is also unknown.  For now the boys are welcomed and enjoy AL. According to Millard he thinks that it is a great school to be at. The boys are already very involved with the school activities. Recently they have been apart of the IJAG dodge ball tournament and intramural basketball.

 The boys have become a familiar faces around the hallways. Only time will tell if they are able to bring more talent to the athlete programs here at AL, but certainly expectations are high. 

 -by Dan Hopper

Photo by Danielle Peabody

Photo by Danielle Peabody

Crowl Brothers Face Off in Tennis

Photo by Christian Schlater

In the house they don’t agree on much, but on the tennis court the Crowl brothers get along well enough to win matches together as a doubles team. Although Collin ‘10 and Alex Crowl ‘12 share similar looks and the sport of tennis, one thing they can’t share is the number one single’s spot on the varsity team.

“I’m pretty excited for the season to start,” said Collin. “I think we can do pretty well at state this year.”

As practice begins, the boys will face each other to compete for the first spot on the team. Last Spring, the younger of the two, Alex beat Collin for the spot, and he’s hopeful to keep it.

            “Yes, [I believe I can beat Collin] if I play as well as I did last year,” said Alex. “I should be able to beat him, but anything can happen.”

            Although Alex is confident in a repeat of last season’s outcome, Collin believes the match may have a different result.

            “I felt like [Alex] deserved [winning last year],” said Collin. “He’s played a lot more than I have. This year I just want to take it back and work harder. I’m sure going to try to [be number 1].”

            The court will be full of intensity as these athletes compete for the number one spot. At the end of the day, though, they’ll still end up under the same roof.

 -by Jessica Jerkovich

Lady Lynx Kick Off Soccer Season

            Although the season looks bright for the girls’ varsity soccer team, disappointed faces were observed after their first match against Glenwood Thursday, Apr. 8. Glenwood, a rival of the Lady Lynx, scored two goals in the first half and kept their lead throughout the rest of the game.

            “We know we’re a good team,” said lynx head coach Andy Ruff. “To lose the first game is obviously a little bit frustrating. I think this season is going to be a success given the amount of talent we have out this year.”

            AL returned nine starters to begin the game, and added on two powerful additions, Danielle Peabody ’12, a defender and Ali Heitoff ’13, a mid-fielder.  Looking at Glenwood’s record of 14-2 last year shows their success as a team. Their ability to know each other’s game and work as a team proved to be more than the Lady Lynx could handle.

            “Glenwood is a quality team, but we are also,” said Ruff. “We want to be winning against these quality teams, not just saying we played good against them.”

            Glenwood has defeated the Lady Lynx the past two years, but for players like Jazmyne VanHouten ‘10, it doesn’t represent what the rest of the season will bring.

            “We all knew that we were going to have to fight going into this game,” said VanHouten. “I am disappointed that we lost, being that it’s my last year but I’m not disappointed with my team. We fought and didn’t let them run us into the ground. I am confident that we will work out the kinks and play up to our expectations.”

            AL faces Sioux City Heelan with an 18-2 record last season, on Tuesday, Apr. 13. With talent stacked on the team, this season is expected to be a success.

 -by Jessica Jerkovich

Photo by Danielle Peabody

Intramural Basketball More For Fun

Photo by Danielle Hogsed

When it’s nice outside, the sun is shinning, and there is just enough wind to make the perfect conditions, there is almost nothing more fun than gathering a group of your friends and playing a huge pick up game of basketball. When friends come together to fool around for hours, it usually ends up to be a pretty fun time. Luckily at A.L. there’s intramural basketball for those students competitive enough, but also have fun at heart.

 “I chose to play intramural basketball over regular basketball because it’s not as serious, and it is fun" said' Alex Klement'12

 Though intramural basketball is as classic, fun and traditional as A.L. is itself, there will be a few changes to it this year. With the season starting at April sixth, a roster of the teams and teachers playing will be posted in the gym lobby area on the bulletin board. Along with team rosters, match ups will be posted. As well as when team meetings, and deadlines to pay for entry fee’s.

 Along with other changes, this year games will start at 6:45, 15 minutes earlier than previous years. There will be two games played a day on Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays. Students and staff are to be in the gym at 6:45 to play. The games will be played cross court on the side baskets, so two games at a time can be played. There will be a meeting for team leaders on Tuesday, March 30^th. Yet even though there are a few changes to the game play this year, competition is still welcome by the students and staff.

 “I want to win because of I want the bragging rights" said Nathan Meyerring '11

One knows that the sweetest thing in sports is to be able to confidently and truly say that they are number one. Intramural basketball is as much fun as it is competitive. Though match ups will be fierce, it’s all in the sense of fun. So come down with a team and get ready to play, the competition is waiting.

-by Devon Jefferson

End of Winter Doesn’t End Basketball

Photo by Pat Whitsell

    As spring sports swing into high gear, it's obvious winter sports ended a while ago. At least that's what most students think. Teachers and students of AL lengthened the basketball season with their own twist. Three-on-three pick-up basketball games that is. It's safe to say that these aren't your average pick-up games, mainly because of the opponents.
    Freshmen team teachers James Larsen, social studies, Jeremy Dawson, science, and Jordan Brandt, math, have formed one dynamo teacher team, the Three Amigos, taking on none other than their own students, usually every Friday if their schedules permit.
    "We started it a couple months ago as an incentive for the freshmen to get to play their teachers," Dawson. "Plus it's good exercise."
    But there's also something to be noted about the students involved as well. Along with this reward of sorts that allows students to form their own three-person team to take on the tough-to-beat teacher team, students wishing to participate have to meet some requirements.
    "[The pick-up games are] an incentive," says Larsen. "We don't play students who are failing or have detentions. They have be to passing all classes."
    For those eligible students who enjoy pick-up basketball games this opportunity has received a positive response. Students,particularly boys, revel in the friendly competition it provides. What started out as friendly trash-talking in the classroom made it's way to the court.
    "We play because we want to beat them because they give us a bunch of homework," said Drue Cull '13.
    Although the games provide an outlet for competition. There is some moderate, in-class "trash-talking" that helps to build that week's game-day anticipation and intensity.
    "The trash talking is usually friendly between us, but we'll ask them things like 'you guys know the game has started right?' or get the old-fashion 'air ball' chant going," said Larsen. "It's all in good fun and the students, both players and spectators, get into it. We also like to say they've been "Triple Jayed" [due to all the teachers' names beginning with J's] after we win."
    In response to these comments, student players mentioned the obvious height and size advantage students take on every time they step on to the court. In the eyes of a student this seems like a legitimate excuse as to why they continue to lose against the trio of teachers, the teachers couldn't see it more differently.
    "They can use every excuse they want," said Larsen. "And they've got a lot of them. Many ask us if we get a kick out of beating up on younger, smaller students and we say, absolutely! Bring it on!"  
    No matter who one is rooting for, it's clear that this incentive has proven effective. If one's ever looking for something to do after school Friday (when schedule permitting), and enjoys watching high school students being "Triple Jayed" by the Three Amigos, well, this is the spot for you. Whether playing or spectating, it's always a good time with not only the action of the game, comedy of the trash-talking, drama over the losses and not to mention the old-fashioned schooling that unravels on the court with each game.

-by Emma Murray