Mount Hood

Winter Guard getting ready for upcoming shows

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Winter Guard, color guard, was created by Kayla Dow, sophomore, through her passion — started last year with a group of eight members and since then are growing.

Color Guard is a uniformed group of individuals who choreograph and parade with their school or organization’s flag during ceremonial occasions. 

Dow participated in Color Guard all throughout middle school and high school, and was also a part of the Drum Corps International. 

Winter Guard will be performing during the Men’s and Women’s Basketball games during halftime on Thursday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 29. The team will also be attending the Strawberry Festival in Lebanon with Western’s Marching Wolves on Saturday, Jun. 6.

Anyone is able to join the Winter Guard by, either showing up to rehearsals — on Fridays in Maple Hall 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays in Maple Hall from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. — or by contacting a member already involved, by emailing Ben Prothero at protheroeb@wou.edu or Dow at kdow17@mail.wou.edu. There will be some fees, but none too expensive and they are more than willing to work with anyone, the last season’s cost was 35. “I want to stress that anyone can join the guard,” Dow said about those who may be undecided about joining. There are some group members who have “never touched a flag in their lives” but other members who have experience and won’t judge. Everyone is out there to have a good time and create “something beautiful,” according to Dow.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu 

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Meaningful figures pass in helicopter crash

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Trigger Warning: This is a tribute piece for Kobe Bryant and the lives lost in the helicopter accident in Calabasas on Jan. 26. Though Kobe touched multiple lives and influenced countless people globally, his death has stirred mixed emotions from those who have been sexually assaulted or affected by the allegation/case against Kobe Bryant. This piece is to share the positives of his life and the ripple effect his efforts towards basketball and sports in general have made.

 

At some point in our lives we’ve all thrown a piece of trash away and shouted, “KOBE!” Today, this holds an entirely new meaning. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the world lost nine souls too early — from a hero, to a daughter who was on her way to shaping the future of women’s basketball and two of her teammates, their parents, a baseball coach and “the Mother of Defense,” — a coach for the Mamba Academy. 

Though many of us never knew him, he touched the lives and hearts of people across the globe. Kobe is an inspiration to athletes in any sport, students at any school, the young and the old. He shared his success with his family, his team and his fans, never holding back. Kobe made a name for himself and a repertoire that will go down in history. He uplifted the youth, created an after-school program that encouraged boys and girls to set goals for themselves and have the trust to achieve them. His support for women’s athletics, not only in basketball, reached beyond the stars and pushed many to follow their desires and dreams. 

Turning 24 just won’t be the same anymore.

Here’s to the impact those young future WNBA players could have created, to the inspiring words from the coaches, to the pilot and his efforts in trying to keep the passengers safe, to the parents and what they had planned to teach and build, to a mother and daughter, to Gigi who had her life ahead of her, and to Kobe — a basketball star that made other stars shine brighter.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Women’s Basketball takes two L’s during the weekend

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

The Women’s Basketball team had their work cut out for them this last weekend, holding two GNAC games at home. Thursday, Jan. 23 the Wolves played against the Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks followed by the Central Washington University Wildcats on Saturday, Jan. 25.

In the Wolves’ first game, they were putting in the work for the win, but fell short in the final quarter. The Wolves continued to lead into each quarter, one step ahead of the Nighthawks, but lost footing throughout the fourth quarter. The Wolves were only able to put up three points on the scoreboard, allowing the Nighthawks to score 23 — a 20-point difference and a long finish to a loss that should have been a win.

The second game for the Wolves brought roadblocks at every turn. The Wildcats came ready with a strong defense and scoring offense. In two of the four quarters the Wildcats were able to score 22 points and maintain the Wolves at only 13 points, keeping a nine-point lead. 

Wildcats came off every break with energy and urgency to score, but the Wolves were able to successfully counter on multiple turnovers. The Wolves were tested and reached a breaking point, ending the game with the Wildcats ahead 70-50.

The Women’s Basketball team leave their home and head up to Canada to play against Simon Fraser University on Jan. 31. Their next home game is set for Feb. 4 versus the Concordia University Cavaliers.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Kay Bruley

Wolves have good luck in first indoor meet of season

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Friday, Jan. 17, the Wolves Track and Field team headed up to Seattle for the start of their indoor season. After settling into their hotel, the Wolves were able to get some solid shuteye before their individual events on Saturday, Jan. 18.

University of Washington held all the events in their indoor facility, keeping runners warm and out of any harsh weather that may have appeared. The Wolves had multiple athletes competing in a range of events, from the 60-meter dash to highjump. 

Below are the results of the events that Wolves finished in the top-10.

In the men’s 400-meter dash, Gabe Arce-Torres, a sophomore, placed ninth overall with a time of 49.91, a split second from eighth place.

The 600-meter dash, a race only ran during the indoor season, came next with Wolves’ sophomore (indoor), Max Carmona, placing first in his heat and eighth overall — with a time of 1:22.37, a personal best from last year’s indoor season.

The men’s 800-meter dash was quite the competition, with four Wolves placing in the top 10 and taking the 11th spot as well. Derek Holdsworth, a junior, placed first with a time of 1:50.02 making it the third on the “WOU All-Time” list, followed by Adam Alnazer, a sophomore, Trey Reed, a junior, and Hunter Hutton, a sophomore, taking eighth through 10th.

Skipping to the relays, the Wolves placed fourth overall in the men’s 4×400 meter relay — a combined time of 3:19.47 — with a squad consisting of Arce-Torres, Lashaun Emile, a sophomore, Carmona and Holdsworth.

Two Wolves, Kalulusno Ngaido, a junior, and Jenelle Hurley, a first-year, tied for 10th place in the women’s high jump with heights of 1.60 meters.

Overall, the Wolves set their standards high for the rest of the indoor season. Next weekend, the Wolves will be competing closer to home — on Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26, at the University of Portland.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of wouwolves.com

Late night dreams to real time reality, Dom Akina signs first pro rugby contract

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Dom Akina, a former Western Men’s Rugby player, who has signed a professional contract for rugby with the Austin Herd — spoke with me about his future endeavors. Akina was born in Kahuku, Hawaii and started playing rugby about seven years ago. Currently, Akina plays flanker, the player to stop the attack and take the ball away from the opposing team, and wing, those who attack and defend on the “outskirts” of the field. 

 

Hannah Greene: How has the transition been from playing club rugby at WOU to signing a professional contract and playing at the next level?

Dom Akina: A major change and (an) eye opening experience. (I) didn’t believe it was real until I actually moved into my apartment in Texas.

 

HG: What would you say has been a great inspiration and driving force towards pursuing pro?

DA: I have to say the driving force was creating a better opportunity, not just for myself but for my family and most importantly my brothers.

 

HG: Has this been a long time dream?

DA: NFL was actually my dream until about 6 years ago. I really started to love the game (rugby) after my first year when I got to know the game more.

 

HG: What are some expectations you foresee in going pro?

DA: I expect challenges from players and athletes. I know (the) fitness, physical and mental parts of the game are going to have to be elite in order to stay in the game. 

 

HG: Are there any fears or nerves in the upcoming season?

DA: “No fear.” I started living by that motto for a long time and I believe that’s how I got to where I am today. Just being able to not be scared and be confident. I was always the small guy growing up and I had to prove a lot and work even harder. 

 

HG: Who is your idol?

DA: My grandma. My grandma is my everything.

 

HG: Any last thoughts or things you’d like to say?

DA: Just want to thank Coach Arne Ferguson for everything he had helped me with in football, and just (for) making better choices in life. Thank you to the football program, athletes, and coach Metzgar for teaching me the fundamentals of lifting and helping increase my knowledge of lifting. Lastly just want to thank the Rugby program because I probably would have never played rugby if our school did not have a program. 

 

Follow the Austin Herd on instagram @austinherdrugby to catch highlights and regular updates.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Tava’e Sina Kalena Sofa-Kini

David Ribich, a former Western runner, makes the Olympic trials

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Former Western runner, David Ribich, qualified for the 2020 Olympic trials. Ribich is currently a professional runner for Brooks, a running company based in Seattle, and has achieved a goal most can only dream of. Come June 2020, Ribich will compete in the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon. 

Ribich’s time at Western made for a good one — he set three records in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II and claimed two records in the NCAA DII national titles.

In 2018, Ribich ran three minutes and 37 seconds in the men’s 1500-meter run, which qualified him for the Olympic trials — but to meet the “Olympic A standard” Ribich must cut two seconds off his time to hit the mark of 3:35.00.

As of right now, Ribich’s entire focus is centered around cutting those two seconds off of his time before entering race day at Hayward Field in Eugene. Shaving these two seconds would guarantee a spot on the Olympic team. If Ribich is unable to get those two seconds swiped off, he must place in the top three or win his race to make the Olympic team.

The Olympic Trials will be held at the Hayward Field from June 19-28 of this year. The first round for the men’s 1500-meter run will be on Thursday, June 25 at 6:04 p.m., where it is open to the public to view and be a part of.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of wouwolves.com

Men’s Basketball soar and fall, during two GNAC games at home

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

During the first week back, the Men’s Basketball team held two home GNAC games.

Thursday, Jan. 9, the Wolves played against Saint Martin’s University.

The first quarter began and right away the Wolves took the lead and found their tempo. The Wolves continued their A-game from defense to offense, causing multiple turnovers from the Saints. From starters to bench players, every member of the Wolves were able to make an impact and even score. When the final buzzer rang, the Wolves brought home their third GNAC win, beating the Saints 108-73.

After winning a great game, the Wolves came back this past weekend to play Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Jan. 9 — a battle that ended in overtime.

The Wolves and Falcons brought energy and desire to win, each team flipping the tables every quarter of the game. After ending the fourth quarter with a score of 76-76, the Wolves and Falcons entered overtime.

Though each time was on fire, the Falcons pulled away and were able to secure the lead to win the game. The Falcons flew home with a 10-point lead over the Wolves’ 88 points.

Up next the Wolves travel to play Simon Fraser University on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

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