Tag Archives: Sports

unnamed (41)
Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

History of Men’s Gymnastics

Aidan Militello

Gymnastics has been my passion since I was two years old, and after almost 14 years of doing this sport I began to wonder. Where did gymnastics even come from? It was difficult to imagine how someone could even invent something like gymnastics, so I decided to find out.

Men’s gymnastics is a sport that dates back thousands of years, with the earliest recorded evidence of gymnastics being practiced by the ancient Greeks. In fact, the word “gymnastics” itself comes from the Greek word “gymnos,” which means “naked,” as the ancient Greeks believed that physical exercise should be performed in the nude.

These early civilizations used gymnastics as a way to train soldiers and prepare them for battle. They believed that physical strength and agility were essential for success in war, and so they placed a great emphasis on gymnastics as a means of training their soldiers.

But how did gymnastics go from an ancient Greek training method for warriors to the sport we know today? Well in large part it was due to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, also known as the “Turnvater,” or “father of gymnastics.” He was a German educator and nationalist who is credited with being the founder of modern men’s gymnastics. Jahn founded the first gymnastics club in Germany in 1811, which he called the “Turnverein,” or “gymnastics club.” The first gymnastics club Jahn created was constructed outside, and consisted of several wooden climbing structures, as well as early forms of the parallel bars, pommel horse, rings, and highbar.

unnamed (42)

2*

Jahn was enraged by the sights of Napoleon taking over his homeland of Prussia, he decided that he would empower his people into taking arms by training them using gymnastic movements.

As a result of Jahn’s attempts at empowering the people to fight against Napoleon, his outdoor gymnastics facility was eventually closed in 1819. However several turnplatz inspired gyms started opening in the United States during 1825, and gymnastics continued to gain popularity until its eventual inclusion in the first modern olympic games in 1896. There were 6 individual events competed at these games, parallel bars, horizontal bar, vault, rings, pommel horse, and rope climbing.

unnamed (43)

3*

At the 1920 olympics in Antwerp Belgium, the floor exercise was competed for the first time. However the routines most likely consisted mainly of calisthenic movements as opposed to tumbling. At the 1936 Olympics, we can finally start to see modern men’s gymnastics take shape. The men competed only on floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. There was no rope climbing, calisthenics, or any other unrelated gymnastics movement at this Olympics. 

Gymnastics continued to evolve during the 1900’s before experiencing a boom in popularity during the cold war, when countries began to view the olympics as a way to passively one up each other. The Olympics went from a sporting event, to more of a cultural war between countries, and it still remains this way to this day. However the boom in popularity was mostly on the women’s side of gymnastics, with gymnasts like Olga Korbut gaining worldwide popularity for her skills. 

Men’s gymnastics has continued to evolve to this day, with new and more difficult skills being created all the time. Almost impossible movements such as triple backflips on the floor, to backflips with two twists over the highbar being done. 

 

unnamed (44)

4*

unnamed (45)

5*

However men’s gymnastics never quite gained the same popularity as women’s gymnastics, and in recent years with title nine colleges have begun to cut their men’s gymnastics teams, as well as many other smaller sports teams, in order to allocate funding for more women’s sports. Over the last 60 years, the number of collegiate men’s gymnastics teams has gone from 200 in 1960, to just 13 this year. While the future of men’s gymnastics becomes uncertain, it is still one of the most incredible and difficult sports on the planet.

1* https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/ancient-greek-gymnastics-science-source.jpg

2*https://www.alamy.com/drawing-of-an-outdoor-gym-in-todays-volkspark-hasenheide-at-the-time-of-the-turnvater-father-of-gymnastics-friedrich-ludwig-jahn-undated-image-image345687157.html

3*https://www.gymnastics-history.com/2022/01/1896-gymnastics-at-the-olympic-games/

4*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr57hTIMcn4

5*https://www.facebook.com/InternationalGymnast/photos/a.129357528137/10154003557713138/?paipv=0&eav=AfYGGStF4zxGqqukHlQGtXg6kCOaFcJt7144XQ2ECwAuMO2D5o1HAnhrVMffGlcI9lU&_rdr

unnamed (76)
CVU Community, Sports, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

What Sports Do CVU Students and Staff Watch?

By Kyle Marvin

A survey was sent out to students and staff at CVU asking questions about what sports they’ve watched, their favorite sports to watch, and why they do or don’t like watching certain sports. It turns out that people’s opinions are pretty split.

sport

Across the world, soccer/football is the most popular sport. But at CVU, unsurprisingly, American football is the most popular. About 77% of people who responded to a survey said they had watched football in the last year. Soccer comes in third with about 48% of people saying that they have watched it in the last year. 

About 24% of people that responded said that American football was their favorite sport to watch, and about 12% said soccer was their favorite. These two sports being the two most common favorites also means that they are disliked by many. According to the survey, soccer and football are tied for the third most disliked sports, getting 16% of people saying they dislike watching them. Golf was the most disliked sport with 29% of people disliking it, and baseball with 22%. 

Why do people like or dislike these sports, though? A lot of people said that they didn’t enjoy watching sports that are “boring” or “slow-paced”. Those responses explain why people disliked sports like golf or baseball because golf and baseball have many breaks in between actions. This doesn’t however explain why people say they dislike soccer or football. Soccer and football both have breaks in the game, but for the most part are fast-paced. 

Many people that responded said that they disliked sports that they hadn’t even watched in the last year. This could be because of memories of watching the sport a long time ago and not remembering it clearly or because of things they hear from other people exaggerating how much they hate a particular sport, which I know I hear a lot. 

One respondent brought up that, in their opinion, “the quality of play we are seeing in Major League Baseball is excellent and exciting.” Yet the MLB attendance numbers have decreased from 2019 to 2021. The other major sports leagues in the US, apart from the NFL, have also decreased their attendance numbers from 2019 to 2021. 

With all of the results from the survey and the changes in attendance in major sports leagues across the US, it’s easy to see that the popularity of sports changes over time. It would be interesting to see the results of the same survey ten years from now.

 

unnamed (72)
Opinion & Review, Sports, Volume '22, Issue 1, World News

A tourist’s view of Qatari culture

By Colin Hallibuton

Recently I got the opportunity to visit Qatar for the World Cup. I was excited to see the games of course, but also to discover Qatar. Like many others, before the World Cup I had barely, if ever, heard of it. But when I got there and looked around, it was a little different to what I expected.

Qatar is an interesting nation culturally, because it has no culture. It feels middle-eastern, borrowing many traditions and ideas from its neighbours, like foods, architecture, sports, but nothing of its own. Only 8% of the 2.3 million people are Qatari, the rest being migrant workers or immigrants bringing their own cultures. The oil money has allowed it to build a shiny, but thin, veneer of cool skyscrapers and stadiums, but lurking close behind are the rows of empty apartment buildings, deserted hotels, and Lebanese restaurants. Qatar has spent the past 12 years rebranding itself and building everything around this tournament, which brought in over 1 million new visitors. The cost of focusing so heavily on what everybody thinks of you is that they forgot to focus on what they actually are. Even the national museum, while it has an impressive exterior, it only has a couple of exhibits about the nomads that used to live on that land, and where they came from.

These images are some of my favorites that capture the essence of Doha.

 unnamed (75)

One of many stray cats hangs around the new cruise ship port, built for these floating hotels used to accommodate the influx of world cup visitors

unnamed (74)

A shop owner walks through his falconry store, popular in the middle-east and the national sport of Qatar. The store is noticeably empty of customers, and full of stock.


unnamed (73)

Souq Waqif is the main market in Doha, built to emulate the traditional trading markets of the area. There are some higher end restaurants and craftspeople, although it mostly has lines of fake jewelry stores and cheap sports jerseys for tourists.


unnamed (72)

A lone camel rider passed our desert tour, riding into the sunset.


unnamed (71)

The view from the Qatar national museum, built by French architect Jean Nouvel to resemble a ‘desert rose’.

 

The view going into Ahmad bin Ali stadium before the USA v Wales game.
The view going into Ahmad bin Ali stadium before the USA v Wales game.

 

The view going into Ahmad bin Ali stadium before the USA v Wales game.

 

unnamed (59)
Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

advocating for activities

By: Taylor Rock

Vermont–Champlain Valley Union High School is an extremely sports-proud school. Sports get high budgets, sponsors, high praise, and more attention than most activities including theater, band, and clubs. How can we give clubs and activities more recognition?

Ricky McCollum, the sports and activities director at CVU, has a vast experience of both clubs and activities. McCollum is still adjusting to his position, but has expressed interest in advocating for both sports and activities more in the future. “Both parties have to work together. Right now it is a lot of individualized working. For example when coaches request or need things, they advocate. For me, clubs and the arts need to do the same.” He believes that in order for anything to start to move forward, communication needs to be improved. After he is all settled in, he will be able to get the ball rolling for advocacy in all departments— as long as clubs and activities advocate to him what they need.

I interviewed Cameron Brownell, CVU’s chorus and music teacher. I asked if he felt that productions like Amalie, our school’s most recent play, were advertised for strongly. He expressed that while the music and theater department does everything that they can to spread word about concerts and productions, “the arts can always use more advocates. Just getting the news out and seeing people who may not even be directly involved supporting and shining a light on it, really helps.” In the future, Brownell hopes to be put in “Celebrations” more often to advertise 2-3 weeks in advance of performances. I was fortunate enough to see the Amalie on the last night of performances. The actors were fantastic, the set was unreal, and the lighting was off of the charts. I highly encourage everyone to see a future production if you are able to.

Jason Fearon, art teacher, feels that sports are over-represented compared to other activities. “I think that we have a culture that has a hierarchy. I think sports get more recognition than announcements. I think that early dismissals for sports are seen as commonplace, whereas you wouldn’t see students being dismissed for clubs or musicals unless it were a rare occasion.” I have been dismissed on several occasions for sports such as cheerleading and basketball, but never have I personally seen an early dismissal for any musical or theater occasions. “I would like our system to be more equitable towards our students’ interests,” Fearon insists.

McCollum plans to ramp up his advocacy for non-athletic activities such as clubs, musicals, chorus, madrigals, art contests, art exhibitions, and more. The arts are an incredible way of self expression, as are sports. Both sports and activities are a fantastic way to build community and give people a bit of friendly competition as well. McCollum is more than qualified for his position, and we look forward to seeing what he does to advocate for everyone in the future. But until then… What will happen to the wallflowers who feel unseen?

CVU Community, CVU Sports, Opinion & Review, Sports, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Is Cheerleading a Sport?

By: Taylor Rock

CVU–What drew me to cheerleading was the unity between peers. At cheerleading, I’m family with the people who surround me. I’m a family with the community that I cheer for and so avidly support. It is a high energy activity for me to engage myself and others in. I have cheered Freshman, Sophomore, and Senior year.

However, even as a Freshman, I was always told by peers, “You’re not an athlete because you don’t play a real sport.” That is why I asked professional coaches to answer the query of: “Is cheerleading a sport?”

Ricky McCullum, our sports and activities director here at CVU, is clear when stating that cheerleading is indeed a sport. He stated “…when people talk about sports, I’m like, that’s definitely a sport. To me it’s similar to football as far as one of the top sports that are team oriented.” Cheerleading is a larger sport than what is simply presented to crowds at rowdy events.

In order for something to be considered a sport, what must it possess? I asked the coaches this same question, and all answers were almost identical. “For me, having a goal, having work ethic, and working towards something I think makes it a sport.” McCullum states.

Rex McCoy, one of our two Esports coaches, says, “I don’t think the physical aspect is as important. I might be biased being the Esports coach, but I think that the kids I see succeeding in my group are taking away the same values that I took away from high school sports.” McCoy is the only coach who did not answer with a physical component in order to classify an activity as a sport.

From my experience, I would define a sport as a cooperative activity working toward a common goal, with some sort of strategy and competitive nature. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines a sport as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”. Oxford Dictionary defines cheerleading as “a sport involving organized cheering and dancing in support of a sports team.”

Cheerleading consists of two seasons: fall and winter. Fall cheerleading is classically known for being represented at football games, and rallying the crowd. Rahn Fleming, the varsity football coach, is one of the biggest supporters. “The primary function is to evoke energy from the crowd. There’s a lot of vocalization to it, there’s specific gymnastic and dance moves…” Fall movements consist of choreographed cheers, stunts, dancing, and tumbling. During the fall season, we tend to focus mainly on cheers and stunts, while we dabble in dance and tumbling during quarters and halftime performances.

unnamed (57)
Cleo (Left) Cailie (Center) and Jackie (right) at our CVU vs Hartford home game, 10/8/22

Winter cheerleading is a competitive season. Winter cheer is known for intense dances, stunts, and tumbling. The competitive nature makes cheering extremely time-consuming with back-to-back practices, performances, and tournaments. McCollum states, “Just watching… It’s really impressive. You have to have courage, you have to have coordination. It’s a team sport. Everyone has to be in unison. Especially when you’re doing ones where you’re throwing each other up. Catching. Got to have trust. Because any mistake can be… the last. It’s very dangerous.” It is McCullum’s first year working here at CVU, and he has been extremely supportive of our team.

unnamed (58)
A needle pose at the CVU vs Hartford game, 10/8/22

Jaden Parker, a member of the boys Varsity Volleyball and track team here at CVU, says that cheerleading is not a sport. He says, “In fall you’re cheering for a team… in winter it’s more competition based with no sports team that you’re cheering for.” I asked why he would not consider cheer a sport, and his response was “I don’t think that something you don’t compete in can be considered a sport. That is why I believe winter cheer is a sport and fall is not. Most sports don’t require another sport to be happening at the same time to be able to participate in it. And I don’t think you can compete against yourself and call that a sport.” I agreed that he has a good point with the differentiation between winter and fall cheerleading. I also agreed with the fact that competing against yourself cannot really be considered a sport. Is there such a thing as a one person sport?

I asked Will Sprigg, a variety sport player and member of our E-Hawks esports team, if cheerleading was a sport. He says, “No, it’s a hobby. You’re not going against teams. Taking two teams and comparing them against each other, there’s no actual interaction between the two teams, and it does not create a sport to compete in. It’s like looking at two videos and comparing them, and calling that a sport.” He defines that sports need real competition between two or more teams, and he does not believe that competition exists within cheerleading.

Coaches have qualified cheerleading as a sport. Some students have disagreed with that definition. The Dictionary definition of sport is debatable based on where you source your definition; however, cheerleading has filled every category given in the definitions to some degree. This includes cooperation, competition, athleticism, and spirit. I believe cheerleading is a sport, and I would consider myself an athlete. If you were in my shoes, would you think the same?

unnamed (49)
Opinion & Review, Sports, Volume 12: Fall '21

What should the Red Sox do this upcoming off-season?

by River Mitchell

The Boston Red Sox, who had a magical ride in 2021, finally saw their season come to an end as they lost by a final score of 5-0 to the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the 2021 ALCS. With the off-season coming up, with some big free agents hitting the market for the Red Sox, this is going to be a big off-season as they look to try to make it even further than last year. In this piece, I am going to go over what the Red Sox should do this off-season from who walks, who they re-sign, and who they snag from other teams. 

First thing they should do is let Garrett Richards and Martin Perez walk. Both were brought in one 1 year deals this off-season, to help improve the starting rotation which was abysmal the year before. While their numbers might not look great, they were big parts in getting the Red Sox to the postseason, improving that starting rotation and giving the Red Sox a chance to win each and every game. However, with Tanner Houck expected to have a big breakout year and Chris Sale returning from Tommy John surgery, both are looking to take spots in the rotation. Considering Richards and Perez were both moved to the bullpen to make space for Houck and Sale in the rotation, I don’t see a world where they are starters next season. These moves will probably save them about 15-16 Million dollars. 

Another big topic of conversation is whether the Red Sox should bring back the southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. Eduardo had a bad year this season for the Sox, posting a 4.74 ERA (Earned Run Average), a 1.389 WHIP (Walks + Hits/Innings Pitched), and a 3.32 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) which is really the only stat that was good for him last year. He did have a few good starts in the postseason but the question still remains. He was really good in 2019 for the Red Sox, posting a 3.81 ERA in over 200 innings, but was sidelined in 2020 due to myocarditis which he contracted from having COVID. He also had a dead arm to start off the 2021 season, missing his first start. He provides value in the fact that he is gonna eat some innings in the back of the rotation, and knows what it’s like to win, being a part of the 2018 Red Sox won it all that year. Considering he had a down year that could’ve been affected by his health and a really good FIP, if given a full offseason to recover he could return to old form. If I’m the Red Sox, I would give him a 1 year prove it deal, for no more than 5-7 million. If he is commanding more than that, I would let him walk in free agency to go find a new team. He won’t have any troubles with that, as there will be teams that would love a guy like Eduardo Rodriguez. 

 In terms of the Red Sox slugger Hunter Renfroe, I think they would be fools not to bring him back. They signed Hunter Renfroe this past offseason to a 1 year deal, worth about 3.1 Million dollars, which he more than lived up to. He had a phenomenal year for the Red Sox, hitting 31 home runs, while driving in 96 runs while posting a .816 OPS (On base % + Slugging %) with a 112 OPS+ and a wRC+ (weighted runs created) at 114. While his overall fielding metrics aren’t great, he has an absolute cannon of an arn, with 16 outfield assists on the season. Overall, this is a guy that drove in runs at a high clip and was very valuable to the Red Sox both with the bat and with his arm. He was a huge reason why they made it as far as they did last season.

Next player we are going to talk about is Red Sox reliever Atam Ottavino, who I would let walk. Adam Ottavino was acquired in a rare trade with the Yankees this past off-season, with the yankees needing the clear payroll and the Red Sox needing a reliever. Adam Ottavino overall put up decent numbers, but definitely struggled a little more during the 2nd half of the season. He finished the year with a 4.21 ERA, a 1.452 WHIP which is very high, and a 3.96 FIP. He did have a very solid FIP and a decent ERA, but was super inconsistent. Sometimes he was lights out, and other times he looked absolutely lost on the mound. I think if he is willing to come back on a 1 year 2-3 million dollar deal, then I would probably bring him back. But, I think he might be commanding more money and in that case I would let him walk to go find a new team.

Next thing I would do is pick up the club option on Christian Vazquez. Vazquez in 2021 was not good offensively, but he does provide value. He led the league in innings caught in 2021 and was also still very good defensively. He did have some big hits for the Red Sox however, including a walk off homer in Game 3 of the 2021 ALDS against the Rays. He showed a lot of promise offensively in 2019 and 2020 however, hitting 23 homers in 2019, and in 2020 posting a .801 OPS and a 115 wRC+. He was on the team for the 2018 WS, he’s always great defensively, and his club option is only 7 million dollars. He could also be a really good mentor for Connor Wong, who made his major league debut last season and is looking to spend more time with the big club than he did last year. He was a piece in the Mookie Betts trade, so the Red Sox definitely see him as a very solid player.

 Next up, the Red Sox should re-sign Travis Shaw and Jose Iglesias. Both were released by their teams in the middle of the season, and were brought in to help with the Red Sox depth off the bench and provide quality at bats and give them more options. Both players have played for the Red Sox before in years past, with Shaw playing with the team in 2015 & 16, and Iglesias playing with them from 2011-2013 before getting traded to the Tigers in 2013. Shaw gives the Red Sox depth, as a left handed bat off the bench that can pinch-hit if needed and also someone that can hit homers, which he had a lot of big ones in 2021 for the Red Sox. Iglesias also gives the Red Sox depth, and will probably end up splitting time at 2nd base with Christian Arroyo. He is a great contact hitter, hitting .356 with the club in 23 games and 59 AB’s. Both love playing for the Red Sox, and would not be very expensive to bring back for another year.

Austin Davis and Hansel Robles are both interesting cases. Both were brought in at the trade deadline this season, and were both decent with the club helping out that Red Sox bullpen. Davis was traded to the Red Sox in exchange for Michael Chavis, and Robles traded to the Red Sox for minor league pitcher Alex Scherff. I think that if the price is right, I would bring them both back on 1 year deals. But, I wouldn’t want to pay them much, no more than 1-3 million dollars. But with that being said, there is a lot of good free agent relief pitching on the market. I wouldn’t be mad if either of them came back, but they are both easily replaceable. 

Now this might be the biggest talk of the town for the Red Sox this off-season. What happens with JD Martinez and Kyle Schwarber. Kyle Schwarber is a free agent this off-season, and JD Martinez can OPT out of his contract, which for this season is about 19 million dollars. There is a very good chance that JD opts out of his contract, considering that he could probably make more money if he hits free agency. However, JD Martinez really likes playing in Boston so that makes this very interesting. I think that if JD ends up opting out and finds a new team, they should definitely bring Schwarber back. But, if JD opts into his contract, then I have a feeling that Schwarber will be finding a new team. But I have a good feeling that no matter what happens, one of those guys will be suiting up in a Red Sox uniform next season.

Now this brings up why they should sign. The Red Sox are definitely in need of a starting pitcher, and could really use several bullpen arms as well. I think if there is a way that the Red Sox could sign Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer, that would be really good because they are both going to be highly sought after, arguably being the top 2 pitchers on the market this off-season. But, I don’t think that will happen because they will probably be commanding more money than the Red Sox are gonna be willing to pay them. I think 2 options for them that could be very realistic signings at more affordable costs, are Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman. Kevin Gausman will probably end up finishing top 5 in CY Young votes in the national league, while Stroman had a really good season posting a 3.02 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP in 179 innings. In terms of relievers, Raisel Iglesias and Kenley Jasen are both really good relievers that could give the Red Sox a lot of really high quality innings, considering they don’t have a closer at the moment. There are also some other good options, like Joe Kelly, Corey Knebel, Ryan Tepera, Kendall Graveman, Mark Melancon, and Aaron Loup. 

No matter what happens, the Red Sox are still going to be really good. Next year they are going to be looking to make it even further than they did last year, which is certainly achievable. But, they need to go out and make some moves and some trades if they want to make it as far or even further than they did last year. Because all the other teams are going to be getting better, and look to make a run at the chip as well. This also includes the highly competitive AL East, which had 4 teams with 90 with or more last season. 

 

unnamed (48)
Opinion & Review, Sports, Volume 12: Fall '21

What are my rankings for the top 10 shortstops?

by River Mitchell

MLB rankings can be one of the most controversial things around sports. Every ranking for every position is always going to be different, which is what makes these conversations so fun and entertaining. But today, I am going to give you my opinion on who I think are the top 10 shortstops in the MLB. So for this ranking I am going to go from 10-1, starting at 10 and working my way down to 1. Let’s get into it.

Also before getting into this, I am going to be using some more advanced statistics in this article to evaluate the rankings and the value of the players, so here are what those mean.

wRC+ → weighted Runs Created plus

DRS → Defensive Runs Saved

OPS → On base % + Slugging %

HM: Trevor Story

Story came up in 2016 just a year after the Rockies had traded franchise player Troy Tulowitzki. Considering that Tulowitzki was the face of the Rockies for so long and was their franchise player, Story filled the gap very well. Story has been one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball for the last several seasons, but last year was a down year for the Rockies slugger. He had a literal bang on average season, posting a 100 wRC+ in 2021. His defense also did decline a bit, but I don’t think that he is this kind of player. He had almost no protection in that lineup besides maybe CJ Cron, and the Rockies were not competitive at any point in the season. I do expect him to leave the Rockies, and that could potentially hurt his offensive numbers playing outside of Coors. That’s why I’m leaving out of the top 10, but I still think he is going to be a very solid player wherever he goes this offseason. 

HM: Javier Baez

Javier Baez was one of the most beloved players on the Cubs when he was there, helping his team win a WS and being a very solid player for years to come. However, he has always had a massive flaw in his game which is his plate discipline. However, when he got traded to the Mets his plate discipline improved drastically in the 47 games with the club. He has always been a wizard with the glove and has a lot of power in that bat, so he does provide value. He recently just inked a massive deal with the Detroit Tigers, signing for 6 years, $140,000,000. If he can perform how he did on the Mets this past year for a full season, this could be the steal of the offseason. 

 

  1. Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson has been in the league since 2016, but to start his career was not that good especially with the bat. But since 2019, Tim Anderson has been a really good player for the White Sox. He has had a wRC+ above 120 the last 3 seasons, with him posting a 141 wRC+ in the shortened 2020 season. He also is a guy that consistently has a batting average over .300, and even won the batting title in 2019. He even has improved his defense a little bit, with a 2 DRS in 2020 and a 3 DRS in 2021. Overall Tim Anderson is a very solid player with no really big holes in his game, which puts him at number 10.

 

  1. Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette got called up in 2019 later on in the year, to at the time a struggling Toronto Blue Jays squad. As soon as Bichette came up to the MLB level, he started absolutely raking at the plate. He has had very similar offensive numbers to Tim Anderson, posting no lower than a 120 wRC+ in any of his 3 seasons. I’d maybe just give a slight edge to him defensively, but both very close. I don’t think you’re necessarily wrong if you put Bichette over Anderson, but I think that Bichette has a higher ceiling than Andeson, so I’ll put him at 9.

  1. Wander Franco

Wander Franco might be one of the greatest prospects that the game has ever seen. Before this year, Wander Franco was ranked as the #1 overall prospect in 2021, and got called up only a few months after the season started. He started off pretty slow, but as the season went on he started to show everyone why he’s the best prospect in baseball. He posted a 127 wRC+, had a .810 OPS, and is very good defensively. He can’t go up any further for me because he’s only played 70 career games, but the sky’s the limit for this guy and will be a stud for a long time to come.

 

  1. Brandon Crawford

Brandon Crawford has been a stalwart at shortstop for the Giants, coming up with them in 2011. He has been there for 2 World Series, and has always been a really good defensive shortstop. Towards the front part of his career was very good offensively, but the past few years his offense has declined quite a bit. But last year he had a renaissance to his career, posting a .895 OPS and a 139 wRC+. He also had a 6 DRS in 2021, being one of the best shortstops in baseball this season. He is going to be 35 next season so I’m not too sure if he will put up the same numbers, but he definitely deserves to be in the top 10 here at #7.

 

  1. Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor has had a very interesting season. He started off the season not good, having an abysmal first 2 or so months. But since then, his offense has vastly improved, being a really good player for the Mets. The thing with Lindor is that he is nasty defensively and when he was with the Indians was arguably the best offensive shortstop as well. In 2020 in the shortened season he had a 104 wRC+ and in 2021 had a 103 wRC+. Mix that with the fact that he has a career 42 DRS, this makes him the 6th best shortstop in baseball.

 

  1. Xander Bogaerts

Xander Bogaerts got called up with the Red Sox in 2013, winning the World Series with the team and is currently the longest tenured member of the Red Sox. When he was first called up he struggled a little bit with the bat, but he really turned that around in 2016 and moved forward. Bogaerts might be one of the most well rounded hitters in all of baseball, as he has the unique ability to hit for power and contact at the same time. This is a guy that has 30 homerun power, can hit over .300, drive in 100 RBIs, and consistently hits for an wRC+ in the 130’s. His defense is far from perfect, as it is not very good. But when you hit like Bogaerts does, you are ok with the below average defense because his bat is just that good. 

 

  1. Corey Seager

Corey Seager came up with the Dodgers in 2015, and immediately put the league on notice with a really good run in 27 games that season. Ever since then he has continued to put up really good offensive numbers year in and year out. His average career wRC+ is 132, which is very high. He is a left handed bat that has pop, can hit for a decent average, and has had a lot of postseason success in his career. He is also ok defensively, as he is not elite but won’t cost you really any runs either. He has all the talent in the world, which is why the Rangers gave him a 10 year, $325,000,000 contract.

 

  1. Trea Turner

Trea Turner might be the most underrated player in baseball. Since coming up with the Nationals he has been a really good hitter, minus his 1st season in 2015. Trea Turner is not only phenomenal defensively, but he might be one of the best offensive shortstops as well. In the shortened season in 2020, he had a 158 wRC+ and a .982 OPS and a 142 wRC+ with a .911 OPS in 2021 split between the Nationals and Dodgers. He has always been good offensively but it wasn’t until just recently that he really took his game to the next level. He can also fly around the bases with 203 career stolen bases. He deserves a lot more credit than he gets, and is the 3rd best shortstop in baseball.

 

  1. Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa was drafted with the 1st overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft, drafting him with the expectations of being a super star. Well looking back at it now we can certainly confirm that the Astros made a phenomenal pick. Correa has been one of the most polarizing and controversial players for several years now, with the news breaking in 2019 about the Astros cheating scandal, which helped them win the 2017 World Series. However, any controversy around Correa has not been with his play. Whether you like him or don’t like him, he is one of the most talented players in baseball currently. His elite hitting abilities with his really good defense makes him one of the most intimidating players in baseball to pitch to. He’s so incredibly good, but there is 1 player better than him.

 

  1. Fernando Tatis Jr

If you are a die hard baseball fan like myself, it should be extremely obvious why Fernando Tatis Jr is the best shortstop in baseball. Since he made his MLB debut in 2019, he has been one of the most electrifying and outstanding players in all of the MLB. Tatis is a guy that can hit 40 home runs a year, have an OPS over 1.000, and has had a above 150 wRC+ in all of the seasons he has played. Those numbers are absolutely phenomenal. The only thing to improve for Tatis is that he did make a lot of throwing errors last season, but he was dealing with a not so great shoulder for the entire season. He is without a doubt the best shortstop in baseball, and he is one of the bright young stars of the game. Not to mention his glove is also phenomenal as well.

unnamed (16)
Sports, US Headlines, Volume 12: Fall '21

MLB free agency is here. Who will sign where?

by River Mitchell

The 2021 MLB season has come to an end, so that means that it’s time for pending free agents to sign new contracts and find new teams. There are a lot of really big free agent names on the market this offseason, a lot of them very likely to change teams and find a new home. So today I’m going to go over who I think is going to go where, and what kind of contract they will probably get.

The first one is probably the biggest free agent we will talk about, and that’s Carlos Correa. Correa has been a premier shortstop in the MLB for the last several years, and one of most well rounded players in the MLB. Really good defensively, good arm, can run a little bit, and is a beast at the plate. He is always going to have the 2017 Astros cheating scandal over his head, but there is no doubt that this guy is one of the top players in the MLB. He finished the year with 25 homers, 96 RBI’s, and a 134 wRC+ and a .851 OPS. With all this being said, I think the Astros will let go of Correa. He was given a qualifying offer which I can’t imagine he accepts, and he was also recently given a contract offer from the Astros. 5 years, 160 million dollars. I don’t believe he is going to accept that either, because he wants a long term deal, somewhere between 8-10 years. He is only 27, and is in the prime of his career right now. I think when it’s all said and done, he will go to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have AJ Hinch at the helm, who is his former manager and was the manager for the 2017 world series when they won it all. They have a young and up and coming team, surprising a lot of people last season playing better than expected. They are going to have a really good rotation in Casey Mize, Tarik Scubal, Matt Manning, and Spencer Turnbull. They also have Spencer Torkelson who should come up, and potentially Riley Greene as well. I think that if Detroit offers him a 8 year 250 million dollar contract, he will more than likely accept. 

Next, let’s talk about Corey Seager.  Seager has been a really good shortstop for the last several years, especially with the bat. People have always called Seager to be a top 10 shortstop in the MLB, and has been a stalwart for the Dodgers. Last season he did deal with some injuries, but when he was on the field he was really good, with a .915 OPS and a 147 wRC+.  However, they did acquire Trea Turner at the trade deadline while Seager was injured. That put the writing of the wall for him to be gone this offseason. I think that he will end up going to the New York Yankees. They have a need at the shortstop position that they need to fill, and Seager would be the perfect guy to fill that position. His swing would work perfectly for Yankee stadium, and is a good quality left handed bat that provides a lot of value. His defense isn’t great, but it doesn’t matter as much when you hit as good as Corey Seager. I think that they will probably give him a 3 year deal, worth about 75 million dollars over the 3 years. The Yankees do have Anthony Volpe in the minors, who should be up in a few years. They just need a guy that can be a bridge shortstop for a few years before Volpe comes up. 

Another shortstop that will be finding a new home in 2022 is Trevor Story. Story got called up to the majors in 2016 with the Colorado Rockies, and immediately had a huge impact. Since Story has been in the league throughout his career, he has been one of best offensive shortstops in baseball, while having a very good glove. He wasn’t great in 2017 and had a down year in 2021, but it was still an above average season with a bang on 100 wRC+ and 24 homers. He also had an .800 OPS and 103 OPS+. He will not be returning to the Rockies next season, due to the simple fact that the Rockies are quite bad. He wants to play with a competitive team, which the Rockies aren’t. I could definitely see him going to the St Louis Cardinals. Paul Dejong is nothing more than a bench player, and Edmundo Sosa isn’t the long term answer. Story would be able to reunite with old teammate Nolan Arenado, and would have more protection around him in the lineup. I could see the Cardinals giving him a 3 or 4 year deal, worth about 20-25 million per year. I think it would be a perfect fit for him in St Louis, and he still is a very good player, just had a down year last year.

Next up is another shortstop, this one being Javier Baez. Javier Baez is a very interesting player. He strikes out a lot, recording a whopping 184 strikeouts in 2021. But, he did hit 31 homers and finished the year with a .813 OPS and a 116 wRC+. He is a wizard defensively however, being one of the best overall defensive players in baseball. Baez was traded to the Mets at the trade deadline, and actually ended up playing a lot better with the Mets than he did with the Cubs. He cut way down on the strikeouts, started walking more, had an insanely high on base which he did not give while on the cubs. Overall he is a borderline top 10 shortstop, and does provide value. He isn’t a bad player by any means, but I wouldn’t give him the same money as Correa, Seager, and maybe even Story. I think he will probably go back to the Mets, on a 2 year deal for maybe 30-40 million dollars over those 2 years. They do already have Lindor at short, but Baez could fit in very nicely at 2nd base, which he did once getting traded to the Mets. 

Nex player we will talk about is not a shortstop, but a first baseman. Freddie Freeman, who has been one of the best offensive and defensive first baseman for this past decade, is now a free agent. Freeman since 2011 has always been a guy that can hit homers, drive in runs, and doesn’t strikeout much while walking at a decent clip. This past season he had a really good year, hitting 32 homers and driving in 120 RBI’s. He also had a wRC+ at 135 and a .896 OPS. I think that the chances of him returning to the Braves are very high, as he has been a stalwart at first base for the past decade for the Braves with no signs of slowing down. If for some crazy reason he doesn’t return to the Braves, I could see the Yankees being a landing spot for him. His swing would work really well in Yankee Stadium, and he would definitely be an upgrade over Voit or Rizzo. Neither of those players are bad by any means, but they aren’t anywhere close to as good as Freeman. 

MLB free agency is a crazy time of year. A really busy part of the year where people are looking to find new teams, and MLB executives are making moves to improve their teams. Of course, anything can happen when it comes to players’ new landing spots. But these are my best predictions on what I think will happen. I will be making part 2, so keep your eyes out for that!

unnamed (5)
Sports, US Headlines, Volume 12: Fall '21

NFL Week 7 Recap

By River Mitchell

The Broncos played the Browns in Cleveland on Thursday, October 21st, 2021. The Browns came up with a big win, winning by a final score of 17-14. Case Keenum got the start in this game with Baker Mayfield being sidelined due to a MCL sprain in his left shoulder. Keenum had himself a very nice game going 21/33 with 199 yards and a touchdown. Considering that Keenum has been a backup for a lot of his career and he was going up against a great Broncos defense, I’m sure Cleveland fans are very happy with the performance.

The Tennessee Titans absolutely walloped the chiefs On Sunday, October 24th, winning by a final score of 27-3. Ryan Tannehill had a very good game going 21/27 with 270 yards, a TD, and a pick. After going out in the first round of the playoffs last season, the Titans look really good and look to make it further than they did last year. Patrick Mahomes did not have the best of days, going 20/35 for 206 yards, no TD’s, and a pick. Considering the Chiefs won SB 54 and made it to the SB last season, it might be time to hit the panic button as they are sitting at 3-4, and tied for 3rd in the AFC West. 

The Packers, who have been red hot this season winning their last 6 in a row, beat the Washington Football Team 24-10 on Sunday, October 24th. Aaron Rodgers, who has been money for the Packers, went 27/35 for 274 yards, 3 TD’s, and 0 picks.  With the Packers trying to make it to the SB after losing in the NFC championship game for the last 2 seasons, they are proving to the entire country why they are still one of the elite teams in the NFC. 

The Bengals, who have been a huge surprise team this season, get a surprise win against the Baltimore Ravens, winning 41-17 on Sunday, October 24th. Joe Burrow had a monster game, going 23/38 with a whopping 416 yards, 3 TDs, and a pick. While a lot of credit for that win goes to Joe Burrow, you got to give some credit to Rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is also the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Chase went for 201 receiving yards on 8 receptions, also breaking out a 82 yards touchdown pass from Joe Burrow. While I still have faith in the Ravens and they are still a very good team, this was a brutal loss for them. 

The struggling Giants hosted the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and beat them convincingly, winning by a score of 25-3 on Sunday, October 24th. The Giants defense really carried most of the load, by allowing an opening drive field goal and then nothing after that. Daniel Jones wasn’t spectacular but was good enough, going 23/33 or 203 yards and a TD, with an unbelievable 1 handed helmet catch thrown by Dante Pettis.

The Falcons beat the dolphins in a thriller in Miami on Sunday, October 24th, beating them by a final score of 30-28. Matt Ryan had a really good game for Atlanta, going 25/40 for 336 yards, 2 TDs, and a pick. This game wasn’t put on ice until the final seconds, when the Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo hit a game winning field goal, with 3 seconds left in regulation. With the Dolphins coming into the season with their sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and high expectations, they sit at a measly 1-6.

The Patriots absolutely romped the New York Jets on Sunday, October 24, winning by a final score of 54-13. Mac Jones had by far the best start of his career, going 24/36 for 307 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 picks. That was a big win for the Patriots with all the struggles they have had this season, and the Jets continue to fall to the basement of the NFL once again. But that’s not the biggest headline to come out of this game. Rookie QB Zach Wilson was injured on a play by the Patriots star outside linebacker Matt Judon. The official diagnosis was a PCL injury, which gave Mike White the opportunity to appear in his first ever NFL game, including his first career touchdown pass to wide receiver Corey Davis. The Jets ended up later trading with the Eagles for veteran QB and SB 47 MVP, Joe Flacco. Flacco played for the Jets last in 2020, getting occasional starts here and there. 

The raiders get a big win against the Eagles in Las Vegas, by a score of 33-22 on Sunday, October 24th. Derek Carr had another really good performance, going 31/34 for 323 yards, 2 TDs, and a pick. With the Raiders now at 5-2 and 1st in the AFC West, this has got to feel good after coming up short last season finishing at 8-8. 

The Rams got yet another win against the Bears on Sunday, October 24th, beating the 0-7 Lions by a score of 28-19. Matt Stafford went off against his former team, going 28/41 with 334 yards, and 3 TDs with 0 picks. After acquiring Matt Stafford, the Rams have taken their game to a whole new level, while the Lions are struggling out on the field after losing their former franchise quarterback. 

The Bucs walloped the Bears in Tampa on Sunday, October 24th, winning 38-3. Tom Brady is still defying the odds at 44 years old, putting up phenomenal stats year after year. This game, he went 20/36 with 211 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 picks. While the defense was nails for the bucs today and has been the last 2 years, Justin Fields has not been good. With another disappointing outing going 22/32 for 184 yards, 0 TD’s and a whopping 3 interceptions. With the Bears sending a lot of draft capital to the Giants for trading up in the 2021 NFL draft to snag Justin Fields, they have to be somewhat concerned about the future of their planned franchise quarterback.

The Cardinals romp the Houston Texans by a final score of 31-5 on Sunday, October 24th. Kyler Murray had another great outing, going 20/28 for 261 yards, 3 TDs, and a pick. With the Texans most weeks struggling to generate any offense and with their defense being absolutely awful, it’s going to be a long season for Houston. 

The Colts get a big win against the 49ers on Sunday night football on Sunday, October 24th, winning by a final score of 30-18. With the Colts before this game sitting at 2-4, this was a big win for  a team who has been really struggling this year. Carson Wentz was ok, going 17/26 for 150 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 picks. But, Jonathan Taylor was a key factor in this win for the Colts, rushing for 107 yards on 18 carries and a TD. With the 49ers now at 2-4, this looks to be the 2nd straight year not in the playoffs after making it to SB 54. 

The Saints got the win on Monday, October 25th, winning in a close matchup, with a score of 13-10. While only making 19 completions on 35 attempts for James Winston, he did manage to throw for 222 yards and a touchdown with 0 picks. Running back Alvin Kamara had a big game through the air, with 10 receptions for 128 yards yards and a TD, while also rushing for 51 yards on 20 carries. With the Seahawks now at 2-5 with Russell Wilson still being sidelined, this could be a challenging year for Seattle. 

 

 

Photo by: Rick Cote
CVU Community, Sports, Vermont, Volume 12: Fall '21, Wellness

Williston Edge Closed

By: Emma Richling

WILLISTON VT. – The Williston Edge, home to swimmers, athletes, and loyal members of the community, officially closed down on September 30th, 2021. How big of an effect did this have on members of the CVU community?  What will change for CVU swimmers and athletes? 

Amelia Worth, a senior at CVU who swam for the Williston Edge Swim Team before the closing, shared her thoughts on the transition to a different center. “The Williston Edge has been my second home since I was five years old and I’ve basically been in that pool everyday since then. My drive to swim practice is gonna be longer and that’s going to affect basically the amount of things I can do in a day. I was really lucky that swim practice used to be really close to my house because that meant I could fill up my schedule after school with a lot more things like after school clubs and still be able to make it to swim practice.”

CVU swimmers now have to commute to the South Burlington Edge location for practice making other activities like clubs harder or impossible to attend. 

Elizabeth Parent, a 10th grader at CVU and a former staff member at the Williston Edge mentioned, “What I do at the Williston Edge I can do at any center, I’m going to the Essex location now. A lot of other kids go to the Williston Edge and could probably transition to another location pretty easily but most of them won’t because it’s a change”. Although the Essex and South Burlington Edges are only 15-20 minutes away from the former Williston location, the change to a whole new space and building might feel like too much for some people. 

All of the programs and services the Williston Edge offered (including Swim Team) were transitioned to one of the other centers in Essex or South Burlington on October 4th, 2021. No information has been released in regards to what the building is going to be used for, all we know is that it was sold to a company that has different plans for its use. As the closing approaches, concerns arise for the change that will come to many members and users of the facility. Worth said, “It’s something I thought was going to be eternal that isn’t anymore”. 

hunter
CVU Community, CVU Sports, Volume 11: Sp '21

Redhawks Give Insight on Spring Playoffs

By Hailey Chase

HINESBURG, VT– It’s the most wonderful time of the year— playoffs! For varsity players, this is what they’ve been working for all season: a shot at being named state champions. Varsity boys/girls lacrosse, tennis, track, ultimate frisbee, baseball, and softball will all be competing in the tournament—dates TBD.

Baseball (Hunter Whitman):

 

hunter Whitman

For the strong CVU baseball team, senior and captain Hunter Whitman weighs in on the upcoming playoff season. 

“Our pitching has really set us apart—Ollie Pudvar, Braedon Jones, and Ryan Canty are all strong pitchers for us this year,” The captain also noted that his advice to the team is to take playoffs game-by-game, and to continue doing what they’ve been doing well so far.

“We just need to continue to play good defense and to hit the ball hard. Some game-changers for us this year on the offensive side have been Ryan Eaton, Ryan Canty, and Braedon Jones.” Whitman predicts that by playing “their game,” the CVU baseball team has a good chance at conquering other strong teams such as Rice, Colchester, and Essex. 

Softball (Sophia Stevens): 

sophias

Junior Sophia Stevens plays on the CVU softball team as the starting shortstop. From her last season with CVU her freshman year, her role on the team has been enlarged tenfold. Stevens is the team’s starting shortstop, has scored 7 RBI’s, and bats third in the lineup. 

Noting a strength for the softball team, Stevens contributed “One of our biggest strengths this year has been hitting and our offensive effort. Even against really challenging pitchers, we have players who are able to consistently make contact,” which she believes will be a driving factor for the team’s success in playoffs. The junior expressed that Essex is the biggest competition in the tournament, and CVU lost to them (insert score and date)

While the team is successful at the plate, the captain noted that players don’t have finalized positions on the field; “We are still trying to figure out who plays best in each position,” she said, “We’ve struggled to execute defensively and that’s contributed to our lack of confidence. We will do our best to overcome this by moving on, and learning how we can improve in the future.” Stevens’ method going into playoffs is to lead by example, and to keep the team positive.

Boys’ Lacrosse (Shane Gorman):

shane

In 2019, the boys’ lacrosse team won the State Champion title against Burr and Burton, with the help of now-senior and captain Shane Gorman. Gorman has been a force to reckon with this season, and has earned 33 goals and 24 assists in only 12 games. 

Gorman stated, “We have the talent and the people to win, it’s just a matter of coming together as a team and performing how we’ve been coached to perform.” 

According to Gorman, the teams to beat this year are Essex, Burr and Burton, and Woodstock. In terms of the team’s strengths, the captain said “Chemistry honestly,” as many of the boys have been playing together for years, “Nolan Shea, Colin Zouck, and Owen Pierce are a great group because they have been coached together for so long.”

As a captain, Gorman preaches to the team about coming together as a team, and taking these playoff games one step at a time. “We need to play our best and not become stagnant. In other words, we just need to keep improving,” he added, hoping the team will respond to his guidance.

Girls’ Lacrosse (Petra Kapsalis):

petra

Four-year varsity athlete—now-captain, Petra Kapsalis, leads the girls’ varsity lacrosse team into this year’s playoffs. The senior plays midfield alongside freshman Gretta White, who has been a key player for the team. 

In terms of the team’s strengths, Kapsalis mentioned “We have a lot of strong players for each position.” Kapsalis believes the team’s skill depth is what sets them apart from their competition; most players have well-polished skills that benefit the team on the scoreboard. 

In the regular season, Kapsalis expressed that her role was “to organize things and support younger players,” but with playoffs on the horizon, she anticipates her role to shift to “make sure everyones really focused and to get everyone hyped up and excited.” The captain touched on how her team’s leaders in the past made playoffs an exciting and ambitious time, and she hopes to replicate a similar atmosphere for her team this year.

The team is 10-4 and according to Kapsalis, their biggest competition are SB, Burr and Burton, and Rutland. The girls lost to Burr and Burton in the second game of the season, Rutland on May 1st, then finally SB on May 11, but only by two points. Kapsalis hopes that her standout players such as Lena Kerest and Madison Peet will help the team not only with skill, but also with experience—especially against these top-ranked teams.

Boys’ Ultimate (Nigel Wormser):

nigel

Nigel Wormser is one of the captains on CVU’s ultimate Frisbee boys team. This spring marks the handler’s second season on varsity, as his junior year season was cancelled due to COVID. 

Weighing in on preparing his teammates for playoffs, Wormser stated “Ultimate is a real sport that requires a lot of focus.” Wormser hopes to refine team skills in the end zone, as one of their struggles this season has been execution when it comes time to score. 

The No. 2-ranked team is 7-1 with their only loss given to Burlington High School on May 13. Wormser is relying on the team’s chemistry to be the guiding element in the team’s toolbox going into playoffs, as he stated, “This is probably the closest team I have ever been on. We have great chemistry and we all push each other.” Wormser predicts that by doing as they’ve been coached to do, keeping their focus, and calling fouls when they need to be called, the boys can place well in the tournament. 

Girls’ Ultimate (Sofia Cofino):

girls ultimate

Sofia Cofino is a senior on the girls’ ultimate frisbee team. Giving perspective on the team, the senior offers, “Our ability to work together is one of our strengths. We have so many different ages that it’s impressive how we learned to play together—and win.” 

The girls’ biggest competition in the tournament this spring is Burlington High School, and with their coach on vacation, the team has been forced to organize practices without her. Stepping in during games, the boys’ varsity coaches have given aid to the girls.

With the weather warming up, Cofino is concerned about mask-wearing during games, as are most athletes at CVU this spring. “It’s been extremely difficult to play with masks, especially when it’s warmer,” Cofino states. The senior is excited for playoffs, and will lead the team as “Spirit Captain” in these important games. 

Boys’ Tennis (Henry Bijur):

Singles and doubles player, Henry Bijur, is captain of the boys’ varsity tennis team. 

The captain predicts his team will be successful in the upcoming tournament by “Bringing our A game to every match.” Bijur suggests that the team can remain focused and competitive. “We’ve got a lot of depth,” which he hopes will lead to a good turnout. 

“Some of our best players are Ethan Lisle and Charlie Mjaanes,” Bijur claims, and hopes those key players can continue to stand out and play well in the tournament. According to the captain, the team’s biggest competition is Burlington High School.

Girls’ Tennis (Ella Kenney):

 

Ella Kenney from Williston is a senior on the girls’ tennis team, and she is co-captains with Lindsay Beer. Unfortunately, Kenney was playing 1st singles and injured her knee, and has been unable to play since the third match of the season.

Kenney gives insight to the team’s strengths: “We have brought intensity and focus to the games while learning out individual games and strengths.” The captain also mentions the varsity team is fairly new and very young. “We lost nine seniors from last season, so there are a lot of new faces. 13 to be exact,” which is a huge change for the returning varsity players.

Despite the team’s age, the girls are 7-4, with two of their losses given to South Burlington, who Kenney states is their biggest competitor in the tournament alongside BHS. 

Kenney is leading her team into a hopeful playoff tournament, and is happy with how the season has turned out so far. “This year’s season has been so much fun; it has been great to get back on the courts and be with the team. We’ve done a lot of growing, practicing, and bonding this season.” The captain expects her younger players to be nervous for playoffs, but hopes to channel those nerves into playing a clean and successful tournament. 

Track & Field (Mckenzie Marcus):

mackenzie

Mckenzie Marcus is currently a senior on the girls’ varsity track & field team at CVU. Marcus has been on the team since her freshman year and is an experienced track & field athlete. 

The girls’ biggest competitors in playoffs this year are St. Johnsbury and Essex. Marcus has observed that both teams have many strong athletes that consistently place well at meets.

Giving insight on her own team, Marcus states, “We have a really strong distance team this year. Specifically, we have some strong female athletes that are consistently improving their times, which contributes to the entire team’s success at meets.” The senior believes that if she can lead her young team consisting of mostly 9th and 10th graders, continue rebuilding, and stay competitive, the girls are capable of placing 1st or 2nd (knock on wood). 

CVU has always been a powerhouse when it comes time to win; hopefully, we can put up seven new banners in the gym to make up for last year’s canceled season. The leaders of the baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and track and field teams are eager to play, and hungry to win. Schedules and scores will be posted on team web pages, and the teams’ social media will be posting upcoming games and scores.

Image courtesy of Wall Street Journal
Our Natural World, Sports, Vermont, Volume 11: Sp '21, Wellness

Stand Up for the Lake

Racers at the 2020 SUFTL
Racers at the 2020 SUFTL

By: Phoebe Henderson, June 1st 2021

BURLINGTON, VT– In early August 2021 (the specific date has not been decided yet), the 13th annual Stand up for the Lake event will take place at the Burlington Surf Club, hosted by the team of Wnd & Wvs, Hula, The Spot and The Spot on the Dock. This event will be filled with activities and celebrations on the waterfront. 

I spoke to Jeff Henderson, creative director and team member of Wnd&Wvs and Hula, about the event and what’s expected for this year:

“Stand up for the Lake is a paddle board race with probably around a few hundred competitors. There are two races: a six-mile race for the elite athletes and a three-mile recreational race. Basically, there’s a course on Lake Champlain and you start on the beach and then you ride the course and race on a 14-foot paddle board against men and women who also like to paddle race. It’s a day filled not only with the race but a fun party. There’s usually food trucks and it’s really a great place for the stand-up paddle community to get together and have a fun time.”

 

paddle 2

How will the event look compared to last year’s?

“This will be the first year after a lot of the Covid restrictions, so we’re hoping to get even more people because we’re not limited to I think it was 150 last year, there will be no limit and there will definitely be loosened mask requirements. I think a lot of people with their mentality will be a lot more joyous that they’re out on the lake and you know feel like they’ve gotten their lives a little bit back to normal, so I think it’s going to be a really fun event this year after what we went through last year.”

What can people do to be involved?

“Really the event is mostly about community and not so much the competition, although it does get very competitive. We normally have a cash prize of $3,000 that goes out to the top five winners of the race. We have a great community in Burlington, a lot of people that either work with the event or just friends who are just big fans of what we’re doing, they often want to help out with the event. Originally the event was a fundraiser for the Burlington Sailing Center, but for the last five years it hasn’t been. There are also opportunities to sort of come and be at the event on a sponsor level if you want to kind of showcase your (usually water sport-related) business or product, people can come and set up tents and usually those folks also offer prizes or goodie bags that type of thing for the racers. There’s lots of opportunities to be a part of the event even if you’re not into stand up paddling.”

Who organizes it?

“Primarily, Stand Up for the Lake was started I think even before Wnd and Wvs started, and it was just a group of people that like to paddle. But stand up paddle is a sport and our team wanted to basically have a party and get some friends together and have some light competition. Then Wnd and Wvs really took it over. Now it’s become part of a bigger sort of community with the Hula project down on the waterfront and the Burlington Surf Club as well as Wnd and Wvs and you know we’re just trying to make it bigger and better every year.”

Learn what it takes to become a stand up paddle board racer, or stop by to watch and experience the amazing facilities that Burlington Surf Club has to offer! 

Link to Burlington Surf Club: http://www.burlingtonsurfclub.com/

Sample schedule of SUFTL events from 2020: https://www.standupforthelake.com/

cvu
CVU Sports, Volume 11: Sp '21

Sports Update 5/25/21

CVU SPORTS REPORT MAY 25TH

By Erin Fina

Boys Tennis: 

The Boy’s Tennis Team moved to 8-4 on the season while visiting South Burlington on Monday, defeating them. They visit Mt. Mansfield for their last regular season match, Tuesday, May 25th at 3:30pm. 

 

Girls Tennis: 

The Redhawk Girls Tennis team moved to 6-4 this season, but were defeated by South Burlington on Monday, 3-4. CVU Girls Tennis hosts MMU for their senior day and last regular season game on Tuesday, May 25th at Davis Park at 4:30pm. 

 

Girls Lacrosse:

The CVU Girls Varsity Lacrosse team is on a roll, hosting and defeating Burlington 17-5 on Monday, on their Senior Day. They visit South Burlington on Thursday for a BIG rematch under the lights at Munson Field (S. Burlington Turf) at 7pm. 

 

Boys Lacrosse:

The Boys Lacrosse team has an impressive, 12-0 undefeated record thus far in the 2021 regular season. They defeated South Burlington last Friday, 18-11. They host Woodstock on Tuesday at CVU at 4:30pm. 

 

Girls Ultimate:

The Varsity Girl’s Ultimate Frisbee team is 3-6 thus far in the 2021 regular season as of May 18th. They look to host  St. Johnsbury at CVU at 4:30pm on Tuesday.

 

Boys Ultimate:

The Boy’s Varsity Ultimate Team has had an impressive 2021 season, with a 8-2 record. They defeated Colchester last Saturday, 15-6 and this Tuesday (May 25th)  look to visit South Burlington at 7pm for an under the lights game.

 

Baseball: 

The Varsity Boys Baseball Team had themselves a season thus far, going 12-3 thus far. They were defeated by Rice on Saturday, May 22nd 0-1, but look to host St. Johnsbury on Tuesday at 4:30pm.

 

Softball:

The Varsity Softball Team went 2-13 this season and defeated the MMU Cougars last Thursday, 15-3. Their game vs St Johnsbury on Tuesday, May 25th has been cancelled, awaiting information about rescheduling. They do look forward to visiting Burlington on Thursday for a rematch, 4:30pm at Leddy Park. 

CovidImpactSports
CVU Community, CVU Sports, Wellness

Sports During a Pandemic: The Impact On Student Athletes and Coaches

Ryan Canty, Fri, May 7, 2021

HINESBURG – The 2020-2021 “Covid season” has brought some high school sports teams success and others a hyphenated schedule or even no season at all. As an athlete, I was curious about the impact this season has had on coaches and players in the CVU community. 

Tim Albertson is the head coach for the CVU Varsity Baseball team. “Everybody is extremely grateful for the opportunity to play,” Albertson said. “After watching a full season of games get taken away, the fact that we get to play has made a major impact.” 

After the cancelation of the 2020 spring sports season, some teams find themselves with an opportunity to play the game they love, but for others, the 2021 season was cancelled. The Vermont principals association announced in November that boys’ wrestling and the indoor track and field seasons would be canceled. “I felt pretty sad,” says senior Sebastian D’Amico while reflecting on the cancelation of the 2021 wrestling season. “It’s because I’d been working out a lot and getting in shape. I wanted to win.”  

Covid restrictions and protocols have made it harder overall for teams to compete during the 2020-2021 school year. In the fall, boys football had to downgrade to a 7v7 no contact format. While in the winter, boys and girls hockey had hyphenated schedules and indoor track and wrestling were canceled. 

Seth Boffa, a senior running back for the Redhawk Football team said, “We made the best of it; it was still a lot of fun playing.” However, he went on to say that “being a running back, I couldn’t even run the ball.” 

The ongoing spring sports seasons have already seen adjustments to the Covid restrictions and protocols. The non-contact sports such as baseball, softball, girls and boys tennis and track and field no longer have to wear their masks as long as they are properly 6 feet apart. High-contact sports such as boys and girls lacrosse and boys and girls ultimate frisbee still require masks at all times.

 

For the full story, including interviews with coaches, check out the CVU Show’s May 18, 2021 episode.

cvu
CVU Sports

CVU Sports This Week 5/14/21

Jett Barbic

 

Lacrosse

The boys lacrosse team defeats Middlebury and Rutland this past week and moves to 8-0 on the season

 

The girls lacrosse team lost against South Burlington

 

 

Baseball

The baseball team came back from 7 down against Burlington to win 14-12. And now are looking forward to their rematch with South Burlington on 5/15

 

Ultimate

The boys ultimate lost this week against Burlington which ended their undefeated season

Sports

Coach Trevithick Hands Off to New Coach, Garvey

Mr. Ben Vincent

The end of a CVU athletics era came upon CVU January 29, when Dan Shepardson the CVU Athletics Director announced by email the Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach, Dave Trevithick, would be retiring from his position the upcoming season.

 “It was time because I got a lot busier, new baby, and um it just seemed like the right time with all the busyness happening,” Trevithick states briefly. His 10-year tenure with the CVU Lacrosse program ended quietly after the 7th of 7 straight D-1 State Championships, the longest run in Vermont high school lacrosse record. 

Dave T lacrosse coach

With the conclusion of such an impressive record, a new coach is named to follow up Trevithick’s record-breaking career. On January 29, ex- MLL player Tom Garvey was announced to be the Redhawks’ new head coach for the 2020 season. Garvey comes to CVU with an impeccable playing career, and he will soon transfer his knowledge of the sport to a coaching career. 

Garvey was born on October 29, 1983, in his hometown of Garden City, NY as Tomas G. Garvey. In high school, he played lacrosse, football, and indoor track. He was an All-American as a senior, then went on to attend Johns Hopkins where he was on the National All-Star team his last three years. Garvey now lives in Burlington. 

Trevithick has high praise for his replacement stating, “I know a lot of what Tom’s past is. Having him here will be pretty great!” Trevithick is beaming with pride, knowing the program will be in good hands for the years to come.

Continue reading →

Sports

The Kevin Reill Memorial Basketball Tournament: A Reill Good Time

Mr. Caleb Martin

The annual Kevin Reill Memorial Basketball Tournament was held this year on Friday, December 14th at CVU, with teams from across the state participating in the tournament to help them jump into their season with strong competition.

Teams from CVU, Burr and Burton Academy, North Country Union High School, and Lyndon Institute vied to take home a win. Four games were played for both the girls’ and the boys’ teams. CVU won both of the tournaments over Burr and Burton in the finals.

Beloved Athletic Director, Kevin Reill

The Kevin Reill Memorial Basketball Tournament is more than a way for teams to prepare for the season. It is about commemorating Reill and the work that he did for CVU and youth sports statewide. Reill was the Athletics Director at CVU for 28 years before passing away in 2014.

The tournament is a way to remember Reill and what he stood for as a person. Dan Shepardson, a longtime friend and colleague, states that “Kevin was an advocate for co-curricular, and in charge of increasing the quality of them.” Reill is remembered for his dedication to the needs of kids. He also strongly supported all students to be involved in co-curriculars at all levels from varsity to intramural.

Continue reading →

Sports

Fantasy Sports and Its Effects on the CVU Community

Mr. Cole Otley

The fantasy football playoffs are in full swing as managers attempt to end the 2018 season on a high note. Fantasy sports stretch from the NFL to NASCAR and are able to reach just about every sports fan in Vermont, and even in the world. Whether it be competing just for fun against friends, or playing for cash rewards, fantasy sports has something to offer everybody. It creates a social phenomenon that can’t be ignored with its domination of lunch-time conversations, small talk in the hallways of CVU, and beyond.

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of fantasy sports, the rules are simple. The basic idea of a standard fantasy league at CVU is as follows: Each manager drafts a lineup that they work with throughout the season. It is up to the managers to set lineups of players that they think will perform the best each week. The players are real people, whose fantasy performance correlates to their performance in real life. Managers can add, drop, or trade players throughout the season to improve their team. The teamsin the fantasy league go head to head each week until a champion is crowned in a playoff. The result of this is an exciting, comprehensive experience that brings people together through their love of sports.SportsColeOtley
CVU is no exception to the fantasy sports phenomenon. Prince Yodishembo, a senior at CVU, has been playing fantasy sports for several years and has developed some opinions of his own. “Fantasy sports promote a comradery between people,” he says. “It gives people something common to talk about.” Prince is a seasoned veteran when it comes to playing fantasy basketball and competing in the annual March Madness bracket challenges. According to Prince, he is a two-time fantasy basketball champion of his league and, in 2015, had a 73% accurate March Madness bracket. “Fantasy sports prepare people numerically, and it also gets people a lot of analytical practice,” he said.

Continue reading →

Sports

CVU Track Resurface Raises New Concerns

Mr. Ben Klein

CVU Track and Field Wins States in 2016 - Image Courtesy of Andrew McClellan
CVU Track and Field Wins States in 2016 – Image Courtesy of Andrew McClellan

“It’s painted backward, the drainage is poor, and the surface is worn down,” Champlain Valley Union High School Track and Field Captain Luke Morton commented about the condition of the current CVU track. The CVU Track and Field program hopes to benefit from a resurfaced track, as proposed to the CVU school board at a recent meeting.

Morton implied that although the track conditions are poor, it may be the least of the program’s worries. He cites, “Diminishing participation and inadequate funding,” as just a few of the problems which have contributed to the team’s struggles over the past three years. Morton also suggested that the current status of the deteriorating facilities reflects the state of the track program.

Continue reading →

Sports, Volume 9, Issue 1

CVU Redhawks Fall Short of 4th Quarter Win Against Essex Hornets

Screenshot 2018-10-31 at 8.28.38 AM

Mr. Zachary Hark

Essex, VT — On Friday, September 16th, 2018, Champlain Valley Union High School lost to Essex High School, 22-8, to put them 0-3 for the season.

 The Essex Hornets defeated the CVU Redhawks under the lights on Friday night at their home turf. The Hawks had a 4th quarter comeback score by running back, #12, Alex Murray, for 22 yards.

 “It felt great, but without the team, I wouldn’t have gotten into the end zone,” said Murray.

 Alfred Wathugi, a CVU student fan said, “It was nice to see the boys secure the touchdown along with the 2 point conversion.”

Continue reading →

Volume 7, Issue 1, Volume 8, Issue 3

Maintenance Crew Gives CVU Sports Fields TLC

Ms. Sofia Dattilio

When fall and spring sports start to approach, the maintenance crew, made up of Nate Miner, Paul Hadd, Dylan Raymond and Tom Mungeon, has a big responsibility of preparing the fields for all of the games that will be played. This takes approximately half a day to accomplish.

Dan Shepardson, Director of Student Activities says, “They work 6am-3pm, so they can’t work on fields after games because it would be considered over time.”

FullSizeRender (1)
Paul Hadd puts the finishing touches on the lax pitch. Image by CVC staff.

Mowing, weed-eating, applying topsoil, seeding and aerating the soil are all components that go into making sure the fields are ready to go for game time. This ends up being very labor intensive for the maintenance crew.

Shepardson says, “At the beginning of the sports season, it takes longer to prepare the fields because you have to draw in the lines, but after that, it doesn’t take much to run the painter down the lines.” On average, maintenance will draw in lines twice a week.

Continue reading →

Sports, Volume 6, Issue 1

CVU Hoops: Boys Have First Championship in Sight

Ms. Jaime Vachon

If one were to look around Champlain Valley Union High school’s gymnasium at the 133 championship banners, one would notice that boy’s basketball is not one of them…yet.

With a record of 22-1 their team has never looked more ready for a championship. It’s no surprise the boys have had a successful season with many returning players and 8 veteran seniors leading the way. Senior captain, Josh Bliss addresses the team’s new discipline, “Having the experience that we do has benefitted us many times this year in late game situations where in past years we lacked the advantageous experience.”

Image by Max Schmid via the CVU Boys Basketball Instagram feed
Image by Max Schmid via the CVU Boys Basketball Instagram feed

For the past four years, the team has been coached by Michael Osborne, who was head coach at Johnson State College from 2006-2013. It is easy to see how his coaching has improved the team since his start as head coach at CVU, in the winter of 2013. “Not too much has changed. But this year he’s just let us play more. Coach recognizes we’ve played a lot together and he understands our players and what they need in order to respond positively,” says Bliss.

Continue reading →

Opinion & Review, Volume 5, Issue 1

MLG: Major League Gaming

By Mr. Nathaniel Mick

pro gamers
Photo courtesy of Intel IQ

Everyone knows that one kid. The kid who doesn’t pay attention in class. The kid who is antisocial to everyone around him. The kid that sits at home and plays video games all day long. The kid with no friends, and no life. Everyone believes that he will get nowhere, and will work at McDonalds for the rest of his life. Even his own parents have given up on him. He will be forever known to everyone who knew him as the neck bearded guy that lives in his mom’s basement.

Of course, until he wins over a million dollars at an international gaming tournament.

Professional gaming is something that started taking off in the last 10 years, and is gaining more respect and popularity. It began humbly, but quickly gained a substantial amount of popularity. Atari held their first ever Space Invaders Championship in 1980, with more than 10,000 people competing. This was regarded by many to be the start of competitive gaming, as it was the first major tournament involving a specific video game. Since then, gaming had started to take off. The 1990’s saw the introduction of online video games, and the Nintendo World Championships. Several different tournaments containing several different games spanned the decade, until the introduction of globalization during the 2000’s.

Continue reading →

Opinion & Review, Sports, Volume 4, Issue 2

To-daze Sports: Athletes Take Concussions Head On

Mr. Michael Regan

According to a study by journalists at PBS program Frontline, 96.2 percent of deceased pro footballers had the condition, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, before dying. “If you’re worried about concussions, you’re in the wrong business.” said Carolina Panthers fullback Brad Hoover. Concussions are a huge problem in the NFL, but are also just part of football by its violent nature. For this reason in the last 10 years the NFL has added more than 15 rules to the game’s official rule book, in order to protect players heads and general health. These rule additions range from penalties, to automatic medical timeouts to mandatory concussion tests. This is all part of a massive effort to protect pro athletes from brain injury, and CTE.   

Image courtesy of CNN
Image courtesy of CNN

CTE is a progressive degenerative disease that affects the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. The majority of the 5.3 million Americans who suffer from CTE were athletes who took part in contact sports. The symptoms of CTE are both debilitating and life-changing for both the individual, and for his or her family. According to Brain Injury Research Institute the symptoms of CTE are but not limited to; memory loss, difficulty controlling impulsive or erratic behavior, impaired judgment, behavioral disturbances including aggression and depression, difficulty with balance, and a gradual onset of dementia. The Brain Injury Research Institute also said that there have been “several notable cases” including the suicide deaths of NFL player Junior Seau, and professional wrestler Chris Benoit who committed suicide after murdering his wife and son.

Continue reading →

Sports, Volume 4, Issue 1

Slackline Review: The Trick Line Takes out the Slack

Mr.Jarett Legg

Slackline Industries explains “The TRICK LINE offers dynamic movement and bounce for tricklining, the branch of the sport that goes beyond walking by adding jumps, spins and rotations. Featuring trampoline-style webbing with rubber grip and a backup line system, this kit is ideal for intermediate users and beginner tricks”. Slacklines give people a way to stay fit and active even though it is in a nontraditional way.

The Trick Line, under Slackline Industries, is an intermediate slackline that offers a variety of aspects to a new way of fitness. Most people would believe that they could hop on a slackline and just go. They would find out real quick that they are wrong. Slacklining is one of the most difficult things that an athlete can do. Even people that are pretty comfortable on a slackline have difficulties doing tricks. It is one thing to be able to walk across a slackline, and it is another to be able to do a backflip.

Jarrett Takes out the Slack
Jarrett Takes out the Slack

There are many different types slacklines including The Baseline, The Aggro Line, and The Boss Line. All of which offer a variety of  different straps and ratchets that are categorized into many difficulties; for example, the Trick Line is an intermediate line that offers an easier way to learn how to walk across, and the Boss line is considered an expert line that is mostly used for advanced tricks such as a back flip.

Continue reading →

Uncategorized, Volume 3, Issue 2

NFL Pros and Cons: Should We Protect our Modern-day Gladiators?

Mr. Cooper Bolduc with Mr. Matthew Faris 

We have seen them countless times in athletics. Athletes obtain injures, and within seconds after being removed from the action, are given a diagnosis. They receive a few weeks of physical therapy, and produce a miraculous return.

However what happens when that athlete has brain trauma or a mental illness? They may have effects that people don’t know about or overlook because all they want is to put the athlete back into the action. When an athlete has a concussion, people believe that once the athlete’s brain is able to function at a certain level again — the concussion is gone and remarkably, the effects are gone simultaneously. That isn’t true. Concussions have long term mental effects. Among the list of long term effects: depression or anxiety.

Continue reading →