Mora Cross-Country Team Shines

 Junior Emma Johnson tied a school record at the Conference meet on Tuesday.

On a cold and sunny fall day, the Mora Mustang Cross-Country runners took to the trails at Trailview Middle School hoping to impress onlookers and opposing teams at the West-Central Conference North Meet in Mora.

            And impress they did, with Emma Johnson running a race that tied the school record, Goodwin Amundson winning the Junior Varsity (JV) race, and many runners achieving personal best times.

Athletes obtaining these personal best times were: Emma Johnson, Bethany Coop, Samantha Weaver, Sam Johnson, Brent Schroeder, Austin Lick, Brendan Johnson, and Nick Fackler.

Team captains Andrew Coop and Emma Johnson, Bethany Coop and Sam Johnson all finished in the top 15 of their Varsity races and earned All-Conference honors.

            The Mora Varsity girls placed third out of six complete teams and the Varsity boys placed second; finishing behind St. Cloud Cathedral. Mora’s JV teams both placed third overall.  The Junior High runners also did well with both teams placing second.

            Andrew Coop led the Varsity boys (4^th place/17:00) followed shortly by Sam Johnson (15^th/17:54), Tony Nikodym (18^th/18:03), Noah Moravec (19^th/18:04), Matthew Bostrom (18:20), Brent Schroeder (18:25), and Austin Lick (18:44).

            On the girls’ Varsity side, Emma Johnson’s school record also brought her a fourth place finish (15:35).  Johnson talked about her race that tied the school record, and said that she felt good during her race and was very excited when she saw her time on the clock. She was followed by Bethany Coop (15^th/16:20), Kaitlyn LaFrance (20^th/16:34), Ashlee Bahlmann (22^nd/16:45), and Rachel Scullard (24^th/16:51). Emily Leeb (17:35) and Amber Balvin (17:55) rounded out the Varsity team.

            Junior Varsity boys were led by Goodwin Amundson’s first place finish (18:08). Coming in next were Brendan Johnson (8^th/19:21), Jon Jones (12^th/19:43), Shawn Strom (20:07), and Nick Fackler (20:48).

Rachel Hovland (7^th/17:31) and Samantha Weaver (10^th/17:39) were the first female Mora JV runners to come in. Rounding out the top five for Mora were Paige Thielen (14^th/18:39), Jessica Mathison (18:44), and Jessica Yarger (19:03).

            The Junior High boys’ team did very well with three top 10 finishes. Lucas Parsons (6th/11:51), Tyler Orr (8^th/11:55), Keyan Weaver (9^th/11:55), Calvin Cheney (13:30), and Owen Krueger (13:35) were the top five Mora finishers.

            Maranda Bergstadt was the first finisher for the Mora Junior High girls with a fifth place finish (13:02). Amorette Johnson (6^th/13:10), Daisy Dixon (12^th/13:53), Brooke Oslin (14^th/14:14), and Stephanie Brackenbury (23^rd/15:07) rounded out Mora’s top finishers.

            Coaches Chris Goebel and Rachel Norby were happy with how their home meet went. Coach Norby said, “This was the last race of the season for our junior varsity and junior high runners, and many of them ran their best races or close to best races of the season today. The whole team has been working hard all season, and it was great to see many of the runners perform so well today.”

The Varsity runners will compete at the Sections Meet in Pierz, scheduled for Thursday, October 28^th. The races start at 4:00, so come and watch your Mora Cross-Country team!

           

Nicole Willms

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A Life Filled With Sports Lessons

    “Teamwork, hard work, self control, and respect are just a few things I learned and continue to use in my life.” If you heard someone say this, would you think they were talking about family? A job? For Nicole Willms, these important life lessons were learned while playing sports.
    When she was three years old, she started playing tee-ball and thereafter was always on a field. Nicole’s two brothers and her parents played sports, so she always had ready coaches.
    Nicole was introduced to many sports through the years, and she distinctly remembers one scene. “I can still remember the day my mom tried putting me in dance and I told her there was no way I was twirling in circles! I wanted to play in the dirt!”
At six years old she learned how to play soccer and played her “signature” sport for the next 15 years. She started on the varsity team throughout high school. Nicole also ran track because she “had a lot of speed and it was put to good use.”
Nicole didn’t play softball in high school, but she now plays several nights a week. She even coaches her two and a half- and seven-year old children in the sport because she enjoys watching them learn how to play the sport she loves.
Nicole says, “I enjoy what each sport/team has brought to my life and taught me.” Life lessons and happiness often come from playing sports, and Nicole is living proof of that.

Interview Transcript

Could you tell me about yourself and give me some ideas of what to interview you on; such as an event or interest/hobby?

I enjoy playing sports, softball, volleyball and broomball. I have 2 kids, 7 and 2 1/2. I work full time in a dr. office and go to school full time in hopes of being an RN. My family is the most important thing in my life.

When did you start playing sports and what interested you about them in the first place?

I have grown up playing sports. I started when I was 3 years old playing teeball (we hit off the tee). I was always at a baseball/softball field

growing up. As the years went on I was introduced to other sports in hopes of liking it! I can still remember to this day when my mom tried putting me in dance and I told her there was no way I was twirling in circles!! I wanted to play in the dirt!! So, I tried basketball at one point in my life and I was okay with it however, I was just too aggressive, what would you expect because I

have two brothers!!

Did you play sports with your family often, which ones?

I had a brother who was 2 years older than me. Plus, my mom and dad were still playing competitive adult softball. I think that's where I got the interest to play ball.

What is your favorite sport and why?

I was introduced to soccer when I was 6 and absolutely loved it!! I played all year round for the next 15 years!

During high school and college did you join any sports teams, which ones?

I played all four years at the varsity level in high school (soccer). I started as a freshman and every year after. In high school I also ran track. I had a lot of speed and it was put to good use. I was all conference in both sports. I neglected to play softball in high school because I wasn’t big a fan of fastpitch. I thought it was too slow and it's a pitcher, catcher game.

What was the biggest life lesson or skill that you learned while playing sports, (such as teamwork)?

I enjoy what each sport/team has brought to my life and taught me. Teamwork, hard work, self control, and respect are just a few things I learned and have been able to continue to use in my life.

Why do you enjoy playing sports?

I enjoy what each sport/team has brought to my life.

Have you ever coached a team? If so, how was that experience?

I have two younger children (7 and 2/12) who I coach and enjoy it very much. I like being able to watch them learn a sport that I love.

Have sports ever been a huge/important part of your life?

To this day I continue playing softball several nights a week and weekends.

How were the coaches that you had, did they put a lot of pressure on you?

I had a lot of pressure put on me for many years when my parents coached me in either sport. They felt as if I should be the best and wanted me to be the best, so they pushed me the most to be the best I can. And it all paid off. At the time I hated it when my parents would be constantly yelling at me, but as I look back I wouldn't change it for the world. A huge part of who I am today is because of my parents and their will for me to be the best. They taught me what it meant to work hard and become not only a better player but a better person.

Sleep Deprivation A Huge Problem

Hannah Swanson
Chapter 11 Exercise 4
October 7, 2010

“Going without enough sleep is as much of a public and personal safety hazard as going to work drunk.” Diana Gant, a professor in the Psychology Department at Anoka Ramsey Community College, has been studying sleep for over 17 years and has found the above statement to be true.

Gant says that the average person gets about seven hours of sleep a night, while the recommended amount for most people is nine to ten hours. She says that, just like people exercise because it’s healthy, people need adequate sleep because it’s healthy.

Sleep deprivation can cause many problems, and Gant gives us these examples: your clothes might feel heavy, you may become very drowsy after lunch, you can become depressed, and you could even fall asleep at the wheel.

As a professor, Gant wants to continue learning and be able to share some of her observations. This is why she decided to study traffic accidents the day after people lose an hour to daylights saving’s time in the spring and also the day after people gain an hour in the fall.

Gant found that there was an 8 percent increase in accidents the day after the time change in the spring. When people gain an hour of sleep, she found that there was a decrease in the number of accidents reported.

“…when people get up just an hour early it’s the equivalent of a national jet leg. The effect can last a week,” says Gant of the time changes.

If you’re wondering how you can solve your sleep deprivation problem Gant says almost everyone in her field agrees on what you can do. The first step is to find a place to sleep that is very dark and quiet. To relax yourself, watch TV or read a book for about an hour before you go to bed. The temperature in your room should be cool, about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a good night’s sleep she recommends not drinking alcohol or caffeine and avoiding food, especially foods with a lot of sugar. These can disturb your sleep because your brain becomes much more alert. Most importantly, Gant says to have a comfortable bed with clean and fresh bed linens.