16 sports
A look into free diving: Gavin Siegert ‘16 muses on his underwater experience Gavin Siegert • Contributing Writer
I
went to the Island School in the Bahamas for the first semester of this school year, and one of the great opportunities that they offered students was a chance to go free diving in the phenomenal
Blake by the numbers UNDERCLASS edition
water of the Bahamas. Free diving is when you dive down under water and stay as long as you can with one breath. Most of the time, we were taken to a beautiful place called Cathedral to free dive. The Cathedral is a giant coral head that comes up from sixty feet at its bottom depth to about twenty feet from the surface. Around fifty feet down is a
tunnel that pierces right through the rock. Going through this tunnel is not an easy task. Obviously, it takes strong lungs, but more than anything, it takes a strong mindset—one that is able to say no to your body’s call for breath. If you are able to master these skills, the experience is unlike any other.
15.5
Save percentage for goalie Andrew Dietrich ‘18.
Overcoming the odds
Girls’ basketball develops perseverance Hudson Dougan • Staff Writer
T
he Blake Girls’ Basketball program consists of nine players. In order to play games, they need five players on the court at all times. This leaves them with only four
lenges, said this: “Having everyone healthy I’d say has been one of the biggest struggles. It’s so easy to get frustrated and angry at the lack of numbers.” Assistant Coach Whitney
Boiling:
photo credit: Hudson Dougan
photo submitted by Gavin Siegert
Siegert free dives in the beautiful water of the Bahamas
Taking a knee
remind the girls that playing through adversity—injury, illness, and other life distractions—is something that we have to do in life and this is great practice for that!”
Heat Index
The girls’ team has found success through their strong team bond.
Points per game for freshman scoring leader Jack Moe ‘18
.868
spectrum newspaper • january 29, 2015
players on the bench. To put these numbers in perspective, the Boys’ Basketball program has thirty-eight boys along with eighteen on Varsity. The girls have battled to say the least; recently they beat Breck by a resounding 16 points behind 35 points from sophomore Nia Harris ‘17. Junior Captain Olivia Fleming ‘16, when asked about the team’s chal-
Smetana also accredited their success to the team’s attitude and resolve, saying: “The girl’s that we have are extremely dedicated and passionate about the game of basketball.” The girls have had their fair share of ups and downs. As Coach Smetana describes it: “This has been a challenging season when you look at the win/loss column. As coaches, we constantly
Carly bullock ‘16
With 37 goals, The points leader for the 19-4 girls’ hockey team makes it look easy
One man’s investigation into the “Senior Slump” and sports
6
th
Average placement in ski races this season for Zack Dekko ‘18
35
POINTS SCORED BY NIA HARRIS ‘17 IN THE GIRLS’ WIN OVER BRECK
Michael Malecha • Staff Writer
S
enior slide is an alliteration that is not only easy to say, but also an accurate term for the general relaxation of the senior student body during the second semester. It has become common to hear seniors say, “I’m on the senior slide, I’m feeling all right.” But is this relaxed state of mind— along with the and label we use for it— applicable only in academia, or are other aspects of life affected? Isaac Frans ‘15, who was once a dedicated lacrosse and basketball participant, says that the senior slide “has had such an effect that I’m actually not playing any sports at all.” Frans decided that during his senior slide, he was going to relax and have no worries regarding his athletic life.
Moss Shannon ‘15, a definitely felt less motiBlake Varsity Lacrosse vated than I normally do player and a during my sport. quasi But I don’t intelthink this is a
lectual bad says “oh, it’s photo credit: Will Kaback real, man. The senior slide A group of seniors experiences “the slump” is real. And it’s alive, too. In sports, I’m still tena- thing. Being so relaxed alcious and want to succeed, ways me to enjoy all these but the relaxed mentality precious moments of high that I feel in school does school.” carry over to the field. I’ve Hodan Ahmed ‘15, a
leading member of the Blake Girls Basketball team, frequently converses about how basketball is a physically and mentally challenging game but overall incredibly rewarding. Her passion for her game was not as affected as her academics were during senior slide. Says Ahmed, “it’s real in academia. I have felt a great relaxation when concerning my schoolwork. But basketball? Nah, I still work my hardest in basketball. The Slide has had no effect on that.” It seems as though the phenomenon touches everybody in a different aspect of life. While some students allow the senior slide to affect their athletic life, others stay on their game through every season.
graphic credit: wikimedia.org
Simmering:
Cynthia salone ‘16
AVERAGING 9.6 POINTS and 6.5 rebounds PER GAME AFTER DROPPING A SEASON-HIGH 14 POINTS against richfield
Warm:
Boys’ Basketball
The boys picked up their first win of the season over MoundsPark academy