Club Sports Illustrated - Issue No. 105

vol. 105 12.5.2018

CLUB SPORTS ILLUSTRATED farewell to fall , bring on spring

care. engage. transform.

FALL 2018 SEASON-END

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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women’s rugby 3 women’s lacrosse 5 fencing 8 tennis 10 alpine ski 11 women’s volleyball 13 snowboarding 15 executive corner 17 club sports fundraiser 19

Club Sports Illustrated Edition 105 // DECEMBER 3, 2018 Designed by: Lydia Shoffner, UREC Publicity Program Assistant Articles by: Club Sports Team Officers

UREC DIRECTORY EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Patrick Arsena arsenapb@appstate.edu

Claire Biaggi

biaggice@appstate.edu Sam Ingles

inglessd@appstate.edu Greg Liles lilesgs@appstate.edu

Ivy Wagner wagnerik@appstate.edu

UREC PRO STAFF

Joe Carter, Director carterjr@appstate.edu

Erin Sanders, Assistant Director for Sports and Activities sandersec1@appstate.edu Emily Walker, Coordinator for Sports and Activities walkerea3@appstate.edu Emily Haas, Coordinator for Sports and Activities haaser@appstate.edu

Contact UREC

828-262-2100 www.urec.appstate.edu www.clubsports.appstate.edu clubsports@appstate.edu

BRING ON THE SPRING BY: HANNAH KOON, CLUB SPORTS REP.

AHO Women’s Rugby finished up the season November 17th in Charleston, SC. We are eagerly awaiting next semester in order to start back up with practices and recruitment in January. Our team didn’t get a lot of matrix games this semester because of weather and forfeits, but the captains made sure to keep practice conditioning heavy to keep everyone in shape and prepared for the few games that we did have.

“ I have never known a more dedicated and enthusiastic group of girls ” 3

We are so proud of our rookies that have joined the team this past semester, and I’m personally very excited to see the new talent that will join us in the spring as well.

I’ve never known a more dedicated and enthusiastic group of girls, but that’s what has made my experience on AHO Women’s Rugby so rewarding. This sport is intense and requires a lot of hard work and perseverance. It’s fulfilling to watch the progress

of the team as the semester goes by, and it’s especially amazing to see the love for rugby develop within the rookies each semester.

I am so grateful for finding this team, and for the impact it has had on my college experience and friendships.

Recruitment and practice will start back up in the spring semester towards the end of January, and games will soon follow. Although the spring semester is bitter cold when practicing at night and playing in just jerseys and shorts, it’s still a great time to be on the pitch on a Saturday afternoon with all of AHO and the opposing teams we play.

Here’s to a successful fall semester, and the anticipation of an even greater spring semester!

women’s rugby

photography by Grayson Arthurs

photography by Grayson Arthurs

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FAREWELL TO FALL SEASON BY: TAYLOR MCINTOSH, CLUB SPORTS REP. photo submitted by Emma Bouma

We have a bittersweet announcement for the coming semester, we will be losing our lovely social chair Emma Bouma in the spring…..to THE NETHERLANDS. That’s right, our beautiful blonde star defender will be returning to her roots this Spring 2019 for an internship in the Netherlands. Our other beautiful blonde star attack, Summer Stuart, will be stepping up to fill those big shoes and we are all confident she will absolutely excel in the next few months.

I never fail to constantly be amazed and inspired by the women on this team. We are all balancing sports and school and many other things, and manage to make it not only work, but flourish. I think the main thing I take away from this program is that we are student athletes not athlete students, and I believe that the Women’s Lacrosse Team is a shining example of this mantra.

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With the Fall season’s practice officially coming to an end, we have been taking this off season as a period of reflection and improvement for the Spring. I am so proud of everything this team has accomplished this season,

from the wins to the losses to the team bonding, to the pitch-black cold dark night practices (that the girls still showed up for!!). This is a team of troopers with pure fire in their bellies. I couldn’t be more grateful for a team with such drive and motivation, on and off the field.

We are so excited to come back and crush the Spring Season, I miss the team already!

“ I never fail to constantly be amazed and inspired by the women on this team ”

photo submitted by Summer Stuart

women’s lacrosse

photo submitted by Taylor McIntosh

“ Our beautiful blonde star attack, Summer Stuart, will be stepping up and we are all confident she will absolutely excel in the next few months ”

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“ We are excited to travel, improve as fencers, but more importantly grow even closer as a family � photography by Ian Brundige

photography by Ian Lilliston

photography by Ian Brundige

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fencing

photography by Ian Lilliston

FROM TEAMMATES TO FAMILY BY: MARIA L CILENTI, PRESIDENT The majority of people starting fencing in college have no knowledge of the sport and come in blind; for the Appalachian State Fencing Team, this is no different. Each fall semester our team is joined with at least twenty new students wanting to learn how to fence and are amazed at how much fun fencing actually is.

However, this semester was different.

Our team was joined by thirty new members, but it wasn’t the numbers that made the difference. It was the students specifically who became a part of our team. Growing in numbers was a huge accomplishment, but more importantly we grew closer, not only as a team, but as a family as well. Here’s a glimpse into some of the new members that became a part of the fencing family this year.

Our saber squad expanded specifically with many new fencers wanting to fence this weapon. Gavin Bertrand is amongst many and has been a dedicated and hardworking addition to the squad. He has attended almost every practice and is always eager to learn from saber captain Patrick Arsena. Gavin challenged himself,

choosing to compete early on and has grown tremendously as a fencer in such a short period of time. Gavin is currently a criminal justice major and is looking forward to a career in the ATF. Along with Gavin, Griffin Hoey was another new saber who completes the team with her supportive nature. Griffin has traveled to tournaments even when she wasn’t competing in order to cheer on her teammates. She is also a fun and outgoing individual that works hard and is determined to improve. Outside of the team, she is an East Asian studies major which suits her perfectly!

On the foil squad, freshman Lucy Hester and Bailey Craton have been a great addition to the team. They were both new to the sport but have been attentive and optimistic from the beginning. It has been as pleasure to watch them both improve over time and challenge themselves to learn new things. Lucy is an English major while Bailey is a music therapy major. Both of their charismatic personalities are a pleasure to be around, making team kickbacks even more fun.

Finally, Ian Lilliston and John Leppard chose to join the epee squad. Ian has

impressed the officers from day one with his ability to adapt to the sport and apply critics quickly. Traveling to Virginia Tech, we had the opportunity to see how funny and caring Ian is; his personality and attitude towards not only the sport of fencing, but also his friends is priceless! He has also been the team photographer capturing incredible action shots of our teammates and picturing our team as the family it is. John has been a member that’s always looking for a way he can improve! His dedication to the sport never goes unnoticed as he takes the time to talk to officers privately asking for advice on footwork, endurance, and different drills he can practice on his own. He holds himself as an extremely caring person, always wanting to help in any way he can and the team appreciates every action he has made.

With such a strong, cohesive group of people, it’s no wonder our team has grown to fifty members. Next semester, we are excited to travel, improve as fencers, but more importantly grow even closer as a family.

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photography by Kyle Kennedy

photography by Kyle Kennedy

“ We look back on the past few months with pride and excitement for our club tennis team, the new friends we’ve all made, and the awesome memories we now have together ” 9

photography by Kyle Kennedy

tennis

LOOKING BACK BY: KYLIE BARNES, VICE PRESIDENT

As this season comes to a close, we look back on the past few months with pride and excitement for our club tennis team, the new friends we’ve all made, and the awesome memories we now have together.

We ended the season strong with a win against Wake Forest in a dual match 7-5 but as the air gets colder and the wind gets stronger you won’t be finding us out as much hitting the tennis ball around (except for the few brave souls). The next semester looks very exciting for our team, as we will be competing in three tournaments in Knoxville, Tennessee in January, Sectionals in Auburn in March, and the Border Battle in Cary.

The Auburn tournament is personally my favorite tournament of the whole season and is the biggest one we are a part of. We start off with a seven hour drive, which gives plenty of time to hang out and get to know some teammates on a deeper

level, blast some music and sing a little too loudly, and take a few refreshing naps.

The competition in Auburn is intense, making it an exciting and energetic few days of tennis as we all fight for the gold and a spot in nationals. Last year we brought two teams for the very first time and did extremely well with a 9-3 record between both teams and the A team winning their bracket, which was the first time in our club history! Our expectations are high for this year at Auburn and we hope to keep improving and practicing so that we can do our best.

The best part about the tournament, I think, is the amazing weather in Alabama. As Boonies suffering from the dreary long winter months, we get to travel to sunny Auburn and have a nice break from the snow and ice of the mountains with some 80-degree weather. Sometimes we enjoy it a little too much and get blistering sunburns (@me) or

even overheated (@Hallie Fite) since we haven’t seen the sun or played in hot weather for six months. But, all in all, this is my favorite tournament and I made so many great memories with my teammates as we bonded during the long car rides, intense matches, and aloe rubbing. I am looking forward to this spring season and the exciting matches we have planned and cannot wait to get back out on the court and start practicing!

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MEET OUR COACH BY: MIKEL SMALLE, CLUB SPORTS REP.

This year the Alpine Ski Club has added a new coach, Daniel “Danger” Jones. Coach Jones is a former Appalachian State University Alpine Skier. He was on multiple regional ski teams during his tenure on the Alpine Ski Team and he still races at Sugar Mountain. After graduating from Appalachian State University, Coach Jones decided to further his skiing skills by working at Beech Mountain Resort. Last winter, Coach Jones became a certified ski instructor and is now PSIA Level One instructor.

The addition of Coach Jones to our team will provide the new members with the benefit of a coach to assist them in their pursuit of advancing their skiing skills. When he was a student, he had always hoped that a dedicated coach could help the Alpine Ski team with different drills and skiing styles. Coach Jones will be to be able to concentrate on different small group exercises for the various

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skill levels of the skiers that make up the Alpine Ski team. He hopes to be able to travel to most races with the Alpine Ski team this season and give feedback to the team as each skier completes their race.

This previous Thursday, Coach Daniel held a classroom session for new members as well as the returning members in Walker.

He wanted to help us with our turning and different ways to think about how to turn. We went over drills on how to turn better when we are skiing. It was an informative and interesting session, because we had numerous first-time racers, and this helped them to visualize the turn and better understand the intricacies of the turn.

“ The addition of Coach Jones to our team will provide the new members with the benefit of a coach to assist them in their pursuit of advancing their skiing skills ”

alpine ski photography by Mikel Smalle

photography by Mikel Smalle

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MY EXPERIENCE WITH CLUB VOLLEYBALL BY: KELLY SOMMERICH, PRESIDENT

As a senior, club volleyball has been a part of my life for the last 4 years, and, as a sport, volleyball has been a part of my life for 10 years now. This semester has flown by and I am excited to see where my life is going, but it is not without realizing that volleyball isn’t going to be a part of my life once I leave college. This club has been such an important part of my college career, and my life would definitely not be the same without it. Being from Massachusetts, and one of the few out of state students, the first thing I was looking for was a place to call home; and I found that in this club.

Club volleyball is a family and community where everyone can connect over our shared love and passion for the sport. In club volleyball there has also been room to grow, in numerous ways.

Becoming a leader on the court, a captain, and a member of exec board (both as vice president and president) I have become

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a better communicator and teammate. As president and vice president I have been able to make connections within Club Sports and have learned a lot about managing a team and all the players.

Lastly, the friends that I have met and connections I have made are irreplaceable. Not only within the club and the players in my club, but within Club Sports.

Additionally, the growth and home that I have found in club volleyball made my experience at Appalachian State amazing.

When I graduate, club sports will be one of the things that I miss the most.

“ the friends that I have met and connections I have made are irreplaceable ”

women’s volleyball

photography by Mike Collins

“ Club volleyball is a family and community where everyone can connect over our shared love and passion for the sport ” photography by Mike Collins

photography by Mike Collins

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“People go out of their way for the sake of a teammate and friend for the sake of something greater �

THE SNOW HAS FALLEN BY: JACK SINGLETARY, PRESIDENT

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Not only has the snowboard team been long awaiting the start of a new snowboarding season, but the stoke is at alltime levels. Snow has cascaded along the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in combination with the most advanced snow-making technology on the market, the slopes are being shredded.

Yet, before the discussion commences on the long awaited announcement of opening day at the local ski slopes, there must be credit given to the Snowboard Team members and officers.

that are so remarkable about this team where we have found ourselves, although that chili was top-quality.

The reason why this team continues to succeed is not just because of some cool tricks that some goons can do on a snowboard, although there are few things in the world that compare. It is by seeing how people go out of their way for the sake of a teammate and friend for a teammate, friend, and the team overall

The legacy of the App State Snowboard Team is being told from mountains the world-over, but why does the team thrive?

One word that comes to mind is passion. The fall semester of 2018 consisted of a record number of sign-ups, new faces, an extraordinary chili fundraiser, local snowboard shop sale nights and an extra early start to the snowboarding season.

However, it is not the simple act of snowboarding or eating chili

My freshman year on the snowboard team I showed up to my first race and forgot gloves and ended up with scraped and bloody hands. It was then former president and current coach Gabe Duff who went out of his way to give me his extra pair of mittens so I could race. This is a personal example, but I have seen the officers Lili, Nathan, Ben and Olivia each do the same, provide for the team whether from granting genuine advice,

working tirelessly on correctly filing finance reports, securing fundraisers, sending team emails.

They also help motivate our newest members on the team, who have consistently shown up to meetings and have proposed creative new ideas such as stickers, website designs, and team-work strategies while also meeting each other and talking about snowboards and pow.

The two images to the right elucidate the meaning of the snowboard team. This first picture is of the 2018-2019 team pictured at a snowboard gear sale night which may or may not have been used in a previous Club Sports Illustrated article, and a picture of past and present snowboard team members who met on the slopes just the other day.

snowboarding

photography by a passing skier

photography by Gabe Duff

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EXECUTIVE CORNER CANNED FOOD, COMMITTEES, AND WRAPPING EVERYTHING UP BY: CLAIRE BIAGGI, EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Club Sports Council this week was a success in the eyes of the Executives. Since this was our last meeting for the semester, Wednesday was filled with announcements, votes, and hopeful ideas for next semester. We introduced Emily Haas to Council and we are so excited to have her with us. Then we jumped right in to talk about the canned food drive that we held at the beginning of the semester for the Hurricane Florence disaster relief. We announced that the cans will be going to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and this food bank will be helping out those who were affected by the hurricane. We also discussed committees and what we would like to see for next semester such as goals or problems we should fix for the future. After that, we talked through the importance of MICs and why teams members should be filling them out so that they are able to practice with their prospective teams. Overall, it was a productive council and we can’t wait to start back up again in January.

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executive corner

CLUB SPORTS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OFFICE HOURS IN SRC MAIN OFFICES Patrick Arsena WEDNESDAY: 12PM-2PM THURSDAY: 4PM-6PM

claire biaggi

WEDNESDAY: 2:30PM-4:30PM THURSDAY: 1PM-3PM

Sam ingles

TUESDAY: 2:30PM-4:30 PM THURSDAY: 2:30PM-4:30 PM

greg liles WEDNESDAY: 2PM-4PM FRIDAY: 9AM-11AM

ivy wagner

MONDAY: 11:30AM-1:30PM WEDNESDAY: 3:30PM-4:30PM THURSDAY: 12:30PM-1:30PM 18

CLUB SPORTS FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY CLUB SPORTS COUNCIL FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE

@ CHIPOTLE Come out to the Boone Chipotle to support App State Club Sports!

Dec. 10, 5-9 PM

Say you’re with Club Sports and the program will receive 33% of proceeds.

CLUBSPORTS.APPSTATE.EDU

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CLUBSPORTS@APPSTATE.EDU

828-262-2100

fundraiser @ chipotle

you’re invited !

App State Club Sports would like you to join them at Chipotle to celebrate the end of a great Fall 2018 season.

Come enjoy a meal with friends, teammates, and staff at the Boone Chipotle, December 10th from 5-9pm.

Chipotle is kind enough to donate 33% of all proceeds that night to the program. Club Sports thanks you for all your support and hopes to celebrate with you!

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. . . and we out.

SEE YOU IN 2019!

club sports

Contact UREC 828-262-2100 urec.appstate.edu care. engage. transform.

LEADERSHIP. COMMUNITY. COMPETITION. @APPSTATECLUBSPORTS CLUBSPORTS.APPSTATE.EDU