Threshpy awards honor athletes

8 SPORTS

Threshpy awards to honor outstanding athletes

ELIZABETH ALDERFER Staff Writer

The Threshpy Awards is a formal event created to recognize Bethel athletes for their outstanding achievements for the year. The Thresphys is a night the entire athletic community gets to enjoy together and celebrate the successes from the past year. Abigail Schmidt, senior from Newton, commented on the significance of this year’s event.

“This year I think this is even more special because of how much success and honors Thresher athletes have achieved,” Schmidt said.

Bethel’s athletic department has tremendous support that contributes to the success of the programs.

Many people dedicate themselves to making this event possible. Committees of coaches and athletic administration coordinate the event and do the bulk of the planning.

Tony Hoops and Josh Booth devote themselves, with the help of coaches, to ensure the night truly reflects the hard work of the athletes. The Student Athletic Leadership Team, SALT, also help out with planning and the tedious set up process.

Over the years, the Threshpys have looked different. Most recently they have been held at Memorial Hall on campus. This year, for the sake of more space and convenience in setting up, the event will be held at the Wild Prairie Event Center on their outdoor patio. Tony Hoops, director of athletics, talks about the excitement behind the new forum.

“The venue will be a perfect setup for this fun filled event honoring our athletes,” Hoops said.

The event will be held on May 9, with doors open at 7 p.m. and the event starting at 8 p.m. During the first hour, guests will be able to enjoy catered desserts and beverages, but no meal will be served this year.

Two photo booths present the opportunity for student athletes to record their memories. As this is a formal event, pictures will be taken in the booth as well as other various locations around the event center.

On top of food, drinks and photos, one can anticipate a night full of fun attending the Threshpys. Jeffrey Graber, a Bethel alumni who worked for KWCH and now a financial advisor in Newton, will be hosting the event. The night will include highlight videos, recognition of all conference athletes, fun content from coaches and athletes, as well as presentation of 15 Thresphy awards.

These awards are given to athletes of all sports ranging from freshman to senior. Awards include Freshman of the Year, comeback of the year, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, Player of the Year, Game of the Year and the Unsung Hero Award, among other awards and scholarships.

“Two years ago, the last time this event was in person, we did a feature that included live coach impersonations by their athletes. This was a very memorable crowd favorite!” Schmidt said.

This event is open to the public in addition to all students and athletes. Students may register for a free ticket while the public may purchase tickets for $10.

Mark your calendars for May 9 to experience the memorable event of the Threshpys and the recognition of the student athletes with exceptional performances over the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters.

Current juniors and seniors had the opportunity to participate in the 2019 Threshpy Awards. Photos Courtesy of Kayla Newman and Peyton Uznanski

UPCOMING EVENTS

TENNIS

APRIL. 30 TBA AWAY

KCAC SEMIFINALS MAY 1 TBA AWAY

KCAC FINALS

TRACK AND FIELD

MAY 1 AWAY

SOUTHWESTERN RELAYS MAY 6, 7 AWAY

KCAC CHAMIONSHIPS

during the fall a younger team, having less there’s six guys, that means one and the remaining tournaments that prepare them person will not be able to go to competitions took for KCAC can kind of hurt the KCAC meets, so there’s a place in the spring. things,” Trae Gehring, junior little bit of competition, but it’s This “split season” from Pretty Prairie, said. not the same as [having] a full is actually a normal The men’s golf team missed JV team because then you’ve got experience for the out on the KCAC match play this a bunch of people competing for golf team. They season because of COVID-19. that spot. It can kind of affect typically play about Match play is when players of things because pretty much 4-6 tournaments opposing teams are matched everyone knows they’re gonna be during each season. together, and whoever scores varsity regardless of how they’re Despite being lower on each hole, gets one doing,” Gehring said. already used to point. Having such a small and a split season, “The golf team all went into such a young team will also the golf team has quarantine right before [match have an impact on the team in Chase Anderson, senior from Topeka, is concluding his final year of Thresher golf. Photo courtesy of experienced other changes in their play] so we didn’t even get to go to that,” Gehring said. the future as they lose some of their older or more experienced Thresher Athletics season due to One challenge the team players. COVID-19. faced this season, unrelated to “Having a JV [team], you MIKINZIE HARKINS “Because of COVID-19 involved having a can really be training them for Web Media Editor COVID, we’ve had less meets smaller team. This can be the the following years. Just having in both the fall and the spring, cause of less competition within more people on the team means

Many sports this school which part of that probably hurt the team because there are six you have better chances of year, particularly the fall sports, us, as far as how we did overall men on the team and five get to having players who are better experienced a split season in for the season because we had play at each tournament. essentially,” Gehring said. which some of their games/ less tournaments, meaning that “Basically everyone has to matches/meets took place we had less experience. With show up and perform. When

Outdoor track athletes sprint toward nationals

ARRAN KEARNEY Staff Writer

Bethel’s outdoor track season is nearing its end, with the KCAC Championships less than two weeks away, and the final meet before Nationals is scheduled to be held at Bethel on May 14. A couple of athletes have already hit the qualifying times, and are set to travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama later next month.

Braylen Brewer, senior Tecumseh, Okla., qualified for the 100-Meter Dash at the first meet, and with his first attempt the distance in his college career. His time of 10.64 seconds broke a Bethel College record of 10.74 that has stood since 1987.

Kemroy Cupid, senior from Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, would soon produce a time of 10.58, also securing himself a trip to Gulf Shores in the process. Several other College records have fallen to the pair over the last few months of competition.

Brewer claimed the 400-meter title, and broke the 47 second mark in the process, with his effort of 46.93 seconds – whilst Cupid broke the 200-meter record with a time of 21.41. Both were also involved in the men’s 4x100 record breaking team that ran at the Bethel home meet at the start of April.

Track and field coach Kelly Parsley described the two athletes as “the leading lights of our sprints squad, and two really outstanding, all round individuals.”

The Bethel home meet, which was dedicated to our Cheer Master Loren Reusser, was the first that most on campus will remember, and it is symbolic of the steady rise of Bethel’s track and field contingent.

“There are several other athletes knocking on the door of nationals qualification,” said Parsley.

The closest to this is Daryn Batts, first year from Dallas, Texas, whose shot-put throw of 12.47 meters at the Friends meet earlier this month ranked her as third in the KCAC. As it stands, she is just inches of national qualification.

Austin Cheatham, senior from Newton, has also been throwing well, but has struggled recently with a hand injury.

Jen Andres, senior from Newton, in the 200 meters and Aubry Grame, first year from Kalispell, Mont., in the 400-meter hurdles are hopeful for national marks. They are amongst the best in their events within the KCAC, and have shown significant improvement over the course of the season.

Also, worth mentioning are two men from Bethel’s distance group; Mauro Arancibia Compos, senior Talca Maule, Chile, and Isaiah Bartel, first year from Wichita, who have a chance of qualifying in the 1500 meters, or in the 4x800.

“The amount of high great performances that we’ve seen over the past few shows how much we are improving and growing as a program,” said Parsley.

Parsley plans to host a ‘last chance’ meet on May 14th, in which several of Bethel’s athletes could be competing, with the aim of qualification. Parsley predicts big things for the program moving forward.

“We have a lot of recruits arriving in the Fall, and I’m really confident that they’re going to help us take Bethel to the next level in our conference on both the cross country and the track,” said Parsley.

The Sideline

BETHANY POWLS Editor-in-Chief

NATALIE GRABER OUTDOOR TRACK

What is your favorite track event and why?

“My favorite event is the steeplechase. It’s a fun combination of running and hurdling, and it’s a longer distance event. Jumping into the water is usually fun, except on the cold days.”

What is your favorite thing to do with the team when you’re not practicing?

“My favorite thing to do with the team when we’re not practicing is playing disc golf or having a movie night. Spending time together outside of practice has definitely made us a lot closer!”

If you could be any Disney character, who would you be and why?

“If I could be any Disney character, I would be Elsa because I think it would be pretty cool to have her ice powers.”

10 ENTERTAINMENT

Change brings hope on the horizon for forensics program

JULIANNA SCHRAG Staff Writer

The forensics program, much like numerous other activities, has looked wildly different this year as a result of the ramifications of COVID-19.

However, despite transitioning to an entirely virtual event format, the Bethel College forensics team has found great success!

As the Communication Arts faculty are mid-search for a permanent forensics director, interim director Mark Rittenour and current forensics team members share their reflections on the 2020-2021 forensics year, as well as their hopes for the future of the program.

Bethel College has a longstanding history of success in forensics. The forensics team has sent members to the American Forensics Assocation’s (AFA) National Individual Events tournament each year since the program’s beginning in 1978.

The 2020-2021 Forensics team has carried on this legacy. Charlotte Ehrmann, a junior from Wichita, qualified for nationals in poetry interpretation and program oral interpretation.

Kalynn Wiles, a senior from Newton, qualified in communication analysis.

Additionally, Marcus LaBonde, a freshman from Grand Junction, Colo., served as district alternative for nationals in dramatic interpretation and prose interpretation.

“Because we had students who qualified and competed at the AFA-NST (formerly “National Individual Events Tournament”), [we] remain one of just six programs in the nation to attend AFA nationals every year it’s been held,” said Rittenour.

“As a result of the global pandemic, forensics looked very different [this year] than it has in its long and storied past,” Rittenour said.

Forensics programs usually hold in-person speech and debate competitions, uniting geographically separated colleges. However, the rise of virtual events has diminished this sense of unity.

“With the emergence of new softwares and virtual platforms that allowed online tournaments to feel like more genuine competitive events, the Bethel College students...embarked on the year of the virtual tournaments. Some tournaments allowed students to pre-record their speeches and submit them for judging, and others were synchronous online experiences with both students and their judges sharing the same virtual space,” said Rittenour.

Rittenour has been directing the program remotely, from his home state of Ohio, so even the coaching process occurred via a virtual forum.

Despite this, Bethel forensics participants, Charlotte Ehrmann and Kalynn Wiles, had nothing but positive remarks to add about Coach Rittenour’s support and guidance through the process, despite the unusual format.

“Mark is a great coach even online and definitely still pushed us to do our best!” said Ehrmann.

The Bethel College forensics program is currently in a period of “limbo,” as a search for a more permanent director is well underway.

“The search committee has been exceptionally busy vetting candidates and are excited about the potential,” said Professor and Chair of Communication Arts, Christine Crouse-Dick.

“I hope for an enthusiastic, more permanent forensics director in order to rebuild the program and uphold the legacy,” said Wiles.

The forensics team members share a mutual hope for program betterment and a lasting legacy.

“I would love if the new incoming freshmen interested could have a consistent program to join and help it grow,” Ehrmann said.

Rittenour and the Bethel College forensics team are strong advocates for the program and have bright hopes for the future.

“Forensics is a rewarding experience that will enrich a student’s academics in ways that will make even the best students more marketable in a variety of professional arenas,” said Rittenour.

End-of-year events, activities make April a busy month

CLAIRA JANSSEN Staff Writer

As the year winds down and the weather warms up, the on campus activities are on the rise. Students are eager to get outside, avoid their studies for a while and enjoy the sunshine.

There have been a number of organized campus events for students to participate in. Basketball tournaments, disc golf, MudSlam, Magic: The Gathering tournament and relaxing virgin piña coladas on the Green are just some of the entertainment provided for students.

On April 14, the Bethel College Mennonite Church had planned to host a night of pina coladas, games and live music on the Green. Due to weather, the event was moved to April 21, and students spent a chilly spring evening socializing at Bethel’s campus center.

The Student Activities Council (SAC) organized basketball tournaments for both women and men. A minimum of five players were required to enter the tournament.

Teams were limited to two actual basketball players that could be included on the team, and a variety of athletes and non-athletes were seen on the court. The teams Slightly Above Average (womens) and SK & Da Gang (mens) would win the tournaments with $20 cash prizes.

On Saturday April 24, SGA hosted an organized disc golf tournament. This took place on Bethel’s own disc golf course. Players began the tournament at 8:30 in the morning and it continued throughout the day. Because this event took place around campus, a warning email was sent out to students. This email advised students to be on the lookout for flying discs. Participants were invited from both campus and the community and received t-shirts and pizza.

As it was missed dearly last year, MudSlam made its messy return. The Student Alumni Association hosted this memorable event. The fire department made their way out to the fields at 11 a.m. sharp and utilized the fire hydrant by the Mods in order to turn the tilled courts into pits of mud.

Teams of six-nine got down and dirty, playing a total of two rounds of ten minute volleyball games. The result was a competition for who could get the most covered in mud, and Thomas Kucera, sophomore from Wichita, was especially good at making sure participants made it into the mud.

A new competition that is hoping to become an annual event, is the Magic: The Gathering tournament hosted by the RPG club. A variety of students on campus are avid Magic players, and have never had an opportunity to play in such a large gathering until now.

Students should be on the look out for new events happening in the next few weeks. May is right around the corner, and the schedule demands at least a few more student organized events before the campus departs for summer vacation.

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