11 minute read
Diving Back Into Swim
Junior Olivia Neunaber stands as she watches her teammates swim during practice. She has recently been allowed to join the swim team after her injury from cross country. “It’s a really fun sport to do that pushes me physically and mentally,” Neunaber said, “it’s also a good way to build leadership skills and meet new people.” (Photo by Adam Hogan) OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES
Junior Olivia Neunaber continues swimming after recovering from having surgery on both legs
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Since the age of six, junior Olivia Neunaber has been swimming and pushing herself as an individual to her limits in the pool, on the track or on the bike, and began competitively swimming for a club in middle school. She’s always been tough and has seen more than her fair share of injuries, but even after two stress fractures, an injury to her achilles tendon and shoulder, nothing compared to the tight calves, tingling feet and panic attacks that she dealt with during this past cross country season.
Her symptoms started freshman year but over time worsened to intolerable levels. After many doctors visits, she was diagnosed with chronic compartment syndrome, an uncommon condition in which an increase in pressure caused poor circulation and inadequate tissue functions, resulting in damage to the muscles and nerves in her legs. On Sept. 10 she went into surgery and surgeons cut her fascia, the connective tissue that covers the bones in her legs. After the operation, Olivia’s shins were wrapped to allow the six inch incisions that scarred them to heal. Her lengthy road to recovery started her off in a wheelchair, and gradually transitioned into crutches two weeks later and independently walking four weeks later.
“Being in a boot for a stress fracture is a lot different than not being able to walk and being in a wheelchair,” Olivia said. “This was definitely the hardest to deal with. I remember the night before the surgery, I was thinking ‘I can’t walk for the next week or two.’ And that scared me, it’s weird to think about.”
While the physical restraints were plenty cumbersome, perhaps the most difficult aspect of recovery for Olivia to deal with was having her independence stripped away. She couldn’t put any pressure on her legs, so she wasn’t allowed to run, drive or even walk, and had to sleep on the couch in her living room as a flight of stairs stood in the way of her bedroom. “I’m sure we remember what it was like when we couldn’t drive ourselves everywhere.” Olivia said. “I wasn’t allowed to drive until three weeks after my surgery. It’s like you’re in such a habit of driving yourself and being able to do everything yourself and I was in a wheelchair and couldn’t drive, couldn’t walk and get stuff for myself. It’s like everything changed.”
Friend and teammate junior Natalia Salazar swam on FHN’s swim team with Olivia last swim season. Salazar views Olivia as a very mentally strong person and admires the way she faced her obstacles to overcome her injuries.
“[Olivia] never really complained about it,” Salazar said. “She’s always been really tough about it. She still swims amazing, there’s nothing holding her back. She’s still the same Olivia, she’s just got scars on her legs. She’s a very strong person and she handles herself very well.”
Olivia’s dedication in sports and her commitment to her decision to get surgery helped calm her mother, Meghan Neunaber, who was anxious about her daughter having surgery and the chance it wouldn’t help.
“If [Olivia] needs to get better at something, she’ll take the time to practice and see what she needs to do,” Meghan said. “As an athlete, she analyzes things, so she knows what she needs to do to get better, and she’ll work on it. She’s persistent, she’s a hard worker.”
As Olivia continues to recover, she looks forward to striving to achieve new goals in the pool, swimming the 100 fly, and 200 and 500 free, and getting back into shape. Though it was an uphill battle, Olivia believes that going through the difficult process of surgery and recovery had a positive impact.
“It [the surgery and recovery process] made me stronger as an athlete,” Olivia said. “I do a lot of sports, so being taken out of all of those tore me, but going back to sports that I love definitely made me a better athlete because it made me remember how much I love doing sports. Even though they’re hard, I love doing them.” by Chloe Horstman clshorstman@gmail.com
MORE INFO Learn more about compartment syndrome here: bit.ly/NSccs
UPCOMING EVENTS
January Wednesday 15
January Wednesday 15
WRESTLING TEAM UNDERGOES CHANGES Pinning his opponent, junior Jesse Collins fights as the other wrestler tries to break free. Many of the varsity wrestlers of the previous year have graduated, creating a completely different line-up for this year’s team. Recently the girls’ wrestling team had three out of their four wrestlers win their matches against Troy. (File Photo)
This year the wrestling team has five coaches, two for the girls and three for the boys. It’s also the second season for girls wrestling and the wrestlers, such as senior Erin Flemming, are looking forward to a great season.
“I’m really excited because last year we didn’t really have a main focus on the girls, but this year I feel like the coaches are into it and have more girls tournaments,” Flemming said. “My individual goal is to make it to state. I want to qualify. I’m on the road to state right now, and for singles we just want to do well and win our duels and stay on top.”
Assistant boys coach, Tyler Collins, is one of the new coaches in the program and is also brothers with junior Jesse Collins. When Tyler started wrestling freshman year, he inspired Jesse to start wrestling too.
“It’s weird [having him as a coach],” Jesse said. “I’ve known him my whole life but he helps me out a lot and he went to state his senior year.”
Another coach who is new to the program is Kimberly Skwira, who has never wrestled, but grew up in a wrestling family. Her brother is inducted into the school hall of fame for wrestling, she has ran a little league wrestling program and her younger son used to wrestle.
“This is a learning year for me,” Skwira said. “Learning how high school wrestling works is very different from little league, and so my goal for myself is just to learn more so that in years to come I can better coach the girls with technique, because for someone who hasn’t wrestled before and someone who is a very hands-on learner, I have to physically do the moves myself so that I can better teach them.” (Brief by Parker Kilen) MORE INFO Listen to a podcast with one of the FHN wrestlers: bit.ly/NSwpc
SENIOR IS SHOOTING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP Senior Sterling Jones prepares to go for a layup against St. Charles West. Jones has grown up playing basketball with his friends and family. He is trying to get a scholarship and wants to continue to play the sport in college. “I’m excited to try and change the culture around the game here,” Jones said. (Photo by Phoebe Primeau)
Basketball has been important to senior Sterling Jones ever since he was young. Throughout high school, he has been playing on FHN’s basketball team. Jones plans to continue playing on the court into college and hopes to join a basketball league through hard work and dedication.
“My dad played basketball and I liked it as a sport,” Jones said.
Going into high school, Jones knew he wanted to join the Knight’s basketball team. He joined his freshman year and has been playing for FHN ever since. Not long after joining varsity, Jones became an important player on the court, as he was one of the top five highest scoring players on the team.
“He’s [Jones] the one that works really hard,” head coach Mark Wright said. “He’s the one that leads by example. He’s someone that works a lot on his own over the summer on his game and I’ve seen some big improvements in him.”
As a leader and a senior on the team, Jones focuses on maintaining a positive attitude and encourages other players to do the same, lifting them up after a 3-23 record last year. In order to help the team’s outlook, Jones communicates with the players and establishes that improvement is possible, as long as they work for it. “I know there [was] going to be a lot of negativity on the team coming into the season,” Jones said. “I’ve been trying to drown out any of it.”
Jones is working towards a college scholarship and, in order to do this, he is practicing frequently, pursuing basketball opportunities and focusing on conditioning and working out.
The past few seasons for the Knight’s basketball team has been a little bumpy, but with this year’s lineup of players and the help of the new head coach, the team is optimistic about the current season.
“I’m happy to make some new memories with [the team] this year,” Jones said. (Brief by Karsyn Williams)
January Friday 17
January January Fri.-Sat. Wednesday 17-18 22 Varsity Boy’s Wrestling Time: TBA Where: Capitol City Tournament
GIRLS BASKETBALL ADJUSTS TO SEASON Junior Becka Brissette dribbles the ball across the court, going through opponents. Brissette is a current varsity player and this is her first year being coached by Coach Rampley. Brissette has been playing basketball since freshman year and plans to play through her senior year. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)
In the world of high school sports, change is inevitable. Each year brings new players, new drills and even new coaches. But this year, it’s all new for the varsity girls basketball team. With a new coach and a squad made up of several new players, the girls adapted to prepare for the season ahead. Early practices have refined important skills through conditioning and drills. Skill refining is made more important because the team isn’t very tall this year, which is typically an advantage.
“This year we are a very quick team,” junior Cate Hahn said. “We should be able to play a fast pace game and we have some good outside shooters.” The squad is smaller in more than one way, the team only has 11 girls. New coach Danielle Rampley worries that the roster could quickly get stretched thin if injuries occur.
“Since we don’t have many girls on the team this year, she helps out a lot at practice and jumps in when we are running through plays and scrimmaging,” sophomore Hannah Ermeling said.
Rampley has worked with the girls to improve strength, stamina and strategy. In addition to physical training, Rampley hopes to build
positive relationships with the student athletes.
“I want to be a role model,” Rampley said. “For them to look up to me, for them to be able to come to me if they need anything, even outside of basketball. Every game I want them to be positive going in, doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
Rampley’s goals for this year include having a positive mindset.
“Obviously winning is always a goal, but not in the end,” Rampley said. “I think the girls should just grow together and have a good season.” (Brief by Carly Gordon) MORE INFO Read about the new girls basketball coach here: bit.ly/NScoach
Junior Sam Smith admires a stone that was just sent down the sheet. Smith has been on the FHN curling team since his freshman year and plans on continuing throughout high school. Smith is currently on the varsity team and hopes to become captain next school year. (Photo by Pavan Kolluru)
Q&A WITH SAM SMITH
How do you practice to prepare for games?
“We don’t exactly practice, but there are some occasions where we get together on the ice with our mentor.”
How does practicing with a mentor help you?
“He knows a lot more than we do, and it helps because he teaches us entirely new things that we never even knew existed before.”
How do you work to improve your performance?
“I try my best to improve and I just go out of my way, even at home, to work on getting better.”
What has been the biggest challenge?
“Feeling like you’re not getting better, or that you’re getting worse. Sometimes it feels like you hit a threshold, but I take the time to realize it’s possible to move forward, and I put in the effort to get past it.”
(Content by Ashlynn Perez)
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7/31/20
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