HLA Today - Issue 13 (09-10)

March 26, 2010 Volume 16, Issue 13

Winter Ends

Basketball season comes to a close, ushering in the next phase in a busy Hillcrest school year.

In spite of the tremendous effort by the Comets, the Ellsworth Panthers were victorious in the first round of the 2010 state tournament on Thursday, winning 58 to 53. The Comets season ended with a record of 23-4.

On Friday morning, two coach busses departed from Hillcrest, one heading west with the band on their concert tour, and the other heading east with the Danielsen students on their educational tour.

For the rest, Easter break began at 1:00 p.m..

Defense wins Championships The Hillcrest Comets take the section 6A championship title

by Kyle Mitchell

The Hillcrest Academy Comets have continued their winning streak of thirteen straight games after beating the defending section champions, the Ada-Borup Cougars 62-56 on Friday night for the section 6A championship title.

Memorial Auditorium was full of screaming Ada-Borup and Hillcrest fans as their teams fought for the title of 6A champion and a chance to enter the state tournament.

“It really was complete,” HLA coach Gregg Preston said. “That was a total and complete effort for us.”

The Comets built up a secure 8 point lead over the Cougars early in the second half, the Cougars continually fought against the Comets to continue to lower the lead, even drawing the score when 5-7 guard Tanner Grunewald splashed in a 3 pointer with 6 minutes, 14 seconds on the clock.

Ada-Borup fans screamed as their team had finally matched the Comets’ score; soon the cheers were over as Hillcrest’s

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Daniel Tungseth countered for the Comets with another 3-pointer to regain the lead.

But the Cougars would not give up, leveling the score two more times in the next two and a half minutes.

“I think that eight-point lead we built (in the second half) helped save us from their (Ada-Borup’s) run,” Hillcrest coach Gregg Preston said. “We knew they had the ability to come back on us.”

The Comets defense worked hard all night and kept the Cougars Yuri Johnson from a high scoring game, going 1-for-13 with only 3 points. They also caused 13 turnovers and won the rebounding battle 28-27, getting 9 offensive boards..

“Our number one goal on defense coming in was to slow down Yuri,” Preston said. “We did that and that made a huge difference.”

On the offensive end, Hillcrest was led by seniors Jared Schultz and Devon Apgar

each with 14 points and junior Grant Stroud with 14 points. Daniel Tungseth had nine points and Jeff Schmidt made both of his foul shots, finishing with four points, four rebounds and two assists.

After the Ada-Borup Cougars tied the score at 52-52 with 3:08 left on the clock, the Comets made five straight field goals and made 10 out of their last 14 free throws to fend off the Cougars.

The defense finished off the cougars by holding them to one field goal and only three points in the last 2:30 in the game.

“During all the breaks and time-outs, I was reminding them to stay focused on defense first,” Preston said. “We have been a defensive-minded team all season long, and in my mind, that’s what saved us..”

Next the Comets will open state tournament play with a five o’clock game on Thursday at Williams Arena against the Ellsworth Panthers (25-5), the Section 3A champs after beating MACCRAY 76-71 on Thursday night.

Ending on a ‘Middle C’

Math Competition

Music contest in Fargo.

Hillcrest continues win streak.

March 10 was a big day for twenty-five band members who participated in the musical instrument contest at NDSU. “I think we did good,” freshman Jared Kugler said, “for the amount of students we were, compared to how many total students there were from other schools.”

There was a wide range of instrumentation, anything from flutes to jazz band guitars to bass clarinets.

The jazz band attended along with other students playing solos, duets, trios and other ensembles.

“Everybody did a great job at the contest this year,” said director Steve Doering, “I think everyone came back with some encouragement and constructive criticism from each judge.”

Hillcrest has been going to the Tricollege Math Competition for about seven years now and has placed first in the small school division the past three years.

This year the winning team consisted of Sung Hyun Park, Seung-Ho Lee, Tae Gyu Park, Chris Ryu, Jared Schultz, Sophia Undseth, Younghak Jang, and Cody Joy. Sung Hyun Park recieved third place in the individuals, Seung-Ho Lee received fifth place, Tae Gyu Park received seventh and Chris Ryu received 9th.

Quincy Undseth placed in the top ten in the junior high division.

“In all, 45 students from Hillcrest participated and represented our school very well,” said Mr. Juliot, one of the coaches for the tri-college math competition teams and math teacher at HLA.

by Amanda Schnyders

by Chrystian Ulrich

The Greatest Gift

by Kari Battillo “It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, He saved us from all that. It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.” Titus 3:3-8 (Message)

It is so important to remember how much our heavenly father has done for us. On Earth, everything is all about us and what we can do to help others and ourselves. Sometimes doing things for others can be a hassle and annoying, but it’s important to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. He gave us the ultimate gift of salvation and eternal life with Him. We can’t do anything to receive that gift but accept it. We did nothing to get it. It was all God. All we can do with that gift is give it to others like Jesus gave it to us.

Tidbits

Compiled by Abigail McWaters

Ali Connelly, Abby McWaters, Larissa Patch, Grace Jacoby, Kari Battillo, and Michele Kalleberg got lost in Fargo even though they had GPS. Gabe Jennen’s car is loud.

Paige Stier and Liz Listor found a dead salamander in the batting cage at softball practice. Solveig Sandnes broke her blender after Thomas Kilvær and Carl Berge used it. Grace Jacoby fought the law and the law won. Rachel Sandnes accidentally threw away her credit card and Frankie Sandnes dug in the garbage and found it.

Brett Quernemeon got twenty different x-rays on his teeth. Jeff Schmidt’s voice is changing. Peter Rogness’s muffler fell off.

Talya Tysver and Linda Patch are BFF. Health Care Bill passed. Mollie Jacobsen and Marisa Monacelli played mud soccer on Monday. Justin Olsoe is the first to ask a girl to JS. Øystein Ryland washed his hair in the sink Wednesday morning. Justin Olsoe, Kyle Mitchell, and Kevin Castro played Ultimate Frisbee in spandex. Rachel Sandnes dropped all her money in the street and was left chasing it. Luke Joy got hit in the face at baseball practice.

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Comets in the Spring Questions For The Year

By the Numbers

-After losing star player Jamie Stedjan, how will the baseball team place in the Section?

-Will the softball team be able to get past the section play-offs this year?

-Will the track team be able to send a couple students to state this year?

Softball went 7 - 11 while scoring an average of 7 points a game.

Key Returning Players Softball - Coach Tim Jensen Paige Stier-Jensen Elisabeth Listor Sophia Undeseth

Sr Sr Sr

Pitcher Thrid Base Short Stop

Baseball - Coach Steve Undseth Devon Apgar Kevin Castro Joe Ommundsen Danny Tungseth

Sr Sr Sr Jr

Pitcher In Field In Field Out Field

Track and Field - Coach Allen Aase Andrew Hohncke Taylor Brue Julia Christenson

Sr Jr Sor

High and Long Jump Sprinter Long Distance

Track and Field Schedule Track and Field Schedule Apr 13, 2010 Fergus Falls Apr 23, 2010 D-G-F Apr 29, 2010 Breckenridge.

May 6, 2010 Pelican Rapids May 13, 2010 Frazee May 20, 2010 Ortonville

AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY

Softball Schedule Apr 27, 2010 Apr 29, 2010 Apr 30, 2010 May 4, 2010 May 6, 2010 May 7, 2010 May 11, 2010 May 13, 2010 May 14, 2010 May 17, 2010 May 20, 2010 May 21, 2010

Brandon-Evansville HOME Chokio-Alberta AWAY Wheaton HOME C-G-B AWAY Ashby HOME Ortonville HOME Ashby AWAY Ortonville AWAY Chokio-Alberta HOME Wheaton AWAY Brandon-Evansville AWAY West Central Area AWAY

Baseball went 6 - 9 and had an average of 6.5 points a game Baseball Schedule Baseball Varsity Schedule Apr 15, 2010 CBG Apr 19, 2010 Ashby Apr 27, 2010 Chokio-Alberta Apr 29, 2010 Ortonville May 3, 2010 Wheaton May 6, 2010 Brandon-Evansville May 10, 2010 CGB May 13, 2010 Ashby May 17, 2010 Hancock May 20, 2010 Chokio-Alberta May 24, 2010 Ortonville May 27, 2010 Wheaton

AWAY HOME HOME AWAY HOME AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY HOME AWAY

Do,Re,Mi,Fa,So,La,Ti,Do

Jr. High Geo-Genius

Hillcrest choir has a concert at the Bethel.

7th grade student excels in Geography.

As Justin Olsoe zipped up his choir robe and took a sip of his water, butterflies entered his stomach. He waited to walk on stage to perform the songs he has been practicing for months. The lights are bright and hot as they shine on his face, making it hard to see the crowd that faced him. After finishing the first song he hears cheers from the crowd and knows his practice time has paid off. Justin Olsoe said, “Choir concerts are the best, it’s a good kind of nervous…more of an excitement!”

The choir concert was Monday, March 22, 2010.

The choir has been practicing these songs for over two months each morning at 8:25. It was said to be one of the best concerts ever performed at Hillcrest, Mr.Strom said, “A man who comes to the Hillcrest choir concerts every year said that he couldn’t remember it being better. It was an enjoyable program to conduct; it had a lot of variety.”

Luke Jennen is not your ordinary 7th grade student. He is a very smart student in the area of geography. Luke competed in the Geography Bee for the junior high students at Hillcrest, and took first place. He also got a very high score on a Geography Bee exam, and he sent that in to be nominated for the state contest.

Jennen will compete with 100 other students from around Minnesota for the 2010 Geographic Bee in April.

On April 9 th, Jennen will compete at St. Cloud University in St. Cloud. The winner of the Bee will win $100, an atlas of the world, and a trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the National Geographic Society headquarters on May 25-26.

Jennen was the first student from Hillcrest to make it to the State Bee, Jennen added, “I am very excited to go to the State Bee! It will be fun and I really like doing geography.”

by Rachel Sandnes

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by Peter Rogness

Hold Your Breath!

Comet fans endure a suspenseful game.

by Kari Battillo

As the clock ran down to zero, Comet fans let out a sigh of relief.

They had been holding their breath for most of the game and could finally relax after the victory. All the yelling and screaming paid off in the end, when the HLA boys basketball team held up their Sub-Section 6A-South Champions plaque.

The game against Belgrade-BrootenElrosa was intense the entire time. It was tied four times throughout the game and the lead changed teams eight different times. BBE was seeded first in the section with Hillcrest being number two. This made for an exciting and tough game for the Comets.

As the players on the bench watched the game, a nervous feeling came over them. Senior Jeff Schmidt said, “Every time I had to go sit on the bench again, I instantly wanted to get back out on the court.

It’s hard to watch the game when you know you can’t do anything to help the other guys but cheer them on and that it could end up being your last game.”

The Comet fans’ vocal chords got a workout thanks to all the different chants they yelled, but at times, all the fans could do was hold their breath in anticipation. “I was on the edge of my set the entire time,” exclaimed girls dean Kaitlyn Cornell. “I was so proud to be a Comet at the end of that game!”

After halftime, the boys stormed out of the locker room ready to finish this game.

The fans watched in amazement as Danny Tungseth made play after play, scoring eight straight points in the first three minutes of

the second half helping the Comets take the lead for most of that half.

But until the end of the game finally came, the crowd waited nervously for the final buzzer to sound. When it did, shouts of joy and claps came from the Hillcrest side of the gym congratulating the players on an amazing game.

Although the suspense of the game made for a lot of stressed out players and fans, it was all worth it in the end when the Hillcrest Academy Comets came out on top with a score of 54-50 against BBE.

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Band Tour Excitement!

The Hillcrest Band heads West for Spring Break.

by Ali Connelly

As most students get ready for a spring break full of rest and relaxation, the members of the Hillcrest Band are packing their bags and preparing for two weeks full of fun, sightseeing and witnessing.

This year’s tour destination is the West Coast, including North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The band will perform a concert almost every night for two weeks, and they have been preparing for quite a while to be ready to tackle this task. “We have rehearsed our tour program since January, and the band has prepared a solid program in a variety of styles,” said Band Director Mr. Doering.

Not only will the students have a chance to share their music with numerous churches, but they will also be given

opportunity to share their faith. Senior Sophia Undseth said, “During the trip we will stop at almost thirty different places and have the chance to share the Gospel everywhere. If we are willing and open, God can use us in mighty ways. Mr. Doering has encouraged us to prepare our hearts and to be in prayer for the people we will meet.”

Senior Talya Tysver said, “I am really pumped to go to new places and meet new people!

I’m excited to stay in a different host home each night, perform at different

churches, relax and sleep on the bus, and sightsee!”

The band will take off on Friday, March 26th and will return to Fergus Falls on Sunday, April 11th to do a concert at Bethel Church at 7:00 pm.

Norskies Going East Danielsen Students to tour east coast states during Easter break

By Carl Berge.

As many Hillcrest students go home to their families or go on band tour, the Norwegians have something else planned. They are going on their eastern trip, traveling through places like New York, Florida and Texas.

It’s a tradition that goes many years back and every year the Norskies travel either the west coast or the east coast of America. The founder of the exchange student program between the Norwegian school Danielsen and Hillcrest, Asbjorn Ystebo, will lead the tour this year as he has done since it started.

Some teachers from Danielsen, as well as Ystebo’s wife, will accompany the students on their trip.

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Many Norwegians have been looking forward to this trip the whole year and it is for many the highpoint of the year.

“I look forward to singing “Oh When the Saints” with our teacher, Ystebo,” said junior Simon Hammer.

Ystebo is known for his willingness to sing. “One time Ystebo randomly started singing “Oh When the Saints” at Pizza Ranch. The whole class was there.

That was fun!” said Hammer.

Some of the Norwegians are skeptical when it comes to all the bus riding.

“The trip will consist of a lot of bus riding. In average, six hours each day,” said junior Daniel Torsvik. “Some of us did the math and it ended up being 96 hours

of just bus driving in the eighteen days we’re traveling!”

Sports Scores

Basketball

Thursay 3/11 Hillcrest 64 Brandon-Evansville 45 Satuarday 3/13 Hillcrest 70 Clinton-Graceville 45 Tuesday 3/16 Hillcrest 54 Belgrade 50 Friday 3/19 Hillcrest 62 Ada-Borup 56