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sports Panther Prowler • March 28, 2022
NPHS Track races towards New York Sarena Kabir Sports Editor Allison Nguyen Features Editor
On March 12 and 13, several track and field runners made their way to nationals in New York to compete against different high schools in the nation. Six NPHS students participated in different events, including the 4xMile relay, a 2 mile championship race, a mile race and an 800 meter. Running 16:29.31 in the relay, Colin Sahlman, senior, Aaron Sahlman, Leo Young and Lex Young, juniors, were able to come out victorious. In order to reach nationals, the team must be invited by those who host the event. “They basically just invited us because they wanted us to bring some attention into the race and stuff. So we’re like, okay, I guess we’ll just do our four by four mile and then it worked out well,” Leo Young said. Preparing for nationals took long and hard work. “We do all of our workouts on a track. We’re training for either a mile or two mile, [and in comparison to cross country,] everything is usually a little bit shorter,” Leo Young said. In order to perform well in the race, each runner must be in the right mindset. “Anything can happen during the meet. So you just have to be prepared physically and mentally, and [not] think about anything else. Just think about your race, and then just make sure you feel good,” Aaron Sahlman said. Another big component for the team was to focus on their individual selves. “Our mindset going into the race was to stay calm and relaxed and focus on our individual race. We wanted to go out hard and close hard which we did very well,” Colin Sahlman said. Following the race, the team’s morale was high. “We celebrated by doing a victory lap with the crowd cheering and giving high fives…It [also] feels amazing setting a new national record with this team. We continue to keep surprising ourselves and the nation,” Colin Sahlman said. Once again, a new historical moment for NPHS was set, bringing pride to Shine- As runners from the NPHS track team came back home, many records were broken. Aaron Sahlman, junior, was one of the few that the team, and the school. “It’s [the race] exciting. It’s like a lot of the other races got the chance to go to New York. “The record has been there for a while so it feels really good to break it. Everyone was super supportive, everyone was cheering us on and it was just great,” Sahlman said. Colin Sahlman/With Permission that we’ve done well in, it’s just a fun environment, ” Leo Young said.
Hip hop choreographs creativity on campus Melissa Geher Staff Writer Once the music turns on, the excitement begins for the NPHS hip hop club as they practice for their next big number. Starting up at the beginning of the school year, the hip hop club strives to foster a collaborative environment to dance, choreograph and create. Nour Abdelhadi, senior and co-captain and choreographer of the club, loves to oversee the positive energy that the club executes. Not having any studio training herself, Abdelhadi wanted to create a safe space where she and others in a similar position could come together and learn to dance. “My dance is less focused on technique and more fun, so that’s the best part about dance: to have fun and bond over it,” Abdelhadi said. “I’m less focused on the specific hard technique to match up. Hip hop is more of a free flowing dance style [and] it’s really fun because you could get really creative and have no boundaries.” After locking in good choreography, Naomi Stewart, senior, co-captain and choreographer, is ecstatic to show others what the club has been working on during weekly practices. “Right now we are starting to make choreography and get ready for the spring concert that’s coming up, and we’re going to have more numbers then we had in the winter concert but we have a decent amount of time to work on our dances. In [addition] there’s gonna be a varsity lacrosse game that we’re performing at [halftime], ” Stewart said. “Cameo [Mrs. Carolan] talks to us about potentially pulling us out from our intermediate dances classes and having us teach a routine to an elementary school level class, so that’s something we might be doing in the future.” The club ensures that all members, regardless of their background, will learn new dance moves that will be exciting to perform. Though Jessica Schwartz, senior, had taken some of the dance classes offered at NPHS, the hip hop club gave her an opportunity to focus on a particular style of dance. “I don’t really have any dance experience. I was a gymnast most of my life so this club has given me an opportunity to be able to dance and participate in something like that even though I don’t have any formal dance training,” Schwartz said. “I take lots of dance classes during school and a lot of my friends were talking about starting a hip hop that sounds really interesting. I want to get involved and I want to participate in all the concerts at the school.” Through the thick and thin of high school, the hip hop club never fails to maintain a fun, safe environment for many to enjoy themselves while learning a new skill. “I love good vibes,” Abdelhadi said. “Knowing that I could make someone’s day better by just dancing with them is Just dance- (Left to right) Brianna Alfaro, Nour Abdelhadi and Rory Good, seniors, dance their hearts out at the IB so fun because everyone at practice is so excited to be there.” dance concert. “Hip hop is more of a free flowing dance style [and] it’s really fun because you could get really creative and have no boundaries,” Abdelhadi said. Pawprint Yearbook/With Permission
