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contents 6 - MVP JAB Meet the 17 local students serving on the MVP Junior Advisory Board. 14 - The Heartbeat of Topeka MVP’s Rachel Lock gets behind the scenes with Sal Cruz and the Topeka Drumline. 20 - Mighty Troy One-on-one with State Weightlifting Champion Taeler Jackson. 23 - Topeka Rugger One-on-one with Topeka rugby player Seth Akpovona. 24 Eat Sleep Ride Meet BMX competitor Krista Bernick. 28 - Coach Talk Mark Elliott talks with new Rossville Head Football Coach Derick Hammes. 30 - Bounce Top City Athletics trampoline and tumbling high school competitors place at the Junior Olympic National Championship.
Page 23 - Seth Akponova
On the Cover: Topeka High Drumline: (L-R) Emma Kibbe, Junior Manuela Garcia, Senior Stevianna Lorson, Sophomore James Lucatero, Senior Elaina Bargas, Senior Xavier Harris, Senior Nora Pruett, Junior Dalton Cox, Junior Simone Cruz, Freshman
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CONTRIBUTORS Publishers Braden and Tara Dimick Editor-in-Chief Tara Dimick Photographer Rachel Lock Designer David Vincent Contributing Writers Mark Elliott Heather Hooper Rachel Lock Bridget Walter Account Executive Tara Dimick 785.217.4836
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Hector and Rosalie Cruz did what most parents cannot bring themselves to do… they bought their son a drum set. Hector, a musician himself, understood the desire his son, Sal Cruz, had to play the drums; but he had no way of knowing that the hours Sal spent banging away on his Mickey Mouse drum set would form within him the tempo, patience and desire to land Sal as the leader of the Topeka High Drumline; the founder of a community drum group, The Cruzline; and the heartbeat of Topeka. The Topeka High Drumline, established during the 1993-94 school year, has become a fixture of Topeka High tradition as much as the running of the halls, the bell tower, and the “Hoy, Hoy, Mighty Troy” chant. Students cram together for a choice spot during half time football shows to see Sal’s latest composition brought to life by the Trojan drummers. “The feeling of marching onto the field before a performance can’t be beat. The crowd gets hyped!” said Xavier Harris, senior snare drummer. The hype is all for a drumline that started 20 years ago as a typical percussion department and has exploded under Sal’s guidance. “In the late 1980’s, we had around 20 percussionists in band. Today we have 40-plus,” said Steve Holloman, director of bands at Topeka High.
NO FEAR
Armed with the support of their drum family, passion begets fearlessness, and leaders are born. “Sal cultivates the desire to lead within his students. The seriousness that they display with their drumline work also translates into their work with
the marching or concert band. It is infectious to all the other musicians in the band,” says Holloman.
learned how to play them with flair. Nothing is off limits to this group.
Jené Yoder’s son, Jevin, struggled. “As a freshman, he was so scared. Now he can go in front of others with no fear,” said Jené. Jevin plans to attend Kansas State University this year and hopes to march on their drumline.
Fun does come at a cost, and the physicality of the performances cannot be overlooked. Drummers are responsible for carrying, packing and unpacking their own drums. Performances aside, the sheer number of times the equipment must be unloaded and loaded each day for practice is a hefty price to pay to participate on the line.
NO LIMITS
Antics abound during a Topeka High Drumline show. Trash cans may have been invented for trash, but put them in the hands of Stevianna Lorson, Manuela Garcia or Xavier Harris, and they become an instrument. And, who says a bass drummer can'tt play the bass drum while doing a headstand? James Lucatero and Dalton Cox can be seen playing bass drum upside down as often as right side up. Quad players in most drumlines learn the “proper” way to play the quads. Under Sal’s instruction Simone Cruz and Emma Pruett borrowed the stools from their Biology class and
PHYSICALITY
However, even the most unlikely candidates pull their own weight with the line. Barely weighing in at 96 pounds and just over 5 feet tall, Stevianna seems an unlikely fit for the drum strapped on her body. But, her physical size has no bearing on her speed with the sticks, agility, and strength to carry the drum with pride.
ROCK STAR STATUS
With 100-125 performances per year, and a list of tour stops as long as many rock bands, the Topeka High drummers are rock stars in their own right. After performances, the student drummers take time to sign
autographs for kids and fans. The drumline’s yearly performance at Camp Hope (a camp for kids with cancer) is a shared favorite memory of many members of the line. “I love to look out into the crowd and there’s that one kid who looks so thrilled to see us, and has the biggest smile on their face. Then, when I’m playing, I’ll wink at that kid. You can tell how special they feel, and how much they look up to us. It makes it all worthwhile,” says Elaina Bargas, senior marching bells player.
NON-COMPETITIVE BY CHOICE
The bold decision to make the Topeka High Drumline a non-competitive line gives the students space to bond in a deeper way with the community. The time the students normally would spend in practice for competitions is directed to travel and extra performances in and around Shawnee County. The shift to shorter days is upon us, and with it comes football nights out at Hummer Sports Park. Trash can drums, full body cymbal crashes, and upside down bass drummers await us all. mvp
Why do you think the drumline gets the great response it gets during performances?
much time together. They feed off each other’s energy. I feed off their energy.”
“People always want to know what we are going to do next. We take popular songs and turn them into something people can dance and groove to. We want the crowd to want more when we are done.”
What has been your favorite part of teaching the line?
What has teaching the drumline taught you about life?
What is the character trait you see developed in kids consistently while playing on the line?
“I live through the kids’ eyes. I feel like a kid again. It’s sort of like Disneyland.” What is one of the most important things that the kids gain from working on the line? “The sense of family. The way the kids play is because they spend so
“Definitely the memories, and feeling like I’ve been a small part of changing someone’s life.”
“Confidence. Strap a drum on a kid, or put a mic on them and they become a different person. That’s probably one of the neatest feelings I get for the kids is the confidence that they build to become their own person.”
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When did you start weight lifting? I starting lifting for competition my junior year, but the first time I ever weight lifted was my freshman year. How did you get started in competition? Coach Walt Alexander had other girls recruit me because I had a weight lifting class with him and he saw how strong I was. How do you get yourself pumped up for competition? I listen to “300 Violin Orchestra” by Jorge Quintero, and I meditate. I visualize every step of a competition or match. What do you eat when you’re training? No sweets whatsoever. I drink distilled water, and eat a lot of chicken and tilapia. Nothing fried. What do you eat when you cheat? Fried chicken strips. What does your mom think? My mom says at least I know how to defend myself if somebody tries to kidnap me. What advice would you give other girls considering this sport? Do it! No matter how many guys criticize you, there are other girls out there who will support you.
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When did you first start playing rugby? Age 16. What strength do you bring to the field? The ability to run hard and create gaps. What has been the highlight of your rugby career? I scored in the first 12 seconds of my first game. Also, playing against the British military team in the International Games. Who is your favorite rugby player? Larry “the Legend” Cox What will rugby look like in America in the next ten years? Rugby will be more popular. We are basically in the one place that it hasn’t caught on yet. It will also grow in popularity because it will be a sport in the 2016 Olympics. How do rugby players differ from other athletes in your opinion? “Ruggers” are goofier and push more boundaries. They have two seperate mentalities. They participate in 80 minutes of violence on the field, then once they step off the field they are all friends again. America loves violent sports. Why is rugby not more popular here? I think it’s frowned upon because people think it is dangerous. Personally I think it’s less dangerous because without pads you have to be more conscious of protecting yourself at all times. What is a common misconception about rugby? That rugby is exactly the same as football, but with no pads. Rugby can look like football to the average person watching, but it is very different, with completely different rules. mvp July 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com
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IT'S NOT EVERYDAY THAT ONE FINDS A SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL RACING HER BIKE AT A BMX TRACK, BUT BACK IN 2003, THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE YOU WOULD FIND KRISTA BERNICK. Today, Krista is ranked seventh in the nation in her age group. It started when Krista’s brother brought home a flyer from school advertising the sport. Like her brother, Krista decided she wanted to give BMX a try. She has been hooked ever since.
Krista is a 16-year-old Topeka native who will be a junior at Washburn Rural High School. When she is not at school, she spends four nights riding her bike at BMX tracks in both Topeka and Missouri. Krista’s sponsor, FullTilt Bike Co., provides her uniform, along with discounts on bikes and bike parts as she competes at BMX tracks all over the United States. Outside of racing, Krista keeps herself fit by doing sprints on her bike, strength
training at the gym and playing racquetball. Although this does not leave her much time for other activities, Krista says she doesn’t mind. “Training is important because you can work on skills that are weaker than others and it helps you achieve your goals,” Krista said. Her mentality toward training will work to her advantage as she has big plans for her future. “I want to turn pro and race in the 2016 Olympics,” Krista said. MVP
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Coach Talk With Mark Elliott
Mark Elliott talks with new Rossville High School Head Football Coach Derick Hammes. Mark Elliott WIBW 580 AM SportsTalk Silver Lake High School Graduate ELLIOTT: We talked with Coach Steve Buhler in last month’s MVP Sports Magazine, and it’s a unique situation, you were at Washburn Rural for seven years and Coach Buhler was at Rossville for 15 years, and now you guys have switched jobs. How has it been for you? HAMMES: It’s been really good. The kids at Rossville
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have worked really hard, and they have been really eager to learn. ELLIOTT: You are a Nemaha Valley grad, so you’re going back to the size of school that you went to. HAMMES: Yeah, I looked at the situation at Rossville and thought I could relate really well with the people in
MVPSportsMagazine.com August 2013
the community and the kids because, ultimately, that was the kind of town that I am from. ELLIOTT: One of the things at Rossville that will be different is the number of kids. Your offensive and defensive lines at Washburn Rural were pretty big, and you’ve had some big kids. Rossville may not have the
size and the numbers that you’re used to at Washburn Rural. HAMMES: Obviously we don’t have as many kids, but I think I’ve been able to set up the summer workouts and the camps to where we are able to give the kids great opportunities to improve, to practice, and to get better.
ELLIOTT: I’m going to put your memory to the test. What’s happened between graduating from Nemaha Valley and getting ready for your first year at Rossville? HAMMES: Well I graduated in 1989 from Nemaha Valley High School, where I participated in three sports: football, basketball, and track; and played American Legion baseball in the summer. I went
In 2005, I went to Washburn Rural and was the assistant football coach. In 2006, I became the head coach. ELLIOTT: What stands out from your time at Rural? HAMMES: I never thought of this until my time was done, but there hadn’t been consistent winning at Rural in a generation. Rural was a school that had a lot of pride
ELLIOTT: I think the only thing coaches can control is whether they leave the program better than when they got it. And there’s no question, Rural is in better shape now than when you got the job. HAMMES: That’s due to the effort of the kids and the coaches through the years. When we make an improvement within a
and Rock Creek. What do you think of the Mid-East League? HAMMES: I think I’m leaving a competitive league and entering a league that is extremely competitive, with good players and good coaches. I was in the Centennial League for the better part of 16 years and I felt like I knew that league extremely well, and knew everything the coaches and teams could throw at you. Now going to the Mid-East it’s going to be different. I’m going to have to get to know the people, the schools and the coaches that we’re going against. It’ll be an adjustment on our part, but our staff will work hard to make sure that we’re up for it. ELLIOTT: You’re turning a new chapter.
to Emporia State on a football scholarship, and played there under Larry Kramer. We played in the 1989 NAIA National Championship. After Emporia State, I had two stints at Hayden. The first stint was right out of college under Tom Stringer. Then, I was off to Center High School in Kansas City for three years. I went back to Hayden and worked for Coach Stringer again. During that time, we won the 2003 state title.
and a great football tradition in the past. When I first got there, there was none of that. I would say our selfesteem was low, I would say the morale of the program was not where it should be. So that’s probably what I take away from my experience there; we were able to renew some pride in the football program; we were able to generate some excitement. So to be able to turn that around is probably what I am most proud of.
program it was based on people believing in what we were trying to do. ELLIOTT: You’re going from 6A to 3A, and you’re going from the Centennial League to the Mid-East League— both are very good leagues. The Mid-East League has changed over time, it has gotten smaller, but it’s Silver Lake with C.J. Hamilton, the all-time winningest coach in state history. You have St. Marys with Kevin Kinderknecht, Riley County
HAMMES: This job presents a whole new set of challenges. It’s not a rebuild, this is an established program and it’s a program where we have to step back and say, “What can we do to improve what’s really good?” It’s been a lot of fun, the administration has been supportive, and the kids have worked really hard. ELLIOTT: Thanks Derick. Good luck at Rossville.
August 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com
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Kallee Watkins Sophomore Silver Lake High School
- 7 Years Experience - 4 Years Competing - Placed 2nd in the Nation in Level 6 Double Mini Trampoline - Placed 6th in the Nation in Level 5 Trampoline - Placed Top 3 at State in Tumbling and Trampoline.
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Sarah Bures
Makaila Ricioppi
Ashley Prescott
Junior
Junior
Washurn Rural High School
Washurn Rural High School
Junior Highland Park High School
Junior Seaman High School
- 8 Years Experience - 4 Years Competing - Placed Top 3 at Regionals in Tumbling - Placed Top 3 at State in Tumbling
- 12 Years of Experience - 1 Year Competing - Placed 11th in the Nation in Level 6 Double Mini Trampoline - Placed Top 3 at State in Tumbling
- 15 Years Experience - 6 Years Competing - Placed 7th in the Nation in Level 7 Double Mini Trampoline - Placed Top 3 at Regionals in Tumbling and Double Mini Trampoline - Placed Top 3 at State in Tumbling, Double Mini Trampoline and Trampoline
- 6 Years Experience - 5 Years Competing - Placed 6th in the Nation in Level 5 Power Tumbling - Placed Top 3 at State in Tumbling
Sarah Buchanan
*Unable to compete at the JO National Championships after qualifying due to an injury.
MVPSportsMagazine.com July 2013
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