BATTLING FOR MAC BLUE The wrestling team wins MAC Blue title, coach Davis wins a prestigious award

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Team earns MAC Blue title, Davis wins Coach of the Year

CAMERON SMALE MANAGING EDITOR

Ending the season with an impressive undefeated record, the Utica wrestling team celebrates one of their most outstanding years. While seniors are finished with their wrestling careers, junior high school students are just beginning theirs.

The team has been waiting for a MAC Blue win for a long time and all their conditioning had paid off. The Utica wrestlers have stated that their team was very “tight knit” and that they got along throughout their season.

“We really felt like a tight community, we supported each other and helped each other learn,” sophomore Antonio Capelj said. “Training is painful, it consists of stretching, running, lifting and sparing. I look forward to improving my skills and keep working hard at wrestling.”

The wrestling team is one of the teams that had a community all on it’s own, as described by the athletes who participate in it. When the team isn’t at practice, they follow diet plans and recruit during the off season.

“Being on the team is the best part about wrestling,” junior Hunter Ali said, “we all get along and work hard to make each other better. Next year I’m looking forward to go after the MAC Blue Championship again. Winning it this year was an amazing experience for the team.”

For these athletes, their wrestling careers start in junior high. The Utica wrestling coach recruits athletes from a very young age and conditions them into wrestling champions.

The returning wrestlers will prepare for next year with various diets which will insure that they stay in their designated weight classes. They will also prepare by doing other sports as well as doing weight training.

“Coach is very enthusiastic,” Capelj said. “He wants to make sure the job is done right and doesn’t leave anyone to falter behind.”

Coach Davis was awarded the title of MAC Blue Wrestling Coach of the Year due to his outstanding methods and strategies. “I’m proud of how all the guys wrestled this year. At no point can I say we were not wrestling to our ability,” Davis said. “I’m very proud of all the hard work that the team has been putting into this season.” Although the team won the MAC Blue championship, they did lose the team district final. Davis has always been a big believer of his athletes doing the best that they can, and that’s what satisfies him. “We lost a hard fought battle to Utica Ford in our team district final. I am super proud to be the coach of these guys. They brought their game that evening,” Davis said. “Even though I know they are disappointed, I hope they don’t let it linger because they should be proud of their performance. My only hope is that they use this as fuel to continue to improve.” Overall the wrestling team has agreed that this has been one of their best seasons yet. They have accomplished many goals, and lots of the athletes have achieved their personal goals. Lots of the athletes were even awarded medals for their abilities.

Although the Michigan schools have been shut down for the rest of the year, some wrestlers still train from in their homes for next season.

Prior to winning his first match of the county tournament, the referee raises junior Hunter Ali’s hand toward the crowd. “I was really excited because it was a big tournament,” Ali said. “Winning the first match meant I could continue to the next day.” Ali’s victory allowed him to compete in the next day of wrestling, helping his team earn fifteenth place out of 36 teams. clarissa rose photo

Chieftain swimmers make waves at county meet

Senior captain Dominic Lount is ready to start the 50 Freestyle.

It’s the feeling of water encasing senior Dominic Lount that propels him to the opposite side of the pool. His adrenaline kicks in as soon as he touches the cold water.

“I am so proud of my team and I am so lucky to have been able to play this sport three years of high school,” Lount said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be one of the captains of a team as dedicated to this sport.”

Following a busy swim and dive season for the team, their time in the water was not over yet. Their work in and sometimes outside of the pool pushed captain Cameron Smale and Lount to qualify for counties in swimming. To qualify, Smale posted a time 5:49 in the 500 yard freestyle, and Lount posted a time of 24.1 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle. Smale went on to earn a medal at the county meet.

Sophomore Lorenzo Weihermuller and senior Joshua Essenmacher qualified for counties in diving, and Essenmacher went on to earn a medal.

“I wasn’t expecting to qualify,” Smale said. “To qualify, it would require me to drop over 30 seconds off my previous time. I felt both confused and excited at the same time when I found out I qualified.” Smale has been swimming for Utica since his freshman year, qualifying for counties in previous years in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay.

“Any time you can qualify for the county meet is an excellent accomplishment,” coach Joe Michol said. “Only the top twenty-four swimmers out of the entire county qualify for each swim event. It is always each swimmer’s individual and team aspirations to qualify for the county meet, as it is a stepping-stone toward the state meet.”

CHARLES BORUS

EDITOR

The counties meet was held at L’Anse Cruse High School on Feb. 8. While Utica showed a valiant effort, Dakota High School came out victorious with 397 points, while Utica had 13 points.

“Especially in events like these, it is extremely important for teams to come together and support each other,” senior Andrew Garrison said. “ We cheer for each other and congratulate our teammates when they finish. It’s a tradition we have on the team, and it really brings us all together.”

Both in and out of the pool, the Chieftain swimmers are one team. Despite some of them not swimming in the counties meet, their support did not stop.

“The whole team stands at the end of the pool cheering them on,” senior captain Ryan Fromm said. “It’s nice because they can see us and it motivates them to not give up. It’s definitely incredibly rewarding to see your teammates finish an event-successful or not.”

Now that both Lount and Smale are seniors, they will miss swimming for Utica High School.

“As one of the only guys to join the team as a freshman,” Smale said, “I was able to help build the team into a phenomenal group of men. It was a great experience to build friendships and watch the younger guys on the team choose their favorite events. Also, Coach Joe is one of the greatest coaches I’ve ever had, and I’ll miss practicing with him every day.”

Since Smale was a freshman when starting, and Lount was a sophomore, both have only improved. While they did have days where giving up would have been the easier way out, they continued onwards and were able to see the fruits of their labor.

“It’s definitely bittersweet leaving the pool,” Lount said. “However, I, wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”

STUDENT VOICES AND OPINIONS

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STAFF EDITORIAL Staying home and staying safe. Even though staying home is extremely boring, it is necessary.

HALEY GROOMS ILLUSTRATION

It seems like there is nothing to do. The same shows keep playing over and over again on the television, sports are replaying old games, and every board game has already been played. With Michigan banning all but essential travel, it feels like all social life outside of the home is coming to a screeching halt.

There are many good things about the order that are overshadowed by the boredom and common want to leave the house. For instance, some families can become closer and learn more things about each other than before. With nowhere to be and nobody but whoever is living in the house to talk to, relationships have the opportunity to flourish. Not to mention, it’s also a really good time to perfect a skill or hobby that one otherwise would not have picked up outside of the quarantine. Some may say that there is too much spare time, but others may think about it as a new way to be creative with their time.

This stay-at-home order was issued for a reason, as well. It’s not like the governor wants students out of school or people to become stir crazy at home. There is serious danger in the world and many people are only looking at themselves instead of others when it comes to becoming infected. If one person has the virus or is carrying it, then another can get infected, and then it becomes like a domino effect of infections. It only takes one person to trigger an outbreak.

The worst part about the virus is that people can carry it without even showing symptoms. So one could feel fine, yet walk around and infect the people that they love the most without even realizing. It can be hard to stay away from others, but it would be pretty terrible to infect someone’s grandparents because another person didn’t want to stay home from a gathering.

It’s not like the world is ending for peoples’ social lives, either. There are still other ways that people could socialize instead of gathering in person. This generation has just about everything that anyone would ever need to talk to another person without being face-to-face. There is more to lose than there is compared to when one is staying home. Losing a life because someone doesn’t want to FaceTime seems unnecessary. It is understandable that a hug is definitely different than a Skype call, but some things just need to wait until the world is safe again.

Although it may be tempting to leave the house or break the rules set in place by the governor, people need to remember that there is more to do than what many think. There is still a world outside of a phone screen or a computer that is surrounded by nature. Going for a jog, tossing a football, or even going for a bike ride are all allowed as long as people are being safe and social distancing. There is more than people can do than can’t, but it takes motivation to do these activities.

Finding motivation during these times can be hard, especially when the overtone of the pandemic is depressing. People need to stay strong and remember that the sooner people begin to stay home instead of going out, the quicker the order will lift.

People just need to be patient and listen to the instructions provided by the experts. The actions of one person can ruin it for the rest, so everyone has to do their part in staying home. There is no reason besides grocery shopping that one would need to go into public while a pandemic is taking place. For the sake of those who at higher risk, stay home and healthy.

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE

IS IT WORTH IT TO GO OUT DURING THE LOCK DOWN?

YES 0 NO 10

How are you keeping busy during the ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ order? PERSPECTIVES

“I have been playing lots of video games and watching movies with my family. There’s not much else to do.” “I have been watching new shows and movies. I have also been spending more time with my family.”

SENIOR “I have been having so many Zoom meetings. I feel like I have an office job with all of my coworkers. I even have to schedule Zoom meetings with my friends.”

Olivia Kurek

TEACHER “Teaching online has been keeping me really busy. In my spare time, I’ve been doing home improvement projects, and I’m also trying to be outdoors as much as possible.”

Craig Smale

STAFF “I was able to purcase a moped recently. I have several buddies that have mopeds and we ride in a pack with keeping in mind the six foot safety zone.”

Officer Jim Malczewski

OPINION Varsity letters. Do band students deserve honor?

Regardless of what sport one may play, such as football, soccer, golf or even marching band--those dreaded two words to which a lot of student athletes immediately assume are the geeks and nerds--all deserve recognition.

For high schoolers, it is a proud moment to sport their brand new letterman jacket and sew on patches from the various activities they are involved in for everyone to see. When it comes to marching band, theatre and yes, even newspaper, letters do exist. However, these are not varsity letters. They are band letters or letters for the activity a student participated in. They represent a different category from the mainstream sports. These letters stand out on their own. A band letter, for example, is smaller than the traditional varsity Letter. For example, the word “BAND” inscribed into the bridge connecting the “U” together. Some schools, such as Rochester Adams High School, even have letters for academics.

Now, when it comes to athletic levels, I understand that marching band is not as physically demanding as football or soccer. However, it doesn’t mean that there is no athleticism involved. Athleticism is not just based on how fast you can run a mile or how far you can throw a football. Athleticism involves strength of mind, as well. Across the county line in Troy Schools, marching band is viewed very differently. These students spend countless hours early in the morning, late at night and on weekends perfecting a very intricate show for a judge. The one difference is they play at a competition at least every week. While every band is unique, the common thread is that marching band members work very hard to present their performance.

As a clarinetist, I personally have put in many hours outside of the band practices to perfect my performance, just like in any other athlete. My band letter means more to me than just my marching band performance. It is a reflection of my band experience as a whole.

CHARLES BORUS

EDITOR

When one walks down the hallways of Utica during the winter, one is bound to see a couple varsity jackets being worn. When one sees the jackets it can be assumed the wearer is in a sport--until they turn around and you see “Marching Band” or “Symphonic Band.” For athletes, getting a varsity letter is a goal. Athletes work hard for years to achieve it. Getting on varsity is not something someone automatically achieves after two years, like in marching band. It takes determination, and proving to coaches, teammates, and even oneself that they deserve to be on that team. For marching band, one just has to show up for two years. There is no system of who gets it and who doesn’t, and even those who quit after two years get their varsity letter. It turns it into a participation award, instead of an award one actually needs to work for.

Now, before someone yells at me for having this opinion, they should know I was on Color Guard, the non-musical part of marching band for four years. There were times where it was difficult; after all, we did practice all summer for hours in the burning sun. Hours of my summer and afternoons after school were dedicated to marching band, but that didn’t mean I thought I deserved a varsity letter.

I honestly didn’t even know marching band participants got a varsity letter until I got one my junior year. I didn’t know because I wouldn’t think something that’s not a sport got a varsity letter. Also, I had done nothing special to earn it. Even the people I had seen slack off for the past two years received a varsity letter, which made me question the value of it all.

Marching Band should have separate awards system, because after all, marching band is in a separate category as sports. Marchers work hard on their music and memorizing their formations, and they should be rewarded, too.

ABBY JENKINS

DESIGN EDITOR

READER RESPONSE

Responses to ‘Life as a survivor’ Alice, what an amazing, personal and inspirational story. Thank you so much for sharing. I love the quote and I do believe that you’re one of His strongest soldiers. Thank you for all the positivity and smiles that you brought to class every day. I’m blessed to have had you as a student. Thank you!

John See, staff

Hi Alice! I cannot stop crying after reading your story – it is so inspirational. I love your attitude, spirit, smile – you are a poster child for hope. I am saddened that our semester together got cut short, however, it is meeting students like you that make my job incredibly worthwhile. I love the quote at the end of your story – I believe it to be true as well. I send my prayers to you and your family.

Lacie Smith, staff

Alice, thank you for sharing your story and your strength. Now, more than ever, we can learn from incredible young people like you who listened to and learned from medical care providers, who found inner strength to persevere and retains their incredible sense of self through it all. You’re an inspiration kid, and I’m grateful to know you!

UHS Arrow Newspaper

@UHSArrow Tom Lietz @uticaprincipal If you know Haley, you know this isn’t a surprise. This was just a matter of time! Well done young miss!!

UHS Arrow Newspaper

@uhsarrow Congratulations to our print editor-in-chief Haley Grooms, who was named into the state Journalism staff for writing and reporting. This ranks her as one of the top journalists in the state! @MIPAMSU

Haley @hailandkaye I love to see how some of my closest friends are reacting to being stuck in quarantine!

UHS Arrow Newspaper

@uhsArrow Throughout the state-mandated break from school, Arrow staff members will be posting updates on how they are dealing with and using their time off from school.

Contact information

Arrow Utica High School 47255 Shelby Road Utica, MI 48317 phone: 586.797.2305 fax: 586.797.2201 e-mail: uticapublications@gmail.com website: uhsarrow.org

Staff policy

The Arrow is published monthly by the newspaper class of Utica High School and is funded by advertising. Our main purpose is to (1) inform the students, faculty and community of school-related news; (2) broaden the range of thinking of staff members and readers; (3) provide a forum for readers; (4) train the students in the functions of the press in a democratic society; and (5) provide entertaining features of interest to the students. All editorials without a byline reflect at least two-thirds opinion of the Arrow staff but are not necessarily the opinion of the administration.

Letters to the Editor are welcomed and must be signed; however, names will be withheld for valid reasons. Letters may be dropped off in room 205, and electronic submissions will be verified. All contributions are subject for restrictions of libel, defamation, slander and obscenity. The Arrow staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing the meaning, and also reserves the right to reject letters for reasons of limited space, untimely material, or unbalanced coverage.

The Arrow is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association, Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and the Student Press Law Center. Some photos courtesy of American Society of News Editors/Tribune News Service. Cost per issue is $.50. Mail subscriptions are $10 per year.

Editor-In-Chief

Haley Grooms

Digital Editor-In-Chief Parker Hopkins

Managing Editor

Cameron Smale

Copy Editor

Anthony Barney

Sports Editor

Dominic Lount Business Manager

Lauren Kerr

Social Media Editors Mackenzie Olmstead

Nur Awkal

Design Editor Abby Jenkins

Editor

Magan Leitermann Reporter Wilhelmina Viviano

Adviser

Stacy Smale

HIGHLIGHTING UNIQUE TALENTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Tumbling into Success

DOMINIC LOUNT SPORTS EDITOR

In many different sports, there are opportunities to advance into the next level. Many of these opportunities can be attained through high school sports, but some sports do not go through the school. In senior Austin Kosanke’s case, gymnastics isn’t offered at Utica, but he has still continued with it through a long span of time.

“This year is my twelfth year doing gymnastics,” Kosanke said. “I started when I was five years old.”

Throughout Austin’s career as a gymnast, he has certainly racked up the hardware. He has totaled hundreds of medals over all twelve years, some individual awards as well as some for his team. Practices can be greuling, but in the end they can pay off in dividends.

“I practice five times every week, and sixteen hours total,” Kosanke said. “and I have won many trophies for myself and also including team awards.”

As previously mentioned, these practices and competitions are extremely time-consuming, so Kosanke must put extra time into activities outside of school in order to keep up with the demanding schedule of gymnastics as well as the demanding schedule and events of life.

“The three hardest things about having practice the whole week,” Kosanke said, “are being able to balance homework, being very tired after constant workouts, and not having a lot of time to hang out with friends.”

As in any sport, workouts and training are essential, but eating healthy is another major part of an athletes lifestyle as well. This is no different in gymnastics, as eating and drinking well can help enhance performance, and gymnastics requires lots of physical and mental toughness.

“I don’t have a specific diet,” Kosanke said, “but I try to limit pop.”

Most school and travel leagues go a few months, maybe even half a year. But that is not the case for gymnastics. Kosanke’s gymnastics team goes the whole year, with only a few breaks inserted here and there. This may create fatigue and is definitely a lot of time and commitment, but all of these practices and all of the repetitions will pay off in dividends when it comes to competition time, with strength building up from every practice.

“It’s a year round sport so we get one full week off in the year on the week of July 4th,” Kosanke said. “however the competition season goes from November-ish until May.”

Although senior year is almost complete, Kosanke does not plan on stopping his gymnastics career just yet. He plans to continue his career at the collegiate level.

“I plan to continue with club gymnastics at Grand Valley University.” Kosanke said.

The amount of commitment and perseverance it takes to balance school, sports and life has many other people in awe of what Kosanke does, as well as the success that he has in the sport of gymnastics.

“Any time somebody can do a year-round sport and do well in school,” senior Jack Shepherd said, “that’s very impressive.”

Many of Kosanke’s friends are also in awe at all of his gymnastics feats and accomplishments, including senior Jade Gomez.

“Well, I think it’s really cool,” Gomez said. “It’s fun to be able to see all the skills he’s developed over the years I’ve known him.”

Many student-athletes are in the same boat as Kosanke. They have year-round sports, in which there are practices many days of the week as well as competitions, and where they also have to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the season. It may seem challenging, but Kosanke has proven that it can definitely be done.

“The one thing you need to have is determination,” Kosanke said. “The moment you start to feel unmotivated it gets one hundred times harder, so just push through it.”

Young Kosanke does the “Lever” move on the rings at a competition.

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1: Kosanke stands on the winner’s podium as he wins first place. 2: Elementary school aged Kosanke poses while wearing his medals. 3: Kosanke does a handstand on the bars at a competition. 4: Kosanke met two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak at a gym.

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