Issue 2, Volume 14

ISSUE2, Volume 14
CLAY
classic
The road to success travels through Clay Middle School
What's inside:
Ping Pong Club
Boys Tennis Undefeated
Washington DC
Boys Basketball
Performing Arts
Styles with Giles
Cheer
Fantasy Football
Coding
Indy Honor Flight Flouring
Egg & Pumpkin Drop

Clay Classic Page 2
Cl ay Pi ng Pong
Cl ub spr i ngs
i nt o act ion
PBy Nyle Nasir and IsaacSaghir
Ping pong balls fly and wild cheers are
all that can be heard from one of Clay?s
newest clubs.
The club was originally created by two
eighth grade students, Olivia Belcher and
Izzy Herider. They pitched the club idea last
year and it finally came to be when M r.
Chris K leman sponsored it. He also
managed to get three more tables from a
grant, giving the club a total of five tables.
Anyone can sign up for the club weekly
in the main office. They meet every
Wednesday from 3:05 to 4:05 in the eighth
grade hallway in front of the big gym
windows.
The club usually has four casual tables,
and one competitive table where kids can
face off against each other, refining their
skill.
Last year, Belcher and Herider realized
Clay had no ping pong club and barely any
in their wellness curriculum.
?It?s a great way to learn a lot and laugh
a lot,? Belcher said.
K leman decided to sponsor ping pong
club because of his love for the sport.
?It?s a great opportunity for kids to play
who don?t have a table at home,? he
explained.
He has a history with the sport as well.
When he was young, he practiced against
one of his friends who made it to nationals.
That?s when he learned to play and found
he liked the sport.
Tala Assaf, an eighth grade member of
ping pong club, said the club is a place to
just have a break after school. She described
the club in seven words: lots of laughs and
lots of fun.
The top-left photo shows ping pong
club's competitive table playing King of
the Table.
The bottom-left shows Mr. Kleman
working with a member on form.
The right side shows the club's casual
tables.

Clay Classic Page 3
U n d e f e a t e d
Boys tennis team goes undefeated
for fifth straight seasons
Story and page by Jennifer
Karakash
?Another day in the office.?
That?s how Eli M ercer, boys
number one singles, described
the feeling of the Trojans
dominating and winning every
match this past season.
The boys tennis team has
gone undefeated for five straight
seasons.
Coach Steven Sturgis, who
has coached the team for six
seasons, said, it feels great when
we win every match, and it?s
going to be sad when they
don?t.
Every year at the end of the
season, because they've gone
undefeated, the boys participate
in the Walk of Champions.
?It?s what we work for, it?s
pure accomplishment,? Coach
Sturgis said.
?It?s exciting. I?ve never
been a part of that so it was
fun,? Carter Inskeep, eighth
grade, said.
Top:Ty Harrington, eighth grade, serves
the ball to the opposing team. Harrington
played number two singles. Middle: Drew
Wilman, seventh grade runs up to the
ball. Wilman played number three singles.
Bottom: Jammy Wang, eigth grade, high
fives the team. This is right before the final
home match of the season, which was
against Fall Creek Junior High. All
photos by Chloe Tapnio
Coach Sturgis is motivating
and really brings the team
together, M ercer said. Eli
M ercer is an eighth grader that
has been on the team for all
three years.
M ercer feels he has grown
from the season because of the
team aspect and it has shown
him the importance of
motivating others.
Inskeep and M ercer agree
that Sturgis is a part of the team.
?He practices with us
sometimes and tells us what to
improve and he gives us pep
talks,? Inskeep said about how
Sturgis helps the players.
?It feels awesome,? Coach
Sturgis said about the team
going undefeated. ?I love
coaching because I love tennis,
and it?s a great way to interact
with kids.?

Clay Classic Page 4
Eight h graders
journey t o
t he Capit al
1
2 3
Story and page by Andrew Caito, Nishesh
Basavareddy, Aakash Parekh
The melodic sound of the trumpet
plays during the wreath changing
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier.
Clay M iddle Students, M addie Stacy
and Lucas Lemme stand straight staring
down the Flag, Their fellows peer behind
them, looking down the path, watching
closely for any misstep by the soldier on
guard. As the switch occurs, the click of
the man's shoes are heard through every
ear.
Starting at M onticello in Virginia, the
eigth grade journey began. Back in the
mountains stood Thomas Jefferson's
house. Clay students were able to take a
tour of Abraham Lincoln's former house.
?I enjoyed going to M onticello
because it was very cool walking on the
same floor that one of our most
important presidents walked on,? Byron
M cKenzie said.
After M onticello Clay students went
to DC to walk through and tour
government buildings. Students went on
a tour of the Library of Congress and the
Capitol Building. The architecture is
neo-classical inspired and related to
things back when it was made. N yle
N asir loved how much detail was on each
individual painting. M ost was Greek
inspired.
At all the monuments, according to
M r. Chad Carr, social studies teacher and
organizer of trip, ? All of the students
we?re respectful and well behaved
throughout our monument visits.?
They visited many of the monuments
and memorials in Washington D.C. such
as the Jefferson M emorial, Washington
M onument, and the World War II
M emorial.
Clay students visited some
Smithsonian museums such as the Air
and Space, N atural H istory, and
American H istory museums.
These museums have things to
engage all ages of people such as the
Hope Diamond exhibit or the live
butterfly exhibit. N yle N asir said, ?I
really enjoyed the Smithsonian M useums
because it was very interactive and it
showed information in original and
creative ways.?
4
5
1. A group of Clay middle school students enjoying Monticello. 2.Ella Ohrvall, Faith Austin, and
Jenny Walker smile for the camera at the Washington Monument. 3. Students of Clay are enjoying
their time at the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. 4. People look on as the changing of the
guard is about too occur. 5. Cole Weiland at the World War II Memorial staring on with his group
leader. All photos by Nyle Nasir

Clay Classic Page 5
Students went and walked around the Arlington Cemetery to see some of the great
people?s tombstones that served our country. Nyle Nasir said, "It was very interesting to
see the different tombstones and it was a good experience." Photo By Nyle Nasir
Lucas Lemme and Maddie Stacy were getting ready to lay the
wreath for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Lemme said, "We
got this opportunity because we both won the Clay Middle
School essay contest." Photo by Nyle Nasir

Clay Classic Page 6
Cour t is Now
in Session
Basketball season is underway at Clay
Story and page by Byron McKenzie and
Dylan Nguyen
You can hear the basketballs bouncing
on the ground every day after school and
the players running back and forth the
court fighting for
possession of the ball
"I 'm t hr il l ed t o
pl ay bask et bal l
t his year because i
l ove t he spor t ."
- Ryan Paul ey
as seventh and eighth
Grade basketball
teams get prepared
for their upcoming
season. The teams
have been decided
and coaches Jordan
and Josh Cole are
ready to start this
season.
?I?m excited to
play this season with new players and new
coaches,? M ichael H awkins, eighth grade
Basketball player said.
N ow with a couple games under their
belt, the players feel confident and believe
they will have a successful season.
?I believe that we will have a very
successful season and will win because we
have a good team with great players this
year," Ryan Pauley, eighth basketball grade
player, said.
Sixteen students made the
eighth-grade basketball team this year and
Coach Josh Cole and Coach Jordan Cole
are also excited about their season along
with players.
?I?m excited to coach new
players and to have a
successful winning season
this year,? Coach Josh
Cole said.
He said he is excited to
meet new students that
made the team this year.
Cole also said he feels like
he has the right players
this year and feels like they
can be successful this year.
?I enjoyed to coach because I enjoy
meeting new players every year," Coach
Josh Cole said.
The team is excited as they enter their
season with seventeen regular season
games ahead of them.
The Cole Duo: Brothers coach together fourth year in a row
Story by Nate Madden and Charlie Gans
As the leaves begin to turn, and the
temperature starts to drop, the Clay
basketball gym fills with basketball hopefuls
trying to make the team. Coach Cole orders
the players to their positions and the final
teams are made.
Eighth grade head basketball coach M r.
Josh Cole enters his twelfth year of coaching,
while this is his seventh years as the eighth
grade head coach.
?I like coaching basketball because it
raises his competitive spirit, and I love
basketball," he said.
For this season, Coach Cole knows that
this group of kids can be very good.
?Every year the goal is to win county,
and thats what I'm looking forward to this
season," he said.
Although Cole has never won the county
championship, he has visited it four times.
He hopes his record could change for the
better.
He and the players believe that this could
be his first undefeated season.
If Coach Cole is the head coach, who is
the assistant?
N one other than his younger brother M r.
Jordan Cole.
They have coached together for four
years. Coach Cole enjoys the advantages that
he has coaching with his brother. One of
them being, ?he knows what I want, and he
knows what I expect from my assistant.?
He also said that it's nice to have both
coaches on the same page at all times.
As the games begin to start, and the
weather turns to winter, one thing is for sure:
M r. Cole and the players are ready.

Clay Classic Page 7
The
Sound
of Musi c
Students describe energy of band concert
Story and page by Jake
Reasoner and Peter Suder
What does a band concert
look like from the band?s point
of view?
Students arrive 30 minutes
prior to the concert time. They
rehearse songs and go over
procedures, and file out onto
the stage.
?It?s super nerve-wracking,
with the spotlights and all of
the eyes on you,? Zach
Reasoner, seventh grade, said.
The excitement and
anticipation builds before the
first song, then it all begins.
According to Reasoner, the
concert includes songs with
varying moods. One song may
be happy and bubbly, while
another may be dark and
thundering.
?M y favorite class is band
because music is something I
really enjoy,? Reasoner said.
Concerts are his favorite part
of band because the sheer thrill
of performing is ?the best
part," he said.
During a concert, time
seems to slow. It feels like the
whole crowd?s eyes fall upon
him and his instrument. The
temperature on stage seems
500 degrees. The lights shine
like fiery suns into his eyes,
and the room starts to spin.
Then M rs. Greta Pote
takes the podium, and all goes
still.
The song begins, and
Reasoner knows what to do,
the three months of prior
practice prepared him.
He plays his part with
confidence, playing each note
without doubt. Just as soon as
it begins, the song ends. As
the second song begins,
Reasoner relaxes a little more;
it?s not as scary as he had
thought initially
. The concert ends, and the
applause is welcomed. This
20-minute concert is a
memory never to be forgotten.
Mr. Grifa directs a group warm up before class begins. Photo by Jake Reasoner
Percussionists warm up, preparing for rehearsal. Photo by
Jake Reasoner

St y l es Wit h Gil es
Behin d t he scen es of St y l es of

Clay Classic Page 9
Students use sewing machines to create fun patterns
Story and pages by Tala Assaf, Sydney
Rickels and Gillian Thompson
The sewing machine whirrs as
students push pieces of cloth through the
machine. A sound of ripping erupts
from the seams as students apply pressure
to the cloth.
What are these students doing in
Styles with Giles?
Styles with Giles is a club where
students from all grades can exercise
their creative side. They make an
assortment of crafts out of materials that
are not commonly used. In past club
meetings, they have made felted soap
and snow globes with baby food jars.
?I think the kids enjoy getting to let
their creative side show in the projects
we do,? M rs. Liana Giles, eighth grade
Social Studies teacher, said. Giles started
the club about three years ago when a
student gave her the idea.
?R ight now we are doing a special
Styles with Giles. It?s a four-week
session. We are using M akerspace to
craft sewn items using a sewing
machine,? Giles said.
Kids will bring in their own fabric,
yarn, scissors, needles and thread. What
do the kids like about Styles with Giles?
?We do a lot of crafts, and I get to
learn a lot about crafts,? H ayley M iller,
eighth grade, said. ?We get to learn how
to use the sewing machines and craft fun
patterns.?
The students get to learn valuable
skills they can use not just in Styles with
Giles but in their everyday life. They get
to learn how to use sewing machines and
fun crafts they can show other friends.

Clay Classic Page 10
CHEERING
to
VICTORY
Eighth grade basketball cheer begins, cheerleaders excited for season
Story and page by Valerie Trent, Katie
Seelig and Bella Sharer
?Gooooo Clay! Shoot for two!?
the cheerleaders cheer as the boys
hustle up and down the court.
Basketball cheerleading has starting
up, and the cheerleaders are excited.
They have been practicing two days a
week to prepare for their first game.
Their first game will be on N ovember
16th at Clay against Carmel M iddle
School.
Eighth graders, H ayley Wetzel and
M addie Ashley are two members on
the cheer team. This is H ayley?s fourth
season cheering.
?M y favorite part about basketball
cheer is being a part of the team and
being able to cheer with new people,?
said Wetzel.
The girls cheer about 14 games
total, eight for the boys and six for the
girls. They, however, don?t travel with
the boys and girls to away games. They
only cheer at home games until the
tournament at the end of the season.
This is Ashley's third season of school
cheer and she is very excited for the
season to start.
?I am looking forward to cheering
with all my friends and working with
new stunt groups,?Ashley said. M rs.
Jessica Stopher, football cheer coach, is
new this year and said that she is very
excited to work with the girls and see
the talent that they bring. Stopher was
on the cheer team in high school and
middle school.
?Cheer has definitely changed over
the years. The skills become more
competitive and advanced which in my
opinion, makes the sport a lot more
interesting, ? Stopher said.
The basketball cheer coach for the
winter season, M rs. Kimberly Smith,
said that she is most looking forward to
seeing the girls have fun and making
memories together.
Some girls said that they will not
continue to do high school cheer due
to other sports and the level of
competitiveness.
Others, such as Sam Jackson, do
cheer outside of school. Sam does
competitive cheer at Indiana Elite and
also cheers at school to keep up with
her skills and motions. The girls are
more than excited for the season to
start and can?t wait to cheer the boys
onto victory.

Clay Classic Page 1
G host
and
G oblinsR u n
Clay wins most participants award once more
Story and page by Parisa Shirani and
Lynsey Bunting
As you see mummies, zombies,
and vampires pass, you may think
you're starring in a horror movie. At
second glance you observe people
running, you see all the banners and
marathon tags and you realize you're in
the middle of the Ghost and Goblins
Run.
Saturday October 28 was the
annual Ghost and Goblins Run,
students, parents, and families dressed
up in costumes and decided to run a 5k
or a 2k. The Ghost and Goblins Run is
a fundraiser that supports the Carmel
Education Foundation which is the
main foundation that gives back to
Carmel Clay Schools.
?M y favorite part of doing the
Ghost and Goblins run is seeing the
whole Carmel school system coming
together as one big community,? M r
Todd Crosby, principal, said. ?I also
enjoy seeing families and kids coming
out to run?
This year's race was a very
important one because Clay went for
the most participants award for the
sixth year straight.
?We have advertised a lot through
video announcements, bulletin boards,
and so much more,? Crosby said.
This year, Clay brought home the
banner once more. Students at Clay
came through and had the most
participants for six years in a row. Clay
had an astonishing 363 runners.
This year it was cold,but that didn't
hold the runners back. Some students,
like Abby Bontreger still came out and
ran, even though the weather was
around 36 degrees Fahrenheit. ?I love
the run. N o cold is going to keep from
doing this race,? Bontrager says
Besides the fact that kids are trying
to get the most participation award
many students love the run just
because it's a fun thing to do, Rene
Back is one of these people.
In the past Back has ran with her
family,friends, and even her dog. Back
says she started doing the run in third
grade and has done it ever since. ?I
love the run, it's just an exciting
event,? Back said.
?There are many things people
enjoy about the run.? Back says. ?I
love that I get to stay active and still get
to hang out with my friends.?
Back said she plans on doing the
run next year. She said she would
never miss an opportunity to do the
run.
?Students and parents should all do
the run," Back said. "It's super exciting
and it goes to a good cause too."
Top: At Clay, when you sign up you get a ghost to put on
your locker. It shows our school how many people have signed
up.
Bottom: A mother and daughter are enjoying walking the 5k.
Clay has won the participation award 6 times.
Left: Students and parents cross the finish line. The weather
was around 35 degrees that day.

Clay Classic Page 12
Fant asy
Foot bal l
Many students, teachers
compete in online football game
Page and story by Clay Richards and
Christian Dora
Cold sweat slowly drips down his
face, his hands are sweating, waiting for
the opponent to make their move.
?Set... H U T!? ?TOUCH DOWN !?
Team Red Zone R ichy wins the fantasy
football league as his wide receiver Juju
Smith-Schuster scores a touchdown.
Fantasy football is a type of online
game where participants draft an
imaginary team of real players. The
teams compete based on the player?s
statistical performance in their game.
In Oakland in 1962, according to
San Diego Union Tribune, Bill
Winkenbach formed the first reported
fantasy football league called the Greater
Oakland Professional Pigskin
Prognosticators League. The league
consisted of eight players.
In Fantasy Football, you start out
with a draft. During the draft, fantasy
team owners must choose the following
positions; QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and a
defense or defensive players. Then each
week decisions are made to what players
start in your starting lineup. Whoever
has the higher amount of points after all
of the players have played wins. Each
week you have a new opponent.
Throughout the season, participants
compete for the best record, most points
scored, and points allowed.
?Fantasy Football is a fun way to
watch football, it brings suspense to
football.? He also said that injuries can
really hurt a team. Which is true, like
many others who drafted Odell
Beckham Jr., David Johnson, Dalvin
Cook, Carson Palmer, J.J. Watt, and
Deshaun Watson. Injuries can make or
break your million dollar season.
Leo H ammons, seventh grade, said.
?M aking the right decision to put in a
player can be risky because, they can
either have a really good game with a lot
of points scored, or a bad game with
little or none scored,?Leo H ammons
also stated.
?Drafting Tom Brady is the best
choice I have made this year, because he
is a point racker,? Ian Kohan, seventh
grade, Ian Kohan, also a Fantasy Football
competitor, said.
You can trade your players in
exchange for others, leaving the offer on
the table for the person with the choice
to deny or allow the trade.
When fantasy football season comes
around everyone is always hyped.

Clay Classic Page 13
DISCOVER
CODING
Students begin to learn to code in new
com puter science classes
Story and page by Charlie Hall and
Beau Willman
Students busy at work trying to
create a website of some sort, tapping
on their keyboard vigorously.
In seventh grade computer
science, a new course offered this year,
M r. Evan Snyder is teaching his
students how to code. The website
they have been using is called
Code.org.
But what is coding?
Coding means to give instructions
to a computer. By doing so, the
computer can create websites, apps,
and many other things.
One of Snyder's past students,
Amna M allick, seventh grade said, ?It
is important to learn how to code
because it could be useful for many
jobs in the future. In later years,
coding jobs will skyrocket and they
will need people to fill the position.
Some of the things that we learned
were to code and make games and
websites.?
Some of the jobs that involve
coding are I.T, jobs in medicine, and
web developers. Coders use coding to
create their websites, software and
apps
Ṫhe students use a few different
codes in Snyder's class called including
sprite, image, set, and animation.
They learn to code in class by
watching people code in videos and
created their own website.
In coding you need to be able to
problem solve and be good at math.
Some more skills needed could be
patience and level headedness.
Lucas Parker, seventh grade, said,
?You don?t have to be great with
technology to code. I was never great
with it but I picked it up very quickly.
But it does help to start now when
you are young, and it will give you an
advantage over people who are
starting later.?
In this picture Wyatt Brooks codes using Code.org as he is filling
out his worksheet. Students in this class are attempting to code for
the first time.
Max Goodburn creates a smiley face with a dotted mouth and eyes. All of the
students are creating other simple designs like this.

Clay Classic Page 14
EGG
& pumpkin
Story by Michael Baum
Splat! Goes the eggs as they hit the paper
covered floor in M rs. Susie Fulp's eighth grade
science classroom.
The eggs were supposed to be dropped
outside, but the weather did not cooperate.
To fix the situation, M r. Andy Simon stood
on a table and dropped each student's egg
contraption from the ceiling.
The eighth grade teachers have been
teaching this for several years.
DROP
Each group of three had a one hour and
thirty minute class period to create a protection
device to save their egg from breaking when
dropped from ten feet in the
Ayden Braun?s favorite part was getting to
work with his friends and being able to learn on
his own.
Julian Olvera-Gordon's favorite part of the
egg drop was getting to build a parachute and
getting to work with a team.

Clay Classic Page 15
T H E Y 'R E
I N V A D I N G !
Species invade the
environment all throughout
the country, sixth graders take
interest
Story and page by Cade Williams and
Ryan Roop
Recently, sixth graders at Clay
presented their projects to their special
guests, DN R officials. Tri-folds,
pictures, and students sharing their
research would all meet the eye if you
would have taken a peek in the LGI
room while this was going on.
In sixth grade science classes, students
finished their invasive
species project. They
started this project in
the middle of October
and worked on it for
about two weeks.
They have been doing
this project for four
years now, and this year
went very well, says
Phoebe Wheeler.
This project is a part
of the ecology unit that
they are working
on. In these
presentations, they talked about the
invasive species, their role in the
environment, and what the DN R
(Department of N atural Resources)
is doing to prevent them from
invading anymore.
Students were required to
research an invasive species and create
a presentation to present to their
teachers, peers, and DN R officials.
DN R officials came to witness the
Sixth graders? presentations. They
walked around and spoke with the
students. They asked students questions
and made comments to challenge their
knowledge.
?Seeing students learn while
collaborating in groups was the best
part of this project,? M rs.Kelly
Speidel, sixth grade science
teacher, said.
Phoebe Wheeler said she studied
the Zebra mussel. These are a
problem in the Great Lakes in
M ichigan. They eat lots of plankton,
which lowers the population of plankton,
and leaves little food for the rest of the
ecosystem.
The Zebra mussel, the emerald ash
borer, and the mute swan species
were all common research topics
according to Speidel
?The best part about this project was
being able to show off our research
to the DN R professionals,? Wheeler
said.
Connor Dora thought that ?learning
how negative of an effect these species
have on the environment,? was
the best part of the project.
Connor said ?The project went
very well, and I would
recommend that this
project is done in future
sixth grade classes."

Clay Classic Page 16
S o c i a l
S t u d i e s
B e a n
W a r
Mr. Dan Patane
smiles for the camera
after being covered
by water and flour.
Seventh Grade Social Studies teachers
Battle to Win the Bean War for Honor
Flight
Story and pictures by Madeline Young
And Abby Bontrager. Just a few weeks
ago, the social studies teachers went
head to head, trying to get the upper
hand and raise the most amount of
money to win the bean wars and
donate to the Indy Honor Flight.
?Honor Flight is a national
organization, that sends veterans on a
one-day trip to Washington D.C., free
of charge,? M r. Dan Patane, Social
Studies teacher of team Apollo said. He
said that they have three flights a year.
?Two flights in the fall, and one in the
spring,? he said.
Patane, with the help of team
Apollo students, collected the most
amount of money, but lost the war to
M r. Todd Stewart and M r. Ryan
Snyder of teams Poseidon and Atlas,
who made an alliance against him.
Together, they took all their beans and
dropped them into Patane?s bowl.
R aising 43 percent of the total
from Clay just wasn?t enough to beat
team Atlas?s 21 percent and team
Poseidon's 36 percent.
?Together we were able to sink
Patane,? M r. Ryan Snyder, Social
Studies teacher of team Poseidon said.
The seventh graders of Clay were
able to raise $10,352 for the veterans,
sending 22 veterans to Washington
D.C. Team Apollo raised $4,528.87
and sent a total of 10 veterans to
Washington D.C. Team Poseidon
raised $3,700.00 and sent eight
veterans, and Team Atlas raised
$2,173.92 and sent four veterans.
On Team Apollo, Trevor Buis said
he raised a total of $550.00 for his
team.
?We had about two weeks to
donate the money,? Buis said.
N ext year, the whole seventh grade
will donate money and hopefully send
more veterans to Washington D.C.
than they did this year.
Team Apollo hopes that they will
make it on top again next year, and
even win the bean war, but beating the
allied forces of team Poseidon and team
Atlas won?t be easy.

Clay Classic Page 17

Clay Classic Page 18
Seventh grade basketball season is underway
Top ten national tennis player is eighth grader at Clay
Story by Ethan Brown
In the eighth grade there is a boy
named N ishesh.
This boy is not average teenage boy.
Tennis took over his life when he was
very young.
H is father got him into tennis when
he was very young. He immediately got
into tennis by the first touch of his
racket.
He started and still plays at the Smiths
tennis club. He practices six days a week
for two hours a day. He plays tennis as a
passion. He always wants to go to the
court.
He plays tournaments too.
In the 12 and under, he is ranked
third in the country. In the 14 and under,
he is 18 in the country. He plays
tournaments three weekends a month
and has now transitioned into only 14
and under tournaments. He has traveled
the country going to tournaments as far
as Florida and Beverly H ills, California.
Playing over 12 hours of tennis a
week, he has grow to be one of the best
tennis players for his age. He proves that
hard work can get you to good places.
He is not only a good tennis player but a
good student. He is in 11th grade math
as an eighth grader.
But then one day when N ishesh was
celebrating in a national tennis
tournament he twisted his knee. He was
sent to the hospital and had to put a brace
on it. He was out of tennis for six
months.
But this player is always positive, and
now that his leg has healed, he has
returned to the court.
Wrestlers get ready for upcoming season
Story by Amna Mallick and Kyndall Osbourne
?It?s your own thing; it?s only you and your opponent, and
it feels good,? Colin Fettig, seventh grade, said about wrestling.
Fettig isn?t the only one who feels this way on the mat.
Wrestling is starting soon, and he and teammate Gabe Baldoni,
seventh grade, are getting ready for the season.
Fettig said wrestling last year would help him this year
because ?it gives me more experience.?
Fettig said you have to pace yourself in a match. For training
in the off season, club and elite are options that take place at the
high school.
Club is for extra training and elite is for the wrestlers who
want a harder training session.
M ost people who are in the elite and club have been or want
to join varsity for their school.
?Wrestling is an individual sport. You only need to rely on
you and the mat,? Fettig said.
It takes endurance, strength and agility to compete in
wrestling.
?Coach Therman really motivated me to become a better
wrestler and always try my best," Baldoni said.
You don?t need to try out for wrestling. There are
wrestle-offs at the beginning of the season to help the coach see
who wrestles varsity.
Everyone else makes Junior Varsity or JV.
?It makes me happy knowing that I can always be in a
match and a part of the team,? Baldoni stated.
Clay Middle School
5150 E. 126th St.
Carmel, IN 46011
The Clay Classic is Clay
Middle School's student
newspaper. It is written,
photographed, edited and
designed by the students in
Mr. Williams' seventh and
eighth grade newspaper
classes.
Find us online at:
www.clayclassic.news
Administration:
Mr. Todd Crosby, principal
Mr. Mark Smith, assistant principal
Mrs. Lori Katz, assistant principal
Mr. John Corcoran, activities director
Follow us at:
@the_clay_classic
@clayclassic