North Star

FINISH OF A
MEMORABLE
SEASON
The girls’ cross country team has had a successful
season with Chloe Horstman and Allison Vernon
moving on to sectionals. They have led a team of 17
girls this year, with 14 runners who have returned
from the previous season. Many of the athletes on
the team improved throughout the season and
developed healthy habits in order to successfully
compete against other rival high schools. Alise
Simon, an athlete on the team, is no exception.
“I maintain good grades throughout the season
because I have a much stricter schedule during
cross country season,” said Simon.
Before a meet, the team performs several normal
routines. They did activities together such as
receiving race number bibs, putting on spikes,
warm up jog and stretching.
“My favorite thing to do before and after I run is
cheering on the other races FHN competes in,” said
Simon.
The team spirit is what helps to fuel these girls as
they race against competitors. During practices and
meets, the athletes all cheer for one another and
coast alongside the race to motivate the runners to
move faster.
JUNIOR HELPS
LEAD THE TEAM
This year there was one tennis player who stood
out from the bunch: Allie Moore. She is a junior who
first started playing her freshman year. She was
looking for something to do outside of school.
“I thought it would look good for college and for
businesses,” Moore said.
Moore’s teammates think highly of her and enjoy
her motivation and her passion for tennis.
“She’s a very motivated person,” junior tennis
player Iris Lee said. “I guess if she has an idea she
has the drive to make it happen.”
Moore wanted to become a better leader to the
other members in tennis, so over the summer
she learned how to coach younger kids. With the
knowledge she learned from coaching them, she
went into the season ready to help people.
“I have started giving people on my team advice
and helping them out with little things,” said Moore.
“But there is only so much you can do when also
trying to better yourself but I try to help out where
I can.”
One of the pieces of advice Moore had for the
team is to practice more during the off season.
“If people practiced more during the off season
we could be better than other schools,” Moore said.
Moore helped her teammates with
Junior Chloe Horstman runs during a cross country
meet for FHN. Horstman has participated in cross
country for three years. (Photo by Allie Moore)
“Team spirit makes cross country enjoyable and
tolerable, I don’t know what we would do without
it,” said Simon.
There are three main workouts every week
during practice: distance runs, track workouts and
timed runs. Distance runs are focused on form and
cardio, slower than race pace, but usually go farther
distance coverage. Track workouts tend to be the
hardest of the three, and are focused on pushing
yourself physically and mentality. Timed runs are
the easiest of the three. Those are done a day
before a meet and it is a thirty minute jog on your
own at FHN.
“The workouts done at practice not only help to
prepare the athletes, but also act as a stress reliever
from school,” assistant coach Valerie Green said.
(Brief by Andrew Tueth)
Junior Allie Moore prepares to hit the tennis ball back across
the net to her opponent. Moore has been playing for three years
and has experienced coaching change. Moore enjoys helping
her teammates. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)
techniques and forms. She also helped newer
players improve. She wanted to work on specific
ways to move and hold the racket while doing a
front hand or backhand.
“She has definitely helped me in tennis whenever
I started out,” said Lee. “She helped teach me the
techniques and I definitely improved thanks to her.”
Moore is a motivating person, often hosting and
setting up group bonding events for the tennis
team with Lee.
“Watching her play itself was pretty exciting,” Lee
said. “We’d always just watch her play really well
and it motivates us to be better.” (Brief by Jon Fitch)
Freshman Leah Heischmidt follows though on her
swing on Sept. 24 at a match against Troy Buchanan.
Heischmidt has become a valuable player during her
first year on the golf team. (Photo by Nadia Abusoud)
ACHIEVING HER
GOALS
The first year of high school for many students
is an opportunity to not only find new things to
do and experience, but also a chance to continue
and build upon things previously enjoyed.
Freshman Leah Heischmidt used her freshman
year to continue playing golf, as she had as a
child, but went in with the goal of making friends,
being able to manage everything and growing in
the process.
“I’ve played golf since around fifth grade,”
Heischmidt said. “I played CYC [Christian Youth
Channel] through my old school, but for high
school I was excited to meet all of the girls
because they’re all so nice, and all so welcoming.”
Since Heischmidt had previously played golf
and made the team when she tried out this year,
and she found that the biggest struggle was
playing against the upperclassmen.
“We have rankings for who we get to play
with, and I was number one, so I played against
juniors and seniors,” Heischmidt said. “And I’m a
freshman so I was just like ‘uhhh.’”
Heischmidt looked forward to meeting the girls,
and she formed many friendships throughout
the season. Her favorite memories were from
bonding with her teammates.
“Leah is valuable as a teammate because she
is very good at golf and helps our team scores,”
freshman teammate Chloe Perkins said. “As a
player she’s calm and easy going, and as a friend
Leah is funny, kind and fun to be around.”
Heischmidt hopes to play golf for the rest of
high school. With her dad’s encouragement and
her desire to continue playing, she thinks it makes
the most sense. Going into the next few years she
hopes to make it to sectionals and continue to
improve her skills.
“My favorite thing about golf is the
sportsmanship,” Heischmidt said. “Everyone is
usually kind of nice to play with so it’s not there’s
any bad environment with anyone. It’s just a good
environment to be in.” (Brief by Hannah Davis)
PAGE BY KARSYN WILLIAMS
SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
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