February 2020

16 sports/westerner
Bring It On
February 14, 2020
“A funny memory this season would
have to be during the football
games. Before each game started
we would all dance, laugh, and take
pictures no matter how cold, leaving
many moments to remember,”
junior Karis Pacini said.
“A funny moment had to be when
Christina mistook the term auto pilot
for airplane mode when our coach
tried to explain that we can’t be
sloppy with our routine and just go
through the motions,” senior Captain
Nikolina Vujcic said
VARSITY CHEER REFLECTS BACK ON THEIR SUCCESS
THIS SEASON
BY DANIEL VICENS
sports editor
Overcoming injuries that sidelined three team members and reworking
their routine to maximize their strengths, the varsity cheer
team managed to land a second place finish at the CSL conference
meet at Evanston in January. “When we heard the announcer call out
that we got second place, that was an amazing moment to not only celebrate
but to also inspire the driving force that we needed to perform
at sectionals,” junior Janiya Murray said.
With the team facing many different challenges -- from overall
difficulty of tumbling and stunting increasing to the ever changing
formation of stunt groups -- the team had to adapt and work hard to
attain the outcome they wanted. “No matter what the setbacks were,
“we all knew that we had the perseverance and dedication to finish our
season in the best way possible, reaching our team goal. Although we
were worried about the spirit being shifted, we all knew our own designated
jobs and how much effort we would need to reach our fullest
potential,” junior Karis Pacini said.
Although the team may not have placed where they wanted for sectionals,
they felt their intensity of effort and nimble stunts gave them
an outcome that made them proud. “Competing at sectionals was astonishing.
We were last to perform out of all the teams so we knew we
needed to take all the hard work from the season and give it our all
on the mat because we only had three minutes to prove ourselves. The
rushing feeling of nerves and confidence is something I never want to
forget,” Pacini said.
GRETA MARTIN
Freshman Lina Aboebied, performing
as one of the flyers, starting preparing
for the competition season with assembly
performances in the fall.
Breaking the Surface
RECORD-SETTING BOYS SWIM SEASON REACHES PEAK AT CONFERENCE TONIGHT
Competing for the conference title tonight, followed by their sectional
meet on Feb. 21, boys swim continues the tradition of bleaching and
shaving their hair to unify before these peak meets.
“We’re feeling confident after the work we put in so that we are able to
beat records and make it to the top,” senior Axel Arzola said.
During a recent swimming meet versus Highland Park, the boys
placed first in the 200 yard medley relay, senior Ricardo Selvas placed first
in the 50 yard freestyle, and Bryers took first in the 100 yard butterfly.
By shaving their heads, “this shows our true commitment to the sport
and [it] is a chance to show everyone how serious we take these bigger
meets. We plan to make this year count,” senior Nate Bryers said.
The diving team has had a record-breaking season. Senior Ray Ure
and junior Alex Fleming posted scores against Deerfield that made them
BY NIKOLINA VUJCIC
reporter
GRETA MARTIN
GRETA MARTIN
two of the top five divers in Maine West’s history. “In order to break the
school record, I put in a lot of work during the off-season. I was working
on dives during the spring and winter; then I put in a lot more dry-land
work during the preseason and in season to strengthen my core and other
muscles,” Ure said.
The Warrior swimmers have been able to set a new standard for the
team under their new head coach, Chris Trella, who is a Maine West
graduate. Trella has implemented a new workout and practice plan that
allows the team to meet twice a day. “I think the team has vastly improved
under Coach Trella. He really knows what we need to do in order to
compete successfully. Specifically, he has taught us a lot of good workouts
and stretches in the weight room along with good swim sets that really
help us go faster when it comes time to race,” senior Petar Lazarevic said.