As competitive riding culture increases at UAHS, two students explore their fascination with the growing sport

By Victoria Slater, ‘12

Her heart racing in time with the echoing hoof beats, junior Caroline Robinson directs her horse, Wittle, through precise Western reining movements. He glides into a sliding stop, a signature—yet difficult—reining motion and the surrounding crowd erupts in cheer. As horse and rider canter to the finish line, Robinson beams in both relief and elation. Wittle’s patterned movements were flawless, and they were sure to bring home the win.

Robinson and senior Megan DeMott are competitive horseback riders at UAHS. Both contribute extensive time, money and skill to their passion. The riders’ recent victories at local competitions, such as Robinson’s at the Central Ohio Reining Horse Association this past summer, are a result of many years worth of riding experience.

“I’ve been riding for about 11 years,” Robinson said. “I started riding after my oldest sister did an after-school enrichment program offered by Barrington Elementary. She rode and fell in love with it, then I tried it too and also fell in love.”

After six years of learning the art of Western equestrianism, Robinson began competing in various reining contests throughout Ohio. According to Robinson, Western riders must guide their horses through a series of rigorous patterns during reining competitions, including circles, spins and stops.

“At horse shows I’m required to go into the arena by myself and perform a pattern with different maneuvers to show off my riding abilities and my horse’s abilities, as well,” she said.

While DeMott also participates in competitive riding with her horse, Freddie, she prefers the classic English riding style, which includes show jumping, over Western reining.

“I fell in love with my first horse named Cash; he was a small paint horse that did both Western and English disciplines,” she said. “Yet, I preferred the English jumper discipline, because I wanted to jump over fences.”

While Demott’s style of riding differs from Robinson’s, her goal at competitions is the same: to demonstrate her horsemanship skills, which she has acquired from intense weekly training and comprehensive lessons.

“I go to the barn five-to-six times a week and have three lessons within the week,” she said. “A lesson consists of a 15 minute flat (without-jumps) portion and then 15 minutes of jumping courses and doing what you need to work on. My lessons can be hard; we have to work on my leg strength and core control so the horse stays balanced and so he responds to the slightest movements.”

While some may question if competitive horseback riding qualifies as a sport, Robinson elaborated on the substantial amount of time and athleticism the activity requires.

“In my opinion it’s definitely a sport,” she said. “People go to horse shows every weekend and dedicate their lives to horses and competing,” she said. “I spend at least five days a week riding my horse and working on different things to try and make all the maneuvers I do in competitions perfect.”

In addition to difficult skills, the sport of riding requires many other challenging factors, such as time and expense.

“The biggest challenge with riding is definitely how time consuming it is and how much it costs,” Robinson said. “It’s very expensive to maintain a horse. If you don’t have your own barn to keep your horse, you have to pay for boarding and buy grain and hay for them. You must devote a lot of time to caring for your horse.”

DeMott agreed that the process of maintaining her horse’s health and fitness is a significant aspect of her riding responsibilities. However, she explained that the journey to become a talented rider, itself, presents the most challenges. Falling off a horse is the leading cause of riding injuries, according to the American Medical Equestrian Association. DeMott explained that falling is a hurdle amateur riders must inevitably face.

“The saying in the horse world is that you have to fall off 100 times to be a great rider,” she said. “I have been bucked off, and my first horse fell at a show… I have had numerous falls, but I am lucky and have had no serious injuries and most of the time if a horse is sassy I just stay on and ride it out.”

While horses demand extensive time, money and attention, and can prove dangerous, Robinson admitted that the bond she shares with her horse, is one of the most rewarding parts of the sport.

“My favorite part of riding is being able to connect with my horse,” she said. “It’s really cool to have a horse recognize you by your voice and respond to you.”

DeMott also elaborated on how her relationship with her horse, enhances her riding.

“The best part about riding is my relationship with my horse, [and] the trust and understanding that you each must have to become one in a balancing act of trot, canter and moving through a course of jumps,” she said. “[Freddie] is brave and he can jump anything you put in front of him—big, small or scary.”

Robinson added that Wittle’s ability to comply with her direction and control plays one of the most important roles in her success as a rider.

“It’s especially important to establish control with a horse otherwise they may not listen and do whatever they want,” she said. “If your horse is doing something wrong or maybe refusing to do something, you need to know how to get the horse to understand what you need it to do.”

Robinson hopes that she will be able to rely on her success with Wittle in the future and pursue her passion for riding in college.

“Riding is definitely a lifelong sport,” she said. “Once you get into it you’ll never want to stop. I plan on doing it in college. Specifically I’m looking at Texas Christian University, Texas A&M and Auburn because they have great equestrian teams and I think it would be a great way to better my riding skills.”

DeMott, however, is unsure whether or not she will ride competitively once she graduates.

“I haven’t really thought about college and horse-riding,” she said. “ It’s a tough decision, financially [as well as] the amount of commitment needed for the equestrian sport.”

In the meantime, Robinson and DeMott plan to display their riding abilities at local riding competitions with hopes of victory. After all, Robinson said, winning gives the trials and tribulations of riding much more worth.

“When I win… it feels like all the hard work and time that I’ve put into riding has finally paid off,” she said.

Demott added her successes make every aspect of riding—no matter how challenging—fall into place.

“When you’re jumping your horse, it is the closest you will ever be to flying,” she said. “It is the best feeling after you just put down a perfect trip—everything comes together and you win a class, it’s the reward for all the hard work.”

Two of Mad River’s main attractions are its terrain parks: Capital Park and Momentum Park which both include a variety of jumps and rails. Both parks regularly hold events and trick competitions for snowboarders and skiers.

UAHS skiers and snowboarders enjoy winter season by taking trips to nearby ski resort

By Emma Klebe, ‘13

The metal edges of senior Tom Raphael’s snowboard dig into the takeoff of Capital Park’s Big Air Ramp at Mad River Mountain. As he soars through the air he grabs his board and lands a five forty spin. Raphael is one of many students who will visit this winter oasis throughout the season.

Although Ohio’s mountainless terrain and flat farmlands aren’t known for skiing or snowboarding, students take advantage of one of the few ski resorts: Mad River Mountain. Located only 45 minutes northwest from Columbus in Bellefountaine, Ohio, Mad River offers a different hangout for students.

According to the Mad River website, the 24 slopes and two terrain parks span 144 acres, making Mad River the largest ski resort in Ohio. Along with a range of slopes, the resort also offers tubing, ski/snowboard lessons, equipment rental, and lodging which includes restaurants.

Freshman ski and snowboarder Anna Murphy said the often pricey tickets are worth the expense. She compared Mad River to other resorts in the U.S. Murphy said that because of Ohio’s flat terrain, the mountains here don’t measure up to Rocky Mountain resorts out west, but are still enjoyable.

“Compared to ski resorts out west, Mad River isn’t as good, but for Ohio it is the best place to go,” she explained.

One of the main attractions at Mad River is the terrain area, Capital Park. According to Madriver’s website, OnTheSnow.com chose Capital Park as “the best in the Midwest Terrain Park category in the 2011 Visitors Choice Awards” because of its ever-changing features.

Freshman trick-skiers Liam Campbell is one of many students who take advantage of the award-winning park. Campbell has been skiing since he was 7-years old and has experienced a variety of ski resorts.

“Mad River is a great resort as far as the Midwest goes,” he said. “They have an awesome terrain park with a really good setup and maintained features.”

During the winter, Campbell goes to Mad River three to four times a week and competes regularly in trick competitions.

Raphael also enjoys snowboarding and practicing tricks at Capital Park. He has been snowboarding for nine years and goes to Mad River four to five times a week. Such dedication is time-consuming, but Raphael said that skiing or snowboarding are great activities that get him out of the house.

“Mad River is a great place to go in the winter because you will always have a good time,” he said. “It’s better than sitting at home.”

Although Campbell, Murphy and Raphael aren’t involved in the high school ski club, the Ski and Snowboard Club at UAHS organizes trips up to Mad River several times during the season.

The club offers four organized night trips throughout the winter. Since January 11 (the club’s first trip), the group has left for Mad River after school on Wendesday by charter buses and returned to the high school at 10 p.m.

Whether it’s through Ski and Snowboard Club or with friends, Mad River mountain includes a variety of events and activities for high school students.

By Kate Magill

Wham! Wrestlers slam one another to the ground as they practice and hone their skills for upcoming meets. They are surrounded by new practice mats and a new pull-up bar amidst an expanded room. These additions are among the numerous renovations made to the wrestling room in preparation for the upcoming season.

The room now features an expansion of the room 600 feet south into the old weight room, as well as a removal of the metal garage doors on the east wall that overlooked the natatorium. Additionally it will include new graphics recognizing the accomplishments of former UA wrestlers and teams, wrestling coach Matthew Stout said. These changes will make a positive impact on the team.

“The new room is bigger, safer [with the new mats], and more aesthetically pleasing,” Stout said. “It is now one of the best wrestling rooms in central Ohio.”

With the new mats in place covering both the walls and the floor, senior Skylar Sowry said the team should be able to cut down on the number of player injuries this year. The new features also will give players extra room to practice.

“The extra space we need to work is going to keep us from tripping each other up. It’s difficult to appreciate this fortune until you’ve had a heavy weight fall on you,” he said.

Sowry noted that the mats especially needed replacing.

“The old mats were heavy, torn and over-used,” he said. “The worst part was that the mats had stretched to the point where we couldn’t even piece them together.”

Stout, who is in his first year as a UAHS wrestling coach, said the room’s improvements are long overdue and will be of great use to the team.

“Renovation of the room could have been done 10 years ago,” he said. “The wrestling room had not been renovated since it was added to the initial high school building in the late 1960s, and the practice mats were probably 20 years old.”

The renovations cost a total of $75,000, according to Stout. The high school administration donated $20,000 for the new wrestling mats; however, the bulk of the money came from UA wrestling alumni Tom and Mike Saunders. Tom Saunders, who graduated in 1964, is UA’s first state wrestling champion, and the room will be named in his honor.

Stout also says that the new changes will help the team to improve for the upcoming season. With the use of the new practice space, the team will be able to better hone their skills and techniques, because they now have access to a larger room in which to fully wrestle one another, as well as better mats and equipment which should help them to stay safe as well.

“I think it makes for a more positive practice environment,” Stout said. “Which should hopefully improve practice habits, motivation, and work ethic.”

Photo: The new wrestling room features new mats and an expanded workout space. The renovations for the room were completed in the summer of 2011. Photo by Jacob Forquer

Photo By Hannah Harper: Senior Beth Long takes a shot on a goal during an after school scrimmage at practice. Scrimmaging helps the girls work together and prepare for states games.

Girls water polo Bears are confident in their ability to pull out a state win

With every passing minute on the clock above the action-filled pool, the water polo girls grew that much closer to becoming state champions. Finally, the clock reached 0:00 and referees’ whistles ended the game, along with a natatorium full of cheers and excited screams. The UAHS water polo girls had just won the 2010 state title.

To say this scene from last year was exciting would be an understatement. Winning the state championship means everything to the team, and they hope to experience a similar victory in the 2011 state tournament.

After nine state title wins and outstanding season records, the girls water polo team has left a legacy. This year is no different in that they are still set on the ultimate goal: the state championship.

As the season progresses, so does their confidence. The girls have confidence that they can win the state tournament.

Senior captain Kelly Steibler is hoping for another win this year. She said she has a strong belief that the team can go far at state.

“Our team has a very big chance of winning state this year. We have a young team, but the learning curve has been huge and we are improving so much every week,” she said.

Also a captain, senior Katie Johanni echoed Steibler’s sentiments.

“If we can stay focused over the next few weeks and not let our previous victories go to our heads, I think we have everything it takes to end the season with a state title,” she said.

While the team has undergone changes since the 2010 season, Steibler remains confident in the group’s ability.

“Although we lost some key players from last years’ state championship team, I think we can be just as successful,” she explained.

Much preparation is needed before the state tournament, but practices, games, and invitationals give the girls a head start.

Steibler said that scrimmaging at practice prepares the team for games. In one tournament specifically, the Beast of the East—which took place in Pennsylvania Sept. 23 and 24—Johanni said the girls really benefited from the gameplay.

“Going to Beast of the East and getting to play against teams at a higher level was great practice and preparation,” she said.

Johanni also said the teams’ attitude plays a role in preparation.

“At this point in the season, mental preparation is just as important as physical, so positive thinking is huge,” she said.

The swimmers have learned to work together and improve throughout this fall in order to accomplish their final goal.

“[Winning the state title] will take a lot of determination and motivation but we have the skills and the team chemistry,” Steibler said.

Steibler is confident in her team’s strategy to wear out their opponents in order to win.

“Our team has very strong swim skills, and we tend to tire out the other teams pretty quickly,” Steibler said. “We will have to run our plays and defenses correctly, of course.”

Johanni also believes that tiring out the opponent is the best strategy.

“We have started to up the conditioning so we can focus on endurance a lot and become the more fit team,” she said.

The girls water polo coach, Dan Peterkoski, has contributed immensely to the teams’ success.

“Our coach really pushes us to compete our best,” Steibler said.

She described how Peterkoski pushes them to succeed.

“He can be intense at times, but in the end we appreciate it because without him we would not be as good as we are.”

If there is one team the girls need to look out for, it is Thomas Worthington. According to Johanni, Thomas Worthington is their biggest rival because both teams know each other’s tricks. This is where the team’s hard work at getting into the best shape possible will allow them to outplay Thomas Worthington.

“With them, the game is more mental, so it adds a level of difficulty,” Johanni said.

Whether the season ends with or without a state title, the girls know their team has had another hardworking season.

“If we don’t win state, it will be disappointing; however, I will personally be proud of the season as a whole,” Steibler said.

Johanni feels the same way when reflecting back upon their season.

“I have been nothing but impressed and proud of the team so far this year,” she said.

After a season of victory and fun memories, Johanni won’t let this final tournament make or break their team’s season.

“There is so much to be proud of I wouldn’t let one game ruin the spirits of the entire season,” she said.

By Katie Hoskett, ‘13 and Emma Klebe, ‘13

After days of agonizing hip pain, junior Cody Pfister finally broke down. He had just run through a football routine and went to make a cut when he collapsed on the turf. His hip had popped. Struggling to get up and unable to walk, Cody realized the seriousness of his injury, one that would affect the rest of his season.

Pfister, a varsity football player for UAHS, was about to endure a season of hopeful recovery. Realizing he separated a growth plate from his hip, Pfister was left with a large fracture—leaving him hobbling on crutches and unable to play football for six weeks after the initial impairment to his hip.

Because he’s familiar with sports injuries, Pfister believes his hip injury may be the most serious and hardest to come back from.

“I’ve had concussions before, but never to the extent of this injury,” Pfister said. “I start physical therapy here soon and depending on how that goes I should be back in the swing of things in the near future.”

Stephanie Cepec, UAHS assistant sports trainer, suggested numerous rehab options to injured student athletes.

“With some injuries all we can do is rest, but if it’s a muscle pull we can use ice, heat and electric modalities,” Cepec said.

According to Cepec, growth plate hip injuries aren’t neccessarily bad for athletes in the long run. Depending on the extent of the injury, the muscle actually grows back with stronger tissue than before, she explained.

Depending on the extent of the hip injury, the amount of healing time varies. Yet, Cepec noted that football injuries prove different.

“With football, hip injuries are generally going to take somewhere from 6-8 weeks [to heal],” Cepec said.

This six week healing time caused Pfister to lose time in the season. Not only did he miss out on games, he was unable to practice with the team and improve with his other teammates. He did attend practice to watch, but was not able to play.

Cepec says there is no true way to avoid all future injuries. However, there are ways athletes can lessen the chance of one occuring.

“The best thing you can do is just stay in good physical condition and make sure you’re in shape,” Crepec advised.

Pfister became an observer from the sidelines, but from this, he began to learn from his injury and all the while kept a positive outlook.

“I know I’ll come back stronger because I know how much it sucks to be injured,” Pfister said. “When I do come back, I feel like I’ll appreciate being healthier so much more and make the best of it.”

Although injuries normally have a negative impact on athletes, it is possible for them to learn from their injuries and actually take something positive away from the experience.

Pfister gained a valuable lesson from his injury. As an avid athlete, he appreciates athletics more now than ever before.

“Hopefully when I do get back, I can use my injury to my advantage and play harder than ever, ” he said.

“Avery, Sean and I are sponsored by OSC Longboards, and our team has an endorsement deal with Fireball Wheels,” Jacob Forquer said.

Rybioko has garnered the attention of sponsors through their creative street skills, which they digitally film and post on YouTube. One of their films garnered both the judges’ award and the viewers’ award at the 2010 Upper Arlington Film Fest.

Their YouTube channel, “rybiokoproductions,” has a total of eight videos with over 10,000 views collectively. Sean Forquer said the group plans to release trick tips and other types of videos in the next few months, most likely to be filmed at one of their primary practice spots.

“We have about three options when it comes to longboarding spots. Clintonville has some sweet spots; we call it ‘Chinatown,’” Sean Forquer said. “We also drive around [OSU] campus in the afternoons looking for random empty parking lots, and [we] go down by Big Run Park.”

Rybioko and most area longboarders are limited to a few blocks of hills scattered across UA. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the skaters try to maintain a positive attitude and keep up their love of longboarding.

“My brother and I picked up longboarding in eighth grade after skateboarding through elementary school,” Jacob Forquer said. “Longboarding was new and we’ve had a lot of fun.”

Longboarding has long been a minor UA pastime with only a handful of people pursuing the sport behind that. The Rybioko crew is on the way to bigger things as the Forquers and friend, Wilcox, plan meetings with potential sponsors and encourage one another along the way.

“We motivate each other by trying to be the best skater among us,” Jacob Forquer said. “We love making videos of our tricks.” •

Preseason training keeps sport teams in shape for season

Athletes clench their fists around bench press bars, grit their teeth as coach Brian Coleman yells encouragement. This is a common scene for athletes walking into the lifting room, one of the many training facilities used at the high school.

Sport seasons no longer begin at tryouts and end at the banquet; many sports require year-round training. Athletes stay in shape for their year round sport, attending morning running, lifting and using specially designed crew workout machine called ergs. All spring sport teams are involved in preseason training but some training may be cuttng into time for school and extracurriculars. One of the most popular ways spring athletes prepare for their season is lifting.

The Upper Arlington Rotary Fitness Center, otherwise known as the weight or lifting room, gives athletes a convenient and free location to strengthen their muscles before and throughout the year.

Senior softball captain Brooke Hauser lifts with her team twice a week in preparation for the upcoming season.

“I think our team benefits from lifting, because everyone gets stronger so they are able to do better in games,” Hauser said.

Hauser explained that lifting is great team bonding. Lifting as a team allows athletes to get to know each other before and during the season.

“Another important aspect of lifting is that it creates team unity because everyone gets to know each other and we find out the strengths or weaknesses of each player,” Hauser said.

Hauser described how their preseason training affects their eventual season record.

“Team unity plays a huge role in determining if we will win or lose a game,” she said.

Hauser added that the attitudes inside the lifting room are positive. Athletes are there to push themselves and their teammates to get better.

“The atmosphere in the lifting room is very upbeat and there’s always loud music playing,” Hauser said. “Coach Coleman or McBride will go around and encourage everyone. If you’re struggling with a lift, teammates are always there to pick you up and push you to get better.”

Softball is not the only sport that benefits from lifting. Sophomore Jake Fowler participates in track and said he believes that lifting has improved his overall running technique, as well as that of the team.

“I think we benefit from [lifting] because the stronger you are, the more you can push with your legs and the faster you can pump your arms,” Fowler said.

Fowler agreed that the lifting environment is welcoming.

“The atmosphere, for me at least, is light-hearted,” he said. “For the most part everyone wants to be there and get better, making it even more fun.”

Lifting along with other training helps get the track team ready for season but the training interferes with friends and schoolwork time.

Crew teams also participate in lifting to keep their muscles toned for the upcoming season.

However, while lifting is a common preseason option for spring athletes, the crew teams benefit from erging.

Ergs are rowing machines used during the indoor season, that mimic the actions used in an actual boat.

Freshman Grace Saalman who rows in a freshman boat for the crew team said erging improves their teams’ performance.

“Erging keeps up our fitness levels, helps us with posture and allows us to use the same muscles we use on the water,” she said.

Although year round rowing improves the team as whole, it is difficult for rowers to play more than one sport.

“Approximately 10 out of the 50 rowers play other sports along with crew,” Saalman said.

While lifting improves muscle strength, morning running gets athletes in the best possible shape for the season ahead.

Morning running is open to all sports and is held in the varsity gym from 6:15- 7:15 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning in January and continuing through February. One of the downsides of this early bird workout is the need for transportation of athletes who cannot drive.

Preseason training clearly improves spring athletes performance and record.Time spent in the lifting room, morning running drills and on crew ergs all allow athletes to improve. •

Captains Adrianne Ghidotti, Emma Friar and Lauren Drake alongside coach Kim Rocheleau, are expecting big things from the 2011 lacrosse team. Last year’s heartbreak came at the state tournament game against Sycamore. This year the girls only hope to take last years playoff outcome one step forward by winning a state championship.

“We’ll be young but very good,” said Adrianne. “We will have a good chance at winning states this year.”

Boys Volleyball

Coach Matt Wion is back for his second year to lead the boys into playoffs.

The boys have not been able to win a state title for UA but they still have their hopes even after loosing star player Andrew Craine. The captains this year will be Mark Finneran and Micheal Shroer.

Boys Lacrosse

The defending state champions and the highly anticipated team will be the biggest target this year for opposing teams. Ted Wolford will be coaching the boys once again and Luke Treece, Kyle Vesper, Charlie Hauk and Cam Williams will be the captains the 2011 season.

“Very Exited for this year, I would be really surprised if we don’t win states,” said Treece. The boys lacrosse team has won 10 state titles in the past 18 years. “We should be better this year,” said Finneran. “We have higher hopes for playoffs this season.”