NFL Draft Overview
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The NFL Draft is fastly approaching and it is going to be an interesting one. People are yearning for live content and don’t just want to watch Tiger King, I believe the first and second round this year could have more viewers than any draft ever. “I am so excited for the draft and I’m going to watch all seven rounds. It will be so nice to have something live on tv to watch.” said sophomore Luke McDonald. The draft was originally supposed to be in Las Vegas but now it will be on Zoom. There are a lot of very promising prospects in this draft including names like Joe Burrow, Chase Young, Tua Tagovailoa and many more.
The Draft being on zoom will be very interesting because a lot of things could go wrong. The NFL is planning on having someone announce the pick then going to the draft pick and his family, this could go wrong because the NFL is trying to preach social distancing and it probably won’t be the best for the NFL brand if when they switch to the draft pick they have 30 family and friends surrounding them. Many teams and personnel are scared that hackers will hack into their zoom and find out important information such as who they will pick.
Baltimore Ravens Head coach John Harbaugh said “Every time I read something in, like, the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times that talks about how messed up Zoom is, or some of these other deals . . . I immediately text it to our IT people, and [director of football administration] Nick Matteo’s one of those guys, and they assure me that we are doing everything humanly possible. . . . We’ll see what happens. I really wouldn’t want the opposing coaches to have our playbook or our draft meetings. That would be preferable, if we can stay away from that.”
Here is my mock draft for the first ten picks of the draft
With the first pick in the NFL Draft The Cincinnati Bengals select quarterback out of Louisiana State University Joe Burrow.
Joe Burrow had an amazing senior year he was the heisman winner and led his team to win the national championship. His senior year he had 60 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions. The Bengals desperately need a quarterback because last year they benched their long time starter Andy Dalton. He is from Ohio so this is a good pick for the Bengals. “He is for sure the number one pick, did you see him last year. That man is amazing and will for sure be a star” said junior Brennan Humberston.
With the second pick in the NFL Draft the Washington Redskins select defensive end Chase Young out of The Ohio State University.
Chase had a huge junior year and is seen as the most skilled player in this draft. Chase had 46 tackles and 16.5 sacks while missing two games due to a suspension. The Redskins do not need a quarterback because they already have Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins. Overall this would be a great pick for the redskins to improve their defense.
With the third pick in the NFL Draft the Detroit Lions select cornerback Jeff Okudah out of The Ohio State University.
Jeff was one of the best corners in college last year as a junior and a great pick for the lions. Jeff’s junior year he had 35 five total tackles and 3 interceptions. The Lions already have their franchise quarterback in Mathew Stafford, their weakest part of their team is their secondary.
With the fourth pick in the NFL Draft the New York Giants select Jedrick Wills Jr. offensive linemen out of Alabama.
Jedrick had a great junior season and is a perfect pick for the Giants. The Giants found their franchise quarterback last year in Daniel Jones and now they need to protect him. Run blocking is one of Jedricks talents which will be perfect for the Giants pro bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
With the fifth pick in the NFL Draft they Miami Dolphins select quarterback Tua Tugovailo out of the University of Alabama.
Tua is an amazing playmaker that has gotten hurt too many times, many teams are scared of Tua because of it. Tua had multiple ankle problems and hip surgery plus more during his time at Alabama. Right now it is hard for team doctors to get a look at players due to coronavirus. The Dolphins need a quarterback to join coach Brian flores.
With the sixth pick in the NFL Draft the Chargers select Quarterback Justin Herbert out of the University of Oregon.
Justin had a great senior season leading the ducks to win a Rose Bowl. Justin had 32 touchdowns and 6 interceptions his senior year and had a great football IQ. The Chargers do have quarterback Tyrod Taylor which is nice for Herbert because he could sit behind Tyrod for a year and learn how to be a pro quarterback.
With the seventh pick in the NFL Draft the Carolina Panthers select linebacker Isaiah Simmons out of the University of Clemson.
Isaiah had a great college career with 104 total tackles his junior year. He is a great leader and led the Clemson defense to a National championship game his junior year. The Panthers already have their offense set led by new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Christian McAffrey and they need someone to command their defense.
With the eighth pick in the NFL Draft the Arizona Cardinals select Offensive linemen Tristan Wirfs.
Tristan is the best tackle in the draft and the cardinals could really use him. Kyler Murray the Cardinals quarterback was sacked 48 times last year the most in the league. With the duo of Deandre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald Kyler is going to need some more time in the pocket.
With the ninth pick in the NFL Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars select quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah state.
Jordan is a big risk but he has a really big upside , he has a great arm but tends to turn the ball over a lot. He had 17 interceptions his junior year in college. Gardner Minshew was a fun experiment for the Jaguars but Jordan could be the quarterback of the future.
With the tenth pick in the NFL Draft the Cleveland Browns select offensive linemen Andrew Thomas out of Georgia.
Andrew Thomas is a big offensive linemen that had a great career blocking for Jake from Georgia. Andrew is flexible and can play both right tackle and left tackle. This is a good pick for the Browns because they have a lot of offensive weapons and they need to get Baker Mayfield more blocking to be successful.
The 2020 NFL draft goes from Thursday April 23 to Saturday April The draft will be on ESPN.
JJ Gray is a sophomore and first time journalism student, he is excited to be in the class and have a great time. In JJ’s free time he reads...
Podcast: Ep. 1 How COVID-19 is affecting the MLB Draft
Jack Kelley is the associate chief editor for this year’s Jesuit Chronicle. A senior at Jesuit High School, Kelley has journalistic experience as a staff...
NCAA changes impact future spring athletes
NCAA has granted senior spring athletes a fifth year of eligibility, leaving possible complications for incoming freshmen.
On March 30, NCAA announced an extended year of eligibility for all senior spring athletes due to the cancellation of their 2020 seasons. While this change allows collegiate seniors to properly finish their college careers, it comes with a great impact, especially on the incoming freshmen recruits.
“I think if I was in a current player’s position I would want another year to play lacrosse, so I understand,” senior Ella Smith said. “However that really affects incoming freshmen because now there will be a lot more players than anticipated.”
Smith, an All-American Vanderbilt University lacrosse commit, was highly sought after by many universities. One of the factors when choosing where to continue her career was roster size and potential playing time.
“I’m really worried about playing time,” Smith said. “I denied some schools because of how big their teams were, so now being part of a team that big is disappointing,”
Many freshmen recruits also often make their final decisions with the graduation of other players in mind.
Senior Patrick Duffy, also named an All American and Syracuse University commit for lacrosse, initially saw this change as a positive before his worry set in.
“My first thought when I saw spring athletes were getting another year of eligibility back was ‘oh that’s good they deserve that,’” Duffy said. “Right after I said that to myself I remembered that the starting goalie for Syracuse this year was a senior. So that is tough because he’s coming back next year, and when I originally committed to Syracuse I planned on him being gone.”
With this new change, NCAA has allowed schools to increase roster sizes beyond scholarship limits to account for this unforeseen alteration, and next years’ teams are sure to be substantially larger than normal. The organization has also expanded the 35 player limit of baseball rosters, the only sport that imposes a regulated size.
“As guys return, the roster will be bigger than expected so maybe the coaches will have to cut some guys or maybe the coaches will look at kids and say they want them to red shirt and sit out next year,” Duffy said. “I really hope I don’t have to have that conversation with my coaches.”
The NCAA has decided to leave it up to the school how they will deal with the financial aid for returning fifth years, and has stated that this flexibility only applies to athletes who would have exhausted their eligibility after the 2020 season (espn.com).
Scholarships are often not guaranteed full-rides for student athletes. With families still having to pay part of the tuition, a fifth year that might not be fully covered by the university, making the financial aspect even trickier and the desire to red shirt as a freshman less likely.
The extended eligibility applies to all spring sports including: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s lacrosse, rowing, men’s volleyball, beach volleyball and women’s water polo. The extension also aligns with rules regulating four seasons of play, essentially mimicking the ability to red shirt. Despite the NCAA announcement, the Ivy League has decided not to extend senior eligibility.
Not only does this change impact playing time and financial resources, but may also change the team dynamic.
While these impacts could potentially cause friction amongst teammates, Duffy believes that the drive and competitiveness of collegiate athletics will certainly still be present.
“As for the team dynamic, I still think there will be that intensity and commitment to getting better and being the best team we can be,” Duffy said.
For some freshmen entering a large and already close team may cause worry.
“I think that it will be hard going into a team who has had a lot of time together because we are new and will have to try to manage joining a huge team,” Smith said.
Though entering a new and already close team might lead to stress, bringing back the intensity of older seniors might raise teams’ levels of cohesiveness and increase leadership.
“I feel like the NCAA’s decision to allow players another year of eligibility will help boost the team morale, given that seniors stay,” senior Mick Abel said. “I am extremely excited to get on campus this fall!”
As the uncertainty surrounding this virus continues, fall sports are also under review. Despite a lack of solid information, the virus is predicted to possibly spike again in the fall and ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said he would be “shocked” to see a college football season in 2020 (sportingnews.com).
Virginia Larner is a senior at Jesuit. She has been on the journalism staff for the last three years, and the editorial board for the last two. Each year...
Spring sports cancelled amidst pandemic
Jesuit High School
Without spring athletics, Jesuit's spring teams have not practiced or had games or meets at Cronin in weeks.
With spring sports and the remainder of the school year being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many athletes at Jesuit, including both out-of-season athletes and in-season athletes, have been significantly affected. The closure prevents these athletes from accessing the weight room, the track, batting cages, and various fields and courts that would have normally been used for training, practices, and games or meets.
The pandemic has challenged athletes to stay active, particularly for the Seniors that anticipate practicing and playing in the upcoming summer and fall for college sports.
COVID-19 moreover complicates the upcoming spring signing process on the national level because of the halt of the spring season.
For senior varsity track runner Jonathan Ulrich, although he might not be running in collegiate meets until next spring, he, like many other athletes, is still trying to practice and stay in shape.
“I was practicing at Beaverton High School for a while but then they locked their gates,” said Ulrich. “I’ve moved to Sunset, even gone as far out as [Lake Oswego] where I know a track is open just to get some reps in.”
Ultimately, there’s no official replacement for the loss of practices and games and many athletes are simply doing their best to keep a positive work ethic.
“[I’m] just keeping myself in shape and not letting my skills go away completely,” said senior varsity baseball player Kevin Blair. “I use a tee and a net in my garage to try to keep up on [them].”
Winter sports were partially impacted by the outbreak, too. While the Jesuit swim team and women’s basketball team did officially finish the season before COVID-19 affected school and sports, the Jesuit men’s basketball team playoff run was cancelled just hours before their first game was supposed to happen.
“We were all at Ernesto’s before the game when Coach Potter walked in with a somber look right before he said, ‘Unfortunately fellas, our chance at winning back-to-back championships is cancelled,’” said junior varsity basketball player James Lang.
There have been discussions circulating about spring sports being played in the summer when the virus is hopefully better contained, but for now there isn’t too much confidence in something like this viably happening.
“This scenario isn’t likely, as the OSAA had a meeting on April 1st saying that they are not on board with extending the spring season into the summer,” said Ulrich. “I would love to compete in the summer, but the OSAA isn’t likely to approve this.”
Michael Lang is going into his senior year at Jesuit High School. Born in Portland, Oregon, Michael has two older siblings at the University...
Chloe Foerster races to the top to win titles in Cross Country and Track & Field
Choe Foerster during her state meet for track running the 4 by 4 relay
SPORTS
Chloe Foerster races to the top to win titles in
cross country and track & field
As track season starts up again, sophomore Chloe Foerster has already proven her varsity position with many titles for Cross Country and Track & Field.
In her freshman season, Foerster earned 3rd in districts and 7th in State for Cross Country and won state in the 800m and 4 by 4 for Track & Field.
“A big goal last year for me was to get a state title,” Foerster said. “I worked really hard and I achieved that, so I was really proud of myself.”
Foerster has enjoyed running since 6th grade and was on the varsity cross country team as early as the summer before her freshman year.
“I went on beach trips during the summer and those trips have been one of my most favorite memories in cross country,” Foerster said.
This year, Foerster won cross country districts, earned 4th in State, and placed 6th place at Regionals.
“Placing individually in state for Cross Country is something that I have always wanted to do, and it was something that was a goal of mine,” Foerster said.
Foerster has high hopes for this Track & Field season and big ambitions.
“I hope that I can win state again in the 800m and 4 by 4,” Foerster said. “Also I want to continue to get faster and stronger each season and get a P.R.”
Despite her running accomplishments, it hasn’t been easy as she has had to deal with injury struggles .
“Last year during track season, I was also playing soccer so I got a bunch of injuries including my ankle but towards the end I recovered and it was good,” Foerster said. “This year during cross country, I couldn’t run for a month or so because I had a knee injury.”
Foerster has been able to get through these hurdles and continue to be a strong athlete and teammate.
“She works harder than anyone else,” said junior Olivia Silenzi, who is also on the varsity Cross Country and Track and Field team.
“She will never take an easy day. If she doesn’t feel good or if she just wants to go easy she will always push through that and go hard that day. She is very driven and it pays off.”
“She is very driven and competitive,” Silenzi said . “She is very positive and encouraging. She is never negative and she is very funny. We are always usually laughing about something.”
Annie Landgraf is a managing editor for journalism. She was born in Lake Oswego, Oregon and went to Lake Oswego schools her whole life before...
Women’s golf swings into the new season
Jesuit High School
The women's golf team is looking forward to fresh energy this season from new players and coaches.
The women’s golf team welcomes a new face as English teacher, Ms. Michele Gray, takes the position of head coach. Following the team’s two consecutive state title wins, Gray is prepared to bring new energy to this role.
After graduating five dominant seniors, the young team is looking to make a name for themselves this season and have fun. With an all new coaching staff and only two upperclassmen, the girls are not feeling extreme pressure from their previous performances, but are still looking forward to a successful season.
“My goal for this season is to make it to state as a team,” senior captain Mary Scott Wolfe said. “I’m excited to have fun with the girls and just enjoy my last season.”
With the help of assistant coach Laurie Wagner, coach Gray is excited for the energy and attitude the duo can bring to the program.
“I think it’s really exciting,” Gray said. “We are starting a whole new chapter for the program, we’re small and we’re young.”
Unlike most Jesuit sports, golf practices and tournaments take place off campus at Langdon Farms, and the team is not provided a bus. Displaying their dedication to the sport, each day team members drive personal cars to the course. With the lack of upperclassmen, students rely heavily on carpooling and parents for transportation, making practices truly a group effort.
Each day of practice is essentially a try out. To prepare a varsity team for their upcoming tournament, every practice the girls play 9 holes while the coaches record their scores. The players with the top scores will make up the varsity team for that week’s tournament.
While this method may increase stress, it also ensures that the players remain at the top of their game throughout the entire season. It allows players to grow mentally and learn how to react to the challenge of the sport.
With the Metro League being extremely competitive, these practices help prepare the team for the challenging tournaments they face each week and the metro and state competitions to finish the season.
“Our competition in the Metro League will likely be as challenging as the state competition in May,” Gray said.
Golf is an extremely independent and mentally demanding sport. Recognizing the sport can produce increased stress, Gray hopes that this year the girls can focus on having fun and improving their game.
“Golf by its nature is a pretty pressure filled sport, it’s very individual, in basketball if you make a bad shot you can just run down the court, in golf if you make a bad shot you have to make another shot,” Gray said. “So I think my personal goal is to take a little bit of the pressure off the girls and say ‘let’s have fun, let’s play, and let’s get to know each other.’”
Interested in watching the ladies on the links in person, keep an eye out for their schedule on jesuitportland.org.
Virginia Larner is a senior at Jesuit. She has been on the journalism staff for the last three years, and the editorial board for the last two. Each year...
Joe Vranizan’s Journey in Lacrosse
Junior Joe Vranizan is a recent commit to the Georgetown University for Lacrosse. This was not an easy feat to accomplish. It required much hard work, dedication and persistence.
In January of last year when Joe was playing in a club Lacrosse game when his career was put off track. Vranizan was tripped and sent flying towards the grass. As he fell he stuck his right arm down to soften the fall.
“I rolled over my right side and felt the biggest pop of my life,” said Vranizan, “ It sounded to me like a firework went off and I rolled over and saw my arm bending in a different way than it should have been.”
With the impact of the fall his right elbow was so severely dislocated that it was fractured. Joe was rushed to the hospital but it was clear that he would be out for a while.
“I still have a flash memory of me screaming and looking at my arm bending outwards insteads of inwards,” Vranizan recalled.
Vranizan was crushed he would be missing out on the beginning of his sophomore season, but it would not be the end of his Lacrosse career. After his surgery he spent time in rehab. At first they focused on simple movements such as straightening his arm, but soon he was back to passing and catching. His injury was in 2019 and by spring break he was back and playing.
That summer Vranizan spent countless hours in the gym and on the field building up his strength and confidence. He was getting some quality college looks but his dream school turned into Georgetown. It took a couple tournaments of the coaches watching him but his dream became true when Georgetown made him an offer in January. He was ecstatic.
“I committed almost instantly and with the season almost upon me I am more than ready,” Vranizan said.
Gwynne Olson is a junior staff writer for the Jesuit Chronicle. Gwynne is the youngest of two. Brooke, her older sister, is a recent graduate from the...
Kobe Bryant: Killed in Helicopter Accident
KeithAllisonPhoto.com
Lakers at Wizards 12/2/15
On January 26, the basketball world’s heart was broken when a helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California and ended the life of Laker Kobe Bryant. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and 41 year-old father of four, was headed to the Mamba Sports Academy at the time of the tragedy. Bryant truly was a legend. He joined the NBA straight from high school and was immediately seen as a game changing player. Originally drafted to the Charlotte Hornets, Bryant was traded right away to the Lakers in 1996. It was there that Bryant would begin to obtain his Mamba mentality.
From the start of his NBA career, Bryant showed his potential to excel. During his second season as a Laker he was voted to play in the 1998 NBA all star game, being the youngest ever to do so at age of 19.
With star player Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers swept two NBA championships. Shaq was a force and together they were unstoppable.
Although the Lakers struggled a bit with the loss of star player Shaquille O’Neal in 2004, Bryant was there to pick up the slack. It was clear this was officially his team and he soon proved that. Bryant scored eighty one points against Toronto, the second highest scoring mark in NBA history. He led the league in scoring that year and the next.
Bryant not only led his team to five NBA championships, but was also named MVP in 2008, led the Olympic basketball team to two gold medals, and surpassed NBA verteran all star Micheal Jordan on the NBA scoring list in December 2014.
Bryant’s basketball career ended with continuous injuries that became too hard to maintain. He went out with a bang scoring sixty points in his final game in 2016. Kobe Bryant was a great player who never cheated the game nor cheated his fans, played through injuries and has five rings to prove his greatness.
Though Bryant is best known for his basketball success, he was so much more than just a player on a court. Off the court Kobe was a poet, a coach, businessman and most importantly, a husband and father.
Upon retirement, Bryant presented a poem entitled “Dear Basketball” as a tribute to the game. He sought to turn his poem into a short film and with the help of Disney this was achieved. The result was a beautifully rendered 5 minute and 20 second short film that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018.
It did not matter that Kobe was no longer was a player on the court. He made countless appearances at Laker games where he mentored player like Lebron James who soon became a close personal friend. He also shared his love of the game with his kids and family. Kobe was an amazing coach and he taught his kids and their friends growing up. At first it was just a bit of fun, but soon it became something bigger.
In 2018 Bryant announced his partnership with a multi-sport training facility that he rebranded into Mamba Sports. The goal was to educate and empower the next generation of kids through sports. Kobe loved working with kids and teaching them basketball, especially his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Gigi, as her father called her, was a female version of Kobe. They shared a special bond, always attached at the hip. She was Mambasita and he was Mamba.
Gianna would carry on the Bryant basketball legacy. She was a rising star playing for Mamba Sports, she quickly became noticeably one of the best players on the court. Her plan was to continue basketball at Connecticut than eventually the WNBA.
Tragically, Gianna was among the nine passengers who went down on January 26th.
Among Kobe and Gigi were seven other passengers.
The Altobeli’s: John (56), Keri (46), and Alyssa(14). Alyssa was a teammate of Giana’s and an amazing player. Her father John, head baseball coach for Orange Coast College, and her mother were on their way to see Alyssa play.
Christina Mauser, (38), was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team. Mauser was a mother of three.
Ara Zobayan, (50), was Bryant’s private pilot. He was the only man Kobe ever trusted to fly him.
And finally, mother and daughter Sarah, (45), and Peyton Chester, (13). Peyton was a teammate of Gianna and Alyssa.
Poor visibility due to fog and the lack of a recommended safety device on the helicopter both played a part in the unfortunate crash. There was nothing anyone could have done to help.
NBA players and fans of Bryant worldwide have given respect to one of the all-time greats that formed the game of basketball as we know it today. During several NBA games, players took a 24-second shot clock violation followed by an eight second backcourt violation in memory of the two numbers that Bryant wore during his career. Fans all over have been wearing their Laker gear, the colors purple and gold, or wearing 24 or 8 to show their respect. Jesuit held a “Kobe” day on February 14, many students helped commemorate Kobe’s life by wearing purple and gold and participating in the activities.
The world mourned the death of Kobe, Gianna, and the seven other passengers who were aboard the helicopter. These nine will forever be missed and never forgotten.
Gwynne Olson is a junior staff writer for the Jesuit Chronicle. Gwynne is the youngest of two. Brooke, her older sister, is a recent graduate from the...
March Madness: A Nightmare for I.T.
Needpix.com
NCAA mens Basketball. Wilson mens official Basketball of the NCAA.
March Madness is an exciting time of year for college basketball fans. Planning to watch while in school? Too bad: the Jesuit I.T. department ruins it for all of us.
March Madness is a time where there are ten or more games going on every day, and many students and faculty enjoy the games. Many students create a bracket and pick the team they think will be cutting down the net.
The tournament is a really important form of entertainment to the students and their actions sometimes turn into madness. The students follow the games closely and often desperately to watch them during their classes.
“I dislike that I.T. Blocks all the march madness websites because I look forward to March Madness every year and most good games happen during school,” says sophomore John Holman.
The I.T. Department blocks a lot of websites and apps where the students can watch, including ESPN,Yahoo Sports, NCAA.com, and many more websites. Upper class students: don’t think your apps will save you–the I.T. Department blocks those too.
It is understandable that The Jesuit IT Department doesn’t want the students to watch the games because they want them to learn and pay attention to school. The I.T. The department also doesn’t want students to watch games because the school has a limited amount of internet access.
Many students try to get around the blocks with different methods. The most popular method with students is using their phones to watch the games or check the score. Some students try to hide the phones behind their iPads.
“I have seen some kids go on their phones and try to hide them behind their iPad to watch the games. It is too risky for me,” says sophomore John Holman
“We see a lot of students trying Vpns or other sites that are a little more obscure and unfortunately streaming traffic for march madness is pretty obvious to see what it is or what they are trying to do. Usually there’s one or two that we miss at the start of the tournament, we find those and root them out,” says I.T. Director Craig Huseby.
Even though the games are blocked on the IPads the games are played in the cafeteria during break and both lunches on a big projector.
“Even though we can’t watch the games in class it is very nice that we can watch them during break and lunch. It is always cool to hear everyone cheering in the lunchroom and getting into the games,” says senior Hannah Stream
The tournament is fastly approaching and people are getting ready to make their picks. The two favorites that I am hearing around the school right now are the number fourteen Oregon Ducks and the number two Gonzaga Bulldogs.
JJ Gray is a sophomore and first time journalism student, he is excited to be in the class and have a great time. In JJ’s free time he reads...
Isabella Wallace signs with Northwestern
courtesy Isabella Wallace
Isabella Wallace commits to Northwestern University.
Isabella Wallace signs with Northwestern
Senior Isabella Wallace recently signed to swim at Northwestern University. Isabella swims for the Mac Club year round and competes on the Jesuit women’s swim team.
Isabella started recreational swimming when she was five-years-old at Grant pool and began competing for the Portland Aquatic Club when she turned seven.Soon, it was hard to keep Isabella out of the water, swimming was her passion.
“I just love the sport so much,” Wallace said. “It definitely has given me key values I can use in life like dedication and determination.”
During middle school Isabella earned numerous first place ribbons and qualified for Zones, a national meet in Hawaii. However, it was not until high school that Isabella really excelled.
“Over the last year she has gotten a lot better,” sophomore teammate Matthias Kreutzer said. “She went from not having Junior National cuts to getting Junior National cuts and being the top girl on our club team and top swimmer in the state over the past year.”
Isabella competed in the state swim meet this year winning the 100 free, placing fifth in the 100 back, winning the 200 individual medley relay, placing second in the 200 free, and helping secure the state championship for the women’s team.
Isabella’s goal was always to compete in college. She had been talking to various schools but it was not until she got the official offer from Northwestern that she knew exactly where she wanted to go.
“I’m just so glad and grateful that I get to go to a school that is amazing academically and athletically. I know it will push me to be the best student and swimmer. Go cats!” Wallace said.
Gwynne Olson is a junior staff writer for the Jesuit Chronicle. Gwynne is the youngest of two. Brooke, her older sister, is a recent graduate from the...
Soccer and Volleyball: back-to-back titles
Courtesy Google Images
Back-to-back state titles
State championships are a big deal at any school, as they reflect a
team’s skill and dedication. While back-to back state championships are not unheard of at Jesuit, they certainly are not common. Recently, two Jesuit teams have won back-to-back state championships: women’s volleyball and women’s soccer.
The women’s soccer team is known for being premier, but their three consecutive state championships are not just from luck. Every day this season, this team worked hard and pushed each other to get better. With some significant players graduating last year, the team knew this season would be different.
“Coming into the season we were pretty confident we could do really well,” head coach Steve Fennah said. “But we knew it was a new team, with new personalities, and new leadership roles. So, there was a great deal of apprehension but also a great deal of confidence that the new players would step up and get things done.”
The women’s soccer team had a flawless season winning nineteen of their twenty games, their only non-win a tie 0-0 with West Salem. The team scored a tremendous one hundred and six goals, letting in only six.
In the state championship game, the women’s team faced Mountainside, a team who they had previously beaten 6-1.
“Going into a third state championship game was very exciting but at the same time a little nerve racking. We knew that mountainside was a very good team, and that they were going to give us a tough fight,” junior Maddy Koleno said. “As a team we had worked so hard the whole season, and knew if we left everything out on that field at the end of the game we would come home with the win.”
Mountainside came out strong, nearly scoring three times. But Jesuit brought the heat and they brought senior Callan Harrington.
Callan Harrington, a University of Washington commit, is a striker and one of the star players on the team. Coming into the game, Harrington had scored a total of 53 goals during her high school season and would score another two in this championship game.These two goals not only greatly contributed to another state championship but also claimed a new state record for Harrington. The record of most goals scored during a high school season was set in 1990 by Tiffany Milbert and Harrington passed it by one goal
Sophomore Taylor Krueger scored another goal, assisted by Harrington, making the final score 3-0 with a victory for the Crusaders.
“It’s always a great feeling winning a state championship,” coach Fennah said. “People always ask the question ‘does it diminish with time?’ and no it doesn’t. It’s always a new season with new players and new faces, so it is always satisfying when things come together.”
In the last three years, the Jesuit women’s soccer team holds a 58-0-1 record, having only tied a single game. For the second year in a row, the team has been recognized as the number one women’s soccer program in the nation.
The women’s soccer team was not the only team to bring home a back-to-back state championship this year. The women’s volleyball team also came together and claimed a title against Central Catholic.
This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The women’s volleyball team dominated last year. With a winning streak of 25-0, they were tournament champions, league champions, and state champions. With a starting lineup consisting of six seniors, the loss was very impactful.
The team did not let their loss shake them. They may have had almost completely new faces on the court, but their work ethic stayed the same.
“During this season it was really fun to see all of the younger players step into these big roles and have such a big impact,” junior setter Alison Buccholz said. “Finishing the season by winning a state championship really proved to ourselves that our hard work paid off and proved everyone who doubted us wrong.”
Going into the state tournament there was no one favored team. Jesuit would face teams they had lost to in the past such as West Linn. Head coach Theresa Zimmerlee wasn’t deterred.
“I always think we can win, it’s just something you have to believe,” Coach Zimmerlee said.
The championship game against Central Catholic was a nail-biter. The Crusaders took the first set 25-21 but Central came right back winning the second set 26-24. The next two sets were just as close ending in 27-25 Jesuit and 25-23 Central. Central may have fought hard, but we fought harder winning the final set 15-13!
Four players from the women’s volleyball team were selected as all state players. Junior outside hitter Maddy Dowdal and sophomore libero Maisie Alexander were selected to be on the second all tournament
team. Junior setter Alison Buccholz and sophomore middle hitter Tess
Masingale were selected to be on the first all tournament team. Tess
Masingale was also selected as the state championship game MVP with
16 kills.
“I believe you get about 2 weeks to enjoys a state championship, then you begin work for the next season,” coach Zimmerlee said, “ There are some pretty good teams for next year’s competition. That’s the exciting part, there are no guarantees and you always have to put in the work if you want to be on top”.
Gwynne Olson is a junior staff writer for the Jesuit Chronicle. Gwynne is the youngest of two. Brooke, her older sister, is a recent graduate from the...
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