“A wiki-wiki womba!  A wiki-wiki womba!”  Echoing from the dugout, the softball girls cheer on their teammates as their chance to win the state title for the 12th consecutive year.

        Sophomore softball player Carissa Becher is eager for the state tournament and is beginning to get the feeling of nervousness.

        “It’s really important to all of us,” Becher said.  “In any sport you participate in, you always want to win state.  But I’d say there’s a little more pressure on us because 11 teams have been able to do it before us.  We definitely want number 12.”

        Although it is senior softball player Jessica Woodbury’s first year on the West Fargo softball team, she has gotten to know her teammates throughout the season and believes they will bring home another state title.

        “I am very confident that the team can do it,” Woodbury said.  “We have good chemistry, we have fun, and we have the talent to take state.  We all want to keep the winning streak going.”

        The team is working long and hard to prepare for upcoming state tournament May 28-30.

        “It’s business as usual,” Becher said.  “We just keep working on our basics every day so at the end of the season, we should be on the top of our game.”

        Along with Becher, Woodbury thinks if the team plays with a game-by-game mindset, the state title will be theirs.

        “We are always being focused in practice and games,” Woodbury said.  “We always come to play.  I want to play my absolute best to make sure [winning] can happen.”

        For Becher, age does not matter.  Instead, it is the team chemistry that wins championships.

        “Although we are a young team, in the last couple weeks we have been playing really well together,” Becher said.  “If we continue to improve and work hard, I think we will definitely bring home another state title.”

        The perfect season, flawless record and winning it all at state would be the West Fargo girls soccer team’s ultimate goal. The team started the season with a flawless record and were on the track for a perfect season. More specifically the team began the first three games without a loss, 2-0-1.

        Junior midfielder Mara Johnson was pleased about the early season success.

        “Everyone was pumped and ready to play,” Johnson said. “We were happy when we won and got excited to play the next game.”

        However, perfection is only sweet for so long and the girls lost 3-1 to Fargo North. Since the team started the first three games without a loss on their record, the team has lost four games and won only two.

        “The loss shocked us,” Johnson said. “The team thought we would do well, since the loss things have been going downhill.”

        Junior midfielder Kayla Miller agrees the team hasn’t been as successful as before their first loss.

        “I don’t know what changed,” Miller said. “We’re just having a couple of off games.”

        These “off” games have been blamed on multiple things, including lack of leadership along with less and less team unity. This year there are only two seniors on the team, so the team captains are juniors.

        “We have leaders, but with such few seniors it’s hard to have experienced leaders,” Miller said.

        Before games the girls pump each other up by listening to a boom box in attempts to unite the team.

        “We have team unity, but it could be stronger,” Johnson said

        Junior forward Tia Lopez agrees the team isn’t perfect and could use some improvements.

        “We need more communication on the field,” Lopez said. “However, we shouldn’t get mad; we should just play as a team.”

        Even with the losses and the need for improvements, Lopez still has high hopes for state.

        “We’re a good group of girls, even with the losses,” Lopez said. “Plus, we’re still one of the better teams.”

        The team may be in a rut as of late, but they know where they want to get, know what it feels like to have the success and will continue to work until success is achieved.

        “Our goal is state, and the team will do anything to get there,” Miller said. “We know we can. We believe.”

        I have noticed that many more high school students attend games that are more popularly broadcasted on TV or are at a faster-pace than golf, or tennis, which are not.

      So why is it that high school games such as hockey, football, soccer and basketball draw big crowds?  It could simply be because they are a few of the most popular sports in the United States, or maybe because most of the “jocks” play them. It could it have something to do with the fact that at a golf game you always move around, or at a high school baseball game the bleacher area is too small.

        If Michael Phelps were to come to a high school swimming meet, the crowd would probably triple in size or more. The same thing would probably happen if Tiger Woods went to a golf game, if Serena Williams went to a tennis match or if Joe Mauer came to a baseball game.

        I think many teens don’t go to certain sports because the weather conditions are too hot or too cold.  Late night fall football games can get chilly sometimes, so can track meets and soccer games in the early spring. Hockey games are played on ice in the winter and sometimes the arenas can be cold.

        I think that more teens attend sports like football, basketball, soccer and hockey because they have friends or relatives that play, or because they are interested in the sport themselves. As teens get older the competition of the game increases. As I watch golf on TV, I can see it is slow. As I watch football, hockey, and basketball, I can see they are faster-paced.

        Sideline refs might have something to do with the lack of teens at certain games. At every game, there will be a parent either yelling at the coach, referee or their own child. According to the “Center for Sports Parenting,” 40 percent of teens ­­have seen some sort of physical abuse by coaches and parents, and 85 percent of teens witness verbal abuse once a game.

        Students should put on their Packer apparel, and go out to a game that they wouldn’t normally go to. If students know that basic rules of the game, they should be able to follow along pretty well and maybe even get into the “Packer Spirit.”

        “A wiki-wiki womba!  A wiki-wiki womba!”  Echoing from the dugout, the softball girls cheer on their teammates as their chance to win the state title for the 12th consecutive year.

        Sophomore softball player Carissa Becher is eager for the state tournament and is beginning to get the feeling of nervousness.

        “It’s really important to all of us,” Becher said.  “In any sport you participate in, you always want to win state.  But I’d say there’s a little more pressure on us because 11 teams have been able to do it before us.  We definitely want number 12.”

        Although it is senior softball player Jessica Woodbury’s first year on the West Fargo softball team, she has gotten to know her teammates throughout the season and believes they will bring home another state title.

        “I am very confident that the team can do it,” Woodbury said.  “We have good chemistry, we have fun, and we have the talent to take state.  We all want to keep the winning streak going.”

        The team is working long and hard to prepare for upcoming state tournament May 28-30.

        “It’s business as usual,” Becher said.  “We just keep working on our basics every day so at the end of the season, we should be on the top of our game.”

        Along with Becher, Woodbury thinks if the team plays with a game-by-game mindset, the state title will be theirs.

        “We are always being focused in practice and games,” Woodbury said.  “We always come to play.  I want to play my absolute best to make sure [winning] can happen.”

        For Becher, age does not matter.  Instead, it is the team chemistry that wins championships.

        “Although we are a young team, in the last couple weeks we have been playing really well together,” Becher said.  “If we continue to improve and work hard, I think we will definitely bring home another state title.”

         For the first time since 1993, the girls track team placed first at the Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC) meet.

        “It felt so good to finally beat (Fargo) South,” junior Rebecca Capouch said.  

         Both the boys and the girls team did well in the meet.

        “I think we did awesome at EDC; we had people placing right and left,” junior Jamison Gehrig said. “It was a pretty big deal for us.”

        There are numerous students that participated in more than one event. Capouch ran in the 4×400 relay, the 4×200 relay, and the open 200-meter dash.

        “Overall, I think I competed really well,” Capouch said. “In both the 4×400 and the 4×200, my relay teams placed second.”

        Like Capouch, Gehrig participated in multiple events, including the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 4×100 relay and the 4×200 relay.  But unlike Capouch, Gerhig thinks he gave a fair performance on Saturday.

        “I think I did mediocre in all of my individual events,” Gehrig said. “I’m pretty bummed about that, but when it comes to relays, you have to pull it together for the rest of the group. We ended up having a personal best time in both of our races, so we accomplished something.”

        Unlike Capouch and Gehrig, junior Levi Bachmeier only participated in one event, which was pole vaulting.

        “I placed fourth in pole vaulting, which wasn’t that bad,” Bachmeier said.

        State is just around the corner and both the girls and boys are getting excited for it, hoping for the best.

        “I think state will be a great time and we hope to ride the momentum we were able to achieve at EDC and compete our best this weekend,” Bachmeier said. “The West has some great teams as well so it should be quite the show.

        Capouch is hoping the girls will do great as well.

        “I hope state goes really good,” Capouch said. “I’m excited and there will be some good competition there so we hopefully place well and of course beat south again.”

        Thirty six track members will be on the road attending state today and tomorrow in Bismarck.

        With Eastern Dakota Conference regional tournament just around, the West Fargo boys golf team isn’t looking like they will beat Fargo South in the final stretch, during the remainder of the year.

        “They [Fargo South’s golf team] always seems to be two strokes ahead of us,” sophomore Matt Pitzer said.

        Several players on the team such as Pitzer, sophomore Logan Palmer and juniors Ryan Olien and Alex Erickson are disappointed with the fact that the team can’t seem to overtake south.

        “It’s frustrating to me, because they win almost every year and we never stop hearing about it,” Palmer said. “If we were to work a little harder at practice and help each other out, we would probably do a lot better.”

        The team seems to stay in the ranking with players like juniors John Sund and Jared Cowden.

        “John Sund seems to carry the team,” Pitzer said. “He plays the best, does the best, and he just plays well over all.”

        The team could also do better if they had a better mental game and could shoot for pars more.

        “If we could constantly get pars, we would score better, but even myself seem to make small faults around the green,” Pitzer said. “Overall, if we could play more in the green we would be better off.”

        South has consistent medalists; they work better as a team and they have more pressure from within. They also have more years on their belts have more numbers to choose from.       

        If West Fargo’s golf team was able to take on some of the tasks that South has, they would be a better team physically and mentally.

        Summer vacation is a time for sleeping in, relaxing and being worry-free.  Junior football player Bryce Jorgenson’s summer, however, is not necessarily this laid back.

        Sports require hard work and dedication not only during the season, but also in the summer.  Athletes’ summers are filled with camps, tournaments, leagues and practices that occupy their free time.

        “This summer we have a lifting program for every morning during the week,” Jorgenson said.  “It’s about three hours and it’s meant for strength and speed.  This year we have a 7-on-7 program on Wednesdays where other schools, and us, get together and scrimmage.”

        Although football is time consuming, Jorgenson and his teammates enjoy how much time is dedicated to the game.

        “We love it,” Jorgenson said.  “Wednesday night is our only night committed to the coaches.  The rest is all up to us and football is something we all really enjoy doing.”

        Alongside football, the girls hockey team also requires the girls’ year-round loyalty.

        “We usually have one or two tournaments and one camp that goes for three weeks in June,” sophomore girls hockey player Briana Keller said.  “There is a conditioning camp closer to the season to get us in shape, too.”

        The hockey girls are not required to participate in the summer programs; however, it is highly recommended that they do so.

        “Say there are two players of the same ability, where one goes to camp and one doesn’t,” Keller said.  “When it comes to the season, (head coach) Pat (Johnson) is going to remember the girl who went because she showed more dedication to the team and to the sport.”

        Head girls basketball coach Barb Metcalf often tells her players of how hard the competition is working to encourage them to work just as hard.

        “We have about 25 or 30 games this summer,” Metcalf said.  “Now multiply that by two and you have Mandan.  The off-season builds champions.”

        If given the choice, Metcalf would have all of her players play in the camps and tournaments in the summer.  However, she will only require them to do as much work as they choose to do.

        “It’s as time consuming as you make it,” Metcalf said.  “I wouldn’t force anyone to do anything if it felt like a job to them.”

        The girls soccer team is also not required to attend their camps, and although they are encouraged to participate, the girls are allowed to miss for alternate activities.

        “The coaches understand that we have other activities in the summer,” junior girls soccer player Kayla Miller said.  “So if we have to miss for a camp or vacation they are pretty lenient about it.”

        Instead of a player’s amount of involvement determining playing time during the season, soccer is aimed more toward talent.

        “The people that do a lot in the summer will be seen by the coaches,” Miller said.  “They will see that they have improved and they will probably play more.  Not because of what they do, but because of their improvement.”

        While there are athletes who would rather not spend their summers going to camps, some play solely to prepare for the upcoming sports season.

        “Some of us are going to miss legion baseball,” Jorgenson said.  “It’s not because football doesn’t allow it, but we want to make the most of our senior year and the way to do that is to put 150 percent focus on football.”

            Throughout high school the average student deals with problems on a day-to-day basis. Whether it would be fighting with parents about a later curfew or even crying about being dumped by their girlfriend or boyfriend. But with junior Beth Anderson, the problem she dealt with changed her life.

            “I had to re-teach myself how to do everything,” Anderson said. “I had to learn how to walk and regain my confidence to play sports again.”

            In the summer of 2007, Anderson was playing in a basketball league at Courts Plus and faced a painful injury in her leg.

            “I felt like my leg was paralyzed when it happened,” Anderson said. “Afterward, it felt like it kept slipping out of place.”

            Without hesitation, Anderson’s first reaction was to get back up and play.

            “I wanted to get back into the game and play some more,” Anderson said.

             After attending the emergency room twice, Anderson was told the wound was only a sprain. Three weeks later, she participated in a basketball camp at Minnesota State University-Moorhead (MSUM) and this time came out with an unlucky outcome.

            The pain was far worse than what she experienced a few weeks before.

            “I cried for about three hours straight and it took a long time to get over it,” Anderson said.

            Instead of the injury being a ‘minor sprain’, she ended up tearing through her (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) ACL. The doctors informed her she was unable to participate in sports for a year. The sound of this crushed her. Basketball, tennis, soccer and volleyball were a big part of her life.

            “I felt like the world was coming to an end,” Anderson said. “All I had ever done was constant sports, so I felt lost.”

            The idea of not being able to play in sports challenged her to push herself for a speedy recovery. It took her a  year and a half to get back to par. Not only would she teach herself to walk again, she was required to wear a knee brace for the first year after her surgery.

            With the motivation to keep playing tennis instilled within her heart, she knew she would play no matter what it took.

            “It’s a sport that always makes me happy to play,” Anderson said. “I knew I had a promising future if I continue.”

            Many people watch Anderson play today and would never guess she suffered a torn ACL.

            “She always gives 100 percent and never gives up,” varsity girls tennis coach Chad Anderson said. “She gets to the balls that most girls don’t because she always fights for the next shot.”

            Not only does the coach recognize her hard work, but teammate senior Ann Dai speaks highly of Anderson’s performance.

            “She is one of the hardest workers I know,” Dai said. “She’s our number one, so she is obviously vital as far as winning matches is concerned.”

            Anderson’s progress dramatically took a turn for the best this year. The amount of time she put in each day to get back in shape paid off. This year Anderson finished third in the Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC).

            “You should always keep trying, no matter what your circumstances are because with modern medicine anything is possible,” Anderson said. “There are always people willing to help you fight if you are willing to take the first leap.”

        Plehal said that the team is able to get runs without needing to constantly steal bases.

        “We are a faster team this year,” Plehal said. “We are getting more runs than steals.”

        Senior Alex Pribula also thinks the team is more athletic this season.

        “We have more team speed,” Pribula said. “We are more athletic.”

        Head coach Brett Peterson said the team is off to a good start and is improving on the small things.

        “We have done a lot of bunting and stealing,” Peterson said.  “We’ve been doing a lot of little things right.”

        Another strength of the team is hitting ability.

        “We are getting the key hits we need,” Plehal said.

        The team shows up to practice confident, and it makes a big difference, according to Pribula.

        “Last year we came out confident, but then lost a few games and got down on ourselves,” Pribula said.

        The team does not have problems with confidence this season.

        “The team is more confident this year,” Plehal said. “We are ready to play every day.”

        Peterson has also seen an improvement in overall team attitude.

        “Everybody shows up ready to go right away,” Peterson said.

        As the team continues the season, they need to gain experience with only six returning seniors.

        “There are a lot of young guys,” Pribula said.  He added the team simply needs to play games and gain experience.

        Peterson said the team just needs to keep up its attitude and work ethic on the field.

        “The team just needs to stay consistent,” Peterson said.

        This year the season has been forced to rescheduled matches one after another. To accommodate for this misfortune, the tennis team will be playing nine matches in the next two weeks.

        “The new schedule will be interesting,” Anderson said. “But the more nervous you get, the more you are playing a mental game.”

        Holding the number one seat on the team, Anderson has not only prepared herself physically, but mentally as well.

        “Since we will not have time to regroup and go over what we did wrong, we have to mentally prepare before each match,” Anderson said.

        Even though the team lost the time normally used for revising mistakes, the team incorporated more time with conditioning and training during pre-season.

        “Since we had a week off, we practiced really hard and got the practice time we needed,” head coach Chad Anderson said.

        Taking on the extra time given to prepare for the matches, senior Ann Dai uses the time wisely.

        “This is a big mental game as it is physical,” Dai said. “I am definitely embracing this instead of complaining.”

        Dai sees the flood in a positive light, even though the next few weeks will be busy.

        “I honestly have enjoyed the time off from the flood,” Dai said. “We have had more time to prepare for our matches.”

        Even though the flood has postponed the team’s opportunity to compete,  Anderson has dealt with the flood in a positive way.

        “You cannot control the flood,” Anderson said. “You do what you gotta do.”