by: Kyrra Styczynski
As some of you may or may not know, every year Nazareth has a Senior vs Faculty game. This year's game is volleyball! The game will be on April 29th at 6 pm and will be held in the high school gym. We started this tradition in 2017 to commemorate the seniors and raise money for a good cause. All funds from this game will go to the foundation LLS, better known as the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Seniors can still sign up until April 8th, after which signups will open to underclassmen. To play in the game it costs 5 dollars. If you wish to sign up, go to Miss Greene in room 317. To come and watch the game it only costs 2 dollars. All staff, students, parents, and community members are welcome and encouraged to come to this event. The event colors are blue and white. Players will be wearing white shirts and the audience is welcome to wear their Nazareth pride colors along with them!
A special thank you goes to the Interact Club for continuing and founding this tradition, as well as Miss Greene for giving us all of the information on the event! News From the Nest will continue to follow this event until game night. A few surprise interviews from the staff and students playing will be hidden in the articles, so stay tuned. Good luck seniors! Good luck staff! And Go Blue Eagles!
Showing posts with label SPORTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPORTS. Show all posts
Monday, April 4, 2022
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
A Nazareth HAUNTing
by Sydney Daly and Adrianna Wagner
It’s that time of year again! Horror films are cast into theaters, Halloween candy hits the shelves, and people begin to anticipate spine-tingling amusement. Fortunately, for those in the Halloween spirit, there is a community event hosted by the Nazareth Football Boosters taking place at Tuskes Park on October 19th from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
The Haunt has become a yearly event. The event coordinator, Mr. Rod Wilson, said “It’s been very good in the past. Last year, we drew 400 kids--so it’s popular.”
Cost is $5 for one lap around the track and $10 for unlimited laps, where visitors can enjoy frightening attractions put on by an assortment of Nazareth’s sports teams and high school theatre classes. Attractions will include a Voodoo Swamp constructed by the softball team, an Undead Hall of Famer theme by the baseball team, a petrifying scene drawing inspiration from classic slasher films performed by our theatre troupe, and an eerie circus assembled by the cheer team. Throughout the night, patrons can vote for their favorite attraction giving each group the opportunity to win a prize.
Mr. Wilson also has high hopes for the future of the activity: “This is turning into a community event. That is directly where we want it to go. We’re hoping to get this somewhere on the school grounds next year and add in many of the other booster clubs because this could easily become a Nazareth tradition. It’s a lot of fun, and it brings the community together.”
Monday, November 12, 2018
SPORTS: Fall Sports Recap
As the weather turns cold in Nazareth, we reflect on the athletic achievements of our students in the past few months.
Our News From the Nest team interviewed members of our fall sports teams to find out the team's accomplishments from this season, challenges overcome, their favorite memories, and their hopes for the future.
The reflections expressed are those of the individual students interviewed, not the official position of any team, coach, the NAHS athletic department, or News from the Nest.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Cheerleading by Caitlin VanRensburg
Nazareth Area High School’s cheerleaders do their best every season to foster school spirit and motivate athletes in multiple sports. Their encouragement is integral to the success of teams such as football and basketball.
When asked about her season overall, senior Alex Kaintz responded, “We had a lot of ups and downs, but the season overall was successful. Everybody felt like a family, and we lucked out on having a really supportive and encouraging community.”
When asked about the biggest challenge of the season, Kaintz said, “With all sports, there comes defeat, and sometimes it was hard to keep school spirit high after losing and morale was down.”
Kaintz also noted her favorite memory over the last season. She remembered that after the senior night game, many of the current seniors sat in the middle of the field and reminisced about their journey together and the good times they had. Because many of the seniors have become close over the years, their last season was very emotional.
Even though Kaintz is a senior this year, she still has high hopes for next year. She said that she would like to see her peers grow as a team, improve in stunting, and continue to spread school spirit.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Cross Country by Megan VanRensburg
Nazareth Area High School Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams had a successful season this year. Everyone on the team was working hard and going to after school practices every day to train for meets which typically range from 2 to 3 miles. The team has some amazing runners and their season definity proved that. The season is now over, but they improved tremendously, winning many of their meets.
They made some good memories throughout the season. Junior Christian Voloshen said that one of his favorite memories of this season was “going out to Hershey for states in order to support Travis Lahr.”
Even though it was a great season, there were hardships along the way, as he said, “many people had to cope with injuries such as shin splints, which caused some difficult obstacles that the team had to overcome.”
He hopes that next fall the post-season teams will qualify for states. According to Voloshen, it will take a lot of work, but with their dedicated athletes, it is achievable.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Field Hockey by Sean Cleary
The season for the Varsity Field Hockey team was outstanding, according to junior Claire Zeffer. They made it to districts and beat teams including Whitehall, Lehighton, and Moravian Academy.
Zeffer said that her favorite memory of the season was all the bus rides, pasta parties, and team bonding activities. She also added that her favorite part of the sport is how close she became with all her friends.
Zeffer said that she will “always remember and cherish the time spent with my teammates the most and that the teams’ goals for next year include making it back to district playoffs, EPC playoffs, and to beat Pocono Mountain East.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Football by Morgan Bayda
One of the many sports supported by both students and staff at Nazareth Area High School is the varsity football team. The season has come to end, and we spoke with varsity senior Heath Gagner to get his thoughts on how the season went.
“Overall I think the season went well. We had our moments where we really shined in certain games. However, there were a few that set us back and made it more challenging to receive a win the following week.”
Gagner also went on to say that because Nazareth is a smaller school, some in the Lehigh Valley might underestimate us compared to the larger districts. But he said that this “gives us the opportunity to show our skills and prove other people wrong.”
We also asked what he thinks the team could improve on for next year. He replied, “For the next season, our team needs to work on strength and speed. We need to be able to go into the weight room and receive the proper training that we desire. This will help us become bigger and faster, and now with the current plays and the upcoming freshman, it will make the team a very challenging contender to try and beat.”
Of course, like all teams, they faced some issues throughout their season, and we asked Gagner what he thought were some of the challenges the team faced this year and how they solved them.
“There were lots of factors this year that made it quite challenging. The number one thing that we did not have was strength and speed. Don't get me wrong, we had plenty of athletic players, but it just wasn't enough to match the other teams in most cases. We tried to improve by constantly working hard in the weight room whenever we had the chance to improve our skills.”
Gagner said they overcame their challenges by learning “to never quit and working on our mental toughness for the following games to come.”
Lots of hard work and effort were put into the season this year, and many of the players play football because they love the sport. The team that you play with becomes your family, and you make many strong bonds through the sport.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Boys’ Golf by Margaret Lefebvre
Nazareth Area High School’s golf team, also known as Team Lakehouse, had five individuals go to EPCs. Three went to districts, and sophomore TJ Bohl made it to States.
The team’s favorite moment was when they shot under 400 strokes in one of their matches. Junior Gabe Samsel’s most memorable moment was when he hit under 94 strokes in one game.
Samsel says the team’s motto is to shoot your best score, leave your mark, and make a purpose on the team.
--------------------------------------
Marching Band by Sean Cleary
Overall this has been a pretty successful season for the Nazareth Area Blue Eagle Marching Band. We interviewed junior trombone player Megan Christensen about her season.
Christensen says that the season overall was really fun, especially with the fact that the band grew from about 65 members to 95. She adds that she “would never trade this opportunity for anything else.”
One of the biggest challenges of this season was to simply keep overcoming their previous best to keep improving.
Christensen said that her favorite memory of the season was jumping from a score of 86 in Upper Moreland to a score of 91 in Whitehall in only a week. Her personal hopes for next year are to “be a better marcher and better trombone player.”
On Saturday November 10th, the Marching Band performed in the Cavalcade of Bands championship at HersheyPark Stadium; the Blue Eagles finished in third place with a score of 95.00. The season is not quite over yet though, as the Marching Band prepares for their trip to Disney World in mid-December.
Christensen ends with a quote from Drum Corps International world champion Santa Clara Vanguard: “If you remove your self-doubt and start believing in yourself, you can achieve what you never thought possible.”
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Girls’ Soccer by Amy Meriwether
The Nazareth Girls’ Soccer team has had a wild season this year. Soccer has always been a very competitive sport, but this year the girls were on edge all throughout the season. I talked exclusively with senior Morgan Masel, one of the four team captains.
When asked what the biggest challenges that her team had to overcome were, Masel said, “We did have a very young team. 6/11 of the players on the starting roster this year were underclassmen, but they came out strong every game and did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
However, that wasn’t the hardest challenge they had faced. She said, “Another big challenge we faced this season was the difficult schedule we played. We had to play the top 3 seeded teams in the league on 3 consecutive days. Although all of our players were exhausted and many in pain or injured, we were able to fight through those 3 games and set a high precedent ending our regular season and going into leagues.”
Even though they are losing some key players on the field, including Masel herself, she believes that the rising seniors will follow in the shoes of this year’s seniors and create a great example for the next set of players.
Overall, the Nazareth Girls’ soccer team has had a very successful season. They made it into the EPC finals, beat the #2 and #3 top seeded teams, and had two seniors make the EPC All-Conference 1st team along with two sophomores who made made the EPC All-Conference 2nd Team. Masel ended by saying, “Although this season didn’t end with the victory we had hoped, I am so proud of how far we went this year and how hard we played in every single game!”
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Boys’ Soccer by Trinity Wambold
The Nazareth Boys’ Soccer team had an overall record of 2-15-1. We interviewed senior Zane Hawk and junior Lavinash Kooma in regards to their feelings about the overall season. The varsity and junior varsity teams were under the management of two new coaches according to Hawk. Due to the change in coaches, Hawk said this season was an “adjustment period.” Even though this season had some rough patches, Lavinash Kooma was able to say that “overall the season was a ton of fun.”
When asked what the biggest challenge that the team had to overcome was, Kooma said that “the biggest challenge we faced this year is that we were a young team,” so getting used to the team chemistry affected the season’s results. Hawk had a similar response saying that “the soccer team’s biggest challenge was coming out and being confident against different teams.”
Kooma’s favorite memory from the 2018 season was senior night. He claims that “We played the best I’ve ever seen us play that game.” As for Hawk, his favorite memory was “when we scored the first goal against Emmaus which hasn’t been done in a while.” It appears that even though they had some challenges, they were still able to have some great accomplishments during the season.
Nazareth Girls’ Volleyball by Krina Patel
The girls’ volleyball team has had a record-breaking year filled with victorious wins and devastating losses. Emily Quinn, a senior on the varsity team, raved about this year’s outstanding achievements.
Quinn said the year started off with struggles that could’ve cost them significant wins. Some of these challenges included being down five seniors from last year, players being repeatedly injured, and getting accustomed to the new environment of the middle school gym. However, the team did not let these problems control their season.
They became the first Nazareth girls’ volleyball team to win a gold medal in the 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They beat Parkland, one of the best girls’ volleyball teams in the area, twice. They also had a record-breaking season with only three losses. When asked about what generated all of these achievements, Quinn said, “Everyone put 100% into everything which had a positive impact on how we did as a team.”
Quinn hopes that in the upcoming year the underclassmen step up proudly to their new leadership roles, and that if they do happen to get discouraged, she hopes they will turn it into drive similar to how this year’s team did.
Our News From the Nest team interviewed members of our fall sports teams to find out the team's accomplishments from this season, challenges overcome, their favorite memories, and their hopes for the future.
The reflections expressed are those of the individual students interviewed, not the official position of any team, coach, the NAHS athletic department, or News from the Nest.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Cheerleading by Caitlin VanRensburg
Nazareth Area High School’s cheerleaders do their best every season to foster school spirit and motivate athletes in multiple sports. Their encouragement is integral to the success of teams such as football and basketball.
When asked about her season overall, senior Alex Kaintz responded, “We had a lot of ups and downs, but the season overall was successful. Everybody felt like a family, and we lucked out on having a really supportive and encouraging community.”
When asked about the biggest challenge of the season, Kaintz said, “With all sports, there comes defeat, and sometimes it was hard to keep school spirit high after losing and morale was down.”
Kaintz also noted her favorite memory over the last season. She remembered that after the senior night game, many of the current seniors sat in the middle of the field and reminisced about their journey together and the good times they had. Because many of the seniors have become close over the years, their last season was very emotional.
Even though Kaintz is a senior this year, she still has high hopes for next year. She said that she would like to see her peers grow as a team, improve in stunting, and continue to spread school spirit.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Cross Country by Megan VanRensburg
Nazareth Area High School Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams had a successful season this year. Everyone on the team was working hard and going to after school practices every day to train for meets which typically range from 2 to 3 miles. The team has some amazing runners and their season definity proved that. The season is now over, but they improved tremendously, winning many of their meets.
They made some good memories throughout the season. Junior Christian Voloshen said that one of his favorite memories of this season was “going out to Hershey for states in order to support Travis Lahr.”
Even though it was a great season, there were hardships along the way, as he said, “many people had to cope with injuries such as shin splints, which caused some difficult obstacles that the team had to overcome.”
He hopes that next fall the post-season teams will qualify for states. According to Voloshen, it will take a lot of work, but with their dedicated athletes, it is achievable.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Field Hockey by Sean Cleary
The season for the Varsity Field Hockey team was outstanding, according to junior Claire Zeffer. They made it to districts and beat teams including Whitehall, Lehighton, and Moravian Academy.
Zeffer said that her favorite memory of the season was all the bus rides, pasta parties, and team bonding activities. She also added that her favorite part of the sport is how close she became with all her friends.
Zeffer said that she will “always remember and cherish the time spent with my teammates the most and that the teams’ goals for next year include making it back to district playoffs, EPC playoffs, and to beat Pocono Mountain East.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Football by Morgan Bayda
One of the many sports supported by both students and staff at Nazareth Area High School is the varsity football team. The season has come to end, and we spoke with varsity senior Heath Gagner to get his thoughts on how the season went.
“Overall I think the season went well. We had our moments where we really shined in certain games. However, there were a few that set us back and made it more challenging to receive a win the following week.”
Gagner also went on to say that because Nazareth is a smaller school, some in the Lehigh Valley might underestimate us compared to the larger districts. But he said that this “gives us the opportunity to show our skills and prove other people wrong.”
We also asked what he thinks the team could improve on for next year. He replied, “For the next season, our team needs to work on strength and speed. We need to be able to go into the weight room and receive the proper training that we desire. This will help us become bigger and faster, and now with the current plays and the upcoming freshman, it will make the team a very challenging contender to try and beat.”
Of course, like all teams, they faced some issues throughout their season, and we asked Gagner what he thought were some of the challenges the team faced this year and how they solved them.
“There were lots of factors this year that made it quite challenging. The number one thing that we did not have was strength and speed. Don't get me wrong, we had plenty of athletic players, but it just wasn't enough to match the other teams in most cases. We tried to improve by constantly working hard in the weight room whenever we had the chance to improve our skills.”
Gagner said they overcame their challenges by learning “to never quit and working on our mental toughness for the following games to come.”
Lots of hard work and effort were put into the season this year, and many of the players play football because they love the sport. The team that you play with becomes your family, and you make many strong bonds through the sport.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Boys’ Golf by Margaret Lefebvre
Nazareth Area High School’s golf team, also known as Team Lakehouse, had five individuals go to EPCs. Three went to districts, and sophomore TJ Bohl made it to States.
The team’s favorite moment was when they shot under 400 strokes in one of their matches. Junior Gabe Samsel’s most memorable moment was when he hit under 94 strokes in one game.
Samsel says the team’s motto is to shoot your best score, leave your mark, and make a purpose on the team.
--------------------------------------
Marching Band by Sean Cleary
Overall this has been a pretty successful season for the Nazareth Area Blue Eagle Marching Band. We interviewed junior trombone player Megan Christensen about her season.
Christensen says that the season overall was really fun, especially with the fact that the band grew from about 65 members to 95. She adds that she “would never trade this opportunity for anything else.”
One of the biggest challenges of this season was to simply keep overcoming their previous best to keep improving.
Christensen said that her favorite memory of the season was jumping from a score of 86 in Upper Moreland to a score of 91 in Whitehall in only a week. Her personal hopes for next year are to “be a better marcher and better trombone player.”
On Saturday November 10th, the Marching Band performed in the Cavalcade of Bands championship at HersheyPark Stadium; the Blue Eagles finished in third place with a score of 95.00. The season is not quite over yet though, as the Marching Band prepares for their trip to Disney World in mid-December.
Christensen ends with a quote from Drum Corps International world champion Santa Clara Vanguard: “If you remove your self-doubt and start believing in yourself, you can achieve what you never thought possible.”
Nazareth Girls’ Soccer by Amy Meriwether
The Nazareth Girls’ Soccer team has had a wild season this year. Soccer has always been a very competitive sport, but this year the girls were on edge all throughout the season. I talked exclusively with senior Morgan Masel, one of the four team captains.
When asked what the biggest challenges that her team had to overcome were, Masel said, “We did have a very young team. 6/11 of the players on the starting roster this year were underclassmen, but they came out strong every game and did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
However, that wasn’t the hardest challenge they had faced. She said, “Another big challenge we faced this season was the difficult schedule we played. We had to play the top 3 seeded teams in the league on 3 consecutive days. Although all of our players were exhausted and many in pain or injured, we were able to fight through those 3 games and set a high precedent ending our regular season and going into leagues.”
Even though they are losing some key players on the field, including Masel herself, she believes that the rising seniors will follow in the shoes of this year’s seniors and create a great example for the next set of players.
Overall, the Nazareth Girls’ soccer team has had a very successful season. They made it into the EPC finals, beat the #2 and #3 top seeded teams, and had two seniors make the EPC All-Conference 1st team along with two sophomores who made made the EPC All-Conference 2nd Team. Masel ended by saying, “Although this season didn’t end with the victory we had hoped, I am so proud of how far we went this year and how hard we played in every single game!”
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Boys’ Soccer by Trinity Wambold
The Nazareth Boys’ Soccer team had an overall record of 2-15-1. We interviewed senior Zane Hawk and junior Lavinash Kooma in regards to their feelings about the overall season. The varsity and junior varsity teams were under the management of two new coaches according to Hawk. Due to the change in coaches, Hawk said this season was an “adjustment period.” Even though this season had some rough patches, Lavinash Kooma was able to say that “overall the season was a ton of fun.”
When asked what the biggest challenge that the team had to overcome was, Kooma said that “the biggest challenge we faced this year is that we were a young team,” so getting used to the team chemistry affected the season’s results. Hawk had a similar response saying that “the soccer team’s biggest challenge was coming out and being confident against different teams.”
Kooma’s favorite memory from the 2018 season was senior night. He claims that “We played the best I’ve ever seen us play that game.” As for Hawk, his favorite memory was “when we scored the first goal against Emmaus which hasn’t been done in a while.” It appears that even though they had some challenges, they were still able to have some great accomplishments during the season.
--------------------------------------
Nazareth Girls’ Tennis by Margaret Lefebvre
The girls’ tennis team had a great season with Junior Alyssa Landolfi achieving second in EPCs 3rd singles, and the rest of the team achieving fourth in all positions. Along with that, Senior Halle DeNardo got third in District Singles and third in District Doubles with her partner Jenn Soika.
DeNardo’s favorite moment was when the whole team came together to cheer everyone else on. She said the team has a very fun and loving atmosphere. They really worked great together and played very well.
DeNardo’s most memorable moment was her first match against Parkland. She said, “It was tough, but I was able to pull out a win.”
With such a successful season, DeNardo and the seniors advise others to “Never give up. Tennis is a big mental game, so not only should you practice physically but also mentally too. Don’t let any opponent get into your head, and keep fighting till the end. Remember to have fun.”
--------------------------------------Nazareth Girls’ Tennis by Margaret Lefebvre
The girls’ tennis team had a great season with Junior Alyssa Landolfi achieving second in EPCs 3rd singles, and the rest of the team achieving fourth in all positions. Along with that, Senior Halle DeNardo got third in District Singles and third in District Doubles with her partner Jenn Soika.
DeNardo’s favorite moment was when the whole team came together to cheer everyone else on. She said the team has a very fun and loving atmosphere. They really worked great together and played very well.
DeNardo’s most memorable moment was her first match against Parkland. She said, “It was tough, but I was able to pull out a win.”
With such a successful season, DeNardo and the seniors advise others to “Never give up. Tennis is a big mental game, so not only should you practice physically but also mentally too. Don’t let any opponent get into your head, and keep fighting till the end. Remember to have fun.”
Nazareth Girls’ Volleyball by Krina Patel
The girls’ volleyball team has had a record-breaking year filled with victorious wins and devastating losses. Emily Quinn, a senior on the varsity team, raved about this year’s outstanding achievements.
Quinn said the year started off with struggles that could’ve cost them significant wins. Some of these challenges included being down five seniors from last year, players being repeatedly injured, and getting accustomed to the new environment of the middle school gym. However, the team did not let these problems control their season.
They became the first Nazareth girls’ volleyball team to win a gold medal in the 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They beat Parkland, one of the best girls’ volleyball teams in the area, twice. They also had a record-breaking season with only three losses. When asked about what generated all of these achievements, Quinn said, “Everyone put 100% into everything which had a positive impact on how we did as a team.”
Quinn hopes that in the upcoming year the underclassmen step up proudly to their new leadership roles, and that if they do happen to get discouraged, she hopes they will turn it into drive similar to how this year’s team did.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
SPORTS: Teachers vs Seniors Basketball Game
by Brian Kollgaard
On Friday, April 13, Nazareth Area High School Interact Club hosted the first annual Seniors vs. Teachers Basketball Game in the gymnasium.
The teacher team included eleven players led by teacher-coaches Mrs. Rakos and Mrs. Kreider-Davis. The student team had thirteen players led by student coaches: senior Zac Keifer, sophomore Anthony Harris, and junior Nick Simone.
Before the event started, we asked Mrs. Heimbach for her prediction on the game. She told us, “[The] faculty and staff are full of some real ballers; however, the senior team has incredible athletics. I think it’s going to be a very close game, and I think the teachers are gonna pull out the dub.”
Mrs. Heimbach was proven right, and the teachers ended up winning with a close score of 58-56.
The entrance fee was three dollars with the fees going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In total, the club was able to raise over $500 for LLS.
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
The teacher team included eleven players led by teacher-coaches Mrs. Rakos and Mrs. Kreider-Davis. The student team had thirteen players led by student coaches: senior Zac Keifer, sophomore Anthony Harris, and junior Nick Simone.
Before the event started, we asked Mrs. Heimbach for her prediction on the game. She told us, “[The] faculty and staff are full of some real ballers; however, the senior team has incredible athletics. I think it’s going to be a very close game, and I think the teachers are gonna pull out the dub.”
Mrs. Heimbach was proven right, and the teachers ended up winning with a close score of 58-56.
The entrance fee was three dollars with the fees going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In total, the club was able to raise over $500 for LLS.
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
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| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
 |
| Photo Credit: Mindy Heimbach |
Friday, April 6, 2018
SPORTS: Nazareth Ice Hockey
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| Photo Credit: Bishop Photography |
This season the Nazareth Ice Hockey team placed second in the league with a record of 9-2-1. With such a successful season it had to be rough every once in a while. Sophomores Alex Lynch and Eli Laurin, and freshman Eric Carlson, reflected on their season and said one game in particular was difficult: Philipsburg had more experienced players along with a good offense that made them hard to defeat. However, the team managed to pull off an amazing win against Philipsburg with a score of 14-7.
Although Philipsburg may have been one challenge on the team's way to victory, there were many other obstacles. Laurin said, “We just kept working hard, playing hard in practice, and always had our goal in sight.” In order to overcome the challenges, Lynch said teamwork, a common goal, and motivation from each other are key.
With everyone on the NAHS club team having a common goal, the team chemistry matters incredibly. Not only are these young men teammates, but they are friends off the ice as well. Lynch added that they are all “very adamant on the ice ‘cause [they] play well together.” Carlson also pointed out that if he had not known these people there would be a different atmosphere on the ice.
Hockey players have something additional to look forward to next season: Carlson says they will have a Varsity and Junior Varsity team. All of the young men told us that they are excited for the new team. Carlson said, “We haven’t had a varsity team in a while, so I am looking forward to it.”
Exciting opportunities and hard work aren’t the only things that make the game of hockey. Like every other sport, the love for hockey is strong in the team and every player. Hockey is their life on and off the ice. The friendships that are made, the competitive side, and the community is extraordinary.
Friday, March 23, 2018
SPORTS: Spring Sports Preview UPDATE
News From the Nest staff interviewed several NAHS spring sports athletes to get a look at their upcoming seasons and an inside perspective on their team.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track & Field
Track and field is an interesting sport to look at the success of the team because each person works towards individual goals and attempts to beat their own personal bests. We spoke to several track team members, and they are looking forward to another awesome season.
When asked what she was most looking forward to, junior Abbey Radcliffe said, “I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and being apart of a huge family. Also, hopefully, making new running personal records!”
This appears to be a common sentiment among the athletes, as junior Emily Kern said, “I’m most looking forward to becoming more successful this year. Because over the past few years I’ve improved little by little, and I’m excited to possibly make it to leagues and districts in an individual event.”
She is very excited to get back to working with friends to achieve their own goals: “I also just love the environment of being outside on the track in spring weather and being with some friends I don’t normally see.”
The team has had some success over the last several years, but the girls said that this season has a lot of potential. Radcliffe is excited by the potential of the new, younger athletes, and Kern says that this year’s upperclassmen have a good attitude and thinks that this will make a huge difference in the success of the team. With the potential of these new athletes, the Nazareth Track and Field team will be sprinting toward success.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boys’ Volleyball
Boys’ volleyball is a thrilling sport that gets everyone involved since it is centered around teamwork and communication. After speaking with a junior on Nazareth Area High School’s Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team, Tyler Kondash, I dove into the makings of their current season.
When asked what he looked forward to most in the upcoming season, Tyler said “Just having fun with my team and getting to hangout with them and play the sport I love.” After spending many hours a week practicing and playing games together, a close relationship forms between the teammates, especially when they can all bond over something they love.
Tyler believes that the team has lost many key senior players, but the current team has grown and is more prepared than ever. As with any sport, the jump from Junior Varsity to Varsity is quite a challenge. Kondash agrees that “It really is a whole new game and tempo.”
Along with the challenge of adjusting to Varsity, he claims, “The team as a whole has to overcome the challenges brought to us throughout the season, but we stick with each other through every challenge we face.”
Despite the challenges the team has overcome this spring and through previous seasons, Kondash thinks they may have a chance at winning a record or even a championship this volleyball season.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Girls’ Lacrosse
Girls’ lacrosse is a sport that is full of teamwork and communication. We spoke with senior, Emily Simpson, and were able to get a look at their upcoming season and what it is like to be a part of our girls’ lacrosse team here at Nazareth Area High School.
We asked Emily what last season was like and what the upcoming one is shaping up to be. She responded with a huge smile on her face saying, “We did pretty good last year, and we made it to districts, but we lost a lot of key players and starters, so this year we are going to have to fill those spots, so everyone is going to have to work extremely hard to prove ourselves to our fellow teammates and our coaches.”
Even though she stated that this upcoming season will be slightly challenging, she was glad to tell us that “[she’s] still very excited.”
She also told us what it was like to be part of the team. We asked Emily what she was looking forward to most for this season and she said, “The bus rides and being able to play varsity lacrosse and being able to play my last year of lacrosse with people I’ve grown up with.” It seems as though those bus rides are very fun since she started laughing as she talked about them.
The most heartwarming answer came from when she was asked what was her favorite part of being on this team: “Being a part of a team and being able to hang out with girls everyday who are like family to me.” Girls lacrosse comes across as a team who is almost like a family and will conquer this season as one.
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Softball
Softball is often compared to baseball, but there are many differences between the two including playing rules, field size, and type and size of equipment. Although there are many similarities, as softball was derived from baseball, it should be treated as a separate sport.
Daphney Adams, a junior on the softball team at NAHS, talked to us about the upcoming season.
Her favorite things about being a part of the team are that “You have 20 girls that are automatically your friends.” Along with a strong connection with her team, she can’t deny that “the bus rides are pretty lit. The trip to Florida is awesome. Winning is pretty awesome.”
Speaking of Florida, the team left Thursday, March 22 to stay at Universal in order to play three scrimmages and two games there. When asked how last season was, Adams told us that it “start[ed] out 7-0” before they suffered a three game losing streak. However, they didn’t fret because they quickly won and “evened out with a little above 500 before making it to districts. Then, [they] lost in the second game.”
Though last season ended in districts early, according to Adams, this season is currently looking “really good right now since it’s pretty much the same varsity people as last year and a couple transfers.”
Baseball requires hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes along with a strong sense of teamwork. Players are so close that one junior on the NAHS team, Ryan Johnson, referred to his teammates as his “second family.”
According to Johnson, our school’s team is currently looking “very strong.” So much so, that he claims “it is realistic to set our sights on a district championship.”
There may be tons of fun and involvement playing baseball, but Ryan describes it as “a game of failure.” He elaborates that “Every game, you fail, especially when hitting. You are seen as a great player if you succeed 3 out of 10 times when up at bat.”
Through all the hardships of failing, there are always positives that outweigh them. Johnson tells us his favorite thing about being a part of the team is being “able to get to know the other guys, interact with them, and find a newfound respect for all of them.”
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Track & Field
by Kelsey Meriwether
Track and field is an interesting sport to look at the success of the team because each person works towards individual goals and attempts to beat their own personal bests. We spoke to several track team members, and they are looking forward to another awesome season.When asked what she was most looking forward to, junior Abbey Radcliffe said, “I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and being apart of a huge family. Also, hopefully, making new running personal records!”
This appears to be a common sentiment among the athletes, as junior Emily Kern said, “I’m most looking forward to becoming more successful this year. Because over the past few years I’ve improved little by little, and I’m excited to possibly make it to leagues and districts in an individual event.”
She is very excited to get back to working with friends to achieve their own goals: “I also just love the environment of being outside on the track in spring weather and being with some friends I don’t normally see.”
The team has had some success over the last several years, but the girls said that this season has a lot of potential. Radcliffe is excited by the potential of the new, younger athletes, and Kern says that this year’s upperclassmen have a good attitude and thinks that this will make a huge difference in the success of the team. With the potential of these new athletes, the Nazareth Track and Field team will be sprinting toward success.
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Boys’ Volleyball
by Abbie LeDonne
Boys’ volleyball is a thrilling sport that gets everyone involved since it is centered around teamwork and communication. After speaking with a junior on Nazareth Area High School’s Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team, Tyler Kondash, I dove into the makings of their current season.When asked what he looked forward to most in the upcoming season, Tyler said “Just having fun with my team and getting to hangout with them and play the sport I love.” After spending many hours a week practicing and playing games together, a close relationship forms between the teammates, especially when they can all bond over something they love.
Tyler believes that the team has lost many key senior players, but the current team has grown and is more prepared than ever. As with any sport, the jump from Junior Varsity to Varsity is quite a challenge. Kondash agrees that “It really is a whole new game and tempo.”
Along with the challenge of adjusting to Varsity, he claims, “The team as a whole has to overcome the challenges brought to us throughout the season, but we stick with each other through every challenge we face.”
Despite the challenges the team has overcome this spring and through previous seasons, Kondash thinks they may have a chance at winning a record or even a championship this volleyball season.
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Girls’ Lacrosse
by Trinity Wambold
Girls’ lacrosse is a sport that is full of teamwork and communication. We spoke with senior, Emily Simpson, and were able to get a look at their upcoming season and what it is like to be a part of our girls’ lacrosse team here at Nazareth Area High School.We asked Emily what last season was like and what the upcoming one is shaping up to be. She responded with a huge smile on her face saying, “We did pretty good last year, and we made it to districts, but we lost a lot of key players and starters, so this year we are going to have to fill those spots, so everyone is going to have to work extremely hard to prove ourselves to our fellow teammates and our coaches.”
Even though she stated that this upcoming season will be slightly challenging, she was glad to tell us that “[she’s] still very excited.”
She also told us what it was like to be part of the team. We asked Emily what she was looking forward to most for this season and she said, “The bus rides and being able to play varsity lacrosse and being able to play my last year of lacrosse with people I’ve grown up with.” It seems as though those bus rides are very fun since she started laughing as she talked about them.
The most heartwarming answer came from when she was asked what was her favorite part of being on this team: “Being a part of a team and being able to hang out with girls everyday who are like family to me.” Girls lacrosse comes across as a team who is almost like a family and will conquer this season as one.
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Softball
by Kayleigh Vo
Softball is often compared to baseball, but there are many differences between the two including playing rules, field size, and type and size of equipment. Although there are many similarities, as softball was derived from baseball, it should be treated as a separate sport.Daphney Adams, a junior on the softball team at NAHS, talked to us about the upcoming season.
Her favorite things about being a part of the team are that “You have 20 girls that are automatically your friends.” Along with a strong connection with her team, she can’t deny that “the bus rides are pretty lit. The trip to Florida is awesome. Winning is pretty awesome.”
Speaking of Florida, the team left Thursday, March 22 to stay at Universal in order to play three scrimmages and two games there. When asked how last season was, Adams told us that it “start[ed] out 7-0” before they suffered a three game losing streak. However, they didn’t fret because they quickly won and “evened out with a little above 500 before making it to districts. Then, [they] lost in the second game.”
Though last season ended in districts early, according to Adams, this season is currently looking “really good right now since it’s pretty much the same varsity people as last year and a couple transfers.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseball
by Kayleigh Vo
Baseball requires hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes along with a strong sense of teamwork. Players are so close that one junior on the NAHS team, Ryan Johnson, referred to his teammates as his “second family.”According to Johnson, our school’s team is currently looking “very strong.” So much so, that he claims “it is realistic to set our sights on a district championship.”
There may be tons of fun and involvement playing baseball, but Ryan describes it as “a game of failure.” He elaborates that “Every game, you fail, especially when hitting. You are seen as a great player if you succeed 3 out of 10 times when up at bat.”
Through all the hardships of failing, there are always positives that outweigh them. Johnson tells us his favorite thing about being a part of the team is being “able to get to know the other guys, interact with them, and find a newfound respect for all of them.”
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Boys' Lacrosse
by Dante Requena and Kelsey Meriwether
Lacrosse is an up and coming sport in the United States and the boys lacrosse team at Nazareth is hoping to have an awesome season this year. We spoke to junior Cole Osmund and his goal for the team this year is for the team to increase their success this season.
When asked if the team was strong this year Osmund answered, “I’d say we are a very close team.” The boys are hoping that their hard work will pay off and lead to a great season.
During the 2016 season, the boys had a record of 10 wins and 8 losses and are hoping to do even better than last year. They are off to a good start as they won against Northampton on Wednesday 3/28.
The boys have many good memories about playing together and intend to create even more in the next year. We wish the boys good luck and hope that they have a great season.
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Boys' Tennis
by Kelsey Meriwether
The boys tennis team has often had successful seasons and this season is looking like another one in the making. The boys will compete in pairs and in individual events and there is a lot of potential in both competitions.
Junior Nathan Tauber told us, “I think that this will be a great season for us. We have a lot of talent on the team and each of our players are among the best in our district in each of their positions. We definitely have a chance at winning the league and team districts.”
In previous years, many Nazareth boys have achieved a lot in both single and doubles events. Tauber’s older brother won district singles last year and Nate is hoping to follow in his footsteps. We spoke to another junior, Soham Patel, and he is looking forward to getting his foot in the door and succeeding in more challenging matches. He is motivated because, “It is more fun playing better people, even if I lose, rather than win easy matches.”
This season should be a great one based on the optimism we’ve seen. We wish the team the best of luck in the upcoming season.
A previous version of this story was published on March 23, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
FEATURE: Spotlight on Nazareth Girls Wrestling Team
By Caitlin Van Rensburg
Nazareth Area High School recently established one of the Lehigh Valley’s first girls wrestling team with coaches Dave Crowell and Kasey Kruczek leading the pack. The coaches contacted girls throughout the school district and asked if they would be interested in the school’s new addition.
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| Photo: Lily Fancher |
Four girls were selected through tryouts: seniors Dana Harris, Melina Ronca, Emily Simpson, and freshman Tyra Klump.
Harris explained, “Coach Crowell heard about the girls’ division, and it’s pretty popular in other states and especially because Nazareth wrestling is so popular, he wanted to be one of the first teams in the Lehigh Valley to start it.”
The girls recently wrestled in a girls’ division during a wrestling tournament in Stroudsburg. Melina Ronca got three pins in her division and came in first place, while Tyra Klump got two pins in her division and placed second.
When asked about their experience, several team members said it was nerve wracking to be a part of the first girls’ wrestling team at Nazareth. They have a lot to live up to considering Nazareth wrestling is very popular. The girls say that they love to wrestle, but it’s also one of the toughest sports they’ve ever participated in.
Ronca says that “Wrestling is way harder than I thought. There is a lot of morning running, getting up early, and after school practices.” Because of this, she “has a whole new respect for wrestlers.”
The girls expressed that there are a lot of wrestling terminology and concepts that they didn’t know of before they joined the team, but the team works hard before and after school in order to improve every day.
Team member Dana Harris says, “Wrestling is hard but also very rewarding.”
Because three of the four girls are seniors this year, there will be open spots for next year. Ronca notes, “Everyone is so welcoming, and no one should be afraid to try out next year.”
Their goal for the rest of the season is to keep competing fiercely, improve each match, and meet their individual goals.
Lily Fancher contributed to this story.
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