Wrestling for the love of the sport

By Kristi Lambert

The 106-pound frame of sophomore Raine Chrysoston took another step on to the wrestling mat at Logan High School. Though she is currently the only girl on the LHS wrestling team, Chrysoston easily fits in with the guys socially— but her position on the team did not come so smoothly.

Chrysoston first showed interest in martial arts at 12 years old, so her mother, Karen Chrysoston, enrolled her in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“Honestly, I was horrified,” Karen Chrysoston said. “There was no way I was going to bring my little girl to wrestle around on the floor with these big sweaty guys. But after I learned that there was a class for youth and that jiu-jitsu is more about defense, I was OK.”

“She really had a knack for it, but we weren’t able to pay for it,” Karen Chrysoston said.

Since Raine Chrysoston’s father was laid off from his job, she could no longer participate in jiu-jitsu, so she decided to sign up for the middle school wrestling team when she was 13.

“Since I had previously done jiu-jitsu, I figured if I joined the wrestling team I could do the same thing more or less and learn a new sport,” she said.

At first the coach was not in favor of Chrysoston joining the team, but his attitude changed when he saw her work ethic and skill.

“I just really wanted to wrestle. It just kind of clicked to me,” Chrysoston said. “It’s the sport I feel like I thrive the best in. For me, once you’re in the match and wrestling it out, you forget everything else and just focus on the match.”

“She showed up and it turned out she was good. The coach turned around after that,” Karen Chrysoston said.

When Raine Chrysoston moved on to her freshman year, she continued to wrestle for the middle school team despite the fact she was now in high school. A week into the season she got a call from Bo Roundy, LHS’s head wrestling coach, asking her to come wrestle for him in the lowest weight class.

“I guess if the coach is calling we better do it. Better pay attention to that,” Karen Chrysoston said.

As a freshman, Raine Chrysoston made it on to the varsity team wrestling in the 106-pound weight class.

“She got her patootie just handed to her at first,” Karen Chrysoston said. “Wrestling on varsity was a huge lesson in humility.”

“It’s a lot more intense than jiu-jitsu. A lot more strength is involved. Jiu-jitsu is made for smaller people and getting leverage. Wrestling is more upper strength,” Raine Chrysoston said.

Chrysoston found that switching to wrestling after learning jiu-jitsu came with its’ challenges, but it also made it easier.

“Jiu-jitsu helped me with the close contact aspect. It’s a lot of the same style so it wasn’t a huge difference,” Chrysoston said.

Since wrestling is so focused on upper body strength, Chrysoston likes to play to her strengths when it comes to a match.

“Flexibility is one thing that I have over the guys. I just have to wrestle smart. I like to be quick on my feet,” she said. “I have to build up to my strengths.”

Even though Chrysoston is the only girl on the team, she doesn’t feel like an outcast.

“They’re really supportive. I love my team,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a tad bit lonely being the only girl because I like to be with my team. It’s not so fun to be separated on some things, but it’s really not so bad.”

Junior Hunter Ballam is one of Chrysoston’s teammates and said that at first it was strange to have a girl on the team, but now it’s just normal.

“It’s always a little bit different. Everyone for the most part really accepted her on the team so there wasn’t really any problems at all,” Ballam said. “She’s just another part of our team and another wrestler.”

In region last year, Chrysoston placed 7^th in her bracket.

“I’ve seen her beat guys before,” Ballam said. “She’s a pretty big inspiration to everyone. A lot of people look up to her. She’s still new and getting used to it, but the fact that she’s out there wrestling with a bunch of guys proves a lot to the guys on other teams and our team.”

This year, Chrysoston is wrestling for the junior varsity team.

“It can’t be about her being a girl wrestler. It has to be about her loving the sport,” Karen Chrysoston said. “You step on the mat and you’re a wrestler. Not a boy wrestler or a girl wrestler, but a wrestler.”

Gaining an edge

By Kristi Lambert

A new program is revolutionizing many of Logan High School’s sports teams. Players and coaches have seen results and the student body now chants as one— “We believe in RACE Rx.”

Developed by Matt Rhea, RACE Rx is a private sports conditioning facility that opened its’ doors in Logan two years ago. Rhea said that because of the research the company is conducting, RACE Rx has “the most advanced training programs available.”

“We offer youth sports conditioning programs at our private facility and consult teams, organizations and athletes on their conditioning,” Rhea said. “My area of expertise is sports performance enhancement. We look at what athletes need to improve upon. We are very cutting edge.”

Rhea consults for the U.S. Olympic Training Center and a number of professional teams including the Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. Now, he is also a consultant for Logan High School.

Last year, Rhea began working with senior DJ Nelson and the baseball team in their weekly training

“Coach Favero…was confident that I could help his team and other sports so we started conversations regarding the entire school program,” said Rhea. “Mike Hansen, athletic director Clair Anderson and Mike Favero were instrumental in developing a scenario for me to help all interested sports.”

Though RACE Rx is offered to all sports and have athletes from every sport participating, the football, boys basketball and baseball teams are those who have been implementing the program since the beginning of the summer.

Each sport is assigned a trainer or coach from RACE Rx and the workouts are specified to each sport. The basketball team incorporates defensive slides, close outs and back peddling into its’ workouts. The team works with RACE Rx three days a week. Two of those days are focused on power and strength, the other is purely conditioning.  It is a process of sequencing and the workouts are different every day.

Logan Brown has been the head coach of the boys varsity basketball team for two years, and has witnessed the effects of the conditioning and strength programs.

“We struggled last year. That’s what is kind of neat about RACE Rx. We’re taking something and seeing the benefit of it. Our athletic community is way more confident,” Brown said. “Matt Rhea is very well spoken and knows how to handle people. Our high school was looking for something like that.”

“My speed has improved tremendously compared to last year. Everyone has gotten bigger from the strength part of it and faster too,” said junior Jesse Braddy.

Since Braddy was a wide receiver for the football team and is currently a guard for the varsity boys basketball team, he has found that RACE Rx has made an impact on the sports teams at LHS.

“We’ve seen major improvements. Probably the best thing that could have happened to us here,” Braddy said. “Everyone wants in on it because they can see the effects.”

“I’ll be honest, I’ve never had a team that was as well conditioned going into the season,” Brown said.

“We measure different variables like speed and power. We have seen tremendous improvements in all measurements,” Rhea said. “We have also seen a great amount of commitment from the athletes to their preparation for competition, nutrition and training habits.”

The effects of RACE Rx don’t stop there. 

“Everyone pushes each other," Braddy said. "The workouts are very difficult and it really brings everyone closer.”

“If they’ve had to sweat with their peers, it makes them bond together. I can tell that they are more unselfish, more of a caring nature,” Brown said.

“It has affected our mentality. Made us tougher…mentally and physically,” Brown said. “Sometimes kids don’t know their limits until they’ve broken them a couple times.”

Logan high school sterling scholars prepare

By Kristi Lambert

Katie Francis will enter her Sterling Scholar interview already knowing that the judges have made their decision of who will be awarded the top spots in her category at the regional competition. Francis knows it all depends on one thing— her portfolio.

“The biggest thing I’m concerned about is the portfolio,” she said. “That is the bread and butter. You have to make sure it’s not too complex and not too simple.”

Sterling Scholar Awards is a program that encourages and recognizes high school seniors in Utah who excel in scholarship, leadership and citizenship. To be selected for the award is considered one of the highest honors a senior can receive. Francis is one of 13 of Logan High School’s Sterling Scholars who are currently in the process of compiling their portfolios for the competition.

“The judging starts before they even interview. Judges pick their top five based on portfolios so we spend a lot of time working on the portfolios,” Deanna Stalling said.

Stalling has been working for eight years as the Sterling Scholar adviser at LHS and has helped students prepare their portfolios many times. She has also been a judge at Sterling Scholar competitions.

“I really think you get a pretty good idea of who the strong candidates are from the portfolios,” Stalling said. “A strong portfolio is usually accompanied by a strong interview. Judges do change their mind after interviews sometimes.”

The Sterling Scholars must use the guidelines that have evolved over the past 51 years. With the exception of the category of English, a student’s portfolio may not have more than 18 single sheet pages. The portfolio is comprised of snapshots of a student’s accomplishments during his or her high school career. Students must find a way to balance the use of their pages to exhibit their participation in scholarship, leadership and citizenship. Photographs, certified transcripts, test scores and a letter of recommendation are also required.

“It’s hard because a picture is worth a thousand words and if you have a good picture of you doing service you’re set,” Francis said. “Your portfolio should be good enough that it’s like you’re talking to the judges. So I think it is fair that they expect that of us considering everything that goes into it.”

The Sterling Scholars at LHS will soon participate in mock interviews to help them prepare for the Regional Sterling Scholar competition, which will be held on Feb. 15, 2012 at Northridge High School.  Stalling said that Logan High School likes to give their Sterling Scholars a head start on the competition. Most schools pick candidates in the fall of their senior year, but LHS chooses its’ applicants in the spring of their junior year.

“It’s really nice to have a summer break to really go forward and find opportunities to be involved in,” Francis said.

“We like to give them a summer to work on their portfolio,” said Stalling. “It also helps us make them feel really prepared. So they know what they’re getting into to relieve any anxiety so they’re not shocked when they get there.”

Since Francis is the Speech and Drama Sterling Scholar, she will perform a two minute monologue to showcase her talent.

“I’m not anxious about the preforming, that’s where I feel confident.  It’s second nature at this point,” she said.

“Sometimes I wish they would have more anxiety,” Stalling said. “They’re fairly confident in their interviews, bless their hearts.”

The 2011-2012 Sterling Scholars for Logan High School are: Erica Evans, English; Kristen Berkemeier, Mathematics; Taylor James, Business and Marketing; Camille Jensen, Music; Yiran Wang, Foreign Language; Becca Huppi, Social Science; Katie Francis, Speech & Drama; Donna Lee, Family & Consumer Sciences; Brooklyn Atkinson, Dance; Abbie Luman, Visual Arts; Phil Cutler, Computer Technology; Trevor Jewkes, Trade & Technical Education; and Anna Torre, Science.

Annual holiday orchestra concert

By Kristi Lambert

Many have found that listening to Christmas music, shopping for gifts or observing nativities scenes are fun ways to bring in the holiday season. At Logan High School, the strings are tuned and the brass have warmed up as members of Logan High School’s orchestra are ready to do just that. On Wednesday, LHS musicians will play in the annual Holiday Orchestra Concert, which will take place in Logan High School’s auditorium.

“There’s a lot of Christmas spirit and it will be fun and lively,” said orchestra member Savannah James.

“It’s really fun,” said senior violinist Katie Francis. “It’s the best way to celebrate the season for sure.”

After a successful concert in October, orchestra members began working on various pieces for the concert with the help of their director, Peggy Wheeler. This is Wheeler’s 31^st year of teaching and her second year with LHS.

“I want each group to work up to their level and at this point they are doing that,” Wheeler said. “I program music that is appropriate for each orchestra. The goal is for each orchestra to perform on that level…they’ll do well.”

There are three main orchestras at LHS. The Concert Orchestra, comprised of freshmen, the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. Students are admitted into the Chamber Orchestra by audition only.  

Francis is a member of the Chamber Orchestra and has played the violin since she was nine years old.

“I’m excited. It is fun to show-off what we’ve been working on. Once you’ve become passionate about the things you’ve been playing, it’s not such a stress to perform,” Francis said. “It’s like once you get to concert time, it’s a party.”

James is a sophomore who also plays the violin. She is a first chair violinist for the Philharmonic Orchestra and has been playing since she was in fourth grade.

“I’m very excited for the concert. It’s supposed to be a good one. There’s just going to be a lot of different pieces,” James said. “This Christmas concert is the best one of the year.”

James will play one of her favorites, Leroy Anderson's, “A Christmas Festival” in the Symphonic Orchestra, which is a combination of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble.

Chamber Orchestra members have been working on Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” all year and plan to perform it at their final concert in the spring. However, they will also play it in the concert on Wednesday.

“It will kind of be to test out the Brandenburg. We’ve been working on it all year and it has taken a lot of patience. You have to put trust in the conductor,” Francis said.

The concert will last about an hour. The orchestra will also perform “Postcards from Russia,” “Jesu,” “Joy of Man's Desiring,” “Festive Sounds of Hanukkah” and various songs from “Handel's Messiah.”

“It’s been a trick getting it together fast enough, because a lot of the players are involved with a lot of different things,” said Francis, who just finished performing in the school musical a few weeks ago.

Wheeler said that the Holiday Orchestra Concert has been a tradition for more than 30 years and gives the community an opportunity “to hear an enjoyable and well-played concert of some of the standard and best holiday music.”

Logan high seniors prepare for graduation

By Kristi Lambert

Many consider graduation day a rite of passage. Garbed in the tradition cap and gown, graduating seniors will stride up to the podium to accept their high school diploma. It is the day that seniors across the nation look forward to throughout their entire high school career. On May 30, 2012, Logan High School seniors will sit together as one by one they are called to get their diplomas. Until then many have already begun to plan their future.

“I’m planning on going to Utah State and going into law,” said McKenzee Burbank, a senior softball and soccer player at LHS.

D.J. Nelson has been recruited to play quarterback for Utah State University. He committed to the deal on Sept. 25. Nelson’s spot on the team will be held for him after he has returned from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I’ll attend a semester of college, probably just at USU, and then serve an LDS mission after that,” said Spencer Knowles, LHS’s student body vice president.

Online, LHS has a link for counseling on their main page that walks students through their high school years. There is a list designed to help seniors stay on track throughout the year. In order to prepare for college, many of LHS’s seniors are filling out applications, taking the SAT or ACT, looking for scholarships or working part-time jobs to earn money.

“I’ve been taking some college classes that I can get out of the way,” Brittany Lambourn said. “With my dad’s job I get half tuition and I’m going for the Ambassador Scholarship. So if I don’t get that I would have to work part-time.”

Lambourn has applied to USU and plans to major in elementary education because she loves teaching and working with kids. When she was younger, Lambourn dreamed of working as a veterinarian.

“I wanted to be a vet because I love animals. Then I realized I couldn’t deal with blood, so no,” she said.

Knowles also wanted to be a veterinarian at a young age. He has always wanted to be in a profession where he can help others.

“When I was I little I wanted to help sick animals. That’s still my second option,” he said. “Now I’m looking into going into physical therapy. I tore my ACL so I had to go through physical therapy and I was like, man it would fun to help people get back into shape.”

As a part-time employee at KFC, Knowles has been saving up money to pay for college and a mission.

“I’ve filled out applications pretty much anywhere to see where I can get accepted,” Knowles said. “All the ones in Utah. I want to try and stay close to home.”

Besides college and a career, Knowles had bigger goals in mind.

“I want to be a successful person and I want to grow up debt free. When I settle down, I want to have a family and be a father,” he said.

When it comes to walking down the aisle to receive their high school diploma, Knowles and Lambourn shared similar thoughts.

“I’m really excited just because I’m ready to move on because people act really little in high school. I’m just ready,” Lambourn said.

“I’m looking forward to it as an accomplishment, but it makes me nervous to think about it,” Knowles said. “Go to college and grow up and take on life. I’ll eventually have to move out from the parents and take on the big world.”

(D. Nicholas)

Rose petals and candles too much?

By Kristi Lambert

Brittny Gunnell opened her front door to find Branden Fuller decked out in a sombrero with guitar in hand. He began to serenade her with an original song he wrote. This was not a proposal, but rather an invitation to attend the upcoming dance at Logan High School.

“It was so cute,” said Gunnell, a senior at LHS. “He gave me a piñata and a rose after he serenaded me.”

High school students will go as far as rose petals, candles and garbage just to ask someone to a dance. Brittany Lambourn filled Issac Parkinson’s room with trash— trash from the recycling to be exact.

“With all the trash I put a sign that said, ‘I know you’re not trash, but I’d really like to take you out.’ It was really funny,” said Lambourn, a student body officer at LHS.

Spencer Knowles became known for his creativity after he made his date pop 100 balloons and go on a phone chase to receive hand delivered pluots, a plum and apricot hybrid, with his name.

“In the past I’ve done a lot of crazy things. There all long and detailed, but the pluots topped it” said Knowles. “Then I was like, dang it, now I have to keep it up. I felt like I had to keep my reputation. It’s almost like a competition.”

Now, with sweethearts and other dances approaching, LHS students are plotting how to ask their potential dates. Finding creative and intricate ways to ask each other to school dances has become a tradition for many high school students in Utah— and only in Utah.

“I think it’s weird,” said Montana native Austin Arlint, a junior at Utah State University. “I don’t know where it comes from at all, but I would hope to make some conjecture that it comes from the Mormon culture and the whole excelling in everything. Then apply that to the dating realm. I don’t understand it, but it definitely didn’t take place in my high school.”

“I just went up and asked them. I think it’s really strange,” said Kayla Klingberg, a junior attending USU from Maryland.

Devin Gillespie, a sophomore at USU, is from New Jersey and agreed that he found it a little strange.

“I didn’t even know about it until I came to Utah,” Gillespie said.

“People in Texas don’t do it. My friend moved here from Huston and she thought it was weird because they just ask in the hallway,” Lambourn said.

“I think the Mormon culture probably has something to do with it a little bit,” Gunnell said.

Whether or not this tradition is subject to Utah or the Mormon culture, some say the whole process of asking is getting out of hand with elaborate posters, scavenger hunts and more. But many LHS students disagree.

“Sometimes I’d like to just ask face to face to save yourself trouble and get it done quick. But it makes things fun and entertaining,” said Knowles. “It adds to the mystery because you have to find out who’s going to ask you. So it’s fun.”

“I think when you ask more creatively it takes the awkwardness away. When you ask face to face it might be more like, oh uhh… It’s always fun to do something a bit more creative,” Gunnell said.

“I love getting asked, but I hate answering,” Lambourn said.

(K. Geisler)

Support from complete strangers

By Kristi Lambert

At full speed, the 160-pound frame of South Summit High School junior Porter Hancock sprinted across the playing field to block an opposing player. At the same moment, another player was rushing in for the same hit.

Hancock’s helmet jarred to the left.

He did not get up.

On Nov. 26, an auction, raffle and fundraiser was held at Logan High School to raise money for Hancock, who suffered a severe spinal injury in the accident and is now paralyzed from the chest down.

It was just one more show of support— but from complete strangers.

“I think it was amazing. People would spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on him and they didn’t even know him,” said Bryanne Hancock, Porter’s older sister.

In an effort to bring in more money and participation, the “Fight for Feeling” fundraiser was held at the same time as the annual Novemberfest. Porter Hancock’s cousin, Cameron Brown spearheaded the event in hopes to raise more money than the first auction held in Hancock’s hometown Oakley, Utah.

“We were thinking if we could do the same amount of volume, but bigger it would help,” Brown said.

He estimated that about 1200 to 1800 people came to LHS to bid, buy and donate. Some of the big ticket items in the auction included: a treadmill from Icon Health and Fitness, a Green Bay Packers helmet signed by the entire team, Hillary Duff’s Jimmy Choos, Steve Young’s super bowl helmet and diamond earrings priced at $1,600. The largest bid was $2,500 for the Hoopes Lasik Eye Surgery, a package valued at $4,700.

Cache Valley Electric and Vivint were the biggest contributors. Brown, who is an employee of Vivint, said that it was because of Vivint that they were able to reach out to so many resources and obtain a substantial amount of money to aid in the fundraising efforts.

Many of the donations and sports memorabilia would not have been contributed if it were not for the generosity of many of the college football coaches in the state. Utah State University’s football coach, Garry Anderson, helped organizers get in touch with Hillary Duff, the New York Jets and other NFL teams. Aaron Alford from the University of Utah also helped with obtaining signed footballs from various NFL teams.

“Coach Garry Anderson helped a ton,” Brown said. “His family helped out as much as anybody. On Saturday, he literally called two hours after the Nevada game to see how the fundraiser went. He was super supportive.”

Despite only six weeks to plan the event, Brown was pleasantly surprised by the items obtained and the numerous people that came to show their support.

“It was a huge success,” Brown said. “It was pretty amazing to see how many people are really willing to help out. The most surprising was coach Garry Anderson and all of the USU players. It was pretty crazy to see how involved they got with it considering how busy they were this time of year with the football season.”

It was estimated that $35,000 to $40,000 dollars was raised for Hancock and his family; $25,000 of that was cash donation.

“The money we raised will go toward paying for the house they built that is wheelchair accessible…Or they’ll use the money where it is needed,” Brown said. “My aunt is a single mom with four kids. More than anything we were just wanting to help out and do our part to help them get a bit of money.”

The Hancock family was overwhelmed with gratitude.

“My mom was crying because of how many people came to support us. People who know us and people who don’t,” Bryanne Hancock said. “There’s no way to describe how thankful we are with everything that has been done.”

If everything goes well, Porter Hancock should be done with physical therapy and home by Dec. 13.

“He’s doing a lot better and we’re just taking everything day by day,” Bryanne Hancock said.

Donations can be taken to and made payable to Zion’s Bank, Porter Hancock Donation Account. They can also be mailed to the The Hancock Family, attn: Cheryl W. Brown, 1633 E 1700 N, Logan, UT 84341.

(D. Van Dyke)