Lacrosse begins practicing for second season
By Donna Snyder
NORTHRIDGE - Women’s lacrosse is up and running once again. The team started up their second year of practices this past Feb. 26. The first game is scheduled on April 7, right after Spring Break. The game will be at Upper Arlington and is schedule for 6:30pm.
Students are welcome to come and watch the new team throughout the season. So far there have been six home games scheduled and at least five away games. Some game times are to be announced, but all weekday games will vary between 5:30 and 7 p.m. The season is planned to go from early April into May. All the home games are planned to be played on the football field.
There are many new lacrosse Ladies this year throughout the grades. One of the new seniors, Alexis Absten, has decided to join lacrosse because, “It looked like it would be fun, and I wanted to try something new.” Absten, like all the new girls, is “excited to learn a new sport.” The sport of lacrosse is becoming increasingly more popular and well known across both Ohio and the rest of the United States.
The idea of lacrosse is said to have originated from the Native Americans. There has been evidence of wooden and deerskin balls used, and the sport was often played as a way to toughen up the young Native American warriors. Women’s lacrosse, though, first began around 1890 in Scotland. Since then, the sport has become highly popular in the New England states and over the past few years has been branching out across the country.
A returning player, Emma Dann ('15), joined last year because she had been missing playing sports. She claimed, “I used to play a lot of sports when I was younger. I thought lacrosse looked like a really cool sport and I thought it would be nice since we would all be starting at the same level and would be learning together.”
New additions to this season, besides some of the girls, includes Coach Stacey Butler, whose objectives for the girls are, “to improve skills and game play abilities, work together as a team, and have fun!” Along with learning new skills and improving the old, the girls are ready to get their season started as soon as the snow melts!
-Donna Snyder ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
By Donna Snyder
NORTHRIDGE - Women’s lacrosse is up and running once again. The team started up their second year of practices this past Feb. 26. The first game is scheduled on April 7, right after Spring Break. The game will be at Upper Arlington and is schedule for 6:30pm.
Students are welcome to come and watch the new team throughout the season. So far there have been six home games scheduled and at least five away games. Some game times are to be announced, but all weekday games will vary between 5:30 and 7 p.m. The season is planned to go from early April into May. All the home games are planned to be played on the football field.
There are many new lacrosse Ladies this year throughout the grades. One of the new seniors, Alexis Absten, has decided to join lacrosse because, “It looked like it would be fun, and I wanted to try something new.” Absten, like all the new girls, is “excited to learn a new sport.” The sport of lacrosse is becoming increasingly more popular and well known across both Ohio and the rest of the United States.
The idea of lacrosse is said to have originated from the Native Americans. There has been evidence of wooden and deerskin balls used, and the sport was often played as a way to toughen up the young Native American warriors. Women’s lacrosse, though, first began around 1890 in Scotland. Since then, the sport has become highly popular in the New England states and over the past few years has been branching out across the country.
A returning player, Emma Dann ('15), joined last year because she had been missing playing sports. She claimed, “I used to play a lot of sports when I was younger. I thought lacrosse looked like a really cool sport and I thought it would be nice since we would all be starting at the same level and would be learning together.”
New additions to this season, besides some of the girls, includes Coach Stacey Butler, whose objectives for the girls are, “to improve skills and game play abilities, work together as a team, and have fun!” Along with learning new skills and improving the old, the girls are ready to get their season started as soon as the snow melts!
-Donna Snyder ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
Northridge baseball poised for success
By Brad Wilson
NORTHRIDGE - NHS baseball had never been known for its success up to a couple of years ago, when success in the playoffs turned that reputation completely around.
Northridge Baseball Coach Jeff Wilson has been coaching at Northridge for close to six years and has never been more excited for a season to start. “We have more dedicated and hard working players than we have ever had before. There is an overall winning attitude among the players, and they all buy into our philosophy as coaches,” said Wilson.
2015 looks to be a season that will be led by eight seniors who have all had significant varsity time in their past three years on the squad.
Matt Simmons ('15) had this to say about his expectations for the 2015 season: "We have never trained harder in our lives, and I am very excited for what is to come.”
Northridge will be missing one senior this year. Brad Wilson ('15) was injured during the basketball season preceding baseball season. He tore his right Achilles tendon. “It really is hard to accept that I wont be able to participate my last season of high school baseball, but I will try my hardest to be a leader from the bench and help the younger players.” Even with sitting this season out, Wilson does look forward to continuing to play on Ohio Dominican’s baseball team as a college freshman next year.
Northridge has made a couple changes to the coaching staff for this season. Northridge graduate Storm Strout was a member of the team two years ago, but he has made a return to be the team’s strength and conditioning coach. “These kids have put everything they have into this program and they will have success,” said Strout. Strout is a trained cross-fitter and has set high standards for the baseball team this season.
Another addition to the coaching staff this year will be coach John Shepard. Shepard was with the team in the past but he took a year off to watch his own son play for a season. Shepard is a very seasoned hitting coach who has a lot of wisdom to share.
Northridge Baseball is looking to catch the state by surprise and make a long run in the playoffs this year.
-Brad Wilson ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
By Brad Wilson
NORTHRIDGE - NHS baseball had never been known for its success up to a couple of years ago, when success in the playoffs turned that reputation completely around.
Northridge Baseball Coach Jeff Wilson has been coaching at Northridge for close to six years and has never been more excited for a season to start. “We have more dedicated and hard working players than we have ever had before. There is an overall winning attitude among the players, and they all buy into our philosophy as coaches,” said Wilson.
2015 looks to be a season that will be led by eight seniors who have all had significant varsity time in their past three years on the squad.
Matt Simmons ('15) had this to say about his expectations for the 2015 season: "We have never trained harder in our lives, and I am very excited for what is to come.”
Northridge will be missing one senior this year. Brad Wilson ('15) was injured during the basketball season preceding baseball season. He tore his right Achilles tendon. “It really is hard to accept that I wont be able to participate my last season of high school baseball, but I will try my hardest to be a leader from the bench and help the younger players.” Even with sitting this season out, Wilson does look forward to continuing to play on Ohio Dominican’s baseball team as a college freshman next year.
Northridge has made a couple changes to the coaching staff for this season. Northridge graduate Storm Strout was a member of the team two years ago, but he has made a return to be the team’s strength and conditioning coach. “These kids have put everything they have into this program and they will have success,” said Strout. Strout is a trained cross-fitter and has set high standards for the baseball team this season.
Another addition to the coaching staff this year will be coach John Shepard. Shepard was with the team in the past but he took a year off to watch his own son play for a season. Shepard is a very seasoned hitting coach who has a lot of wisdom to share.
Northridge Baseball is looking to catch the state by surprise and make a long run in the playoffs this year.
-Brad Wilson ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
Vikings believe in a great upcoming season
By Bryant Garee
NORTHRIDGE - The Vikings are ready to get running again. With new coaches and more talent, the track team is expected to be better than ever. After finishing last season with the team record over .500, the seniors and new coach Richard Featheringill, the running Vikings are set and ready to take off.
Canden Chapman ('15) is ready to get his senior season underway.
“We had a great season last year, and a lot of our runners were underclassman,” Chapman said in an excited tone. Chapman runs the 200 meter sprint, but his favorite event is the 4-by-200 relay race. “Last year we had two freshmen who ran on the relay team, and they did well. With our experience and dedication, I believe that we can do some special things in this race.”
The Vikings recently hired Featheringill to be the new coach. He is the head coach and will be mainly guiding the long distance runners with Ms. Murphy, as well as the hurdlers. Featheringill ran distance at Ashland University and believes his experience will be a help to the kids.
“After running all four years of highschool and college, I believe I can use that to get the kids to really improve and become great runners,” said Featheringill He has brought in Nahum Masimer to keep the weight room going strong and to coach the throwers. With a new coaching staff and kids with experience, the Vikings are ready to get the season rolling.
A lot of the track team was made up of freshman and sophomores last season so there is a lot of potential for this young team. “As long as they stay with it, I feel like they could do big things as a class and break some records in the process,” Chapman said.
Practice begins March 9th. The Vikings have experience and are ready to get a winning season underway as they tackle thirteen meets,including the LCL and district tournaments. Northridge will host a home meet on May 5.
-Bryant Garee ('15) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault
By Bryant Garee
NORTHRIDGE - The Vikings are ready to get running again. With new coaches and more talent, the track team is expected to be better than ever. After finishing last season with the team record over .500, the seniors and new coach Richard Featheringill, the running Vikings are set and ready to take off.
Canden Chapman ('15) is ready to get his senior season underway.
“We had a great season last year, and a lot of our runners were underclassman,” Chapman said in an excited tone. Chapman runs the 200 meter sprint, but his favorite event is the 4-by-200 relay race. “Last year we had two freshmen who ran on the relay team, and they did well. With our experience and dedication, I believe that we can do some special things in this race.”
The Vikings recently hired Featheringill to be the new coach. He is the head coach and will be mainly guiding the long distance runners with Ms. Murphy, as well as the hurdlers. Featheringill ran distance at Ashland University and believes his experience will be a help to the kids.
“After running all four years of highschool and college, I believe I can use that to get the kids to really improve and become great runners,” said Featheringill He has brought in Nahum Masimer to keep the weight room going strong and to coach the throwers. With a new coaching staff and kids with experience, the Vikings are ready to get the season rolling.
A lot of the track team was made up of freshman and sophomores last season so there is a lot of potential for this young team. “As long as they stay with it, I feel like they could do big things as a class and break some records in the process,” Chapman said.
Practice begins March 9th. The Vikings have experience and are ready to get a winning season underway as they tackle thirteen meets,including the LCL and district tournaments. Northridge will host a home meet on May 5.
-Bryant Garee ('15) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault
Softball Preview
By Hunter Adkins and Megan Hatfield
NORTHRIDGE - As the Viking Softball season gets underway, the team is eager to prove itself in the aftermath of last year’s heartbreaking tournament loss. The Varsity team went 15-10 last season and is ready to claim an LCL title in 2015.
The varsity softball team has seven returning players from last year and in addition they have four new people on the team. The coaching staff included head coach Mike Pankuch, Pat Shay, Todd Adams, and Wendy Figgens. The JV softball coach is
Both the JV and Varsity teams have been in preparation since November with conditioning workouts and open gyms. The official practices started Feb. 23. Head coach, Mike Pankuch, has a lot of realistic goals that he would like the team to accomplish. He wants the team to, “win the LCL and go far in the tournament to compete for a State title.”
Pankuch wants to improve the record this year compared to last year by trying “to be mentally prepared and focused for the games. Tune out the outside distractions and concentrate on the game,” as well as, “improve offensively and keep the strikeouts to a minimum and to produce more runs efficiently.” He added that he is “looking forward to this season as a chance to not only have fun, but be very successful.”
Mikeala Pankuch (’15) has a lot of goals for the team, as well. She wants to “advance past Districts in the tournament, win the league, and be more successful compared to last season.”
Emily Wilson (‘16) wants to “improve overall as a team” and “get better in all aspects of the game from offense to defense.” Wilson’s personal goal is “to have a better batting average than last year.” Addie Van Kirk (‘18) said “I want the team to come together and play together as a team.” Van Kirk’s personal goal is to “hit at least one home run this year.”
The lady Vikes open with Johnstown on March 21 and from then on play many games every week until May.
-Hunter Adkins (’15) is the Features Editor for The Viking Vault.
-Megan Hatfield ('15) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault.
By Hunter Adkins and Megan Hatfield
NORTHRIDGE - As the Viking Softball season gets underway, the team is eager to prove itself in the aftermath of last year’s heartbreaking tournament loss. The Varsity team went 15-10 last season and is ready to claim an LCL title in 2015.
The varsity softball team has seven returning players from last year and in addition they have four new people on the team. The coaching staff included head coach Mike Pankuch, Pat Shay, Todd Adams, and Wendy Figgens. The JV softball coach is
Both the JV and Varsity teams have been in preparation since November with conditioning workouts and open gyms. The official practices started Feb. 23. Head coach, Mike Pankuch, has a lot of realistic goals that he would like the team to accomplish. He wants the team to, “win the LCL and go far in the tournament to compete for a State title.”
Pankuch wants to improve the record this year compared to last year by trying “to be mentally prepared and focused for the games. Tune out the outside distractions and concentrate on the game,” as well as, “improve offensively and keep the strikeouts to a minimum and to produce more runs efficiently.” He added that he is “looking forward to this season as a chance to not only have fun, but be very successful.”
Mikeala Pankuch (’15) has a lot of goals for the team, as well. She wants to “advance past Districts in the tournament, win the league, and be more successful compared to last season.”
Emily Wilson (‘16) wants to “improve overall as a team” and “get better in all aspects of the game from offense to defense.” Wilson’s personal goal is “to have a better batting average than last year.” Addie Van Kirk (‘18) said “I want the team to come together and play together as a team.” Van Kirk’s personal goal is to “hit at least one home run this year.”
The lady Vikes open with Johnstown on March 21 and from then on play many games every week until May.
-Hunter Adkins (’15) is the Features Editor for The Viking Vault.
-Megan Hatfield ('15) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault.
Northridge swimmers make best times at Division II Districts
By Mat Scott
OHIO UNIVERSITY – Several members of the Northridge High School Swim Team swam their best times of the season and set multiple program records on Feb. 20 at the Division II Central/East/Southeast District Championships.
Swimmers Maddi Giffin (’18), Alex Rahde (’18), Katelyn Darby (’18), Eli Rushmore (’17), Adam Eckstein (’16), Josie Bunstine (’16), Mason Alexander (’15), Paul Haught (’15), Steven Wickham (’15), Jasen Dean (’15), and Mat Scott (’15), along with alternates Tori Strong (’18) and Bryce Curtis (’15), qualified for Districts in seven events at their sectional meet the previous Saturday.
“I was really happy,” said Rahde, a first-year qualifier for Districts. “It made my whole year better.”
Rahde qualified to swim in the 200-yd medley relay and the 400-yd freestyle relay, along with Giffin, Bunstine, and Darby. The relay team set a school record in both relays, beating their previous times by a large margin.
Darby also set school records in both the 200-yd individual medley and the 500-yd freestyle swim. Darby had broken the 500 record earlier in the season with a time of five minutes, fifty-three seconds and then broke it again at Districts with a time of five minutes, forty-five seconds.
“I’m really, really proud of [Darby],” says Bunstine. “I swim with her all the time, and it’s great to see how she’s improving.”
The program record was also broken by the boys’ 200-yd freestyle relay team, consisting of Scott, Haught, Eckstein, and Dean, with a time of one minute, forty-six seconds.
“We knew we would improve and get better,” says Eckstein, “so I’m not really surprised we broke the record. We had a great group and we’ve been improving all season.”
As the only boy to break an individual record this season, Alexander swam his 500-yd freestyle in five minutes, fifty-nine seconds, marking the first time a Northridge swimmer has finished the event in under six minutes and setting the new school record. Alexander had broken the previous record of six minutes, one second two weeks prior at a meet hosted by Granville High School with a time of six minutes flat, and then broke his own record again at Districts.
The team will graduate seven seniors this year (Alexander, Wickham, Dean, Haught, Scott, Curtis, and Nick Willeke (’15)). The end-of-season banquet took place on Mar. 1, when the seniors were honored and the new record board was revealed.
-Mat Scott ('15) is the Web-Editor-In-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault
By Mat Scott
OHIO UNIVERSITY – Several members of the Northridge High School Swim Team swam their best times of the season and set multiple program records on Feb. 20 at the Division II Central/East/Southeast District Championships.
Swimmers Maddi Giffin (’18), Alex Rahde (’18), Katelyn Darby (’18), Eli Rushmore (’17), Adam Eckstein (’16), Josie Bunstine (’16), Mason Alexander (’15), Paul Haught (’15), Steven Wickham (’15), Jasen Dean (’15), and Mat Scott (’15), along with alternates Tori Strong (’18) and Bryce Curtis (’15), qualified for Districts in seven events at their sectional meet the previous Saturday.
“I was really happy,” said Rahde, a first-year qualifier for Districts. “It made my whole year better.”
Rahde qualified to swim in the 200-yd medley relay and the 400-yd freestyle relay, along with Giffin, Bunstine, and Darby. The relay team set a school record in both relays, beating their previous times by a large margin.
Darby also set school records in both the 200-yd individual medley and the 500-yd freestyle swim. Darby had broken the 500 record earlier in the season with a time of five minutes, fifty-three seconds and then broke it again at Districts with a time of five minutes, forty-five seconds.
“I’m really, really proud of [Darby],” says Bunstine. “I swim with her all the time, and it’s great to see how she’s improving.”
The program record was also broken by the boys’ 200-yd freestyle relay team, consisting of Scott, Haught, Eckstein, and Dean, with a time of one minute, forty-six seconds.
“We knew we would improve and get better,” says Eckstein, “so I’m not really surprised we broke the record. We had a great group and we’ve been improving all season.”
As the only boy to break an individual record this season, Alexander swam his 500-yd freestyle in five minutes, fifty-nine seconds, marking the first time a Northridge swimmer has finished the event in under six minutes and setting the new school record. Alexander had broken the previous record of six minutes, one second two weeks prior at a meet hosted by Granville High School with a time of six minutes flat, and then broke his own record again at Districts.
The team will graduate seven seniors this year (Alexander, Wickham, Dean, Haught, Scott, Curtis, and Nick Willeke (’15)). The end-of-season banquet took place on Mar. 1, when the seniors were honored and the new record board was revealed.
-Mat Scott ('15) is the Web-Editor-In-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault