Comisford pursues baseball at ONU
By Ali Zigo
NORTHRIDGE - Carter Comisford (‘19) Is planning on attending Ohio Northern University in the fall of 2019 to play baseball and study pharmacy. Comisford has been thinking about attending ONU for about a year now and explains that he is “very excited about everything.”
The jump from high school ball to college ball is a very big one, with many new experiences. Comisford explains that he is planning to “meet a lot of new people and make the most out of the next four years,” during which he has to “do what [he] loves.” Comisford explains he feels as if he is “moving on and growing up.” He says he is also excited for the new level of competition.
Comisford has been playing baseball for about 15 years now and still “loves the game.” He has also been on the high school varsity team throughout all four years of his high school career and managed to play travel ball, as well. Comisford has played one two different travel teams. He played on the Licking County Mustangs from age 12 to 15 and the Big Walnut Eagles from age 15 to 17. Travel ball season takes place in the summer, right after school ball ends in the spring.
Throughout Comisford’s four years of high school, his coaches that have helped Carter to be where he is now are Jeff Wilson, Chad Elliott, Scott Burkholder, Greg Wilson, and Ross Wilson. Comisford explains that he is upset that this is his last year of high school baseball but “that’s what kind of made [him] want to pursue playing at ONU.” Comisford states, “I was kind of on the fence about it at first but then, once I started getting ready for this school ball season, I realized how much I would miss it and that I wasn’t ready to give it all up just yet.”
The process of getting this opportunity to play college baseball is a little more complicated than it may or may not seem. Comisford explains the process. “First I just had my coaches send the Ohio Northern University coach an email about me and my states, position, grades, etc… Then I was able to talk over the phone with the ONU coach and discuss some of the details of the program and orientation, and finally, in the fall I will have to have some sort of tryout and after that I will be able to play for the team!”
Comisford is also planning of having a signing ceremony this spring at Northridge High School.
-Ali Zigo (‘20) is the Junior Print Editor for The Viking Vault
By Ali Zigo
NORTHRIDGE - Carter Comisford (‘19) Is planning on attending Ohio Northern University in the fall of 2019 to play baseball and study pharmacy. Comisford has been thinking about attending ONU for about a year now and explains that he is “very excited about everything.”
The jump from high school ball to college ball is a very big one, with many new experiences. Comisford explains that he is planning to “meet a lot of new people and make the most out of the next four years,” during which he has to “do what [he] loves.” Comisford explains he feels as if he is “moving on and growing up.” He says he is also excited for the new level of competition.
Comisford has been playing baseball for about 15 years now and still “loves the game.” He has also been on the high school varsity team throughout all four years of his high school career and managed to play travel ball, as well. Comisford has played one two different travel teams. He played on the Licking County Mustangs from age 12 to 15 and the Big Walnut Eagles from age 15 to 17. Travel ball season takes place in the summer, right after school ball ends in the spring.
Throughout Comisford’s four years of high school, his coaches that have helped Carter to be where he is now are Jeff Wilson, Chad Elliott, Scott Burkholder, Greg Wilson, and Ross Wilson. Comisford explains that he is upset that this is his last year of high school baseball but “that’s what kind of made [him] want to pursue playing at ONU.” Comisford states, “I was kind of on the fence about it at first but then, once I started getting ready for this school ball season, I realized how much I would miss it and that I wasn’t ready to give it all up just yet.”
The process of getting this opportunity to play college baseball is a little more complicated than it may or may not seem. Comisford explains the process. “First I just had my coaches send the Ohio Northern University coach an email about me and my states, position, grades, etc… Then I was able to talk over the phone with the ONU coach and discuss some of the details of the program and orientation, and finally, in the fall I will have to have some sort of tryout and after that I will be able to play for the team!”
Comisford is also planning of having a signing ceremony this spring at Northridge High School.
-Ali Zigo (‘20) is the Junior Print Editor for The Viking Vault
Class of ‘19 takes its talents to college level
By: Darian Dick
NORTHRIDGE- Although our high school is rather small, we are far from short on talented people. Our school has athletes of all types that have already committed to schools to continue their academic and athletic careers past high school.
One senior, Mackenzie Holder (‘19), has been cheering for as long as she can remember. Holder is attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University this fall and joining the cheerleading team. She will also be studying Journalism while at MVNU.
Another senior, Madie Legg (‘19), is one of Tiffin University’s newest commits. Legg signed to continue playing softball at the Division II school while studying forensic science. Legg says that she is “super excited and ready for the next level” of her career.
Drew Mace (‘19) will be a Beaver come this fall at Bluffton University. Mace will be continuing his football career while double majoring in Pre-Med and Biology. Mace just recently finalized his decision to attend Bluffton.
Carter Comisford (‘19) is committed to a Division III school in upper Ohio: he will be playing baseball as a Polar Bear at Ohio Northern University, where he’ll be studying pharmacy.
The only junior committed so far, Alyson Quinlan (‘20), already committed back in December of 2017 - as just a sophomore - to Purdue University Fort Wayne in Indiana to play softball. Quinlan says, “I am extremely excited and thankful to have been given these opportunities.” PFW is a Division I school and, although she is unsure of what exactly she wants to study, she knows she wants to do something with conservation.
Those are just a few of the commits we have here at Northridge High School. One thing all these students said is that they were thankful for the opportunities Northridge has provided them.
- Darian Dick (‘20) is staff editor of the Viking Vault and a senior spotlight editor
By: Darian Dick
NORTHRIDGE- Although our high school is rather small, we are far from short on talented people. Our school has athletes of all types that have already committed to schools to continue their academic and athletic careers past high school.
One senior, Mackenzie Holder (‘19), has been cheering for as long as she can remember. Holder is attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University this fall and joining the cheerleading team. She will also be studying Journalism while at MVNU.
Another senior, Madie Legg (‘19), is one of Tiffin University’s newest commits. Legg signed to continue playing softball at the Division II school while studying forensic science. Legg says that she is “super excited and ready for the next level” of her career.
Drew Mace (‘19) will be a Beaver come this fall at Bluffton University. Mace will be continuing his football career while double majoring in Pre-Med and Biology. Mace just recently finalized his decision to attend Bluffton.
Carter Comisford (‘19) is committed to a Division III school in upper Ohio: he will be playing baseball as a Polar Bear at Ohio Northern University, where he’ll be studying pharmacy.
The only junior committed so far, Alyson Quinlan (‘20), already committed back in December of 2017 - as just a sophomore - to Purdue University Fort Wayne in Indiana to play softball. Quinlan says, “I am extremely excited and thankful to have been given these opportunities.” PFW is a Division I school and, although she is unsure of what exactly she wants to study, she knows she wants to do something with conservation.
Those are just a few of the commits we have here at Northridge High School. One thing all these students said is that they were thankful for the opportunities Northridge has provided them.
- Darian Dick (‘20) is staff editor of the Viking Vault and a senior spotlight editor
Are you sliding through an alternate universe?
Conspiracy Theory Spotlight: The Mandela Effect
By: Sydney Koker
NORTHRIDGE - There can be a conspiracy theory behind any situation; some are wildly outrageous, and some really get you thinking and second-guessing everything you know. One popular conspiracy theory is The Mandela Effect.
The Mandela Effect is what happens when someone has a clear memory of something that never happened in this reality. Many people find themselves remembering the exact same events as others, with almost identical details. However, those same memories are different from what’s in history books, newspaper archives, and so on.
The way people explain this is that we are sliding through parallel universes without even noticing it. This theory got its name around the time Nelson Mandela's death was announced in 2013. Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. He was arrested for treason and attempting to flee his country illegally. Strangely, people insisted they vividly remembered Mandela dying in the 1980s.
Many examples since then have come to surface on many different topics. For example, when describing Rich Uncle Moneybags, the mascot of the Monopoly board game, you may describe him as older and wearing a tux with a monocle. That's where you’re wrong. Moneybags has never had an eye monocle.
Curious George, a popular children's book series and TV show, is about a monkey who lives with the man in the yellow hat. Apparently, the monkey never had a tail, but everyone seems to remember him having one.
Not surprised yet? Here's a good one. Think back to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Everyone believes that Darth Vader says, “Luke I am your father.” That's not how the dialogue plays out at all, though; he actually responds to Luke saying, “No, I am your father.” Another example is that Jif Peanut Butter has never existed, not to get confused with plain Jif or Skippy. The evil queen from Disney’s Snow White never once said: “mirror, mirror” she actually said “magic mirror.”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” a song sung by Fred Rogers, has a well-known lyric that most sing completely wrong. Some recall “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” In reality, it’s “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.”
Some people may be floored by some of these examples, or you may think they are just outright dumb. No matter your reaction, there’s a possibility we are all uncontrollably hopping through parallel universes. Think about it.
- Sydney Koker (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. [email protected]
Conspiracy Theory Spotlight: The Mandela Effect
By: Sydney Koker
NORTHRIDGE - There can be a conspiracy theory behind any situation; some are wildly outrageous, and some really get you thinking and second-guessing everything you know. One popular conspiracy theory is The Mandela Effect.
The Mandela Effect is what happens when someone has a clear memory of something that never happened in this reality. Many people find themselves remembering the exact same events as others, with almost identical details. However, those same memories are different from what’s in history books, newspaper archives, and so on.
The way people explain this is that we are sliding through parallel universes without even noticing it. This theory got its name around the time Nelson Mandela's death was announced in 2013. Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. He was arrested for treason and attempting to flee his country illegally. Strangely, people insisted they vividly remembered Mandela dying in the 1980s.
Many examples since then have come to surface on many different topics. For example, when describing Rich Uncle Moneybags, the mascot of the Monopoly board game, you may describe him as older and wearing a tux with a monocle. That's where you’re wrong. Moneybags has never had an eye monocle.
Curious George, a popular children's book series and TV show, is about a monkey who lives with the man in the yellow hat. Apparently, the monkey never had a tail, but everyone seems to remember him having one.
Not surprised yet? Here's a good one. Think back to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Everyone believes that Darth Vader says, “Luke I am your father.” That's not how the dialogue plays out at all, though; he actually responds to Luke saying, “No, I am your father.” Another example is that Jif Peanut Butter has never existed, not to get confused with plain Jif or Skippy. The evil queen from Disney’s Snow White never once said: “mirror, mirror” she actually said “magic mirror.”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” a song sung by Fred Rogers, has a well-known lyric that most sing completely wrong. Some recall “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” In reality, it’s “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.”
Some people may be floored by some of these examples, or you may think they are just outright dumb. No matter your reaction, there’s a possibility we are all uncontrollably hopping through parallel universes. Think about it.
- Sydney Koker (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. [email protected]
Jobs teachers had during college
By: Anna Kohler
NORTHRIDGE - It’s weird to think our teachers had different jobs before teaching us. During college they had to have a way of making money, so most had little side jobs while being a full-time student or worked during the summer time when they weren’t attending school.
Mrs. Koker, who is a Northridge Primary teacher who taught many of us to read, used to be a fast food worker. Koker spent her free time during college working at Taco Bell, where she aligned the tacos and got the food ready for customers. She did this to provide for herself while attending college.
Koker claims, “It was an easy job so it was an easy way to make money. Balancing school and work was a little stressful, but I managed to do it.”
Mr. Kirtland, high school art teacher, had a sculpting and teaching job during college. During his freshman year he did not have a job, but during his sophomore year he started helping teach art classes and was an assistant sculptor.
Mrs. Miller did not have a job while college classes were in session, but she did have two different jobs during the summer time. One summer she spent her time flushing out fire hydrants in her town as a job, and another summer she spent her time making wine for a company. Both jobs were a way for her to provide for herself during the time off in college.
Mrs. Sweet had to pay for everything during her college years, and she managed to do that by working a lot. Sweet had a lot of classes to attend but still served at Chili’s for 30+ hours a week. She opened and closed every Friday and Saturday night, and opened Sunday mornings. Many week nights were spent in the library until around one to three a.m., trying to keep up in classes.
Sweet states, “I did have scholarships and I took loans, but I didn’t want to take out more loans so I worked a lot to try to pay the rest. It was really hard and I think I would’ve done better if I hadn’t had to work like that, but I did get through it and had a good GPA.”
Mrs. Garee had two different jobs, one during college and one during the summer time. During school time she was an art history tutor and ran slides for review and helped other students prepare for exams. Garee laughs as talks about her job during school: “I was a total nerd, but I made money doing it and had fun.”
Garee's summer job was definitely a special one; she was a floating teller for the Heartland Bank, and that is where she met her husband. One day he walked in with a bunch of coins to change for cash, and that was the beginning of their relationship.
Teachers had to work hard to get where they are now. They worked hard during college for both money and a good GPA and managed to do it and successfully get teaching jobs.
- Anna Kohler (‘20) is a second year staff writer and the media publicist for The Viking Vault.
By: Anna Kohler
NORTHRIDGE - It’s weird to think our teachers had different jobs before teaching us. During college they had to have a way of making money, so most had little side jobs while being a full-time student or worked during the summer time when they weren’t attending school.
Mrs. Koker, who is a Northridge Primary teacher who taught many of us to read, used to be a fast food worker. Koker spent her free time during college working at Taco Bell, where she aligned the tacos and got the food ready for customers. She did this to provide for herself while attending college.
Koker claims, “It was an easy job so it was an easy way to make money. Balancing school and work was a little stressful, but I managed to do it.”
Mr. Kirtland, high school art teacher, had a sculpting and teaching job during college. During his freshman year he did not have a job, but during his sophomore year he started helping teach art classes and was an assistant sculptor.
Mrs. Miller did not have a job while college classes were in session, but she did have two different jobs during the summer time. One summer she spent her time flushing out fire hydrants in her town as a job, and another summer she spent her time making wine for a company. Both jobs were a way for her to provide for herself during the time off in college.
Mrs. Sweet had to pay for everything during her college years, and she managed to do that by working a lot. Sweet had a lot of classes to attend but still served at Chili’s for 30+ hours a week. She opened and closed every Friday and Saturday night, and opened Sunday mornings. Many week nights were spent in the library until around one to three a.m., trying to keep up in classes.
Sweet states, “I did have scholarships and I took loans, but I didn’t want to take out more loans so I worked a lot to try to pay the rest. It was really hard and I think I would’ve done better if I hadn’t had to work like that, but I did get through it and had a good GPA.”
Mrs. Garee had two different jobs, one during college and one during the summer time. During school time she was an art history tutor and ran slides for review and helped other students prepare for exams. Garee laughs as talks about her job during school: “I was a total nerd, but I made money doing it and had fun.”
Garee's summer job was definitely a special one; she was a floating teller for the Heartland Bank, and that is where she met her husband. One day he walked in with a bunch of coins to change for cash, and that was the beginning of their relationship.
Teachers had to work hard to get where they are now. They worked hard during college for both money and a good GPA and managed to do it and successfully get teaching jobs.
- Anna Kohler (‘20) is a second year staff writer and the media publicist for The Viking Vault.
If students could create courses ...
By: Emma Garee
NORTHRIDGE - If you look online at high school courses for other schools, the list goes on and on because the school is bigger and there are more students to fill these classes. Let's pretend for a moment that we had more students. In that situation, what courses would you add to Northridge’s schedule for next year? Would you like the school to teach you a new skill or do you think another course should be required to graduate? I wanted to see what a few of the other students felt should be offered.
Katie Debolt (‘20) would like to see a few more classes added. She would especially like a finance class. She claims that, “we do cover how to budget and tax at the beginning of Economics. However, we only have a semester in that class so we can’t go into more depth. I think it would be cool to have another class or expand economics to a year so we can cover more.”
Maci McMillen (‘20) would like to see more foreign language options. McMillen says, “I have always wanted to learn German or French. I think it would be cool if we expanded the foreign language department to learn more languages.” Other students, including Sarah Phillips (‘20) agree. They believe that if we had more options for language, more students would be interested in being bilingual.
Savannah Verhovec (‘19) thinks it would be a good idea to add some sort of family consumer science class, which used to be called Home Economics, to our schedule. These sort of classes would teach students more real life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and the real responsibilities of caring for a child. She remembers her older siblings having to take care of items, pretending they were actually babies. She says, “It would teach us real responsibility.”
- Emma Garee (‘20) is the the photo editor for the VIking Vault. [email protected]
By: Emma Garee
NORTHRIDGE - If you look online at high school courses for other schools, the list goes on and on because the school is bigger and there are more students to fill these classes. Let's pretend for a moment that we had more students. In that situation, what courses would you add to Northridge’s schedule for next year? Would you like the school to teach you a new skill or do you think another course should be required to graduate? I wanted to see what a few of the other students felt should be offered.
Katie Debolt (‘20) would like to see a few more classes added. She would especially like a finance class. She claims that, “we do cover how to budget and tax at the beginning of Economics. However, we only have a semester in that class so we can’t go into more depth. I think it would be cool to have another class or expand economics to a year so we can cover more.”
Maci McMillen (‘20) would like to see more foreign language options. McMillen says, “I have always wanted to learn German or French. I think it would be cool if we expanded the foreign language department to learn more languages.” Other students, including Sarah Phillips (‘20) agree. They believe that if we had more options for language, more students would be interested in being bilingual.
Savannah Verhovec (‘19) thinks it would be a good idea to add some sort of family consumer science class, which used to be called Home Economics, to our schedule. These sort of classes would teach students more real life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and the real responsibilities of caring for a child. She remembers her older siblings having to take care of items, pretending they were actually babies. She says, “It would teach us real responsibility.”
- Emma Garee (‘20) is the the photo editor for the VIking Vault. [email protected]
Who’s your match?
Seniors looking for college roommates
By: Sarah Phillips
NORTHRIDGE - College is full of decisions. Where to go, which dorm to stay in, what major to study. And, seemingly most importantly, who you are going to live with during all of this!
My sister selected her three other roommates her freshman year, and it was nothing short of terrible. You can’t expect four girls living in a dorm to get along all the time … but you would at least expect them to get along sometimes, right? Wrong. One roommate was shy and eventually moved back home after the first semester. Her other two roommates were loud and would bring random people back to her dorm. That’s not even the worse! They were so messy: they never took out the trash, cleaned the dorm, and would leave food everywhere! Eventually Megan was cleaning for herself and her other two roommates. However, Megan made it through her freshman year and met her best friends. She just wishes that she “went random” on the roommate selection, which means what it sounds like.
Your roommate can be your best friend or, like my sister’s experience, your enemy. Hannah Yebaile (‘19) says that she and her future roommate are actually really good friends. They talk everyday and meet at least once a month for coffee, lunches, or sleepovers.
Your roommate is important - I mean, you live with them. Still, this probably won’t make or break your college experience. This year’s seniors are currently in the process of finding their roommates. Kody Everts (‘19) found his roommate for Bowling Green about a two weeks ago on a Facebook page that the university sets up for incoming freshman. This is also how Yebaile found her roommate for Kent State University. Both of them agree that selecting a roommate “gives you time to build a friendship, and you avoid that awkward meeting on move in day.” Everts and Yebaile also both liked they can see if their potential roommate fills their qualifications such as: clean, easygoing, and going into the same major as them.
However, sometimes it’s hard finding the perfect roommate. Jessica Koehler (‘19) said, “It can be a hard process. I’ve spent lots of nights searching through Facebook.” Since Koehler is going University of Arkansas, it’s harder for her to meet up with people who live so far away. If you choose to select your roommate Koehler gives the advice to put yourself out there. This is an awkward process, asking people you have never met to live with you, so just make the most of it. Even if you don’t live together, at least you’ll make some new friends.
Regardless if you choose to go random or select your future roommate, there are definitely pros and cons to each method. Also, roommates can be totally different on Snapchat compared to when you are living with them. Happy searching!
-Sarah Phillips ('20) is the Entertainment Editor of the Viking Vault.
Seniors looking for college roommates
By: Sarah Phillips
NORTHRIDGE - College is full of decisions. Where to go, which dorm to stay in, what major to study. And, seemingly most importantly, who you are going to live with during all of this!
My sister selected her three other roommates her freshman year, and it was nothing short of terrible. You can’t expect four girls living in a dorm to get along all the time … but you would at least expect them to get along sometimes, right? Wrong. One roommate was shy and eventually moved back home after the first semester. Her other two roommates were loud and would bring random people back to her dorm. That’s not even the worse! They were so messy: they never took out the trash, cleaned the dorm, and would leave food everywhere! Eventually Megan was cleaning for herself and her other two roommates. However, Megan made it through her freshman year and met her best friends. She just wishes that she “went random” on the roommate selection, which means what it sounds like.
Your roommate can be your best friend or, like my sister’s experience, your enemy. Hannah Yebaile (‘19) says that she and her future roommate are actually really good friends. They talk everyday and meet at least once a month for coffee, lunches, or sleepovers.
Your roommate is important - I mean, you live with them. Still, this probably won’t make or break your college experience. This year’s seniors are currently in the process of finding their roommates. Kody Everts (‘19) found his roommate for Bowling Green about a two weeks ago on a Facebook page that the university sets up for incoming freshman. This is also how Yebaile found her roommate for Kent State University. Both of them agree that selecting a roommate “gives you time to build a friendship, and you avoid that awkward meeting on move in day.” Everts and Yebaile also both liked they can see if their potential roommate fills their qualifications such as: clean, easygoing, and going into the same major as them.
However, sometimes it’s hard finding the perfect roommate. Jessica Koehler (‘19) said, “It can be a hard process. I’ve spent lots of nights searching through Facebook.” Since Koehler is going University of Arkansas, it’s harder for her to meet up with people who live so far away. If you choose to select your roommate Koehler gives the advice to put yourself out there. This is an awkward process, asking people you have never met to live with you, so just make the most of it. Even if you don’t live together, at least you’ll make some new friends.
Regardless if you choose to go random or select your future roommate, there are definitely pros and cons to each method. Also, roommates can be totally different on Snapchat compared to when you are living with them. Happy searching!
-Sarah Phillips ('20) is the Entertainment Editor of the Viking Vault.
Bunstine makes NHS athletic history
By: Megan Payne
NORTHRIDGE - Riley Bunstine finished a fantastic junior season at the Division II state swim meet on February 22nd with a 5th place finish in the 100 backstroke. Bunstine is the first Northridge swimmer to stand on the state podium. A week prior to the state meet, Riley made Northridge swimming history again when she became the first ever district champion for Northridge.
Coming off that history making season, Bunstine has had some time to reflect on everything that she accomplished over the course of the season. Bunstine said that she still can’t believe it happened and when asked how she felt about being the first to do it, she responded, “It still feels unreal. It hasn’t sunk it yet and I think it’s going to take a while for that to happen.”
Two weeks have passed since Bunstine stood on the state podium but she is already starting to think about next year. She wants to make her senior year one to remember. Her goals include “finishing 1 or 2 in the state meet next year since the top 3 placers all graduated this year.” Her main goal is to have fun and enjoy swimming with her friends for one final season.
Anyone who knows Riley, knows that she works extremely hard for everything that she earns and swimming is no exception. Bunstine is in the pool every day whether it is with he club team, Pau Hana, or the Northridge High School team. Most days she will go to the gym and work with her trainer after swim practice which means she spends about 3 hours each day working out.
Teammates of Bunstine sung her praises when asked how she impacts the swim team. Christian Best (‘20) said that Riley continually pushes everyone to do their best at practice. In addition, he said, “She leads by example and encourages you to get better everyday.” Hannah Vance (‘22) mentioned how Bunstine helped her transition into high school swimming. She said, “She made me feel confident in myself and always included me in stuff.”
The Northridge community was so supportive for Riley as she swam her way to states this season. The amount of social media posts, texts, and gifts Bunstine received left her “overwhelmed and so thankful.” When Riley returned to school after her state performance, the hallways her filled with many people yelling, “Congrats Riley!” Bunstine wants to thank everyone for their support because she “wouldn’t have been able to do this without it.”
As for the future, Riley plans on furthering both her academic and athletic career in college. Bunstine said, “I think it would be an amazing experience to continue to do what I love for another 4 years.” Ohio University has been in contact with Bunstine over the last few months and it sounds like OU is Bunstine’s top choice as of right now. She said, “The coaches are awesome and their pool is so pretty. Athens is such a cute town too and it’s not too far from home either.” Bunstine said that she will be happy wherever she ends up because “it’s about the experience.”
- Megan Payne (‘20) is Web-Editor in Chief of the Viking Vault.
By: Megan Payne
NORTHRIDGE - Riley Bunstine finished a fantastic junior season at the Division II state swim meet on February 22nd with a 5th place finish in the 100 backstroke. Bunstine is the first Northridge swimmer to stand on the state podium. A week prior to the state meet, Riley made Northridge swimming history again when she became the first ever district champion for Northridge.
Coming off that history making season, Bunstine has had some time to reflect on everything that she accomplished over the course of the season. Bunstine said that she still can’t believe it happened and when asked how she felt about being the first to do it, she responded, “It still feels unreal. It hasn’t sunk it yet and I think it’s going to take a while for that to happen.”
Two weeks have passed since Bunstine stood on the state podium but she is already starting to think about next year. She wants to make her senior year one to remember. Her goals include “finishing 1 or 2 in the state meet next year since the top 3 placers all graduated this year.” Her main goal is to have fun and enjoy swimming with her friends for one final season.
Anyone who knows Riley, knows that she works extremely hard for everything that she earns and swimming is no exception. Bunstine is in the pool every day whether it is with he club team, Pau Hana, or the Northridge High School team. Most days she will go to the gym and work with her trainer after swim practice which means she spends about 3 hours each day working out.
Teammates of Bunstine sung her praises when asked how she impacts the swim team. Christian Best (‘20) said that Riley continually pushes everyone to do their best at practice. In addition, he said, “She leads by example and encourages you to get better everyday.” Hannah Vance (‘22) mentioned how Bunstine helped her transition into high school swimming. She said, “She made me feel confident in myself and always included me in stuff.”
The Northridge community was so supportive for Riley as she swam her way to states this season. The amount of social media posts, texts, and gifts Bunstine received left her “overwhelmed and so thankful.” When Riley returned to school after her state performance, the hallways her filled with many people yelling, “Congrats Riley!” Bunstine wants to thank everyone for their support because she “wouldn’t have been able to do this without it.”
As for the future, Riley plans on furthering both her academic and athletic career in college. Bunstine said, “I think it would be an amazing experience to continue to do what I love for another 4 years.” Ohio University has been in contact with Bunstine over the last few months and it sounds like OU is Bunstine’s top choice as of right now. She said, “The coaches are awesome and their pool is so pretty. Athens is such a cute town too and it’s not too far from home either.” Bunstine said that she will be happy wherever she ends up because “it’s about the experience.”
- Megan Payne (‘20) is Web-Editor in Chief of the Viking Vault.