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Show THE FORUM - SEPTEMBER Athletics 4, 2013 9 Westminster student aims for the Olympics osscnxistensen will compete iii tKe qualification' circuit? this December. i .x-- ' Photo courtesy Kyle Meyr Photography Billy Wandling Staff Reporter Westminster stuJoss Christensen, a dent from Park City, Utah, has grown up competing Freeski-in- g in freeskiing events since he was events consist of Slopestyle and Halfpipe. He has been a part of the U.S. Freeskiing team for the past two years, and this year he is in the running to become a member of the U.S. Olympic Halfpipe team. Making it to the Olympics is definitely my top goal right now, so Im trying as hard as possible to accomplish it, Christensen said. The Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia in February of 2014. The qualification circuit will take place this winter starting at the end of December. There are five events that will take place in the US: Two Grand Prix, one Dew tour and two World Cup. Each of these will take place in Park City in January 2014. The team will be announced at the end of the month after all the events. A maximum of 4 skiers will represent the U.S. Bergen Palmer, a fellow student from the high school 21-year-- old Christensen attended. The Winter Sports School and will be in Mammoth, Calif, and from there they will be Westminster College, has seen Christensens successes heading to Breckenridge, Colo, until their first event winch will be the Dew Tour. throughout the years. dedPalmer said, Joss has been able to succeed with Joss is a silent assassin on the hill. His respect for other competitors stands out in the best way possible as ication, tenacity and pure drive and love of the sport. knee injury in 2012, ChrisAfter a season-endia tasteful victor, said fellow competitor Colter Brehm-e- r. tensen has been attending rehab to return to his full potential for the Olympic qualifying season. Currently, Christensen is sitting in the fifth spot of has been the AFP Ranking, which puts him in a good position He working with a physical therapist twice a week all summer and has also been doing work on the for this upcoming season to qualify for the Olympics trampolines at die Center of Excellence in Park City. according to the AFP website. The Center of Excellence is a training facility for all Christensen began taking classes at Westminster in U.S. winter sports athletes with amenities ranging from Fall 2012 and enjoys how well the staff of Westminster is willing to work with his demanding ski schedule; weight rooms, hydrotherapy, a nutritionist and a skateboard park. considering that his season is in full swing before the end of the semester. Christensen plans to get back on snow in September Christensen said professors at Westminster have and go up to Mt. Hood, Ore. where the U.S. Freeskiing team will be holding a training camp for their athletes. been willing to let him take tests early and help him Christensen said, Starting in September we will be complete courses. He has had an awesome experience training on snow as much as possible for the intense because he has been to other schools where the relationmonth of qualification. ship between student and professor is much different. After the team is done at Mt. Hood, their next stop ng Men's soccer starts season with important wins T.inai The Griffins have won against two Frontier , 'I I ; conference teams. Amy Dominguez Staff Reporter sembled by ASWC to rally the team to victory. With seven returning seUnlike last season where the Westminster Mens the niors, majority of the varsity team was soccer team looks to have a comprised of seniors, this time after season winning around there are only seven, strong rs their against with the other 12 returning Jamestown and The Masters. players varying in class standThese wins are important ing. According to captain Bryan because they are against teams Rucklos, this is an opportunity who are included in the Fronfor the incoming freshman retier conference, teams that cruits to rise up, and establish a qualified for the 2012 Nationstrong chemistry among themThe win selves. By establishing a al Championships. strong irnTPuT 2;rr sr fS liStfii wjT -- . , ? T n-( 1 1 ? rji ' H, i -- l 4;iT ? ) fr jut - jt Photo by Amy Dominguez The team buddies in the game against The Master's home-opene- against Jamestown was especially crucial, as they are currently ranked 16 in the nation. For the Westminster Mens soccer team, beating these two conference contenders, is an impressive feat since the season has only just begun. This season there are 10 solid incoming recruits, a helpful force that will help the Griffins beat teams that they have not yet played, including Dixie State. Tailgates have been as chemistry, the future absence of the senior athletes will have less of an impact on the teams future success. Of the incoming freshman recruits, Rucklos adds that this class is larger than it has been in the past, but that its the strongest and most solid class in that the majority of the recruits seem varsity ready. This season, the Griffins play 18 games, with 9 at home on Dumke Field. This year the mens soccer team is hoping for a higher student turn out With help from ASWC, tailgating events have been organized to urge students to get involved in supporting their athletic teams, especially against teams they have not played before. Athletic Director Shay Wyatt says, Its important to get involved and to be a part of your athletic community. A lot of the athletes often support each other by going to each others games. The Griffins play some difficult opponents this season. One of the toughest fixtures will be against the Kansas team, MidAmerica Nazarene. By at tending games, the campus can become more dose knit. Tailgates will indude food, beverages, and on some occasions, a Westminster The first tailgate for the Mens soccer team takes place on Friday, September 27, 2013 starting at 4:00pm. Athletes at Westminster are T-shi- rt. required to keep a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 to continue receiving athletic ships. Half of the men on the team receive athletic aid. Of course, balancing school and sport is not an easy task. With class deadlines and away games, school becomes more difficult to keep up with. scholar- Athletic Director Shay Wy att says Its easy to get behind on school when youre an athlete, but what needs to be understood is that being a college athlete requires a lot of planning ahead and time management. One thing that members of the team agree on is that setting a schedule helps to stay above deadlines. Team member Blake Heldt-Wer- le says Its a con- stant balance of setting priorities and sticking to goals. To find the mens soccer schedule, visit www.westmin-stergriffins.co- m schedule To get the complete calen- dar for tailgating events, visit www.myaswc.com |