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Show —nil i H i i i W P i i i H B h P i f f W f f P w w M n n n w p n f u i B i ^ Missing high school soccer tryouts a blessing for USU runner 1 BY ERIN WADSWORTH Staff Writer Utah Statesman: What do you enjoy about track and field? Amber Peterson: I love competing, I love the need to make yourself better at something and just continually working towards an end ~ goal. All of a sudden you meet your goal and there's always something better you can be working on, so I just like that aspect of it, that you're always trying to improve yourself. US: Why did you choose Utah State? AP: Actually, my older brother runs on the track team, he's a year older than me and he came up he for a year and he just loved it, loved our coach — it was just an easy transition, I knew from my senior year on that I was going to Utah State. US: How do you think that season is shaping up? the initial difAP:I ference I saw think this was that you will be the work 10 times best season harder here we've had than you do in since I've 'high school, been here, and everyone at least. Amber is good. There's Because we Peterson, not a single perhave such senior, FCHD son in college a good that isn't good major, Sandy, talented at what they're team, both Ut. doing. men and US: What women. are your plans I'm really Recorded the second fastest time after you graduexcited in school history in the 60-meter ate? for the hurdles last Saturday. AP: I don't girls team, know. I'll start because ^m^^^^^^^^ working and my we have so husband will either go on to much young talent, so many get his masters or just start good freshman that we're working, so wherever he gets going to be able to build a job or where ever he wants upon. Hopefully we'll pull to go is where we'll go. out a conference title this US: What pre-meet rituyear. That would be really als do you go through? cool. AP: Not really. I always US: What's the major difference between high school warm up the same way, other people will sit and and college track? AP: When I first got here talk, but I have to just Top Honors seclude myself and make sure I'm in the right mind set. US: What do you hope to accomplish individually this season? AP: For the indoor season I really want to break the school record in the 60-meter hurdles. I really would like to drop my 400 time a lot, because the event that I really love is the outdoor 4?00 hurdles, I went to nationals in that one last year, so I would love to be able to drop my 400 time to be able to get my 400 hurdles faster and make it back to nationals. US: Are there any other sports that you're interested in? AP: I was a soccer player before I started running track, so I love soccer. But I love all sports. My husband plays basketball so I've kind of picked up on that lately, it's been really fun to learn. US: Who's your hero? AP: I have to say my especially. I love Fruit Loops mom. She's the sweetest, and just going and finding kindest person I know, cereals I like and just eating j always thinking of others and watching stupid shows. and putting others before her needs. US: What's your favorite i junk food? : US: How did you get AP: Right now I'm kind ; started in track? of really into the Junior ; AP: This is kind of a i funny story. I actually want- Mints. But I really like ed to try out for the soccer chocolate chip cookies, like : team, but the week of homemade chocolate chip tryouts for high school soccookies. cer I was on a family vacaUS: What's the best kind tion. We called the coach of music to listen to when and he was like, "No you you run? missed tryouts, you can't AP: Girl power. You know come play." I was mad. So the song that's on, what's ; my brother said, "You should that show, "The Sisterhood 1 just start running track and of the Traveling Pants" by stay in shape that way." So Natasha Bedingfield? That's because he didn't let me try my favorite one, it gets me out for the team I ended so pumped up. up doing track and I never US: What ice cream ; ; played soccer again after would describe you and that because I started loving why? track so much. AP: I would say mint chocolate chip, just cause it's US: What's the weirdest my favorite and it just has thing you do with your free that little something time? special to it. AP: I love to shop [for] -eawads@cc.usu.edu food. I love going to the grocery store and finding cereal USU wrestling team wins opener Trash talking 101 BY SAM BRYNER on-field techniques can also boost your For better or worse, trash-talking skill. trash-talking is a big part David Baker The first important distinction you have to of sports today. Wikipedia make as a fan is, who your opponent is. Is it says trash-talk is a form of the other team? It is if you are watching the boast or insult, often used game live and in person. If you are watchin sports to intimidate the ing the game on TV, trash-talking the other players on the other team. team doesn't help much, but it's still good Trash talk can be seripractice. ous, funny or borderline inappropriate. It's been U n s p o r t s m a n l i k e When trash-talking the players on the other team, the principles of on-field the cause of some onConduct trash talking can be used almost exactly, field skirmishes and daboket&:tuiu.edu can lay the foundation for ^ ^ — — — — no change necessary. Use as much sarcasm ana "your momma" jokes as possible, an intense rivalry. Fans use trasn talk amongst themselves, because it's very unlikely a player from the and they also aim it at the opposing team, other team is going to get in a physical alterin an effort TO get them off their game. cation with you just because you are yelling The "air ball" and "stupid, stupid, stupid" at them. chants at men's basketball games are great One important thing to do when trash examples of fans using trash-talk to get in talking from the stands, is to pick out the the opponent's head. oddest, funniest and most ridiculous charThere are several ways to effectively acteristics from the opposing team, and trash-talk your opponent while you're on yell about them. Some great targets for this the field. Sarcasm is probably the most use- are: stupid tattoos - flames come to mind ful tool in the trash talker's toolbox. You can - dumb haircuts, ugly or obtuse facial feabe sarcastic about a lot of things, like your tures or any other characteristic that may opponent's game, your sympathy for their be something the player is self-conscious mistakes and your level of care about their about. If you get them thinking about that, well being. Examples: "Oh man I'm sorry they can't focus on the game. you couldn't keep up on that one, that's too But you can't always watch the games bad. I'll take it easy on you next time." "I live, and a lot of times, you are watching the didn't mean to burn you so bad. Are you game with people who are cheering for the OK? Can I get you some ointment?" "Sorry other team. So those opposing fans become to keep making you look so bad, but I can't your target. help it. It's in my genes to be awesome." In these cases you can still make fun of The last example also illustrated another specific players, especially if you know who important part of trash-talking — pumping the opposing fans' favorite players are. You yourself up to epic proportions. This was can also make fun of the team as a whole. Muhammad All's strong suit. You can say It's effective to say things like: "Your team things like, "I'm the greatest," "I'm a bad ain't $&%@." man," or "No mortal man can stop me." •It isn't very nice, but it is acceptable to Along with pumping yourself up, you verbally attack things about the opposing should also apologize for being so much fans themselves. Again, picking out a troubetter than your opponent — "I don't mean bling personal characteristic is a good way to be so good. I can't help it. I'll send you a to go about this. hand-written apology for making you look These techniques aren't just for sports; so bad in front of your mother." they can be used while playing video games Trash talking is also' very conducive to or any other quasi-competitive activities. "your momma" jokes. These are probably But you have to remember it's easier to the things that get under people's skin the talk trash when you are winning. It's hard most. Any "your momma" joke can work to trash talk when you, or your team, are as a form of trash talk. A favorite of mine is, down by a lot. If you find yourself in a situ"Your momma's so dumb she makes Paris ation where your opponent is down, but still Hilton look like Stephen Hawking." trash-talking, the most demoralizing thing Another important element of trash talk- you can do is just say, "Scoreboard." ing is using profanity to emphasis what you're saying. Profanity and other obscene David Baker is a junior majoring in print language can have a huge, positive effect journalism. To respond to his column with on your trash talking, because they raise the opinions of your own you can reach him at level of offensiveness exponentially. dabaker@cc.usu.edu. There are more advanced techniques, but this is just a very basic overview. The important thing for fans to know is that these Staff Writer Rather than start the season off a little slow and maybe even rusty, the USU club wrestling team decided to bring their 'A' game in a dual meet against Weber State in Ogden. The Aggies prevailed with a score of 559 and won 13 out of the 15 individual matches. "The work that everyone is putting in seemed to pay off," Head Coach Guy Burdette said. "I thought we did well tonight." USU was led in the meet with three pins from freshman wrestlers Mark Haslam, Tyler Thieson and Jeff Job. Haslam, from the 149pound weight category, competed in his first college match and pinned his opponent Brandon Brunson in the third round. "It always feels good to get a pin, especially when you're on the road," he said. In one of the most exciting matches of the night, freshman Ben Shurtz won in double overtime, 3-2. After trailing 2-0 going into round two of the match, Shurtz tied things up and then got the victory in the second overtime period by earning a point off an escape. "We were scrambling and were never able to finish on each other," Shurtz said. "Everybody did a good job. Even in our losses I thought that we wrestled really well, and everybody wrestled hard and that, to !: me, is important," Burdette said. USU, which is entering its second season of play, has entered the National Collegiate Wrestling Association this year and will participate in a number of big tournaments. "Being part of the league gives us regionals and nationals to compete at and gives us the opportunity to compete against more colleges around the nation," Wrestling Club President Mike Haslam said. USU looks to build on its performance Jan. 31, when Weber State comes up to Logan to take on the Aggies at 7 p.m. at the Fieldhouse. -samabry@cc.usu.edu last year, because they've got experience." After Nevada, the Aggies travel to Hawaii to battle the last-place team in the WAC. Although the Rainbow Warriors post a 1-5 WAC record on the season, the game will be played in Hawaii, giving them an imposing home court advantage. "Obviously, it's a very dif- ficult road trip when you're playing a top-20 team and a team across the ocean that's always unbelievably tough to beat in Hawaii, tough to beat anywhere, but certainly tough to beat in Hawaii," Morrill said. "Its a challenge, and fortunately we've got a chance to get a couple days of rest and start our preparation." -sethrhawkins@cc.usu. PROBLEMS From page 8" ing the Aggies 75-57The Aggies also squared off against the Wolf Pack in the WAC championship game last year, where the Wolf Pack pulled off a 70-63 win in overtime. "When you talk about us beating them last year, we were a NCAA [Tournament] team," Morrill said. "We were a pretty good team, and they're better than they were Precision CAPSA Benefit Concert For more than a century, thousands of couples throughout Northern Utah have experienced fair and honest transactions at S.E. Needham Jewelers. We consistently beat the prices of 50-70% off sales, so-called wholesale prices, internet sites, and student discounts. You will find superior value at our store; we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee to back it up. 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