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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The girls swim and dive team parades around school after returning home with the school’s thirteenth state title. “There is not just one person who won state for us like scoring all the points,” senior Claire Lynn said. “Each person had to do well in every single event to get enough points in order to win state, so we each just had to support each other and cheer for each event because we each are equally important. We went out there and did our best.”

Girls swim and dive team wins thirteenth state title

Ridwan Oyebamiji, Features Section Editor March 2, 2020

The last time girls swim and dive won state was 2011. That championship drought ended Feb. 21 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex as the swim team won first out of 46 schools for a state title. The team claimed...

Getting ready for the state championship, seniors James Griffin and Brayden Eddy finish their practice as they stand with their friends, holding a poster of the competition bracket. On Feb. 15, they practiced at St. Charles High School. “As soon as I found out that I was going to state, I instantly knew that all my hard work had paid off to this moment,” Griffin said. “It felt awesome to be able to represent our school at the state-level competition.”

Seniors place top 10 in state wrestling championship

Jacob Stanton, Staff Writer February 25, 2020

As loud cheering echoes throughout the stadium and cameras flash to capture the perfect image, seniors Brayden Eddy and James Griffin celebrate their victories at the state wrestling championship, completing...

As the spectators on the side look on, junior Faith Woodall attempts to get the upper hand on her female opponent. Woodall is a first-year wrestler, joining after the girls wrestling team began to gain traction. “I really like it because they support each other in their endeavors and the team is just really close,” Woodall said.

Girls wrestling creates their own team

Ridwan Oyebamiji, Features Section Editor February 21, 2020

With new additions to the team and approval from the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) to separate the former co-ed sport, girls wrestling has formed their own team in hopes of...

As senior James Griffin pins his opponent, his teammates cheer him on. Griffin has a record of 34-2 this season and has committed to Lindenwood University. “This season, I feel like I’m more on top of my game. I feel like everything is starting to come together and click,” Griffin said. “I’m definitely seeing it in my wrestling, and another thing is that it’s starting to slow down for me. Last year, everything used to be really fast, and it felt like I didn’t have time to think. Now, everything has slowed down for me. I’m understanding patterns a lot better and peoples’ movements, so the biggest thing is that it’s slowed down for me.”

Reflecting after four years: senior James Griffin aims for state title

Ridwan Oyebamiji, Features Section Editor February 18, 2020

After being defeated multiple times at wrestling tournaments his freshman year, senior James Griffin made a promise to himself that he would do better the next time. Griffin fulfilled his promise as he...

With an effort to finish, senior Lydia Roseman swims 100 yard backstroke at the end of the Yellow Pool Conference Finals. Between the preliminary swim Tuesday, Feb. 4 and finals Thursday, Feb. 6, Roseman dropped a combined 3.44 seconds in this event. “It was just a really great way for me to finish off my season because I accomplished way more than I thought I would. I was hoping for just a small time drop, but then I ended up dropping a significant amount,” Roseman said.

Swim, Swam, Swum, Score

Quinn Berry, Staff Writer February 11, 2020

Girls Swim and Dive take on one of the fastest conferences in the state of Missouri, placing 6th overall at Kirkwood High School Feb. 6. 

Fighting to make a layup, senior forward captain Matt Loaney dribbles through Parkway Central's defense. Loaney and the boys basketball team have been selling items for the Coaches versus Cancer event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. "It’s a special event to play in, you're playing for something that’s bigger than yourself and it’s great to be in an atmosphere like that because of how much it affects other people,” Loaney said.

Boys basketball program brings a community together for one night of awareness

Tre Bell, Staff Writer February 7, 2020

The boys basketball program prepares to play in a game that holds lots of emotions and tensions: Friday night at 7 p.m. kicks off the fight with Coaches versus Cancer game. “Our community continues...

Seniors Tommy Mohan, Tyler Purdum, Garrett Larsen and Patrick Hill cheer on the hockey team. The team took the win against Parkway South 8-2 at Maryville Hockey Center. “I like the energy of hockey games, it's loud and fun, especially when we beat our rivals,” Mohan said.

Students contribute to hockey team success

Tyler Lang, Staff Writer January 29, 2020

Standing sideways to fit on the bleachers in hoodies and sweatpants, the echoes of packed stands make their way to the ice. Fans arrive 20 minutes prior to secure a place in the student section.  “This...

Jumping to set a ball, sophomore Ethan Jennings assists an attack for junior Evan Conger. Jennings played JV volleyball his freshman year and continues to play for the High Performance Volleyball program. “Playing with older guys was great because it gave me a unique experience that most guys my age don’t usually have and pushed me to work harder,” Jennings said.

Sophomore Ethan Jennings unites with his team to obtain a bid for the USA Volleyball National Championship

Drew Boone, Staff Writer January 27, 2020

After playing a year for the highest level of the High-Performance Volleyball program, sophomore Ethan Jennings and his team obtained a bid for the USA national volleyball tournament in June.  Having...

Dribbling behind the back, sophomore Sawyer Reidt sets up an open jump shot. In October, Reidt and a few friends had the idea to create a J League basketball team. “We were just looking for a way to hang out more at first,” Reidt said. “It turned into us making a whole team once the Mag1c Stairs first started. I’ve had so much fun with it, and I hope it becomes a tradition with our group of friends.”

Friendships, rivalries and fan accounts: A breakdown of basketball teams who play for the J

Michael Lolley, Staff Writer January 23, 2020

Established in 1880, the  Jewish Community Center (the J), formally known as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, has been a part of St. Louis’ history for decades longer than the Gateway Arch. One...

Photo illustration of athletes who find strength in vegan and vegetarian diets.

Plant-powered athletes: Students share their experiences in sports with modified diets

Susie Seidel, Convergence Media Editor January 13, 2020

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Venus Williams and Scott Jurek rank among many professional athletes who fuel their performance through plant-based diets. In addition to the big names, athletes on our home turf...