As the final buzzer echoed throughout the pool arena, junior Jenna Rickelman fixes her eyes on her opponents as they launch the ball. With her quick reflexes, she deflected the ball from entering the goal....
![“[I play] football, basketball and volleyball. For the longest time, I’ve played basketball but I began taking interest in volleyball and football this [past] year. Being in three sports at West is fun and it’s nice to be a part of the school’s [community] but it also can become exhausting because I’m playing year round. Finding a [good] balance between school and extracurriculars is hard, [but] my grandparents are always motivating me to do my best. They all played sports when they were younger, so they definitely give me powerful advice and help me push past the hardships. I want to become a key part of my team and be significant towards winning as well as our success. I would like to perform well and practice not just when I’m with my team, but with myself [too].” - Aiden Faber, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KaminskiL_AidenF1-Leila-Kaminski-1200x800.jpg)
![Blending together a concoction for a science experiment, science teacher Joel Anderson scares his students by bringing excitement and thrill into his classroom for his annual Halloween show. It took about six weeks for Anderson to set up his classroom for the show. “It’s pure terror. I came up with this idea a couple decades ago to do something fun for Halloween. So I pretend to be this mad scientist [that creates] a Frankenstein-like creature [with the class], learning a little bit of science along the way and [then ending] with a laser show. It’s just for fun; entertainment value,” Anderson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0021.JPG_-1200x800.jpg)
![“Sports [can] teach you a lot of things, and playing on the team can teach you leadership. When you're working with a bunch of guys, you’ve got to know what's best for the team, and you've got to do whatever is best for the team. Commitment is a big part of sports. Some days, you don't want to show up to practice, [but] you have to do it because it's what's best for the team. You just [have] to be committed. You [gain] better relationships and you make a lot of friends when you play sports. You're spending at least two hours a day with those people, so you build really strong relationships with your teammates. If you put in the work, you're bound to get better.” - Henry Wild, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/4edc5735-3dad-4150-ac6f-3ee8ba65d2b5-1200x803.jpg)
![“At one point, I would love to have people look up to me and [allow myself to] be really good at sports. One day [I’d like to] be as good as [my brother, senior] Lukas Peterson. A couple days ago, I had a football game and [freshman quarter-back] Tanner Hickert threw me a pass and I caught it at the 30 yard line and ran. [I] almost ran it in the end zone, but I stopped because I heard someone behind me. I really regret that because I could have scored, and if we [had] scored, we would have been only down by three. We still lost in the end, but I feel like if we scored, our [enthusiasm] would [have been] up more. I love football and winning is just a good feeling. Obviously, you don't want to lose, and I'm competitive, [but] football is just a great sport. Hopefully [in the future], I'll pursue it and play in college.” - Jack Peterson, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC0003-Tomas-Gumpel-1200x800.jpg)
![“[My favorite thing about freshman year has been] making friends with the seniors on the swim team. Being around my teammates has made me really excited [about future years on] the team. [One] challenge so far has been the meets because of how fast the competition is compared to club. My friends and teammates help me the most. They pushed me in practice to help me [improve]. [My teammates] like to chant my name or say, ‘This is where your hard pays off, dont let it be for nothing,’ or ‘Don't chase them, let them chase you,’ which helps me. Swimming has shaped me to be [who] I am today, and [pushed me to] work hard and develop my mind. The best part of swimming is [seeing my] improvement and knowing I will get better through my hard work.” - Mason Moellering, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design.jpg)
![“I started [cheering] 10 years [ago and] I would do camps as a kid. I really like cheering at ‘Friday night lights’ [football games] and getting the student section hyped up. Tryouts were really stressful because my sports overlapped each other so I spent a lot of time at home practicing. Learning the material took four days, and then [the] actual tryouts were only maybe an hour [long. My favorite memory] from the season so far is my first Friday night lights game. [Cheer has taught me] that hard work pays off and I'd [tell someone who’s considering trying out] that it's really fun if you put in the work. You need to believe that you can do good and if you put in the work, then [the results] will turn out better than you expect.”- Emily Jordan, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/DSC_6874-Payton-Dean-1200x798.jpg)
![“What made me really want to start playing [volleyball] was my sister. She loved it. She played it in high school, and just admired that; [when I] started playing I fell in love with it. I love the players, the coaches, and every experience. My first year experience was awesome. During the high school games, we always go in the locker room, run through the halls and [do] a [chant]. [After that] we all cheer, warm up and do dynamics together. A memorable moment [of mine] was [when I] committed to [the] University of Memphis. [It] was really exciting, because I felt relieved, and I felt like I found a place that I am hoping for; it felt right. In high pressure situations, I go back to the basics of what I know and focus on [practicing.] I [also] really focus on helping my teammates [by] encouraging them. Younger players [should] always take advantage of every moment, and every rep that you get. Know that you are a person and [your sport] doesn't define you. It's just something you enjoy playing. Don't let it overpower who you are. Just always stay true to [yourself].” - Maddy Bach, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/4973371a-f0f0-499c-88cb-720a634132fc-1200x800.jpg)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![“The first memory that comes to my head is when everyone starts doing the longhorn rumble when we call [out to the audience], they stomp and clap with us along to the beat of the cheer. I [started to appreciate cheer] when I got to high school. [At first], I did it for fun in middle school just to say that I [had a hobby]. When [I got to] high school my coach appreciated me and [listened to] my opinions. It really made me fall in love with the sport again. My favorite thing about cheer is the friendships that I get from it. [I] get to see the people I’m with all the time because [we] have practice [together often]. Especially during football season [is when I get to] hang out with [my teammates] every day. The people I met through cheer and got close with this year make me [want] to continue cheer. [I also got closer with] the people on [the] varsity team and [was able to gain friendships] through that. I am happy [that I get to] cheer with [everyone] next year. It [urges me to] keep going. The cheer community is fun because everyone just understands each other. We're all very similar [and connected] in ways and it's like a tight knit family.” Alyssa Gessner, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0063-1200x800.jpg)