Day 145 - Massive Track Team Pride!

Today's post is from MWHS Head Track Coach Sara Schwartz

Every year when the weather starts getting warmer, the sun starts to shine and the grass turns green I know track & field season is about to begin. Except this year the weather is not warm, the sun is rarely shining and there are snow flurries on April 30…and yet, none of this stops the MWHS track team! In fact, this season we have our biggest team ever with about 180 boys and girls in grades 5-12. This season you will find us in Thaler, in the weight room, in the wrestling room, running the halls and out on the track (on those rare days without rain or snow). We kind of take over MWHS each day at 3:00. If you happen to be at MWHS on spring days and see the track team there are a few things I hope you will see:

• I hope you see a wide variety of kids ages 10-18 getting fitter and faster and having fun while doing it.
• I hope you see the support that each of these kids gives each other, from our athletes who have been all-conference to the kids who are just learning what track is all about.
• I hope you see the 8 amazing captains we have who know how to make each athlete feel important.
• I hope you see the fantastic coaching staff that I believe rivals any coaching staff in MN for the caring, knowledge and skill they share with our athletes. They are simply amazing.
• I hope you see that even though track and field is an individual sport, our athletes really focuses on being a team by cheering for each other, supporting each other and doing whatever it takes to make our team better.

I also hope you see a lot more sunshine and the track and field team out running on the track, jumping into the pits and throwing far into the field. But until those warmer days come you can find us doing all sorts of crazy things to stay in shape. This spring has taught me that while we are talented on the track, we also have some amazing jump ropers, weight lifters and dodgeball players on the team! Unexpected surprises is one thing I can count on during this unpredictable spring. It one of the many things that makes me proud to coach track and be a White Hawk.

2014 Track Captains - Dakota, BAS, Josh, Kole, Mackenzie, Sydney and Marielle

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email mwhspride@277apps.org for more information! We would love to hear from you!

Day 144 - Lacrosse White Hawk Pride

Today's post is from senior MWHS Lacrosse Captain Gabby Smerillo

The pride I have for being a White Hawk grows every time I step onto the field with my teammates. The girls lacrosse team has a mix of girls from grades 7-12 and it's so much fun to see everyone come together at practices and games. That's where half of my pride lies, the fact that we all come together and play as a team. We are a close knit team who like to joke around but when it comes to practices and games we focus and do our part for the team.

The second half of my pride lies in our performance. Currently, the JV team is 1-1, who continue to get better every day. Varsity is 2-1, and now being in a conference we are striving for a near perfect record. We have been working hard and we hope our hard work pays off. We have a great set of coaches who are encouraging and dedicated to our team. Without them we wouldn’t be a complete team.

Our first two games were home games and we have never had many fans but for these two games we did, and that was incredible. It is great to have a community that comes and supports the different teams.

I am proud to call such a great group of girls my teammates!

Gabby and the MWHS White Hawk Lacrosse Team

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email mwhspride@277apps.org for more information! We would love to hear from you!

Day 143 - Pride in the MWHS Softball Team

Today's post is from senior MWHS Softball Captain Megan Bryan

Everybody knows that spring is a hard and stressful time of the year for all students; future planning, after school jobs, studying for finals and much more. My favorite way to get my mind off the pressure and stress from school is to go out and play softball with my team. The softball program has suffered a loss of girls willing to play, so the numbers are not as big this year as they once were. We have a small team, but manage to fight through it. All the girls are showing great progress since the beginning of the season and are continuing to work hard to improve their game.

We are placed in a tough conference but continue to play stronger each game. The coaches are doing a wonderful job of working with every player individually to improve their skill level and work out anything they may need a little extra help with. All players (in any sport) have at least one thing that they need to work on; the girls on our team are willing and excited to work with the coaches to fix the things they struggle most with.

The softball team this year has a variety of girls in all grades. Although there is a large age difference between a lot of the team, we manage to make it work. I enjoy being a part of a group of girls that have become a family to me. I love being able to take a break from the pressures of school and work with a group of girls and coaches that has a positive impact on me every time I walk on and off the field. I am so proud of every single girl on the team, and I am proud to be a captain to them!

Megan and several MWHS softball players

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email mwhspride@277apps.org for more information! We would love to hear from you!

Day 142 - Pride from the Baseball Diamond

Today's post is from senior MWHS Baseball Player Jack Sterne

I’m proud to be a part of the MWHS baseball program which has almost always fielded competitive teams. I have always taken pride in wearing the red and white on the diamond. Hopefully we can string together a few wins after defeating the Academy of Holy Angels. We have a new team this year that has experienced success in one of the most competitive conferences in the state. It's great to see many of the underclassmen step into roles and fill them well. 

Coach Kuehl has helped us learn a lot more about the game developing all of us as players and athletes. I'm anxious to come back and see how the team stacks up in the years to come. As a senior I hope we finish the year off with a bang and end my time as a White Hawk in a positive way!

Reid Dahl at bat

2nd Danny Brenk, SS Hunter Smith, 3rd Michael Abegglen

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email mwhspride@277apps.org for more information! We would love to hear from you!

Day 141 - Proud White Hawk Golfers

Today's post is from junior MWHS Golf Captain Cori Anderson

Besides the snow melting and the weather getting warmer, spring is the best time of year because golf season begins. I've been part of the girls golf team for four years and there is nothing I will miss more upon my graduation in 2015.

I love the golf team for so many reasons. The first is my teammates. The girls on the team are so out going, fun and passionate for the sport. We share so many good memories, and everyday we know we're just going to make more. I'm proud to be on such a close knit team.

As a team we've improved enormously over the last year, and there is nothing more fun within a sport than winning. One of the best memories I have, is the beginning of last season when we beat Orono. Every one of us was celebrating with loud cheers, even our coach could hardly control her excitement. I don't think our coach had ever been so proud of us.

Golf is such a unique sport in many ways which is why it's one of the most satisfying. It's both an individual and a team sport. If you shoot an awesome round it helps the overall team score, while also helping your own score within the conference ranks. I always look forward to matches, because unlike most sports, in golf you interact with opponents in a non-aggressive environment. As you play your match you get to know other girls in the conference.

Golf is such a unique sport and I'm proud that I've been able to be apart of so many successful years. I can't wait for our achievements to keep growing as we gain new members of the team. MWHS golf team makes me proud to be a White Hawk!

Cori and the 2012-13 Golf Team

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email mwhspride@277apps.org for more information! We would love to hear from you!