The Drake Jolly Roger

Cross Country is not exactly the typical team sport. It does not include quick cuts, fancy moves, elite strength, or a complicated playing scheme.

Then what does it take?

Our long distance runners use enormous mental power to push themselves past the point of exhaustion. Uphill and downhill, long and short runs, these athletes are never phased by the challenges of long distance running.

“The concentration and will to win [while] being able to move past how much you can’t breathe,” states senior Keenan Pope. Who has been running with the team since his freshman year.

The practice schedule goes like this for our undefeated team: Mondays are the toughest, Tuesdays are tempo runs, Wednesdays are easy runs, Thursdays are either a meet or another difficult run, and Saturdays the team really puts in some work with a 125 minute run, according to Pope.

The cross country girls have been focused for the last three years, sweeping all of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL). The team members have even set a new school record this year for most consecutive wins in a row by the girls cross country team at Drake after beating Tam and Branson at Symon Grove on Oct. 28.  Leading this strong posy of cross country stars are seniors Julia Saunders and Lindsay Rogers, and junior Ellie Ryan.

“[Ryan] has never been running any better than right now,” states thirty-year cross country coach William Taylor.

The cross country boys are led by senior Carroll Oliver, junior Will Baker-Robinson, and sophomore John Lawson. The boys came onto the winning scene after an impressive debut at the Stinson Beach relays, beating the second place team by a whole minute and a half. With Robinson and Lawson posting times of 9:01 minutes and 9:03 minutes respectively over a 1.8 mile span of beach. In addition to winning, these three athletes socialize with their teammates as family would.

And this connection has translated to their team success.

“[With] out tight bond we are unstoppable on these trails,” states Oliver.

Bringing an undefeated season and a banner to Drake was great accomplishment for the boy’s team.

“[Seniors Julia Saunders, Carroll Oliver, Lindsay Rodgers, juniors Elle Ryan, Will Baker-Robinson, and sophomore John Lawson] should all be first Team All MCAL,” said Taylor.

A group as talented as the two subsets of the cross country team never quits training together. They remind themselves to not get ahead of their own personal success, even though they refer to themselves as “The Hot Rods.”

“[I] expect nothing but their best, [and] it comes out of a person’s being,” Taylor said. “It has lasted for over thirty years at Drake.”

The girls and boys earned their records with all their practice, enormous concentration, and the will to win.  But the team will hit the trail again before the season is through. They will move on to the North Coast Sectional (NCS) facing talent that is on a parallel level. Competition at the NCS level, may just give the pirates a run for their money.

There is one thing that all athletes can’t stand: injuries. When it comes to injuries that leave athletes on the sidelines, frustration sets in while they watch their team pick up the slack caused by their absence. With all the two-sport athletes at our school, injuries can come at the worst times: when your injury from the spring sport affects your fall sport, for example.

Without the proper medical staff, coaches struggle to put together tough preseason workouts to prevent injuries.

As of three weeks ago, the Drake Benchwarmers have hired Gina Biviano, a part-time athletic trainer. To help prevent injuries and be a medical resource for the student athletes of Drake High on and off the field.

Biviano is a fully qualified athletic trainer from the University of California, San Francisco [UCSF] Medical Center of Sports Medicine. She’s earned degrees from Chapman University in Athletic training, and a Masters degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University.

When asked why she chose to focus on being an athletic trainer, she said, “[I] never liked the idea of a desk job.”

In addition to her education, Biviano was a graduate assistant at Santa Clara University, and was a student athletic trainer at various high schools and colleges in Southern California while at Chapman.

“I believe that the trainer will have a positive impact for all [of] our student athletes, and the Benchwarmers is proud to provide the funding to make this happen.” said Benchwarmers President Gina Feiner, who spearheaded the hiring of an athletic trainer.

Benchwarmers is a drake high fund raising group that specifically focuses on helping the school’s athletic programs, and the student athletes of our community.

In terms of funding, Benchwarmers has committed $25,000 to the cause this school year.

“This is an expense that the Benchwarmers will need to review on a yearly basis to see if we can afford it, since our revenue is solely donation and fundraiser based”  according to Feiner.

Doug Donellan, varsity basketball coach and physical education teacher who served on the interview committee, said that athletic trainer Gina Biviano “seems like a great person who is really motivated.”

Biviano discovered her passion for sports medicine while being a competitive swimmer and basketball player, from the on staff athletic trainers at Pioneer High school in San Jose.

“I was a hurt athlete in high school who was sent to the athletic trainer [AT] without any knowledge of what an AT was, [I] loved the role they played.” she said.

With only a month left in the fall sports regular season calendar, Biviano will step right into her job, which she described as “providing care for all Drake sports.”

Don’t expect to see her only on game days. The administration has assigned her a personal office in the Student Center. Biviano will be on campus part-time from two to seven p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during the week.

She’ll also be educating the athletes here about the hot topics of sports injuries such as heat exhaustion, [ACL] Anterior cruciate ligament tears, and concussions.

“Different teams need different things,” explained athletic Director Pete Donoff.

But along with evaluating injuries rehabilitation is key too. Biviano also explained, “Rehab is a huge part of my job. It’s what I really like to do.”

Saying that she “works very closely with the athletic trainer at Redwood,” who is also from UCSF. Marin Catholic and Redwood are the only two other schools in Marin County that have athletic trainers, according to Biviano.

With this new athletic trainer, coaches hope to provide a safe resource for the student athletes of our community year-round.

“I think the kids are going to like her,” said Donellan.

Lauren Antone | JR

With the addition of three male cheerleaders, coed cheerleading has returned to our school for the first time in over forty years.

“They add an extra energy,” said varsity cheerleading coach Christian Friese of the new squad members. “We don’t even call them cheerleaders; we call them our stunt team.”

Juniors Deshawn Moncreif, Tommy Pedersen and Redwood transfer student Ian Wolf successfully joined our squad last May during varsity cheerleading’s biggest yearly tryout.

“In the beginning the girls didn’t think that we were serious about it,” Pedersen said, in reference to team members’ initial reactions.

Coach Friese questioned their motives as well. “I asked them at tryouts, ‘Who are you dating or who do you like?’” She was convinced the three boys had to be interested in some of the girls on the team if they were willing to tryout.

But Friese no longer questions their sincerity. She says the boys work hard and are “just as dedicated as the girls” to the squad.

Over the summer the boys’ efforts were recognized at the required cheer camp the entire team attended.  By the last day “all three boys were nominated for the NCA All-American,” Friese said, describing a national team offering tryouts for skilled cheerleaders.

Since then, Moncreif, as well as a few of Drake’s female cheerleaders, junior Morgan Clymer and senior Hannah Evans, made the team. “[The boys] were the rock stars of camp,” Friese said.

Pedersen, who was persuaded to try out for the squad by Clymer and fellow junior cheerleader Savannah Nichols, was surprised by how much he has learned from cheerleading.

“[It’s] interesting to do because not many others are doing it,” Pedersen said.

But for Wolf, cheering is more about trying something new.

Wolf’s role on the squad differs from that of the other boys. He dances in the routines as a showman with the girls on the squad, which adds more diversity to the boys’ roles.

“[Wolf] wants to dance,” Friese said, who has plans to showcase the new cheerleading squad at the next rally.

Not only are the boys enjoying cheerleading now, but they are also major contributors and a necessary component to the team’s success, says their coach.

“They help make our stunting safer,” Friese said of the new male cheerleaders. “They are definitely very strong and quick learners, essentially lifting 100 pounds with each arm.”

The boys have different positions on the squad during stunts. “I am a back spot,” Wolf said. “When we send a flyer to go up or do a jump or something, I’m the one who catches her.”

In the sport of cheerleading safety is key, and the boys’ presence helps to increase the safety of the female cheerleaders performing stunts. “They [also] help our stunts look better,” Nichols said, who is happy to finally have boys participating on the squad.

“It’s unique for us to have boys because a lot of teams don’t,” Nichols said. “[But] they don’t learn as much material.”

While the girls (and sometimes Wolf) are learning the dance routines, the boys are responsible for weight training, tumbling and stunting practice. Although the roles may vary, Friese makes it a point to explain the egalitarianism on the squad. “We treat them like anyone else,” Friese said, emphasizing how neither gender is viewed better or superior to the other.

But coed cheerleading doesn’t come without its challenges and its stereotypes.

“I’ve gotten a lot of crap from the wrestling team because I’m not sure if I’m going back [to Drake’s wrestling],” Pedersen said. “[But] I’d just explain that there was a one hundred to one guy-girl ratio at camp, so they usually shut up.”

Friese hopes that the rest of the squad has helped to keep the boys mentally strong, “to put up with ribbing.”

Despite any comments the boys may have heard, they are, as a whole, happy about the decisions they’ve made.

“I plan on being a cheerleader next year,” said Moncrief, who has shown his dedication since day one. However, Wolf isn’t certain as to whether cheering is the best place for him. He is contemplating whether to continue on with the sport next year.

With a more diverse squad, Coach Friese hinted at more complex routines coming up later this year. The teams’ recent efforts will be seen at upcoming football games.

“You need to trust each other with your lives,” Wolf said, and that’s what adds to the team members’ closeness and focus when practicing and performing. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have fun, cracking jokes while keeping positive attitudes.

When asked about the teams’ soaring to new heights, Wolf said, in a teasingly competitive way, “It’s because I’m the best male cheerleader there.”

Alex Allen-Hyma|JR

Every night there is that one game that loads of people tune in for, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). To see fighters Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, B.J. Penn, and Brock Lesnar do battle in “the octagon” – the eight sided chain length ring where the fights are held. Senior Haley Donovan states, “It’s the most exhilarating sport in my mind,” after training in kick boxing for the last six months.

What is it about the UFC and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting that is so intriguing?  The fact that all fighting techniques under the sport of mixed martial arts is allowed. Will the fighter’s next move be a quick left jab? A dominant take down? A punishing submission hold? Donovan also says, “If I’m going to watch any sport, it will be that.”

Mixed Martial Arts has recently caught on in Marin County and at Sir Francis Drake high school. Senior Sam Delfanti thinks “MMA gets a lot of popularity from UFC.”

Due to the recent creation and popularity of shows such as Tap Out, UFC Fight Night, UFC unleashed, and UFC reality TV programs, “There is no doubt that mixed martial arts is one of the, if not the fastest growing sport in the world today” in writer (needs a title) Nick Colon’s   June 2009 article for Bleacher Report.com. According to Forbes Financial report UFC is estimated to be worth one billion dollars.

MMA is not just a guy’s only event according to Donovan, who says “a lot of girls who go there.” ESPN writer Michael Woods stated in his December 2007 article, “There is a large, ever-growing contingent of women who have gravitated to MMA”.  Donovan also exclaims, “It makes them ten times more badass.”

As fast as it has grown, MMA has come under fire from multiple U.S. news broadcasting companies and communities. “Critics view the sport as a bloody free-for-all akin to gratuitous Tough Man competitions, where average Joes with no formal training duke it out for prize money” writes Josh Lubin in his CNN article on September 18, 2008.

Delfanti disagrees, saying it is “good for everyone to know how to fight.”

To boot, MMA fighters are some of the “nicest people you will ever meet” said senior Spencer Day.

However, these critics are often unaware of the challenges of the sport: MMA involves kick boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; colligate wrestling, and many other forms of take-down style fighting.  Donovan adds, “It’s a good thing to have in your tool belt.”

The technique and discipline required, combined with some of the most difficult training in sports, gives these athletes their elite status. Their training, although sometimes unorthodox, gets the job done in the octagon. Training methods include anything from practicing their sprawl and brawl methods, a MMA tactic where fighters refuse to go down by subduing their opponent with constant kicks. Or “flipping tires, lifting chains, swinging sledge hammers, and lifting bricks” states USA Today writer Beau Dure in his training without the fighting article.

Sophomore Gavin Hallinan says, “To be good you need at least six hours a day.” Hallinan who has been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the last 13 years, states that he “Used to do it nine hours a day from third till seventh grade, and leave school an hour early.”

For those who still disrespect the UFC and MMA fighting style, calling it “acting,” take a look at the Modern Combative Program for the Army, who trains our nation’s soldiers in MMA before leaving for combat.

In a November 1, 2007 interview with Stack magazine MCP director Matt Larsen states “There is a real correlation between going through a door to attack an enemy in combat and stepping into the ring.”  Soldiers who trained at the MCP receive the same training any UFC or Pride FC fighter would.

Day, who has practiced kick boxing and mixed martial arts for the last five months, states “it gets you more mentally tough.” Hallinan tells readers, “You have to develop a mindset…one wrong move and your done.”

The Marin MMA gym is a five minute drive from the campus located on 222 Greenfield Ave, San Anselmo, as you drive out of the town of San Anselmo towards the city of San Rafael.