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6 Tl-t E PolEM ic ACC Harriers put in 70- mile weeks to get ready By Josh Helsel Sports Writer · Short-handed and inexpe- rienced are two words to de- scribe this year's ACC cross- country team. Sole sophmore Michael Kenney will lead a group of in- experienced first timers, First year coach Jason Masterson of Atlanta, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and the ~urrent shot put record holder at EMU, took his first shot at coaching college cross-country and experie_nced frustration early in the season. Masterson was unable to field a full team for the start of the season. Week two appeared more promising for Masterson and his harriers as they were able to pick up two new recruits and a possible third. · Most top Division 2. college runners hit their first 3 miles at 15's and 16's with two miles left to run, quite a difference in pace and distance all at once. One of the hardest obstacles a freshman runner has to over- come is the ego. After being at the top at the high school level, it's sometimes hard {o accept being at the bottom again. A lot of "big dogs" at the high school level fail to succeed at the college level. College workouts are twice the work and intensity of most high school work outs. Freshman often start to feel worn down from heavy mile- age and hard workouts. -Coach Masterson pushes his runners to hit 70 miles a week. Cap- tain Michael Kenney says the goal for this seasons team is to stay healthy and steadily im- prove throughout the season and hopefully hit regionals at their best. ACC harriers Mike Kenney (front) and Mike Sanders (background) put in some roadwork during a recent practice session. The ACC cross country team trains an average of 70 miles a week. This year's team consists of captain Michael Kenney from Boyne City; Mike Sowders, a dedicated work- , horse from Alpena; Wild Dan Merriam of Battle Creek who adds fun character and talent to the squad; and lastly two guys who have never rari cross be- fore in Chris Gapske and Travis Montie, both of Alpena. Intensity and hard work are must ingredients to this team's • : success. Success will also de- .. pend on how well first year : harriers adapt to the college level of running. It is indeed a • big jump. High school runners • •race 3.1 miles. At the college ~ · 1evel the race is five miles and at a, much faster pace. Most top high school run- ners run mid 16's (minutes). Helsel's Keys to suc- cess for '99 Cross Team: ♦ Ability to adapt to high level of traing with consis- tency. ♦ Ability to remain con- fident and positive despite bad performances. ♦ With little leadership intensity and unity are very im- portant. ♦ A belief in your coach. Different coaches have differ- ent routines. It's important you trust in your coaches. Chris Gapske A CC.Harrier Head Coach Jason Masterso·n Famous climber shares lessons By Josh Helsel Staff Writer Famous mountain· climber Louis Kasiske told . his remarkable story at the Stanley Beck Auditorium at Alpena High on Tuesday, September 21. Kasiske is one of the few survivors of an ill-fated ex- . -pedition to climb Mt. Everest in May 1996 in which eight fellow climbers perished in a brutal snowstorm near the summit of the tallest peak in the world. Kasiske's message was to show the positive effects of the terrible tragedy, and the role of controlled ambition in all our lives. Kasiske, a prominent lawyer, had climbed many of the tallest peaks in the world. He wanted badly to conquer Everest as well. But before he left, he made a commit- ment to his wife that he . would come home alive. In the end, this is probably what saved his life. Four hundred vertical feet from the top, Kasiske stood near the top of the world with frostbite on all his fingers and one toe, nowblind (a sunburn of the cornea that feels like sand in your eyes, as well as being tired and starved from being unable to eat because the conditions were too cold for his body to properly digest food. Most seriously of all, however, was the mental im- pairment that comes from the oxygen-starved altitude, a condition . that can lead to major errors in judgement. Kasiske says he felt the glory of his personal gold medal and the satisfaction he would get from reaching the top. But it was getting dark, and he questioned whether . he could make it back down the summit to the base camp. He faced the question: Should It go up or should I go down?" Then he remembered the commitment he had made to his wife, that he would re- turn alive., and he decided to not · follow the others in their blind quest to the sum- mit. And, as it turned out, after a surprise blizzard came up, many of of his fellow 'J\[prthern - : I • 'Ezyosure Photo &: eustom Jraming 9nside 'the Drug Store 2236 US 23 South Alpena, MI 49707 Ph. (517) 354-2171 .Fax (517) 356-6606 PHOTO PROCESSING WITH NEXT DAY SINGLE PRINTS IJ] climbers never made 'it .back from the summit alive. While Kasiske says that climbing Everest was an ir- res p on si bl e thing to do because he was 54 with a · family and a lot of people who depended on him, he was pleased with the judge- ments he made on Everest. . Kasiske says his ultimate goal is he wants to be known as a inan of character. He wants to be known as a man of character, and for people to say he was a good person, a generous person. Based on his dec;:ision on Everest that afternoon, he has succeeded in the eyes of many. SEpTEMbER 28, 1999 Crumbling at "the corner" Heidi Skuse Co-Editor and Sports Editor The baseball season is coming to a close and at the end of this season Tiger fans will have to say goodbye to their stadium. When spring starts again and baseball season starts anew, there will be no crack of the bat at "the corner." No, I have never been to a professional baseball game. I have often wondered what it would be like. I have dreamed . about going to a Tigers game at "the corner." It was given this nickname because of it's location at Michigan and Trumbull: Baseball has been played at this stadium since 1900. This is the last year the Tigers will be at Michigan and Trumball. There is a new stadium being built for n½xt season. The stadium has so many memories that it holds inside. These memories are not only for the present and past players and staff, they are also for the fans. I have often wondered what the smells would be like and what it would look like. I have heard many games on the radio, listening diligently to find out what will happen next. Will the Tigers win? · I imagine what the field looks like in my head. I see the greenest grass, bleachers, the box seats, the field has just been recently raked and the bases just dusted off. The dugouts are empty with no sign that anyone has been in them. The bats and helme_ts are in theirproperplaces. The scor~board . is lit up and the American flag flies high in the air. The sun has just rose over the upper deck and shines down on the field. Many excellent players have touched the field in De- troit. They had the privilege to play on the field at "the · corner." The tearing down of this stadium is a milestone in the 20th_ century. Although it seems like the end to many memories the new stadium will also have memories. The stadium is over 100 years old and has had many repairs made, but some things just can't be repaired. One of the most famous players at "the corner" was Ty Cobb. Cobb played for the Tigers from 1905 to 1.926. He had nine consecutive batting titles. He also helped the Tigers to three consecutive pennants, 1907, 1908, 1909. He was one of the first five players electedinto the Major League Base- ball Hall of Fame in 1936. In 1969, a panel of baseball writers 9amed Cobb one of the greatest outfielders in the 100-year history of the sport. What does it sound like in the stadium? What does it sound like when a player hits a home run? Many times I have heard the crack of the bat on the radio, but in the stadium things don't compar~. The crowd on the radio seems so quiet because the announcers have the microphone in front of them and make the crowds seem quiet. The crowd in real life would m~ke me speechless. I would stand and just listen to them in awe and wonder where all of these fans are from and which player on the team is their favorite. How many years have there fans been coming to watch the Tigers? What first made them fall in love with the game? What is their first memory of "the corner?" How did they feel when they walked in the stadium the first time? . I unforunately will not be able to have the experience of going to a baseball game at Michigan an Trumbull. I have always wanted to go and wondered what it would feel like to see the players run out onto the field in their sparkling clean · jerseys and to hear the crowd erupt when the team takes the field. With the crowd asked to next stand and remove their hats for the national anthem, to hear the national anthem in the stadium and hear those wonderful words echo through- , out the stadium would take my breath away. To hear those ,magical words come from the umpire's mouth, "Play ball," and then the game would officially start and no one in the stands would want it to end. This is kind oflik'e when the first game was played at "the corner." The players, fans, and staff all knew it would someday end, but no one expected time to fly so fast.