Bennett Wilcinsky, Senior

Q: What does representing Garfield Wrestling mean to you?

A:“[Its] trying to be a good team role model, I want the people on the team, especially the freshmen and sophomores who are new, to have somebody who they can look up to.”

Q: What was your favorite memory competing for Garfield in your 4 years?

A: “This year, I faced an opponent from SAAS who I had faced the past two years and he had beaten me the past two years, but I … was working really hard and I won that match against him … [that was] a really strong redemption feeling for me.”

Juju Ervin, Senior

Q: How did you grow as an athlete, how did the team grow this season?

A: “As an athlete I feel like I see the game differently, having a coach like Brandon Roy really opens up your eyes to the game, players are learning how to be solid and not fold.

Q: Message/advice for younger athletes?

A: “Stay solid, stay on course, it could get repetitive but just stay focused and stay locked in.”

Q:Was basketball always a passion of yours?

A:“At first I was a little kid trying to do whatever, just trying to play but I realized this is what I have to do, this is what I want to do with my life, I always had a love for the game for sure.

Max Hudson, Senior

Q: Why did you decide to join the diving team?

A: “I had a few friends that do it, I’d always thought about it and I’m a little sad I didn’t join it earlier … I wish I did it all four years to be honest.”

Q: What was the season like for you?

A: “I learned a lot of new stuff, just trying new things, getting help a lot from teammates … you practice with everyone in [the Metro league] … so everytime you go to a dive meet you know everyone you go against, it’s friendly competition.”

Q: What’s your message to younger athletes?

A: “Go out there and be loose, you have to love what you’re doing … if you don’t love what you’re doing don’t do it … you should never hate [your sport].”

Sarah Lessig, Senior

Q: What legacy do you hope to leave on Garfield flag football?

A:“Never make it too serious. Always prioritize having fun. Don’t let it become something you don’t enjoy!”

Q: As you wrap up your senior season on the team, what message would you like to give to younger players?

A: “Enjoy the people around you.”

Q: How have you grown as an athlete? Have you experienced any setbacks this season?

A: “Playing football allows me to be more well rounded as an athlete, a different set of muscles you’re working, different moves you’re making, which contributes to less burnout. There were a few practices that were so windy, so rainy, and so cold, and we were all so unprepared …a few days I thought I was close to getting hypothermia.”

Mae Valenta, Junior

Q: What is an impact you want to make on the softball community?
A: “I want to bring more appreciation and recognition to softball and
I hope more little girls want to play when they’re older.”

Q: What are your Goals for the season?

A: “We really want to win state.”

Q: What are some challenges that come with being a softball player?

A: “There’s a lot of negativity and sexism but I remind myself that they don’t really know what they’re talking about.[Baseball and Softball] aren’t comparable, strategy wise they are very different. Because the softball field is smaller means it has to be faster and there’s no room for error.”

Wren McIntosh, Senior

Q: How do you feel being in your senior year of pole vaulting?

A: “I’ve had a lot of fun doing track over the past few years and I plan to stay active in pole vaulting. Its definitely a bittersweet situation.”

Q: What is something most people don’t know about the sport?

A: “It’s one of the only sports where the better you get the more dangerous it becomes. There’s so many things you need to think about when you’re pole vaulting, like 100 different things at once within a 5 second span.”

Q: What has pole vaulting taught you?

A: “It takes a long time to get everything down, so patience and not being too hard on yourself is key to successful. The second you start doubting yourself you start doing bad.”

“When I’m pole vaulting I am playing against myself and my own mentality.”

Francesca Berger, Senior

Q: How have you grown as an Athlete?

A: With tennis i’ve learned a lot of discipline and grown as an athlete, because i’ve actually been interested in pursuing it myself so i’ve grown in physical strength, stamina, and also mental discipline”

Q: How are you feeling now that your final tennis season is starting?

A: “It’s kind of bittersweet, it’s kind of bizarre because it feels like yesterday that I just started highschool, I looked up to the seniors and it’s kind of weird to be in their positions now, I’m gonna miss it for sure, it’ll be a nice close to this chapter.”

Q: What’s been your favorite part of being on the team?

A: “Definitely the community, i’ve made so many close friends from it.”