Sports - The McKendree Review

25Jan

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

The Story of a Walk On

By Jawaun Jackson, Contributing Writer Photo: Jawaun Jackson For starters, I walked onto a non-NCAA team here at McKendree, so technically I just joined a sport club in terms of bureaucracy. However, I have always seen it as I walked on to a championship winning program. In comparison, McKendree to bowling is the same as University of Alabama to football. I found myself being the weak link of a dynasty destined organization. There was also this chip on my shoulder because I lacked skill compared to my new-found teammates, and it didn’t help that they were some of the best amateur bowlers in the nation. Now, to the comedic part of my story. When applying to this great institution I accidentally put golf instead of bowling as my sport due to a mouse and keypad snafu that I did not notice f...

16Nov

By The McKendree Review2 Comments

Opinion, Sports

More Than Just A Game

By Blake Johnson Photo: Blake Johnson There are many wonders and joys in life, whether it’s a shiny day, a smile from someone’s face, or in this case, playing a sport. Most of the time, we as athletes grow our love for a sport in our early stages of life. From growing up with a ball in my hand before I could walk, the time has now come where I must say goodbye to the game. It never seems real to even think that something that has been a part of our lives for 20 plus years could ever be taken away. But, there will come a day where the uniform will be put on, goggles tightened, and cleats laced up one last time. It has always been a dream for many athletes, including myself, to play professionally because everyone wants to play the children’s game. Now, there are many reasons as to why th...

Alexis Porter; Student, Wrestler, Inspiration

24Oct

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Profiles, Sports

Alexis Porter; Student, Wrestler, Inspiration

By Kyle Boldin When considering female athletic inspirations, a couple names come to mind: Venus, Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Rhonda Rousey. All outstanding athletes in their respected fields, all with accomplishments that will inspire generations to come. So much so, the next generation has already been inspired, one of those people being senior Alexis Porter. Hailing from the great state of New York, Porter has carved a name for herself in the world of women's wrestling. She began her career as a young child, where she would be used as a wrestling dummy, for her older brother, as he practiced his moves. As time went on, Porter began to pick up the steps, and shortly after seeing her raw talent, her father placed her in a minors wrestling tournament amongst her male counterparts. A...

8Oct

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Personality, Profiles, Sports

Krysten Baker: Coach and Counselor

By Kenneth Spisak Krysten Baker goes by multiple names: Krysten, Coach Baker, Ms. Baker, KB. Depending how you are acquainted with her, one of these will be how you address her. Baker is on the coaching staff for McKendree’s track and field team as the throwers coach. Not only is coaching essentially a full-time gig, she also has her daily job of a high school guidance counselor for Columbia High School. Often times I wonder how coaches got into their beloved sport from the get-go, and after kindly agreeing to an interview, Baker answered that very question. “I technically got involved in track and field in 5th grade," Baker said. "We had a small team at my elementary school where we had modified versions of regulation track events. It was in 6th grade when I actually joined my junior hig...

The Woman Who Refused to Give up on Her Dream

28Sep

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Profiles, Sports

The Woman Who Refused to Give up on Her Dream

By Victoria Sananikone, Copy-Editor Swimming is a sport that produces athletes of true grit that is so raw and uncultivated, it's as if they carried this quality straight out of the womb. These athletes are unlike any other; they can persevere through any hardship the world throws at them due to the suffering they endure within their sport. The McKendree University Swimming and Diving program’s new assistant coach, Amanda Siehs, is the optimal example for this phenomenon. Siehs was not always a swimmer. At the age of nine, she began synchronized swimming, a sport that's only related to actual swimming in that they both take place in the water. “One day a friend asked me if I wanted to do a swim clinic with her and it just escalated from there,” Siehs said. “I wanted to get stronger in sy...

30Apr

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Campus News, Entertainment, Sports

Between Books and the Pool

By Magdalena Knapp, Editor Do you ever wake up naturally from one of those restorative sleeps? Where you can feel the sun's rays on your face, hear the birds sing, and feel the warm air coming through your slightly opened window? Well, I do not. I usually wake up when the birds are still sleeping, the sun is still hidden behind the endless cornfields and the outside temperatures are around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. My alarm clock starts yelling at me every morning at 5 and I crawl out of bed with my eyes barely open, take my backpack, and walk with the rest of my team to the cars. Our destination is the same every morning: the swimming pool. This is part of my life as a student athlete. I usually share a lane with one other person, and we swim next to each other. Practice starts every day wi...

23Mar

By The McKendree Review5 Comments

Campus News, Personality, Profiles, Sports

One Leg, No Limits

By Alexis Porter, Contributing Writer I was walking back from the cafeteria at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in the summer of 2017, carrying a to-go box of leftovers to enjoy later, when I first met Jacob Waters. He sped past me on his bike like a NASCAR driver and popped the longest wheelie I have ever witnessed in my life. My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I was instantly impressed and intrigued. “Hey, wait!” I called out after him. He circled back around and pulled up next to me. I glanced over his face quickly and then took a long look at his bike. It was bright green, rugged, with large treaded tires. I figured it had to be special if this kid could ride it on one wheel for so long. “Sorry didn’t mean to fly past you like that,” he said hopping off his bike...

26Feb

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Campus News, Entertainment, Personality, Profiles, Sports

For the Love of the Game

By Kaylee Fann “What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere” – Bill Russell Charismatic. Outgoing. Loving. Talented. Inspiring. Resilient. These are all words that can be used to describe 19 year old Winslow Martin, a basketball player for Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Illinois. Born and raised by a single mother in Centralia, Illinois, Martin fell in love with the game of basketball from a young age. His older brother and grandfather served as positive role models for a young Martin, teaching him everything he knows about the game. Once he started playing, he practiced with his brother nearly every day. His grandfather was actually a professional player overseas until an injury abruptly ended h...

27Nov

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Profiles, Sports

A Series of Fortunate Events

By Andrew Gardewine, Contributing Writer Michael Mendez, head coach and former member of the McKendree Cross Country and Track and Field programs, is quite possibly the most hard working person on campus. If he is not coaching a practice he is in a meeting, if he is not in a meeting, he is in his office working late at night and in some cases into the early morning. On top of it all, he still manages to find room to maintain his physical shape with bike rides and runs as well as manage his own running club, The Lebanon Project. He has a full plate and a bright future as a coach, however this article is not about his future, rather it is about his past. Coach Mendez has overcome countless obstacles in his life, obstacles that he considers “a series of fortunate events,” but what he would ca...

10Nov

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Sports

Water Polo.. in the Midwest?

by Gabrielle Madewell, Contributing Writer McKendree University’s men’s and women’s water polo programs have turned 1 as of this 2017-2018 school year. The person responsible for making the program’s first year successful is Colleen Lischwe, head women’s water polo coach and assistant men’s water polo coach. Like many Universities nation-wide, McKendree heavily prides itself on having very successful and well known athletic teams in the Midwest region. While the school has a variety of different teams offered, a total of 34 men’s and women’s teams, this school year marks the one year anniversary of a unique addition to the athletic department: Men and Women’s Water Polo. Most U.S. water polo teams in the United States are located in California. To put that into perspective, out o...