Griddy Awards
On Sunday, March 20th, the Griddy Awards were hosted at the Indianapolis Colts Practice Facility by the Region Radio Sports Network and Indiana Football Digest.
Coach Jeff Cain, Coach Brett Jennings, Stuart Glascow, Isaac Sahagun, and senior captains Rudy Becerra, Mitch Alicea, and Martin Petruf were in attendance to receive awards on behalf of the team.
Coach Cain received the Coach of the Year award for Class 2A.
“The award brings further validation that Whiting and its coaches are one of the best in the state. This award was a celebration of the entire staff and what was accomplished last season,” said Coach Cain.
Coach Jennings accepted the Brad Breyfogle Spirit of Sport award in honor of Coach Vic.
“To get up in front of hundreds of people and tell the story of Vic really meant a lot to me. Ever since Vic passed away, we have made it our mission to tell his story and continue his legacy,” said Coach Jennings.
Quarterback Stuart Glascow received the honor of being Prime Time 25. Martin Petruf was named .
“I am grateful for receiving a Griddy award because it shows how much time and effort we put into football this past season, whether it was working out in December after we lost to Winamac or it was those hot summer days we spent on the field. I want the awards to motivate the players to go get that state championship,” said Petruf.
Rudy Becerra, Isaac Sahagun, and Mitch Alicea received the awards for Class 2A State Runners-Up.
“My expectation is not to make it to state or to win every game. My expectation for them is to give a perfect effort on and off the field. To train hard and push themselves no matter the circumstances. Yeah, going to state again would be great but the value of teamwork and family greatly outweighs a state championship. My advice I would give them is: when you're training and the coach isn't looking, don't cheat yourself. Continue to ‘Do Work,’” said senior Rudy Becerra.
Science Olympiad
“This year was successful. We were consistently near the top at each invitational, we finished a close second at Regionals, and we were one of the top teams at State. We also learned what we can do better and we will strive to be a better team next year,” said co-sponsor Mr. Jeremy Long.
The state competition for Science Olympiad was held on Saturday, March 19th at Indiana University Bloomington. The Oilers placed seventh overall.
“This was an excellent year for the team. We worked hard, had some fun, won tons of medals and trophies and learned that we all have greatness within ourselves,” said co-sponsor Mr. Dan Nichols.
The current seniors on the team have each been state champions throughout their years on the team. The upcoming seniors will have to step up into the leadership roles for next year to motivate the younger and incoming students.
“The younger team members get a chance to learn about teamwork and dedication. To be a successful team, you need to have everyone pulling on the same rope together. Our success comes from our teamwork and sense of family,” said Mr. Long.
The Science Olympiad team starts their dedication to the team in the summer and continuing throughout the year to live up to their high expectations.
“Next year’s team has a great core group to build around so with some new students joining and some younger members stepping up we will continue the tradition of excellence that is Whiting Science Olympiad,” said Mr. Nichols.
“Our goal for next year does not change. We will work toward being one of the best teams in the state, and learn that science can be a lot of hard work, but it also can be a lot of fun,” said Mr. Long.
Teacher Shout Out: Mrs. Kelly Morando
Mrs. Kelly Morando was the varsity assistant softball coach for six seasons and coached alongside former head coach Mr. Paul Laub. This season she will be head coach of the varsity team.
“Having been varsity assistant for 6 seasons, it was probably the best ‘on the job training’ I could have received,” said Mrs. Morando.
Mrs. Morando is a Whiting alum and played on the softball team. Her experience playing and coaching gives her the advantage to help her players improve.
“I've been there, I know the game, I know the situations and how I handled them so I can relate to my players and help them through any struggles they may be experiencing on or off the field,” said Mrs. Morando.
Throughout February, the players met 4 days a week. Two of those days were in the morning to throw and do some soft-toss hitting. The other two days were spent after school working on conditioning.
“Ultimately, I want the team to improve upon from last season basically in all areas, not just wins and losses; and I want the team to be playing their best softball come the post-season so we can make a run in Sectionals,” said Mrs. Morando.
Mrs. Morando has spent the offseason watching videos and reading information regarding what the "best practice" is for coaching softball. She has also worked with the coaching staff to bounce ideas off each other to prepare together for the upcoming season.
“I am extremely proud of the way the players have been performing thus far. They are a great group of young women and I am looking forward to the season ahead,” said Mrs. Morando.
Student Shout Out: Kata Bes
Senior Kata Bes has been accepted to Purdue University West Lafayette and plans to attend in the fall. She hopes to pursue a career in either clinical or nuclear pharmacy.
“My plan is to attend Purdue and major in pre-pharmacy for 2 years then the pharmacy program for another 4 years,” said Bes.
Kata’s passion for pharmacy started in her sixth-grade science class when she did a project about careers in the science field and had pharmacy.
“After doing research about it I really became interested. Pharmacy is a mix of two of my favorite things, science and helping people,” said Bes.
She is currently involved in Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, secretary of National Honor Society and the senior class, service learning, Spanish Club, English team captain for the Academic team, Tattler reporter, and tennis team captain.
“Your community shapes the person you become so being able to give back and help shape other people's character is a pretty amazing thing,” said Bes.
Every summer for the past couple of years she volunteered for tennis camp for kids in the community hosted by the former tennis coach.
“Seeing a kid's eyes light up after they hit the ball over the net for the first time is one of the greatest feelings in the world,” said Bes.
Bes plans to be involved at Purdue by joining volunteer programs, club tennis, and possibly honors college.
“I’m really excited to meet new people in college! I’m also really excited to pursue Pharmacy because it’s something I’ve been interested in since middle school,” said Bes.