What’s recently happened?
The Chesterton High School (CHS) Girls’ Swim and Dive team competed in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) Championships on January 18.
The teams traveled to Valparaiso to compete in the event, and both the swim and dive teams had successful days. Not only did individual competitors have a great day, but the CHS Girls’ Swim and Dive team as a whole earned its 26th consecutive title as DAC Champions.
In the 200-yard medley relay, four CHS swimmers – Adalyn Laughner, Brenley Bonez, Tegan Werner, and Peyton Ostertag – set a new record for CHS at 1:43.93. The same swimmers were also named DAC Champions in the 400-yard free relay at 3:30.62. Bonez additionally broke a record at 1:02.27 in the 100-yard breaststroke and was named DAC Champion in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.63. Laughner, with a time of 56.40 was named the DAC Champion for the 100-yard backstroke. CHS Diver Bayley Fowler broke a CHS diving record and set the new one at 263.95.
“Winning DAC felt like we saw the results of our hard work as a team. We'd spent hours training in the pool getting ready to swim those races, and I can't express just how proud of these girls I am. While the team definitely isn't done, DAC shows us what we can do and the possibilities of sectionals in a week and a half,” said Ostertag.
Each swimmer and diver has worked hard all season long to achieve this accomplishment and CHS could not be more proud of them.
What’s coming up?
On Sunday, February 2, the CHS Cheer Team will be hosting a Nationals Showcase. The event is a great opportunity for the community to come together and support the team before the team heads off to Orlando, Florida to compete in the National High School Cheerleading Championship on February 6.
At the showcase, the Trojans Cheer team, as well as other local high school teams, will perform in front of an audience to present the skills they have been working on. Pizza and snacks will be available for purchase at the event and the team will also host a 50/50 raffle for the chance to win big prizes.
“The Nationals showcase is a great way to show off what we have been working on this year and it will help the team prepare for the upcoming competition,” said CHS Cheer Team Member Canon Surane.
The cheerleading showcase will start at 3 p.m. in the CHS main gym and entry is completely free. The CHS Cheer Team has been working hard all season to prepare for this big, four-day event. To show support for the team and congratulate them on their efforts, come and watch them perform before the team begins their Nationals journey to the Sunshine State.
Staff spotlight:
Andrea Orosz, or Mademoiselle Orosz to her students, is a French teacher at CHS. She has been teaching for five years and has spent each of them at CHS teaching various levels of French.
Orosz grew up in Hobart and attended Hobart schools. While she attended Hobart High School (HHS), Brent Martinson, the current CHS principal, was the principal at HHS. While looking for teaching positions, Orosz found that Duneland School Corporation was looking to hire a new French teacher at CHS. She was then reconnected with her former high school principal and now works with him.
Initially, Orosz wanted to be a veterinarian, but once she was in high school, she realized teaching was the career path for her. Before landing a job at CHS, Orosz attended college at Indiana University (IU) to become a teacher. She is also currently a student at IU as she is working to get her master’s degree there as well. Orosz takes pride in her proficiency in the French language and enjoys sharing the language with her students.
“My biggest achievement would have to be how confident and proficient I have become, and continue to become, in my second language so that I can best share it with my students. Three more classes to go and then I’ll officially have my master’s in French teaching,” said Orosz.
Outside of being a teacher, Orosz keeps herself busy with coaching and sponsoring students. She is a Girls' Varsity Soccer coach, a speech coach, and a sponsor for the French Club with the other French teacher, Lorrainne Hageman.
In her free time, Orosz can be found watching movies, listening to music, traveling, hanging out with her pet Great Dane, Labradoodle, cat, and snake. This summer will be the second time she travels abroad with students and Orosz will be chaperoning the upcoming trip to France and Spain.
Student spotlight:
Lauren Koonce is a senior at CHS. She is a CHS Varsity Cheer Team member and has been a cheerleader for almost six years. Next month, she, and the rest of the cheer team, will fly to Orlando, Florida for a competition. This will be Koonce’s third year attending and performing at the national championship.
“I am so excited to go to Nationals again. It is such a reward for all the hard work my teammates and I have given all year. Since this will be my third year going, I am less nervous than before because I know what to expect and what competing feels like,” said Koonce.
Koonce is a member of the CHS Internship program and works to teach clients at Body by Christine, a pilates studio in Chesterton.
“I started taking classes there as a student about two years ago and I loved it. Christine knew I was looking for an internship and offered to let me work with her. She helps me create workout series and trains me on how to teach clients. I took a course to become certified in November, so now I can teach my own classes,” Koonce said.
Outside of school, Koonce dedicates herself to the Red Cross Club, is a member of the National Honor Society, and also attended a Natural Helpers retreat. In her free time, Koonce enjoys hanging out with her friends, going to pilates classes, and traveling the world. Koonce most recently traveled to London, England to perform in a New Year’s Day parade.
This coming fall, Koonce will be attending university. While she is unsure of where she will go right now, her top choices are the University of Kentucky and Purdue University. Here, she will study psychology and she also plans to join a sorority.
“I want to major in psychology to learn more about why people behave the way they do and to hopefully use this knowledge to help people. I am not completely sure what I want to do, but I’m curious about psychiatry,” said Koonce.
Koonce plans to get her degree in this specific medical field to help patients with the treatment and prevention of mental health issues.
