![The cross country team poses for the camera after finishing the district meet. The varsity boys, JV boys and JV girls all placed third and the varsity girls placed fourth. “Coach put in the right training for us for this season, so I think we will be peaking this week and the next couple of weeks,” varsity runner and junior Nathan Kukla said. “The chances of making it to state are very high, but we don’t settle for the lowest and there is always going to be that chance, so [we] race for the best.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Heidi-831-1200x900.jpg)
![Smiling at the camera, Author Ehigbor Okosun, members of Page Turners, and other students reflect on the author's visit. “I thought the visit was great,” Senior Amia De Leon said. “It was interesting talking to her and [getting to know] her process and her thoughts and books in general. But I think the reason it went well [was that] people got to ask questions. I'm glad that she said so much in response to the questions and it wasn't just one and done. [The author’s responses] felt very articulate.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sebastian-5-1200x800.jpg)
![Standing in front of the field at a freshman football game, cheerleader freshman Jacob Gaudreau along with teammate freshman Bella Gibson pose for a photo during halftime of game. “[Cheer has] definitely given me a much more outgoing personality,” Gaudreau said. “I used to be very introverted, so it's definitely made me more extroverted towards people.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ingrid-204-1200x800.jpg)
![Holding a wooden pizza toy, senior Taylor Peterson plays with small children in Bucaramanga, Colombia. During the summer, Peterson traveled to Colombia to help build an elementary school that only had two classrooms but five or six grades with one teacher. “We add[ed] two more classrooms,” Peterson said. “It’s kind of hard when you have two or three grades in one classroom and you only have one teacher. It’s very hard to actually get some beneficial learning. [The extra classrooms will give the students] a better quality of education because they’ll actually have a place specific for their learning.” Photo by Taylor Peterson](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Taylor-P.png)
![Swinging with his arm extended, senior Nolan Park hits the ball smoothly over the net and to the opponent’s side. Park is one of four varsity tennis captains and helped the team win district championships. “Winning district champs was a pretty awesome feeling,” Park said. “We had lost to Liberty Hill a couple of weeks before, but when we played them [again], we came out and really took care of business. We took them out and it was just a really awesome night.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kassidy-419.jpg)
![Standing proud, varsity senior athletes Rafael Escobar, Griffin Jacobs, Jakob Martin, and juniors Jackson Springer and Jack Morris pose with their newly earned medals. The varsity team finished third out of 14 teams on Sept. 25. “The team's primary goal is to win the district championship,” head coach Cody Price said. "We're confident that with our action plan in place, we can accomplish this mission. [For the next tournament], our preparation involves assessing our strengths and weaknesses, celebrating milestones and creating individual development plans." Photo courtesy of Cody Price](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/golf.jpg)
![Smiling at the camera, the Varsity Tennis team celebrates winning districts. They played against Liberty Hill on Tuesday night and won with a final score of 10- 5. “We improved a lot even from the last game,” senior Blake Hillis said. “We lost against them the last time we played [Liberty Hill], but it was really close. It was just really important for us to win this match since it was the district finals. [When we won I felt] overwhelmingly happy, especially being there with my teammates and it being my senior year. It was just really great. It [felt] like a community.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Tennis-Districts-e1728060882260.png)
Swim glides into State
Junior Victoria Sanaikone breaststrokes during the State competition.
March 23, 2016
The cool water washed over her as she glided steady through the water, coming up for breaths every thirty seconds, she made her way down the line. Lap after lap she swam, feeling the exhilarating power of her arms and legs fighting the ever present current of the stagnant water. Finally, she moves deliberately forward, placing her hand on the wall and standing next to the wall. She did it.
This year, the swim team has gone through some changes such as the arrival of the new coach, Dean Lackey.
“It’s really different having a new coach because we are trying to get to know him and figure out how he works and how he teaches,” sophomore Chandler Hudges said.
The 2015-16 year has incited many changes for the girls, as they made it to state placing 10 overall out of 50 teams.
“State was super fun,” Hudges said. “I went last year as a freshman and it was cool to go again as a sophomore. Since only six of us went, we all grew really close and formed a tight bond.”
One of the six girls to go was junior Victoria Sanaikone, who explains her favorite part about going to state. The season starts out easy, according to Sanaikone.
“The season starts out easy because everyone is getting back and then it progressively gets harder and harder,” Sanaikone said.
While state is an achievement in itself, junior Kristen Peron explains the steps they had to take to get where they are.
“Before meets the team usually gets together a couple nights prior to, and we all eat a ton of carbs because those are a good energy source during meets,” Peron said. “We also get extra rest during our practices so we don’t over work our muscles before our race.”
Swim meets last a typical two days, with prelims one day and finals the next. State worked pretty much the same way for the girls this year. Hudges explains what she would love to see next year.
“I would love to see more of my teammates competing at state next year,” Hudges said.
This year was a string of wins and losses for the girls, but they did place well in state.
“My favorite part about the season was all of the friendships that came out of the team, because the bonds that we formed will last a lifetime,” Hudges said.
