The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: Sports

  • Ultimate frisbee makes the world go ‘round: a sport built on community and spirit

    Ultimate frisbee makes the world go ‘round: a sport built on community and spirit

    by Griffin Mancuso

    The pristinely green field of Hiller Park, normally home to gophers, was taken over by pirates last weekend. These pirates were not armed with swords, but sturdy, white frisbees. After warming up with expert frisbee throws and swift catches, they gathered in a circle on one side of their playing field. They started a lively chant to match their pirate attire, jumping with their fists in the air:

    “Yo-ho yo-ho, a bug’s life for me!”

    The ultimate frisbee teams of Cal Poly Humboldt, the Buds and the Hags, came together for the weekend as the Bugs for a community tournament, the Humboldt Harvest. Humboldt Harvest is one of the longest running ultimate frisbee tournaments in Humboldt County, and it isn’t surprising to see why. The presence of young alumni and older alumni teams made it clear that ultimate frisbee is a lifelong passion and community.

    Ultimate frisbee is a no-contact sport that consists of two teams of seven players trying to get the disc to their end zone. Players cannot run with the disc and must pass it to other players to get it to the goal line and score a point. If a pass is not made successfully, it is turned over to the other team. The disc can be taken back if a player fails to catch the disc, or if a defense player knocks it out of the air.

    Ultimate frisbee sets itself apart from other sports by upholding the spirit of the game. The sport has no referees and requires its players to hold themselves and their team members accountable. Players must be able to call out fouls, retract unnecessary calls, have good sportsmanship and discuss outcomes for fouls. This integrity-based system fosters a unique bond between teams and their opponents.

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. Old alumni team member Mason Banner makes a leaping dive for a frisbee at the Humboldt Harvest tournament.

    Both the Buds — the men’s ultimate frisbee team — and the Hags — the women’s ultimate frisbee team — grow stronger with the foundations of teamwork and trust that ultimate frisbee provides.

    Cate Roscoe officially joined the Hags as their coach this semester, but also offers some assistance to the Buds. She played ultimate frisbee professionally for 34 years and previously coached for the Hags for a couple years during grad school. She feels that her specialties have been a good fit for the current team. 

    “I really like to teach foundational skills, the biggest one of course being throwing,” Roscoe said. “But then also things like defensive footwork and positioning, offensive cutting and positioning, communication, a little teensy bit of strategy, two different styles of offense and a couple different defensive strategies.”

    She also emphasized the sense of community that ultimate frisbee players have, no matter how far apart they are.

    “There’s a lot more genuine friendship and camaraderie across teams and throughout the country,” Roscoe said. “I literally had a friend who played community in Tacoma who needed heart surgery in Kansas City. I was able to contact the Kansas Ultimate group through other connections of Ultimate I had. They picked her up at the airport. They housed her for over a month, fed her, drove her to all her appointments and took care of her while she had heart surgery. They had never met her — they had never even met me. But we all played ultimate [frisbee], and we’re in that same community.”

    Andre Sargissian, the current captain of the Buds, has been playing ultimate frisbee for two years at the university and has great hopes for the newer team members this semester.

    “We have so many [promising rookies], man. It’s been so exciting,” Sargissian said. “I feel like a lot of our soccer people who played soccer in high school, they always really succeed. I don’t know, it’s really cool because anyone can pick it up, anyone can throw the frisbee, anyone can run a cut, so anyone can be really good all of a sudden.”

    The Hags is a gender-inclusive team that aims to empower their players. Captain Jillian Snowhook has been a Hag for five years, becoming captain in the Spring 2023 semester.

    “From last semester to this semester, there were only five returning players, and there are five officer positions, and I was the only one who had played for more than a year,” Snowhook said. “I had also been one of the co-captains the previous year, so I took on the presidential role as well as captain because I do love this team, and there’s no way that I could let anything happen to it by not stepping into that role.”

    Roscoe described the Hag name as a subversion of a term that has historically been used to oppress women who held power and knowledge. Today, many of the team members take pride in being a Hag.

    “It means being burly. We are the burly Hags, and that basically means you show up for your team, for the game, in all conditions, with all you have, with your whole heart, with all the energy you have,” Snowhook said. “It’s really just being a part of a community that loves to do the same thing together, which is chase down frisbees like golden retrievers.”

    Natalie Christenson, previously a soccer player, is in her first semester with the Hags. There has been a sharp learning curve, but the support system built into ultimate frisbee has helped.

    “It’s super different to be a new person on the team and trying to learn what I’m supposed to be doing, as well as how I’m supposed to be communicating, so it’s kind of a lot of overwhelming things all at once,” Christenson said. “I’m mostly looking to the veteran players, and also our captain, Jill, who really takes hold of the team and coaches us.”

    Otto Berndt, a long-time member of the Buds, emphasized how ultimate frisbee has given him a solid support system.

    “The reason I have good grades is because I come out to ultimate [frisbee] and have a support group of people that care for me, and I care for them,” Berndt said. “We exercise, we have fun and we get to travel to other schools, and it’s just like — it’s a family, and anyone can be part of that family.”

    Christenson has greatly enjoyed her time with the Hags and encourages other students to consider joining.

    “I love the team so much and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone that is a little scared to try out or anything,” Christenson said. “I mean, I’m a first year and it has been a great experience. Everyone’s so welcoming that there’s no fear in trying something new.”

    Roscoe suggests ultimate frisbee for people who might not feel like they fit into traditional sports communities.

    “It’s a place where you can really surprise yourself and you can come for a lot of different reasons,” Roscoe said. “It doesn’t just have to be about the sport, but, um, it’s amazing to discover what our bodies are actually capable of.”

  • Green and gold goes pink

    Green and gold goes pink

    by Vanessa Saltos

    On Oct. 12 women’s soccer had their annual Pink Out game at College Creek Field where they played against Stanislaus State. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and to honor this the Lumberjacks wore pink jerseys sponsored by the Heather Janikowski Foundation. This foundation was started by women’s soccer player Megan Janikowski and her family to honor her mother Heather Janikowski after she passed away from her hard fought battle with cancer. 

    When Megan Janikowski was 10 years old her mother Heather Janikowski was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Heather Janikowski would move to remission around 2013-2014 but later would find that the cancer spread to her brain in 2018. Sadly in 2021 it spread to her entire body and she passed away Jan. 19, 2022. 

    During her lifespan Heather Janikowski was a mother, physical therapist, P.E. teacher, and preschool teacher. 

    According to the foundation’s website, “Heather loved to support the local farmers markets and small shops as well as advocating for children and animals through a variety of non profit organizations and events.” Megan Janikowski didn’t want her mother to be another name that cancer took so the foundation was born. 

    Photo by Kae Dennert. Breast Cancer awareness table set up outside of the Pinkout game.

    “My mom recently died from brain cancer and she had just been fighting it for a very long time and after she passed away I felt like she left too big of an impact in her community to just be another name that cancer took,” Janikowski said. “So I wanted to make something where she still had an impact and I could help families that were going through what I [had] already been through or [in] need [of] any kind of extra help.”

    Since starting this foundation, they’ve hosted events like a memorial hike, a 5K, and a bowling tournament. Megan Janikowski’s brother Dean Janikowski, a kicker for Washington State football, has also created a ‘pledge it’. A pledge it is when donors pledge a certain amount of money to be donated every time he makes a field goal or point after touchdown. With all these fundraising events they have already impacted lives as well. 

    “The first year we had a hike and the money there went towards a family who could not afford to pay for their daughters college tuition and it was kind of full circle because the girl that we picked she was actually one of my mom’s preschool students, so it was like full circle,” Janikowski said. 

    In January they hosted a 5 and they were able to help a 9-year-old boy named Mateo Yanez who was diagnosed with cancer. His family vehicle and washing machine had broken down. He wasn’t able to get to his doctors appointments and have basic needs but with the help of the Heather Janikowski Foundation, Yanez was able to go to more of his appointments and was accepted into a research development program for his own cancer. Yanez sadly passed away three days after his tenth birthday. 

    Loss is a very real reality when it comes to cancer and Megan Janikowski attributes her strong faith to the reason behind her being here today. What keeps her motivated on the field is her motto “do it for her”; her mother is now her reason why. Megan Janikowski takes her mom on the field with her by wrapping tape on her left wrist and writing “do it for her” on the front and “mom” on the inside. She also has “do it for her” on the tops of her cleats and “fly high” on the back.  

    “On the tops of both my cleats it says ‘do it for her’ and then on the back it says ‘fly high’ because I just think having that constant reminder that life is short and life is fragile, it helps me to appreciate the good and especially the bad times,” Janikowski said.  

    Having visual reminders is something that is needed and third year biology student Jonathan Sweeney appreciates the team for hosting an event like this. 

    “It’s important to have games like this so we can see something visual like the pink jerseys and have a conversation about it…I like that our teams are bringing awareness to stories like mine,” Sweeney said. 

    Sweeney lost his grandmother to lung cancer and has also had family members diagnosed with skin cancer. Third year business administration major Harry Singh has also lost a family member to lung cancer. His older cousin was just 10 years old when he passed away and it was hard for Singh to accept. Singh, being a student-athlete on the track and field team, understands the importance of bringing topics like this into the sports world. 

    “I think it is important that we bring up these topics to games because they allow us to compete for something bigger,” Singh said. 

    The proceeds from this game will be set aside for the women’s soccer team to choose who they want the money from the Heather Janikowski foundation to go to locally. Megan Janikowski is currently double majoring in biology and special education and wants to pursue a masters in the research and development of brain cancer. 

    “I just want to help as many families as I can and my master’s program will be in the research and development of brain cancer so I’m hoping I can aid in something research wise or anything to make an advancement to help find a cure,” Janikowski said.

    Graphic by Vanessa Saltos.
  • Cal Poly Humboldt alumni destroy women’s rugby team

    Cal Poly Humboldt alumni destroy women’s rugby team

    by Savana Robinson

    The Cal Poly Humboldt alumni dominated the 2023 women’s rugby alumni game on Sept. 30. Both teams played for the same university and put their all into the match. With an end score of 87 to 5, the alumni defeated Cal Poly Humboldt, whose team is mainly made up of newcomers, many who saw their first game on Saturday.

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s team captain Courtney Campuzano caught a couple of breakaways in the game, meaning took off with the ball, escaping players trying to tackle her. Campuzano is a senior majoring in social work. Campuzano was excited to see so many alumni back to play in the match, stating it felt awesome to see alumni happy to come out. She noted that some new players played the most they ever had. 

    Rachel Gonzales runs with the ball to score during the Cal Poly Humboldt Alumni game on Sept. 30.

    “I saw these rookies get stuck in,” Campuzano said. “One’s been here for maybe two weeks.”

    Saturday was Ashlyn Broeland’s first game as a player for Cal Poly Humbolt’s women’s rugby team. A junior majoring in environmental studies with an emphasis in education, Broeland is number nine on the team. Her position on the team is scrum half, which is an important role because it forms the link between the forwards and the backs.

    “I’m really excited for our new players to get out there,” Broeland said. “This is a really good chance for them to learn the game.”

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s cheer team came to support Broeland, their cheer captain, who has been on the team for three years.

    Sophia Nielsen played on the alumni side, having graduated in 2021 with a degree in wildlife.

    Senior Courtney Campuzano avoids being tackled with the ball by Rachel Gonzales during the Cal Poly Humboldt Alumni game on Sept. 30

    “[The most fun part was] being with my teammates I haven’t seen in over a year,” Nielsen said.

    Wynnie Savageford graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s in criminology and justice studies.

    “[I like] the camaraderie of being around everybody and just being back in the pitch together,” Savageford said.

    Head coach Catalina Leon was most excited for the team to put together the skills they’ve been working on in an actual game. Leon stated that the biggest part of their strategy was communication and putting those fundamentals to work.

    “We were able to do that because we were able to get some breakaways and it worked,” Leon said. “It also showed us the areas that we still need to work on.”

    Leon said that overall the girls played well, especially considering that the majority of the girls joined this September.

    Lauren Bankerd, a junior majoring in kinesiology, scored the only try (goal) on Cal Poly Humboldt’s side. It was her third career goal, having previously played one semester.

    “[The most exciting part is] sprinting down the line, the adrenaline pumping because you don’t know if someone’s behind you or not, and you’re just gunning,” Bankerd said. “The crowd screaming and everything.”

  • Men’s Rugby dominates Redwood Bowl during 50th anniversary game

    Men’s Rugby dominates Redwood Bowl during 50th anniversary game

    by Kae Dennert and Carlina Grillo

    Video by Alex Anderson

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s Men’s Rugby Football Club has been an official club for 50 years now. Coming off of their 2022 national championship win, there is a lot of hype going into this new season. The club started in 1973, and has had a steady team since. They have grown and shrunk in size, but have stayed consistent in work ethic. They practice three times a week, the coaches wanting to make sure that their athletes are able to be students first and enjoy their practice time. 

    Issac Khelo is a junior at Cal Poly Humboldt, and is the president of the club. Khelo was a part of the team last year when they won nationals. He has been committed to rugby since he was a child, and has always been involved in the sport. He traveled to Humboldt to play rugby, and has enjoyed the program since getting here.

    “I’ve been playing rugby my whole life, since I was like six or seven,” Khelo said. “I’m an international student, so in South Africa it’s the biggest sport and I love the sport and am passionate about it.”

    Khelo exudes positivity about his team and his time here. In a hot and sweaty fieldhouse right before their practice, he walked around checking in with his teammates with a huge smile on his face. Khelo talked about his excitement for their upcoming season, which will typically in an average season include five home games and five away games.

    “My goals for this season… I want our team to win the championship again,” Khelo said. “That’s the only goal and the only reason why we’re out here.”

    Excitement for the games and the team and their future prospects also brings a glance to the past of the team. Khelo explains that he is going to try to leave the team better than he found it.

    “I want the same thing that the alumni left us,” Khelo said. “I want the program to still be thriving when I leave.” 

    Photo by Alex Anderson | Cal Poly Humboldt’s Nathan Riley attempts kicking a goal through the uprights at the men’s rugby game against the University of Reno on Sept. 30.

    The rugby alumni have shaped the program into what it is. The team’s forwards coach Vince Celetto is himself an alumni, as well as his two sons. All of them are now involved in the program and dedicate themselves to keeping the team going.

    Vince Celetto has been the forwards coach for 10 years now. He and the head coach, Greg Pargee, played on the team together when they were students at Cal Poly Humboldt. 

    “I thought I was done with rugby after I played for 15 years,” Celetto said. “Sure enough, the oldest one wanted to play.”

    The team used to be Division I, and Vince Celetto hopes to get the program back there. The win of the national championships was a big push towards that goal. 

    Local alumni continue to support the team, as they have spent the last six to eight months spending time putting together a dinner auction at Humbrews. 

    “Clubs basically get $3,500 from the school and people don’t realize it,” Vince Celetto said. “We want to make it where this is enjoyable for [the athletes]… we’ll take care of trying to get them on buses.”

    Because of the championship win, there has been a surge in fundraising and the alumni have started a non-profit organization with the goal to bring youth rugby into the community.

    Photo by Alex Anderson | Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rugby celebrates a home win.

    The team currently has a roster of 36 athletes, and they accept anyone and will coach them into the sport. Since it is not a popular sport here, they know going into recruiting that not many people will have experience beforehand.

    “We have to get a progression going where we feel safe to put you on there,” Vince Celetto said. “I don’t want you injuring yourself for the rest of your life.”

    Vince Celetto’s son, Justin Celetto, also played rugby at Cal Poly Humboldt. He started playing the sport around the age of 12 or 13, but grew up around it because of his father. He went to Humboldt to stay in the area he grew up in, and he enjoyed the school.

    “Rugby to me, as cliche as it sounds, is my life.” Justin Celetto said. “I mean, I play over in Australia and coach over in Australia for a living. It’s work, but it’s also something I just love to do.”

    Justin Celetto coaches in New Zealand and Australia, also while playing for the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club (The Beasties). Rugby surrounds Justin Celetto’s whole life and he wouldn’t know where he was without it or what he would be doing. Justin Celetto graduated last year and has moved on to assistant coaching when he’s in the area, but he misses being on the team.

    “It’s a little bittersweet for me,” Justin Celetto said. “I wish I was in school one more year to get to play in the 50th, but still it’s super fun to see these guys and the experience they get to have.”

    Justin Celetto has full confidence in his team, especially with the recent title grab of national champions. He’s excited to watch the boys play and see the alumni return to the field.

    During the game on Saturday, the team showed how much time and effort they put into the sport. Their dedication to playing as well as they could through the 80 minutes of gametime was worthwhile, as they ended the game with a win of 55-7 against DI team University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolfpack.

    Photo by Alex Anderson | Cal Poly Humboldt and University of Reno rugby teams get together for a group photo following their game on Sept. 30.

    Humboldt’s rugby club currently has two other home competitions scheduled for Oct. 29 at 1 pm against Chico State at the Redwood Bowl, and Nov 5 at 1pm against CSU Monterey Bay at the College Creek Soccer Field.

    “50 years… I just think about history,” Khelo said. “I think about how the program’s been going on for a long time. [It’s] the longest lasting club at Humboldt, so that’s a lot of pressure but it shows us that there are a lot of people backing us.”

  • From DMs to DII National Championship: Isabel Perez-Zoghbi

    From DMs to DII National Championship: Isabel Perez-Zoghbi

    by Vanessa Saltos

    Isabel Perez-Zoghbi is a 2nd year student from Merced, California. Perez-Zoghbi was a long distance runner throughout her whole life, running cross country and track. She thought her career would be done after highschool and was planning on attending Cal Poly Humboldt in Fall 2022. While scrolling through social media, she came across a video of Cal Poly Humboldt’s very own Joy Hano running the 60-meter hurdles. 

    “I saw Joy and I thought she was amazing, and I was just like clearly they must have some good hurdles coaches there because Joy’s doing fantastic,” Perez-Zoghbi said. 

    Once realizing there was a track program, she took it upon herself to direct message Hano. According to Hano, Perez-Zoghbi asked about the program, what Hano’s favorite part about running in college was, and how she wanted to get better at hurdles. Perez-Zoghbi had only started running hurdles her junior year of high school, so she saw this as a learning opportunity. This direct message on Instagram led to a recruitment visit with the track coaches, and Hano was able to meet her in person for the first time. 

    “Meeting her for that first time, it got me excited about hurdles again cause I could just feel her pure love for the sport, and at that point in my season I was, not going throughout, but it was just a low part of season,” Hano said. “Having her energy around, even just on her recruit visit, brought up my energy, brought up [my] team’s energy, and I just had a great feeling about her.” 

    Hano was right about that feeling, because during Perez-Zoghbi’s first year at Cal Poly Humboldt she made huge waves in the program. She qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships after running a personal record of 1:00.54 in the 400-meter hurdles. At Nationals in Colorado, she finished nineteenth overall. 

    During her 2023 campaign, she did face some setbacks. Dealing with a hamstring injury, she was kept from competing in a couple of races. Hano recalls a moment at the 2023 Stanford Invitational where Perez-Zoghbi was scratched from the weekend last minute due to her hamstring. Hano and Perez-Zoghbi took walks around Stanford’s facilities and reminded each other about the amazing opportunities they both have. 

    “Isa’s really good about remaining grateful, and it was just during that weekend that I just had to remind her we are in an amazing opportunity to do the thing we love and if anything, missing this right now is just going to make you want it more,” Hano said. “Sure enough after that point in season she continued to rehab her hamstring, she continued to play smarter not harder with her hamstring and made the most out of every day she could.”

    The knowledge that her coaches bring has helped grow her obsession with the sport. Her teammates contribute to this as well. They inspire her daily with their dedication to training and work ethic. She sees how happy people are just to be given the opportunity to participate. What keeps Perez-Zoghbi motivated through it all is her love for pushing herself to her limits.

    “I am always trying to improve and get a better time, and push myself to where I am like dying at the end of practice and I’m like on the floor, can’t breathe,” Perez-Zoghbi said. “Just like that physical challenge and mental challenge of pushing yourself to your limit that’s why I do it.”

    Her teammates feed off of this mindset as well. Hano views her as a role model, despite Perez-Zoghbi being younger. Hano knows that whenever they train together, there will be no slacking of any kind. This has only pushed Hano mentally and physically. Her coaches see this determination as well. Cal Poly Humboldt Assistant Sprint and Hurdles coach Kate Eilers expressed Perez-Zoghbi’s tenacity on the track and compared her competitive drive to that of a veteran. 

    “I love coaching Isabel. She recognizes the value of the time she has here as an athlete and uses every second of it. She is always looking to improve, asking questions and diligently implementing feedback,” Eilers said. “She’s a joy to coach, a supportive teammate and an all around incredible person who knows how to pursue success.”

    Perez-Zoghbi expressed her goals for this upcoming season, which are becoming an All-American and breaking the school record. The current record holder is Alyssabeth DeJerez with a time of 58.68 in 2017. The main goal this season though is winning the conference. Currently Perez-Zoghbi is training for the 2024 season which is set to start on Feb. 18.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt students ride the waves

    Cal Poly Humboldt students ride the waves

    by Savana Robinson

    It was an overcast morning at Moonstone Beach in Trinidad, California on the morning of Sept. 17. A group of Cal Poly Humboldt students ran out into the waves, surfboards under their arms and wetsuits on their bodies. For some, it was their first time surfing. For others, it was just one of many sessions. All of the students had signed up for the surf class through Center Activities, which also offers classes in climbing, backpacking, kayaking and more.

    The intro surfing class on Sept. 17 was Hannah Doran’s first surf lesson. At the beginning of the class break, she emerged from the water with a wide grin on her face and her hand displaying a shaka sign. Doran has previously surfed in New Hampshire, Maine and Scotland. Doran is a junior at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in oceanography with a diving minor.

    “Surfing is cool and Humboldt’s the place to surf,” Doran said. “I’m having a great time.”

    She was most excited about getting more comfortable in the water, the Pacific specifically. She was also stoked to get solid advice from good instructors. Plus, $40 for five hours of instruction is a great price.

    Grady Hechd was the assistant instructor for the class. He has been working at Center Activities on campus since Feb. 2022.

    “It’s really rewarding watching people that have never surfed before get out there and watching them learn,” Hechd said. “It kind of clicks for some people.”

    Chris Isola, an environmental science transfer student, had gone surfing six times in Humboldt before the Sept. 17 class, but it was his first lesson. Throughout the lesson, Isola caught several waves with a smile.

    Alumna and lead instructor, Annalisa Rush, has been teaching surf lessons for over 25 years.

     “[The best part of the job is] sharing the joy of being on the ocean and watching people get super stoked on the thrill,” Rush said. 

  • Dual-sport athlete, Emilia Long, helps make Humboldt history

    Dual-sport athlete, Emilia Long, helps make Humboldt history

    by Vanessa Saltos

    Torn between two worlds, junior dual-sport athlete Emilia Long came to Cal Poly Humboldt and was able to have her cake and eat it too. Long is from Port Angeles, Washington and has been playing basketball and soccer since she was around 6 years old. She was introduced to the two sports through her older siblings. 

    “My older siblings also played soccer and basketball, and I kind of just followed in their footsteps,” Long said. 

    Before committing to Cal Poly Humboldt, she played at Peninsula College, a junior college in her hometown. During her time at Peninsula, her team won the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships for soccer and she was named North Region Conference Defensive Player of the year for basketball. When taking the next step of transferring, Long’s Peninsula College coaches were in communication with Cal Poly Humboldt’s women’s head soccer coach Grant Landy and women’s head basketball coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. Long shared that she was talking to other colleges as well during her transferring process, but it was mostly about one sport. That’s when it became clear to Long that Humboldt was the place for her.  

    “I think [it] mainly was the opportunity to play both sports, that was a big thing for me, because for me I couldn’t really choose which sport I liked better,” Long said. “At my [junior college], I was able to play both as well, and then from there I just didn’t really know which route I wanted to take. Then when they said that I would be able to play both, that’s when it really caught my eye.”

    What caught both coaches Landy and Bento-Jackson’s eyes was her competitive and hard-working attitude. Landy said that she is a great teammate, very humble and supportive. Bento-Jackson’s response also aligned with this. 

    “Emilia is a terrific addition to our athletic department as a whole. She is such a wonderful person and a great teammate,” Bento-Jackson said. “Anyone and everyone who meets Emilia has nothing but positive things to say about her. She has a very pleasant spirit about her, along with a good balance between being a great competitor and a sweetheart of a person.”

    Photo courtesy of Max Tepper | Cal Poly Humboldt women’s soccer celebrating a goal on Sept. 7.

    Due to it being the fall season, Long is committed to working with the soccer team at the moment and she has already made history during her time there. The team’s mantra is “stay hungry,” and Long emulated exactly that on Sept. 2. It was a homecoming for Long and she was able to make history in front of her family. She scored four goals against Seattle Pacific, being the first Lumberjack in program history to do so. This led the Jack’s to a 4-3 victory over the Falcons – their first ever win against the Falcons – and earned her the title of CCAA Offensive Player of the Week for Aug. 31-Sept. 3.

    “I am really competitive, and I just wanted to win the game, that was all that was in my mind,” Long said. 

    For Long, her approach to the game is to play fast, hard and give 100% effort. Landy further explained that she likes to get to the goal and create chances for other players and herself. With basketball, coach Bento-Jackson expressed that she has the ability to attack the basket and is a strong defender. 

    “She’s tough and always finds a way to get the job done,” Bento-Jackson said. 

    The women’s soccer team is currently undefeated with a record of 5-0-1. When asked what is different about the Jack’s this year, Coach Landy said the chemistry between the team is electric. 

    “The team is gaining more confidence with each other and trusting their teammates. We are deeper this year in all positions,” Landy said. “They have a sharp competitive edge which has shown itself so far in practice and games.”

    Women’s soccer is having their first conference game at home against Sonoma State Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. Women’s basketball is listed to start their season on Oct. 29, so once soccer season ends for Long, you will be able to see her in action on the court.

  • Too small for football but on the track to attack

    by Dezmond Remington

    The track is vicious and painful, and Aris Valerio was ready because he has dealt with vicious pain. He ran a half mile in less time than it takes to get out of bed, a minute and 49 seconds to secure a spot at the National Championships back in May of 2023; the only man sent from Cal Poly Humboldt to race in Pueblo, Colorado. The evening shadows were long on the track as the 800m final was due to start, and Valerio lined up in the pole position on the inside lane. 

    It was already a long shot to get there. One of the fastest Division II 800m runners in the nation couldn’t compete because of a family emergency, allowing Valerio to take the final qualifying spot after the prelim races. The next 110 seconds were going to hurt, even without the added stress of a fast prelim the day before and the knowledge that a victory was unlikely. Valerio felt dead tired and scared. But there was no room to think about any of that when the gun boomed and the race started. A journey that started with failure and random chance went a little further. 

    Valerio picked up distance running his freshman year of high school, only after his mom wouldn’t let him play football because he weighed about a hundred pounds. He had always been fast as a kid, so he figured he’d give it a shot after a neighbor told him exactly what cross country was. It wasn’t love at first sight. Valerio still isn’t sure why he stuck with it. Training is boring to him – racing is what makes it worth it. 

    “I just love the anxiety of the races,” Valerio said. “I think it’s fun. It makes it more exciting because that’s what everyone’s feeling. Makes you show that you’re just more locked in than everyone else when you win. I think that’s exciting.”

    His legs churn, eating up ground at a pace of over 18 miles an hour. The first 200 meters are gone in less than 26 seconds, and he’s still at the back of the seething pack. The screams of the crowd are loud, but it’s lost in the rhythm of pounding feet and gasping breath. His mind is blank. It always is at moments like these.

    Valerio’s first brush with greatness came his senior year at Murrieta High School in 2019, when he ran 1:53 in the 800m and ended up being ranked in the top 20 high schoolers in the nation that year. He didn’t even really understand that it was a big deal right when he crossed the finish line. Someone had beaten him. 

    It was a huge margin of improvement from even a month before that, over six seconds in an event that separates a talented collegian from the world’s best. He spent a year training at California Baptist University before transferring to Humboldt in 2020. One of his high school teammates had gone to Humboldt and recommended him to head distance coach Jamey Harris, who gladly accepted him on the strengths of his past races. 

    Valerio’s career has had its ebbs and flows in his time in Humboldt. He’s one of the fastest 800 runners to ever compete for Humboldt, but he’s also suffered from hamstring injuries that left him unable to train and compete for far longer than he would’ve liked. Harris doesn’t regret recruiting him. 

    “With any injury, anybody’s going to have a setback in their enthusiasm, and he was not immune to that,” Harris said. “But whenever he would have a little bit of a setback, he would climb out of it. He’s persistent in that way…on race day, he always brings everything he’s got. I never doubt that we’re going to get a full effort…he may not always be at 100% confidence, but we always know we’re going to get 100% effort.”

    It’s hot, and the guy in front crushed the first half of the race in 50 seconds. Valerio is a few seconds back. Shoes thin as ballet slippers slam on hard rubber, the metal spikes grabbing the track. Reverberation swims up his legs. It hurts, but he’s had worse.

    It wasn’t easy getting to Nationals. Setbacks weren’t solely those of muscle, bone and sinew. Some came from the brain. 

    For a while, a bout with depression during the track season made Valerio consider not racing at Nationals at all, but after running 1:50.3 at the conference meet he reconsidered. He is open about his struggles with mental health. He said his depression comes from the death of his little brother, who passed away when he was in high school. Running, and the team surrounding him, has been one of the things that helped him get through it.

    “I’ll go through spurts of being super unmotivated,” Valerio said. “And it’s super hard to catch myself and get back on my feet. [Coach] Jamey [Harris] and [the team] know all that. They’ve been super supportive about it.”

    Valerio is a lot more than just an athlete to Harris.

    “He’s a complicated beast,” Harris said. “It could be easy to see his consistent success on the track and think that things have come easy for him, but they definitely haven’t. He’s had a lot of difficulties that he’s had to work through and challenges that he’s had to overcome. I think that’s probably the greater accomplishment than being an All American and All-Conference a couple of times and being the second fastest 800m runner in school history. What’s more impressive is what he’s gone through and what he’s overcome to get there.” 

    600 meters have come and gone, and the time has come for a last, desperate drive to the finish. There is no more sun in these last moments, the light blocked by the stadium seating full of screaming spectators. Way ahead, the front runner is run down like a deer in the dying moments of the race. Valerio is still in the back, driving for a First Team All-American spot. A thousand miles away, people watch.

    Valerio’s role on the team goes far beyond simple competition and point scoring. One of his closest teammates and a roommate during the track season when Valerio went to nationals, Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel considers Valerio a crucial part of the team, although not necessarily always beloved.

    “He’s just really down to the point,” Vaisset-Fauvel said. “He’ll tell you what’s up. He’ll tell you the truth, and sometimes people can’t take the truth… I think that’s what helps him stay true to himself.”

    Although Valerio does sometimes take the abrasive role, Vaisset-Fauvel stresses that that’s not nearly the entirety of Valerio. 

    “Aris can seem like an intimidating guy, but once you get to know him, he’s like a little baby,” Vaisset-Fauvel said. “He’s like my little child, even though I call him my dad sometimes. He’s a really good guy. Really good athlete. 1:49? That fits him, you know? That just fits him.”

    Despite the incredible accomplishments on the track, Harris and Vaisset-Fauvel make it clear that Valerio is a human just like everyone else on the team, and that makes his appeal to his teammates that much more potent. 

    “This is a regular guy,” Harris said. “I’ve seen this guy spill milk. This is a fallible human that I’ve ran with, that is running really fast, and that makes those accomplishments seem more attainable to me.”

    Valerio crosses the finish line, his hands going to his knees as he bends over the track. Last place, but still Second Team All-American. Next year will be better, he thought later. Next season will be the last, the best. It wasn’t just for him.

    “I’m trying to go to Nationals to represent our team, our school in the middle of nowhere,” Valerio said. “‘Who is this Humboldt guy? This is crazy.’ I think you should want to run for everyone, not just yourself. You’re not going to get that far, only running for yourself.”

  • Student shredders at Mad River Enduro

    Student shredders at Mad River Enduro

    By Carlina Grillo

    The Mad River Enduro took place on Saturday, Sept. 9th in Blue Lake’s Hatchery Ridge trail system, featuring a few brave students from Cal Poly Humboldt’s very own cycling club. This race was a day long event consisting of long steep climbs, and gnarly downhills underneath the redwood canopy. 

    The race had plenty of out-of-towners who flocked to our backyard to get a taste of the incredible Humboldt hills (or, in this case, Blue Lake berms). Among these visiting riders was a team of local student shredders making Cal Poly Humboldt proud. 

    Cal Poly Humboldt junior, Mason Menna, has been biking his entire life and has raced enduro since middle school. He was repping a green and gold Cal Poly Humboldt jersey throughout the day, coming in first place for the Men’s 18-29 Expert Category, and 17th place overall with a time of 19 minutes and 50 seconds. 

    Photo courtesy of Taylor Chase. From left to right: Garret Hammack (2nd), Mason Menna (1st) and Gio Damonte (3rd) on the podium for the Expert Men 18-29 category.  Did you participate in the 2023 Mad River Enduro? Find your race photos here: https://www.chaseincolor.com/Mad-River-Enduro-2023 Follow Taylor Chase on Instagram @chaseincolor

    “Cal Poly Humboldt teams, straight dogs,” Menna said. “We’re always on the top. Don’t let anyone tell you different. I think we did really great today.” 

    The mountain biking trails in Blue Lake are not for the faint of heart. The initial, and steepest, climb was a 2.5 mile, 1,100 foot climb that took racers about an hour. After each slow climb was a quick descent, sometimes only taking racers a few minutes. The steepest downhill was in the fifth and final stage, with a slope of 25%. 

    Although the routes were tough, the weather was perfect and spirits were high. People crowded around singletracks beneath the redwoods and watched as racers whizzed by. 

    “It was riveting, action filled, death defying… I almost got hit by two riders,” said Hannah Flock, junior at Cal Poly Humboldt and spectator at the event. 

    Once every rider crossed the finish line, people headed over to Perigot Park for live music, food, drinks, podiums and a raffle.

    “I really had a lot of fun. This was my first enduro and I’m really excited to do the next one,” said Henry Grand, who placed seventh in the Men’s 18-29 Expert Category with a time of 22 minutes and three seconds.

    Grand is a Cal Poly Humboldt junior who is involved with the on-campus Bicycle Learning Center (BLC). The BLC is located next to the sports recreation building, underneath the stairs of the west gym, and is a great way to get involved with races like the Mad River Enduro. 

    “If you’re looking for some free bike maintenance, slide to the BLC,” Grand said. 

  • Cal Poly Humboldt’s lacrosse team celebrates 40 years

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s lacrosse team celebrates 40 years

    by Kae Dennert

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s Lacrosse team is celebrating its 40th year as an official club on campus. The team has grown in size to be the largest they have ever been, with nearly 30 members. They practice three days a week, yet still ensure that  their athletes can prioritize school and keep the sport fun. 

    Head Coach Danny Eggert has been a part of the team for the past three years and is excited about the growth of the team. He’s looking forward to the improvement of the team and wants to see the players do the best they can.

    “[The] goal [is] to win,” Eggart said. “To do better than before.”

    Eggart is proud of the team’s club status and has no plans to push for the team to be a part of the NCAA sports. For now, their club is to hang out and have fun, and not be a job for his athletes.

    Sophomore geology major and athlete Luca Ricci has been on the team since he came to Cal Poly Humboldt. Going into his second year, he is excited for the prospects of the upcoming season.

    “I’m on the lacrosse team because I love the teamwork,” Ricci said. “We have a brotherhood on and off the field.”

    Assistant Coach Gus Johnson himself used to be on the team from 2008-2011 and has been coaching since 2020. Though they are still early into their pre-season, he is excited for the competition coming into their upcoming season. 

    “It’s early, it’s the off-season,” Johnson said, “but playoffs are definitely the target this year.”

    The team only had four athletes graduate out last year, and have eight to ten coming in. Their main goal for this season is to make it to the playoffs,  try their best, while still having fun and making sure they aren’t overloading their students.

    “We try to respect that they’re students first, it’s college and we want them to have fun,” Johnson said. “It means a lot. These guys have been here forever and to be consistent and still fill the team, it really speaks to how much these students care about it and want to play.”

    With 40 years as a club, the team has made a name for themselves, continuing to grow and enjoy the space they have on campus. Anyone is welcome to join the club and can apply online under the recreational sports section of the Humboldt website.

    “Hopefully, we come out as a winning team to represent 40 years of hard work.” Eggart said. “We have possibly 30 right now on the roster, so having numbers on there is amazing.”

  • Humboldt County boasts beginner-friendly bike camping

    Humboldt County boasts beginner-friendly bike camping

    by Valen Lambert 

    Do you like riding your bike? Do you like camping? Why not both! Humboldt county is a great place for beginner bike tourists to hit the road for the weekend to camp in its plethora of campgrounds and extensive open land. 

    This summer I rode my bike up the coast from Arcata to Crescent City, a total of 80 miles. Any time I go on a bike trip, I often hear people express their desire to do the same but feel like it’s beyond their reach physically or financially. I felt this way until a few years ago, when a group of women at my local bike shop hosted a beginner bikepacking workshop and group ride. 

    I’ve always been a bike commuter, but the longer mileage was new to me at the time. They lent me the bike bags to store my camping supplies and gave me the assurance I needed to do the ride. I’ve been hooked ever since. To be totally reliant on my own body, with everything I need on my bike, is the most liberating feeling I’ve ever experienced in my short existence. 

    Photo by Valen Lambert.

    The first day of my Crescent City trip, I biked 40 miles up to Elk Prairie Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Many campgrounds have hike and bike sites for the less vehicular travelers and are as cheap as $5 a night. 40 miles may sound like a lot to some, but if you’re able-bodied, you’ll find that you’re more capable than you think you are.

     Think of it this way: on average, a 40 mile day is typically (depending on elevation gain) a four hour ride, mainly spent in awe of the surrounding beauty. Depending on the time of year, that gives you plenty of daylight to take the time you need. The bike does a lot of the work for you, given you have several gears. Pedaling for a while is trance-inducing enough to make you forget you might be hurting. If you require frequent or long breaks, or feel you need to walk your bike at any point, you have every right to. Take some time and get yourself an ice cream, a beer, whatever. You’ve earned it.

    The second day was the remainder of the 40 miles to Crescent City, where I stayed with a friend. Biking Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through Prairie Creek State Park was an unforgettable experience. Redwoods hundreds of feet tall swaying above, a lush and verdant old growth forest stretching in either direction. Going over Last Chance Grade was a bit of a mortality trip to say the least – heavily trafficked, steep, logging truck after logging truck and little to no shoulder. But when you go up a hill, you come down a hill, and that hill is long and electrifying. I had to clean off all the bugs flying into my big fat smile. 

    Crescent City is a place I never thought I’d be excited to talk about but alas, it’s in close proximity to some of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen on the California coast. The Smith River is the largest undammed river in California; clear, blue, and serene as can be. The Tolowa Dunes provided some enchanting and remote gravel-biking trails. The Pacific is not nearly as threatening of an ocean as it is at many of Humboldt’s beaches – in fact it was rather inviting. Will I live, love, and die in Crescent City? No. Would I write an article about it? Absolutely. 

    Photo by Valen Lambert.

    I don’t think I’d recommend biking to Crescent City for a total beginner, only because of The Grade, but don’t fret because there’s plenty more opportunities for bike-bumming. Sue-Meg State Park is only an easy-breezy 23 mile northerly ride from Arcata, with plenty of hiking and bike sites. Roughly 25 miles north of Arcata is Big Lagoon State Park, equipped with hike and bike sites along, well, a big lagoon. Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park sits on the beautiful Van Duzen River on Highway 36 and is a relatively flat 45 miles away.   

    First things first, you need a bike. Ideally with a rack on the back where you can hang your bags and strap whatever else on. Bike bags (AKA panniers) are pretty important, and can be found at Revolution Bicycles and Adventures Edge. You’ll also need some relatively lightweight camping gear. I personally just bring a down sleeping bag and an inflatable sleeping mat that I bungee on the top of my back rack, but some like to also pack a single-person backpacking tent. 

    Not sure if you want to drop some money on them yet? Check in with any camp or bike savvy friends of yours to see if you can borrow gear. Getting your hands on some bike bags and camping gear is your first step to freedom. The second step is to just start pedaling.   

  • Humboldt softball finishes season with home win

    Humboldt softball finishes season with home win

    by Jake Knoeller

    Originally printed May 5, 2023

    Spring break was an eventful one for the Cal Poly Humboldt softball team. After winning a non-conference series 3-1 at home against Central Washington University, they then hosted Dominican University of California in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, winning 5-0 and 8-0.

    This led them into the important conference series this past weekend at home against San Francisco State. It didn’t get off to a good start for Humboldt as they lost both games by one run on Friday.

    “I think everyone knew we should have beaten that team the first two games,” said pitcher Alyssa Smokey. 

    There was undoubtedly a different energy in the air on Saturday afternoon, as the Lumberjacks knew the pressure was on them to redeem themselves.

    “I think everyone’s energy changed the morning we walked in, everyone was more focused,” said Smokey. 

    The Jacks came out much stronger, putting on a show and winning 9-3 and 11-1 to split the season series. 

    In the first game, Shelby Shanks had two runs and two hits, while Katlyn Gifford had two hits and two RBI. Smokey led Humboldt’s hitting with three hits and took home the pitching win. In the second game, Shanks and Gifford had three RBI each, Micaela Harris scored three runs, and Ciera Pyle had three runs and two hits. Gaige Garcia took home the pitching win.

    “The senior leadership definitely had an impact on us winning because after the games on Friday, our seniors kind of talked to us,” said catcher and outfielder Julia Rivera. “They focused on the positives of it rather than the negatives, which I think is a big thing with our team.”

    Rivera also mentioned how the team played to have fun on Saturday rather than to win, and this helped them play their game the unique Humboldt way. 

    “If you can trust your teammates off the field, then your relationship on the field is gonna be totally magnified in a way,” said Rivera. “Compared to the rest of the CCAA, we’re different in a good way.”

    The team’s resilience they have shown as of late is something that has been built in and taught by their coaches.

    “This year has thrown us a lot of curveballs,” said head coach Shelli Sarchett. “We talk about it often as taking those curveballs and making them your pitch.”

    Smokey was named CCAA player of the week on Tuesday after an impressive statline over the last few games.

    “It’s an honor, like there’s a lot of good girls out there and I’ve played against some of the best,” said Smokey. “I couldn’t have done it without the rest of my team.”

    Sarchett mentioned Smokey’s continuing high effort in practice as a factor in her recent performances. 

    “She’s been really pushing herself and it’s starting to come into fruition for her and for us,” said Sarchett. 

    A series away from home against Sonoma State, the team ranked first in the conference, approaches for the Lumberjacks on Friday and Saturday at Seawolf Softball Field in Rohnert Park. Humboldt plays Friday at 1 P.M. and 3 P.M. and Saturday at 12 P.M. and 2 P.M.. 

    “I think Sonoma isn’t gonna really know what’s coming in because we’ve worked hard to get to where we are now,” said Rivera. “Sonoma’s gonna be good competition but it’s also gonna be a learning experience for us to pick up on how the top teams play and how we can mimic them in certain ways.”

    Humboldt is currently ranked eighth out of ten after having to play some very tough teams in the conference so far, and they are looked at as the underdog in this game. However, this gives them a nothing-to-lose mentality that can take teams a long way.

    “When you play with that mindset, it really encourages you to have fun,” said Rivera.

  • Humboldt Lacrosse Season Comes To An End

    by Jake Knoeller

    Originally printed April 26, 2023

    The Cal Poly Humboldt lacrosse team saw their season come to an end last Friday in a 16-10 loss at the Redwood Bowl against the Southern Oregon University Raiders. 

    Southern Oregon jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Humboldt had spells where they seemed to get back into the game, but these runs would be halted before getting very threatening. However, these moments did spark some life into the players and the fans. 

    “I think our team’s biggest strength is how close everyone is and how well we faced major adversity,” said senior goaltender Zack Gamble. “We never once broke down and started bickering or getting down on each other.”

    Freshman attacker Ben Jasinski scored nine goals during the game, which tied the team record from 1989. The Hogs scored eight goals in total in their previous season. 

    “Ben’s a cheat code,” said Humboldt assistant coach Augustus Johnson. “His performance this last weekend against SOU just solidifies that.”

    In the end, the Raiders scored four times in each quarter and cruised to their second win of the season.

    “It was a hard game and the boys all played their hardest until the final whistle and showed great sportsmanship,” said senior defender Brandon Nordenstrom.

    The Hogs finished their season with a 1-5 record and their one win against UC Santa Cruz in early March, their first win over the school in 10 years. This was an improvement from finishing 0-7 in the 2022 season. 

    “It was my last game so it was very bittersweet,” said Gamble. “We’ve spent the last three years rebuilding but finally have a solid foundation to work with.”

    The Spring 2024 season is going to be the team’s 40th season. They will look to take another step forward with an extremely young squad.

    “We’re hoping it’s going to signal a new era for the team,” said Gamble. “It’ll be the same old Hogs, but hopefully in the win column a lot more.”

    A lengthy offseason awaits the Hogs as they have a chance to build on the progress they have already made.

    “I’m really excited to see how we start next season off,” said Nordenstrom. “I have no doubt that our freshman team captain, Ben Jasinski, will take charge of the young Hogs and show most of these guys what hard work and dedication earns you.”

  • Records broken and lists rewritten as track team enters post-season competition

    Records broken and lists rewritten as track team enters post-season competition

    by Jake Knoeller

    Originally printed April 26, 2023

    The Cal Poly Humboldt track team is having an impressive season this year, with their accomplishments ranging from broken records to nationally ranked squads.

    “This season has been a breakthrough year for our program with several national provisional marks and national event squad rankings across multiple disciplines,” said junior 800 meter runner Julian Jensen.

    The most recent example of success for Humboldt was their last regular season meet this year, the Raider Invite at Southern Oregon University up in Ashland, Oregon. 

    Joy Hano broke a school record for the women that had been held for 33 years during one of the Southern California meets from the weekend before. Hano ran the 100m hurdles in 13.96 seconds. The record was previously a 14.06 run by Clara Trigg.

    Another notable trend for the Lumberjacks recently has been the success of their men’s 800 meter squad, which is currently nationally ranked. 800 meters is almost half of a mile, which means the runners need to have endurance and speed to stand out.

    “We have four runners who specialize in the 800 and we have had a successful season so far,” said Jensen. “After the Humboldt Invitational, we were ranked third in the nation out of about 200 Division II schools with a four main average of 1:53.10.”

    One of these runners is Aris Valerio, a junior who has mainly been focusing on the 800 and is currently sixth on the top ten all time list for Humboldt.

    “Personally, I feel like I need to lead the middle distance guys,” said Valerio. “They are basically my sons at this point, and I’m holding their hands to continuing greatness in the 800.”

    Valerio is two seconds away from breaking the 800 school record and is confident about what the future holds. 

    This squad has received praise from runners that take part in other events, including Carson Smith, a junior who is the fastest current 1500 meter and 5k runner at Humboldt.

    “Our 1500 squad, along with our 800 squad, is really strong and really deep, so we have enough people that can focus on that event at our conference championships to secure us some points,” said Smith. 

    With great speed comes great responsibility and Humboldt runners take this in stride. 

    “When you’re fast, everyone kinda has to look at you, so to use that position and do my best to set a good example is something I really strive for,” said Smith. “It’s something I didn’t really have my first couple years.”

    The Jacks will now carry their focus into CCAA conference championships and look for more success.

    “This team has taken big steps into becoming a good team in the future,” said Valerio. “Last season we started something that is only getting better.”

  • Women’s volleyball club is being formed at Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Jake Knoeller and Dezmond Remington

    For the first time, a women’s club volleyball team is being formed at Cal Poly Humboldt.

    The idea was brought up when a large number of women were consistently attending the men’s practices, including student Sophie Collins. Collins has been playing volleyball for eight years, but stopped when she came to Humboldt. 

    “When I came here, I didn’t play on the school team,” said Collins. “But I really wanted to keep playing volleyball. And so when I was walking around [at] a table event, I saw [a sign that said] men’s and women’s club volleyball and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,  this is so awesome.’ So I talked to them, and I signed up.”

    Interest from athletes has been intense. 

    “Once we started getting more women who wanted to play, we figured we should make a club team,” said team staff advisor Marissa Holguin.

    Holguin is a former coach for the men’s club team. Now, she is going to help with the women’s team, which is still working on recruiting.

    “We started our process last fall, but during the first year it’s all probationary,” said team president Noelani Araujo. “This is just setting the foundation up for next year.”

    The team plans on getting more games and scrimmages set up during Fall 2023. To join any real tournaments, they need a bigger budget. According to members of the team, the process has been rocky. The nascent team has big dreams; they want to go south and compete with teams like UC Davis, Reno, and St. Mary’s, but they’re hamstrung by budget constraints. The club is currently on a probationary period, which prevents them from getting club funding. It also makes reserving the gym to practice difficult. 

    “We kind of had it going for a little bit and then it got kind of weird with getting the space to actually play and getting people who are interested to show up,” Collins said. “We’ve kind of decided to rethink our methods.”

    The team is open to every skill level. The club is looking to recruit lots of new members heading into fall if they are able to commit to practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8 pm. Their first season will be spring 2024. Interested athletes should contact @hsu_womensvolley on Instagram. Their email is wclubvolleyhsu@gmail.com.

    “We want to get started making a team and getting a sense of community,” said Araujo. “Not necessarily getting competitive, but building on that team feeling.”

  • Student takes home “Belle of the Woods” title in timber sports competition

    Student takes home “Belle of the Woods” title in timber sports competition

    by Lidia Grande-Ruiz

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s Logging team shined yet again at the SCLC competition, held in the Shasta District Fair & Event Center located in Anderson, CA just south of Redding.

    SCLC (Sierra Cascade Logging Conference) is one of the largest Forest Products and Construction Equipment Expositions out there. In addition to being a competition, it also helps young people interested in logging, forestry, and related fields to meet professionals in the industry. Not just make them better loggers, but also make connections which will help them get jobs during or after college.

    “SCLC provides the community and students of all ages the opportunity to learn about the forestry industry,” said Vice President Zoey “Dozer” Cardoza. “In addition, SCLC is a huge sponsor for our team.” 

    She’s majoring in forestry with a concentration in forest operations.

    The team holds alumni breakfast to network with Humboldt alumni in the industry.

    The conference consisted of three days: The first day of practice with professionals within the industry, the second day of breakfast with the alumni, and a third day with competition. 

    The competition consisted of various categories: Jack and Jill, Double and Single Buck, Horizontal Speed Chop, AX Throw, Choker Setting, and Stock Saw. Each team member shined in each category to the best of their abilities showing off what they learned not just from practice but also from the local professionals. 

    One moment when this was proven was when Equipment manager Cassanda Renteria (Forestry in Forest Operations) took the title Belle of the Woods, which is given to the highest female competitor overall in each discipline. 

    “I was lucky enough to be placed in 3 first [place] and 1 second [place.]” said Renteria. “I was really stoked and grateful that I got the opportunity to showcase all my best events. It’s a great feeling when all the hard work you put in pays off in the end.”

    Competition was very fierce as everyone wanted to showcase what they practiced so hard for. 

    “My goal for the competition was to help my teammates win,” said fellow team member Ed Laskey, Forestry major with a concentration in Wildland Fire Management. “One of my teammates Cass was doing all her events back to back and she ended up winning all of them and then she had to do like a face off pretty much against the second fastest person in her events and we were all getting pretty stressed out because she was getting tired. We were getting worried she was going to pass out but she made it through.” 

    “The biggest thing for us from SCLC since we have the supervision of these professional timbersports athletes is we are trying to get the most experience we can,” says President Austin Nolan (Wildlife Conservation Management). “So we are not necessarily out there to win the most points in the table.”

    CPH ended up being tied with Oregon State. The CPH Logging Team is expected to compete in the AWFC on April 11-16th in Corvallis, OR hosted by Oregon State University.

  • Crew teams sweep at Humboldt Bay regatta

    Crew teams sweep at Humboldt Bay regatta

    by Alina Ferguson and Jake Knoeller

    While the weather may have appeared bleak, spirits were high at the April 1 Cal Poly Humboldt men’s and women’s crew home regatta at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center. Both the teams completed a “clean sweep,” winning every event they took part in.

    “We did pretty good,” said Adrineh Smith, a freshman rower on the women’s team. “We were doing pretty good at holding our splits, which is our speed, and we did a really good job with something that we’ve been working on recently, just shifting our stroke rate from regular to a sprint and vice versa.”

    While it was wet and rainy, importantly it was not windy. The rowers row through rain and shine, but the one thing that would be a concern is the wind, as it could potentially tip the boat. 

    The events began at 8 a.m., but this did not stop supporters from showing up for the Lumberjacks. Fans from all over the school came to watch these rowers take on Chico and Sonoma State’s club teams as well as Saint Mary’s, a Division 1 school in California. The Humboldt men’s rowing crew is a club sport, while womens’ crew is a NCAA division team. 

    The regatta took place at the Marina in Eureka, which meant the rowers also had to contend with other ships and boats going by. The rowers were accompanied by speed boats that were there to track them to make sure they did not veer off course. Another one of these boats was there to guide out other boats from clashing with the rowers.

    “It’s really awesome seeing everyone come out especially because it’s raining and it’s cold,” said Midalia Garcia, a freshman rower and coxswain on the women’s team. “They didn’t have to get up that early, but they came to support us.”

    The men’s crew team has a chant that sounds like a fog horn calling its rowers home. When Humboldt rowed, the crowds would chant a long, “Huuuuuuumboldt.” 

    Photo by Alex Anderson | Cal Poly Humboldt women’s rowing team hoist’s boat over their heads while heading back to the staging area at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center.
    Photo by Alex Anderson | Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rowing team pulling up to the dock following the men’s open 8 race on April 1.
    Photo by Alex Anderson | Klie Mosley waves to nearby fans following the women’s V4 race.

    There are different types of boats: the 4, 8, double and single. Their naming refers to the number of rowers in the boat. For the 4 and 8, they have what is known as the coxswain.

    The coxswain does not row, but they steer the boat. They sit at either the bow or stern of the boat, depending on the size. They are connected via a microphone and speakers that run alongside the boat. The coxswain is the one that gives them direction, where to turn, when to go faster or slower, etc. 

    Garcia rowed in the 8 and coxed the 4, making for a busy day. 

    “As being a coxswain, I’m pretty much the eyes and ears of my boat,” said Garcia. “I’m keeping track of their speed, I’m telling them the distance we are from the other boats, I’m trying to motivate them, and I’m trying to also work with them on their technique to make sure that they’re rowing effectively.”

    Peter Yaskowitz has been a member of the men’s crew for 2 years. 

    “It is my new favorite thing to do,” he said. “It is addicting.”

    Humboldt’s success often comes from the desire to win, not only for themselves but for their supporters.

    “We were just talking before we went out about how this is our home course and we really wanted to make our fans proud,” said Malia Seeley, a senior rower on the women’s team.

    They did just that, building more excitement for the future.

    “It just makes me really excited for the rest of the years, even next year and the years forward,” said Ellie Walters, a freshman rower on the women’s team. “I’m excited to win.”

  • Humboldt basketball teams look to turn losing streak around in final games

    Humboldt basketball teams look to turn losing streak around in final games

    By Jake Knoeller

    College basketball is complicated. The CCAA men’s conference is anything but predictable. As of late, this has not worked in Cal Poly Humboldt’s favor. 

    Currently, the women’s team is on a five game losing streak. They are placed ninth in the conference out of twelve schools, and are eliminated from conference tournament contention, as the top six teams make it in, all of which have already been decided.

    That being said, there is also a positive side to the team’s situation. With this being their first time together as almost an entirely brand new team, it can’t be expected that everything will click immediately. They luckily have an offseason to improve with returning players. 

    “We didn’t have any seniors on our roster this year,” said head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. “There’s a lot of thought that’s gonna go into this offseason on how we can get better for next year.” 

    As for right now, the focus is simply on becoming a better basketball team. They travel to play Cal State San Marcos, a nationally ranked opponent, on Thursday. On Saturday they play at Cal State LA.

    With only pride to play for at this point, Humboldt has an opportunity to play quality opponents without the pressure and bring two good showings to close out this season.

    “We have everything to gain and nothing to lose going into these last two games on the road,” said Bento-Jackson. “You don’t always get opportunities to play ranked teams and we should be happy about that.”

    The men’s team is a different story. They await the biggest games of their season away from home this coming weekend, also facing San Marcos on Thursday and LA on Saturday. 

    The Lumberjacks exited a four game home stand on a three game losing streak. Two days after a close win against Cal State East Bay on Feb. 9, in which Malek Davis made the go-ahead shot with 40 seconds to go, Humboldt lost in overtime to Cal State Dominguez Hills.  This was a heartbreaker that left many fans and players wondering what went wrong in a very winnable game.

    The following weekend, Humboldt led by as many as 14 against nationally ranked Cal State San Bernardino. They lost by one point. 

    This game was a head scratcher for several reasons. Not only had Humboldt led the whole game and been the better team, they also gave up seven straight points to close the game and lost an opportunity to significantly increase their conference tournament hopes.

    “I thought we controlled the game and dominated for 39 minutes and 20 seconds,” said head coach Tae Norwood. “Credit to San Bernardino for pulling this one out.”

    Two days later, a home loss against Pomona added significance to this final weekend of the season for the Jacks.

    Humboldt still sits at third in the conference out of twelve schools, currently holding tiebreakers over San Francisco State and Sonoma State, teams with the same 10-10 conference record as the Lumberjacks. Six schools are racing for the final four conference tournament spots.

    A minimum of one win this weekend would give them a very good chance to qualify for the conference tournament, depending on what happens with other teams. Winning both games would keep them in third place going into the tournament. Momentum is also an important factor at this time of a season.

    “The team that’s the hottest late in the year is usually the team that wins the conference tournament, pending that all the teams are beatable,” said Norwood. “The league’s wide open.”

    If there’s a time to turn it around, that time is now. The Jacks have a golden opportunity to earn a berth in the conference tournament.

  • The weightlifting club returns to Cal Poly Humboldt campus

    by Jazmin Pacheco

    For anyone that has a passion for fitness and lifting weights, I have exciting news for you. There is a semi-new weightlifting club that will return to campus. It’s a club that was around a few years ago when the football program was around. Shortly after the last football game in 2018, the club was discontinued because many members either moved away or graduated. 

    “We’re trying to restart that but different,” club vice president/treasurer Ian Blank said, referring to the previous club. “There’s still posters around the school, especially the gym, that say Lumberjack Iron.”

    A few students who shared a love for fitness recently came together and were inspired to start the club back again. Josh Ting, who is currently the president of the club, along with Blank, took on the responsibility to initiate the club and informed their friends and other gym fanatics about the club. 

    “I wanted to do something that would create that community and help people like me, who were beginners, and wanted to feel more confident in themselves going to the gym,” Blank said.

    To preserve some of the club’s history they have decided to keep the original club name: Lumberjack Iron. 

    Although the new board members have decided to keep the original club name, they are open and flexible to new ideas from current and any new members for the club itself. They are accepting of any new changes that will make a positive impact to the fitness community. 

    Brianna Reynolds, secretary of the new Lumberjack Iron club, mentioned she’s happy to be part of the club because she likes the idea of having a community, where people with any level of expertise can hangout and workout together. 

      “As a beginner at the gym it’s really scary,” Reynolds said. “I think it’s important to have a community where you feel safe and when you are trying something new like that.”

    Reynolds recently started weightlifting. She mentioned some of the reasons she turned to fitness was she wanted to feel stronger, healthier, and more confident.

    “My experience with lifting, it was also a scary experience,” Blank said. “I remember when I first started going to the gym, I would have mini anxiety attacks as I was driving to the gym.”

    Similar to Reynolds, Blank also said he wanted to feel more confident, going to the gym and the experience he developed through weightlifting has helped him. That’s another reason he wanted to create that supportive community on campus.

    There currently isn’t a limit to how many members can join Lumberjack Iron. The club welcomes anyone who is interested and passionate about weight lifting. Even to those who have never worked out but would love to start. All fitness levels are welcome to join.

    The club plans to meet about two times a month, so those with busy schedules won’t have to worry about an intense commitment level as a member. 

    “We’ll definitely do other things like making sure we’re talking to people in the club and asking if they have any questions,” Alexa Hellman, secretary of the Lumberjack Iron, said. “For example, is there anything you want input on? Do you want a spotter? Do you want us to check your form?”

    Hellman said communication amongst all members in the club is important because it allows each individual to get the support they need. 

    “It’s a good way to connect and share each other’s fitness journey,” Hellman said. “I think a lot of people workout when they are experiencing depression because I’ve also experienced that. I’ve realized that exercising has helped me a lot to fight depressive symptoms.”

    Other reasons she feels that the weightlifting club can be beneficial for others is to help them feel more productive, gain more energy throughout the day, and give them a reason to get out of bed on those days that they don’t feel like it.

    “I think it’s helped us all, in terms of our mental health,” Hellman said. 

    Gaining confidence, increasing knowledge of lifting, and making people feel more comfortable at the gym are also things Hellman hopes others can get from being a part of the club. 

    Overall the vision for the club is to empower, support, uplift others, and help others feel more confident.

  • Humboldt Men’s Volleyball Steals Win With Quick Turnaround

    by Jake Knoeller and Lidia Grande-Ruiz

    Despite various moments during the game that made it look like the Lumberjacks were going to lose, Humboldt scored a win against University of San Francisco at Lumberjack Arena on Saturday. The final score was 3 sets to 1. 

    Pre-game warmups between the USF Dons and the Jacks were on opposite sides of the net. Tensions were high and felt between each team before the game began. 

    The Jacks were feeling it in the warmups but slowly started to feel frustrated when they lost in the first set.

    “In the first set, they were just very cold,” said head coach Gabriel Munoz. “The first set is one that doesn’t go too well sometimes, but after that they really pick their energy up.”

    At the start of the second set the Jacks started to pick it up. They were comfortably able to even the set score at 1-1.

    During the break after two sets, crowds were invited to come out and play on the court. Whoever hit a player with the ball got a free t-shirt. Students and adults alike gave it a try. Shirt or no shirt winning, the hype was definitely felt from the crowd by the time the third set began. Warm energy from the crowd gave Humboldt a confidence boost that helped them win the third set. 

    “I loved having people shout my number and cheer us on as we worked for our win,” said Jacks player Sean Ahern. “I’m grateful for everyone that came out.”

    Jacks players joked around and twerked on the court whenever they scored a win which earned a laugh from the audience. USF Dons on the opposing side looked and laughed with weird stares. 

    By the time the fourth game was starting, Humboldt showed that even if the beginning does not start out how one wishes, with perseverance and support, they can eventually end up winning in the end. 

    That’s exactly what they did, winning a close set and getting that third victory they needed to finish off the game.

    “We kinda just learned what we liked and built energy off every hit,” said Jacks teammate Ian Macdonald. “I think it’s gonna bring momentum into our games next weekend.” 

    The Jacks play in the Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League in the North Tier Division 2. Other teams in their division include University of San Francisco, Saint Mary’s College, UC Davis B, and University of Nevada-Reno B. 

    “The upcoming season is going to be fun. I enjoyed myself personally. It was a fun game so I am very excited,” said Jacks player Cody Kangas.

    Humboldt has a tournament coming up next week where they get to face every team in their league. Their next home game will be Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. against University of Nevada-Reno B. 

    “It’ll be a fun tournament,” said Munoz. 

    A good bond between teammates and dedicated coaches keeps this team motivated.

    “Gabe is a great coach who is dedicating his time to us for nothing more than his own enjoyment,” said Ahern. “It’s a joy and pleasure to be around him and the others when we’re playing.”

  • Luke Fisher plays five hours of pool a day

    Luke Fisher plays five hours of pool a day

    by Jake Knoeller

    If you’ve ever stopped by the Student Activities Center to play pool on campus, you have most likely seen Luke Fisher, who has become somewhat of a celebrity at Cal Poly Humboldt in his first year here.

    Fisher is known for his extroverted personality and almost always having a pool cue in his hand.

    “Luke is just here so often, it’s kind of impossible to not see him if you come here every now and then,” said Dremaine Boyd Jr., a newcomer to pool who likes to play socially. “It’s kind of infectious because it makes you want to play more.”

    It is almost a surprise not to see Fisher if you are in the pool table area, meaning he is usually eating or getting some work done instead. If you strike up a conversation with him, he is pretty much always up for a game of pool with anybody.

    “I’d say he is here 95% of the time I’m here,” said Chance Arendt, a friend of Fisher’s who also plays pool on campus regularly.

    Fisher has always played a little bit of pool, but started playing every day last semester. He spends about five hours playing in a day when he has the time.

    “I think I’m one of the few who doesn’t ever get bored of it,” said Fisher.

    According to Fisher, he has really good luck when playing pool. His record for pockets in a row is six and he wants to reach eight in a row at some point because a few of his friends have. He hopes to continue improving.

    “I’m hoping maybe I can get as good as Efren Reyes, but that’s gonna take a long, long time because he’s the best pool player ever,” said Fisher. “If I can get better than Cole Insalaco I’ll be happy because he’s the best on campus.”

    Fisher is majoring in journalism with a news concentration. He is from the Central Coast and has lived there since 2014. If there is one thing Fisher loves doing as much as pool, it’s showing off the tattoo he has of Nicki Minaj at the bottom of his leg.

    “I think Luke is the most social person I’ve ever met,” said Arendt. “He really cares about everyone.”

    Luke Fisher is unapologetically himself, which is one of the reasons why many people enjoy being around him. He intends to continue working towards his goals in the game of pool. 

    “He has something that he’s working towards, which is pretty remarkable,” said Boyd.

  • Women’s rugby returns to practice after long hiatus

    By Jake Knoeller

    Cal Poly Humboldt has a women’s rugby team for the first time since 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and some conflicts with the school kept them off the field for multiple years, but they are finally practicing again.

    The team has practiced a total of six times in 2023, and despite their low amount of time playing together, the connections are good within the team.

    “There’s a lot of relationship growth going on since our first practice,” said head coach Catalina León. “They’re finding their love for the sport.”

    The team currently has just over 10 players, but León is hoping to extend their roster to at least 20 players.

    “We have a small group now, but they’ve been coming consistently,” said León. “They’re really grasping the concept of the game and the skills needed.”

    The enthusiasm was clearly present as Humboldt practiced on Monday night under the lights at Redwood Bowl, joking around and getting started on warmup drills upon arrival.

    “We’re happy to be back,” said centre Courtney Campuzano. “I’m excited to see how the new season is gonna be.” 

    Their first game is not scheduled yet, however there is speculation of some friendly games coming soon.

    “We have a lot of new players so we’re gonna have some friendly games going on,” said Campuzano. “We might do a tournament in Oregon.”

    The Cal Poly Humboldt women’s rugby team practices at Redwood Bowl, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays. 

    “I encourage anyone who is interested to stop by even if you just want to learn more about the sport or team, you do not have to commit to us,” said fly-half Zelaya Ceja. “So far we have had lots of new faces that are sticking with the sport and are hungry to learn more.”

    This team has a welcoming nature that is evident just from being around any of their practices.

    “Community is a big part of rugby,” said Ceja. “It brings me joy knowing Humboldt women’s rugby is finally welcome back on campus.”

    The first season back is viewed as a rebuild for Humboldt and the beginning of a potential-filled future.

    “We’re looking forward to rebuilding the team and just hoping to have more players who enjoy working out and being part of a team sport,” said León.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt rugby team makes history with national championship win

    Cal Poly Humboldt rugby team makes history with national championship win

    The Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rugby team brought home the Small College National Championship for the first time in their history at AVEVA Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. 

    The Lumberjacks defeated the Wayne State College Wildcats, from Wayne, Nebraska, with a 20-15 final score. 

    Humboldt was considered the underdog team going into the final, but their relentless pressure led them to a 15-0 halftime lead. The lead would eventually become 20-3, and despite an attempted Wildcat comeback, the Lumberjacks would experience victory at the sound of the final whistle. 

    “We had a good group of guys and we had the talent that we needed to win the championship, but when I kicked the ball out to end the game, it was just such a crazy feeling,” said fly-half Dante Cappellano. “I just ran around, basically hugging everybody.”

    Cappellano had a huge role in the team’s success this season, calling the plays and kicking the ball to teammates or out of bounds.

    The ability to kick the ball out as far down the field as possible is a very useful tactic in rugby, one that Humboldt used to their advantage this season. 

    “That’s how we defeated teams, especially in the postseason,” said Cappellano. “We definitely used that a lot.”

    The Lumberjacks finished the season undefeated, and only got scored on by one team during the regular season, in a game where they defeated Oregon State 24-9. Humboldt’s best margin of victory was their 102-0 win over Cal State Monterey Bay to close out the regular season. This gave them a lot of momentum going into the playoffs.

    “We were trying not to score towards the end of the game and it still just happened,” said Cappellano. 

    Their playoff run would end with what they envisioned as a dream at the beginning of the season: a national championship.

    “It is definitely fulfilling for myself and the coaching staff, but more importantly, for these athletes to see how their commitment and hard work has paid off,” said head coach Greg Pargee. 

    According to many involved, this team was more than just some guys playing rugby. It was a brotherhood.

    “All the guys get on so well with each other,” said flanker Cooper Alan. “You’d go down to breakfast and it didn’t matter who it was, you were sitting with your brothers on the rugby team, everyone was welcome and no one was ever alone.”

    Alan grew up playing rugby in Australia and joined the team late into the season, but was still welcomed with open arms.

    “I came out to watch their night game in the redwood bowl and there was just a feeling in the air,” said Alan.

    The positive energy on the team was another huge factor in their successful season. Everyone getting along off the field led to on-the-field chemistry. All season, the team break before heading onto the field was ‘family.’

    “That helped us just solidify that family aspect,” said Cappellano. “I loved every single one of those guys out there.”

    This is a young team that is going to have a lot of returners next year, which gives them hopes and potential for a repeat. For now though, they get to enjoy the pride that their hard work earned them.

    “I just want to thank the coaches and everybody else who helped us out there,” said Cappellano.