The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: Sports

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Women’s Soccer Makes Playoffs For The First Time Since 2006

    Cal Poly Humboldt Women’s Soccer Makes Playoffs For The First Time Since 2006

    by Jake Knoeller

    It is a sunny fall afternoon on Thursday, Oct. 27; Coach Grant Landy is getting water dumped on him by his players as the final whistle sounds. His 400th win as a head coach is official.

    The 1-0 home victory over Chico State, along with other results around the league favoring Cal Poly Humboldt’s women’s soccer team, means they found a way in. They had clinched a spot in the playoffs on the final day of the season, and they would have a bigger game to play after the regular season for the first time since 2006.

    This matchup was never going to be an easy one for the Lumberjacks, with most of the game being very physical. It involved both teams keeping a balance of looking to get the first goal and go ahead, but also stay back enough to protect their net.

    In minute 65, Humboldt found their breakthrough. Forward Kylea Becker stepped up to take a corner kick from the right side, and the low ball into the box found the feet of Humboldt defender Megan Janikowski. Janikowski’s goal, her first of the season, was the difference between the teams in the end. 

    The cheers from the players and the crowd were deafening as the team rushed the field to celebrate after the final whistle. Coaches and athletic staff had their phones out checking the scores around the league to make sure they had made the playoffs for sure.

    “I remember we all ran together for a huge group hug and started chanting,” said defender Abby Borg. “The energy was electric and it was so fun to be a part of that historical moment.”

    When the news broke that the results had gone in Humboldt’s favor, Landy announced it to his players and the celebrations rang out. This playoff berth was something they worked tirelessly for. 

    “I’m so proud of the players for their effort today and for the entire season,” said Landy in an interview with Humboldt Athletics. “Today was a culmination of a lot of hard work, perseverance, and belief.”

    The women’s soccer team also managed to go undefeated at home this season, with a 6-0-3 record.

    After this win to finish off the regular season, the Jacks would travel to Chico for their playoff game. This matchup being a rematch was a result of seeding, with Chico finishing fourth and Humboldt finishing fifth. 

    The game in Chico was another tough battle for Humboldt, but this time they didn’t come out on top. A difficult second half had Humboldt trailing 1-0, when Grace Johnson got into the penalty area and found her teammate Jysabella Tolentino to level the score at 1-1.

    After conceding again in overtime, a 2-1 loss brought Humboldt’s season to a close.

    “On one hand, it was hard losing to a team we knew we could beat, we did it just days before. It was a bummer losing out so fast in the tournament,” said goalkeeper Carson Thomson-Terrel. “But on the flip side, I was so proud of everyone.”

    Although this meant the end to the season, the team’s strides forward this year were undeniable, and they are left with many positive memories.

    “I was really proud of how we responded to get the equalizing goal in the second half,” said Landy in an interview with Humboldt Athletics. “This team has been resilient all year and their work rate and belief was tremendous today.”

    Players have spoken about how Coach Landy influenced them in positive ways throughout the season. 

    “As a team, it is pretty obvious that Grant has really helped the program grow and improve,” said Thomson-Terrel. “He’s a great coach as well as a good mentor.”

    Borg just completed her first full season of conference play after tearing her ACL freshman year and credits Landy for helping her get back on track despite her injury. . 

    “He never counted me out and pushed me to be the best player that I can be,” said Borg. 

    An offseason of hard work awaits both Lumberjack soccer teams. There are a lot of promising starts to build on in 2023, and many things to be proud of. 

  • Inaugural Women’s Triathlon season wraps up

    by Dezmond Remington

    On Nov. 12, 2022, the Cal Poly Humboldt Women’s triathlon team competed in their first ever national championship in Tempe, Ariz, taking 12th out of 12 teams. It was a historic season to say the least; the first season ever for this team, the first time ever competing in triathlon for most of the athletes, and the first national championship for the program. 

    It was a hectic season, and will probably be the only season like it, according to head coach Kinsey Laine. 

    “I think it will look very different next season,” Laine said. “Some of the attitudes and characteristics of the team that we have now that I hope stay are bravery and the ‘yes’ attitudes that [the athletes] showed in terms of, ‘Oh, I’ve never tried this, but I’ll give it a try.’”

    An eager-to-learn attitude defined the season. No athletes on the team came from a pure triathlon background and everyone had things they needed to learn.  According to athlete Emilie Cates, expectations at first were low and kept rising. Over the course of the season, athletes learned skills such as proper swimming technique, using clipless pedals, or even just learning how to ride a road bike altogether. However, these experiences were not just individual gains. 

    “Just seeing the people around me and their growth is always helping [me] to learn more too,” Cates said. “You can learn off of each other. It’s just been an overall pretty positive experience.” 

    Teammate Elizabeth Odell shares this sentiment.

    “I think it’s kind of fun! I’m glad we’re, in a way, all in the same boat, kind of figuring it out together,” Odell said. “But also interesting to see because we have our strengths and most of us have one sport that we’re strong at and we give each other advice and teach each other about that sport we specialize in.”

    There were quite a few setbacks as well. Transportation to faraway competitions in Oregon, Missouri, and Colorado were very difficult to get to. Administrative holdups, such as requiring lifeguards at every practice involving open-water swimming, hindered the progression of the athletes. 

    At one competition, only one competitor from Cal Poly Humboldt finished the race after they were lapped by Division 1 athletes they were racing. Rules in the emerging sport of women’s triathlon are complex and oftentimes labyrinthine, such as a ru

    le about helmet placements during the transition between the bike and the run legs. It can be appealed, but if lost it’s a $50 fine and a disqualification from the race. 

    Even though Humboldt is a DII school, the team competed against DIII schools several times as well as some DI schools, ranked among the best in the nation. Against such competitors, defeat, while not guaranteed, is far more likely. 

    “It was cool to see just how fast people can be,” Odell said. “But I also had to take a step back and be like ‘OK, this is the…equivalent of learning how to mountain bike and then a couple months later trying to race UCI events’, but it definitely surprised me.”

    Despite all the woes, it will be a season looked back on fairly fondly. Cates recalled the night before the race in Missouri at their “safari cabin” and eating pasta out on the porch listening to Laine talk about her own past. Odell’s favorite part of the season was open-water swimming out in the bay. 

    “It’s super cool being out there because I used to think those people that go open water swimming in the bay are kind of crazy,” Odell said. “And now we’re out there doing it. And it was really fun…but also kind of scary with the jellyfish.”

    Nationals will be a proving ground for the team, who are excited to hopefully flesh out a season with many ups and downs with a resounding success. 

    “I’m really excited for that opportunity,” Laine said. “We have competed against the toughest teams in the country for our last two races. Just the chance for them to shine and show what they’ve done, and just be really proud of how far they’ve come.”

  • Cal Poly Humboldt softball alumni return to where it all started

    Cal Poly Humboldt softball alumni return to where it all started

    by Vanessa Saltos

    Ball is pitched. The crack of the bat echoes around the trees. The ball soars through the air and lands in the right center gap. Standing on second base is Izzy Starr clapping her hands and the crowd is cheering.

    “I honestly was kind of nervous, because that’s a hall of famer right there [alumni pitcher Lizzy Prescott], so I was a little nervous,” Starr said. “But I was just excited to be out there amongst all these awesome people, awesome players.” 

    On Oct. 8, the university had its annual Cal Poly Humboldt Softball Alumni Game. This event has been going on since the late 80s and it brings past and present Humboldt softball players together to play the sport they all love.

    Head Humboldt softball coach Shelli Sarchett explains that this event is about connecting the old with the new.

    “It’s really just connecting the old with the new and have a chance for the alumni to talk about their experiences, and the hardships, and the fun that they went through, and relate to the newcomers, and help them with their journey,” Sarchett said. 

    The game started at noon on the Humboldt softball field and went for nine innings. The teams were split with current CPH softball players on one team and alumni on the other. A total of about 25 alumni were in attendance, this is about half compared to years past. According to Coach Sarchett the Hall of Fame Dinner that is the night before typically has an impact on attendance. 

    “It really just depends on the year, I think next year will be different because next year the 2008 National Championship team will go in, so I think there will be more people that will come back,” Sarchett said. 

    For pitcher Emily McAdams, this is her first ever alumni game. She was from the graduating class of 2022. She felt an unsaid pressure due to her playing against her old teammates but enjoyed seeing everyone again. McAdams also had a chance to meet alumni for the first time. 

    “It was really cool cause I honestly didn’t really know any of them since I came here during COVID and I didn’t really know much about Humboldt before I committed here and played here,” McAdams said. “So it was really cool to be able to interact with them, and ask them when they played here and all of that, and just hear about their stories.”

    For Starr it was her second time playing in this event. This is her fourth year at the university. The event allowed her to reconnect with old teammates. 

     “I think my favorite moment was just seeing all my old teammates,” Starr said. “All three of them just made a huge impact on my life, and I just miss seeing them and getting to see them play.”

    The final score was CPH 18, alumni 3.

  • Cheer team builds pyramids, team spirit

    Cheer team builds pyramids, team spirit

    by Dezmond Remington

    The Cal Poly Humboldt Cheer team is a club team, both traveling to compete in cheer competitions and cheering at sports events on campus. Co-captain Kristi Hernandez has been with the team for three years, and competes as a main base. She’s been cheering since she was 12 years old, and says the best part is definitely the sense of competition.

    “It’s hard. You’re really nervous because you know your parents, your friends, your family, the other team you’re competing against, [they’re] probably watching you,” Hernandez said. “And the minute you step on the stage, for me, I completely forget there’s an audience. I zone out, and the only thing that’s on the mat are me, my team, and the judges. You don’t really see anything offstage either because of how bright the lights are. It’s a two minute and 30 second routine… it feels like a second, it happens so fast.”

    And it is the team that keeps the experience fun and morale high. Hernandez said her favorite memory was at a cheer camp over the summer, where they practiced with squads from other schools that are much larger than Humboldt’s squad of ten. At the end of the camp, they managed to perform just as well as the larger schools.

    “I was just really proud of everybody because I knew all of us went home with bruises and a lot of happiness and a lot of jokes,” Hernandez said. “A lot of everything. It was great.”

    Freshman flyer Jaellian Waite-Kerns feels similarly. She started cheering in seventh grade after her mother, who also cheered, introduced her to it, and she fell in love with the sport instantly. 

    “[My favorite part] is that teammate camaraderie, just the way the team interacts,” Waite-Kerns said. “It’s very different from team to team. No two teams are the same. Every year, it’s a completely different social structure. It’s always really great. Even if everyone is against you, you always have like ten people in your corner.”

    One of the most important aspects of cheering is the fact that it’s performative and subjective, but when on the sidelines the goal is oftentimes to raise people’s spirits when the team is losing.

    “It feels dope to be a cheerleader and know you’re still lifting up people’s spirits and whatnot,” Waite-Kerns said. “Even if someone’s losing, it’s still lit because you’re still happy and it helps other people.”

    Cheer is not without its detractors, who argue that it isn’t a sport. Many of the athletes on the cheer team have strong opinions about this. 

    “There’s so much conditioning we do and working out and the time it takes to even build a routine and having to hit a stunt– whatever the routine is, you have to hit it and its consistency,” Hernandez said. “We do the same thing a lot of sports do for conditioning: a lot of weightlifting, a lot of running, a lot of getting used to using our bodies [quickly], lifting things– well, people in this case. I mean, we work out just as hard as you guys do. And if you don’t believe it, you should probably consider practice.”

  • Swim club makes a splash

    by Dezmond Remington

    Water is a terrible medium for sound, being roughly 800 times denser than air. It is practically impossible to speak underwater. This makes it all the more incredible that water brings people together so well.

    Emily Handy, president of the new swim club on campus, is attempting to bring that sense of community to what is often a very solitary sport. Handy swam competitively in elementary school, but took time off from the sport until last November, when she broke her ankle after slipping down a wet hill while biking. Swimming was one of the few sports she could do, as it’s low-impact and it didn’t hurt her ankle like a bike did.

    “I want people to come regardless of their skill level or commitment,” Handy said. “I just want people to be able to go into the pool, be able to have contact with lifeguards, or coaches, people who can kind of mentor them if they have questions…there’s people who aren’t necessarily the strongest swimmers or people who don’t necessarily want to compete but they want to show up to the club anyways just to be able to swim, to ask questions about form, just kind of be in the water, figure it out. And I want to give them access to that.”

    Indeed, there are quite a few people interested in joining the club, well over thirty at last count, all different varieties of people.

    Kaden Tobin was a competitive swimmer for 11 years, has taught swim lessons for five years, and coached for a year and a half. One of the reasons they chose to go to Humboldt was the fact that there is a pool on campus, and they assumed there would be a team or a club that used it. When they got to campus and discovered that wasn’t the case, they were disappointed. They believe the swim club has a lot of potential to bring people together.

    “There’s a lot of people that go into watersports, and you get this sense of community,” Tobin said. “I think it’ll be great for connecting people, especially incoming freshmen or people who have been on campus and haven’t really explored it yet.”

    It is that sense of community that has the most appeal to the members of the swim club. Transfer student Emma Wilson, who has been swimming since she was nine and is now a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Arcata Community Pool, agrees.

    “Working together, even though it’s an individual sport, you still get that motivation from each other,” Wilson said. “Like when someone completes a lap and they… make progress and I think that’s really inspiring for me to continue swimming and my passion for it.”

    What members want to get out of the swim club varies. Handy hopes it will be a gateway to expanding student access to the pool. Tobin wants it to be a good social outlet, and Wilson wishes for a competitive, dynamic team, with swim meets and the like, even though she describes herself as a very noncompetitive person. Regardless of goals, that desire comes down to the people you’re doing it with.
    “It’s an individual sport against yourself,” Wilson said. “But then the team brings everyone together…it’s just really uplifting. And so I hope we can bring more of a community and acceptance for it.”

  • As students return to campus post-COVID, so do club sports

    As students return to campus post-COVID, so do club sports

    by Alina Ferguson

    COVID-19 disturbed, disrupted, and delayed many lives and events over the past few years. Club sports at Cal Poly Humboldt were no exception. Sport clubs that have been around since the 90s had to be put on hold, as none of their members could meet in person. Some clubs had to completely cancel competitions, events and all club activities. Now that it is once again safe to gather, club sports are making a comeback. Various clubs on campus are seeking to grow their numbers, and are once again practicing and competing as a group. 

    Archery

    The Archery club has a team that travels for competitions. This club is reliant on frequent practices, which was difficult to do away from the field. This year, with the participation of new freshmen, club membership is finally growing.

    “To join you need no experience or gear,” club president Zachary Gaydosh said. “Our practices [are] at the Student Recreation Center next to the football field on Saturdays 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. [and on] Thursdays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.”

    Disc Golf

    Photo courtesy of Evan Connors | Disc Golf Team tournament in Monterey 2021

    President of the Disc Golf Club Malcolm Silva said he is looking for new members. Club membership was negatively impacted by COVID, as members could no longer meet together. Also, at the start of the pandemic, many of the players that had been on the team were in their final years at Humboldt and have since graduated. While the club as an organization was affected, Silva thinks the restrictions on activities during the pandemic were to the benefit of the solitary sport in some ways. When there was nothing else to do, many people just went out and practiced playing the game. The club itself could not partake in any competitions. 

    “That really gave us the time to hone our craft and get a lot better at it,” said Edwards Silva. 

    Silva said that they are losing a good chunk of their team this semester and he definitely wants to get more people in the Disc Golf Club this year.

    “We do Redwood Bowl every Sunday and on Wednesdays we do putting practice, that’s just where you throw the target at the basket,” said Edwards Silva.

    Slacklining

    If readers are interested in walking amongst the trees, so to speak, Slackjacks is the club for that. Slacklining is very popular among both students and locals. 

    Slackjacks is for all levels, including beginners. Most common slacklines are 1 inch or 2 inches in width; beginners would most likely start on a 2 inch. 

    Photo courtesy of Tori Lindvall | Aang Sterling on the line

    Aang Younger, a club member, said the real secret to walking on a slack line is mental. 

    Club President Joseph Aguilar mentioned the club was really born in 2018, but then had to take a hiatus during COVID. It has been difficult recruiting new members.

    This club not only teaches you to slackline, but it is also about community. Many people get together to jam, hangout, or even study for tests. 

    “We always have people who come and play guitar,” Sterling said. 

    Sterling also said they bring spirit cards, snacks, and circus props.

    “It’s just a bunch of kids playing,” Sterling said. 

    The Slack Jacks typically meet at the Mad River Pump Station on Sundays, known as Slack Sunday by its members. They have a loosely set time of 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

    Cycling

    Humboldt’s Cycling Club formed between the years of 2008-2009.

    Club president Ian Bowden says he feels that the pandemic definitely impacted this club; the season they were about to embark on in 2020 was completely canceled.

    “As a team we were struggling to find a way to organize any meetings and schedule COVID-safe group rides,” Bowden said. “During the 2020 season if we were to see people riding in the forest at the same time we would only wave before going down and continuing to ride alone.” 

    This kind of isolation impacted club morale and only a few people showed up to races in 2021. 

    Bowden said this season is gearing up to be one of their best yet. He feels they are back to nearly full membership. They are excited about their growing membership of 25 cyclists.

    “I personally have made great efforts to unite people and recruit riders to join the club, personally asking people when I see them riding in the forest if they go to the college,” Bowden said. “I love the cycling community in Humboldt and foresee a definite increase in interested people as the years keep coming.”

    The cycling club does both mountain and road racing. The club season opening on the 24th and 25th was hosted by Bowden. 

    “I am extremely excited for this race, as it is the first one that I have organized,” Bowden said, prior to the event. “I think we will have a good turnout from the schools in the division.”  

    Trash Pandas Soccer
    The Trash Pandas is a co-ed soccer team that welcomes players of all levels. They are technically not a club in the eyes of the university, though they do hold similar activities. They meet for practice every day on the field behind College Creek, and played their first game on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the indoor soccer field.

    This group is for those who enjoy playing soccer, but may want less commitment than being on a university team. 

    “It’s cool to see the people who didn’t know how to play a couple weeks ago, are playing against the Division 2 soccer team,” said Zach Meyer. 

    How do I join?The Club Sports section of the Recreational Sports page on the University’s website illustrates more options, including fencing, Ultimate Frisbee, and men’s crew. Follow the Archery club’s activities @humboldtarchery on Instagram, and keep up with the Slack Jacks @humboldt_slackjacks.

  • Jacks Cross Country team sets high bar, aims higher

    Jacks Cross Country team sets high bar, aims higher

    by Dezmond Remington

    The Cal Poly Humboldt cross country teams have been on a ruthless quest for nothing but redemption for almost a year straight. After a solid victory on the men’s side and a more than respectable second place finish for the women at the season opener, they are one step closer. 

    The Jim Hunt Humboldt Invitational was on Sept. 17, the first meet of the season for the Humboldt cross country teams. The men’s team was led by transfer student Nicholas Brichta, who won in 25:30 over a hilly eight kilometers. Humboldt also won the team race with 26 points to Southern Oregon’s 35 and Willamette’s 75. After the Humboldt men’s last-place finish at the CCAA Championships last season, Brichta said he was eager to add his talent to the team and hopefully improve on the team’s performance.

    Brichta knew before the race he likely had a good chance to win even though he hadn’t raced in a while, as he said he felt training had been going well. He powered away from the pack on the last lap to win by 12 seconds over Southern Oregon’s Zackary Alexander.

    “It’s only up from here,” Brichta said. “I’m excited to get into some harder competition and run fast… I want to get all-conference and help the team out.”

    Junior Carson Smith, who ran 14:38 for 5000m and 3:56 for 1500m last track season, took 7th overall, but wasn’t pleased with that showing. Smith said he had been feeling under the weather for several days before the race and wasn’t able to have the race he wanted, but was pleased with how the team did. 

    “The whole team did really well,” Smith said. “I’m really excited for everything else this season… [I think the team is going to do] extremely well. [We had] a very tight group up all inside that top 10 spots. Just as a whole, the team is looking super, super strong.”

    “The big goal is Nattys [nationals] as a team,” Smith said. “That’s a stretch, but not too far of a stretch. We’re going to need to perform well at pre-nationals in October, and have the best race of our lives in November out in Montana for regionals… an end goal is always nationals. And this year, it’s looking really, really doable.”

    Freshman Luis Sandoval, in his first race of his college career and first 8k, finished ninth, which he was fairly pleased with, as he was running solo after four kilometers on a punishing course. 

    “It hurt a lot,” Sandoval said. “I was 4k in, and I was like, ‘this is barely halfway’…I just kept my eyes on [teammate] Aris [Valerio]. He was right in front of me, about 20 or 30 meters…and I wasn’t closing it but I was just kind of keeping my eyes on him. He was my anchor through the last 4k.”

    While the women’s team didn’t do quite as well, taking second with 24 points to Southern Oregon’s 40, many of the runners were still pleased with their personal performances and those of the team’s as well. 

    Senior Rosa Granados, who won the women’s 6k in a dominant fashion in 22:25 (a lead of 18 seconds over second place,) said she felt really good that day and thought the season opener went well. Her goal is also to perform well at the conference championships and, if everything goes well, make it all the way to nationals. It would be a perfect coda for Granados, as this is her last cross country season. 

    “Training with the ladies… it’s something that as a senior I’m going to miss so much next year,” Granados said. “And today was a bittersweet moment because it’s the last first home race for cross country for me, but overall, just everything the girls bring to the table is pretty much Nationals level thinking and mindset and racing and training and all that good stuff.”

    Freshman Jess Hill-Roddick of the Humboldt women’s team took 15th in 25:17, who said it was painful, but felt pretty good especially considering it was the longest distance she’d ever raced. 

    “I really like the team,” Hill-Roddick said. “I really like the people, which really helps during racing and the training because we’re doing it for each other and it’s not just me out there.”

    Head cross country coach Jamey Harris was more than content with how both teams opened their seasons, as the women’s team wasn’t at full strength due to illness. 

    “That was a really solid performance for the people we had out there,” Harris said. “…On the men’s side, getting a win over the number 10 NAIA school in the nation [Southern Oregon], that’s pretty good stuff.” 

    Harris is fairly confident about his teams’ chances this year, who said pretty much all of the athletes looked really strong, although they did have quite a lot of work to do before the regional championships in Billings, Montana in November. Compared to the previous season, however, they are leaps and bounds improved. 

    “We’re definitely better,” Harris said. “We’re capable of being better than last year, both on the men’s and women’s sides.”

    What any season will bring is never certain, but it seems every runner on the team is keen to find out.

    “I’m excited for what we have in store and what we have banked up,” Granados said. “And I’m excited to see what’s left and what we have going forward.”

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Lacrosse team is looking to build with a much bigger roster

    Cal Poly Humboldt Lacrosse team is looking to build with a much bigger roster

    by Jake Knoeller

    It’s 5 p.m. on a Tuesday night early in September in the Fieldhouse. Training is already off and running. Many members of the team are very excited about what this team can potentially bring, especially with their newfound depth after struggling to finish last season due to a low amount of players. 

    “We’ve got numbers now,” said team captain Zack Gamble. “We spent all summer recruiting and finally having a full crew of guys that really know what they’re doing is an awesome feeling.” 

    Gamble has been playing lacrosse for 12 years, and his hard work is what earned him the position of captain. 

    “We put in a lot of time and a lot of work,” said Gamble. “It’s paid dividends so far.” 

    He is a goaltender, which comes with a lot of responsibility. According to him, lacrosse is a very robust sport. 

    “There’s something in it for everybody,” said Gamble. “Whether you like to be more physical like a hockey player, or be a little finesse-oriented like a basketball player.” 

    Gamble believes that once they get everybody on the same page and bonding as a team they will be a force to be reckoned with in the league. The coaches are also all in on this team after stepping up to find more players over the summer. 

    “We’ve got a lot of experience,” said head Coach Augustus Johnson. “A lot of these guys out here are new players for us but they all played in high school or they’ve played some kind of club ball a little bit.” 

    Johnson is hoping for the team to work on their game IQ before their first game.

     “I really want these guys to know what to do and when to do it,” said Johnson. “I want these guys to be like Steph Curry and just don’t stop running even when they don’t have the ball.” 

    Having the ability to substitute more with higher numbers will allow players to do this. Assistant coach Daniel Eggert feels good about the way the team connects and his relationship with the players. 

    “Last year I kinda got thrown in late into the year and it was a tough season all around, but you know I connected with everyone pretty well,” said Eggert. “It’s been much better this year so far, I mean the season’s looking pretty good right now.” 

    Eggert said the team is specifically skilled with their short-pulls and many of the players can rip the ball well. He said they just need to get to know each other better so they can be good at working together when it’s time to officially take the field. 

    The team will have to wait until February 2023 for their first official game, but they are planning to play some scrimmages in October and an alumni game on Nov. 5. 

    “That’ll be this current squad against myself and some of the other Humboldt alumni,” said Eggert. 

    Their early start to training shows how dedicated this team is to being successful. They have numbers and depth this year, which means they’re aiming to step up from the last few years.

  • The Jacks lose momentum, first CCAA match

    The Jacks lose momentum, first CCAA match

    by August Linton

    After a hopeful and energetic two set wins in the early game, the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks volleyball team lost their Thursday match against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers. The final score was 3 sets to 2. 

    Although the Jacks won their first match this season against the Western New Mexico University Mustangs (3-1,) they lost two subsequent matches against Holy Names University (1-3) and University of Wisconsin-Parkside (1-3.) Losing the first home game and their first CCAA qualifying match set a disheartened mood. 

    Pre-game warmups set the Pioneers and the Jacks directly on opposite sides of the net. They pantomimed the motions and tensions of the game ahead, separated by that intangible barrier.

    The Jacks were energetic and fresh-faced during the first two sets. The final scores were 25/18 in the first set and 25/20 in the second, in the Jacks’ favor. 

    Junior Malia Coyle was confident before the game that the Jacks had a good chance of winning. Intensely practicing in the weeks since forming the team and other strategies like watching the Pioneers’ game tapes seemed to set the Jacks up for success. She says that since the team has been a losing one in the past, the issue is overcoming that momentum. 

    “The first two sets really showed the evolution of our team,” said Coyle. “We have to learn to win.”

    The third set changed the direction of the game, some of the momentum which had carried the Jacks through so far beginning to chip away. Serve misses and long, exhausting rallies characterized this set. From a tie at 21/21, the Pioneers edged out a win with a hit from the left (22/25.) The loss sent a sigh through the room; the game could have been won here but they would have to carry on.

    Photo by Elliott Portillo | Middle blocker Cecilia Costas spikes ball while Cal State East Bay’s Mia Jordan attempts to block.

    The Jacks Cheer Team, which had been stomping the stands and shaking green or gold pom-poms, packed up and left about halfway through the third set. 

    Renewed vigor from the Pioneers and waning energy from the Jacks led to a 25/17 loss in the fourth set. The Pioneers laughed and joked while switching to the other side of the court, while the home team seemed subdued in comparison.

    It seemed the game was over even before the fifth set (lost 15/9) was half-gone. The Jacks’ pale, drawn faces shone through the net, floating hauntingly above the court. 

    Playing through all 5 of 5 possible sets just to lose was of course exhausting and emotional for the Jacks. 

    “Losing is always disappointing, losing in five is hard, but I did see some moments of brilliance,” said head coach Angela Spoja. Spoja arrived as a new coach in July. According to the players, she has invigorated the program already.

    “They already got us a new locker room that actually fits the whole team,” said Coyle. “They’re giving us the standards that most schools are held up to.”

    Senior middle blocker Lindsey McLaughlin was the kill leader for the game, scoring 13 kills and four aces. “Our new coaches have been great for us, they’ve been giving us some great structure,” said McLaughlin. “To see results in a game situation was nice, since we’ve really been working on offense this week.” 

    Another standout player was libero Kaitlyn Patterson, whose serve aces were menacing every time she was up in the rotation. Patterson also recorded sixteen digs over the course of the game. Setter Macy Thomas’s vigor shone, she seemed one of the most willing to sprint and throw herself to the ground in pursuit of stray balls.

    Spoja says that this game showed “bright moments for a young team.” She says that many of the team compositions included an unusually high proportion of underclassmen, a hopeful fact for the Jacks’ future.

  • Humboldt Triathlon team debuts

    Humboldt Triathlon team debuts

    by Dezmond Remington

    A grueling, painful, death march. Triathlon, in the minds of many people, can typically be summed up with adjectives like these. In this sport made up of three endurance events already immensely challenging on their own, competitors race in a 750 meter swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride, and a five kilometer run. The words “fun,” “supportive,” and “enjoyable” do not often come up. However, Head Cal Poly Humboldt Women’s Triathlon Coach Kinsey Laine hopes to build a team which embodies that positive energy.

    “My main goal for all of my athletes is that they enjoy their experience,” Laine said. “The way that they’re going to ultimately improve in the sport is by being excited to come to practice.”

    Laine has experience fostering these environments with her athletes. Before coming to Humboldt, Laine was a triathlon coach at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado, and before that she was the swim coach at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. While at Colorado Mesa in 2021, her team placed fourth at the National Championships in Tempe, Arizona, and had three All-American finishers. Laine has also raced long-course triathlon professionally, but that ended when the pandemic started and she started coaching at Colorado Mesa.

    This prior experience has prepared her to coach athletes like junior Elizabeth Odell and sophomore Emily Cates, who like triathlon as a way to avoid injury and seek new challenges. 

    When Odell first heard about the nascent triathlon team, she wasn’t too interested. However, the lower risk of crashing appealed to her, and she started learning how to swim and run this past spring. Though difficult, Odell said the process of picking up two new sports has been enjoyable. 

    “It’s been a good change. I’m not always comparing my times to how fast I was a year ago or something,” Odell said. “It’s just completely new. So all I’m seeing are gains and it’s just all pretty much getting better.”

    Getting away from the stress of injuries was also a motivating factor for Cates when she joined the triathlon team. From a running background, Cates had dealt with a spate of overuse injuries that had left her stressed and frustrated. Training for triathlon, where two out of the three disciplines are zero-impact, was attractive. 

    “I realized that running, just running, was not going to be sustainable for me,” Cates said. “And it’s a great opportunity to cross-train, and if I’m going to be cross-training that much on my own, I might as well race it and have another team atmosphere.”

    Cates has not quit running entirely; she is also on the cross country and track teams at Cal Poly Humboldt. Being a dual-sport athlete does have its challenges, Cates said, as it’s often tiring to train for two sports at once. Recently, she went straight from a swim workout directly to a mile repeat workout for cross country.  

    Hosting this unique sport puts CPH in a unique position– it is the only Division II school on the west coast to offer a women’s triathlon team. Only two other NCAA affiliated schools on the west coast have a team. Laine sees this fresh start as a great opportunity. 

    “I think in three to four years this team is going to be competitive at the national level for DII,” Laine said. “There are teams that have been around five or six seasons, but there is instability in those teams, so we’re not five to six years behind. I think we can come in, and then in a few short years be competitive against those schools.”

    Women’s triathlon in the NCAA is a new sport – the NCAA classified it as an “emerging sport” for women in 2014, and currently there are only 17 Division II schools that host triathlon. Triathlon is only available as a women’s sport in the NCAA. 

    The largest challenge facing the fledgling team is the late start– Laine was hired on a fairly short notice, and as such, there are only four races the team is scheduled for this season. 

    Recruiting is mainly coming from current students with a background in running or swimming or both. A few of the prospective athletes do have a past racing triathlon. The roster will be kept small, with the eventual goal of 9-12 athletes on the team.

    “[I want] a small, focused group of people that are very supportive of one another…but also really passionate about the sport,” Laine said. “As a coach, you can’t make them want to be better at triathlon–they have to provide that passion.”

    Odell agrees. She has a background in mountain biking, but when a bicycle crash in January fractured her neck and gave her a severe concussion, she had to re-evaluate how she wanted to compete. She had to drop out of most of her classes and move home, and could barely walk for two months. 

    “About two and a half months in, I was able to go for a two mile walk, and that was so exciting for me,” Odell said. “Just walking around the block my head would start pounding. It took me like five months to become a functional human being again.”

    The late start and injury-riddled pasts of many triathletes has not made getting the team off the ground easy. However, Cates said she couldn’t wait to race and see what her teammates can do. 

    “I’m excited to know them, to get to travel with them,” said Cates. “They seem like really awesome, dedicated people, and I think we’re going to make an awesome team this year.”

  • Soccer season returns with anticipation

    Soccer season returns with anticipation

    by Jake Knoeller

    Soccer is back at Cal Poly Humboldt. After a long offseason of preparation for both the men’s and women’s teams, they are back for three preseason exhibition matches each. On Aug. 25, the two teams will take to the field for their first official matches of the 2022 fall season. The men’s team will face Northwest Nazarene University at College Creek Field at 3 p.m., while the women’s team will travel to Ramirez Field in Fresno to face Fresno Pacific University. Last season both teams showed a lot of potential, which has led to suspense surrounding the upcoming season. The players themselves are also excited to be back on the field. 

    The men have three senior captains, with no shortage of experience playing under pressure at College Creek or anywhere away from home. Midfielder Devin Hauenstein believes that their team chemistry and togetherness will be a strength this season.

     “Over our captains’ camp, the team was able to connect and build strong relationships with each other so that we’re stronger out here on the field,” Hauenstein said. 

    There is plenty of room to do even better, and defender Dylan Tovani spoke about what he thinks will bring the team up another level. 

    “We need to get on the finishing touches at the end when we’re looking to score more goals. We did pretty well last season with our shutouts and keeping the ball out of the back of our net, but putting more in the back of the other team’s net is gonna benefit us more to win more games and push forward,” Tovani said. 

    The team was close to making the conference tournament last season, and midfielder Motoki Sato is confident that this is their year to do it. 

    “That’s almost an expectation, and if we just continue putting in the work I think we’re gonna be able to achieve it this year,” Sato said. With all their experience, these players know how to get ready for each game and give it their all. 

    The women’s team has a good amount of seniors on their team this year as well, and their leadership has the potential to lead this team to a successful season. Another helpful strength for this team is their depth. According to coach Grant Landy, they have spent preseason trying to figure out the right lineup.

     “A lot of players have played, which is good,” Landy said. “It’s giving us a lot of information moving forward.”

     The team has ideas for what they can do to take that next step and have a great season. Defender Abby Borg gained experience over the past two years and is on the field for her third season with the Jacks. 

    “I think we need to capitalize on when we do win that ball, looking to spread out wide and find those areas where if we’re stuck on the right side, get it to the left side,” Borg said. Borg is returning to the team after being out last season with an injury.

     “My motivation this year is I’m back on the field so I wanna give it my all,” Borg added. While there are returners, there are also some younger players ready for the experience of playing at a college level. Jysabella Tolentino is a freshman from Moorpark, California playing forward this season.

    “I think that here at Humboldt, we have amazing players and we’re off to a pretty good start and I cannot wait for the season ahead,” Tolentino said. 

    Both teams have lots of talent and dedication to the game of soccer, which is important on the field.  The lead up to this season has been exciting. Now that it’s finally going to be here, we’ll see what kind of season the Lumberjacks have in store for everybody.

  • Athlete’s outperform at decathlon

    Athlete’s outperform at decathlon

    by Carlos Pedraza

    The Cal Poly Humboldt Track and Field team participated in the Stanislaus State Multi-Event from Thursday April 7 to Saturday April 9. The team participated in over 10 different events, all of which were multi-day involving different events form the high jump to javelins. Some of the Cal Poly Humboldt athletes were able to make the podium for first and third place.

    In preparation for the event, athletes have been training for months. Sophomore Gracie Kasberger participated in the heptathlon, and spent a long time practicing.

    “We have been training since August,” Kasberger said. “As a multi I practice seven days a week focusing on different events each day.”

    The training paid off for Kasberger, since she was able to win first place on the first day of the Stanislaus State Multi-Event.

    One of the participants was junior Travis Allen who participated in multiple events during the decathlon. With the COVID-19 restrictions being rolled back, the athletes were able to get more training time and interact with each other more openly.

    “We got more time to develop chemistry as a team and with coaches,” Allen said.

    This team support was shown by the athletes staying after their events to support each other. Kasberger mentioned she would compete for three hours but would stay on the field to support Allen until 5 p.m. when the event ended for the day.

    Intense training and camaraderie in the track and field team pushed them to perform well this semester. Both Allen and Kasberger outperformed their previous records. The track and field will participate in several more away games before the end of the spring semester.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt plays its last softball game of the series

    Cal Poly Humboldt plays its last softball game of the series

    by Eddie Carpenter

    On April 30, Cal Poly Humboldt Softball played the last two games of their series against Cal State San Marcos. Due to weather conditions, the softball games had to be relocated to the Bear River Recreation Center in Loleta. In the second game, senior pitcher Emily McAdams pitched a five hit complete victory—a 10-2 win in five innings. Humboldt won in terms of run rules.

    McAdams, JoAna Mullins, Megan Holt and Katelyn Dendas were recognized in between games with a Senior Day ceremony.

    “Saturday’s games were a triumph. We came out the first day…with high emotions and excitement to celebrate our seniors and knowing that it would be their last games in Humboldt State uniform,” Dendas said. “Unfortunately, we did lose the first one, but we came back and we took the second from San Marcos.”

    With the Jacks’ 7-29 conference record, they did not make the postseason this year. The team was faced with many challenges this season.

    “We came out pretty hot in San Bernardino— the first series of the conference play. We kind of stutter-stepped for a little bit and we lost a couple series,” Dendas said. “This team is adaptable. We’ve gone through a lot together. We’ve gone through the loss of a teammate and a global pandemic. And we were able to keep pushing and keep trying. Every game was a fight. There was never a sense that…every game would be handed to the team. Even though on record it doesn’t show, there was a lot of heart and dedication throughout the whole season by this team.”

  • Interview with Humboldt Hog Riley Switzler

    by Eddie Carpenter

    Photos and Editing by Eddie Carpenter
  • Cal Poly Humboldt men’s Ultimate Frisbee team

    Cal Poly Humboldt men’s Ultimate Frisbee team

    by Gabriel Zucker

    A silence fell over the field, all eyes looking up as the frisbee flew. Then, as one, every player let out a wail of pain, watching as it flew out of bounds, bouncing off the hard track and finally coming to a rest. One of the Buds dropped to the floor, groaning as they all did ten push-ups.

    Scott Estepa, a member of the team, explained this was important to get down the basics of the game.

    “It encourages us not to throw it out of bounds and make sure our throws are accurate,” Estepa said. “Also, a good workout.”

    Photo by Gabriel Zucker | Kenny Kurbat stretches out trying to catch the frisbee at practice

    The Buds are the Cal Poly Humboldt men’s Ultimate Frisbee team. They are listed as a competitive sports team in the USA Ultimate College Series in the Southwest Region. They are the winner of three national tournaments and are focused on making it through sectionals this year.

    They practice Monday 6-8 p.m., Wednesday 8-10 p.m., and Saturday 12-2:30 p.m. On top of this, they hold a scrimmage every Sunday against alumni that come out to teach and play against current Buds.

    Each practice includes rigorous conditioning, learning, practicing different strategies, and finally a scrimmage against each other.

    Even though the schedule is rigorous, the Buds come out every practice, ready to not only work out but to join in the camaraderie. The Buds as a group are very close and welcoming to everyone.

    “It was the community,” Estepa said. “All the Buds are really tight and really nice people. Everybody is welcoming to everyone. The first time everyone was so chill and so happy. We had a great time at practice, practice wasn’t serious.”

    On top of practicing together, the Buds take advantage of the frisbee golf course in the community forest.

    “We have Buds disc golf outing where we get a ton of people and break up into teams of two and wreak havoc on the course,” said Collin Silva, safety officer for the Buds team.

    All of this practice and conditioning is not only for meeting new people, and the Buds regularly partake in tournaments. They play the likes of Oregon State and Reno for the opportunity to reach the top in their division.

    Galen Trexler, a Bud from 2010-2015, is one of the coaches for the team. He told me that he was more there to pass down his knowledge than to coach, as most of the coaching is done by older students. Trexler and other alumni give back to the Buds by giving their time to help coach, teach, and play with the newer generation of Buds, passing down their wisdom for a chance to feel young again.

    Towards the end of practice, after a Bud had dropped an easy catch, Trexler made the Buds run a lap.

    “We lose, we all lose,” Trexler yelled. “We win, we all win.”

  • Humboldt Hogs play last home game

    Humboldt Hogs play last home game

    by Eddie Carpenter

    On April 9, Humboldt Men’s Lacrosse Team competed against UCSC Banana Slugs in their final game of a winless season. The Humboldt Hogs fought against significant gusts of wind at the Redwood Bowl under a cloudless sky.

    Freshman Gino Grier expressed an insurmountable passion for the sport itself.

    “This sport is beautiful,” Grier said. “There’s barely enough time to think! It’s like driving too fast, really. If you think, you’re behind someone… It’s gotta be animalistic in a way. You see everyone out here? They’re happy not because we lost, but they’re happy with a loss. That’s my team right there, and I’m proud as hell of that!”

    As a long-stick midfielder, Grier loves lacrosse because it keeps him balanced. The Hogs have played the whole year with the minimum number of players necessary to compete. Seth Velasco, the senior team captain, gave it his all on the field on Saturday.

    “This is my last game. I would’ve liked… a win, but I mean, I just enjoy playing lacrosse,” Velasco said. “Ever since I started playing it in high school, I enjoyed it. It was my favorite game to play. I enjoy being a part of this team. We only had three guys starting this season off, so recruiting a bunch of guys getting them to join the sport. It was fun. I wouldn’t want to play with another team.”

    During halftime, the Humboldt Hogs take mustard shots for muscle cramps. Currently, there’s no scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of using mustard to help treat or prevent muscle cramps. Needless to say, the Hogs are hungry to rebuild after two seasons lost to COVID-19. Before the season opener, the team hadn’t had a home game in 753 days due to the pandemic.

    Zack Gamble is Humboldt’s other senior team captain. Gamble expressed how his team overcame a lot of adversity this season.

    “Seth, Riley, and I worked really hard to bring the team back from nothing,” Gamble said. “And we’ve got a solid squad of guys here now. And these guys just have no quit in them. I mean it’s just been an honor playing on this team. Despite having no subs [and] no help— half of the time, we don’t really have enough guys at practice. We were able to put a season together and really show people what Humboldt Lacrosse is about.”

    Humboldt Men’s Lacrosse is all about heart and soul. The team has a new coach under a new school name and they are preparing for their 40th anniversary. The Hogs have shown that the sport was about putting up a good fight when the odds were stacked against them.

    Senior defenseman Riley Switzler expressed the need for his squad to work like clockwork.

    “I would like to see everyone come together as a team more,” Switzler said. “I’d like to see more team camaraderie. Everybody being friends with each other and being there for each other on and off the field… We could put up more of a fight against these bigger schools.”

    Photo by Eddie Carpenter | Humboldt Hogs posed for a team photo. From left to right: Assistant Coach Gus Johnson, Brandon Nordenstrom, Riley Switzler, Gino Grier, Foster Smith, River Galas, Hunter Hartman, Sam Emerson, Chase Harwell, Seth Velasco, Logan Sorenson, Zack Gamble, Johnathon Macias, and Coach Danny Eggert.
  • Archers take shot for first

    Archers take shot for first

    by Carlos Pedraza

    The Cal Poly Humboldt Archery Club held a mock tournament on Saturday, March 28. The club meets in the field house of the SRC building setting up bails with targets to shoot at. In the casual tournament, participants kept track of their scores. When all their arrows were let loose, members would stand behind the shooting line talking with each other.

    Each round of shooting began with archers waiting to hear the commands of “anyone in the closet!”, “anyone behind the curtain!” It is shouted before every round for safety, so no one is hit by a loose arrow. The archer would advance to the shooting line with the command “archers to the line!”

    The club members have different levels of experience ranging from lifelong archers to recent archers. Neri Traugot, a second-year theater arts major, is an experienced archer who’s been shooting for most of her life. “Since I was five years old when I could pull a five-pound bow,” said Traugot.

    Henry Myers is a third-year political science major. Myers has been in the club for a semester. He used to shoot in the past but took a hiatus.

    “I had to re-get good at it,” Myers said.

    The club is led by Vice President and current acting President Josh Bagg. He has been an archer for five years. Bagg explained how the club is open to everyone no matter the level of experience.

    “We have many members who are coaches,” Bagg said. “The club provides all the equipment someone will need to participate . . . just try it out, it won’t hurt to try.”

    The tournament ended with everyone winning a club t-shirt for participating but the people with the highest scores were Juliana Suzukawa in first place, Jovani Villasenor in second, and Josh Bagg in third place.

  • Humboldt Hogs go Ham: CPH Men’s Lacrosse

    Humboldt Hogs go Ham: CPH Men’s Lacrosse

    by Morgan Hancock

    This week saw two home games for the Humboldt Hogs, Cal Poly Humboldt’s own men’s lacrosse team. The team put up a fight during their Saturday game but ultimately lost to Chico.

    They didn’t let the Wildcats go easily. A strong defense led by goalie Zack Gamble held off the Wildcats for nearly the whole game. The score stuck at 1-7 until the last five minutes of the game.

    The Hogs were down but not giving any room for the Wildcats to score. At around four minutes left on the clock, Humboldt goalie Zack Gamble received a penalty after reacting to a less-than-savory hit from one of the Wildcats.

    “We may lose on the scoreboard, but we send that other team back to where they came from hurtin’,” Gamble said. “This season, we’re not underdogs– we’re like the junkyard dogs. The one thing every team has said about us is we never quit.”

    The Hogs only have twelve members on their team, leaving only one sub. The Wildcats continuously pulled from athletes on the bench while the Hogs gave them sixty minutes of hell. With Gamble out on penalty, there were no subs. River Galas, another defender, quickly swapped out stick and pads to fill the Gamble-sized hole in front of the net. The final score of 1-13 was a vast improvement from Wednesday’s game.

    “It was one of our closer games,” Hunter Hartman said. “Chico is normally a really good team, so it was cool to see this game be a close one. It’s really hard with no subs. We’re definitely gassed. The better half of our game is usually the second half since we’re used to being gassed and the other team isn’t.”

    The team is already getting psyched for the next game on April 9 against the UC Santa Cruz’s Banana Slugs. Substitute coach Sam Barton thinks the team is improving and makes up for a lack of players.

    “These kids got some good fight in them,” said Barton. “These guys are working hard, they got three more games left, and Santa Cruz has always been a good rival game.”

  • Last Cal Poly Humboldt home track meet of the year

    Last Cal Poly Humboldt home track meet of the year

    by Eddie Carpenter

    On March 26, Cal Poly Humboldt hosted an invitational track meet. The Jacks have competed in a total of six meets so far. This was Humboldt’s first official home track meet of the season. The event kicked off with the women’s and men’s 4×100 meter relay. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it experience consisting of six rival teams.

    Sophomore Joy Hano competed in the long jump, 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter open, and the 4×400 meter relay. She described how ecstatic she felt during her events.

    Photo by Morgan Hancock | Joy Hano leads the 100-meter hurdles at the Cal Poly Humboldt Track invitational on March 26

    “I had this energy in my body just being home,” Hano said. “After a really long stretch on the road, it felt amazing. It was super exciting. Literally, I could not contain my excitement all week long. It’s just an amazing feeling being home. So happy that we have great weather today and a great showing.”

    Hano set new personal records in all of her events. After some hardships in long jump at an OSU meet, Hano was able to come back and set a personal record by five inches. She placed first place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.85 seconds, third in the 100-meter run, and set a personal record by 0.2 seconds with a time of 12.63 seconds. She also competed in the 400-meter relay where she dropped a second from her personal best time.

    Decathlete Travis Allen believed that the invitational helped him prepare for upcoming meets.

    “I had some highlights. Did pole vault, cleared a couple heights,” Allen said. “Did the hurdles, got a PR there… Going to these events, you’re not going to see improvements every single time, but if I can get more points here and there overall, that’s going to help my decathlon.”

    Distance runner Elliot Portillo was enthusiastic about his performances and those of his peers.

    “Today I ran the 1500 meter and the 1000 meter. I think that the training we’ve been doing- we’ve been out here pretty much since January,” Portillo said. “I think now as we get into the mid of our season, everyone’s been seeing a lot of improvement. Even if you see today, a lot of people came away with personal bests in a kind of more low-key event…Everyone came out today much more confident in their ability to execute when it matters.”

    Portillo hopes to put a time on the record list at the school before he leaves.

    Humboldt’s first section of 4×100 men’s relay team placed third with a time of 3:34.02. Their second section of 4×100 men’s relay was not recorded because they did not finish. In the women’s 4×400 meter relay, Humboldt placed second with a time of 4:02:87. Humboldt athletes are now preparing for the Mike Fanelli Track Classic on March 31.

  • Take me out to the ball game

    Take me out to the ball game

    by Gabriel Zucker

    On March 5, the Cal Poly Humboldt softball team held their first home game this year. I was reminded of an easier time, where relaxing to live sports was an everyday escape from the rigor of school and work. During the next couple of hours, I experienced camaraderie, screaming fans and most importantly, tailgate food.

    Photo by Gabriel Zucker | Junior Pitcher, Megan Escobar pitches against Chico State on Saturday

    Walking around the softball diamond, my eyes fell on a group of parents huddled around a BBQ, waiting on the drumsticks to finish cooking. Walking closer and closer to the food I tried to avoid eye contact, instead focusing on taking photographs of the game. Almost immediately, one of the parents called me over.

    Richard Guevara, the father of one of the freshman softball players, yelled out, “Do you like ceviche?”

    Looking over I saw a stocky gentleman, decked out in Humboldt softball gear, a giant smile stretched across his face. He beckoned me over with the promise of ceviche and chicken. Next thing I knew I was talking and laughing with the parents, enjoying their food, and praising the beauty of Humboldt.

    Taking a bite of ceviche now, I’m transported to a time where sports was a shared experience. A time when sports was more than just the game, it was about the connections you made. After taking a moment to relish in the memories, I opened my eyes to a giant smile and a chicken drumstick.

    Sports is never just about the game; it is about the shared experience. At the softball game, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in year swept over me. Screaming fans, a sound I only recently heard in my dreams, washed over me like a wave. My heart flittered and danced, and as the smell of food and freshly cut grass hit me in the face. I stopped to smile.

  • Cal PolyHumboldt hosted this years CCAA Basketball Championship

    Cal PolyHumboldt hosted this years CCAA Basketball Championship

    by Angel Barker

    For the first time under the Cal Poly Humboldt name, the university hosted the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship basketball tournament.

    Although neither basketball team for Cal Poly Humboldt was a part of the tournament, it was a great success for the university. The three day tournament took place from March 3 through 5, creating a lot of foot traffic to the Lumberjack Arena.

    “It is awesome for us to host the CCAA Championship tournament as we get to show people in the conference how special Cal Poly Humboldt and Humboldt County is,” said Joe Danahey, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations, in an email statement.

    Photo by Angel Barker

    “They get to see how beautiful our campus is and the surrounding area,” Danahey said. “We also get to bring the best student-athletes and programs in NCAA division II to our campus.”

    For the men’s championship game, it was California State University San Marcos versus California State University San Bernardino. San Marcos dominated the entire game from winning tip off to scoring the first three points with an impressive swish from outside the three point line.

    San Bernardino was never far behind, with four minutes left in the game, San Bernardino was only three points down. However, they were unable to come back and the San Marcos proved to play better, leaving the final score 85-71.

    The women’s side of the tournament was controlled by California State University East Bay. Just like the winners of the men’s team, they won tip off and scored the first points. They were ahead the whole game, but the San Marcos women were neck and neck with them the entire time.

    Going into the second quarter, San Marcos was only three points behind, but before half time, East Bay was able to steal the ball twice in back to back plays. By half time, East Bay was up by nine points. The final score was 80-66 with East Bay winning their third CCAA championship. The women are on a seven game winning streak going into their next tournament.

    Photo by Angel Barker

    There were many game highlights, but for Cal Poly Humboldt student Andrew Gonzales, who was working security for the tournament, it was being able to learn what the game of basketball is.

    “The more I keep watching, the more I understand the game,” Gonzales said.

    Josh Doody, Assistant Athletic Director for Financial Operations, was a huge part of making the tournament happen. For him, watching the games throughout the tournament was the best part.

    “[My biggest highlight was] the increasing caliber of play that really showcases the talent in the conference,” Doody said.

    For Danahey his highlight was deeper than the game.

    “Just being able to reconnect with my colleagues and also hang out with the game officials and also with the coaches from the 12 teams,” Danahey said. “I have been involved in the CCAA for 17 years. 14 years at SF State and three at Humboldt, so I have made a lot of friendships in this conference.”

    Danahey explained that in order for a school to host a post season CCAA tournament, they go through a bidding process that takes place two years prior. This is not the last of the tournaments to be hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt as the university is going to host the men’s soccer tournament in 2023.

  • Basketball hosts Black Out Night

    Basketball hosts Black Out Night

    by Angel Barker

    Students lined the Redwood Bowl Plaza for food, music, games and a performance on Feb. 24 for the Black Out Basketball pre-game rally. Organized by the Umoja Center for Pan African Student Excellence, it was a celebration of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Black faculty and staff.

    Photo by Angel Barker | From left: students Demi Ogunwo, Joy Mehn, Douglas Smith, and Gloria Thompson at the Black Out Rally on Feb. 24 that took place at the Redwood Bowl Plaza.

    The celebration was not just for the faculty and staff, but for the black student community. Douglas Smith, coordinator of the Umoja Center and masters student in English, was a critical part in making the event successful.

    “It means a chance to have community,” Smith said. “A chance for Cal Poly Humboldt to support our Black student community like we would in society.”

    The Umoja Center’s mission is to support the pan-African student community. Lots of students were in attendance for the pre-game tailgate, to support and celebrate community and the campus.

    “I came out to support the game and the celebration that’s going on right now,” said Joy Mehn, a political science major.

    The center is very important to Mehn.

    “To me the center means family,” Mehn said. “So many good friends are in the Umoja Center. It is a place to just relax and come together.”

    Gloria Thompson, a child development major, was attending the rally to celebrate Black excellence. Thompson found her people at the Umoja Center.

    “I was a student at home dealing with a toxic family,” Thompson said. “I found my community and family there [the center].”

    Photo by Angel Barker | Drummer Bongo Sidibe and dancer Joti Singh perform at Blackout Rally on Feb 24.

    The rally featured Southern food and a drum and dance performance by the Duniya Dance and Drum Company. The San Francisco-based company was formed in 2007 to create dance and music.

    Before the men’s basketball game, a video was played in honor of Black History Month and featured student athletes and what the month means to them and who they look up to.

    All throughout the men’s game, free t-shirts were given to every person featuring the hashtag #LoveIsTheNewBlack and Black Out Game 2022. During half time of the men’s game, many of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Black faculty and staff were honored with flowers and a gift bag. The drummers from Duniya Dance and Drum Company were also in attendance and helped hype up the crowd with their music.

    Thursday Feb. 24 was just one of the days to celebrate the Black community on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.

    “It is to celebrate school spirit, hang out and enjoy each other,” Smith said. “To enjoy good food and Black culture.”

    Photo by Angel Barker | Dancers for Duniya Dance and Drum Company at the Redwood Bowl Plaza on Feb. 24
    Bongo Sidibe, artistic director for Duniya Dance and Drum Company, plays drum in performance at the Redwood Bowl Plaza on Feb. 24 for Blackout Tailgate
  • Basketball honors their seniors in last game

    Basketball honors their seniors in last game

    by Jake Knoeller

    Two seniors celebrated their college basketball careers for Humboldt in the Lumberjack Arena on Saturday night.

    For the women, Sharon Roldan closed out her second season for the ‘Jacks with 8 points and an emotional moment at the end of the game with her coaches Michelle Bento-Jackson and Guillermo Blas, who she said have had an amazing influence on her.

    “They helped me both on and off the court,” Roldan said. “Coach Blas especially, he would work around my work schedule too. I would always ask him ‘Hey, can you open the gym’ at 7 or 8am. He would always come no matter what.”

    Roldan also expressed how grateful she was that Bento-Jackson accepted her into the Lumberjack family.

    “I can’t thank her [Bento-Jackson] enough,” Roldan said.

    On Thursday night, she scored a career high 20 points and left it all out on the court.

    On the men’s side, Amari Green finished off his fourth straight season with the Jacks, playing 38 of his total 2,054 minutes on Saturday and scoring 10 points.

    “Amari’s meant a lot to this program,” coach Tae Norwood said. “We got this memoir that we utilize: I give myself for the team. He represents that to the fullest.”

    Green said he was very grateful for the memorable night he had celebrating his career here at Humboldt. His family was up in Humboldt for this game and he said how it was amazing to have them and his teammates supporting him.

    “I just loved it,” Green said. “Thank you to the environment, thank you to the fans for coming out, and it’s everything I thought it would be.”

    Both of these teams faced a lot of challenges and adversity during the season and showed a lot of perseverance through it all. They were hit with a lot of injuries and absences and showed their character by never slowing down, even when the results didn’t always show.

    “Obviously our record is not indicative of what these girls went through, however I do feel like we underachieved in certain areas too,” Bento-Jackson said.

    Even though the team will not be playing in the conference championship tournament, the coach did show a lot of optimism about the experience all of the returning players have gained this season from their minutes and believes they will move forward and become much better next year. Norwood had similar feelings about his team, touching on how they always play hard.

    “When we got eliminated from this conference tournament about 3 or 4 games ago, some teams tank it and just go through the motions,” Norwood explained. “I thought these guys came and practiced hard and practiced with great intensity.”