Students enjoy days off during Blizzard of 2011
By Janelle Groendal, staff writer

Snow, snow, snow! After the blizzard hit most of Michigan last week, Thornapple Kellogg and many other districts were closed two days in a row. This gave students a break from school to do something fun.

“I spent my time trying to snow board and actually not fall on my butt,” said Senior Stephanie DeRuiter.

“One of the days I just slept all day and then the next day I went to my friend Rachel's  house,” said Senior Autumn Andrus.

The blizzard left the road covered with snow and ice, making traveling difficult. Some businesses and college campuses were even closed on Wednesday, but road crews worked to make the roads safe again for drivers. Luckily there were not many accidents, but then again not many people were on the road. The blizzard also left us with over a foot of new snow on the ground.

Despite the bad weather, snow days are awesome and give students a break from the same routine. The sun came out on Thursday, which made it easier for students to get out and have some fun. When students came back on Friday, they were able to share their adventures from the Blizzard of 2011, and wait patiently for the next snow storm.

Mr. Ruger helps students reach personal best

            By Haylee DePree, staff writer

    Students work hard in Chad Ruger’s Life Fitness class. Mainly, students say Mr. Ruger brings out the best in them because he has a lot of motivation and he works you hard but not over your personal limit.
    “Mr. Ruger’s class is very worth it, and it definitely works you out. I love the class! I see people wanting to switch into it all the time,” said Janelle Groendal, a senior in Mr.Ruger’s Life Fitness class.

Students aren’t the only ones curious about Life Fitness. Principal Tony Koski took time out of his busy schedule to workout with Mr. Ruger’s class last Tuesday.

“First off, let me say ‘Ouch!’ But it was very nice to be able to work out in the class. I have a busy life and do not get a lot of time to fit in working out. Mr. Ruger does a lot of good things in his class. He’s a very good motivator. Although it did take a lot out of me, I had a lot of fun.”

Mr. Ruger is humble about his technique.

“It’s not hard to motivate students. I just need to know what they want in the class because it’s important to them and it’s important to me as well.”

Mr. Ruger said he creates his workouts from his own expertise and other fitness experts.     “Some of it’s not original. Sometimes I get ideas from others doing it. But a lot is just seeing how the body moves in sports and just simple movement patterns that help me see different ways to work the muscles.”

Two TK athletes sign to play college ball
By Kara Lanting, staff writer

    Dedication and determination can take an athlete far. Two Thornapple Kellogg seniors demonstrated this recently by signing to play collegiate sports next year.
    On Wednesday, January 19, Tyler Karcher introduced his current baseball and football coaches to his future coaches, before he signed his letter of intent to play those two sports at Siena Heights, in Adrian.

For Karcher, it took years of developing his skills as a Trojan before he could become a Bulldog at Siena Heights.

“What got me this far is definitely the hard work from my coaches and the ability God has given me,” said Karcher.

Tyler looked up to professional athletes and dreamed of being a college athlete for quite a while. During his signing, Tyler said he was thankful for the support of his friends.

“It means a lot because I know how much my friends care about me and I’d do the same to them.”

Tyler is proud of his accomplishments. He feels like his hard work has paid off, just like his buddy, Robby Enslen.

Robby spent countless hours practicing baseball since he was four years old. His hard work had impressed the coaches at Oakland University in Rochester. It’s also an honor to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother, who also earned baseball scholarships after high school.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done and excited to see what I can do,” said Enslen.

Enslen and Karcher agree they never would’ve made it this far if it wasn’t for their friends and family, who stood next to them from first swing to home run.

Girls basketball works to improve

By: Kara Lanting and Allison Esther, staff writers

Basketball is one of Thornapple Kellogg’s most enjoyed sports. Our athletes put on great shows and know what it takes to please the audience.

“We’ve had a rough start in the beginning but it’s starting to take off now,” said girls varsity basketball player Nicole Schondelmayer.  

Due to recent losses against Ionia and Lakewood, the girls plan on working harder than ever for the rest of the season.

“We need to communicate, take more shots, and work together,” said Nicole,  a sophomore. After losing a very close game of 31- 33 to Ionia, the girls decided  to focus more on communication and better teamwork. Even with all the hard work put in from this, the team lost their game to Lakewood  with a final score of 40 - 44.

Varsity head coach Jessee Bays loves to win. It’s a great feeling, but there’s always something that matters more than a win.

“As long as they keep working hard, I’m happy,” admits Bays.

Bays also hopes to improve on the defensive half of the court. With a great coach, hard work and high standards, this shouldn’t be a problem.

The girls get the proper amount of confidence from coach and  have each other to rely on. They get along great and that makes a game worth watching.

On Tuesday of next week, the girls will be playing at South Christian at 7pm. Then on Friday at 7:30pm, they will be taking on Catholic Central. Hope you can make it!

Teambuilding and hard work will be keys to Trojan success

By Devon Rademacher, staff writer

Lance Laker has coached the boys varsity basketball team for the past nine seasons. This year’s squad of 14 boys are hard workers. The practices are intense and the games get wild, but they stay friends and “get closer with each day,” according to Coach Laker.

The 48-43 win against Forest Hills Eastern last Friday brought the Trojans record to 3-4 and proves Coach Laker’s point that the players are working hard and, in this game, it paid off.

Junior Caden Fransisco said he feels the team is doing well and they could improve their games by becoming closer with one another and working together more. Junior Nick Newton agrees that the team is close together and added his favorite part about being on the team is the dinners! He says they learn a lot about each other and just have a good time.

The team is only seven games into a long season, but Coach Laker promises to keep the boys working hard so they’ll only get better as the season progresses.

The Trojan coach predicts the team’s biggest competitor will be the Wayland Wildcats, but Hastings is also a threat. These big rivalries between our neighbors to the west and south will never die and promise to draw large crowds. The last TK vs. Hastings matchup ended with a 51-52 score, so the Trojans are ready for payback.

Wayland travels to Middleville on February 8 and Hastings follows on February 11 for what promises to be two exciting games in a winning 2011 season. 

Aspinall returns to TK as athletic trainer
By Carly Noah, staff writer

Thornapple Kellogg High School Athletic Trainer Ashley Aspinall treats everything from jammed fingers to broken bones for student athletes in need, but occasionally she gets an odd request.

“One time, I had to cut a wrestler’s hair.”

Aspinall explains that a wrestler from Delton Kellogg came into her office this season and asked her to cut his hair because it was too long for competition.

“I just hacked it,” she said with a laugh.

A highlight of her career includes helping a soccer player from Caledonia who fractured his wrist during the game.

“It was a moment where I was needed the most,” she said.

Aspinall added that her two favorite things are working with people and being able to participate in athletics.

“It’s really rewarding to see an injured athlete get back to the playing field.”

Aspinall’s office is open daily at 2 p.m. and closes after all home sporting events have concluded.

Alexa Schipper

Taylor Mcleod