By Piers McGinn

   The boys lacrosse team (1-3) has gotten off a to a shaky start, but players and coaches believe through hard work and determination, they can turn it around and make the state tournament. 
   “I think we can definitely turn it around,” attackman Holden Johnson (’15) said. “[Stephen] Belderes is a great coach. We, as a team, are figuring out the best lineup and as the season progresses, we should be able to compete for a spot in states.”  
   The team lost their first game of the season at home against cross-town rival Roanoke Catholic School 8-7.  Isaiah Harris (’15) led the team in both goals and assists with 3 and 1, while Will Perry (’16) had 15 saves.
   “We should have won that game,” said midfielder Ryan Dent (’15). “We did not execute as well as we should have, but I think if we watch the film and learn from our mistakes we can beat them next time we see them.”
   The team went back to work over the next few days to prepare for Nansemond-Suffolk, the No. 1 team in the state at the time. The team lost 5-3. Gray Pollock (’18) led the team with two goals, Massey Semler (’17) had one assist, while Will Perry (’16) had 12 saves.
   “The defense played great,” Dent said. “We held the No. 1 team in the state to only five goals, but we did not execute as well as we should have on offense”
   One big test for the Raiders was when they played Liberty Christian Academy (LCA). At the end of the fourth quarter, there was a sense of relief from the team. They had won their first game of the season, 13-4, against one of the few Division I teams they will see. Harris (’15) led the team in assists with two, while Will Perry (’16) had 10 saves. 
   “We came out firing on all cylinders,” Johnson said. “We executed on both sides of the field and as a result we got the W.”
   Most recently, the team traveled four hours to Blue Ridge School to face-off against the Barons (3-4). The Raiders started off shaky being out-scored by six at half, but began a rally in the second half, out-scoring the Barons 6-3. Eventually, time ran out before the Raiders could cap off their run, and the team lost, 10-7.
   “We were low on energy,” Harris said. “We should have had more energy, and that includes myself.”
   Up next, the team will take a long road trip to battle Virginia Episcopal School (2-1). Belderes sees a key area in which the team needs to improve.
   “We need to improve our ball possession,” he said. “We need to value the ball.”

By Dre Colston

   Sarah Maurer (‘16), a versatile player who loves to play in the goal, also excels in the field as the team’s leading scorer with 18 goals.
   Ever since Maurer lived in the state of Utah she has always had a feel for playing goalie. Maurer plays for the Roanoke Star Soccer Club outside of playing for the school team. The unique thing about Maurer is that she has the ability to play in the goal for Roanoke Star Soccer Club and play on the field for the Raiders. That is especially useful because the Raiders can put another great goalie, Katie Sayers (‘15), in front of the net. 
   “I have always played in goal first because I liked it, but when I started travel soccer in Utah my coach put me there because I was the best at it,” Maurer said. “Ever since then I’ve just been the best on the team and that’s where I played.” 
   Some would think that playing as a goalie might be very boring, but it requires quite a bit of focus at all times than one might expect. 
   “The hardest part about being in goal is being mentally engaged at all times because in some games you won’t have to do anything, and then there might be a breakaway and you have to make a save,” Maurer said. “There is a lot of pressure to be perfect when you are in goal you can’t afford to make mistakes.” 
   By playing on the field and in goal, Maurer is torn between which position she enjoys most but is sided more towards playing in the goal. 
   “I like both, but I enjoy being in goal for big games because it comes down to like one or two saves,” Maurer said. “When you are in goal, you can’t afford to make any mistakes. In the field it’s totally different because I have help from my teammates.”
   While she has a high motor on the field and plays with hard-nosed intensity, maintaining that intensity off the field has been a challenge. 
  “The hardest part for me about playing in the field is getting in shape,” Maurer said, “And not to be so hard on myself when I don’t do as well, because it’s not the primary position that I play.”
   “She’s always been really good at soccer and been able to play wherever she’s needed even though her natural position is goalkeeper,” said Mary Kate Graeff (‘16), who has been Maurer’s teammate for three years for the school’s team and seven years for Roanoke Star. “It’s nice to play with someone who is so well-rounded.” 
   “She’s scored many goals for us this season, she probably strikes as well as any female in the state,” Head Coach James Brown, “She’s one of the best athletes on the team, I can play her up top, in the middle and even in the goal if there’s a problem.”
   The team has a record of 11-1 with an upcoming game against Eastern Mennonite on April 21. 

   The 2-1 golf team has renewed hopes for the season, partially due to the emergence of two of their youngest players.
   This year, eight golfers play on the school team and have achieved several impressive victories in the season so far. In a match against Timberlake Christian on April 9, for example, the Raiders scored 189 strokes, over 20 strokes below Timberlake’s 218.
   Richard Cook has been coaching golf for seven years, and said this season is both similar and distinct from previous ones.
   “This year is similar in that we have one very good player, a few players with some experience, and then several players who are learning the game,” he said. “I am optimistic regarding our performance this year. If Philip, Bennett, Sterling or all three step up and shoot in the high 40s, we will be good. I think our greatest challenge this year is to shoot under 225 in the VIC Tournament; that would be great if we could pull that off.”
   Cook thinks that the most promising player this year is either Nathan Seidel (‘18) or Bruce Ferrell (‘17). Farrell’s average score this year for nine holes is 56, while Seidel’s average is 46.
   “Bruce and Nathan have a lot of potential,” Cook said, “but both need to improve over the next few weeks.”
   Ty Olinger (‘16) is the team’s top player. Having played the game for over 15 years, Olinger is an extremely experienced player, and also competes in golf tournaments outside of school. His average score for the school team this year playing nine holes is 39.
   “I’ve been playing golf ever since I could swing a club so since I was 3 or 4,” Olinger said. “My favorite part about golf is just being on the golf course. It’s always relaxing and it’s a nice getaway.”
   Olinger said he was looking forward to the rest of the season and felt optimistic about the team’s prospects.
   “I’m really excited about this year,” Olinger said. “Our team is definitely looking a lot better and I think we will compete well with everyone this year.”

   The boys’ tennis team is off to a great start this year despite having to battle the early season rain, snow and ice.   
   Up one singles set and poised to win five of six sets against VES last Friday, the boys’ tennis team seemed on the verge of completing a match.
   “We were so excited to be playing an actual match after four days of practice,” said Coach Robert Robillard. 
   Then an ominous cloud covered the courts with a quarter inch of rain in 15 minutes and the teams left the match incomplete knowing they would have to find some time in the increasingly crowded weeks before playoffs.
   After another rain out on Tuesday, the team will have to play eight matches in the next two weeks to complete its mandatory schedule before conference playoffs in the first week of May.
   Like most teams this spring, tennis has faced less time in practice and more match cancellations than most years. Nevertheless, the team is 2-0, and owns the No. 1 ranking in VISAA Div. II.
   The team made good use of the gym early in the season, keeping in shape by playing pickle ball – a game somewhat similar to tennis – and spinning with coach Robillard.
   “We all get in the spin room, and work out hard to loud music,” Robillard said. “The boys hoot and holler a lot. Indoor days make the court time more special.” 
   Once the boys were able to hit the tennis courts it was all business. Their first BRC match was a tough one as they faced last year’s Virginia Independent Conference (VIC) champions: Covenant. Despite windy conditions the team scored an impressive 7-2 win over the six-time state champions. Campbell Bloomfield (‘18) and Daniel Habib (‘18) scored important wins at singles five and six to help secure the victory for the team. 
   “These two freshman have really stepped up this year to help our team,” said fourth-year singles No. 1 Joseph Cartledge (‘16). “They practiced hard over the winter, and they have improved a lot. They are really committed players, and are a big part of why we are off to such a great start. Michael, Jack and Zander are so solid in their positions, but it is nice to be able to depend on Daniel and Campbell when we need it.” 
   The team also scored a VIC victory against Eastern Mennonite High School and last week avenged their earlier loss to Blacksburg High School. Currently they are ranked No. 1 in the state followed by Highland School, the defending state champion who beat the Raiders 5-4 in last year’s final match. 
   The players focus on the next match.  
   “We take it one point at a time,” said No. 2 singles Michael Fleming (’16), “one game at a time, and one match at a time. That’s how we get it done.” 

The baseball team had a major scare in their 14-10 victory on Monday as their undefeated record was in major jeopardy against Roanoke Valley Christian School.
   They entered the sixth inning down 10-1, after eighth grade starter Andy Benson, making his first start for varsity, went three innings and gave up four runs, two earned and senior Edwin Saunders relieved him and went 2.1 innings. The Raiders were frustrated at the plate for the majority of the day, as they hit numerous popups and flyballs against Roanoke Valley Christian starter Casey Knopp and left 12 men on base for the day. The Roanoke Valley Christian offense was led by Josiah Summers, who had two hits including a two run double off of Saunders.
   The comeback came all at once in the bottom of the sixth inning after Benson led off with a single, as the wheels fell off for the Roanoke Valley Christian pitching staff. They walked 18 batters on the day, which allowed the Raiders to score 14 runs including 13 in the sixth inning, despite struggling at the plate for most of the game. I received the pitching win with 2/3 of an inning and Justin Jensen finished off the game with a quick three up three down inning.
   The Raiders will go on to play at Covenant School on Thursday in a conference matchup.

Last Year’s Record: 14-2-1
Head Coach: James Brown
Assistant Coach: Blair Trail
With a great 2014-2015 showing, the girl’s soccer team’s goals remain steady.
Lissa Smith (’16) who is coming off of a foot injury looks forward to see how this team will do opposed to last year’s team.
“It will be different because of the seniors of course,” she said, “but I feel like we can be a very good team towards the end of the season.” 
Sarah Shaff (’15) is very excited about her senior season. 
“I look forward to ending out my senior year on a very good note,” she said.
Player’s Quote: “I look forward to seeing how we work as a team considering we graduated four seniors.” - Katie Sayers (’15)
Coach’s Quote: “The core we have coming back is very exciting, with six seniors and four juniors.” - Head Coach James Brown

Last Year’s Record: 11-9
Head Coach: Eric Lawrence
Assistant Coaches: Dave Dickerson, Scott Smith, Lee Coleman
While the baseball team lost two of its top seniors from last year, Head Coach Eric Lawrence is excited about the depth of this year’s team.
“I am really looking forward to being a very well-balanced team,” he said. “We have the build of a well-balanced team because our pitching is more balanced; we will have to use more pitchers on the mound.” 
Nathaniel Richardson (’16) has high hopes this season.
“This year there’s going to be a neat group of guys,” Richardson said, “very excited to see how far we can go.”
Player Quote: “Look forward to the new season with the new additions on the team, hopefully make a good run for the state championship.” - Justin Jensen (‘16) 
Coach’s Quote: “Goals for this team are of course to build team chemistry and of course finish top five in our conference.” 
- Head Coach Eric Lawrence 

Last Year’s Record: N/A
Head Coaches: Mariana Hermosilla
Assistant Coach: Pedro Casco
Coming off of a successful BRC championship run, Helen Schmetdje (’17) is looking forward to a new season with new teammates.
“I just want to play my best and have fun with my new teammates,” she said.
Coach Mariana Hermosilla likes the mix of new players.
“This season we have a team that is very diverse in the sense that we have players that are experienced in tennis and that have been in the team for at least a season, players that began playing last year and are still relatively new to the sport,” she said, “Players that are new to the team but not to tennis, and players that are new to both the team and the sport.” 
Player Quote: “Our goals this year are to definitely improve from the beginning of the season especially the new players and more experienced players.” - Helen Schmetdje (’17)
Coach’s Quote: “What Coach Casco and I are looking forward to seeing from our athletes is the will to improve and the ability to understand our short and long term goals and keep focused on taking one step at a time towards overall improvement.” - Head Coach Mariana Hermosilla

Last Year’s Record: 15-3
Head Coach: Robert Robillard
With three players ranked in the top 100 of the USTA mid-Atlantic region and more returning starters, the boy’s tennis team is the heir apparent to hold the championship throne.
Michael Fleming (’16) looks forward to bringing the state championship 
“We’re about to win a state championship,” he said. “It’s really frustrating not winning these past years but this year we’ll get the job done.”
Player’s Quote: “Our goals is to win the state championship, we’ve come close the past two years and losing in the finals last year in such a close match really has motivated everyone to get it this year.” - Joseph Cartledge (’16).
Coach’s Quote: “Experience and talent are strengths. Being in the state runners-up the last two years provides a lot of inspiration to win it all.” - Head Coach Robert Robillard

Last Year’s Record: N/A
Head Coach: Richard Cook
The team is ready to hit the links this season, as they are primed to compete this year within their conference.
 “I look forward to see how we compare to other teams and how everyone improved over the summer,” Harrison Macher (‘15).
Student Quote: “I’m looking forward to playing with all my teammates and competing this year. Personally my goals are to help the win as many matches as possible and improve my game from last year.” -Ty Olinger (‘16)
Coach’s Quote: “ I look forward to sunny skies and June 1st.”
- Head Coach Richard Cook

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 
Head Coach: Stephen Belderes
Assistant Coach: Chris Pollock
Coming off of a season in which they made it to the Division III state semifinals to suffer a tough loss, Max Revercomb (’15) has his sights on another playoff run.
“I’m definitely looking forward to this season,” he said, “because it will be my senior year and I think we will have a good team.”
Head Coach Stephen Belderes has his eye on the playoffs.
“We want to be home seed,” he said, “for both the conference and state tournaments.” Player’s Quote: “I definitely want to teach some of the younger players how to play the game and do what a captain should.” -Keith Willis (‘15)
Coach’s Quote: “There are a lot of question marks and that is what I am looking forward to. We have three goalies and we do not have a starter so they are going to have to fight that out. I am interested in who is going to be our starter, who is going to be our face-off guy, who is going to be the man who leads the team in points.” 
– Head Coach Stephen Belderes

Last Year’s Record: N/A
Head Coach: Rich McGimsey
Assistant Coach: N/A
 With limited numbers of Upper School players, Girls Lacrosse will be a young team once again this year.
“I really look forward to seeing how the team improves overall and how we compete against our toughest opponents,” said Adrienne Spring (’16)
Head Coach Rich McGimsey is very excited for this lacrosse season to start.
“I can’t wait for the games. I love to see all of the hard work of our players during practice displayed in the competition of a game,” he said. 
Caroline McGimsey, daughter of coach McGimsey, has her own set of expectations for this year’s new team.
“We want to win a few games this year and get better as the year goes on,” she said.
Player Quote: “I am looking forward to improving as a team player and as a team.” - Caroline McGimsey (’17)
Coach’s Quote: “My goals this season are for the girls to enjoy the game of lacrosse as much as I do and mostly find a sense of accomplishment win or lose.” 
- Head Coach Rich McGimsey

   Ever since people created sports, athletes have always done and will continue to do anything they can to get an edge.
   For example, Pud Galvin, 19th century baseball pitcher, openly took a Brown- Sequard elixir, a steroid precursor, derived from animal testicles. Even before that, according to sportsanddrugs.procon.org, the ancient Greeks took drugs to enhance their performance in the Olympic Games, as they experimented with herbal medications, took wine potions and ate animal hearts in search of any advantage. This historical precedent has continued into contemporary society, as athletes ranging from professional to high school are taking amphetamines such as Adderall and Vyvanse to gain an edge. These drugs have legitimate medical uses such as treating people with ADHD, but some athletes instead use them to gain an energy boost or to maintain hyper-focus through a sporting event. Harrison Macher (’15), who wrote his senior speech on the drugs used to treat ADHD, cautions those who think taking amphetamines will automatically give an athletic edge.
   “Personally I have the exact opposite effect. Suddenly this season, I would puke my brains almost everyday,” he said. “Some people think that it helps but it is up for debate because different people experience different results. It increases your heart rate a lot, your metabolism is significantly faster and you are not taking in deep breaths when the chemicals are active in your body. At the same time you have an insane amount of energy so it is easy to overwork your body.”
   Along with the effects that Macher mentioned, amphetamine use has also been scientifically proven to cause anxiety, high blood pressure, paranoid delusions and even nerve damage according to amphetaminerisks.com. This does not fully cover the side effects of these drugs. Macher says side effects are the hardest part to deal with, even with prescribed use.
   “The one thing people need to realize about amphetamines is how common negative side effects are,” he said. “Two of them are not being hungry and not being able to sleep.”
   While performance-enhancers are the drug of choice for many athletes, many have turned to drugs that have the exact opposite effect, such as depressants, like marijuana. Marijuana, according to an ESPN special report, impairs skills requiring eye-hand coordination and fast reaction times along with impairing concentration; in other words it is far from a performance enhancer.
   “It is not easy to quantify this, but I would definitely say that someone who is smoking weed on a regular basis is going to perform a lot worse than someone misusing amphetamines,” Macher said. “They are going to be a lot slower along with many other effects.”

   Always armed with a copy of Ted Williams’ book The Science Of Hitting and an affable personality, Charlie Manuel has seen and done it all in professional baseball.
   Manuel, who is in his 52nd year in professional baseball of a career and owns a major league managerial record of 220-190, signed with the Minnesota Twins organization in 1963 out of Parry-McClure High School in Buena Vista. After signing, he played in the minor leagues with the Twins for six years before getting called up to the major leagues in 1969. In the majors, Manuel received sporadic playing time and was shuttled between the major and minor leagues. After spending parts of six years in the major leagues hitting, knocking four home runs, he decided to go overseas to continue his playing career. In Japan, Manuel had to make numerous adjustments both on and off the field.
   “When I first went to Japan it was completely different from the Major Leagues in culture and style of play,” he said. “When I first went to Japan I was so uncomfortable it was unreal. Everything was different for me and I couldn’t sleep at night. It was hard to even order something to eat.”
   Manuel was a quick study, as he hit 189 home runs in 6 seasons including 48 in 1980. He also became fully fluent in Japanese, overcoming the language barrier. Even though it was very difficult at times, Manuel is grateful now for his experience in Japan.
   “It taught me a lot about a lot about myself and it taught me self-discipline,” he said. “If you wanted to play you had to practice and be on time; it was much more of a regiment and they practiced way harder than we ever did here.”
   Virginia holds a special place in Manuel’s heart, as he grew up in Buena Vista and lived in Roanoke for 19 years.
   “We moved to Buena Vista when I was in seventh grade and I have always thought that Virginia is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been with the Shenandoah Valley and the mountains,” he said. “I liked everything about it. I liked that there are four seasons and even before I moved to Roanoke I spent a lot of time in this area and also in Southwest Virginia. I’ve known a lot of people and I have always considered Virginia my home.”
   Manuel’s experience in Japan partially led to his next career in the game as a hitting guru and eventually a major league manager. He credits one of his managers in Japan, Hiroshi Arakawa, along with major league managers Billy Martin and Walter Alston for teaching him the game.
   “I learned different things from each different guy,” he said. “Walter Alston and Billy Martin taught me a lot about how to handle things.”
   Manuel returned to the states after his career in Japan and was a scout for nine years in the Minnesota Twins organization before becoming a minor league manager in 1983. After managing in the minor leagues in the Twins system five years, Manuel was hired as the Cleveland Indians hitting coach in 1988. He returned to the minors after two years as hitting coach to manage in the Cleveland organization from 1990-1993, but he made his mark when he returned to the majors as the hitting coach from 1994-1999, becoming the manager of the club in 2000. Manuel credits his experience with the core of those Indians teams in the minors for advancing his career. 
   “Most of those Cleveland hitters from the mid ‘90s I had in the minor leagues,” he said. “The way those players played in the minor leagues played a huge role in me getting to the big leagues as a coach.”
   The Indians of that era could certainly hit, as they led the American League in runs in 1994, 1995, and 1999. Manuel loved coaching and managing those groups of hitters and saw great depth in those teams.
   “Those were what I called lineups,” he said. “People might not understand this and I tried to explain it when I was in Philadelphia, but when we set our lineup up we look for balance and we look for a good lineup up and down. If we were weak in one position we didn’t just forget about that position; we were looking to upgrade that bat at that position.
   “Once you do that you have good balance in your lineup and you end up with a good offense. When I was hitting coach in Cleveland we had such a good bench with (Jeromy) Burnitz, (Brian) Giles, (Sean) Casey and (Richie) Sexson. In order to be a good team in the major leagues you have to have an attitude and a philosophy of winning, but at the same time it’s talent and depth that carries you all the way through the season.”
   After leaving Cleveland in 2002, Manuel went on to manage the Philadelphia Phillies from 2004-2012. He achieved great fame in Philadelphia for winning five division titles in a row from 2007-2011 and, in what Manuel calls “the greatest accomplishment of my career,” winning the 2008 World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays. That 2008 team was led by a dynamic offense that scored 799 runs, finishing second in the National League in that category. He had another “lineup” there, as the team was strong and balanced offensively.
   “For five years with the Phillies we had tremendous lineups,” he said. “Our best lineup was when we had (Pat) Burrell and (Jayson) Werth to hit behind (Ryan) Howard and (Chase) Utley with Jimmy Rollins and (Shane) Victorino hitting at the top of the lineup. We could steal second, steal third and then score on a ground ball. We also had Michael Bourn sitting on the bench and played one of the best little ball games in all of baseball.
 “Werth and Utley could also run, but we had a team of power hitters who were also on-base guys like Werth and Burrell. They took a lot of pitches and had about 100 walks each so we had good balance. We beat people a lot of different ways.”
   One of the major stars of that team was Chase Utley, who is known for his all-out style of play. Manuel loved having him as a player, comparing him to Kirby Puckett.
   “Kirby Puckett was my favorite player before I had Utley,” he said. “Utley was always prepared, put a lot into it, and demanded a lot of himself. Utley could care less if he had attention, but if you wanted to say something good about him he thought that was a lot better than him saying something good about himself. It wasn’t even close who spent the most hours out of all the hitters I have ever coached in the video room; it was Utley.”
   Leadership is a tough thing to measure from afar, but Manuel says that the Philadelphia media always tried to tell him whom his leaders were. In his estimation, he had two true player leaders who stood out among the rest in Philadelphia.
   “The whole time I was in Philly we had one vocal leader; that was Aaron Rowand, who came over from the White Sox,” he said. “He was the guy who would look at you and say, ‘What are you doing!’ and set you in line if you did something that he didn’t like. He would also get the manager involved with it. (Chase) Utley was always a leader. He was quiet and he led by example. Getting to know Utley, if he didn’t like something he would pull you aside and have lunch with you. He would talk about professionalism and what was required and how you should be playing. He was very good at that, but also if you did something wrong he had the respect of the players enough that he could just stare and look at you and send you a message.”
   While Manuel loved his time managing, hitting has always been his true passion. While he tries his best to teach his pupils the art of hitting, he does not think there is a Charlie Manuel clone in the baseball world.
   “I don’t think there is one guy out there who has my philosophy of hitting,” he said. “I work with you individually and what you think you are as a hitter and what I think you are. I am going to do whatever I can do to get you to be the best hitter possible. If I had two players sitting here I might not let one guy even listen to what I tell the other guy because I might tell him the exact opposite. I want you to play to your strengths and I want you to master your hitting.”
   Manuel was inspired by the man whose book he said he has at least ten copies of, Ted Williams. Williams, despite being one of the greatest if not the greatest hitter to ever live, always made time for Manuel.
   “Every time I saw Ted Williams he used to talk to me,” he said. “When I was in rookie ball with Greg Nettles, Ted Williams was the manager in Washington and he used to come out and work with us because we were left-handed hitters. Billy Martin was my manager and he used to get mad because Williams would work with us and tell him to leave us alone. I could see Williams down on the street and he would stop me and start talking about hitting. He always called me Bush; he called everybody Bush (Bush in those days meant bush-leaguer, or a minor leaguer.)
   “I used to start talking to him about his book and he would get mad and loud and say ‘A sports writer wrote that!’ I would say to him that in that book it says you teach an uppercut. He would say ‘I don’t teach no uppercut!’ and he would get really upset. I loved talking to him. He was before his time.”
   Manuel is still in his time even at 71 years old, as he currently serves as a special advisor to the General Manager of the Phillies, Ruben Amaro Jr.  He will also serve as a coach in Spring Training for the Phillies, where he will continue to teach the art of hitting.
   Through all his years managing in the minors and majors, Manuel had one goal.
   “My philosophy has always been about winning,” he said. “Some people in the minor leagues said it was all about development but if you are a major league prospect and want to be a major league player then winning should definitely be in your resume.”
  To get the W’s on the stat sheets, Manuel knew he had to do plenty of work off the field with his players. 
   “If you were my player you were going to get to know me and I was definitely going to get to know you,” he said. “Communication was the biggest thing; I wanted to be trustworthy and consistent everyday. I had a very high passion for the players and I was fortunate to always be around talented players. 
   “We had quite a bit of success and it was something that I loved to do. I would never tell this to a player, but I always put him first. I liked to bring players into my office and look them straight in the eye and tell them who I am and what it is all about and give them choices on who they wanted to be.”

   Ever since Kennedy Nwabia (’15) came to America from Nigeria, 9,270 km away, he has been a basketball and soccer standout, setting and breaking records in his short time at North Cross. 
   “Coming to America, I thought I was going to be better at basketball,” Nwabia said, “because I played it more and only played soccer on the weekends.”
   Nwabia had a little bit of time in America before North Cross. He attended an all-boys’ Catholic boarding school, Mount Michael Benedictine School in Nebraska for a month. He arrived at school, planning to only play basketball, but an injury to soccer standout Ezra Zigarwi brought Nwabia onto the pitch. 
   “I met with Mr. Brown one day, and he said I should try out for the team,” said Nwabia, who plays forward in soccer and basketball. “I went to practice the next day, and it went really well.” 
    He had no equipment to play in, so his soccer and basketball teammate Bennett Holley (‘15) let him use his old cleats and shin guards. Nwabia scored three goals in his first game for the Raiders.
   Soccer is extremely competitive in Nigeria, along with boxing, basketball, running and dancing. 
   “I decided to play basketball because I saw it as a easy way out of the country,” Nwabia said. “I wanted to leave the country to get a better education, to get a chance to play at the next level and experience great competition.”  
   For Nwabia, getting a chance to accomplish his goals has been tough.  College Counselor Julie Aavastmark has worked hard to get him qualified through the NCAA Clearing House.
   “With international students it’s really hard because they have more than one transcript.” Aavatsmark said. “With a student like Kennedy it’s hard for compliance officers to be familiar with the grading scales from foreign countries.” 
   Adding to the difficulties is the difference in grading between countries, as everyone does not just get a smiley face A+ in Nigeria at any level of school. 
   “It’s hard for officers to know how it works in Nigeria because nobody gets an A,” Aavatsmark said.  
   Nwabia will not know until around July or August whether the compliance officers will clear him. On Jan. 6, Nwabia was accepted into Dayton University. 
   “All I can do is thank God for the blessing,” Nwabia said, “and pray that he continues to bless me.”