Q & A with fall sports captains

Daniel Gonzalez-Arevalo, Newtonian Staffer|September 20, 2019

Volleyball

Lindsey Antonowich, Junior

Do you have anything specific you want to teach all the newcomers?

“How to step into their role because we have a lot of young people on our teams…Like a lot of people graduated.”

What do you think it takes to be a good team captain?

I think it takes pride in your team. Pride for the sport you play and responsibility because you know you’re representing your entire team.

Asha Regier, Junior

What is your role on the volleyball team?

We don’t really have a big senior class., so our junior class is pretty much our leaders. I’m one of the three returners on varsity.

What do you think makes you qualified to be a captain?

I have been playing volleyball for a really long time and I have been on varsity. I’ve played at a high level three years, and I feel like I’m pretty good at helping others and working with other teammates and always making them feel confident in themselves.

Marah Zenner, Junior

What is your goal for the whole team this year?

My goal for the team is to get better for next year because we’re not going to be losing anybody, to have better communication and play as a team better.

What do you think makes you qualified to be a captain?

I’m very vocal about things on the court and I think I motivate people and like, get them out of their head when they’re down and stuff like that.

Cross Country

Eli Blaufuss, Senior

When did you start running?

I started running cross country sophomore year, I had done track in middle school but for cross country was my sophomore year.

Do you have a specific goal for the entire team this year?

We want to get back to state. We’ve been at state for the past, however many years now, and I want to keep that tradition going. So it’s a big goal for all of us.

Erik Jantz, Senior

What is your role on the team this year?

Well as being named the captain, you are expected to kind of be a team leader, and encourage everyone else on the team to do the best that they can. And make sure that we’re doing the best that we can and having fun.

Do you have a personal goal?

Yeah, one of my goals is to try to medal at state. And also just improve my time from last year. So getting my personal record and have a better time.

Grant Treaster, Senior

What do you want to teach to all of the newcomers this year?

I’d wanna be able to teach them how Newton is a good cross country team and to take pride in it. How rewarding it is to run, to be able to train and run each race faster because you know your training is paying off.

What makes you qualified to be a team captain?

For me, I’d say my vocal leadership skills and the ability to help out the team in how we want to run a certain race or take a certain angle at a corner. I have had experience at being a captain from the wrestling team so I know what it takes in order to make a team successful. By having a tightly bonded group of a team and push each other in ways others can’t.

Ashley Salgado, Senior

What do you want to teach all the newcomers this year?

I want to teach them that cross country isn’t just an individual sport. It’s also a team sport. And I want to teach them leadership, how to keep going. Motivate them.

Do you have a personal goal this year?

I actually am trying to beat a record from last year. I’m like a minute off, but I have the second place one.

Girls Tennis

Kaeden Thurber, Senior

What is your role on the team?

We don’t really have captains, but senior leadership is what it’s called. So just help out with all the team dinners.

What do you think it takes to be a good captain or leader on a team?

Know the divide. Because between JV and varsity there’s not really a divide. But there are some limitations between both teams that need to be announced. You also have to accept everyone that’s on the team… you have to make everyone feel accepted.

Haylee Long, Senior

What do you want to teach all the newcomers this year?

There’s not much to teach them, a lot of them already know what they’re doing. They’re really, well, really amazing at tennis.

What do you think it takes to be a good team captain?

Just giving your best, make sure you’re on top of the team. Make sure no one isn’t doing what they’re supposed to and make sure everyone is a good person.

Gymnastics

Becca Meyer, Senior

What drives what motivates you to do the things you do?

Definitely being my last year motivates me a lot, I want to do the best for my last (year). And, my team motivates me a lot.

What do you think makes you qualified to be a good team captain?

I think I have gone to multiple Leadership Academy programs. So I think I have some leadership skills that help my team out a lot. I’m a pretty good motivator.

Toria Thaw, Junior

Do you have any special responsibilities on the team?

Nothing so much just mostly on being a role model for all the younger girls and making sure that everyone stays on task.

What do you think makes you qualified to be like a team leader?

I’ve done the sport for a really long time, so I know a lot about it. I am good at taking the lead on things.

Soccer

Joel Franz, Sophomore

What drives you and motivates you to play your sport?

My teammates motivate me because they always work hard and we work hard for each other.

Do you have any important responsibilities on the team?

Communicate with the back line, make sure people are where they need to be. They know what they need to do.

Xander Valdivia, Senior

What do you want to teach all the newcomers this year?

I want to teach them to have confidence in themselves more because I didn’t have that as a freshman. A lot of seniors put me down, but I want to be able to help encourage them.

What makes you qualified to be a captain?

A lot of the younger players voted on captains and they picked me because I’m very vocal and I know how to talk and pick people’s heads up.

Michael Velasquez, Junior

What is your role in the team?

I am the captain, or one of the three captains, that was chosen amongst our players. I play midfield and striker.

What is your goal for the whole team season?

To improve and have a better record than last year.

Football

Henry Claassen, Senior

Do you have anything specific you want to teach all the newcomers this year?

I just want to try and help the new guys that are coming up to varsity to help get ready for that varsity experience and really give them the tools they need to be ready to go for that.

So do you have a personal goal?

Personal goal for me would be to have the most tackles on the team. It’s pretty hard to do, but it’s definitely achievable.

Josh Edson, Senior

What do you think makes you qualified to be a captain?

I don’t miss any practices. I support everyone no matter who they are, or what they do.

What do you think it takes to be a really good team captain?

You have to be a leader and you can’t be putting people down even though they might not know what to do. You just got to stick up for all.

Zach Hill, Senior

What do you think makes you qualified to be a good captain?

I’m always positive on the field. I’m always high-fiving and everybody you know, keeping the energy up. Throughout the summer, I went to everything over summer and the younger guys notice that and they voted for me.

Do you have any special responsibilities?

Sometimes we have to do mental minute before practice you know, just get the guys hyped up. And recently we’ve been meeting other captains have been running workouts and like before school or after practice for guys that had to make up days that they didn’t do in the summer.