High Life Thursday. November 29, 2001
Cold weather heats up weight room
As the winter season
approaches, teenagers
keep in shape by working
out at local gyms.
By Melissa Ellisen
Reporter
Sweat is pouring down her face.
A shaky hand grabs another 25-
pound dumbbell and starts a third
set of one-arm snatches. The feel
ings of nausea and dizziness are
unbearable, but to become a stron
ger athlete, she must keep lifting.
For at least 2 months, teenagers
all over Greensboro have been trav
eling to Pyramids Health and Fit
ness Center to build, strengthen,
and condition their muscles.
People as young as 10 and as old
as 18 participate in these exercise
groups.
The many types of classes a
teenager can take at Pyramids are
coached and taught by Coach Jerry
Frushon, the teen director. Coach
Frushon said, “We started out with
3 classes; now we have 22.”
A few of the classes are Girl
Scout fitness badge classes, el
ementary fitness, strength training,
health and fitness, high school
Freshman Camelyn Dillon works up a sweat on the treadmill at Pyramids Health and Fitness
Center. She is one of many teenagers working out during winter months.
conditioning groups, and team
training groups. Coach Frushon
said, “I like being able to watch the
groups do what they do. I like
when they reach their potential.”
The classes are physically
draining, and the athletes are forced
to work hard. An “easy” workout
may consist of 30 minutes of lift-
ing and then another half-hour of
the ladder. The ladder is a tool that
helps the athletes with condition
ing. Freshman Camelyn Dillon
said, “We come and first we warm
up, then we lift weights, do the lad
der and cones, and occasionally
scrimmage.”
“1 work out lower-body one day
a week, and upper-body one day. 1
use the different machines about
half the class using different
muscles, then I use free weights to
work my arms. Then I do abs last.
I have improved a lot because
when I started I hadn’t even
worked out before [lifting weights].
I am a lot stronger,” said sopho
more Bryce Richardscsi.
Being a strong athlete helps in
WOTk out at Pyramids may play soc
cer, basketball, tennis, swimming,
rock climb, or just go to get a good
workout and stay in shape. Junior
Chris Zirker said, “It is a structured
way to work out.”
The rewards of participating
and strengthening yourself are also
great. “I like how people who are
outside the group watch and are
amazed,” said Coach Frushon.
Although the groups help
these teenagers get physically
stronger, they also help out with
the mental aspects of physical
activity. The determination to
become stronger needs to come
from within. This is based on the
mental aspects of weight train
ing. Being strong mentally, makes
a person stronger physically.
“Although strength is needed,
mental determination is crucial to
squeeze that last bit of effort
out,” said freshman Nathan
Durham.
Whether lifting or running,
these teenagers are preparing
themselves for the future with
this weight training class. They
are learning self-discipline and
gaining positive self images.
Swimmers possess mental, physical edge
Grimsiey’s Dewey Pool
crowds once again as
swimmers prepare for an
other successful season.
By Emily Durham
StaffWriter
The air is electric. Enthusiastic
parents and students fill the stands
as swimmers warm up in the pool.
Suddenly a deafening cheer ema
nates from the water. “Hey you!
You know the story. You tell the
whole wide world this is Whirlie
Territory!” A mass of navy blue
caps in the corner of the pool erupts
in wild splashing as another swim
season begins.
The Dewey Pool is Whirlie Ter
ritory. Last year at the state meet,
the men’s team finished an impres
sive fifth overall and the women
ninth. This will be a rebuilding year
for the men’s team after losing key
senior swimmers. The women’s
team looks strong and hopes to
improve th is year to the top five in
the state.
Helping the swim team to
achieve their goals is Coach Du
rante Griffin, who is currently
coaching his twenty-second
Grimsley swim team. Coach Griffin
said, “I enjoy working with the
swimmers and seeing them develop
from dog paddle to butterfly.”
Daily practicing allows the swim
mers to build up endurance and
improve stroke technique. The
end results pay off when the swim
mers see their times improve.
“Swimming is a challenging sport,
so the end results can feel very re
warding,” said sophomore Katie
Maggio.
Swimming is an unforgiving
sport. A sluggish start, slow turn,
or half-hearted finish can all add
up to tenths of a second in a race.
Although this is not much time, it
can mean the difference between a
first and second place, the conso
lation heat or finals. “Swimming is
not just strength and speed. You
have to pay attention to the de
tails and technique. The little
things make the difference between
Academic Award for having the
highest GPA in the state of North
Carolina.
Saturdays find the swimmers
squeezing in an extra practice and
playing a friendly game of water
polo. Sophomore Ross Martin said,
“This exciting sport [water polo]
gives us a chance to have both fun
and to compete with friends at the
same time.”
“Not only does one
have to have endurance
and muscular strength,
but also psyche and the
desire to improve.”
-Andy Coughlin,
junior
The Grimsley team’s
comaraderie extends beyond the
high school season. Many swim
mers coach and compete against
one another on summer league
teams such as Green Valley,
Hamilton Lakes, and Friendly.
Freshman Suzanna Ritz said, “It’s
cool seeing people from all differ
ent teams swimming together.”
Stroking to success, the swim-
mers once again defend Whirlie
Territory in a victorious meet. Fa
tigued and famished, they pile into
carloads to fill up on Tex and
Shirley’s all-you-can-eat pancake
supper. “Some hot pancakes from
Tex and Shirley’s always hit the
spot after a hard swim meet,” said
senior co-captain James Harmon.
a win or a loss,” said sophomore
Olivia Chasse.
The mental edge, however, can
also mean the difference between
winning and losing. “Not only
does one have to have endurance
and muscular strength, but also
psyche and the desire to improve,”
said junior Andy Coughlin.
Dedication sets swimmers apart
from other athletes. “They have
to love the sport and be willing to
practice every day,” said Coach
Griffin.
This commitment and dedica
tion carries over to excellence in
academics. For the second year,
the men’s team received the 2000
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