In a somewhat miraculous turn of events, Wildcat athletes are ringing in the new year through competition. The winter season has been continuing much smoother than many anticipated, despite the pandemic. Athletes and coaches have put COVID on the bench, turning the focus to their own goals for the season.

Wrestling coach Duane Hartkopf wants to put COVID on the backburner to instead focus on his wrestlers.

“We had a fairly inexperienced lineup coming into this year, but they have certainly developed at a staggering rate this season and have grown into one of the top teams in the area,” he said. “All in all, our team is competing very well this year and continuing to raise the standard we have set for not only wrestling but West athletics too.”

Beyond the wrestling mats, the pool also has welcomed Wildcats home. With all of the safety protection in place, senior Sam Blaskowski still feels safe swimming amid the pandemic.

“I am comfortable swimming because of the precautions that are being implemented,” he said. “Masks are up everywhere until you enter the pool, and when you’re in the pool you are spaced out.”

Even though sports are still competing, Blaskowski feels a gap in his final season.

“As a senior, I do feel I am missing out on a lot,” he said. “Not having any fans to support or watch, and not having swim meets is really a drag. I miss going out with my friends to sports games, cheering with the whole school. It will not be the same knowing I won’t get to be cheering in the high school fans section.”

Looking on the bright side, gymnastics coach Leah Levine says all of the extra safety precautions have actually benefited the sanitation of the equipment and gym.

“I feel like we haven’t had as many colds as we have had normally,” she said. “It is a blessing in disguise.”

However, many questions remain regarding how the WIAA will format conference and sectional competitions.

“Meets have been a little challenging; we haven’t had more than two schools in one meet,” Levine said. “For conference, it will be interesting with six schools all in one place. I am not sure how that will work and still allow for social distancing.”

Despite not having close contact with teammates, Blaskowski has noticed how team morale has improved during the Covid-19 crisis.

“Team chemistry has definitely gone up during this pandemic, knowing that I can’t be around many other people, so as a team we have become very close,” he said.

With many last minute quarantines and the quick spread of the virus, Levine sees struggles in handling meets.

“It’s hard because I know schools have been challenged with a kid testing positive and the line up changes overnight,” she said. “You’re not showcasing your best teams sometimes. It's frustrating at times because the kids are ready to go but they can’t because they have to quarantine. They have been working so hard in practice; they should be able to showcase it but they can’t.”

Due to the pandemic, there have been many parts of the season altered, such as scheduling.

“We are not having a full season as we were limited to one competition against one other team once a week,” Hartkopf said. “We are not allowed to have our conference tournament this year due to WIAA mandates, but we will have our Regional, Sectional, and State tournaments.”

Senior gymnast Danielle Dickinson was still able to compete this year despite a setback.

“After recent injuries and hip surgery, my goal was just to be able to compete on a senior night and that was achieved when I was cleared to compete,” she said.

COVID aside, many athletes are trying to make the most out of their season by focusing on their own goals and achievements.

“I do have many goals this season, as I have worked really hard to do well,” Blaskowski said. “I hope to place very high as a team and hope to win conference as an individual. I’ve been working very hard lately to reach my goal of qualifying for state individually.”

Senior hockey player Jake Sprister has developed as an athlete and as a person due to these new circumstances.

“I think that I have grown due to the fact that we are all going through struggles that we did not anticipate,” he said. “But I think that being a part of the hockey team and adjusting to it has definitely helped me.”

Winter sports have been a chance for people to stay active and come together safely. Levine believes having a season has brought up the morale of the athletes.

“Just by being in the gym, everybody’s attitudes went up automatically,” she said. “Everybody was extremely happy to do something and to burn off some energy and be around friends.”

By Zade Alzoubi

January 29th, 2021

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 4

Winter sports teams balance safety, competition to provide students normalcy