The Wake

With winter upon us, the Wake felt it necessary to inform skiers and snowboarders where to go to practice their sport. Below are reviews of three ski areas that are all within 45 minutes of the U. The three hills are rated based on price, difficulty and overall experience. Afton Alps
While the name makes it seem like you’ll experience a glimpse of Switzerland, the skiing doesn’t follow. There are plenty of chairlifts to bring you to the 48 runs. But Afton Alps is very spread out. While the widespread runs help when the hill is crowded, it is a hassle trying to ski the entire hill. The best thing about this place is that it is relatively close since it’s about 30 miles away from the U. If price is an issue, the best …

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Still Got It Award: Brad Johnson – Minnesota Vikings
After taking a backup role in Tampa Bay last season, Brad Johnson was released in March. The Vikings nabbed Brad Johnson in free agency and are pleased with their decision. Following the Daunte Culpepper’s injury, Johnson has led the team to a winning record. Although he isn’t the most mobile quarterback nor does he possess the strongest arm, his knowledge of the game has proved to be invaluable. Congratulations to Brad Johnson for showing that he still has what it takes to be a starter in the National Football League. Worst Sports story award: Fox 9 investigations
College athletes are drinking alcohol and receiving special treatment? No way. Impossible. Word on the street is college athletes sometimes also engage in pre-marital sex. Dumbfounding isn’t it? Fox …

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Six years ago, Paula Gentil (Jen-SHU) wouldn’t have dreamt about playing volleyball for the Minnesota Gophers. At 16 years of age, Gentil left her hometown of Fortaleza, Brazil to add English to her native Portuguese. Gentil traveled to Orlando, Fla. and enrolled at Lake Highland Prep School. She planned to spend six months there, learn English and come back home to her family. Six years later, Paula is still in America, she’s merely moved from Florida’s southeast tip to Minnesota’s Land of 10,000 Lakes.Gophers head volleyball coach Mike Hebert stumbled onto a volleyball gem he refused to lose sight of. “When you walk by a court and out of the corner of your eye you catch someone moving and darting, doing things that are instinctive and intuitive the way Paula does, you stop and watch,” …

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The Gophers Men’s basketball team was the Cinderella team of the Big Ten last season. Projected to finish tenth, Minnesota surprised the nation by earning a berth in the NCAA tournament and finishing fourth in their conference with a record of 10-6 and 21-11 overall. With the return of senior swingman Vincent Grier and the additions of sixth-year point guard Adam Boone from injury and fifth-year shooting guard Maurice Hargrow transferring back from Arkansas, one would suspect the Gophers to be ranked among the elite of the Big Ten, if not the nation. Wrong.It appears the Gophers will need to slide on the glass slipper and play Cinderella again this season because most experts don’t envision Minnesota finishing better than eighth in the conference. Despite the low preseason rankings, the Gophers are upbeat about …

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With gender equality in mind, the government crafted a federal law in 1972 called Title IX. The law states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Although it has been debated since its adoption, the law has had implications that many people are unaware of. Title IX has taken down barriers throughout education and athletics for women across the country. In the Big Ten, there are 13 championships for women and 12 for men. Women’s athletics have been involved in the Big Ten since 1981. Some believe the law has stifling effects on varsity sports at the University of Minnesota. For example, volleyball, rowing and …

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Last year, Gopher women’s basketball ranked sixth nationwide in average attendance. This means the sport has quickly become more popular thanks to departed Gopher All-American and current WNBA star Lindsey Whalen. And while Whalen may have helped put the U of M women’s hoops squad on the national map, it’s the team’s perennially potent defense that has kept them there.A Big Ten power in recent years, the Gophers always-improving defense was able to hold two conference foes (Purdue and Indiana) under 40 points, on each respective team’s home court last season. Then, in post-season play, last year, Minnesota nearly set an NCAA Tournament record, allowing its first-round opponent, St. Francis (Pa.), a mere 33 points – the 2nd-lowest point total allowed in tournament history.Leading Minnesota’s nationally acclaimed defense is Shannon Bolden. “She embraces defense, …

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After a Saturday night of partying, Sunday often dawns with headaches, sore throats, and exhaustion. But what better way to get over a hangover than by jumping from a thirty-foot platform into the deep end of the University of Minnesota’s Aquatic Center?Or so is the case for a group of friends who have found a passion for plunging into water from great heights. The group originated as three friends who went cliff jumping in northern Minn. during the summer. But the concept of diving caught on with their other friends and soon more joined in on the multi-faceted hobby.Brian Trolander, and Andrew Thibodeau, seniors in the College of Liberal Arts, were among the original founders of the diving group. “We’d gone cliff jumping up north,” Thibodeau says. “Then we basically decided to go diving on …

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In an era of patriotism in the United States, with ceremonies to commemorate national events, some athletes have expressed their discontent in subtle yet powerful ways. In the 1995-1996 NBA season, while playing for the Denver Nuggets, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf chose to sit down during the national anthem. He cited his Islamic faith as the reason behind his actions. The NBA then suspended him indefinitely. Subsequently, the suspension only lasted for two games. Afterward, Abdul-Rauf closed his eyes and covered his face while saying a personal prayer during the anthem.In the 2002-2003 season Toni Smith, a women’s basketball player at Manhattanville College, turned her back on the American flag during the national anthem. She did it to protest to the war in Iraq. Although she was a division three “star,” Smith averaged only 3.3 points per …

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As fall settles in, the air becomes cool and crisp, leaves turn those beautiful hues of orange and red, and the maroon-and-gold football team enters the home stretch of its football season. As hooded sweatshirts emerge from their off-season storage, remember to clear open a few hours of your Saturdays to watch Minnesota’s football team compete in some meaningful end-of-the-season games.These final games of fall will have Gophers football optimists geared up already, but for the pessimists, you too are invited to cheer on coach Glen Mason’s crew. Okay, granted there was the punt attempt gone wrong, penalty plagued, late defensive collapse that was the Wisc. loss. And, yes, sure there was also the embarrassing annihilation at the claws of ageless Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions. Oh, and one other thing, I’d be remiss …

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Rule Changes In an effort to make professional hockey more entertaining, the NHL has altered the rules to make the game more focused on offense. This season there are a plethora of new rules that make the game faster-paced and higher-scoring. The rink dimensions have changed to make the offensive zones bigger, the blue lines have moved closer to center ice, and the goals have moved farther back. Icing is still enforced, but the team committing an icing infraction will no longer be able to make a line change for the ensuing face-off. Goaltenders will now be limited to a trapezoid-shaped area behind the net when handling the puck. In addition, goaltender pads have shrunk in width from 12 inches to 11 this season. The blocker and catching glove have also shrunk by an inch …

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The lights come up on the players as they skate around in circles. The pep band launches into the rouser. Not the regular pep band, but the women’s athletics pep band. Their version is equally awe-inspiring.I look up at the roof of Ridder Arena and banners fall like beacons of dominance: back-to-back national championships, 2004-2005. WCHA Champions, both regular season and tournament. Champions of the world, really. I hear a guy behind me brag about how five former and current members of the team were selected to represent the U.S. in the 2006 Winter Olympics.“M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A,” the crowd chants in unison. The players line up for the face-off. Minnesota takes quick control of the puck and passes into its opponent’s end. A shot on goal. Miss. Andrea Nichols shoots a one-timer off the rebound. Goal!Damn, this …

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Autumn comes in cycles: cold, warm, windy, cold, hot, cool, cold. This cyclical nature strikes me as I hop off my bike, sweat running down my forehead. Wasn’t yesterday chilly? This sucks.I lock my bike up and walk into Taraccino Coffee off Hennepin and University. I’m supposed to meet John Gaede here and interview him about the Twin Cities marathon. I walk to the front counter; two attractive women are waiting for my order.“What can I get you?” a tall, twenty-something with long-brown hair asks.“Actually,” I say softly, “I’m here to meet John for an interview.”“Oh, he’s in a meeting. He’ll be up in a second. I’ll let him know you’re here.”I take a seat in the middle of the room and go over my notes. A marathon is 26.2 miles. The world record for …

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This fall season the Minnesota sports world has seen a dismal end to the Twins recent playoff streak, a disconcerting start to the Vikings’ season and the annual encouraging start and eventual falter of the Gophers’ football season. However, one program that’s been consistently strong⎯but not nearly as recognized⎯is Minnesota Gophers’ volleyball.Led by Head Coach Mike Hebert, the Minnesota volleyball program has becomea national power in recent years. Entering his 10th season here, Hebert brought the Gophers out of obscurity and into the national spotlight, leading the team to its first Big Ten Championship, Final Four and national championship appearances.Hebert says there’s no magical secret to his success, but listed the following criteria for building a national power.First, you have to hire a great coaching and recruiting staff. Second, you have to find good players. …

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Ultimate frisbee began in 1968 and has been growing ever since. It took off on the West and East coasts, but over the years colleges have been adding ultimate to their list of club sports. The sport, originally laid-back, has become more competitive. At the University of Minnesota, ultimate is a club sport that has become a passion for its 30-plus team members. The ultimate team at the U of M has enjoyed success over the past few years. Last year, the team finished with an impressive 24-8 record. They went on to win the sectional tournament for the first time in 15 years, defeating Carleton College, whose team is known for having consistently strong squads. At the regional tournament, the U of M finished third, an impressive feat considering the two teams that finished …

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The car door slams shut and I walk toward the first hole. I make big circles with my right arm, roll my neck from side to side and clear my throat with a cough. Hole one: 320 feet. There are sturdy oak trees to the left and right, only a narrow window for my disc to travel through. I line up my shot and focus on making the perfect throw. I take two steps, and with a flick of my wrist and a slight grunt, the disc flies off my hand and hits the tree 30 feet in front of me.“Nice shot, Lane,” my friend, Alex, says. He laughs, “Curse of the ages.” He takes his shot, and his disc lands 10 feet from the pin. I walk to my disc, shaking off the effects …

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