BURLINGTON

Grow Girls Wrestling: Team Expands 

by Allie Harris
   Burlington’s girls’ wrestling team has not been around for very long. Just a few years ago, there was not even an official State competition in Kansas for it. Now, girls’ wrestling is on par with the other winter sports in size and importance.
   The growth in numbers is obvious. Two years ago, the season closed with twelve girls. Last year, the final number was sixteen. The current number is now twenty-two. This makes it the first year there has been over twenty girls to start with. 
   It has truly grown into its own sanctioned sport. The more girls that join, the more get interested, and now it is barely smaller than the boys’ team. This is in part because of the boys’ smaller size and partially because of the booming popularity of the sport. 
   Now, duels run smoother thanks to the explosion in numbers. “It allows us to have a close to full lineup for duels, which makes us much more likely to win,” Senior Abby Crutchfield explains. While it is still relatively small compared to a sport such as boys’ basketball, it has come such a long way.
   Having a bigger team also increases school awareness and participation in the sport. More students are going to come to matches to watch their friends, which makes the audience larger. Others are get recruited through their relationships throughout the school.
   Now, girls’ wrestling is booming in numbers, and its relevance at Burlington is at an all-time high. The amount of growth it has had in just the last three years is exponential. It is great to see a smaller sport get so much new love and attention.

Coach McGown Is In Town

by Sarah Gifford
 This year, the Burlington Ladycat Basketball Team is welcoming a new coach, Erin McGown. Coach McGown is very experienced when it comes to basketball. When she coaches, people can see the gears turning in her head, calculating what the team needs to do next. 
  Coach McGown has been playing basketball since the third grade. She went to a D1 collage, Washburn University, where she helped her team got to the National Championship in 2005. Being brought back to today, she is now the head coach for the Burlington Ladycats.  
   The girls’ basketball team has a total of two coaches, Julie Dawson and Erin McGown. With two leaders, they have three teams: varsity, junior varsity, and C team. There are only two quarters of C team due to the lack of players. 
  Coach McGown said that the only struggle this year has been adjusting to the new change of being a coach. This is her first year of being head coach. However, she was an assistant for Doug Stewart for six years, which gives her just a bit of coaching experience. 
   Coach McGown says, “My favorite phrase would have to be, ‘Nothing is given to you, everything must be earned.’” McGown makes sure that everyone is giving their best during games and practices. One of her priorities is making sure everyone feels a part of the team. 
   Both coaches harbor immense care for the girls. They care that their team is doing well and showing a positive attitude. During practices and games, they are always encouraging the team to hype each other up. They hope that this positivity will carry into the girls' lives.

New Benefits and Changes in the B-Ton Weight Room

by Teagan Harris
   Recently, there have been a lot of changes made to the weight room. Prevalently, there is a whole new layout with new equipment. One more recent change, though, is that it is open to staff and students in the morning. 
   The Student Athletes Leadership Team (SALT) made a presentation this November to head coaches who chose to attend. They were pushing to open the room up to anyone. Mr. Wilson then made the ultimate decision. 
   The whole ordeal stemmed from a controversial petition created by students and student athletes. They were pushing to let all students use the weight room after school. The SALT committee was, ultimately, creating a compromise.
   The weight room is now open from 6:45 to 7:30 A.M. After school, only student athletes on a Varsity team can use the room. Staff are also allowed to utilize it during both times. 
   This new rule helps students stay in shape in a convenient and accessible space. Rather than trek to the rec center and return home to shower and change, staff and students have a time-saving alternative. Athletes specifically have more opportunities to keep themselves in shape. 
   In all, the compromise made regarding the weight room is beneficial to not only athletes, but all students and staff. With these new hours, there is little to no excuse for anyone who wants to work out to not do so. Hopefully the target audience will utilize this to the fullest.