In our meet against Concordia and St. Paul today, I ran for JV. In my first event, the 100 meter dash, I finished 2nd in a photo finish race (my coach said that I should've been in 1st, but they marked me wrong). After the long distance running finished (Nathan finished 1st in the mile again), I lined up for the 200, which I finished 1st in.
We didn't get much rest before the relay started. Natalie started, Megan was second leg, Olivia was third leg, and I finished. Unfortunately, we didn't get off to a good start, and by the time I got the baton we were in last place. Somehow, I pulled ahead, and Holy Cross finished in third.
I waited for about an hour, and then my best event started, long jump. Regrettably, the measuring tape we use to line up was off about two feet, so I didn't know where to start. I scratched my first jump, then jumped 13 feet 1 inch, then scratched my last two. I was extremely disappointed, because my best jump ever was 13 feet 3 inches. I think the reason I didn't beat this length was because I couldn't get my timing right.
At least I improved all my other events! Last meet, I finished the 100 in 15. 2 seconds, and this time I got a 14.5! I also improved in the 200, and I finished in 31.2, much better than last time.
GO CRUSADERS!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
2010 NFL Draft
I don't usually keep up with the NFL Drafts, but I can't help but hear a few things about it from the radio, Internet, and TV (doubtless you've already heard everything I'm about to tell you).
Not surprisingly, quarterback Sam Bradford from Oklahoma was the first pick, and he went to the St. Louis Rams. In my opinion, this wasn't the smartest move by the Rams. Their old quarterback was a perfectly capable (he wasn't great, but he was certainly capable) center. They have an excellent running back in Stephen Jackson. All they really need is a good wide receiver, because their passing play is virtually nonexistent.
Another dumb move, in my opinion, was the drafting of Tim Tebow by the Denver Broncos. I've always thought that Tebow was a bit overrated. He can't get rid of the ball fast enough, and he can't even throw a spiral. Sure, he won the Heisman Trophy, but that's only because he can run the ball extremely well. It's nice if an NFL quarterback can run, but it's certainly not necessary as long as he can throw the ball well, which Tebow cannot. Now, Tebow could have some success if he was at a different position, such as half back or running back, because he's pretty big (6 foot 3, 240 pounds, to be exact).
The other two college quarterback superpowers were Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen. McCoy was drafted to the Cleveland Browns as the 85th overall pick, and Jimmy Clausen went to Carolina as the 48th overall pick (my dad thinks that Clausen has a slow release).
Other notable drafts include the #2 pick, Ndamukong Suh, who dominated in college at Nebraska. Rolando McClain, famous for his amazing field goal block against Tennessee, went to the Oakland Raiders as the 8th pick. The Stanford running back Toby Gerhart went to the Minnesota Vikings (even though the Vikings have one of the best running backs in the league already).
The Packers chose Brian Buluga, an offenseive tackle from Iowa (phew), Andrew Quarless, a tight end from Penn State, Marshall Newhouse, another offensive tackle from TCU, James Starks, a running back from Buffalo, and C.J. Wilson, a defensive end from East Carolina. All in all I think we made very good picks.
GO PACK GO
Not surprisingly, quarterback Sam Bradford from Oklahoma was the first pick, and he went to the St. Louis Rams. In my opinion, this wasn't the smartest move by the Rams. Their old quarterback was a perfectly capable (he wasn't great, but he was certainly capable) center. They have an excellent running back in Stephen Jackson. All they really need is a good wide receiver, because their passing play is virtually nonexistent.
Another dumb move, in my opinion, was the drafting of Tim Tebow by the Denver Broncos. I've always thought that Tebow was a bit overrated. He can't get rid of the ball fast enough, and he can't even throw a spiral. Sure, he won the Heisman Trophy, but that's only because he can run the ball extremely well. It's nice if an NFL quarterback can run, but it's certainly not necessary as long as he can throw the ball well, which Tebow cannot. Now, Tebow could have some success if he was at a different position, such as half back or running back, because he's pretty big (6 foot 3, 240 pounds, to be exact).
The other two college quarterback superpowers were Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen. McCoy was drafted to the Cleveland Browns as the 85th overall pick, and Jimmy Clausen went to Carolina as the 48th overall pick (my dad thinks that Clausen has a slow release).
Other notable drafts include the #2 pick, Ndamukong Suh, who dominated in college at Nebraska. Rolando McClain, famous for his amazing field goal block against Tennessee, went to the Oakland Raiders as the 8th pick. The Stanford running back Toby Gerhart went to the Minnesota Vikings (even though the Vikings have one of the best running backs in the league already).
The Packers chose Brian Buluga, an offenseive tackle from Iowa (phew), Andrew Quarless, a tight end from Penn State, Marshall Newhouse, another offensive tackle from TCU, James Starks, a running back from Buffalo, and C.J. Wilson, a defensive end from East Carolina. All in all I think we made very good picks.
GO PACK GO
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Holy Cross Carnival 2010
This Friday was the Holy Cross Carnival, which is always loads of fun (except for last year, when the cotton candy machine caught fire and we all had to go outside for an hour). Sydney and her family always come, and we went around the school playing various games with some of my other friends.
In Mr. Albertin's room was the famous Pop Toss, which is always the most crowded room. I took home a Sunkist, and Sydney got a 7 Up (which I won for her). Unfortunately, my friend Meron did not win any pop, even though she spent at least half her punches playing the game.
Another fun game was the Penny Drop, where you dropped a penny into a tank full of water, aiming for a small cup. I, being the skilled penny-dropper that I am, plunked all three of my pennies into the cup.
In the gym was a moon walk, a giant Velcro wall that you could jump on and stick to while wearing a Velcro suit, and a baseball simulator. Another popular activity was the balloon artist, who could shape you a bracelet, a hat. . . he even made my friend a hockey stick!
It was a really fun time. Plus, the cotton candy machine didn't catch fire! The Holy Cross Carnival was a huge success, and I'm glad that Sydney and her family got to go.
In Mr. Albertin's room was the famous Pop Toss, which is always the most crowded room. I took home a Sunkist, and Sydney got a 7 Up (which I won for her). Unfortunately, my friend Meron did not win any pop, even though she spent at least half her punches playing the game.
Another fun game was the Penny Drop, where you dropped a penny into a tank full of water, aiming for a small cup. I, being the skilled penny-dropper that I am, plunked all three of my pennies into the cup.
In the gym was a moon walk, a giant Velcro wall that you could jump on and stick to while wearing a Velcro suit, and a baseball simulator. Another popular activity was the balloon artist, who could shape you a bracelet, a hat. . . he even made my friend a hockey stick!
It was a really fun time. Plus, the cotton candy machine didn't catch fire! The Holy Cross Carnival was a huge success, and I'm glad that Sydney and her family got to go.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Last AAU Basketball Games
Sadly, my AAU season has come to an end. We could've won our very last game, but since we played twice immediately prior to it, we were pooped (especially me, since I didn't get a single rest in the previous game). On top of that, my ankle was killing me and I couldn't swallow because my throat hurt (it still does).
Our first two games were great, and we easily finished off both of our opposing teams. In our last game, we played the best team in the tournament. I'm pretty sure that we would've won the game if we all weren't so tired. My coach said that they simply out-hustled us.
Can't wait for next season! Go Cadets!
Our first two games were great, and we easily finished off both of our opposing teams. In our last game, we played the best team in the tournament. I'm pretty sure that we would've won the game if we all weren't so tired. My coach said that they simply out-hustled us.
Can't wait for next season! Go Cadets!
First Track Meet
A few days ago was Holy Cross' first track meet of the season, and unfortunately, we didn't do so great.
Now, the only reason I didn't win every single event (excuse my not-so-humbleness) was that I was racing against varsity runners. I finished 6th in the 100, 5th in the 200, dead last in the relay, and, surprisingly, 2nd in long jump (my longest jump was 13 feet 3 inches)!
Logically, I should be racing against girls my own age, since winning is the point of the sport. My friend and I are going to write a petition so that I can, hopefully, run for JV instead of varsity.
The other Holy Cross runners did pretty good overall, and Nathan finished first in the 800 and 1600.
Wish us luck for the rest of the season! Go Crusaders!
Now, the only reason I didn't win every single event (excuse my not-so-humbleness) was that I was racing against varsity runners. I finished 6th in the 100, 5th in the 200, dead last in the relay, and, surprisingly, 2nd in long jump (my longest jump was 13 feet 3 inches)!
Logically, I should be racing against girls my own age, since winning is the point of the sport. My friend and I are going to write a petition so that I can, hopefully, run for JV instead of varsity.
The other Holy Cross runners did pretty good overall, and Nathan finished first in the 800 and 1600.
Wish us luck for the rest of the season! Go Crusaders!
Bring Your Child to Work Day
On Thursday, my dad picked me up from school at 10:30 to go to Bring Your Child to Work Day at his place of employment, BAE Systems, where he basically makes and tests air plane engines.
BAE is somewhat of a confidential place (since they make engines for the Air Force), so it really was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Also, some of the machines and equipment in BAE are highly sensitive to electricity, so if you merely touch it, it'll collapse. Because of this, only kids age 12 or older were allowed to attend Bring Your Child to Work Day.
We started the day out right by eating free pizza provided by BAE, while watching a presentation about what exactly the company does. After this, we split into 9 groups, and each group went to a different station. Our first station was the 3D printer station, which was absolutely amazing. The leader of the station explained that someone designs an object on a computer, then sends it to the printer, which proceeds to "print" out the object, moving across a block of powder, building the desired object one tiny layer at a time. At the end of the station, the man gave us all a little toy car, which the 3D printer had printed out.
Next, we went to a station in which we could control robots. Robots designed to play soccer. The little, triangular robot had two wheels protruding from the front, which caught the soccer ball. Then, a mallet would swing back and kick the ball. After failing miserably at controlling these robots, the instructors took the controls and humiliated us by easily directing the robots and scoring goals.
We then went to a station where we used an ohm meter to detect the resistance in a small metal wire. The resistances on each of the wires (334.6, 27.8, 6.66) all corresponded with a letter, and when you put all the letters together, they spelled a word (ours was capacitor).
Another fun station was the Lego station, where we used Legos to build an overlarge, pretend circuit board (and we had to produce them quickly, to meet the customers' needs).
My favorite station was the soldering station, in which we actually got to solder tiny pieces onto a real circuit board! It was extremely difficult, and a bit nerve-wracking, since the iron is more than 500 degrees! In the end, I think I became an expert solderer.
Our last station was in the failure analysis section of the gigantic BAE building. When a part fails, it gets sent to failure analysis, where there job is to find the malfunction and correct it. The amazing thing about it was the microscopes. They weren't technically microscopes at all. They were magnetic telescopes, which can magnify images - in 3D - up to 4600 times!
At the end of the day, we assembled in a conference room for the drawings. Everyone put their name in a bag, and if your name was pulled, you won a umbrella, or a CD case, or a BAE Systems lunch box. . . or an iPod Touch. Yes, I had about a 1 in 100 chance to win a iPod Touch, but. . . sorry, I didn't win.
At least I had an awesome time at Bring You Child to Work Day!
BAE is somewhat of a confidential place (since they make engines for the Air Force), so it really was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Also, some of the machines and equipment in BAE are highly sensitive to electricity, so if you merely touch it, it'll collapse. Because of this, only kids age 12 or older were allowed to attend Bring Your Child to Work Day.
We started the day out right by eating free pizza provided by BAE, while watching a presentation about what exactly the company does. After this, we split into 9 groups, and each group went to a different station. Our first station was the 3D printer station, which was absolutely amazing. The leader of the station explained that someone designs an object on a computer, then sends it to the printer, which proceeds to "print" out the object, moving across a block of powder, building the desired object one tiny layer at a time. At the end of the station, the man gave us all a little toy car, which the 3D printer had printed out.
Next, we went to a station in which we could control robots. Robots designed to play soccer. The little, triangular robot had two wheels protruding from the front, which caught the soccer ball. Then, a mallet would swing back and kick the ball. After failing miserably at controlling these robots, the instructors took the controls and humiliated us by easily directing the robots and scoring goals.
We then went to a station where we used an ohm meter to detect the resistance in a small metal wire. The resistances on each of the wires (334.6, 27.8, 6.66) all corresponded with a letter, and when you put all the letters together, they spelled a word (ours was capacitor).
Another fun station was the Lego station, where we used Legos to build an overlarge, pretend circuit board (and we had to produce them quickly, to meet the customers' needs).
My favorite station was the soldering station, in which we actually got to solder tiny pieces onto a real circuit board! It was extremely difficult, and a bit nerve-wracking, since the iron is more than 500 degrees! In the end, I think I became an expert solderer.
Our last station was in the failure analysis section of the gigantic BAE building. When a part fails, it gets sent to failure analysis, where there job is to find the malfunction and correct it. The amazing thing about it was the microscopes. They weren't technically microscopes at all. They were magnetic telescopes, which can magnify images - in 3D - up to 4600 times!
At the end of the day, we assembled in a conference room for the drawings. Everyone put their name in a bag, and if your name was pulled, you won a umbrella, or a CD case, or a BAE Systems lunch box. . . or an iPod Touch. Yes, I had about a 1 in 100 chance to win a iPod Touch, but. . . sorry, I didn't win.
At least I had an awesome time at Bring You Child to Work Day!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
2010 NHL Playoffs
The only time I seriously keep up with hockey is during the playoffs. Luckily, the Chicago Blackhawks are in the playoffs, and have a legitimate chance of winning the Stanley Cup. It's nice to be able to root for a good team.
The Hawks are currently in an intense, 7-game series against the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, they are trailing the series 2-1 behind their relatively inexperienced goalie, Antti Niemi. Patrick Kane - of course - leads Chicago in scoring and assists. Hopefully, he can lead the Hawks to another victory tonight. If we don't win tonight, we're in serious trouble.
The Pittsburgh Penguins lead their series against the Ottawa Senators 3-1, and I hope that the Sens can pull off a win, because it'll be tough for the Hawks to beat the Penguins (providing that they get past their first series). As always, Sidney Crosby is dominating, with 7 goals and 9 assists.
Another exciting series is the Detroit-Phoenix series. The Phoenix Coyotes have done a surprisingly good job on the always-tough-to-beat Red Wings. This is all the more surprising because it is the Coyotes' first playoff appearance in eight years. I'm rooting for the Coyotes to knock off Detroit, so that Chicago won't have to face them (providing, once again, that they even make it past their first series).
The Boston Bruins are currently battling with the Buffalo Sabres, and the Bruins lead 3-2. The Sabres have an effective offense and a defense led by their silver medalist goalie, Ryan Miller, perhaps the best goalie in the league right now.
The Montreal Canadiens are facing the Washington Capitals, led by outstanding Alexander Ovechkin. The Caps lead it 3-2, and have a chance to finish the series tonight (cross your fingers and hope that the Canadiens will stay alive).
The Hawks are currently in an intense, 7-game series against the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, they are trailing the series 2-1 behind their relatively inexperienced goalie, Antti Niemi. Patrick Kane - of course - leads Chicago in scoring and assists. Hopefully, he can lead the Hawks to another victory tonight. If we don't win tonight, we're in serious trouble.
The Pittsburgh Penguins lead their series against the Ottawa Senators 3-1, and I hope that the Sens can pull off a win, because it'll be tough for the Hawks to beat the Penguins (providing that they get past their first series). As always, Sidney Crosby is dominating, with 7 goals and 9 assists.
Another exciting series is the Detroit-Phoenix series. The Phoenix Coyotes have done a surprisingly good job on the always-tough-to-beat Red Wings. This is all the more surprising because it is the Coyotes' first playoff appearance in eight years. I'm rooting for the Coyotes to knock off Detroit, so that Chicago won't have to face them (providing, once again, that they even make it past their first series).
The Boston Bruins are currently battling with the Buffalo Sabres, and the Bruins lead 3-2. The Sabres have an effective offense and a defense led by their silver medalist goalie, Ryan Miller, perhaps the best goalie in the league right now.
The Montreal Canadiens are facing the Washington Capitals, led by outstanding Alexander Ovechkin. The Caps lead it 3-2, and have a chance to finish the series tonight (cross your fingers and hope that the Canadiens will stay alive).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
