Laramee Minor
Staff Writer With the NCAA Women’s College Basketball season coming to an end, the WNBA draft and regular season begins. The WNBA, Women’s National Basketball League, had its 29th annual draft on April 15, 2024. Fans anxiously awaited to see which players would be drafted to which teams. Athletes such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cordoso were among some of the top players projected to be drafted in the professional league. Throughout the 2022-2023 NCAA Women’s College Basketball regular season, there were several players that started to stand out. Caitlin Clark began to gain fame during her senior season at the University of Iowa. She quickly became known for her ability to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. Whether Clark was at half court or right under the basket, she could put the ball through the net. She additionally became known for her impeccable passing skills. Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship where they faced the Louisiana State Tigers. Similar to Iowa State University, Louisiana State University had a victorious season that year. With a win to loss record of 34-2, the Tigers, led by Angel Reese, went on to win the National Championship against the University of Iowa. Reese is most known for her remarkable rebounding skills and averaging over eighteen points a game. However, in order for the Tigers to reach greatness, they had to beat the University of South Carolina, whose star player is Kamilla Cardoso. Standing at six foot seven, Cardoso, most known for her ability to run down the entire floor to shut down any offensive player, became a force to be reckoned with. Cardoso also led her team to an undefeated season and a championship during the 2023-2024 season. On the day of the WNBA draft in 2024, fans all over the country awaited on the edge of their seats. It was no surprise when Clark was selected as the first overall draft pick. Clark was the most anticipated player of the whole draft and picked up by the Indiana Fever. Kamilla Cordoso was not far behind as she was selected by the Chicago Sky as the third overall pick. As the draft went on, a multitude of the nation’s greatest players were selected including Angel Reese, who was later picked up by the Chicago Sky as the seventh overall pick. The day after the draft it was announced that Caitlin Clark and other top draft picks would only be paid $76,535 for their rookie years. Clark’s four year contract will only be worth $338,056. It shocked many as Clark was the most anticipated draft pick of the last several seasons in women’s basketball. Compared to the contract of the number one overall draft pick in the NBA, Clark will make millions less. The contract Clark will sign will not only be worth less compared to the number one draft pick in the NBA, but it is significantly less than the average rookie contract. The average NBA rookie contract is worth $953,000 per year which is notably higher than what Clark will even be able to make in four years. Essentially, one male NBA benchwarmer will have the opportunity to make more than Clark’s entire professional team. This left many new fans to basketball in disbelief and had them questioning when things will change and when will women professional athletes finally receive the recognition and pay they deserve.
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Lia Hendrix
Staff Writer As the weather improves, spring sports are beginning. Baseball, one of the main spring sports, started in late February. Bonneville High School (BHS) has three baseball teams: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman. A few players on varsity and JV commented on their experience from being on the team. Joseph Waters, a freshman on the varsity team, commented on how the team feels like “a brother hood.” He went on to speak on how even though the team has to work really hard and stay focused, they still find time to laugh together and have fun. Other players on the teams such as Jadon Cervantes and Dalton Higley mentioned that they like how everyone gets along and encourages each other to improve. Cervantes remarked “My favorite part about my team is how we inspire each other to get better everyday.” Being on the baseball team takes a ton of work and dedication. Varsity usually practices everyday after school from 3:00-5:30 p.m. However, their schedule sometimes changes due to when they have games. The High School season has around twenty games. However, depending on how well they do in districts, they could have more. Waters spoke about how baseball “is [his] main focus… All year round.” The players need to put in a great amount y6of effort and time to reach their goals. Many of the players have different reasons for joining the team. Cervantes remarked that he was inspired to play baseball after he went to a game where Mike Trout, a Los Angeles Angels Center Fielder, was playing, and saw Trout hit a home run. After watching the home run, Cervantes stated he was inspired to eventually become as talented as Mike Trout. Waters and Higley both had a different reason, they both started playing baseball because of their dad. Waters announced his dad “introduced [him] to the game, and ever since [he] was young, [he] just really loved playing it.” Now the players continue to play baseball because they have found something they love to do. Waters remarked that he turns to baseball as a “refuge,” something that he can turn to when he needs to relax. No matter the reason for joining the team, each athlete must be ready to put in the effort to help the team progress during the season. At Bonneville, the baseball players are committed student athletes who are willing to put in the work to reach their goals. The team works well together and inspires one another to become the best they can be. Elliot Kidd
Social Media Manager In terms of year-round sports, Ballroom is the only one offered at Bonneville High School (BHS) The conditions are besides being a year-around sport, there is long practicing hours every weekday for an hour or more. This year BHS Ballroom teams performed at the Civic Show. Ballroom Captain, Lindsay Barrow a senior, explains what it means to be a ballroom dancer and perform. Barrow explains the importance of understanding one's body and how to move it. She emphasizes the importance of having balance in order “to [learn] the dances.” Dancing is not an easy sport and is harder on the body than most people think. These practices always have “something to improve on'' and “more steps.. more techniques to learn.” As there are more complex routines there are more mistakes and learning moments. To expand more on practice times, Mondays will be practice in the afternoon. While the remaining practices are before school. Barrow adds that on average dancers have about “eight hours” of practice a week. Of the performances BHS Ballrooms does, the Civic Show, is a non-competitive showing for ballroom dance teams in the area to gather and display their skills. The Civic Show is actually called the Eastern Idaho Ballroom Concert and is hosted by BHS. BHS will close the auditorium for the day to “set up all the interior.” Even go as far to schedule all the teams. BHS’s Ballroom Captains and others in charge “set up practice times for all… the teams [as well] make sure everyone is aware of both performance and practice times.” The teams are required to pick up the auditorium, to leave the place spotless. The ballroom team is typically broken into three teams: green, silver, and gold. This year, however, there is only silver and gold. The silver team is a “bit more advanced and typically focuses on a bit more technique and harder steps.” While a gold team is the most advanced rank where captains usually are from. The captain’s “responsibility” is to help make sure “everyone knows what is going on and to be there to support the team and help out in any way we can.” It is normally two seniors (a boy and a girl) who obtain the captain's positions. BHS Ballroom works hard all year long so remember to cheer on the teams and show some school spirit! Go Bees! Cooper Ruesch
Staff Writer It is that time of year again where students can test their athletic abilities like speed, endurance, strength, and hand-eye coordination. The Bonneville track team is back for the season with the events from previous years: sprints, distance, shot put, pole vault, hurdles, and more. Tzuriel Paredes, senior at Bonneville High School, has been part of the track team for three years. He participates in a variety of events such as sprints, steeplechase, hurdles, and road running. When it is off-season for track, Paredes can be found running on the school’s cross country team. For warm ups Paredes typically runs for two miles and does drills like high knees and Frankensteins. When asked about bonding with other athletes during the season, Paredes explained that he "form[s] relationship with teammates by listening to their stories while [they] run.'' Staying close and forming relationships with teammates is an excellent way to develop trust and respect and to push harder towards the end goal. However, Requiring endurance and mental stamina, Paredes stressed the importance of staying in physical and mental shape.According to Paredes, one of the most challenging races is the 3200 meter. He described the race as “the most endurance and mentally draining event there is.… [it] challenges you and push[es] yourself every day to find a good habit to make." Running is arduous for some individuals, especially without the proper training. Paredes explains to other students, “I always smile when people tell me how much running sucks because it is a reminder that I chose the hardest sport there is.” Being one of the hardest sports, athletes are prone to injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and more. Paredes participates in physical therapy exercises to prevent injury, such as external rotation, standing calf stretches, seated hamstring, terminal knee extension, ankle stretch, side leg raises to prevent injury. All of these exercises help Paredes keep his body in shape and in check. Although he has a busy schedule, Paredes enjoys being in cross country and track, so he is always supporting one sport with the other. With all of this training one can only succeed so far as one lets themselves, Paredes is constantly pushing himself in every race and workout. Paredes receives confidence after completing a workout therefore he can push himself further on each race. Allyson Wilson
Staff Writer Bonneville High School (BHS) has many team sports including softball. Usually BHS’s softball team contains eight to twelve girls on the team. Paisley Bowler, a sophomore on the softball team, was chosen to be interviewed by the newspaper staff. Bowler has been playing softball since she was eight years old. She plays second base and outfield. Bowler found her love for the sport when her friends inspired her to start playing. Bowler then went on to express her excitement for the upcoming season, With the new season starting, the team has gotten a new coach. Bowler reported that as well as being excited for having a new coach, she is excited for the new techniques and skills she will be able to learn. When asked about what her motivation on the field is, she replied, “[her] teammates.” In sports some athletes feel so connected to their team that they feel like a family. Since Bowler is close to her teammates, they serve as her motivation to win and work to her best ability on the field. Bowler aspires to be “better at playing all over instead of playing [her] main positions.” If Bowler has the ability to play all over the field, she will be more versatile and have more opportunities to continue playing softball after high school. Bowler expressed her love for the sport in her interview from her position to how Bowlers teammates her on the field. Tyler Johnson, the athletic director at BHS, oversees all of the sports teams throughout the school. He is in charge of preparing students for the season and collegiate-level athletics. One of Johnson's responsibilities as athletic director is to ensure each team has a clear goal for the end of the season. Johnson's advice to a record-breaking season is “listen to your coaches and work hard and stay positive.” According to Johnson it is most important to stay positive because of the weather. Idaho spring weather can be described as gloomy with all the rain making the grass all muddy. Athletes often have a difficult time playing in the mud as it makes everything slippery and causes game rescheduling.. Athletes that want to advance to a professional stage have ups and downs in their career. A major part of being an athlete is remaining optimistic while training and competing. Athletic Director Tyler Johnson wishes the best of luck to softball players this season. When passing Paisley Bowler or any other softball player, wish them best of luck for the current softball season. Emory Anderson
Staff Writer Bonneville High School (BHS) has a skilled group of individuals on their wrestling team. Everyone on the team works extremely hard, and they know when there is a problem that needs to be worked on and will work as a team to do what they can to fix it. The two members on the team that were interviewed were Zoë Ortiz and Axxel Landon. Zoë Ortiz, a senior this year, is on the BHS wrestling team. Ortiz was introduced to wrestling when she lived in California and would do Jujitsu with her uncle which led to her interest in wrestling. Ortiz says that when she needs to cut or build for a weight class, she diets and watches what she eats. Another technique Ortiz uses to stay in shape are drill workouts. Sometimes the team participates in Bulgarian bag work\outs. Ortiz stated that when preparing for a match, she personally does not listen to music and will just put on her head gear and get in the zone. When it is a big match, Ortiz will warm up with her practice partner and do a bit of light drills and build up a sweat before she steps onto the mat. Two wrestlers that Ortiz looks up to are David Carr and Helen Maroulis. Carr wrestles for Iowa State University, and Maroulis was the first U.S. woman to win gold at the Olympics for wrestling. Ortiz is ready for what is to come for the rest of the season, especially state where she can not wait to see how the girls team competes. At this point in the season, the team's mindset and attitude are the two primary focal points. Along with having a strong body, a strong mentality is also needed. Another one of the wrestlers this year is Axxel Landon, who is a junior. He started wrestling due to his football coach in middle school, Zairrick Wadsworth, who convinced Landon to give it a try. Landon cuts for a weight class by eating healthy, practicing more and running daily. When getting ready for a match, Landon warms up by building up a sweat and staying loose. One of the wrestlers that Landon looks up to is John Smith due to his technique and wrestling style. Another one that he looks up to is Anthony Williams, a former BHS wrestler, who “taught [him] that [he] can work towards a goal no matter how out of reach people say it is.” This season has been a successful one for Landon as an individual and he feels that as a team they have peaked just in time for state. With state coming up, Landon is “[v]ery excited to compete with the best in state with [the] team.” One thing that Landon is looking forward to next season is a state title. The wrestling team at BHS is full of dedicated individuals that have worked hard for a place on the team. This season has been a good one and with the state tournament coming up it will continue to head in that direction. Eden McIsaac
Staff Writer There is a team here at Bonneville High School (BHS) that has memorized every single word from The Lorax song “Let it Grow”: the Honeybees. The Honeybees dance team consists of 13 dancers, and the head coach is Mr. Coles. The Bonneville Buzz was able to interview Coles and two of the dancers. The Honeybees provided some insight about the team and their behind-the-scenes. Jason Coles has been part of the Honeybees team for four years. Beyond coaching the dance team, Coles is also an art teacher at BHS. When asked why he decided to become a dance coach, Coles responded: “My wife was the head coach and needed someone to help with strength and conditioning.” At that point in time, Coles served as an assistant coach under his wife, Julie Coles. Coles' responsibilities were soon to grow: he added that his wife resigned from the Honeybees because of her health, since Cole's wife resigned he became the head coach. Some of the many words Coles’ uses to describe his dancers, “hard-working, dedicated, amazing, and thoughtful.” Without all of those skills, the team would not be able to work together and improve. After the interview with Coles, some of the dancers provided insight about the team. Along with Coles, The Bonneville Buzz was able to interview two of the dancers on the Honeybees team: Harleigh Keller and Brooklyn Porter. Keller is a sophomore this year. Keller joined the Honeybees because when she was little, her cousin told her about the Honeybees. When Keller was asked about team bonding, she mentioned, “[They] do bondings at each other's houses where [they] eat and just hang out all together.” Keller added that “it definitely helps build the bonds we have now.” When Keller was asked for a quote that encouraged her, she responded: “Even when it seems like it’s hard to keep going on, just push through until you see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Keller mentioned that her favorite dance genre would be contemporary because it includes all the different dance styles. Brooklyn Porter is a freshman this year. Porter says she joined the Honeybees because she wanted to be part of a team, and she enjoys different types of dances. When Porter was asked how long it usually takes to learn a dance routine, she responded: “It really depends on you and the team. For me alone, it takes anywhere from two weeks to about a month depending on the style and complexity of the dance.” Most dancers decide to dance because of something someone has said to them; however, Porter dances because of a special moment. Porter mentioned that at one of her practices the team was given the task of improving some emotional songs. Porter remarked that this experience made her feel extremely happy because of the amount of emotion put into the improvs. Porter mentioned that some of the other girls started to feel emotional as well; some even started to cry from the emotion put into the dance. Dancing is something that allows people to express who they really are. It was amazing to be able to receive some insight on the Honeybees team and find out more about their experiences. Aaliyah Garcia
Staff Writer The crowd is cheering along with the cheerleaders and filling the gym with roars. The cheerleaders with yellow and green crisp uniforms smiling towards the crowd. The Bonneville High School cheerleading team is full of excitement as they cheer on the teams of the beloved Bonneville High School. Savannah Lillie, a sophomore cheerleader this year, stated that, “[Her] favorite thing from cheer is probably being able to improve, and [she] learn[s] a lot of life skills.” Learning how to be responsible is a part of their life skills. When asked why she joined, she stated: “My sisters both [cheered], and I always looked up to them. I wanted to try it out because my sisters really enjoyed it.” Not only did Lillie enjoy it, her family did as well. It brought conversion between her and her sisters by sharing the same hobbies. Lillie stated that this year is her fourth year cheering. According to Lillie, the try-out process is “scary and [it is] kind of hard … after the first time, [it is] not as scary because you know the coaches, and you know what you have to do.” When asked how many times a week she cheers, she expressed, “[they] have practice Monday through Friday, and then, [they] have [competitions] on Saturday.” BHS cheerleaders cheer at basketball and football games as well as all of the other events. The Bonneville cheerleaders constantly push themselves, and they put their all into cheerleading. The effort and dedication to show up to every competition, practices, and still cheer on Bonneville sports teams are outstanding. When asked about try-out requirements, Lillie exclaimed, “Not necessarily, [the coaches] just want someone that does the routines right… and if they perform it well then [coaches] like that.” Bonneville cheer can be for anyone! If a person can memorize a routine and perform it with ecstatic faces, then they are what the coaches are looking for. A person does not need to be perfect or know how to do a backflip. The sports teams know that they are being cheered on as long as the gym is filled with energy and cheerleaders who are in sync! Emory Anderson
Staff Writer Bonneville High School offers a variety of sports to help students become more involved such as basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and many more. One of the many sports offered at BHS is girls basketball. Basketball has three teams: c-team, junior varsity, and varsity. With the season recently kicking off, a few players were eager to share their basketball journeys. Sage Hansen, one of the dedicated players on the junior varsity (JV) team, was interviewed about her experience in basketball. Hansen’s interest in basketball started back when she was in sixth grade after seeing some of her friends on the team. According to Hansen, having “friends on the team” can make it all the more enjoyable, especially when it is a close friend. She currently plays post; however, she has played one other position, guard/forward, in the past. Over the years, Hansen’s unbreakable work ethic has evolved her into the athlete she is now. Besides the Bonneville team, Hansen favors Salt Lake City’s Utah Jazz. Hansen enjoys Utah Jazz, “because it’s the closest to me, so it is easier to go and watch.” Even though she does not have a favorite player, Hansen still enjoys sitting on the sidelines watching the Jazz succeed. Another player on the JV team is freshman Taylor Smith. Although Smith mostly plays shooting guard, she often rotates positions due to her versatility. When she was younger, she played post. Smith has been playing basketball since she was five; however, she fell in love with the game at the age of seven and has loved it ever since. Smith was inspired to play because her dad and brothers played when they were younger. When asked who her favorite player was, Smith replied “My favorite basketball player is Kelsey Plum because my favorite college team is [The Washington Huskies], and she went there to play.” Getting to know these players and seeing how much work they put into making the team is inspirational. They did everything that they could do to help themselves prepare for this season. With all of these dedicated girls on the team this year this season is going to be a good one with a couple of wins. Go Bees! Elliot Kidd & Lia Hendrix
Social Media Manager & Staff Writer Legal sword fights have been around for centuries from 15th-century Europe to the present day. Bonneville High School has their own fencing club that has been around since 1992. Mr. Haroldson, a world history teacher, is the adviser for Bonneville's fencing club. He and some of the seniors are responsible for leading the club. In fencing, specifically Bonneville’s own fencing club, has ranks that each blade wielder can conquer. There are five ranks; each beginner starts as a squire (freshmen). To move up a rank, newcomers must challenge students one year older. The fencers then have a ceremony bestowing them with a knight. (freshman-sophomore). The fencers repeat this motion of challenging a higher rank and performing the ceremony for each victory, to move up the ranks. The next few positions work as barren (sophomore-junior), count (junior-senior), and duke (senior). The head honcho fencer of this school year is Ashton McCracken. He is a leader and has been in this club since his freshman year. McCracken’s reasoning behind joining is his brother was in fencing “when he was in high school and [he] thought it looked excellent [along with being] a history nerd.” Which fencing did seem to emerge in the middle ages, that is McCracken [favorite history era]. Though the fencing team meets only twice a week, “ [they] all [come] together and do something [they] all enjoy” it is a place where, “you meet people and create [bonds with the others].” Adam Roth, who holds the rank of duke, is another leader. He joined fencing after taking Haroldsons’s history class. Roth’s main reason is “swords'' as well as his friends joining along. Roth's main goal for this season is to have an exceptional time in addition to doing well in the spring tournament. An event that Haroldson used to hold all day on a Saturday, now spread out through their meetings. There are different sections of duels for ranks, consisting mostly of squires only facing off against each other. Each sword dueler can only earn two metals; however, contestants can enter three events. Roth in one event, last year, placed first! Fencing started as a way to practice swordsmanship. People started practicing with wooden swords or swords with the tip covered. The more advanced swordsman would practice with weapons that were heavier than normal swords. Throughout the middle ages, schools for sword fighting and fencing started to develop. Many individuals thought that these schools should be outlawed because the schools invited criminals to become experts at sword fighting. Despite this, the schools still thrived. During the 18th century, despite its popularity, fencing was ruled as impractical and just as a sport due to the growing force of firearms. At this time, the first official fencing organizations began to form. |
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