Page 2: Safe or Not?

Page 3: Focusing on School

Page 4: Getting Connected

Page 5: Awesome Students

Page 6: DIY Time

Page 7: Run Like The Wind

Page 8: Being Athletic

Eyeof the

Tiger

April 10, 2015

Ozark Junior High, 1109 W. Jackson Issue XIV

Tiger Tracks Setting the World StraightInternational Slavery By Carly Lawrence

Imagine waking up in the morning, kissing your parents goodbye, and then heading off to participate in forced labor for which you do not get paid for. This is what 27,000,000 people are dealing with. The thirteenth Amendment prohibits the United States from having slaves, but not the rest of the world. Human trafficking numbers are currently the highest they have ever been. CNN got to know a few survivors of this horror known as slavery. Audul has experienced three years of brutal and back breaking labor. He wakes up and goes to work, earning nothing but pain in return. This boy is only ten years old and has experienced something truly horrible. Another woman explained how her oldest daughter makes bricks for a job. The mother explained how well and diligently the girl works every day, but this girl is also only five years old. “She

should not be this skilled at making bricks at this stage of her life,” her mom stated. “It’s a global problem, affecting people on every continent, and for the last four years the CNN Freedom Project has been shining a light on modern-day slavery,” CNN said. The Freedom Project is an organization that started in 2013. It is working its way to making a world wide difference. They are trying to stop all human trafficking by informing youth and businesses about how they can help. The Freedom Project speaks out for the slaves who cannot voice their rights themselves. “The International Labor Organization offers unmatched expertise and knowledge about the world of work, acquired over more than 90 years of responding to the needs of people everywhere fordecent work, livelihoods and dignity,” ilo.org said. The International Labor Organization’s strategy for taking down these businesses is to first empower those who are vulnerable to this kind of treatment, and to address the factors that allow these companies to make a profit from treating them unfairly. ILO had started this plan in 2012 and will calculate the results at the end of this year. Over the three year period, ILO planned to decrease at least three percent of forced labor and related issues. Human tracking is one world issue that the U.S. is trying to stop as fast as possible. As a student, you can be a part of this movement. Many anti-slavery foundations like CNN’s Freedom Project accepts donations and community service, but be sure to get your parent’s permission first! Organizations like the Freedom Project are helping mankind take another step towards ending human trafficking one step at a time.

Eye of the TigerNewspaper StaffAdvisor: Mrs. HunterEditor-in-Chief: Mrs. HunterNews Editor: Carly LawrenceOpinion Editor: Jessica ElmoreStaff Secretary: Jake Dralle and Lanie LuthyAcademics and Clubs Editor: Anna SmithPeople Editor: Madden MurfinStudent Life Editor: Emily FreemanEntertainment Editor: Sara DivinePhoto Editors: Hannah Lind and Hayden TinkerSports Editors: Jackson Greenaway and Brooke PacePhotographers: Jerrica Jenkins and Courtnie MillerDistribution Editor: Taylor CathcartLocker Manager and Time Keeper: Quincy Moore

~Zoe

Page 2 April 10, 2015 Opinion

If you have a question for Zoe or need advice, write it on a small piece of paper and place it in Locker 151 in the main building or Locker 780 in the west building.

Dear Zoe, If you are a true football fan, every football Sunday you are in front of the TV watching the game. Players from a very young age who play football put their boidies at risk due to the intensity of the hits, but is it worth the risk? Football can help children stay in shape. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said, “More than one-third of kids are over-weight or obese.” Being active as a child has many benefits to their life like living longer, sleeping better at night, and having strong muscles and bones. Another benefit to playing football is kids who play sports do better in school. “Organized sports don’t just help kids’ bodies but their minds as well,”said Kim Gorgens, clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience stated that kids who did more aerobic exercise had more compact white matter in the brain, which is linked to better cognitive function. Even though scientist are just beginning to understand the role of aerobic exercise in brain plasticity they suggest that physical activity is a must have for learning in the classroom. Lastly, kids should play football because it can teach kids life les-sons. Gorgens said, “Organized sports are all a learning lab for life.” Researchers have found that team sports are associated with higher high school graduation rates. However, is it worth the risk of children getting hurt? If a child plays football, they are at high risk for concussions. Sprains, broken bones, and other physical injuries are all a part of football, but concussions are even more common. The brain injury caused by concussions has become a major concern for football play-ers of all ages, and among young players, the problem appears to be getting worse. Between 1997 and 2007, the number of emergency room visits for concussions doubled between 8 and 13 year olds and tripled for older youth. Also, between 2001 and 2009, the most recent years of CDC data, football sent about 25,376 kids under age 19 to the emergency room for traumatic brain injury each year, which was second only to bicycling. As the child gets older, the concussions can have long-lasting effects on them. Concussions cause memory problems, confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Over time concussions can cause brain damage. One study published in the journal Neurology in July, found that right after a concussion, study participants performed 25 percent worse on mem-ory and concussion tests when compared to healthy people. “We are beginning to better understand the functional consequences of even a single concussion,” Gorgens said. “We see changes in brain function for weeks and months after an injured athlete identifies themselves to be symptom free.” Even though parents cannot protect their children from everything, could they prevent their child from getting hurt? Football is not the only dangerous sport. In other sports players can get hurt or get concussions. In baseball you can get hit by a pitch or even take a line drive to the face. Is playing football worth the risk of children getting hurt?

Worth the risk?Should children play football?

By Lanie Luthy With the end of the year coming up, I am sad to be leaving all of my friends. I am afraid we will lose touch throughout the summer and that we won’t have enough time to hang out. The high school is so big that I feel like I won’t be able to see my friends. What should I do?

Sincerely, Sad Student

Dear Sad Student,

Just because the summer is about to arrive doesn’t mean you and your friends will lose touch forever. Before the school year ends be sure to get their phone number, or someone in their family you can contact to get ahold of your friend. As for next year at the high school, you can join clubs with your friends for an opportunity to see them more.

Page 3 April 10, 2015 Academics\Clubs

Many heroes lived in the Holocaust era, but one lady specifically saved 2,500 children lives and impacted many other people. Irena Sendler rescued the children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation. She found a home for each Jewish child and each was given a new name and a new Christian identity. Mrs. Sendler listed the name and new identity of every rescued child on thin cigarette papers or tissue paper and hid the lists in glass jars which she buried under an apple tree in her friend’s backyard. Her hope was to reunite the children with their families after the war. Sadly, most of their parents perished in the Warsaw Ghetto or in Treblinka. Irena stood up for her beliefs and took action. Her father taught her at a young age that if you see someone drowning in a river, you have to jump in and save them. Even if you cannot swim, you have to try. She saw the Jewish nation as a whole drowning and knew the only way to save the heritage was to save the children. Her goal was never for conversion,even though she herself was a devout Catholic. She wanted these children to one day return to their Jewish heritage and religion. Those children who had surviving relatives were returned to them after the war. Mrs. Sendler died on May 12, 2008 at the age of 97. Irena played a big role in the Holocaust. Recently, eighth grade students heard Irena’s story from a guest speaker who uncovered Irena Sendler. As a teenager growing up in Kansas, Eliza-beth Cambers Hutton and two classmates were asked to complete a History Day project. Through their research the Life in a Jar project was born, and Irena’s story came to light. Mrs. Hutton and her friends started to dig deeper about Mrs. Sendler story and discovered that she was still alive. They talked to Mrs. Sendler and went to visit her in Poland. “We were all very overwhelmed and very nervous! We didn’t know exactly how she would act, but it was so wonderful! She was very much like a long lost grandma. She wanted to know about us and our personal lives. She loved on us and told her own story in great detail. We were there for about 3-4 hours just talking with her,” said Mrs. Hutton. Mrs. Hutton visited Mrs. Sendler a total of three times. Mrs. Hutton is hoping to spread Irena Sendler’s courage and that one person can change the world. “The best part about teaching Irena’s story is seeing students light up in amazement of what she did! Many have never heard of her, so telling her story to first time learners is very rewarding in itself,” said Mrs. Hutton. Mrs. Hutton has been to over 30 states, about 100 schools, several churches and synagogues, and traveled all throughout Poland, telling Irena’s story. The most powerful performance she ever was a part of took place in Poland in front of an audience of Holocaust survivors. “Wow! No dry eye in the room. No words can express the emotion of that day!” said Mrs. Hutton. For more inforamtion on Irena Sendler and the Life in a Jar project, visit irenasendler.org.

Liz Hutton

A Story of a Lifetime Irena Sendler Guest Speaker By Hayden Tinker

Irena Sendler

Rain or shine, the students of Outdoor Education are still working and continuing to become edu-cated on lifelong skills. Outdoor Education consists of learning basic skills and using them. The units that are discussed are fishing, hunter education, fly tying, fly casting, archery, air rifles, and toss games. “It is outdoor and lifetime skill based. The hard-est skill to master is probably tying flies. It takes fine motor skills and patience,” said Coach Kellis. About 140 students participate in Outdoor Educa-tion. For Coach Kellis personally, his favorite unit to discuss is huntereducation. “I love teaching this topic. It is very enjoyable and the students always come up with good questions and conversations about the topic.” Seeing his students become more involved in outdoor and nature activities is rewarding to Coach Kellis. Many years after taking this class, students will get a bow or a fly tying kit for their personal use. These are Coach Kellis’ favorite things about outdoor education. “Most of our activities are hands on. That being said, we review like any other physical activity by doing the activity and conversing about ways to improve the skill being demonstrated,” said Coach Kellis. “All of the activities done in outdoor educa-tion can be done for the rest of the students’ lives.”

Coach Kellis

What’s Better than the Outdoors? Outdoor Education By Sara Divne

Behind the Scenes Media Student: Wyatt Long By Anna Smith

For every interview, college career preview, and PowerPoint slide, a team is working to put it all together and form the weekly announcements. Wyatt Long, eighth grader, is part of the media staff who produce the announcements. Wyatt said, “Media is a great class for those with interest in the journalism field, and I couldn’t think of a better teacher or group of classmates to share it with!” Wyatt works alongside 14 students with exceptional skill with computers and a basic knowledge of journalism. Mrs. Tucker instructs the Computer Media staff. In the normal Computer Media class during first hour, everyone is working on their specific job either alone or with a team. The media staff rotatesjobs each week to give the students a well rounded education in the media field. The jobs that the students perform are the camera crew, interview and newscast crew, PowerPoint crew, college and career crew, and editor. The camera crew films everything each week, the interview and newscast crew brings news about OJH and school related events, the PowerPoint crew puts together the weekly bulletin presentation, the college and career team make the college facts slides, and the editor brings it all together. “I enjoy the interaction with both our outside sources and my classmates. It gives new entertaining ways to access information,” Wyatt said. His fa-vorite job is the camera crew, though. The only downside of media in Wyatt’s opinion is the deadlines. “We are on a clock, and we need to provide quality material quick,” he said. Overall, Wyatt enjoys the class and has learned a lot from the media work. Looking back on the year, Wyatt believes that he has greatly improved on the Computer Media staff. At the end of last school year, Wyatt filled out an application and went through the process to join Computer Media. When he found out he was accepted, Wyatt was very excited to join the staff. Since then, he has learned talking techniques and how to operate a camcorder. Looking forward, Wyatt hopes to con-tinue in the media field and join a staff in high school next year. Wyatt said, “I have become more comfortable talking to new people, as well as becoming more respon-sible.” These skills should help Wyatt to succeed in the years to come.

Wyatt Long

Page 4 April 10, 2015 People

“Softball is a great sport because it is entertaining to play, it is a good way to interact with friends, and a good way to meet new friends,” said Lanie Rostic. Lanie Rostic is an Ozark Junior High seventh grader who plays for the softball team. Her position is first base and her number is 25. For the season, her goals are to be the best she can be and try to represent the Ozark Junior High Softball Team the best she can. She plans to fulfill those goals by going the extra mile in practice and trying to make herself and her team better. While Lanie hopes to finish the season strongly, she first has to beat out Nixa, who she feels is her team’s strongest competitor. She also hopes to play and beat Pleasant Hope and Neosho. Based on how the season is going so far, she thinks there is a good chance she’ll be able to beat them. Before a game Lanie likes to pray, get excited, and then calm herself down so she will not be super nervous. To get ready for her games, Lanie makes sure to excell in practice. On days she doesn’t have games, she has practice after school until 5:15 p.m. At practice, her team warms up, and then they usually play catch. Finally, they work on hitting, pop flies, and ground balls. Besides playing softball for the Ozark Tigers, Lanie has played for other teams outside school. She played in a summer league at Meador Park by the Battlefield Mall. The teams she played for were called the Ozark Storm and the Ozark Eclipse. Out of the nine years Lanie has been play-ing softball, this is her first year to be playing through school. For Lanie, softball is excellent way to get rid of stress. At the end of the season, Lanie thinks she will accomplish all her goals that she wanted to accomplish this season. She will do anything she can to perform well this season, whether that is doing her best at the games, being dedicated during practice, or practicing out of school. To see Lanie in action at her next watch the team play the Bolivar Liberators,at home on April 14 at 4:30 p.m.

Hit It Out of the ParkStudent ProFile: Lanie Rostic

By Hannah Lind

Getting Personal Mystery PersonBy Carly Lawrence & Quincy Moore

This issue’s Mystery Person will have you snooping through every peers bio and watching everyone’s status updates. Read the fol-lowing clues to determine who this issue’s mystery person is.•This person’s favorite kind of pizza is Canadian bacon and pineapple. •The typical outfit for this person is cargo shorts paired with a sweatshirt.•If he was forced to only eat one food for one year, he would choose the toaster strudel.•When down in the dumps, this person turns to music and milk.•His favorite bands consist of Three Days Grace and The Offspring.•The weirdest food combination he has ever tried is hot pockets and pudding.•His favorite song at the moment is “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons.•So far, his favorite place he has visited is Orlando, Florida.•He plans on being an engineer later in life so that he can create something life changing and dreams of helping make the world a bet-ter place. If you think you know who this person is, don’t think about tweeting or making a status update! Write your name and guess on a piece of paper and put it in either the main building locker 151 or the west building locker 780. Have fun guessing and don’t be afraid to get personal.

The company Connected Cycle has a way you can turn your ordinary bike into a smart bike. In this century we are turning everything into smart devices. Why not our bikes? Connected Cycle has a product called Connected Pedal. Connected Pedal has a feature that lets only the owner with the password make changes to it. In addition, Connected Pedal has GPS so you can track your bike. The pedal doesn’t just keep your bike from getting stolen. You are instantly notified when your bike is moving and you are not on it. This will let you know if your bike is getting stolen. Your phone will get a notification that you need to respond to. The app is available on your smart phone.The map tracks your route. Connected Pedal tracks your incline, speed, and calories burned each ride. Data from each ride is sent to your connected cycle app. Connected Pedal is self governing and self powered and works anywhere in the world by generating its own energy. You do not need to keep your phone with you when you ride your bike. No need to charge your battery because it is self charged. The elegantly designed pedal has an aluminum casing. Connected Pedal only takes two minutes to install without any engineering skills. However, if you want to take the pedal off, then you will have to type in the code that only the owner has. The company Connected Cycle was created in 2013, and the Smart Pedal was created in 2015. This company is a French start-up company that creates products to make the biking experience better. The price for the smart Pedal is yet to be announced.

Smart BikeConnected Cycle By Jackson Greenaway

Lanie Rostic

Page 5 April 10, 2015 Student Life

Calling All OJH CalendarApril 10: Track @ Republic 4:00April 10: Choir Pre Contest Concert 7:00April 11: OJH Speech Tournament April 14: Softball vs. Bolivar home @ 4:30April 14: Track @ Branson Tri-Lakes 4:00

April 16: Softball vs. Reeds Spring home @ 4:30April 20-30: MAP TestingApril 21: Track Republic Relays @ 4:00April 21: Softball @ Neosho 4:30April 23: Track Ozark RED Relays @ 4:00

By Lanie Luthy

Lucky Ones March Students of the Month By Emily Freeman

Seventh Grade Students of the MonthSponsored by Godfather’s Pizza

Front: Navneet Kaur, Katelyne Jeffries, Grace-Anne Stine, and Kelsey ParkeBack: Simranjeet Kaur, Ethan McConnell, Teancum Nation and Marcus Wade

Eighth Grade Students of the MonthSponsored by Rib Crib

Front: Carly Keene, Chloe Medley, and Macy AbernathyBack: Tristen Portis, Blake Patton, and Kameron Kivett

Great Gains Students of the Month Sponsored by Rosie Jo’s

Front: Seventh Grade Davealyn Lacavera, Braden Williams, Trista Huddleston, and Kegan BranaghBack: Eighth Grade Kristian Cooper, Tres Love, and Cameron Mansker

Unified Arts Students of the MonthSponsored by Lambert’s

Front: Eighth Grade Brent Barham and Seventh Grade Layla HansonBack: Eighth Grade Darren Sims, Sophia Broussard; Seventh Grade Kylie Martin, and Eric Scott

Page 6 April 10, 2015 Entertainment

Starbucks’ delicious blend of ice, milk, and coffee has been a nationwide favorite since 1995. They currently offer 30 flavor variations of frap-puccinos, with a tall size typically costing $3.86. A drink as good as a frappuccino is easy to develop a craving for, though it is hard to satisfy your daily craving without spending a pretty penny. Your house won’t smell like every coffee lover’s dreams, but there are several mock-recipes out there which promise a taste similar to popular Starbucks drinks.

For all three frappuccinos all you need to do is blend the needed ingredients in a blender, top with whipped cream, and enjoy! These icy drinks will be the perfect thirst quencher for warm spring days on the way, so get your blender out and become the best barista around.

Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Ingredients:1 cup of milk2 tablespoons of sugar⅓ cup of chocolate chips3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 2 cups of ice⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino Ingredients:1/2 cup Milk1/4 cup Vanilla Ice Cream1 cup Ice2 Strawberries2 tbsp Strawberry Syrup

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Ingredients:1 cup of milk ` 1 cup of ice2 drops of vanilla extract2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup 3 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

Don’t Worry, Be “Frappe”DIY Starbucks FrappuccinosBy Taylor Cathcart and Courtnie Miller

No Pansycakes AllowedInsurgent Movie Review By Taylor Cathcart

After the horrendous attack on Abnegation in the Divergent movie, Tris and Four are laying low in Amity. Meanwhile, Eric and the rest of the Dauntless traitors have been searching through the wreckage of Abnegation for an artifact, a box of unknown origin containing the symbols of all the factions. The box is sent straight to Erudite where the faction’s leader, Jeanine Matthews, claims that it contains data from the city’s founders as well as a way to end divergence. The problem? Only a divergent can open the box. At the knowledge of this, Jeanine orders all divergents to be hunted down and captured. Meanwhile in Amity, Tris, Four, Caleb, and Peter try to adjust to their temporary life of peace and farming. Tris, still filled with anger at the murder of her parents, seeks revenge on Erudite and Jeanine. She soon realizes that she must put these thoughts on hold as Eric and his fleet arrive to test all the occupants for divergence. Peter, who has proved himself to be the least trustworthy and the biggest pansycake of the group, cracks and gives the location of the others as Tris, Four, and Caleb escape and board a train headed into Factionless territory. When the trio reaches Factionless territory, Four reveals his true name, Tobias Eaton, to the Factionless who reply that they have been searching for him. Surprised, Four discovers that the Factionless’ leader is Four’s mother, Evelyn Johnson-Eaton. When Four was only a child, he had been told that his mother had died. He even attended what he thought was her funeral. It turns out that Evelyn risked leaving her son, Tobias, alone with her abusive husband so she could escape him. Insurgent was released on March 20 and has been raking in money since. The night Divergent premiered, Lionsgate grossed 4.9 million dollars. A few $800,000 dollars short, Insurgent only made 4.1 mil-lion dollars the night it launched. Pre-release tracking suggests that Insurgent should top the $54.6 million debut of the movie Divergent, which totaled around $150.9 million in the U.S. To find out where the duo Tris and Tobias end up, watch Insurgent in theaters now.

“Music, of all the arts, has the greatest influence over the passions, and the legislators ought to give it the greatest encouragement.” - Napoleon Bonaparte. Music technol-ogy has come a long way since the time of Napoleon. It did not just start with all of the Apple products that most of us use today. It began with the phonographic cylinder in 1877. The phonographic cylinder had the ability to record sound and also reproduce it when played on another pho-nographic cylinder. It was commonly used for years. From there, the gramophone record gained popularity when it was invented in 1895. The gramophone record played a flat, vinyl disc that had small grooves which ran from the outside edge of the disc, all the way to the center. About 35 years later, the idea of the reel-to-reel came along. It was a form of magnetic tape recording that was held on an open reel. The reel was mounted on a spindle while the tape was pulled through mechanical guides and a tape headassembly. Next, in 1963, came the compact cassette. This was also a magnetic tape sound recording format that was originally designed for dictation. At this point, one of the most commonly used media players became available: the compact disc, also known as the CD. This is an optical disc used to store sound record-ings only but later became able to store other types of digi-tal data. Finally, the MP3 player that led to the iPhone and iPod. Originally invented in 1993, it quickly became the most popularly used portable media player. All of these led up to the widely known smartphones and iPods. Most people can agree on one thing. Without music, life would be boring.

Evolution of Music Technology

By Quincy MooreIn Tone

Page 7 April 10, 2015 Sports

Look Like a Beauty, Train Like a Beast

Seventh Grade Girls TrackBy Jerrica Jenkins

The eighth grade Tigers are striving to make it to the Super Bowl for their last year playing spring football. Last spring foot-ball season, the Ozark Tigers made it to the Super Bowl and also played against the Republic Tigers. The Ozark Tigers came home with the trophy after Ethan Sandoval made the game winning touchdown. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” -Unknown. Carson Shaver, center, defensive tackle, and defensive end for the eighth grade Ozark Tigers, lives by this quote. Carson lives by this quote because of all the meaning it has in it. Shaver believes that if you want to be successful, the only way you could possibly earn success is by working hard on and off the field. On Saturday, March 28, the Ozark Tigers played the Glendale Falcons. The Tigers beat the Falcons 44-12. “We go out on the field and stretch, then break into groups and run plays for pregame warmups,” said Shaver. To get mentally prepared for their first football game of the season, the boys ran through plays in their head and thought about what they need to do in the game. The game started out strong with Riley Ghan scoring the first touchdown of the season. Also in the first quarter the Tigers scored another touchdown and held Glendale to only six points. In the second quarter the boys shared two more touchdowns to make the score 30-6 at halftime. During the third and fourth quarters, Ozark scored two touchdowns and Glen-dale scored one more. The Ozark Tigers had four two-point conversions during the game. “To improve our game, we need to work on our base formation and tackling,” said Carson. Some players who really stood out in the first game of the season were Ethan Sandoval and Riley Ghan. They scored most of the touchdowns for Ozark. “The highlight of the game was walking off the field at halftime and seeing the score was 30-6,” said Shaver. Catch your Tigers in action on Friday, April 17, in Republic at the junior high field at 8:00 p.m.

Champions Play as OneEighth Grade Spring FootballBy Madden Murfin

Carson Shaver

The Ozark Junior High track team had a successful first duel against Nixa. In duels, places are not announced. Only scores are taken. The Ozark track team participated in many events against Nixa such as 100m dash, 200m sprint, 400m sprint, 800m sprint, 1600 sprint, hurdles, four by one relay, four by two relay, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot, and disk. Each seventh grade girl competed in at least three events. Before the first duel against Nixa, the seventh grade girls lined up and raced against each other in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. The coaches took the four fastest girls and put them on a relay team or in an open running event. Preparing for the team’s upcoming meets, the team is going to have work with their coaches on agility, relay handoffs, and jumping events. On Tuesday, April 14 the OJH track team will have a meet at Branson Tri-Lakes at 4:00 p.m. On Tuesday, April 21 the relay teams will have a meet at Republic. Cheer on the Ozark Junior High School track team at some of their home meets!

Caitlin Reeves

“Learn how to compete. You will have to compete in everything you do in life. By doing that, nothing else matters,” said Coach Marshall. Coach Marshall coaches seventh grade boys’ track pole vault. He says he enjoys working with the young people and coaching pole vault because no one but him can do it. He plans on achieving another COC title if the boys keep working hard. Coach Marshall’s goals for this year is for them to become the best athletes and people they can be. He wants his team members to become role models for younger students that will come through Ozark Junior High. The first track meet for the seventh grade boys was a duel against Nixa. Coach Marshall believes that the seventh grade performed very well. “I believe I have found some young men that will compete. This is what we need right now. Each meet is a lead up that will help us reach our goal at the end of the year.” “For the first meet, the seventh grade boys have met my ex-pectations. From what I saw we can use better teamwork to build a better team. We must train to win, not go through the motions and grab bag our workouts. We must understand what we do now will pay off in the COC. With us having a lot more track meets than any other year, I hope you readers as students and teachers will come out and support the track team,”stated Coach Marshall. Watch the seventh grade boys run April 14 at Branson Tri-Lakes 4:00

Seventh grade boys lining up for the 100 meter

Run, Run, RunSeventh Grade Boys Track By Jake Dralle

Page 8 April 10, 2015 Sports

“It’s in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals.” -Thomas S. Monson. This particular quote inspires many people includ-ing Coach Justis. “We can all think about accomplishing; however, thinking doesn’t make it happen. You have to physically make it happen,” said Coach Justis. “Hard work, responsibility, discipline, and sportsmanship. All of those qualities are what I want to see both in and out of school as well as on and off the field.” An athlete can’t accomplish their goals without a bit of sweat and a few tears. A lot of hard work takes place during after school practices. “I was really excited for the meet, but I was also a little bit nervous because it was my very first meet,” said Katie Vorhies, who would like to participate in the 100, 200, high jump, and long jump. “I wanted to take track mainly because I was too busy to take it last year, and it is something I have always wanted to do. I knew it would help me with volleyball so I decided to do it, and I’m glad I did because it is a lot of fun.” This year is Katie’s very first season of track. “My least favorite thing about track is days when we have lots of conditioning. The most fun thing is being able to get better at whatever you choose, like having a better vertical and being able to run faster. I really enjoy being with my friends during field events,” said Katie. Despite being nervous about her first meet, Katie, as well as her fellow athletes, performed well at the March 31 duel against Nixa. The highlights of the game, according to Coach Justis, were watching the kids run and do field events finally against another school, as well as the hand offs in the relays being really good for just starting to practice them. “My main goal this year is to improve and get faster so that I can become an all around better athlete,” said Katie Vorhies. “Eighth grade girls this year have a ton of depth. We even have a few new students that will help us be successful that didn’t run last year. My fa-vorite part about coaching track is being able to see kids get better and be successful,” said Coach Justis. “Track is not for everyone. It takes a lot to come out and run every single day. Most don’t know that it isn’t for them until they try it. For those who quit because track wasn’t right for them, I just hope they find something that they enjoy doing.” “Track will help me a lot in volleyball conditioning wise. I hope to walk out a better athlete than when I walked in,” said Katie. “One of the quotes that inspires me is ‘Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.’ -Babe Ruth. To be better we have to give 100 percent effort out there and keep going even when it would be easier to give up.” Go cheer Katie and the track athletes on at their meet today, April 10, at Republic begining at 4:00.

Making It Happen Eighth Grade Girls TrackBy Jessica Elmore

Katie Vorhies

Staggering ScoresOzark Junior High Softball By Courtnie Miller

The Ozark Junior High Softball season started off with a bang, literally. Their first game of the season, also their first home game, ended in the bottom of the second inning due to thunder and lightning moving into the area. The Lady Tigers Softball team’s second game on Thursday, March 26 was cancelled as well. The cancellations only continued when the Lady Tigers’ first tournament of the season was called off for the weekend of March 28-29. Only one and a half innings into their first game the Lady Tigers were up 11-0. Buffalo was hitting well, but not good enough to match up to the Lady Tigers’ exceptional defense. Coach Doyle said the short game helped start the season off on a positive note, but wished they could have played a full length game to see more of the Lady Tigers’ potential. The Lady Tigers played their first full game at Nixa on Monday, March 30. The A team beat Nixa a staggering 13-2, while the B team stacked up runs for a score of 14-0. All the players contributed to the impressive games with solid contact at the plate. “Nixa’s pitcher threw with good velocity and threw lots of strikes. The pitcher was a good test of a hard thrower,” said Coach Doyle. The Lady Tigers struggled on keeping their mental focus, but made up for it when the first four hitters were able to get to base, scoring four runs in the first inning alone. Catch the Lady Tigers tackle their next game on Monday, April 13 at Ozark Junior High against Hollister at 4:30.

Batting against Buffalo

“Go Keaton, go,” is what some of Ozark’s fans were screaming at the first duel against Nixa and the second meet against Willard. Keaton Carson is a returning runner for this season of track. The eighth grade boys started the season out strong with an amazing two meets. Keaton’s personal best time at the Nixa duel was 27 seconds on the 200, and he placed second on the triple jump. Keaton participates in the long jump, triple jump, and the 200. Because the first meet was a duel, Ozark did not place.“I think I performed fairly well on my jumping events. I definitely need to practice more on my run-ning,” Keaton said. “To mentally and physically prepare for the meets, I visualize winning and I stretch out well so I don’t hurt myself while running or jumping,” Keaton stated. Keaton thought that Ozark would be very successful in the first meet. Keaton said, “You have got to have a good attitude going into the meet or else you’ve beaten yourself.” The Tigers are anticipating the next meet and are ready to com-pete. “Something that I learned from the first meet that I will apply to the others is to warm up better because a few people got hurt during the first meet and I don’t want to be next,” Keaton explained. The Tigers have their hearts set on winning their matches and making a good name for Ozark’s track team. “Ozark’s biggest competitor is either Nixa or Republic because they are fast runners,” Keaton said. During the first meet Keaton thought that Ozark performed great. He said that they battled hard against Nixa. “My favorite thing about the first two meets was having it at home. It was a big advantage,” stated Keaton. Keaton thinks to perform better for the next meet, they will need to continue to work hard in practice. “If you fall down, you need to pick yourself back up,” Keaton explained. He thinks this season will be good, and he loves it. One thing Keaton keeps in mind while running is you are going to start slow, but you need to finish fast, and no matter what, always smile. Keaton and the rest of the boys are very excited for more meets to come. Catch Keaton and the eighth grade boys in their next meet Tuesday, April 7 at home against Branson at 4:00.

Bigger, Faster, StrongerEighth Grade Boys Track By Brooke Pace

Keaton Carson