![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
When Brigg Ernstrom, senior, started throwing javelin during his sophomore year track season, he said he never predicted breaking a school record two years later.
There was a record set last year of 43.89 meters, and Ernstrom threw for 49.87 meters at Sectionals on Saturday, May 20, at Poplar Bluff High School, setting the new record.
“I wasn’t expecting to break the record so early in the season,” Ernstrom said. “That was definitely not my goal coming into this season.”
Ernstrom said he never thought he would enjoy javelin as much as he does now. When he started two years ago, he was having a lot of fun with it, so he decided to keep with it and work on improving each season.
“Breaking this record makes me want to throw even further than that for the rest of the season,” Ernstrom said.
Ernstrom is currently placed ninth in the State for javelin, and to help Ernstrom get better this season, his teammate Nate McKay, senior, would critique his throws before going into any meets.
“He just really helped me get better,” Ernstrom said.
Nate McKay, senior, threw with Sean Van Rens, the previous record holder before Ernstrom, his junior year. McKay said he learned a lot that season by watching Van Rens, so he was happy to help Ernstrom.
“I just helped Brigg perfect his form at the beginning of the season,” McKay said. “And come the second meet of the year, he breaks Sean’s record.”
McKay said Ernstrom has really soared this season after taking his corrections about the little stuff, and it makes him happy to see him so successful.
“I’m super proud of him,” McKay said. “I hope I get to join him at state so we can go together and continue doing well.”
Matt Nienhaus, track and field coach, said that he was pleasantly surprised with how quickly Ernstrom became so successful in javelin.
Javelin is a combination of natural ability and hard work, and Nienhaus said Ernstrom has the perfect mix of both.
“Brigg is committed to success,” Nienhaus said. “He is the type of athlete that would probably just keep going if we didn’t shut him down.”
Nienhaus said he is thrilled for Ernstrom, and he believes he can be successful at State this Friday and Saturday.
“However, we make no assumptions,” Nienhaus said. “We will continue to tweak things to find that next best throw.”
This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on May 25, 2023.