It is fitting that February is that miracle month.
We have heard about the Miracle on Ice when the U.S. Olympic hockey team beat the Russians in 1980, but the month is becoming an important one for Greenwave sports.
The Churchill County High School wresting team captured its first Nevada Interscholastic Actives Association state title in February 2016 in what turned out to be a brilliantly played chess game against other 3A teams.
Now, the Lady Wave basketball team capped a near-perfect season by easily winning the Class 3A Girls Basketball Championship in Las Vegas, capping a perfect 16-0 record in league and only losing three nonconference games. Just the week before, the Lady Wav crushed Lowry to win the regional title in Winnemucca.
What’s even more exciting is the team is young with only one senior — Zoey Swisher — graduating, but her leadership will be missed next season. In addition to the Fallon senior, others who played on the team included Kaitlyn Hunter, Alexis Jarrett, Chandler McAlexander, Lailani Otuafi, Leta Otuafi, Faith Cornmesser, Caitlyn Welch, Brynlee Shults, Kenna Hamlin, Hannah Hitchcock and Hannah Evans.
The community appreciates the hard work and dedication from both the coaches and players. Any school can field a team, but it takes time, skill and fortitude to rise to the top. The Lady Wave came so close in 2016 by reaching state but bowing out in the first round.
Give credit to coach Anne Smith and her assistance coaches Keith Lund and Kevin Lords for molding a team that dominated its opposition. They have worked tirelessly to give the team the tools it needed to compete for a championship.
This is the program’s first state championship in the NIAA, but the basketball team was a powerhouse generations ago. According to Greenwave sportscaster and play-by-play announcer Larry Barker, “There were many state championships, including a run of 10 in 11 seasons from 1921-1931.”
Just as then, the community is extremely proud of what each and every one of you has accomplished. While some community newspapers have abandoned their coverage of high-school athletics, the LVN feels the community comes together in its support of both the young men and women who compete against other schools and that the healthy competition of high-school activities — both in the classroom and on the field of play — is important for community pride.
As we have mentioned before when students have reached the pinnacle of success, “Winning a state championship is special … savor it and understand you have joined a special group who will remember these accomplishments for a lifetime.”
LVN editorials appear on Wednesdays
