Five Freshmen Bring Upgrades For Boys’ Basketball

In the past five basketball seasons, four freshmen played on the varsity team.

This year, five freshmen have made the team with two or three starting on a game-to-game basis, and they’re bringing a bright future to Creek basketball.
Head coach James Hartsfield sees the future of Creek clearer than anyone. “The talent is amazing, and we have a lot of young kids. These guys are very talented, and we’re very excited about the future,” Hartsfield said.

While the coach has faith in the freshmen, he wants to make it easier for upperclassmen to buy into the freshmen too. And after seeing their talent on the court, older players have started seeing their value.

“They bring a good attitude. It’s fun practice. We have a place for them,” junior forward Aleks Birkans (#0) said.

Making a varsity roster as a freshman is difficult on its own, but many believe building chemistry with a team is harder. The freshmen have seen how hard it is to build that level of community, even with help. However, the freshmen have found community in training with upperclassmen.

“[Junior] Jeremiah Hammond has been helping me with my leadership, with my play on the court, and how to contribute to the team,” freshman guard Montae Johnson (#1) said.

As freshman players like center Dylan Betts (#15) and forward Kayden Patrick (#23), begin cooperating with and learning with the teams’ older members, the upperclassmen are demonstrating that they can have a lasting effect on the freshmen.

With lasting effects coming to the players by players, the coaches do their part in developing the future of their program. Hartsfield knows it takes skills, but encouragement and the mental part of the game are just as important.

For the coaches, their main goal is to encourage the new players. “Keeping their courage and helping them build their IQ. That’s the biggest piece,” Hartsfield said.
Hartsfield builds trust with the freshmen as he helps them grow in parts of the game that they could be weaker in, but he also keeps the mental aspect a top priority. Assisting freshmen to develop is a part of the job from a coaching standpoint, but freshmen appreciate the work the coaches do as they help them upgrade the level of play.

While working at practices helps to improve and upgrade gameplay, many freshmen also try to get work in at home. “I work on my form every day. When I’m at home, I never stop playing basketball. I’m always shooting,” Patrick said.

Players and coaches believe that working every day brings the future of Creek basketball better chances, and hopefully reach new levels as a team. “They have a bright future, you know, great kids, great academics,” Hartfield said.

Star Freshmen On Girls’ Swim Accelerate The Pace

Kate McKinnon

Freshmen in high school are rarely known to be the star players on the girls’ varsity swim team.

They’re likely seen as the up-and-comer swimmer, and people believe their success will show as an upperclassman. But freshman Kate McKinnon has placed first 28 times at 10 meets and in 9 different events over the season.

McKinnon is described by her peers and coaches as an outstanding talent in the water; she brings a new tone to the varsity girls’ swim team.
For the 5A State Championship, McKinnon qualified for five events, the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 fly; five out of the chamionship’s eight events. In addition to the five, she also qualified for the 200 Medley relay, although once swimmers have qualified, they can be switched in and out of the event.

“I just like winning, and I always, I never want to feel like I have to lose to something,” McKinnon said.

At the state championships, McKinnon placed first in all of her events. But regardless of her results, many members of the team regard McKinnon as an incredibly strong swimmer with a bright future ahead of her.

For senior swimmers on the team, McKinnon’s commitment to the sport showed in the state championships. McKinnon was part of a relay team that broke a record set by Missy Franklin, a five time Olympian, something that showed her success in the sport.

“With all the new faces and how hard all of the girls worked and Kate McKinnon, who is absolutely amazing, I think it was so well earned,” senior swimmer Ana Loveridge said in an interview with CHSAA.

McKinnon stretches her talent through practice.

“I’m a sprinter, and our coach has us do a lot of longer distance stuff of endurance and how hard can you go while swimming this long,” McKinnon said. “I’ve always taken it as you get better at training by doing your best in practice and at meets. I’ve always given it my all.”

Clara Paterson

Seeing a freshman qualify for multiple state championship events in one of her first meets of the season isn’t something you see every day.

But when varsity and freshman swimmer Clara Paterson got in the pool during the first home meet of the season, she qualified for her first state championship event, followed by two relay qualifiers.

“It was super shocking,” Paterson said. “I was not expecting that. And I think that on that second meet, that realization had just sunk in, like I could actually do it. So I worked super hard to try to get [a state time.]”

In the state championships, Paterson placed 8th in the 50 Freestyle, and 10th in the 100.

Shock didn’t just come after qualifying for state, it came when Paterson made the varsity team as a freshman as well. “I’m not going to lie. I didn’t think I was going to make the team,” she said. “I looked at the email, and it said varsity, but I thought it was talking about JV. But I was very excited and super shocked.”

Her teammates have also recognized Paterson’s dedication. “Clara has made a huge impact on the team by comforting her friends and teammates,” senior Flynn Maguire said. “She has been so sweet and such an amazing person to everyone and deserves all the success she has had.”

Paterson has been swimming since she was young; following in the footsteps of her parents, who are both athletes. For Paterson however, neither parent pushed her into swimming, but supported whatever path she chose.

“What I love about my parents is that they were both successful athletes, but they have fully supported me in whatever I want to do, and they have no inclination towards the sports that they played to have me do,” Paterson said.

In order to improve her swimming, Paterson enjoys having a consistent practice routine, something that she’s found helpful in qualifying for state.

“It’s not always easy, especially when you’re taking into account, as you get into high school, wanting to hang out with friends more,” she said. “But I think I found a way to quickly transition which allowed me to maximize my time so that I still can fit all those things and still feel successful in each area.”