Intramural Athlete of the Week: March 11-15

Addie Neal and Cianne Knowles

Freshmen Class

Ping pong is a challenging enough sport in the singles environment: now add a partner who can cause miscommunication and swing for the ball while you are setting up your own shot.

Addie Neal and Cianne Knowles did not let that affect them, however. Neal and Knowles were in sync, taking the tournament win and the title of athletes of the week.

1. What is it like going through the whole bracket, taking everyone down?

Knowles: At first, we were a little rough. We could not get any of our serves over the net.

Neal: Once we warmed up, we got on the same wavelength and we just got going.

Knowles: Yeah, we are like one mind.

Neal: One heart.

Knowles: One ping pong.

2. You mentioned having issues with your serves. What exactly held you girls back at first? How did you fix it and find your flow again?

Knowles: I think it was encouragement.

Neal: I think so too — from each other, from the fans. Each game we got a little bit better.

Knowles: We did not take things too seriously, so everytime we messed up, we laughed. And then, we would get better.

Neal: I agree.

3. Only one intramural sport left this year — soccer. Any thoughts about that or how the intramural dynamic is going to change next year as you two enter the rush process?

Neal: I am, for one, very excited for soccer — so excited to go get my cleats and shin guards on and everything. And I’m really excited to experience everything in a club because I think we are starting to get down to crunch time with Rush meetings and things coming up. It is getting really exciting. 

Knowles: I am really excited to see how rush goes because there are a lot of athletic people in our grade. So I’m excited to see how they disperse and how clubs carry out. It might make the competition a little bit bigger next year.

Jaxen Roden and Brayden Jones

Freshmen Class

Winning pool doubles is no easy task. Having to take down the reigning singles champions is hard, and having a play-in round to start the whole bracket off decreases the odds of success even more. But these factors were not enough to stop Jaxen Roden and Brayden Jones, who worked together in harmony to win Pool doubles and the title of intramural athletes of the week.

1. What was it like, going through the bracket, taking everybody down?

Jones: Stressful.

Roden: It was very stressful.

Jones: My heart is still racing right now.

Roden: Yeah.

2. What was it like having to play an additional round, just to make the bracket itself?

Roden: I mean, it helped us get practice in, so it did not really affect us that much.

Jones: Yeah.

3. We only have one intramural sport left, which is soccer. Will we be seeing you guys out there, or will we have to wait until next year to see you guys play again?

Jones: Probably not soccer for me.

Roden: I do not have shin guards, and I do not want to go out and buy some, so I might as well wait until next year.