Judge Memorial takes state in track and mock trials

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The Judge Memorial Girls Track and Field Team wins the 2006 State Championship for the fourth time in five years. The boys track team took second place in the championship.IC photo courtesy of Judge Memorial

SALT LAKE CITY — Judge Memorial Catholic High School is the 3A Sports School of the Year for the third consecutive year. Students achieved six team state tournament trophies and many individual state titles.

The Judge Memorial Catholic High School Girls Track and Field Team captured the 2006 State 3A Track and Field Championship May 20 for the fourth time in five years. The lady bulldogs won the State Championship titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

"I knew when we began this year we would finish in the top three in the state," said Judge Memorial track and field coach Dan Quinn, who is also the dean of students at Judge. I was totally surprised when we won the Pineview Invitational in March, but that got us going in the right direction. We went to state with a well-established team. On the first day of the relays, I knew we had it won so I was able to run the younger athletes and give everyone a chance to compete.

"Senior Samantha McMillian did a phenomenal job running the half mile, one mile, two mile, and anchoring our medley relay in which the girls took third place.

"Samantha Gaffney held strong despite an injury she received in the Footlocker race in December," said Quinn. "Gaffney has been accepted to the University of Washington where she will run cross country. She is a four-time state champion in cross country."

Quinn said Mele Vaisima, a junior, won the state championship in the discus and the shot put this year. She threw the shot 36 feet, 8 3/4 inches, and the discus 117-1.

Judge Memorial’s Mock Trial Team B took first place in the 2006 State Championship and Team A took third place. By a twist of fate, in the semi-final round of the 2006 competition, the Judge Mock Trial teams were chosen to compete against each other. Team B came out victorious. Team B consisted of Sierra Walton and Kelly O’Neill (captains), Kelly Sullivan, Alex Highsmith, Jimin Brelsford, Abby Nelson, Laura Burchett, LeVaughn Wilkins, and Alyssa Omana. Team B remained undefeated the entire season.

During the week of May 10-14, Dianna Pugh, Judge Memorial mock trial instructor, chose seniors O’Neill, Walton, and Mary Royal; juniors, Burchett, Highsmith, and Emily Rizzo,; and freshmen Brelsford and Wilkins to represent Judge Memorial and the State of Utah at the National Trial Competition in Oklahoma City, Okla. Royal, O’Neill, and Burchett acted as attorneys; Walton, Highsmith, and Rizzo acted as witnesses; and Brelsford and Wilkins acted as timekeepers. The team placed 22nd in the nation.

Judge Memorial senior Kristina Struthwolf traveled to Morges, Switzerland earlier this year to compete in an international skating competition with the U.S. Young International Team. She skated on a senior level and was one of 10 skaters selected to compete from the United States. She took second place. In 2005, she placed fourth in Turnhout, Belgium, on the international junior level.

In order to compete on the senior level, a skater has to be able to do triples and spins such as a flying spin and a lay-back spin.

Struthwolf began skating when she was 7 years old on the pond in her backyard during the winter. She was fascinated with the Winter Olympics and Kristi Yamaguchi, who won the gold medal in women’s figure skating in 1992. After watching Yamaguchi, Struthwolf knew she wanted to skate.

Struthwolf, who lives in Stansbury, begins her day at 4:15 a.m. when she gets up to practice skating in Bountiful for an hour and a half before school. After school, she spends a couple of hours practicing dance, or lifting weights, before going home to complete her homework. Liz Struthwolf, Kristina’s mother, said her daughter’s skating has been a great lesson in life.

"Kristina has had to learn how to prioritize her time," said Liz. "High level skaters are usually straight A students, as is Kristina. These students have to learn how to fit everything into their schedule, prioritize, and be incredibly efficient. They also have to overcome their fears and learn how to step out on the ice in a spotlight in front of as many as 500 people. What is so hard in a competition is the skaters also have all of the judges watching them as well as referees. Even if they fall five times, they have to get up and continue.

"Each skater takes what he or she can from each experience before he or she can go on to the next competition," said Liz. "We have always told Kristina to do the very best she can because that is all she can do. Even if she skates a perfect program, it does not mean that she is going to win because someone else could come out and do something more than she can do, and she cannot control that. She just has to set her own goals and achieve them."

Kristina said her philosophy is to practice like it is a competition and compete like it is a practice. She will attend the University of Utah next year and would like to study sports medicine and continue skating.