On February 27, a student athletic training competition was held on home turf, here at HRHS. Three HR seniors, Zoe Zalesak, Payton Walters, and Chasmine Malabanan, competed with other students from across the district to test their sports medicine knowledge and skills. These three seniors competed in this competition last year, as juniors, and also won. Coming back to compete again this year, they took home the win yet again.

  This competition consists of testing students’ ability as athletic trainers. It tests things such as taping, knowledge about athletic training professions, medical care for athletes, and just knowledge on the sports medicine field as a whole. At the end of the competition, one team is picked as the winner because they proved that they knew the most and were the best team there.

  This year’s competition was Malabanan’s fourth year competing, so she was confident with the way things were run. “I’ve definitely learned a lot more overall since last year,” said Malabanan. “I’ve developed a deeper understanding of certain injuries, injury mechanisms, and topics such as types of muscle contractions.” Being able to say that she participated in this competition all four years helped her stand out from other people when submitting college applications.

  Malabanan will be attending CU Boulder, with a full ride scholarship, in the fall for Integrative Physiology, which is a pre-med track. Malabanan said, “The competition has also been a huge boost as I apply for college scholarships. It sets me apart from other applicants because I’m involved in an activity that I love, but it isn’t very common amongst many students.” This competition has shown Malabanan that she can achieve her goals and played a big role in developing her passion for the medical field.

  This competition is a great way to get practice if someone is interested in going into the medical field at all. “It has shown me how many doors can be opened if I try and how many different careers can work out in my favor,” said Walters. “It also gives me a head start in my knowledge for when I start with my nursing classes in college.” Walters will be attending Bethel college in Kansas to study nursing and continue with her soccer career.

  Zalesak has also learned and grown from last year’s competition, but this isn’t the only thing that she benefited from. “The greatest benefit from the competition is the knowledge that I have gained in the process of studying. It has helped me in other classes for sure,” said Zalesak. Next year, Zalesak will be attending Indiana University and will be majoring in human biology. She is also planning on attending medical school.

  If someone is interested in the medical field, this competition could benefit them and would be something that stands out on college applications, since not a lot of people partake in this competition. Tom Sylva’s athletic training class teaches a lot about the medical field and prepares students with hands on activities. Sylva is always looking for new participants, so feel free to head on down to the training room and ask about it.

Hannah Dyer, Online Editor