Home of the Norsemen | Lady Norsemen

2011 Class 1A Boys' Basketball State Champions
2008 Class 1A Girls' Basketball State Runner-Up
2009 Class 1A Girls' Volleyball Sectional Champions

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Lisle Tournament Champions!

Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Basketball Team for placing 1st at the 2012 Lisle Tournament! On Saturday December 29th, the Lady Norsemen defeated Lisle 40-39 to earn the 2012 Tournament title.

Also congrats to Lauren Tollefson and Taylor Krug on their selection to the All-Tournament Team, and to Taylor on being named Tournament Most Valuable Player!

Results from the Tournament:
Wednesday, 12/26 vs Braidwood Reed-Custer 62-43 W
Thursday, 12/27 vs Immaculate Conception 46-26 W
Friday, 12/28 vs Walther Lutheran 45-40 W
Saturday, 12/29 vs Lisle for the Championship 40-39 W

Friday, December 28, 2012

Earlville Tournament Champions!

Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen JV Basketball Team for placing 1st at the 2012 JV Earlville Christmas Tournament! On Friday December 28th, the Lady Norsemen defeated Spring Valley-Hall 29-20 to earn the 2012 Tournament title. Congrats, Girls!

Results from the Tournament:
Wednesday, 12/26 vs Somonauk 30-13 W
Thursday, 12/27 vs Marquette 39-30 W
Friday, 12/28 vs Spring Valley-Hall for the Championship 29-20 W

Friday, December 21, 2012

Boys Basketball

The Norsemen Basketball team is off to a great start. They competed in a tough Thanksgiving tournament hosted by Sycamore High School where they played against 3A and 4A schools and performed well, winning two games and losing two others. The coaches and players are very excited about their performance and hope to keep improving. The team’s next task was facing a very good Plano team in Reaper Nation. Against them the Norsemen suffered a hard-fought loss. To make it even worse, Grant Riehle-Moeller and Joe Hughes were both diagnosed with severe injuries after the game. Grant missed a week due to a mild concussion, and Joe Hughes is out with a broken foot, but is planning to come back in time for The Plano Christmas Classic. The Norsemen faced a major setback due to these injuries, but the team still believes in their abilities. They have proven they can continue to win despite the setbacks. Newark fans and students, especially the seniors, eagerly anticipate the Plano Christmas Classic. Senior Joe Hughes said, “This is my last Plano Christmas Classic, and I don’t want to miss it. Once I get healthy, I’m going to help my team as much as possible to win the tournament for our senior year.”

By Joe Hughes & Ryan Edwards

Growing Stronger Together

Since winning four games at the breakout tournament at Somonauk, the Lady Norsemen have played seven games and have won six of them making their record 10-1. Coach Holman said he is proud of the girls for the way they have played so far, but he knows a higher level of play can still be attained. The varsity team has an upcoming Christmas tournament at Lisle High School beginning the 26th of December. The junior varsity girls will also be competing in a tournament beginning on the 26th at Earlville High School. The seniors shared they are eager for the competition at the Lisle tournament and know it will improve their level of play as a team.

By Lauren Tollefson and Abbey Akre

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Congratulations

Congratulations to Abbey Akre on receiving the "Times Player of the Year" Award! We are super, duper proud of you!

Congratulations also to Lauren Tollefson on being selected to the Times Area first team and Kristina Nichols on the second team!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Newark Flip-Flops

Attention Students: Orders for Newark flip-flops will be taken until Monday, December 3. See Mrs. Navarro for details. They are $20.00 a pair.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Great Start

The girl’s basketball team began their season on Monday, November 29th under the direction of coaches Dale Skelton and Brian Holman. Senior Melissa Schmidt expressed her feelings of excitement sharing how practices are going and how the team is looking this season. “Our team is going to do well this season. We have a talented group of girls. We just have to put all the pieces together,” she said. The team met their first match-ups at the Somonauk Breakout Tournament. The Lady Norsemen started off their season on a bold and confident note, winning all four of the games they played at the tournament. Coach Holman said, “We played really well against four good teams, but we still have room for improvement. It’s nice to get off to a good start.” The team’s next game is November 29th at Paw Paw. The Ladies have had a great start to this season, so attend their games and cheer them on to more victories!

By Lauren Tollefson and Abbey Akre

Boys' Basketball

The Boys Basketball season is finally underway! After a very successful season a year ago, the players are eager for another opportunity. The Norsemen lost two of the starters from last year’s team, senior Taylor Gerken and sophomore Adam Shorkey, who moved to Iowa; however, the Norsemen have some very talented freshmen this year to help the team be successful. Seniors Brett Anderson, Kenny Hume, and Joe Hughes will lead the Norsemen this year as they play their final basketball season for the Norsemen this winter. Joe Hughes stated, “I’m devastated that my basketball career here at Newark is coming to an end, but that just means I’m going to work hard to make it a memorable one.” The Norsemen entered a new Thanksgiving tournament in Sycamore this year where they finished fourth. They will also be participating in the Plano Christmas Classic starting on December 26th at Plano High School. Good Luck, Boys!!

By Joe Hughes & Ryan Edwards

Monday, November 26, 2012

Open Gyms Enter Full Swing Phase

Baseball season is barely three months away, and open gyms are about to start. We were able to speak to Coach J.R. Veliz about the start of open gyms. He said that they will begin on December 1st, 2012 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Millbrook Junior High gym. He has scheduled 15 open gym dates and will inform players about future dates at the meeting on December 1st. Coach Veliz is super excited about the open gyms and for the upcoming season. He said, “From what I’ve seen, the freshmen show good promise and can definitely play. [Coach expects the seniors] to be good leaders and a catalyst in the upcoming season as well as the ones to carry the team to a win.” When asked who he thought were going to be star or key players and rising stars, he replied that it’s hard to tell at the moment, but based on what he has seen in the past he predicts that Joe Hughes and Kenny Hume are going to be star pitchers this season. He also stated that catcher Matt Eike will be a key asset to the team. Coach Veliz is also excited about some new equipment that we will be getting this season. In addition the team will wear some new hats, pullovers, T-Shirts, and sweatpants. Everyone on the team along with both Coach Veliz and Coach Hacker are excited for the season to begin and are expecting a great season.

By Chris Murawski

Thursday, November 1, 2012

CONGRATULATIONS NEWARK VOLLEYBALL

Congratulations to all 3 volleyball teams on their impressive seasons! Special congrats to the varsity team on a conference championship, conference tournament championship, regional championship and a 29-win season! So proud of you! And finally, congratulations to Abbey Akre, Lauren Tollefson, Kristina Nichols and Taylor Krug for being selected to the all-conference team this year!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Golf Season Has Come to an End

The golf season has now come to an end. We had the chance to talk to Coach Hissong about his view on the season outcome. Coach Hissong said, “We doubled our number of wins from last year from two to four. We were entered into seven -18 hole matches/ tournaments this year as opposed to only three last year. In the long run, this is going to make our young players better for tournament play in the next year or two. Our dual meet average this year was 20 shots per meet less than a year ago. If we can continue at that pace, we will win our share of matches next season.” He also stated that one thing he wants all his players to start doing is to practice during the off-season. He thinks that if his players practice in the off-season their regular season play will improve. Coach Hissong also named some of his star players. He said, “The top two players for our team were Cole Krug, a sophomore, and Jack Clausel, a freshman. Our most improved player over the course of the fall season was Nick Minarich, a junior. If these players, along with Zach Ward, Seth Larson, Tyler Kaufman, Connor Rennick and a few others can step up and help our team we should be able to contend for the Conference next season.” The golf team improves each season, and they are all looking forward to playing next year.

by Chris Murawski and Ricky Spohnholtz

Soccer

The Norsemen soccer season has come to an end. The overall record for the Norsemen was 0-20-0. They went the entire season without recording a win but the coaches and captains both agree that there were many good things to look back on. Coach Velez said in an exclusive interview, “I am disappointed with the outcome of the record, but I am very proud of the team for sticking with it and never giving up.” The Norsemen were led by their two senior captains, Joe Hughes and Wyatt Williamson, who will be leaving their soccer careers behind as they move on to college. Hughes said, “We were not the best team around, but I had a lot of fun with this team and a lot of good memories were made.”

by Joe Hughes and Ryan Edwards

Monday, October 29, 2012

Dream Big

This year the Newark Lady Norsemen are hoping to go deep into their post season. After three consecutive years of not achieving a regional championship plaque, Coach Nagel and her girls hunger for more than just a regional plaque. When asked what will set them apart from other teams they will come across in their post season run, senior Lauren Tollefson stated, “As long as the team stays mentally focused for every match we will remain consistent.” Currently the Ladies are at an astonishing 29 - 5 record. Coach Nagel has high hopes for the team and believes they can end the season with thirty wins under their belts.

by Abbey Akre

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Regional Champions!
Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team for your 25-10, 25-10 regional victory against LaMoille-Ohio! The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Semifinals to be held on Tuesday, October 30th 7:30 p.m. vs Rockford (Keith Country Day School) at Polo.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Little Ten Conference Champs!
Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Volleyball Team for placing 1st at the 2012 Little Ten Conference Tournament Friday night! The Lady Norsemen took on #2 seeded Somonauk Lady Bobcats and finished with a win in two games with scores of 25-15, 25-9.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A Step Towards Excellence

To start off, the Lady Norsemen Varsity Volleyball team won their first match at home against Aurora Christian. Since then, the Ladies have won ten more matches while losing three grueling matches, leaving their record at 11-3. One of the matches they won was a conference game at home against PawPaw. The Junior Varsity team currently is keeping pace with the varsity having battled to an impressive 10-3 record. The freshmen team has had only a few matches so far this season, winning three out of the four. Each of the 29 girls is working hard to continue to improve her level of play each day. All of the coaches agree that this is a great start to a potentially successful season and a step toward excellence.

By Lauren Tollefson and Abbey Akre

Golf

Golf is back at Newark High for the second year in a row. The returning coach is Mr. Jim Hissong. The team has six juniors, three sophomores, and five freshmen. When asked about the team, freshman Tyler Kaufman said they are all pretty consistent, but if they need to work on one thing, it would be putting. He was asked about Mr. Hissong, and he said he really likes him because he can teach the team many new things, and he lets them have fun. According to Tyler, the strongest players on the team are sophomores Karter Kunkel and Cole Krug. Good luck to the Norsemen golf team in the rest of the season.

By Megan Kaufman

Soccer

The Norsemen soccer team started off slowly building chemistry, but has gained their balance in their last couple of games. At the beginning of the season, the Newark Norsemen lost 9 of their games by wide margins. Lately, however, the Norsemen have played as one and held some very good teams to close scores. Against Indian Creek, Newark held the lead for three quarters of the game. The Timberwolves were down 1-0 with about twenty minutes left in the game until they started making all of their shots on goal. They scored six goals in a very short amount of time to hand the Norsemen a 6-2 loss.

The Norsemen are still awaiting their first win of the season, but even coach J.R. Veliz agreed that they are starting to work like a team, “They are really understanding the game much better. Since the first day of practice until now, I have seen a lot of improvement both individually and team wise.” Ryan Edwards was asked, “What is the biggest problem with the soccer team?” Edwards responded, “The main hurdle that the players must overcome is that everyone is afraid to take responsibility of the ball.”

In an exclusive interview with Joe Hughes, these reporters gained his opinion on the team. When Hughes was asked, “What does the team need to improve on most?” Hughes answered, “We need to start playing more as a team instead of individually. We don’t talk enough to each other on the field to let each other know what to do and where to go.”

The season is not over, and the Norsemen’s confidence level continues to climb. They are looking forward to the second half of the season to surprise some teams and the spectators with their improved playing ability on the soccer field.

By Ryan Edwards & Joe Hughes

Monday, September 24, 2012

Girls' Basketball

Attention all girls planning to play basketball: Remember get all paperwork ready. Athletic physicals need to be scheduled ASAP. Coach Skelton

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

J.V. Girls Basketball

Congratulations to last years' Newark Lady Norsemen J.V. Basketball Team on being selected as one of the WNBA's Chicago Sky Teams of the Week. The girls were nominated and given the award after a perfect 20-0 season last year. The players were recognized on Sunday, September 2 in the court during halftime of the Sky's game v.s. L.A. at Allstate Arena. The plaque designating the team as Team of the Week is in the office. Congrats, Girls!

Friday, August 31, 2012

SOCCER

As the Newark Norsemen soccer team prepares for the upcoming season, they look forward to an exciting year. They will sport new jerseys, new coaches, new players, and positive attitudes. The two new coaches this year are already known throughout the high school athletic department. Coach Jim Hacker has returned to lead the Norsemen after three years off to take graduate classes. The head coach of the Newark Norsemen baseball team, J.R. Veliz, assists Coach Hacker.

With new coaches and virtually all new players, with the exception of a few returning players, the Norsemen are excited for a fresh start. When coach J.R. Veliz was asked, “How excited are you about this young team?” He responded, “ I am thrilled! This is a great group of kids [who] are very athletic and very determined.”

The Newark Soccer team is led by returning captain Joe Hughes, and Wyatt Williamson. Williamson was asked, “How do you plan on leading such a young group of kids?” Williamson responded by saying, “It will be tough, but I am going to try my hardest to lead these kids. ” Hughes was asked, “What are your expectations for this season?” Hughes said, “We play in one of the best conferences in the state so no one really expects us to do [well], but we are determined to shock a lot of people and win a few games.”

With all of the great expectations and the determination that the Norsemen have, it is not hard to believe that this year’s team is prepared for the competition they have ahead of them.

By Joe Hughes & Ryan Edwards

Relentless Pursuit

In the last couple years, the Lady Norsemen have fallen short of winning regional championships, but this year the players have a different goal in mind. When asked what the phrase “relentless pursuit” means to the team this year, Coach Tonya Nagel stated, “The team knows what they are pursuing…championships. But ‘relentless’ is the key. You have to come to play every day like the season depends on a win.” Conversation among the team members indicates they have high expectations this year, but they know that success won’t just be handed to them. The girls strive to challenge one another and be competitive in practice to prepare for this season, according to senior libero Melissa Schmidt. The team’s expectations are to “win the conference, the conference tournament, and to make a deep post-season run,” said Coach Nagel. This year’s team has a great amount of experience with five motivated and unsatisfied seniors. Senior Abbey Akre said that she and the rest of the seniors hope to leave a lasting legacy to the school. In order to achieve all that they desire this year, the Lady Norsemen must “stay focused, improve daily, and stay injury free!” ended an excited Coach Nagel.

By Lauren Tollefson and Erin Turner

Monday, August 27, 2012

Congratulations, Volleyball!!!

Congratulations to the JV and Varsity Volleyball teams for their performances in their tournaments. The JV team took 1st place, and the Varsity took 2nd place. Great job, girls! There is a Home Game this Wednesday night! Come cheer the girls on!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Fall Sports Meeting

The fall athletic meeting will be held on Monday, August 6th at 6pm. Volleyball, golf, and soccer teams are required to attend. Parents and athletes must sign the athletic code, steroid and concussion forms, a current physical must be turned in and fees paid. Volleyball and soccer fees are $35 and golf fee is $75. Checks are payable to Newark High School.

Practices begin on August 8th, athletes must have all paperwork in before they will be allowed to practice. Any questions please call Carol Navarro at the school. 815/695-5164 ext 245

Friday, May 25, 2012

Boys’ Baseball

As baseball season comes to an end, I went back to talk to Coach Hacker. He said that the goal was to be competitive in the regional. He also wants to build skills in pitching, fielding, and hitting. Coach Hacker says the most improved players are Noah Nichols, and Chris Murawski. He shared that this is a young team with a lot of talent and heart. The coach hopes the team can ride out the rough pitching.

By Daniel Wells

Softball

The excitement in Newark High School isn’t only graduation and summer vacation, but also the Lady Norseman Softball season! When asked about his expectations for the postseason, Mr. Holman responded by saying, “To play our best softball!”. I had also asked him how they were preparing for the post-season and how the practices usually go; he said, “Practices usually go like this: we catch, talk, hit, talk, walk around, go home.”

By Jake Ramey & Tayler Schomer

Friday, May 4, 2012

Boys’ Baseball

Boy’s Baseball season is in full swing! They are 1 and 3 in the conference. Mr. Hacker says that they hope that they improve in the next couple games. He says the most challenging part of baseball is playing a double header because you have to use twice as many pitchers. Mr. Hacker stated that teamwork is the key to winning. When asked who is the best pitcher, Mr. Hacker replied, “Joe Hughes has been throwing well, and Noah Nichols has been throwing some good innings.”

By Daniel Wells

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Girls' Summer Basketball Meeting Change

There will be an informational meeting about summer activities in the gum on MONDAY, April 23, after B-day SRT announcements. Any girl interested in summer participation needs to be there!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Boys’ Baseball

The Boys’ Baseball team is looking forward to an exciting season this year. According to Mr. Hacker, assistant coach, the team has a lot of potential and he thinks they have a lot to look forward to. Coach Hacker says that the team has several pitchers this year. The pitchers that are returning are Joe Hughes, Kenny Hume, and Andrew Lehman. Mr. Hacker has been coaching the baseball team for 5 years. He says that the team has a lot of heart and they have a good attitude, which is important for any good sports team. We are all looking forward to a good baseball season.

By Daniel Wells

Softball

Many girls from Newark High School enjoy participating in softball. With coaches Mr. Holman and Ms. Stechschulte, who wouldn’t? When asked how the season is going, Alexis Waters responded, “Our first game was kind of rough but that only means they will come back strong and win the next game.” The team has plenty of other games to look forward to and plenty of time to practice and prepare to win the next game. Good luck with the rest of the season and we are sure you will do great!

By Tayler Schomer and Jake Ramey

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Congratulations Newark Norsemen

Congratulations to our Newark Norsemen for giving us a great season! We are very proud of your accomplishments and the commitment you showed to your sport and your school. Congratulations to Coach Tollefson for leading the boys to a regional title. Thanks to the Newark athletes and fans for all the memories this season!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Regional Champions!

Congratulations to the Newark Norsemen basketball team for your 37-34 Regional Victory against Grant Park! The Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Semifinal to be held on Wednesday, February 29th, 7:30 p.m. at Mooseheart.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Regional Tournament begins Wednesday, 2/22

The Boys Basketball Regional game for tonight 2/21 has been canceled due to forfeit by the opposing team. The Norsemen will begin their regional tournament tomorrow, Wednesday, 2/22 at Serena. Game begins at 8:10p.m.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Baseball and Softball Meeting

The Baseball and Softball meeting will be Thursday, February 23 at 6 p.m. in the Student Center. All paperwork must be completed and turned in at that time. If you have questions, see Mrs. Navarro.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball season ended February 10, 2012. The ending record of the year is 24-6. According to Taylor Rehberg, her “favorite memorable moment from the team was posing for pictures while on the bench against Mooseheart.” Melissa Schmidt stated, her “best game was when the girls played against Serena because we all played well, and it was a challenging game.” According to Mr. Skelton the most memorable moment of the season was “winning The Little Ten Conference Tournament.” “Hinckley- Big Rock was the most challenging opponent because those girls always seem to find a way to edge us out.” Overall the girls had a very successful season and are looking forward to next year.

By Kaylee Pehlke and Brendon Schmidt

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Boys’ Basketball

The boy’s basketball team keeps growing as the season continues. When asked how the season was going, Brett Anderson said, “I think we are doing as well as we have been expected to do. We have beaten the teams we were supposed to beat, and lost the games we were supposed to lose, minus a few upsets in the Christmas Tournament.” There are some really important games to prepare for. One of the games the boys are preparing for is against Seneca, which has always been a rivalry and defeated Newark by only 7 points in the Plano Tournament. They are also preparing for the game against Hinckley-Big Rock because of their quick guards; it should be a good game. I asked Brett who he believed improved the most since the beginning of the season, and he said, “Kenny Hume, because he shows relentless effort, and he rebounds just about every game.” The boys are improving, and are staying hopeful for the remainder of the season.

By Emily Young

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Little Ten Conference Champs!
Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Basketball Team for placing 1st at the Little Ten Conference Tournament Monday night! The Lady Norsemen took on No. 3 seed Serena Lady Huskers and finished with a 37-23 victory; their first tournament title since 2006.