Undiscovered sports teams of HPU

By Ryan, January 28, 2016

By Deirdre Logan // Sports Editor 

On any college campus, there are dozens of clubs ranging from academic to athletic. Popular athletic clubs at High Point University are clubs such as baseball and soccer. There are; however, a multitude of other clubs such as a competitive paintball club, men’s and women’s jiu jitsu and the bowling team.
These lesser known clubs have just as much commitment and passion as a D1 team. For example, the equestrian team and crew team have both proved their worth in competitions this year. Senior Lilliana Chalfant shared her experience from being on the equestrian team.
“Basically the team is awesome,” Chalfant said. “We’ve only been competing now for a few years in comparison to other seasoned programs in our region and we’ve really made a name for ourselves.”
Competing against schools such as Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Elon, the equestrian team had to work hard to win.
“The team is really competitive,” Chalfant said. “We are constantly in the top three within our region which is really impressive.”
Hours of practice and dedication has all contributed to their successful status in the region. Freshman Becca Sands, a member of the HPU Dance Team, talks about the passion that it takes to be part of a team.
“Everyone on the dance team is so passionate about dance and very dedicated to the team,” Sands said. “We get to see each other a lot every week so we have gotten so close. We also love being able to represent an incredible university.”
For students like Chalfant and Sands, representing their school is important. They both got involved right from the start and have continued ever since.
“I actually tried out for the team my senior year of high school during a visit to HPU and was officially given a spot on the competing roster my freshman year,” Chalfant said.
That sense of unity and involvement is important to students like Chalfant. Any student can get involved on campus and have that same feeling. Freshman Nick Allen has gotten involved in intramurals on campus.
“I played for the flag football team this fall and had the best time,” Allen said. “It was great being able to play the sport I loved, while still maintaining flexibility in my schedule.”
For many students like freshman Victoria Cali, intramurals and clubs are a great way to get away from the monotony of everyday life.
“Intramural sports are a great way to have fun while enjoying time with friends,” Cali said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to stay active than by playing an intramural sport.”
Cali has been already gotten involved with soccer and plans to play basketball this semester. Her intramural teammate and captain, sophomore Ameer Tyree, agrees that it is a great way to get involved and stay active.
“I really like playing intramural sports because it gives me the opportunity to have fun with my friends and also be competitive and work towards a goal together,” Tyree said.