Logan Weeks Staff Reporter It is not hard to pick Ryan Sones out of a crowd in his hometown of Laurens, IA.

From a small town of about 1,500 people, Sones definitely standouts off the court at 6'10" and sports a size 18 shoe to boot.

Sones, a freshman center on this year's NIACC men's basketball squad, may also be a future standout on the court if he keeps working and improving, according to his coach Bryan Martin.

"He (Sones) has great hands and good footwork in the post," Martin said.

"We're working on improving his overall athleticism," Martin said.

"Sones seems to be taking tremendous strides (in his game)."

Sones' size has earned him the nickname of "6'10"", which has more people knowing him by his nickname, rather than his real name.

Sones said being known for his height used to bother him growing up when people would always talk about his size.

But now, Sones said he is glad to be gifted with such size because it has allowed him to keep playing basketball.

"If I wasn't playing basketball, I would probably be a bum," Sones said. "I would probably be a really lazy person."

However, his coach doesn't think that would be the case.

"Sones has a great attitude and work ethic," Martin said. "When he comes to practice, he's constantly improving."

Sones played his high school basketball for Laurens-Marathon, a small class 1A school in Iowa.

The game at that level was quite different for the post player.

"Playing in a small class there weren't too many people who could match up to my size," Sones said.

"Most team's biggest guys were six or seven inches shorter than me, so I had a pretty big advantage."

However, he's quickly learning that the college game has changed all that. Sones is now finding out that he will have to work very hard to keep up with the players he will be facing in college, day in and day out.

The difference between college and high school big men, Sones said, is that the college big men (center/power forwards) are much more agile and quicker than the big men he faced in high school.

"Just the other day, a guy I played against was the same height as me," Sones said. "That was the first time that has ever happened and now I have to adapt to the agility and quickness of all of the other big men as well."

Martin said that so far he's been shocked at Sones' improvement at this point in the season.

Sones agreed that he hopes to be a contributor and keep improving.

"The hopes are high for this season," Sones said. "I will really have my work cut out for me on doing the things possible to help better this year's team."

And while Sones' stats in the box score might not be staggering, his presence in the paint has been.

Alex Bohl
Staff Reporter

Freshman guard Abby Lindquist knows a lot about hard work.

Lindquist, who bruised her meniscus in the Johnson Financial Classic in November, has done more than just the physical work needed to recover from her injury.

While sitting on the bench watching her teammates play, the Winona, MN native has learned more about what it takes to play college basketball.

Her coach, John Oertel, said that while Lindquist went through rehab, she developed a new side of her game that will pay dividends down the road.

"I feel like Abby has more focus on the mental aspect of the game," Oertel said about her road to recovery from the injury.

Anytime a player has an injury, it takes more than just the physical work. It is also a mental aspect and that's one thing Oertel said he can see about Lindquist.

Coming off an extended time on the bench will make it harder for her to get back in the swing of things, but Lindquist looks forward to the challenge.

"It's been frustrating to work hard and try and get my spot back, but as long as I keep working, I'll get to where I want to be," Lindquist said.

Oertel said he has seen Lindquist grow up while being injured.

"She has developed an appreciation for being healthy and is really focusing to stay healthy the rest of the season," Oertel said.

On the court, Lindquist said she will be ready to do what it takes to get the job done.

"Whatever it takes to help the team, I will do my best to contribute," Lindquist said about her role following the injury and displaying her positive attitude.

One of the main reasons Lindquist has been missed since the injury is the style of the game that she brings to the team.

"Abby plays with reckless abandonment," Oertel said. "She brings an aggressive defense to the floor and she fits in well with the type of pressure defense we apply."

Although Lindquist had missed three games because of her injury, at press time, she still led the team in steals, assists per game and three-point percentage.

Returning to the lineup on November 30 against Rochester Community and Technical College, Lindquist looked to give the Trojans a boost.

Lindquist said she feels like the team should have a successful season and will hopefully make a run in the playoffs.

Luke Kalb
Staff Reporter

Are you ready for some fœtbol? The North Iowa Area Community College Soccer Academy and A.C. Perugia have teamed up to bring North Iowa a unique soccer experience.

The North Iowa Area Community College Soccer Academy is an organization that pairs with the North Iowa Soccer Club and provides camps and clinics. The organization is now bringing in A.C. Perugia, a professional soccer club in Italy, and hopes to provide an exceptional soccer experience.

A.C. Perugia will bring in professional coaches for the camps. The academy hopes to give North Iowa soccer players a chance to learn soccer from some of the best coaches in the world. The groups hope that this is a way for soccer to grow not only in North Iowa, but also throughout the United States.

"Having our academy affiliated with A.C. Perugia should provide growth for soccer around North Iowa," NIACC Athletic Director Ryan McGuire said.

A.C. Perugia is looking to expand their name and reach kids in the United States. The camps will also provide A.C. Perugia to scout for their professional team. A.C. Perugia has become known for taking players from nontraditional soccer nations, such as the U.S.

"We're looking at a one week camp at NIACC in mid-July," NIACC Head Men's Soccer Coach Colin Murphy said. "Hopefully, it will be a regional camp, Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota."

The organizations are looking to create an amazing opportunity for area soccer players.

Being taught skills by a pro soccer coach and being scouted for a pro soccer club should prove to be quite the fœtbol experience.

Luke Kalb
Staff Reporter

For the first time ever, NIACC will have a men's track and field program. Coach Curtis Vais, who has been successful with the cross country program he coaches, will lead the Trojan men's track team.

Vais said there are currently about 25 men out for track; a number that he hopes will grow in the future years.

The track and field team has started workouts and is currently working out in the hallways of the Activity Center.

Whenever the weather allows, Vais said he likes to get the team outside and practice in the grass around the NIACC soccer fields.

The team will also get to use the track at Mason City High School.

The track season consists of meets against many Division-IA schools.

The team's first meet will be at Minnesota State in Mankato on January 14.

The squad will also run at St. Cloud State, Iowa State and Cornell College.

Vais said he is still looking for many runners and throwers to lead the team in its first year of existence.

"Everyone is going to be thrown into new events," Vais said. "Hopefully, the kids will step up and have a good season."

Vais also said the college has taken steps to provide more athletic opportunities.

"Having a track program here gives more student athletes the opportunity to compete the college level," Vais said.

Audrey Allen
Staff Reporter

NIACC's women's track and field coach Curtis Vais is excited about the 2006 season. This is the first year NIACC will sport a women's track and field team. Although it is the first year for the team, the squad has plenty of experience in all-region cross country runners Elly Meyer and Amber Wilde.

With state qualifiers and state champions in high school on the track and field team, Vais said he believes that they have a great chance this season.

"These girls bring in the same attitude that they had in high school," Vais said.

Vais said that he is not worried about scoring a lot of points at each meet, rather he is more concerned about the women improving their times at every meet and practice.

"I'm more concerned about the girls' week-to-week basis," Vais said. "By the end of the season I would like the girls running fast times."

January 14 will be the first meet for the women. "It should be a great season because these athletes are determined to get better," Vais said.

Johnathon Braden
Sports Editor

The gamers were out in full force nearly two weeks ago, not just at NIACC, not just in cyberspace, but all over the world. For it was finally time for Microsoft's newest playful sports gaming monster, the Xbox 360, to come out and play.

They piled near the department stores faster than Molly Moore in her electrathon racing car and drove to the "Electronics" section with more punch than a Yusuf Vinson slammajamma.

You place yourself in the "dilemma." It's midnight, November 29, do you know what your excuse is for not doing homework and being productive?

I did. The now old school Xbox is still in my basement. On it; the games Madden 2005, NCAA Football 2006, Top Spin and many other sports games. It's funny I mention wasting time playing sports games because I'm a habitual offender of the deed.

Take, for example, when we get a rare break from school. One part of my mind is anxious to be productive, get organized and cancel my membership with the Procrastinators of America.

But then, my Xbox stares up at me and I finally play a game of NCAA Football 2006.

I've even unplugged the system and hid the controllers from myself to get me to stop playing it. Yet evening after evening, I find the controllers and cords that I hid from myself, oddly enough, and NCAA Football 2006 wins again. It always does.

But many others also lose to the video games.

The dorms have their own Madden parties. So why do millions play these games?

A good time with friends? Kinda. Nothing else to do? Sometimes. Don't want to do anything else and would rather procrastinate in a virtual world? Most of the time, yes.

That's my excuse anyways. I mean, my old excuse.

I've hidden my controllers again. I won't play NCAA Football 2006 or any sports games until the mother lode of vacation, semester break. I suggest you join the fiesta and boycott the catastrophic waste of time, your gaming system.

Who knows, we all may just shed the college kid label, and dare I say, be productive?