Being an athlete takes hard work, dedication and time management. Many CHS students play at least one sport during their time at CHS, but there are only a handful of students who play a sport all three seasons for all four years to earn the title of Ironman or Ironwoman.
Mason Braun 
One of the things that athletes enjoy most about playing a sport is the camaraderie between teammates. The bond that teammates form during the season helps them through the season to strive through every win and every loss.
Senior Mason Braun has been a receiver for the varsity football team for the past three years, and he has seen how the bond between teammates helps a season flow.
“Every year we pull for each other and have a great season,” Braun says. “Like every team, we had our ups and downs, but it was how we handled those moments that made us the team we came out to be.”
The hard work that Braun and his teammates put into each practice shows on the field on game day.
“Each game was exciting, regardless of location or opponent,” Braun recalls. “Our team brought energy onto the field every time, and it’s that energy that makes the game so much fun.”
In the winter Braun is the starting forward on the varsity basketball team, and in the spring he pitches for baseball.
Next year, Braun has plans to play club basketball at Santa BarbaraCityCollege.
Trey Coppinger 
Water polo, soccer and baseball are just three of the many sports that senior Trey Coppinger excels in.
“I’ve always been involved in a number of sports,” Coppinger says. “In high school they make you choose three that you really want to pursue.”
For Trey, one sport stood out the most.
“Baseball has always been the one that I go to,” Coppinger says. “That was the one that was really fun. I really enjoyed it. I played it all summer so that’s been my love.”
Playing a sport also serves as a sense of therapy for some athletes. It’s a time to get one’s mind off the stress of school. Athletes especially feel the extra pressure when trying to fit in the extra workout hours, studying for a test and keeping up with school work.
“The hardest part is actually people not realizing how much time sports take out of your day,” Coppinger says. “On average athletes get three hours less time devoted to school work.”
Playing three sports has not impeded Coppinger’s academic studies by much, if at all.
“I would love to play [baseball] at Dartmouth or Williams,” Coppinger says, “or possibly walk on at any other school.”
Sam Sunde 
Sam Sunde may be known for his exceptional academic abilities, but he knows that school is not just about academics.
“I don’t think I could deal with school without sports,” says Sunde, who plans on pursuing his athletic career at either Stanford or HarvardUniversity.
In the fall, Sunde has stirred up whitewater defending the cage in water polo. He began playing as a freshman during the notorious “Hell Week.”
At a young age, Sunde also began shooting hoops at the YMCA, and for the past three years he has helped the Padres win the MTAL championships.
“Winning league was an unreal experience,” Sunde says. “It was the culmination of so many hours of practice, and it was the best way I could possibly imagine finishing my last season.”
Come spring, Sunde gears up for lacrosse, which he has been playing since eighth grade through the Tribe league.
“I think balancing academics and extracurricular activities outside of sports is kind of hard,” the scholar-athlete admits.
Sunde, who admits to having trouble finding free time to relax, still finds sports worthwhile.
“I think it’s worth it. It pays off with the competition and the athletics are just so fun.”
-COLETTE HAMWEY
