First Season IASAS: Remembering the Little Things

Written by: Andie Ayala, 12

Photographs taken by/from:

Tina Antonio and http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigersathletics/

With all the screenshots of live stream videos, Facebook profile picture changes, and IASAS Compliments status updates that followed in the wake of the first season tournaments, it was easy to get caught up in all the hype of the first season fever. Yet, while the standings may reflect aspects of the tournament, it’s often the distinctive moments behind these results that define the IASAS experience.

As a sophomore cross country runner, Harry Tinney believes that the mostmemorable moment of his IASAS experience was watching  freshman Molly Bailey dominate the cross country girls 5KM event, as she “had such a solid lead the whole race, and ended up taking the win by around 40 seconds!” In addition to this, Harry also mentions how his teammate Dallin Windsor managed to finish his 5KM run, even after having hit his head and fallen at around the 4KM mark. Isabel Del Val, a senior on the girls football team, says that a highlight of her IASAS was the marching band performance of the ISM boys football team during halftime of the girls game against SAS. While senior volleyball player Michael Bell recalls the set when the boys volleyball team made a come back from losing 18-23 to winning 27-25 in the semi-finals game against ISKL as the most memorable part of his first and last volleyball IASAS.

Aside from the results, a tribute to an sporting IASAS event wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the bonds that the teams formed over the five-day travelling experience. As a sophomore volleyball athlete, Ruci Naiqama remarks, the girls volleyball team “bonded well over IASAS because we learned to trust each other, on and off the court.”  Moreover, Ruci comments that the girls not only built friendships with one another, but also the ISM boys volleyball and cross country teams that they spent time with in Jakarta. Michael Bell adds on to the idea of team bonding, stating, “I think our team [grew closest] with the TAS team, as we spent a lot of time with them and we now all have some great friends within that team.” Although Michael notes, “of course we are disappointed that we didn’t manage to bring home gold, and we weren’t able to give our coach the gold that he has been striving towards for the last 12 years,” he expresses that overall, “I would want nothing more than to play again, and to play with that team again.”

In reflection of his first IASAS tournament, Harry Tinney says the event was “the first time I really appreciated the sheer talent that IASAS athletes possess. Racing beside someone from a different corner of the globe is surely not something you get to experience often.” Truly, IASAS is not just about demonstrating the work that athletes have trained all season for, but being part of a once in a lifetime experience to forge unforgettable friendships and memories. Our first season athletes have done us proud, until next year!