Freshmen to Watch

Around the time when Michael Phelps won four gold and two silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, another swimming great was just getting started. Rika Yahashiri began her fruitful career at the ripe age of eight. She originally began at the Mercer Aquatic Center swimming competitively for the Iowa City Eels, but after a season switched over to welcoming tides of the Campus Recreati...

Deemed the “fastest kid at Kirkwood Elementary School” by his teachers and peers, Blessings Pongo has been known all his life for his speed. Pongo hopes to contribute that speed to the City High program this spring. Although he doesn’t run in the off season, Pongo has thought about joining a local track club to develop his speed and become stronger for the school season. Despite the fa...

Most third graders can “barely run without falling” or are “out on the playground”, but Raph Hamilton was out on the football field. Starting his career off with the Iowa City East (ICE) football league in 3rd grade, he experimented with being lineman, fullback, and linebacker before moving to quarterback in 7th grade. This year, Hamilton played quarterback on the combined freshman-sophomore s...