As the leaves turn yellow and the air gets colder, tennis rackets, golf clubs, and cleats are put away. The fall sports have ended, and it’s now time to get ready for winter sports. Basketball shoes are taken out of the closet and laced up, and swim goggles are placed over swimmers eyes.

As tryouts are finishing and coaches are putting together line-ups, you can already feel the excitement coming from players and fans ready to support GJHS. “Over the summer I swam laps for fun and I thought it would be cool to join the swim team,” Anaya Sills, sophomore said. Whether you are a competitive swimmer, or want to join to get in better shape, swimming for GJHS is a great way to get active.

The official swim season started November 11th, but has unofficially been practicing since November 1st. “Our first swim meet will be December 2nd and 3rd in Cortez,” said Sills.

With less than a month before their first meet, our swimmers will be working every day after school to prepare for their season ahead. Not only does the swim team make you physically stronger, it also brings the high school community together as a team. “Our team is combined with Central High School (CHS) and Palisade High School (PHS),” said Sills.

“I have met a bunch of really nice people and I think it will be fun to get to know everyone since our team is combined with two other schools,” said Sills. Though these schools may be our rivals, it is great to see our valley supporting each other.

With tryouts completed and coaches filling spots on the Varsity, JV, and Freshmen teams, GJHS basketball is on its way to preparing for the upcoming season, starting November 14. Grand Junction’s first basketball game will be on December 1st, and all teams are getting ready physically and mentally for the season ahead.

“Our goal is to have a successful season and hopefully win league again,” Christensen said. With goals to achieve and players motivated for the season, the GJHS Basketball team is eager to do well and have a successful season.

With the loss of 6 seniors from last year’s season, the GJHS basketball team is still driving for a successful season, and welcomes this year’s seniors as the new leaders. “I believe we will be good this year, but it will be tough not having as many senior leaders as last year,” Christensen said. As our basketball players spend all their afternoons after school in the gyms for the next few months, the GJHS basketball team will be working hard and achieving their goals.