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• Hudson native, NBC reporter takes in Olympic experience
• New 'bouldering' wall offers different climbing challenge at Hudson school
• Kickers nipped by Park, 2-1
• Kickers nipped by Park, 2-1

Special by Beth Ruyak

NBC Sports

Beth Ruyak, formerly of Hudson and now a sports commentator for NBC Sports, returned this week from Sydney, Australia, where she reported on the Olympics. Before leaving Sydney she sent this message to Star-Observer readers about her experience. Ruyak is the daughter of Barbara Toenjes and the sister of Michelle Klatt of North Hudson. She graduated from Hudson High School in 1978.

Two days before the end of the Olympic Games, I received a phone call telling me I'd been assigned to work closing ceremonies. Along with Jim Gray and Jimmy Roberts (also NBC commentators) I'd be on the Olympic Stadium field running around to find American athletes to interview. What news!

I can't imagine what it's like to be on the field in the midst of such a massive ceremony. People have told me how wild and crazy the atmosphere with the athletes can be. But more than that, this assignment gives me an important finish to what has been an amazing Olympic experience. From my first day interviewing Marion Jones at opening ceremonies, through controversies and disappointments in gymnastics, to spending days with the Romanians during gymnast Andrea Raducan's drug arbitration hearing, to rhythmic gymnastics and now finally, the end of the Games, it's been a marathon. A good one.

At the beginning, I felt like a child on Christmas morning: excited, wide-eyed. It's my fourth Olympics but something about it felt brand new. Jimmy Roberts told me on opening night, "Use it" because we don't always feel those thrills in our job. During gymnastics, the experience changed so much; I wondered why I had even come to Sydney. Americans were struggling -- they ended up winning no medals for the first time since 1972. Bela Karolyi wasn't allowed to do his usual cheering on the gym floor, and Blaine Wilson was so upset at his performance that he wasn't doing any interviews.

The vault was set up improperly during the women's all-around finals -- which gave us an important story -- but also, changed the integrity of that meet significantly. At our gymnastics compound, the atmosphere was intense, people were overworked and exhausted, we were hearing news of poor ratings in the U.S. and though we knew our storytelling was strong, I was certainly aware that we had few heroes to celebrate. It's funny, but that's often when the best Olympic moments happen -- just when you don't expect them.

We had two days of trampoline ahead of us, and no one was especially enthusiastic about covering it. Truthfully, it was a brand new sport at the Olympics, and I didn't know quite how it would be received -- or even how to best cover it. I remember watching a cameraman on the first night, moving his camera up and down with each bounce the athlete made --up and down, 10 jumps per routine and three routines times 12 athletes.

Can you imagine how he felt at the end of the night? Anyway, on that first night, we found 86-year old George Nissen sitting in the stands. George invented the trampoline in 1936 and probably should've been handing out medals at this event. Instead, there he was; he had to buy a ticket and watch. I'd heard that he still bounced on the tramp so we made arrangements to try to get him onto the Olympic floor the next day and get him on the trampoline.

I'll shorten this story to let you know that initially, he was denied access but finally, he was given a credential. When we took him to the trampoline, the men were warming up, and the response to George was remarkable. They came up to him, shook his hand, thanked him and told him how much he'd shaped their lives. Then, these athletes -- who were warming up for Olympic competition! -- sat at the edge of the trampoline to act as spotters while George bounced and did a few seat drops. The joy in his eyes was priceless. He looked at me and said, "You don't know what you've done for me."

But, it wasn't me -- it was everyone there who understood that George Nissen had devoted his life to making this an Olympic sport. He'd been told in the 1960s, "George, trampolining will never be an Olympic sport, and if it is, it won't be 'til the year 2000." Well, what prophecy that was. Here it was, the year 2000, and George's sport really was in the Olympics.

When Australian Ji Wallace won the silver medal and the Superdome erupted, he said in our interview -- "Thanks, George!" And in his run around the Superdome with the flag on his back, Ji stopped at George's seat to wave and honor his sport's inventor. That's the great part of the Olympics -- elevating human moments that we all understand. I think sports just sets the stage. I'll never forget George Nissen.

My energy was back up again, and I'd be in for a few tough days back in artistic gymnastics. Thankfully, my family had arrived just before the trampoline days so they were a good support through the highs and lows. Robb and Sami had some great adventures with their dad in Sydney -- they had stories to tell and souvenirs to share each night when I got back to the hotel. It gave me good perspective and made me thankful that my job had brought me to Australia. I always thought that "travel" was one of the best gifts I could give my children; they both told me they wanted to live in Australia, and I wasn't surprised!

On the day my family was leaving, my schedule suddenly became intense with the story of gymnast Andrea Raducan's positive test for pseudoephedrine. Covering this story would be the highlight of my Olympics, and one of my most satisfying experiences as a reporter. But as I write this, I'm looking at the clock realizing that I need to catch a bus to go to the Individual All-Around finals of rhythmic gymnastics and then to closing ceremonies. It will be a long and memorable day. I'll save the rest of my Olympic stories for another writing.

In my life, I've been many places, seen many things and met many people. But perhaps the reason that it's now feeling brand new is that I've come to understand that the joy in all of these experiences comes through the opportunity to grow and the ability to share the learning with others. Being at an Olympic Games always makes me believe in the dream that people everywhere can come together, be together in peace and honor each other as human beings, at least for a few weeks every few years.

By Meg Heaton

The new climbing wall unveiled at Rock Elementary School last week is something new for Hudson.

The wall has the same foot and handholds as you will find on other climbing walls, but the resemblance ends there. Students won't climb up this wall; they'll climb around it.

Teri Hagar first became interested in getting a climbing wall for Rock Elementary when she was president of the school's parent group. She had heard and read about the horizontal walls and decided to approach the school about getting one. The process took two years but Hagar and her children were on hand Friday to unveil the latest addition to the school's physical education program.

Physical education teacher Joan Carter supported the idea of the wall along with Hagar. "It is a safe, fun way to help students improve upper and lower body strength, eye to hand coordination and do some team building. The same kind of benefits you get from climbing a vertical wall, you can get from this experience, only closer to the ground."

The wall is eight feet high and 44 feet long and is located in a corner of the gym. Red, green and yellow hand and footholds cover the wall. A horizontal row of brown colored rocks provides a boundary two and a half feet above the ground. Students' feet must never be above that boundary. The side-to-side climbing is called "bouldering," according to Carter.

At an all-school meeting, Carter told Rock students that the colored holds signify the level of difficulty on the wall. "Green means go; the climb isn't too difficult. Yellow signals caution. It is a little harder, and red is the most difficult."

Carter said while harnesses are not necessary on a wall like this, there will always be an adult with students who will act as a spotter as they get off the wall. There are also mats on the floor for the full length of the wall. A "bouldering curriculum" is available for all Rock students, kindergarten through fifth grade.

The wall will only be open to use by students. The wall will not be available for use by outside groups or after school.

Walls like the one at Rock are expected to be built at the other elementary schools over the next few years. Willow River is scheduled to get their wall yet this school year.

The Hudson School District and the Rock Parent Group shared the cost of the wall.

Hagar told students that the completion of the wall was a fulfillment of a dream for her. "I had a vision of what a wall would look like at our school and here it is. Enjoy!"

Matt Milder's first half goal didn't hold up as the Raider soccer team was edged by Park of Cottage Grove, 2-1, Thursday.

Park scored two goals to start the second half, as cold and rainy weather moved in, that gave it a lead it would never relinquish. Raider goalie Brian Toll made two diving saves and tipped a ball as it went off the crossbar during the final minutes.

Hudson had a last chance inside of 30 seconds, but a shot from 15 yards out was like a golfing chip and was saved by the Park goalie.

The Raiders, still unbeaten in Big Rivers Conference play, host Tartan this Saturday afternoon. See results on this web page.