The Delta, Vol.4, No.2 in September 25, 1998 (College Paper)
Several sports seasons have come. Many MVC students who are athletes have started training. And some international students have also started training among the Americans.
According to Gregg Sansone, Director of the International Office, 14 international students participate in sports activities. Those students are from six different countries.
Travor Prangley, a 26-year-old sophomore from South Africa, transferred to MVC this semester from North Idaho to improve his wrestling. While studying at North Idaho, he was offered a chance to wrestle at MVC. He chose this college because he knew that the MVC wrestling team had won American championships twice, so it would be better for him to train here.
"My teammates are tough kids. They work so hard," said Prangley. "I train harder now, and I am planning to get a national championship."
He also mentioned that he would go back home someday to be on the South African National Olympic Team.
Kahlil Cate, a 21-year-old sophomore from St. Vincent and the Grenadines who is majoring in Mass Communication, competes in the 200-and 400-meter track and field. He went to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games as a runner. He also has his name on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(NAIA). He became an All-American in the NAIA 4 x 1 relay.
"The team doesn't have a lot of members, so I can be close to my teammates and coach," said Cato. It seems that he enjoys training at this college, and also enjoys his college life. "I've come to like it!" He said.
Leon Hart, a junior from Jamaica majoring in Computer Information Systems, is also in track and field. He competes in long jump and 100-meter. He became a national champion in NAIA this year. It seems he likes the team and the college also.
"We are not large numbers, so we are close," said Hart.
Hart not only has a good record in track and field, but expects to be an Academic All-American after this semester. It is not easy to win a national championship and keep a good GPA.
"The hard thing to do is balance school, work and training," he said. But he trains hard to break the NAIA national long-jump record. Hart's brother, Gary, is a freshman soccer player.
If you go to MVC soccer games, you may hear a coach and teammates call "Yutaka." He is trusted with playing mid-field, even though he is not very big. Yutaka Sato, a 22-year-old sophomore from Japan majoring in Physical Education, plays soccer. He transferred from Kansas State. He was offered a chance to play on the MVC soccer team.
"I didn't know this team, but the teammates have guts," said Sato. "They have a good spirit to win." He seems to be close to his teammates and is trusted in his play.
Brandon Trtanj, a 22-year-old sophomore from Canada majoring in Business Administration, is also on the soccer team. He is just training now to prepare to play games next year, but has high hopes for this year's team.
"there's a lot of enthusiasm," said Trtanj. "The season's outlook is bright."
Levan Kharebeva, an 18-year-old freshman from the former Russian republic of Georgia majoring in Economics, is on the basketball team. He graduated from a high school in Missouri.
Kharebeva came to the U.S. "to see how the Americans play ball in high school and college." He used to play on the basketball pro-league in Georgia. Now, he is training to get some weight.
"I have a good relationship with my teammates," said Kharebeva. And he seems to be getting used to this college. "I like the situation up here," he said.
Fourteen international athletes students are training now among American students. Although those students are away from their families and culture now, and the weather conditions are different from their countries, they strive to get used to it here - they make an effort to be Vikings. They will learn something from this college, and they will teach us something they have brought from their countries.
