Moving to the next level

WORTHINGTON — High school is a great memory for many athletes, but there is always a time when they must move on to the next stage in life.

For three of Worthington’s 2012 graduates, that next stage is playing sports at the collegiate level. However, their memories of high school athletics will never fade.

“High school was an amazing time for me,” Mubarik Musa, a track and cross-country runner for Worthington, said. “I will always remember going to state in 2010. As a team, we got second place, but we only lost by a point or two.”

Mitch Weg, high school sports was all about the camaraderie and the time he got to spend with his friends and teammates.

“I enjoyed pretty much everything about sports in high school,” Weg, who played basketball for the Trojans, said. “I really liked the feeling of having the whole town behind you during a game. I always enjoyed the camaraderie there was with my teammates.”

Every athlete has their favorite moments of their high school careers, and for Nate Jensen, that momement was when he got to go to state for VFW baseball.

“It isn’t something that happens to everyone,” Jensen said. “Most of the time if only happens one time.”

Just like Jensen, Musa and Weg both have fond memories of their successes with the Torjans.

For Musa, winnings the state title in cross-country his sophomore year and making it to state for the 1600-meter his junior year were some of his greatest memories.

“It is a lot of fun going to compete,” Musa said. “We won the conference three years in a row while I was here. And we only lost to Marshall by half a point this past spring.”

The last season of basketball will be one that Weg will never forget and is possibly his favorite experience of his high school career.

“My favorite moment was when we won the sectional championship this last winter,” Weg said.

While they will take their memories of high school with them to college, they recognize that things will change once they start school again this fall.

“I think it will be a lot different,” Weg said. “And I will miss [high school] and I will miss the guys too.”

Even though playing sports at the college level is an adjustment for everyone, Musa, Weg and Jensen are all looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited to be going and running and competing,” Musa said. “I’m looking forward to running at the college level.”

Weg shares Musa’s sentiment about getting the chance to play at a higher level in college, but he is alsos looking forward to the college experience as a whole.

“I’m going to be open to learning and having a good time,” Weg said. “I think it will be a little hard with the change in level of play, but I will try to help out the team how I can and see where that takes me. But I also want to have fun and enjoy the college experience.”

Like his fellow Trojan’s, Jensen hopes to contribute to his team and help out his teammates, but he also is looking forward to the change in life-style college will bring.

“I am looking forward to being more independent,” Jensen said. “And I’m also hoping to meet a lot of new people, too.”

Musa will be attending the University of South Dakota this fall where he is thinking about majoring in nursing and will be running for the USD track and cross-country teams.

Weg will be playing basketball for Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall this winter. He has yet to decide on a major, but he is leaning toward getting a degree in the business field.

Jensen is going to be playing baseball for Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. where he is planning on majoring in physical therapy.

Daily Globe Reporter Jordan Willi may be reached at 376-7335.

Tags: sports, prep, worthington