Iowa Sports Connection - Voulme 13 Issue 2

America’s Athletic ClassicThe Old Gal is 102 and Looks Like New

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This is our 13th anniversary Drake Relays edition of the Iowa Sports Connection and the 102nd running of America’s Athletic Classic. LoLo Jones is Iowa’s most famous track and field athlete normally we reserve the cover position for her contributions to the sport of track here at home and worldwide. However, this old gal at 102 years of age certainly deserves some cover respect as well! LoLo Jones is not the only Iowa star in the world of international track and field. LoLo is the only athlete currently on the world stage but the Drake Relays as an event and venue are quickly being recognized as world class and with the newest announcement of the unveiling of Track Central USA Fan Zone adjacent to the stadium last year The Drake Relays have become Track Central for American Track and Field and home to the 2011 NCAA Championship in June! I have written for years that track and field is my favorite sport as I competed at division I collegiality. The Drake Relays without a shadow of a doubt my favorite sporting event. I was fortunate to participate in high school and as a collegian without much fanfare but certainly collected memories for a lifetime that are heightened every year as I type this column. The Drake Relays “America’s Athletic Classic” have been the state’s premier track and field event for over 102 years but in the 21st century the Iowans that have reveled in their love for “The Relays” have to share this love affair with the rest of America and the World track community. This expansion and recognition is a testament to Drake University, Bob Erhardt, Mark Kostek, both who have moved on and passed the baton to Brian Brown as track and field commander in chief of the states foremost sporting event. The spring of 2011 has been an absolute hit and miss from a weather perspective after a mild winter. I pray for mild weather in spring to allow the kids across Iowa to qualify for the chance to participate in the Drake Relays and the thrill of a lifetime. The fact that Iowa high school kids have an opportunity to participate in “America’s Athletic Classic” is certainly a factor in the generational popularity across the state. The memories regardless of level of performance lead each of us who participated to want to return every year to the Blue Oval that we stepped onto decades ago in my case or just a few years in many young Iowans lives. The Drake Relays are a homecoming of sorts for everyone that had a Relays number pinned on to their high school uniform. This pipeline of fans combined with the growing

CONTENTS

4 Pee Wee Profiles

8 Prep Connection

16 Minor But Major

24 Collegiate Corner

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Volume 13 Issue 2

The Iowa Sports Connection is published once per month with copies available by subscription. The magazine can also be found at all Casey’s General Stores across the state in addition to a few select locations in Iowa. All stories and pictures produced by ISC staff © 2011 Iowa Sports Connection. All rights reserved. Stories, pictures and other content produced by contributors © 2011 their respective owners, with limited reprint rights reserved by the Iowa Sports Connection. The Iowa Sports Connection logo is trademark ™ Iowa Sports Connection.

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Contributing Writers: Maggie Sutton, Aaron Gernes, Mike Ferlazzo, Ashley Lewis, Kristopher Mattoon, Chris Nelson DO

Cover: Fans watch as athletes compete in last year’s Drake Relays at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

ProseFrom the Pub

The Drake Relays “America’s Athletic Classic” is Track Central for Iowa and American Track and Field!

number of track enthusiasts have fueled the expansion of Relays Week and insured that Friday and Saturday are sold out every year. The Drake Relays mark the start of the very busy spring and summer coverage that The Iowa Sports Connection has provided for thirteen years. Our firm is committed to

making certain that every Iowa high school athlete

that participates in track, golf, soccer, tennis, baseball, and softball has one source for statistics, rankings, stories and overall coverage that doesn’t exist with other media outlets. Our Iowa Sports Connection stable of multi-media options is Iowa’s most expansive. We have launched two TV and radio shows, 2 digital magazines, 2 e-mail newsletters and 2 web sites that capture the entire Iowa high school student athlete experience and are available from the Iowa Sports Connection, LLC. I encourage you to log onto our web site “iowasportsconnection.com” and explore our media options and content that is archived weekly. Friday Night Live our year round statewide high school radio and TV show was recognized by the Iowa Broadcast News Association for excellence in covering Iowa high school sports this month. I want to thank my staff, clients, partners, and the coaches, athletes, and officials for their role in making us the number 1 high school production in Iowa. More importantly the readers, viewers, and listeners of all that we provide have made this show a success! I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In closing I remind each of you that as the weather warms up and Iowans across Iowa get out to enjoy their favorite sports and activities make certain to get out follow your children as they participate in Iowa high school sports and the countless youth sports activities across the state. The beauty of this time of year is that God gives us this great spring to enjoy our families in very positive activities that pull us all together and away from television, computers, and social media. Take the family to a minor league baseball game at one of the many teams that play in our state “From the Missouri to the Mississippi”. In closing I thank you again for taking time to pick up our 13th anniversary Drake Relays edition of our foundation The Iowa Sports Connection magazine. Have a great spring and as always, God Bless You and God Bless America!

Fundamentals FirstAn independent youth baseball league in central Iowa focuses on teaching the players on its teams fundamentals before anything else. The league has one goal in mind: developing players into good baseball athletes. Turn to page 4 to read about the league.

Drake Relays High School PreviewPerhaps the second-most looked forward to event in the state for high school track and field athletes, the Drake Relays allows competition between classes. That helps determine who is the best of the best. Here’s a run-down on who to watch this year.

Mike Rickord ISC Publisher

Drake Relays Special Invite PreviewThis month’s magazine features a centerspread dedicated to “America’s Athletic Classic”, the Drake Relays. Turn to page 16 to read about who is participating in this year’s event. It’s sure to be a good one!

Division III DominanceWartburg’s women’s track and field team has become known for its ability to compete with any other team from any level, including Division I schools. ISC Contributor Mike Ferlazzo shares the team’s amazing success story.

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Pee-WeeProfiles

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Though winning is no doubt a lot of fun for kids and their parents, it’s important to always keep in mind what the purpose of youth sports really is: to teach kids life lessons and what they need to develop into a better athlete. That’s the approach an independent spring baseball league is taking in Central Iowa. Its teams focus more on watching the players grow as athletes than anything else. The league is comprised of 10 teams: the Johnston Dragons, Johnston Titans, Johnston Heat, Marshalltown Bobcats Blue, Marshalltown Bobcats Red, Carroll Knights, Dallas Center-Grimes Mustangs Red, Dallas Center Grimes Mustangs Black, Boone and Atlantic. The players are all 11 years old. Jon Woods is a parent of a boy who plays on the Johnston Dragons. He’s also the team’s coach. He said the idea for the league started at a state AAU tournament when the boys on his team were 8 years old. He and several other coaches started the league. “Technically there is not a sanctioning body, but more of a grassroots approach to baseball,” says Woods. “A few years back, we wanted a more controlled, structured, and cost effective approach to what we were seeing in other spring leagues (such as) USSSA or AAU.” The coaches also wanted to create a spring

league that focused more on fundamentals. Rob Berg, another coach in the league, explained that the coaches were all brought together because they shared a common goal. “We are a group of coaches and players that share a love for the game of baseball and seeing it played the right way,” says Berg. “The goal is to focus on fundamental skill development that is age appropriate, implemented by coaches with the same end goal: to develop great kids that play great baseball.” Woods says the games are played in more of a “controlled environment.” There is a limit on how many runs can be scored in an inning, kids can only pitch two innings and kids are moved around a lot to give them opportunities at different positions. The game takes on more of a scrimmage where players are learning throughout its entirety. “What you see is the product of the kids continued growth and coaches efforts to provide an environment they can do that in,” says Wood. “We hope these scrimmages allow a place for coaches to knock the rust off of winter by working kids through different positions and scenarios.” Though the kids on the teams benefit greatly from the coaches taking a “learn it the right way” approach, the coaches are also able to take

something away from the games played during the season. Woods says having the opportunity to watch the kids grow as young men, become more confident and become better as a team are examples of things the coaches get out of participating in a league that focuses on development and fundamentals. Sometimes, the teams have a bit of fun that kids in other leagues would not be able to enjoy, like the time a team was unable to make it to their scheduled game with the Dragons, so the parents played against the kids. “It was really fun to watch those boys just play the game of baseball and have fun and see the smiles that go with it, see the laughing,” says Woods. “They had a fabulous time. I think they had more fun beating their parents around the diamond than another team. Woods says he also enjoys being able to coach as a parent. “There’s such a short window where you can be a part of what they’re doing and be a role model for how they do those things,” says Woods. “Coaching this group of kids, and my son specifically, is really an opportunity to spend time with them and try to teach them not just about the game of baseball but the way that sports and teamwork can give you values that affect the rest of your life.”

If you have a youth sports team or a parent that has shown excellence on and off the field in youth sports, you can nominate them for Qwest Team of the Month or Qwest Most Valuable Parent. Please contact us at [email protected] to send your nominations.

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Few sports teach youth about endurance, work ethic and perseverance like track and field. It is also a sport that helps kids get in shape and condition themselves for competition in other sports. Track and field is perhaps one of the sports that may not come to mind at first for parents of kids who are interested in sports. However, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be. Listed below are a few track and field clubs that are currently affiliated with USA Track and Field or have been in the past. USATF keeps a good list of current and ex-clubs on its website: usatf.org. A few of these team even have alumni in the college and professional ranks. Here are a few profiles of some of the clubs listed. To learn more about an individual club, visit its website, which is also listed.

Cedar Rapids Track Clubwww.cedarrapidstrackclub.org

“Our purpose is to provide opportunities for young athletes in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area to learn about the sport of track and field and to provide a competitive environment that will take them as far as they want to go. “We are affiliated with USA Track and Field (USATF) and offer competition in track meets in the Eastern Iowa area. All athletes are eligible to compete at the USATF Jr. Olympic State track

meet in Des Moines and from there may qualify for the USATF Regional Jr. Olympic meet and the USATF National Jr. Olympic Championships.”

Central Iowa Excaliburs (Des Moines)www.eteamz.com/excaliburs

“Our mission is to develop young athletes with positive outlooks and attitudes in Des Moines and the surrounding areas.”Objectives:• To create a nationally competitive track club• To develop discipline, responsibility, and

social skills in young people• To provide academic tutoring and

scholarship opportunities• Expand our membership and increase

parent involvement• Increase community awareness, support,

and participation in track and field

Competitive Edge Athletics Track and Field Club (Davenport)www.ceaqc.com/track_field.htm

“The Goal of the Competitive Edge Athletics Track & Field Club is to provide the youth of Davenport a structured approach to discipline and respect, through healthy competition by means of Track & Field. With the use of positive role models, coaches and professional athletes, student-athletes are presented a great

opportunity to better themselves.”

Mississippi Valley Track Club (Bettendorf)eteamz.com/mvtc

“MVTC is a non-profit organization (501c3) offering a youth track & field program for boys and girls ages 8 to 18 years old. MVTC is starting our 15th year in 2010. The coaches have received USA Track & Field coaching’s national certification. MVTC is affiliated with the Bettendorf Park Board. “What is MVTC’s philosophy? Run fast and have fun! Everyone makes the team and competes in track meets. Athletes are taught the mechanics of running fast, using starting blocks & field events. The goal is to have each athlete improve his/her performances through the season.”

Westside Track Club (Des Moines)www.wstcia.com

“Westside Track Club is a Des Moines Metro based track club that has been in existence since 1980. Its members are made up of athletes from West Des Moines, Clive, Johnston, Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, and many other surrounding communities. The members range in age from 8-18.”

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Daly Jarnagin sliding into home (Mustangs Red vs Boone)

Sean Madsen pitching (Mustage Red vs Johnston Titans)Sean Madsen pitching (Mustage Red vs Johnston Titans)

Justin Biegger pitching (Mustangs Red vs Boone)Justin Biegger pitching (Mustangs Red vs Boone)

Connor Erps catching (Mustang Red vs Johnston Titans)Connor Erps catching (Mustang Red vs Johnston Titans)

Daly Jarnagin sliding into home (Mustangs Red vs Boone)

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As the 102nd running of the Drake Relay is upon us, I wonder who will be the new Iowa high school track and field stars this year after last year’s record setting performances. A few of those stars are back, led by Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City East) and Alex Gochenour (Logan-Magnolia) on the young ladies side of track and Kenny Gilmore (Davenport Central), Brennan Davey (Indianola) and Johnny Fuller (Glenwood), who was named the Outstanding Male High School Athlete at the 2010 Drake Relays. Houlihan has already had a pretty storied high school career but this season really has the looks of a special one. Shelby has built up her speed package that has improved her for the distance races she excels in. Houlihan, who will attend Arizona State next year, has posted the sixth best time in the 200 meter dash in Class 4A but also tops the state with best times in the 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter run. Not much else can really be said about Gochenour, the multi-talented athlete who has competed at the world level in the heptathlon this past season and will attend LSU next season. Gochenour has the second-fastest time in the 200 meter dash and third-best in the long jump in Class 2A but where she will really open eyes once again is the hurdles, where she has run a state best time in

the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Gilmore has posted the top time in the 200-meter dash and second best in the 400-meter dash and has the best leap in

the state in the long jump. Davey has been nursing a hamstring injury but is starting to gear it up and if healthy could post another of the best times in history in the event. Gilmore will attend Iowa Central Community College next season while Davey will run at the University of Iowa. Fuller has made big strides in distance running. The Notre Dame recruit is tops in the 3,200-meter run and is second-best this season in the 1,600-meter run in Class 3A. When it comes to the young ladies, in the sprints this season look for the battle to come from Erin Hawkins (Des Moines Roosevelt), Agnes Sayeh (Des Moines North), Hannah Stouffer (Urbandale) and Heaven Chandler (Columbus Junction) in the 100-meter dash, while in the 200-meter dash Tamika Tucker (Davenport North), Rose Ripslinger (Davenport Assumption), Brooke Wolterstorff (Western Christian) and Hawkins look to contend. The only question in the distance races is who

will be the one to maybe push Houlihan and based on the times so far this season it looks to come from Rebecca Rethwisch and Meg Richardson both of Iowa City High and Alana Enebnit (Clear Lake). Gochenour is the queen in the hurdles but look for Destani Welch (Des Moines Roosevelt), Khanishah Williams (Burlington) and

Mikayla Knaack (Gladbrook-Reinbeck) to battle for top-four finishes. In the field events, Lauren Smith (North Fayette, West Union) has had the best toss this season and will look for challenges form Valerie Veiock (WDM Valley) and Dakota Goodell (Williamsburg), to name a couple, while Khanishah Williams (Burlington) and Taylor Twedt (West Fork) are the tops in the state in the high jump with Tayo Ajose (Mediapolis) and Kasey Reuter (Hinton) probable challengers. Allanah McCorkle (Davenport Central) and Karen Huston (Logan-Magnolia) have posted the best long jumps this season, both well past the 18-foot barrier while Kayla Hemman (Saint Ansgar) is the leader in the shot put with Amanda Houston (Fort Madison), Alex Halbur (IKM-Manning), Jadyn Spencer (Waterloo West) all with tosses over 41 feet.

Top High School Athletes Prepare for 102nd Drake RelaysTony Atzeni Radio Account Manager

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The sprints are wide open when it comes to the young men with Frank Leachman (DSM Roosevelt) the leader in the 100-meter dash with possible challenges coming from Kippe Ward (DSM Lincoln), Isaac Newsome (DSM North) and Cole Hocker (Bondurant-Farrar) in the mix based on times reported so far this season. Gilmore will look for Kaleb Van Cleave (DSM Hoover) and Jared Ganshow (Clear Creek-Amana) for a challenge in the 200-meter dash. Gilmore is one of the contenders in the 400-meter dash, along with Jesse Davenport (Southeast Polk) in the 400-meter dash with Tyler Donels (Southeast Polk) with the best time in the 110-meter hurdles and Brandon Moorman (Mount Pleasant), Keegan DeMeulenaere (Belle Plaine) and Erik Bergstrom (Johnston) probable contenders. Kevin Lewis (Ottumwa) is proving to be one of the best in the state in the middle distance and distance events, topping the charts with the best time in the 3,200-meter run overall and top times in the 800 and 1600-meter runs in Class 4A. Kyle Wheeler (Glenwood), Pel Deng (Storm Lake), Alec Baldwin (Sprit Lake Park) and Fuller will be the top of the 800 field with Davey, if healthy, the favorite. Baldwin has the best time so far in the 1,600-meter run and along with Lewis look for Ben Witt (Burlington), Matt Butler (Bettendorf) and Fuller to also contend in the event. In the 3,200-meter run behind Lewis and Fuller, watch for Tyler Meseke (Pleasant Valley) and Marshall Moyer (Burlington). In the field events Justin Baker (Bishop Heelan,

Sioux City) has the best throw in the discus at 178-00.00. others to watch in the event are Sam Joens (CR Prairie), Michael Smithburg (Fairfield), Brady Grunder (Durant-Bennett) and Austin Blythe (Williamsburg). Baker also has the best toss in the shot put this season with Chris LaMar (Ames), Joe Carber (Central Clinton, DeWitt), Ben Stutt (Monticello) and Eric Simmons (Madrid) all with 55’ plus tosses recored. Tyler Donels (Southeast Polk), Nick Day (Solon) and Jordan Cress (Olin) have all jumped 6’8” or higher this season and will battle in the high jump. Also look for Conner Freeman (Urbandale), Alec Clasen (CR Xavier), Barkley Hill (Cedar Falls), Jake Harry (Dowling Catholic), Jake Redlinger (Washington), JC Abrahamson (Sigourney), Trey Sathoff (Pekin), Seth Tuttle (West Fork) and Jared Schoeleman (Clay Central-Everly), who have all posted jumps of at least 6’6”. Gilmore has set the standard in the long jump with his 24’5” leap. Those with jumps of 22’ plus are Darius Pearson (Sioux City West), Caleb Mere (CR Kennedy), Onterier Brown (DSM Hoover), Riley McCarron (Dubuque Wahlert), Darrion Sanders (Keokuk), Lee Schuchhardt (New Hampton) and

Nick Efkamp (Madrid). Those are just a few of the many names that you will come to recognize at the Drake Relays and will contend for titles in their respective classes once they reach the state co-ed meet. Last season Katie Flood, the senior from Dowling Catholic and now at the University of Washington was named the Outstanding Female high School Athlete. Fuller was the male. Who will it be this year? One thing is for sure: with the best of the high school world competing together, each event will bring out the best each has to give no matter the event. Let’s just hope that while you are looking at this that you are also enjoying wonderful weather at the Blue Oval in Des Moines and the 102nd running of the Drake Relays. Congratulations to all the athletes that have made a life memory by qualifying and enjoy and remember this moment.

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Strong Defense Equals Success in Hockey

Shelby Houlihan (Sr., Sioux City East): Houlihan leads Class 4A in the 400-m dash (:56.00), 800-m run (2:08.35), 1,500-m run (4:34.92) and the 3,000-m run (10:00.95).

Kevin Lewis (Sr., Ottumwa): Lewis leads Class 4A in the 800-m run (1:57.58), 1,600-m run (4:17.15), and the 3,200-m run (9:12.73).

Wes Washpun (Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington): Washpun turned a lot of heads during State Basketball. He has officially committed to play basketball next year at Tennessee.

Alex Gochenour, Karen Hutson (Srs., Logan-Magnolia): Gochenour and Hutson of Logan-Magnolia (Class 2A) have the top two times in the 400-m hurdles. Gochenour’s time is 1:03.53 and Hutson’s 1:05.96, respectively. Gochenour is No. 2 in the 100-m hurles (:14.77) and Hutson is No. 7 (:15.8). Hutson is No. 1 in long jump (18-03) and Gochenour is No. 3 (17-05).

Central Clinton (DeWitt) Boys Relay Teams: Central Clinton of DeWitt’s boys relay teams are top in Class 3A in the 4x100 (:43.6), 4x200 (1:29.61), 4x400 (3:26.24) and the 4x800 (8:07.15).

Natalie Figanbaum (Sr., Denver): Figanbaum leads all scorers in the state with 10 goals. Denver came into the season ranked No. 8 in Class 1A.

Dylan Schrader, CJ Wright (Srs., Knoxville): Schrader leads all scorers with 14 goals and CJ Wright leads the state with 10 assists. Knoxville is ranked No. 12 in Class 2A.*All stats as of April 14.

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A quick look at some of the State’s best performances from the Missouri to the Mississippi

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High School: OttumwaClass: 2011GPA: 4.0Sport: Cross Country and Track

of the Month

How can you show that you are seriousabout academics? 4.0 GPA and qualified for a state math competition in Iowa City.

How would people in the community describe you? Hard working

Athletic Honors:

Class rank of No. 1, Elite All-State cross country two years, cross country state champion, All-State track and field two years

Plans after High School:

Attend the University of Iowa and major in engineering, run track and cross country

Quick Facts:

Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo

Activities: Likes to hunt and fish

Kevin Lewis

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Gochenour Aims for Iowa High School Track HistoryTim Weideman Editor

Losing stings. Especially when it’s not supposed to happen. Alex Gochenour is not used to losing but the sinking feeling isn’t unfamiliar to her. The Logan-Magnolia senior had to face it during the past indoor track season when she lost a 60-meter dash. She hates losing. Though for her it’s rare, when it happens, it keeps her humble. It keeps her hungry. “Losing, obviously, is a ter-rible feeling, but you’ve got to lose every once in a while,” says Gochenour. For her, losing that race was probably a good thing. “Instead of going home and crying over it, it made me hungry,” says Gochenour. “It made me want to get my starts down. It made me want to accelerate faster.” For Gochenour’s opponents, that’s a scary thought. Gochenour is a world-class athlete. She won the heptathlon at the 2010 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships and finished 10th in the event at the IAAF World Junior Championships that year. She’s the No. 1 multi-event recruit in the United States. She’s taking her talents to LSU next year, where she’ll be able to train with top track and field athletes, such as Lolo Jones. If there’s a sure road to success in track and field,

Gochenour is on it. She’s living her child-hood dream. “It’s really cool,” Gochenour says of the opportunities she’s had. “When I was little I always dreamed of being where I am but you never know if you’re actually going to get there and being there is just amazing, especially next year.” Gochenour says she’s always dreamed of being an Olympic athlete and 2012 is right around the corner. She says her dad, Jeff, thinks she can do it but Alex is still focused on the World Junior Championships. “I’ll be 19, maybe get a title (at Junior Worlds), but the Olympics are definitely on the horizon,” says Gochenour. Before she heads off to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to become a Tiger,

Gochenour has unfinished business left to take care of in Iowa. Logan-Magnolia moved up to Class 2A this year. She won the Class 1A 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles last season. Her time of 14.07 in the 100-meter hurdles is the Class 1A record. Gochenour is aiming to become the first four-time 100-meter hurdles state champ since Debbie Esser—the former Iowa State and Woodbine star. She’s also aiming to win four more individual titles, which would give her 13 and tie her with Esser for the state record. As of April 20, Gochenour held the top times in

the state in the 100-meter hurdles (13.97) and the 400-me-ter hurdles (1:03.53). She’s second in Class 2A in the 200-meter dash (25.67) behind Brooke Wolterstorff of Western Chris-tian (Hull), but only by a tenth of a second. Her 100-meter time of 12.25 seconds is good for third. She’s also third in the long jump (17’5.5’’). Gochenour says she is looking forward to returning to Drake Stadium in Des Moines. She says she looks forward to both the Drake Relays and the state cham-pionships every year. She’s the defending Drake Relays high school champion in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles. She says the Blue Oval is one her favorites. “I love running at Drake,” says Gochenour. “I just feel so awesome because the people I’m running in front of, they know me. They know my story—most of them.” Though Gochenour has many fans in Des Moines, she’s commonly seen searching the stand for her big-gest fan after she wins a race. “Usually when I’m looking up, I’m looking for my dad,” says Gochenour. “I’m looking to point at him.”

PrepConnection

It’s late April – that mean’s it’s Shelby Houlihan’s favorite time of year. “The Drake Relays are my favorite. I definitely like it better than State,” said Houlihan, a senior at Sioux City East. “I like how all the classes are in one group and run together.” Houlihan, a five-time Relays champion, gets one more weekend to collect a few more white flags, and she’s not holding back. She currently holds the Drake Relays for the 800 meter run at 2:09.22, a record she set at last year’s Relays. She wants to crush that. “I ran 2:08 twice indoors this year,” said Houlihan. “I’m hoping to run a 2:05 at Relays.” Her head coach, Richard Clarahan, certainly likes how she’s progressed. “She’s a lot stronger in practice compared to a year ago,” Clarahan said. “She’s more mature, and you can see her speed has come along. She’s running a lot of fast 400s.” “Each year,” continued Clarahan, “she’s done a better job in the off-season. She put in more miles this sum-mer and fall. I think the biggest thing was that starting in fall, she was a lot more focused.” The fall was when Houlihan finally added a cross country championship to her storied career. After two consecutive top five finishes, she said the victory was a lot of fun. “It felt great,” Houlihan commented. “It felt great to win. When I got to the finish line, it was a big relief.” Now she finds herself in an unusual position – she’s

the prohibitive favorite at the Drake Relays in any race she enters, and she’ll be favored to take home a state championship in the 800 and 1500 come May. She’s not letting the pressure get to her though. “Last year was hard,” said Clarahan about last year’s state meet. Though Sioux City East won their second consecutive distance medley and 4x400, Houlihan finished sec-ond in the 800 and fourth in the 1500, leav-ing her still without an individual state track title outdoors. “She was really disappointed. But she’s always been good at not letting losses get to her. She’s very determined now. She’s set high goals and expectations for herself.” “I don’t really feel a lot of pressure,” commented Houlihan. “I’m just setting goals right now and keeping on my training regiment.” Right now, she’s just focused on adding to her legacy at the Drake Relays. Houlihan started track in 8th grade, and ran at the Relays for the first time her freshman year, where she had three top three finishes. But, she says, it wasn’t until her sophomore year that she really fell in love with the sport. It was that year, at the 2009 Drake Relays, that she won the 800 and 1500, and was part of the winning 4x800 team. The Black Raiders 4x400 team was runners-up finishing behind Waukee by a fraction of a second.

Houlihan Out to Top Her Drake Relays 800-meter Record

Shelby Houlihan at the 2010 Drake Relays

“I was shocked and excited. I was really pumped,” said Houlihan of her performance that year. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. I was lucky to have such good teammates. We re-ally pushed each other.” Last year, as a junior, she defended her 800 meter title and took was part of the winning 4x400 team as well. She finished second in the 1500. This year she looks to finish in style. “She’s looked great indoors this year,” said Clarahan. “I’ve been fortunate to work with her and all the girls here.

They’ve all got great attitudes. This will be an exciting year to watch.” For Houlihan, there’s nothing like lining up in front of 14,000 people at the Relays. “I just get this heated adrenaline rush,” she said. “There’s nothing like it.” This will be the final chapter of a storied high school legacy at the Drake Relays. You certainly won’t want to miss it.

Aaron Guernes Staff Writer

Alex Gochenour leaps over a hurdle at last year’s Drake Relays. She won the 100- and 400-meter hurdles last year.

Gochenour points to the stands at the 2010 State Track Meet. Gochen-our won four individual titles.


PrepConnection

Jim Duncan Invitational Track Meet

www.impactimagery.net


Heart of an Athlete: Allie LudwigAshley Lewis Iowa FCA

Name: Allie LudwigHometown: Lake City, IASchool: Southern Cal High School, shared sports program with Rockwell City-Lytton as South Central Calhoun TitansSports: Cross Country, Track

List your chosen attribute: Joy (Fruit of the Spirit)What is your personal definition of this word? Happiness comes from things or circumstances in your life; true joy comes from having God in your heart. One of my huddle leaders from FCA Camp a few years ago explained it to me this way: “Joy and happy don’t mean the same thing. Real joy comes from Jesus Christ.” God’s been teaching me that you don’t necessarily have to be happy all of the time to be joyful; if you have Christ in your heart you can have hope and faith even if things aren’t going the way you’d like.What are some of your favorite quotes from other people about this word?“Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.” –Robert SchullerWhat is your favorite Biblical passage that deals with this characteristic?Acts 12:12—“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”2 Corinthians 7:4—“I have great confidence in You; I take great pride in You. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.”Why did you choose that particular passage?I love the verse from Acts because it’s simple yet meaning-ful; it showed me how to handle struggles in my everyday life in a straightforward, honest way.2 Corinthians 7:4 is amazing to me. I love the last line of the verse: “in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.” It’s

such a difficult thing to be joyful in times of trouble, but this verse shows that by having faith we can be encourage and lifted up by God’s love.Please give an application/example of this word in your life.I learned the true meaning of joy in my own life just this year. Someone close to me was diagnosed with cancer, and all I wanted to do was give up. It didn’t seem fair, and I struggled with accepting God’s will once I learned of her diagnosis. However, watching her continue to be joyful,

loving, and helpful throughout her chemotherapy treatments showed me that it’s possible to move forward despite the ob-stacles in our lives. She taught me that we’re so much more than the difficulties we face; our reaction to the challenges we’re given is the true definition of our character. I chose to follow her example and be joyful in the face of adversity in my own life.How do you apply this word in your sport?Runners (especially distance runners) don’t always have the best attitudes toward their sport. It’s easy to get tired and discouraged or complain on days of difficult workouts or meets with bad weather. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m learning to fight the negativity and have as much fun as I can with my teammates. Running is an amazing way to grow closer to God—there are so many verses in the Bible that deal with it! It’s also a great time for prayer. So, I’ve been praying that God with help me to be more joyful in my sport and in my interactions with my teammates and coaches.How did you first become involved in FCA?I was part of a Bible study during my eighth grade year that was led by a senior who always talked about going

to FCA Camp. She was such a happy, successful person, and I wanted what she had. When we asked her about it, she encouraged us to go to camp and kept saying that once we got there we’d just “get” it and everything would make sense. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she’d made me curious enough to want to find out what FCA was all about. I went to my first FCA Camp in 2006 and accepted Christ on my last night there. It was a life-changing, amazing experience and I’ve been involved in FCA ever since.

How active within FCA were/are you? I’ve been a part of our school’s FCA huddle for four years and have helped plan and lead Bible studies and group activities. I helped with FCA’s Youth Game Day at our school my freshman year and have also attended Pella’s

FCA Camp for five years. Favorite Bible verse: 2 Corinthians 7:4 “I have great confidence in You; I take great pride in You. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.” Favorite sport: Cross CountryWho is your athletic role model? Lisa Koll, distance run-ner at Iowa State.Share one tip that helps you be a Christ-like competitor: Opponents in sports aren’t enemies—we’re all broth-ers and sisters in Christ. It’s so freeing to realize that it doesn’t matter who wins as long as God gets the glory.Future goals: I plan to attend Iowa State University and major in Pre-Veterinary Animal Science.

Visit www.iowafca.org or for more athlete interviews, go to www.iowafca.org/newsletters.

PrepConnection

Allie (far right) with her huddle at the Pella FCA Camp in 2010

www.goalsetter.com

Champions Across Iowa

Erin Hawkins showed

she was in winning form

early in the season when

she finished first in the

60-meter dash at the

2011 Dickinson Indoor

Championships at the

UNIDome in Cedar Falls

March 22nd. In the same

meet, she finished second

in the 200-meter dash. The

junior is the defending state

champ in both events.

Track and Field

Name: Erin Hawkins

School: Des Moines

Roosevelt

Class: 4ASenior Kenny Gilmore is the

defeding state champion

in the Class 4A long jump

and with his high of 24’5’’

this season, he looks to

be the favorite to take the

title again. Gilmore also has

the state-high time in the

200-meter dash (21.61).

Last year he finished third in

that event at State. Gilmore

plans to take his talents to

Iowa Central Community

College.

Track and Field

Name: McKennan

Cronbaugh

School: Iowa City West

Class: 4A

Cronbaugh may be a

sophomore, but she’s ready

to challenge the veterans

at the Drake Relays and

State Track. Last season,

Cronbaugh finished fifth in

the 100-meter dash and

seventh in the 200-meter

dash at State. This season,

Cronbaugh ranks fifth in

long jump (17-04), fourth in

the 100-meter dash (12.22)

and fifth in the 200-meter

dash (25.74).

Track and Field

Name: Jordan Cress

School: Olin

Class: 1A

Olin senior Jordan Cress

can jump with the best

of them—no matter what

class they’re in. At the end

of the indoor track and field

season, Cress finished third

at the Dickinson Indoor

Championships with a jump

of 6’8’’. That’s the same

height as Cress’ high for the

outdoor season, which is

tied for second in the state.

He is the defending high

jump champion in Class 1A.

Track and Field

Get your breakfast of Champions at your local

Name: Kenny Gilmore

School: Davenport

Central

Class: 4A


PrepConnection

Presented By:

www.hy-vee.com

Last year’s Drake Relays shot put champion with a throw of 21.69 meters, Cantwell returns to the ring Saturday

Current Drake Relays mile record holder at 3:51.71, he will compete on Saturday

Beating training partner Bernard Lagat, Lalang will defend his Relay’s mile crown against Alan Webb on Saturday

The 102nd running of the Drake Relays will be taking place April 28th-30th, with festivities all week long. Brian Brown, director of the Relays, is excited for some changes this year as well as continuing long-standing traditions. The shot put event shows tremendous promise, with Christian Cantwell, ranked number 1 in the world in shot put, returning once again to the Relays, along with at least 6 of the world’s top 10 shot putters, including Reese Hoffa, Adam Nelson, Ryan Whiting, Russ Winger, and Dylan Armstrong. This is sure to be a fan favorite, and should start at 2:45 on Saturday. Another exciting event will be the Men’s Special Mile Run. Boaz Lalang, last year’s winner, will be returning to defend his 2010 title against at least 6 sub-four minute runners says Brown. He also added “Its going to be tremendous drama.” The mile finals start at 3:21 on Saturday. The indoor mall pole vault will be taking place again this year after its hiatus last year. This will be the third time a pole-vaulting event will be held in Jordan Creek Mall since its first appearance in 2008. The competition itself has changed this year however, with women competing for the first time. Five men and five women will be paired together into five teams, and the team with the highest combined height will be the winners. This is sure to be a thrilling event, as all ten men and women are ranked in the top ten for the United States in pole vault, and at least one man and one woman are ranked in the top ten world-wide. The mall pole vault takes place on Wednesday, April 27th at 6:00 pm. Some changes will be seen in the Grand Blue Mile this year. Brown says that there will now be a large LED screen near the Papa John’s store on 13th Street and Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines to watch the mile-long street race. There will also be a pre and post race party, with inflatables for the kids, an Oakley’s Sunglasses truck, and samples of products like Ultra Michelob to promote healthier habits and wellness. The race will also now end on Grand Avenue instead of Locust Street, since it is the Grand Blue Mile after all. Another change to this year’s events is the prizes given to the winners of each event. Traditionally, the winners have received a Drake Relays watch, but this year they will be receiving a pair of Oakley Sunglasses with Drake Relays 2011 written on the side. Brown says that they made the switch to tailor to a younger market of athlete, since a lot of winners in the past never picked up their prize. Sunglasses are also a useful piece of equipment for a track and field athlete Brown pointed out. The theme of this year’s relays is “Come for the Relays, Stay for the _________.” Hopefully you can find your own reason to stay; there certainly are plenty to choose from. For more information or to buy tickets, you can go to www.godrakebulldogs.com and click on the Drake Relays tab.

Special Invite PreviewMaggie Sutton Staff Writer

ThursdayEvent10,000m Run10,000m Run5,000m Run5,000m Run

FridayEvent4x100m Relay4x100m Relay4x1600m Relay100m Sprint100m SprintDistance Medley800m Run4x400m Relay4x400m Relay4x400m Relay4x800m Relay4x800m Relay

DivisionUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDUD/CD

DivisionUDUDUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDUDCDCDUDUDUDUD

GenderWomenMenWomenMen

GenderWomenMenMenWomenMenWomenWomenMenWomenMen WomenMen

RoundFINALFINALFINALFINAL

RoundPrelimPrelimFINALPrelimPrelimFINALPrelimPrelimPrelimPrelimFINALFINAL

7:30pm8:10pm8:40pm9:05pm

9:32am 9:48am12:15pm12:45pm1:03pm1:15pm2:40pm3:10pm3:40pm4:10pm7:40pm7:55pm

SaturdayEventDistance MedleySprint MedleySprint MedleySprint MedleySprint Medley3000m Steeple3000m Steeple400h400h100h110h1500m RunMile Run400m Sprint400m Sprint4x100m Rleay4x100m Relay1500m Run1500m Run4x400m Relay4x400m Relay

DivisionCDCDCDUDUDUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialCDUDUD/CDUD/CDCDUD

GenderMenWomenMen WomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenW/MenW/MenWomenMenW/MenW/Men

RoundFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINAL

9:19am9:34am9:54am10:15am10:35am11:20am11:35am1:39pm1:49pm2:41pm3:00pm3:09pm3:21pm3:31pm3:42pm4:05pm4:17pm4:37pm4:44pm5:12pm5:32pm

SaturdayEventHammer ThrowLong JumpDiscusHigh JumpPole Vault

Triple JumpHammer ThrowHigh JumpPole VaultShot PutHigh JumpTriple Jump

DivisionUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDUD/CDSpecial

UD/CDUD/CDSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialUD/CD

GenderWomenWomenMenMenWomen

MenMenWomenMenMenMenWomen

RoundFINALFINALFINALFINALFINAL

FINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINALFINAL

9:00am9:30am9:30am10:00am11:00am

12:30pm12:30pm1:15pm2:30pm2:45pm3:00pm3:00pm

Unable to compete last year due to injury, Wariner will compete in the 400m run for a second time, hoping to relive his 2009 victory

Edging out hometown hero Lolo Jones for the win at last years Relays, Cherry will look to repeat this year in the 110m hurdles

Going for his 4th Drake Relays title, Miles will compete both Thursday at Jordan Creek Mall and Saturday at Drake Stadium

* All Photos courtesy of Drake Sports Information


MinorBut Major

After taking a one-year hiatus from the Drake Relays, pole vaulting will return to Jordan Creek Mall. On April 27, athletes from all over the world will compete in the popular event, which is expected to draw thousands of spectators.

The event, which debuted at the 2008 Drake Relays, was also held in the West Des Moines Mall in 2009. However last year, the event was held outside. Drake Relays director Brian Brown says that the reason the event wasn’t held indoors last year was because they wanted to keep it fresh and to have people miss it.

“We’re bringing it back by popular demand,” Brown stated during a Drake Relays press confer-ence, “We’re excited about it.”

Aside from bringing pole vaulting back into the mall, there will be another change to this year’s line up. For the first time, women will participate alongside the men in co-ed scoring format. There will be 5 teams of male/female pairings. They will compete simultaneously, then combine their scores to create an overall team champion.

The history of pole-vaulting for men goes back almost 150 years, but it wasn’t until 1995 that the International Association of Athletics Federa-tions started ratifying women’s vaulting records. Women’s pole vaulting wasn’t introduced into the Olympics until 2000.

Drake Relays Pole Vault in the Mall PreviewLauren Smith Staff Writer

With this self-proclaimed progressive format of pole-vaulting, highly successful athletes from across the United States will be attending. Some of these esteemed individuals include, April Steiner Bennett, member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, Derek Miles, the number one ranked United States pole vaulter, gold medalist Brad Walker and Indiana State alum Kylie Hutson.

“Never have I been more excited for a Drake Relays event than this year.” Brown stated before announcing the final team pairings.

The first team will include Derek Miles, the top ranked United States pole vaulter and April Steiner Bennett, a top ten ranked US vaulter. Mark Hollis and Melinda Owen will represent the second team, Hollis is the number two US vaulter and Owen ranks in the United States top ten.

The third team is comprised of Olympic gold medalist Brad Walker and NCAA champion Kylie Hutson. Jeremy Scott and Becky Holliday make up the fourth team; Scott has previously vaulted a height of over nineteen feet, and Holliday is ranked fourth in the US.

The fifth and final team is comprised of Mexi-co’s Giovanni Lanaro and Israel’s Jillian Schwartz. Lanaro was fourth at the World Indoor Track Championships in 2006, and Schwartz is ranked fifth in the world.

Aside from competing in the Jordan Creek Mall, all members excluding Brad Walker will compete at the Drake University Stadium on Sat. Apr. 30.

The pole-vaulting event will be held at Jordan Creek Mall on Apr. 27, at 6:15. Other Drake Relays events include The Beautiful Bulldog Contest on Mon. Apr. 25, the Grand Blue Mile on Wed. Apr. 27, Distance Carnival on Fri. Apr 30, and the main competitions being held on Fri. Apr 29 and Sat. Apr. 30. For more Drake Relays infor-mation, visit godrakebulldogs.com.

This year’s teams:Derek Miles & April Steiner Bennet• Miles ranked No. 1 in U.S.• Bennet ranked No. 7 in U.S. in 2010Mark Hollis & Melinda Owen• Hollis ranked No. 2 in U.S.• Owen ranked No. 5 in U.S.Brad Walker & Kylie Hutson• Walker holds American record of 19-9.75,

cleared June 7, 2008, in Eugene, Oregon.• Hutson ranked No. 6 in U.S. in 2010Jeremy Scott & Becky Holliday• Scott ranked No. 3 in U.S. in 2010• Holliday ranked No. 4 in U.S. in 2010Giovanni Lanaro & Jillian Schwartz• Lanaro was a 2008 Olympian (Mexico).• Schwartz ranked No. 10 in world in 2010

representing Israel.

www.gillette.com


I-Cubs Prepare for 2011 SeasonIowa Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have set the Open-ing Day roster for the 2011 Iowa Cubs. The upcoming season is Iowa’s 31st season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and the 30th season playing with the Iowa Cubs name.

Manager Bill Dancy will have an experienced roster in his first season as Iowa’s skipper. The roster features nine players on Chicago’s 40-man roster and 13 players with major league experience. Fans will recognize many of the names, as 20 of the 24 players have previous experience with the I-Cubs.

On the mound, Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, J.R. Mathes, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, and Roberto Coello will form the starting rotation. Coleman and Diamond both started the season in Iowa’s rotation last year be-fore earning their first major-league call-ups. Mathes enters his fifth season with Iowa and is the organiza-tion’s career leader with 40 wins. Bibens-Dirkx joined the I-Cubs in July last season after earning All-Star honors at double-A Tennessee. Coello made his major league debut with Boston last year and was acquired by the Cubs from the Red Sox just prior to spring train-ing for infielder Tony Thomas.

The bullpen includes right-handers Justin Berg, Esmailin Caridad, Chris Carpenter, Jake Muyco, and

Jeff Stevens along with lefties John Gaub and Scott Maine. All spent at least part of last season with Iowa, and Berg, Caridad, Stevens, and Maine also pitched for Chicago. Baseball America rates Carpenter #6 on the Cubs’ Top 30 prospect list. He is the highest-rated player on that list on Iowa’s opening day roster. Max Ramirez and Chris Robinson will split time be-hind the plate. Ramirez was claimed off waivers from Boston in January and is in his first year in the Cubs’ organization. Ramirez has been a highly rated pros-pect in the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers organizations and appeared in the big leagues for Texas in 2008 and 2010. Robinson begins his third straight season in Iowa. He was a PCL All-Star in ’08.

On the infield, 2010 regulars Matt Camp, Bryan LaHair, Bobby Scales, and Marquez Smith all return. LaHair tied for the team lead with 25 home runs last season while Smith was the PCL’s Topps Player of the Month in August. Scales has hit .290 over the last three seasons with Iowa. Scott Moore returns to Iowa for the first time since 2007 when the Cubs traded him to Baltimore on August 31. He has played 80 major league games between Chicago and Baltimore in his career.

Luis Montanez also returns to the Cubs’ organiza-tion after four years in the Orioles system. The Cubs drafted Montanez in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2000 draft and he played in 82 games with Iowa in 2006. Montanez has played 93 big-league games with the Orioles over the last three seasons. Tony Cam-pana, Fernando Perez, and Ty Wright round out the

outfield corps. Campana led the organization with 48 stolen bases at double-A Tennessee last year. Perez is also know for his great speed and came to the Cubs along with Matt Garza from Tampa Bay in December. Wright played in 58 games with Iowa last year after an All-Star first half with double-A Tennessee.

The Iowa Cubs open the 2011 season on Thursday, April 7th at Round Rock. Game time is 7:05 and the game will be broadcast live on AM 940 with the Safeco On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 6:45. “Voice of the I-Cubs” Deene Ehlis and Randy Wehofer will have the call again this year.

MinorBut Major

If you plan to attend an I-Cubs game in May, make sure to make it out to the ballpark on one of these promo days:

Mon. May 2 Player Autographs

Sun. May 8 Mother’s Day: Play catch with mom on the field before the game.

Thu. May 19 Iowa Cubs Hat Giveaway

Fri. May 20 Little League Night, High School Graduation Party: Get in free with high school ID.

Sat. May 21 Team photo giveaway and autographs

For more promotional dates this season, visit the Iowa Cubs website: www.iowacubscom.

www.iowacubs.com

www.kosama.com

20 Volume 13 Issue 2

MinorBut Major

Kernels Announce 2011 Starting Lineup

The 2011 Cedar Rapids Kernels have broken Spring Training camp and are on their way to Cedar Rapids! The 25-player roster includes four of the Angels Top 30 Prospects, according to Baseball America: RHP Dan Tillman (#14), OF Travis Witherspoon (#21), RHP Donn Roach (#25), and OF Drew Heid (#29). The roster includes seven members of the 2010 MWL playoff team as pitchers Suammy Baez and Max Russell; catcher Carlos Ramirez; and infielders Ricky Alvalrez and Mitch Blackburn return to Cedar Rapids. Ramirez is the only member of that list that played the entire 2010 season in Cedar Rapids. Catcher Braulio Pardo and infielder Jean Almanzar played for the Kernels in 2009, but didn’t in 2010. Pitching will once again be the Kernels’ strong suit as the projected starting rotation features RHP Suammy Baez, RHP Brian Diemer (6th Rd – 2010), RHP Justin La Tempa, RHP Heath Nichols, LHP Max Russell (4th Rd – 2010), and RHP Dan Tillman (2nd Rd – 2010). The bullpen features RHP Donn Roach (3rd Rd – 2010), LHP Dakota Robinson and LHP Kevin Johnson. The Kernels’ offense continues to be built around the Angels’ foundation of speed and skill, but should feature some power. OF Drew Heid led the Pioneer League with 104 hits, batting .364 with 9 HR and 34 RBI in 68 games, while INF Brandon Decker posted a .341 BA with 13 HR and 47 RBI in 52 games at Orem and Travis Witherspoon hit .309 with 10 HR and 45 RBI in 71 games and was a perfect 20 for 20 in stolen bases.

Clinton Set to Defend West Division Title

The Clinton LumberKings, in conjunction with the Seattle Mariners, have announced their 25-man roster for Opening Night 2011, the official start of the franchise’s 75th season. Twelve players who spent time in Clinton in 2010 are back, while 14 new faces, including Mariners’ 2010 second-round pick Marcus Littlewood, will don the black and green for the first time. Clinton’s opening cast will include several integral players from last year’s West Division Championship team. First-baseman Mickey Wiswall brings his left-handed pop back to the lineup. First-baseman Tim Morris returns after hitting .250 with 46 RBI in 83 games last season. Carlos Ramirez, a utility infielder, is also back. Outfielder Matt Cerione anchors the outfield. The 13th round pick out of the University of Georgia in ‘09 hit .287 with 12 home runs, 42 RBI and a .502 slugging percentage with Clinton last year. Catcher Steven Baron returns to Clinton after a red-hot Spring Training. Behind the plate, he led all Minor Leaguers in catcher caught stealing, nabbing 45.6% (63 of 128) of potential base-stealers. Right-hander Forrest Snow makes the transition from Clinton closer to starting pitcher. Last year, he posted a paltry 1.35 ERA in his 15 Midwest League relief appearances, going 0-1 with six saves and limiting opponents to a .132 average. Right-handers Tyler Blandford, Matt Bischoff,Brandon Maurer and Fray Martinez and left-hander Jason Markovitz also provide Midwest League experience. Right-hander Jonathan Arias will open the year on the disabled list. New arrivals include Littlewood, Ramon Mora (IF, #14 prospect in system), OF Kevin Rivers and Anthony Fernandez, a Northwest League Postseason All-Star last year.

Get GEARED Up At

ANKENY2010 S.E. Delaware Ave,

Suite 252Ankeny, IA 50021

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INDIANOLA (On The Square)126 N. Howard

Indianola, IA 50125515-961-2630 SOUTHRIDGE MALL

1111 E. Army Post Rd.Des Moines, IA 50315

515-256-1669AMES (Hobby Lobby Shopping Center next to Hy-Vee)

620 Lincoln Way Suite 4Ames, Iowa 50010

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Bees Ready for New Season

The Burlington Bees have set the 2011 Opening Day roster with a mix of 13 pitchers and 12 position players that will open the season. The Bees open with 16 picks from Oakland’s 2010 draft, including 2nd round pick Yordy Cabrera. The infielder from Lakeland, Florida was drafted 60th overall and elected to forgo a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Miami last August 17. He appeared in just four games with the AZL Athletics before playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. RHP Chris Mederos, IF Nino Leyja and OF Tyreace House return to the Midwest League after playing for Oakland’s 2010 team in Kane County. RHP Blake Hassebrock (8th round 2010) and LHP Jacob Brown (26th round 2010) begin their first full year as starting pitchers after working as relievers in 2010. RHP Seth Frankoff, (5-5, 2.81 ERA in 15 starts between the AZL A’s (R)/Vancouver Canadians (A) in 2010); RHP Josh Bowman and RHP A.J. Griffin will round out the starting rotation.

MinorBut Major

Quad Cities Roster Set for 2011 Season

Following a season in which the River Bandits finished with the second most wins in franchise history, manager Johnny Rodriguez looks to take his team back to the postseason for the second straight year. The pitching staff is anchored by a pair of top-10 prospects according to Baseball America. A Cardinals supplemental first-round pick last season and local product from nearby Rock Falls, Ill., Seth Blair, leads the list of players assigned to the River Bandits. Blair is currently ranked as the #8 prospect in the Cardinals organization. Right behind him in the rankings is Jordan Swagerty (#9), both right-handed pitchers. The pitching staff is comprised of 10 righties and three lefties; Anthony Ferrara, Kevin Siegrist and Justin Wright. The team broke camp with a total of four catchers listed including returners Robert Stock, Cody Stanley and Roberto Espinoza. Juan Castillo is the lone new face to the staff of catchers. He hit .328 last season in 32 games splitting time between Johnson City and Batavia. Stock is slated to being the season on the disabled list. Of the six infielders listed on the roster, three were drafted last season, Packy Elkins (37th round), Greg Garcia (7th round) and Victor Sanchez (26th round). Starlin Rodriguez has been placed on the Quad Cities roster, but he will begin the season on the disabled list. Yunier Castillo and Jonathan Rodriguez make up the rest of the infield. There are three familiar faces in the outfield. Kyle Conley, Freddy Parejo and Michael Swinson all spent significant time with the River Bandits last summer. Nick Longmire was moved up from Batavia for the River Bandits’ final playoff game last season. The other outfielder on the roster to start the season is Oscar Tavares.

www.federatedinsurance.com


CollegiateCorner

AIB Student Jamie Ball on the Fast Track to SuccessKristopher Mattoon AIB Marketing Coordinator

Three years ago, Jamie Ball chose AIB College of Business to get on the fast track to a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Now AIB has chosen to back Ball in his quest to be the fastest racer on the track at Knoxville Raceway. AIB has become an associate sponsor of the White Lightning Motorsports racing team that features Ball, the 360 Sprint Car Rookie of the Year for 2010 at Knoxville. “Jamie operates in a world where speed matters,” said Mark Thompson, AIB director of admissions and marketing. “With our Degree in 3 program, we make sure that driven students like him get to where they want to be as soon as possible. At AIB, our pledge is a faster forward from college to career.”“I was looking to get right out of high school and get my bachelor’s degree as quick as I could so that I could move on and try to pursue my racing dreams,” said Ball. “I came to AIB and just fell in love with how it’s business focused. I could take courses in what I was wanting to do right off the bat.” What Ball wants to do is race and help run the family businesses, which are really one and the same. His father, veteran sprint car driver Larry Ball, Jr., owns the White Lightning team as well as L&J Enterprise and L&J Automotive in Knoxville, Ia., with partner Jody Hegwood. Jamie Ball uses his sales and marketing education from AIB to promote the businesses and drive Internet sales. He works mornings and does his AIB coursework in the afternoons and evenings. As a second generation driver, racing is in Ball’s blood.

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“I’ve spent every weekend at a race track since I was born,” said Ball. “It’s a way of life for me.” Ball started racing go-carts when he was 15. Now he drives sprint cars with 305- or 360-cubic-inch engines that can zip him around dirt tracks at speeds up to 130 mph. His father has come out of racing retirement to join him as a driver on the White Lightning team. Ball’s close relationship with his father made his Rookie of the Year title for 2010 even more special. “It felt great,” said Ball. “My dad raced sprint cars from ‘98 to 2006 and in his

first year in 360s, he got Rookie of the Year as well. So it felt pretty cool twelve years later getting the same exact recognition that my dad got.” In addition to his father, Ball has been inspired by racer Billy Alley. “When I was younger, when I went to see him or get an autograph, he knew who I was. He would talk to me and know my name and have something else to say other than, ‘How are you?’ The way he always took the time to get to know kids made me want to do that and want to pay back to the other kids to give them someone to look up to.”Ball has taken that example to heart, volunteering his time to visit the Knoxville elementary schools as part of the Race Against Hunger. “The little kids look up to me like I’m some superstar or something,” said Ball. “They all want an autograph and picture, and they think it’s cool. That’s something that really hits home and makes it feel like I’m doing a good job. I want them to look up and

have a positive role model, someone like me who’s been focused and driven to do what I want to do and dreamed big and never let anything hold me back.” Ball is dreaming big. “My goal is to win the 305 championship at Knoxville Raceway, where I finished 7th last year running a limited schedule, which was pretty good. I came on really strong at the end there. In 360 I’m just looking to get even more competitive than last year and looking to be the one to beat or the top five anyway. I want to be competitive and be a known force to be reckoned with.” Ball’s racing career is taking off as his time at AIB is

wrapping up. Ball kicks off his racing season April 16th in Burlington and April 30th in Knoxville. He plans to compete in 50 races this year, driving both 305 and 360 sprint cars. Follow him at www.jamieball.com. An AIB student since 2008, Ball earned an Associate’s degree in Business Administration - Sales and Marketing in 2010. He will complete his Bachelor’s in Business

Administration and graduate this June. “AIB’s unique in its way that you can get through quick,” Ball concluded. “You can be focused on what you want, and it also is flexible for your schedule. You don’t have to drop what you’re doing and go focus on school full-time and have no income. You can do it all if you have the drive and determination.”

Jamie Ball (photo courtesy of AIB)

Ball’s spring car (photo courtesy of AIB)

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CollegiateCorner

University of Iowa guard Kachine Alexander was selected in the WNBA Draft April 18. Alexander was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx as the second pick in the third round (26th overall). “I can’t put into words how thrilled I am to be selected in the WNBA Draft,” Alexander said. “I have wanted a chance to play in the WNBA since I started playing basketball as a kid. I would like to thank the Minnesota Lynx organization for the opportunity to play at the next level. I would also like to thank all of my coaches and teammates at the University of Iowa for helping me reach this goal. I can’t wait to get back home to Minneapolis and begin the challenge of making a WNBA roster.” Alexander left her mark on the Hawkeye program, earning the most All-America awards in school history. She was a four-time All-American after being named honorable mention by the Associated Press and WBCA as a junior and senior. She earned first team all-Big Ten honors as a junior and senior, along with second team accolades as a sophomore. The Minneapolis, MN, native became the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to record two triple-doubles in the same season when she accomplished the feat as a sophomore. She also became the first Iowa player, and just the fifth in Big Ten history, to record 1,000 career points, 800 career rebounds and 300 career assists. Alexander finished her career ranked second in school history in double-doubles (34), second in rebounding (910), eighth in assists (339) and 16th in scoring (1,239). “We are very excited for Kachine,” Head Coach Lisa Bluder said. “Being selected in the WNBA Draft has been one of Kash’s goals since she arrived at Iowa. Today shows that all of her hard work and dedication on the basketball court paid off. Kachine was a great Hawkeye in her four years and we can’t wait to see her take her talents to the professional stage.” Alexander is the fourth player under Bluder, and the 11th in school history, to be selected in the WNBA

Aaron Blau University of Iowa; Matthew Shoultz Iowa State

Alexander and Bolte Selected in WNBA Draft

Draft. Alexander is the highest drafted Hawkeye since Angela Hamblin was picked 23rd overall (Round 3, Pick 3). Thirteen Hawkeyes have played in the WNBA.

Iowa State senior guard Kelsey Bolte was drafted by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 32 pick in the third round of the WNBA Draft April18. Bolte is the 10th Cyclone to be drafted. “It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to play in the WNBA,” Bolte said. “I’m happy and grateful to have the opportunity presented to me by Atlanta. There are so many people that have helped me along the way, including coach Fennelly and his staff and all my teammates through the years. They have all pushed me to be my best and this is proof that if you work hard good things will happen.” For head coach Bill Fennelly it was the 10th time he has seen one of his Iowa State players drafted, an event that never gets old. “Kelsey has worked so hard to get to this point and to see that hard work rewarded is special for her, her family and our program,” Fennelly said. “She is a great role model for our current players and those in the future as to what can happen if you put in the work to reach your potential.” Bolte recently wrapped up a stellar career with her best season, earning Associated Press and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American honors. The unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection averaged a career-best 16.9 points per game, becoming the first Cyclone since 2003 to score more than 500 points in a season.

She also proved herself to be one of the most consistent long-range threats in college basketball during her career, knocking down 276 career 3-pointers at a 40.1 percent clip. As a senior she was 15th nationally shooting 42.1 percent from behind the arc. Bolte ranks sixth all time at Iowa State in career scoring with 1,639 points, while also ranking eighth with 665 rebounds. The Ida Grove, Iowa native also set the standards for free throw shooting, breaking the school record for career (87.9) and single-season (88.8) efficiency. Bolte recorded 78 career double-figure scoring efforts, including 23 games with 20 or more points.

Kachine Alexander (left) and Kelsey Bolte (right) were selected in the WNBA Draft. Both were picked in the third round. (photos courtesy of Iowa and Iowa State sports information departments)

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CollegiateCorner

The Wartburg College women’s track team hasn’t just regularly won the 4x400-meter relay at the NCAA Division III Championship meet – it owns the event. Consider that the Knights captured their latest indoor 4x4 championship in March at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio – making it seven-straight wins between the indoor and outdoor national meets. Junior Faith Burt (Cedar Falls), senior Brittany Melloy (Mt. Pleasant), sophomore Kendra Kregel (Maquoketa Valley) and junior Nevada Morrison ran a season best 3:47.16 to win by a decisive 1.32 seconds. Wartburg teams also posted three of the top five 4x4 times in Division III this winter – with seven different teams posting top 20 times. But while adding to the program’s national championship 4x4 legacy is always the goal, Wartburg Head Coach Marcus Newsom trains his team to run with Division I scholarship teams. And they’ve done that in beating the likes of Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska and Iowa State the last two years. “When we go out and compete, we take a lot of pride in being Division III, but Division III doesn’t put a limitation on us,” Newsom said. “I feel like when I go out recruiting, I’m going to recruit the best young men and women who want to be coached to become the best and not have any limitations. That’s the beauty about our sport in track and field. You still have an opportunity to go head-up against Division I, Division II and NAIA competition with no limitations. “We look forward to that level [Division I] of competition,” he continued. “We want to be able to go in and compete and show people that we train just like they do. We put our shoes and uniform on just like they do. And we have the ability to compete at a very high level, just like they do. The only difference is 95 percent

Mike Ferlazzo Contributor

Division III Dominance

of my student-athletes are on some type of academic scholarship and they’re not on an athletic scholarship.” Burt could have been a Division I scholarship athlete after winning Iowa’s Class 4A state championship in the 100 and 200 all four years in high school. But she chose to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Shatrece, and continue her collegiate career 16 miles north at Wartburg. She’s a nine-time All-American. While mainly a specialist at distances shorter than 400 meters – winning the Iowa Conference championship in the 55 and 200 indoors and 100 and 200 outdoors throughout her collegiate career – she’s now run on the last two 4x4 indoor national championships. And she’s kind of taking to it. “Believe it or not, I used to do cross country, and I like distance stuff,” Burt said. “I’m a true sprinter with 1’s [100] and 2’s [200], but I’ll always do 400s as base

work and our program here is based on 400 workouts. So he [Newsom] just molded me into a 400 runner. And that’s what I’m focusing on now – 4’s and 2’s, instead of 100.”

Ready to run the 400 Every Wartburg runner knows they’ll have to run the 400 for Newsom. He makes that quite clear in the recruiting process. “I recruit all quarter-milers. Every kid we recruit, I tell them ‘You’re going to be a 400-meter runner,’” Newsom said. “And some of them come in who have never run a 400. You know Faith Burt didn’t run many 400s in high school. She was more of a 100-meter

or 200-meter runner. And there are a lot of coaches out there who tell recruits what

they want to hear. I don’t. I tell them ‘You will be a 400-meter runner for me,’ because I truly believe in my philosophy of coaching that a 400-meter runner is different than any other.” It doesn’t stop with the open 400. Newsom also carefully grooms his 400 hurdlers as potential 4x4 candidates. Central Clinton DeWitt graduate Kelsey Steffens was an Iowa Conference 400-hurdle champ who became a three-time national champion and four-time All-American on Wartburg’s 4x4. Rachel Brinks and Steph Arey were 400-hurdle All-Americans who also earned honors on 4x4 teams before Steffens. Melloy is the latest 400-hurdler to earn a spot on the Knights’ famed 4x4. Also a multi-event specialist, she became a 400-hurdle All-American last May with a fifth-place finish at nationals. She

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Kendra Kregel, Nevada Morrison, Coach Marcus Newsom, Brittany Mellow, Faith Burt (photo courtesy of Wartburg)

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CollegiateCorner

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also became an All-American in the open 400 this winter, placing seventh at the same indoor meet where she became a national champion on the 4x4. She’s now driven to uphold the program’s 4x4 standard of excellence. “You’ve got the alums pushing too, and it’s just kind of the tradition [of winning the D-III national championship]. You know, you’ve got to keep it up,” Melloy said. “It’s kind of like a target on your back and you go out and compete the best you can.” Burt admired Wartburg’s 4x4 success from afar when she watched her sister’s meets, and then during her first season running for the Knights. While she experienced freshman success and ran on an All-American 4x1, she always had her eye on joining the 4x4 legacy. “It was exciting watching them. I always wanted to be a part of it.” Burt said. “But our team was so

built on 400 runners, so we had good people to compete against to get the spots. Now that I’m a part of it, I’m excited and I want to be able have more success. It’s definitely a good experience that a lot of people don’t get to have.”

Driven by talented teammates Melloy made herself into an open 400-meter star and is now driven to keep her 4x4 position amid a stable of young, talented sprinters. “This is my last year so I’ve kind of had the mindset, ‘Just give it all you’ve got because you never know what’s going to happen,’” she said. “I mean, you can’t take things for granted too because injuries happen and everyone struggles with that. We also have a good freshman class that came in and they’re pushing you – and that’s always good too.” If one of those freshmen would happen to bump an upperclassmen from the 4x4 team, Newsom expects his runners to understand. That’s one reason his relay runs like a well-oiled machine.“People ask me all the time, ‘How do I keep them all happy?’” he said. “I don’t recruit selfish athletes. That’s not the type of athlete I want to coach. I want to coach a selfless athlete. If they’re selfless, they’ll know the difference of who really has to be on that 4x4.”

They do, and they know that selfless attitude is critical to the team competing for a fifth Division III team title too. Wartburg was second at the indoor championship meet – just two-and-a-half points behind Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Knights feel good about their chances if the NCAA Division III outdoor team championship comes down to the 4x4 on May 28 at Ohio Wesleyan University. Of course, they feel confident in the 4x4 whenever they compete – even on a Division I track. “I don’t think we’re running Division III,” Burt said. “Our times don’t lie, so we’re definitely running the times. But we are able to compete with the big D-I programs because coach [Newsom] takes us to the big meets to let us know who we are. We go out there and compete, so there should be no limits on us just because we’re D-III.”

Faith Burt hands the batton to Brittany Mellow. (photo courtesy of Wartburg)

Wartbrug’s women’s team finished second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship Meet. (photo courtesy of Wartburg)

www.uiu.edu/thewholestory


Principal Charity Classic Announces First Round of Golfer CommitsPrincipal Charity Classic

The Principal Charity Classic has announced its first round of player commitments. This year’s tournament will be held at the Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, June 1-5.

2011 Player Commitments (as of 4.4.11)

Michael Allen Tommy Armour III Andy Bean Chip Beck Ronnie Black Jay Don Blake Mark Brooks Olin Browne Brad Bryant Mark Calcavecchia Roger Chapman Keith Clearwater Russ Cochran John Cook Ben Crenshaw David Eger Keith Fergus Vicente Fernandez Bruce Fleisher Dan Forsman David Frost Fred Funk Jim Gallagher, Jr. Bob Gilder Bill Glasson

Mike Goodes Jay HaasGary Hallberg Morris Hatalsky John Huston Peter Jacobsen Tom Jenkins Wayne Levi J.L. Lewis Steve Lowery Chien Soon Lu Graham Marsh Mike McCullough Mark McNulty Frankie Minoza Larry Mize John Morse Lonnie Nielsen Joe Ozaki Steve Pate David Peoples Tom Pernice, Jr. Don Pooley Nick Price Tom Purtzer

OnThe Tee

Returning to this year’s Principal Charity Classic are last year’s champion Nick Price (top left, top right), Fred Funk (middle left), Peter Jacobsen (middle right) and Fuzzy Zoeller (bottom right). This year’s tournament is June 1-5 at Glen Oaks Country Club. Photos courtesy of The Principal Charity Classic.

Dana Quigley Mike Reid Lee Rinker Loren RobertsTed Schulz Peter Senior Scott Simpson Tim Simpson Joey Sindelar Jeff SlumanRod Spittle Craig Stadler Hal Sutton Leonard Thompson Jim Thorpe Bob Tway Bobby Wadkins Tom Wargo D.A. Weibring Fuzzy Zoeller

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OnThe Tee

The 2011 Iowa PGA Assistant Match Play Championship was held on Monday, April 11th at Geneva Golf & Country Club in Muscatine, Iowa. Seventeen golfers competed in this event which was the first Iowa PGA administered event of the year. The format was 9-Hole Match play except for the final match which was 18 holes.

An 18-hole consolation stroke play event was held for those golfers who lost a match in one of the first three rounds. A skins game was also conducted during this competition.

This event serves as a major championship on the schedule for the Apprentice Player of the Year honors.

The Iowa PGA would like to thank Head PGA Professional, Steve Hutton, and the members at Geneva Golf and Country for hosting this event.

ResultsChampion: Kyle Spahr (Davenport)Final Round: Kyle Spahr def. Ryan McClintock (Bettendorf)Semi-final round: Kyle Spahr def. Andrew Robertson (Pleasant Valley), Semi-final round: Ryan McClintock def. Justin Knock (West Des Moines)

The Iowa PGA is excited to announce that Chance Maiers or Dyersville and Christy Nelson of Central City are the Iowa PGA Recipients to attend the 1st Annual PGA Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy.

Both Chance and Christy will be attending the June 6-12 academy at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

In Response to recommendations from past United States Ryder Cup Team Captains, The PGA of America has created the Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy. This new initiative is designed to expand the outreach of the Ryder Cup and provide aspiring young players the opportunity to experience an elite player-development academy and targeting those who may not have the resources or means to attend. The primary emphasis of this program will focus on playing and competing in both stroke and match play formats.

Instruction programming will be developed and led by Joe Hallet, General Manager of the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and will include instruction on swing mechanics, competitive course management, fitness and physical assessments. The objective through this world-class experience is to continue to elevate the stature of the Ryder Cup, The PGA of America, and its PGA Professionals within local communities.

Iowa PGA Assistant Match PlayChampionship Results

Troy Christensen Iowa PGA

Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy Attendees Announced

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As spring progresses closer to summer, racetracks across Iowa will be starting up their seasons and fans will fill the stands to watch as some of the nation’s best compete right here in the state of Iowa. Besides the great racing at local dirt tracks scattered throughout the state, Iowans are lucky to have two top tier tracks in Knoxville Raceway and Iowa Speedway that draw some of the nation’s best drivers to entertain the fans. Knoxville Raceway has been a staple in the rings of dirt track racing for a long time—especially sprint cars. The track draws two World of Outlaws Sprint Car events this season. Known as the premier national sprint car series in the country, the World of Outlaws always promises to bring the best dirt track racing to Iowa every year. The track also hosts a weekly series and other races throughout the year. For a complete sched-ule of races, go to www.knoxvilleraceway.com. The Iowa Speedway has brought tremendous racing to the state ever since it opened. It appears 2011 will be no different. This year looks to be one of the speedway’s most entertaining yet with the NASCAR Nationwide Series coming to Newton twice this year. The IZOD Indy Car Series will bring its fast, open-wheeled racing to the speedway and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is also on the schedule. Supplementing these great race weekends is a solid lineup of concerts, which includes Craig Campbell, We the Kings, The Dirt Drifters and Tyler Hilton.

Iowa Speedway Spring/Summer Schedule(Concert in parentheses)

• May 21 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East/West Challenge (Randy Houser)

• May 22 NASCAR NATIONWIDE Series (Craig Campbell)

• June 24 USAC Midgest, Silver Crown (Never Shout Never)

• June 25 Indy Lights, IZOD Indy Series (We the Kings)

• July 15 ARCA Series• July 16 NASCAR Camping World

Trucks (The Dirty Drifters)• August 5 ASA Midwest Tour

(Jamey Johnson)• August 6 NASCAR Nationwide Series

(Tyler Hilton)

Knoxville Raceway Spring/Summer Highlight Race Weekend Schedule

• Jun 10-11 World of Outlaws Mediacom Shootout

• Jul 05 Harris Clash Modifieds• Jul 21 Titan Machinery NTPA Pullin’

for the Fair Truck and Tractor Pull

• Jul 26 Harris Clash Late Models and B-Mods

• Aug 05 21st Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals

• Aug 06 21st Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals

• Aug 07 USAC Knoxville Non-wing Nationals

• Aug 10-13 51st Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals

Iowa Tracks Gear Up for 2011 Racing SeasonsTim Weideman Editor

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The 2011 AMA Arenacross Series traveled to Des Moines for it’s final race April 9 at Wells Fargo Arena. Tyler Bowers, who had clinched the series Arenacross class championship the previous week, picked up his 12th win in front of a solid crowd.

Also highlighting the night’s action was Vicki Golden, who completed her rookie season by finishing 10th in the Lites Class and becoming the first woman to finish in the top 10 in AMA Arenacross history. She can add that barrier to the others that she has broken this season, as she was the first woman to ever compete full-time in the series and the first to qualify for a main event.

The event also held a race in which riders from the Western and Eastern Regional Aren-across Lite Classes had the chance to compete directly with each other. In that race, Tanner Moore of the Western Regional series edged out the Eastern Regional’s Patrick Massie.

Wells Fargo Arena has a long history with the series. In fact, it is the longest tenured venue on the series’ schedule.

But this season was different. The past two seasons, the series had made Des Moines its annual prequel race destination.

Lindsey Scheltema, perhaps better known as Miss Arenacross, said there’s just something about the people of Des Moines that makes

Tim Weideman Editor

AMA Arenacross Season Ends at ‘The Well’ in Des Moines

coming to Wells Fargo Arena speicial.

“Des Moines is always a great, great fan base and they always love coming out to the races,” Scheltema said.

“Des Moines is just so receptive to Arenacross racing,” Scheltema said. “They just get so excited and so into the racing. Maybe it’s a Midwest thing. I know we have a lot of riders from the Mid-west so maybe they can relate. Usually we have a lot of riders that come out from the Iowa area.”

It’s already well-known that Iowans enjoy their motorsports. But Scheltema says Arenacross can add a little something extra to what Iowans may be more accustomed to. She said more unexpected things occur because the racing is so tight.

“We shove a dirt bike track into the Wells Fargo Arena,” Scheltema said. “It can only be so big. It’s really tight action. In two seconds, our first place rider could be down and in last place.”

Arenacross Class Results1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, KY., Kawasaki 2. Zach Ames, Prospect, OH., Honda 3. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, WI., Kawasaki

4. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, OH., Honda 5. Kelly Smith, Ludington, MI., Yamaha 6. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, OH, Honda 7. Dano Aulseybrook, Ortonville, MI., Suzuki 8. Cole Siebler, Emmett, ID, Honda 9. Gray Davenport, Lehi, UT, Kawasaki 10. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, OH, Honda

AMA Arenacross Lites Class Results1. Tanner Moore, Auburn, KS., KTM 2. Patrick Massie, Washington Court, OH., Honda 3. Austin Primavera, Larue, OH., Suzuki 4. Kenneth Henry, Ashtabula, OH., KTM 5. Travis Smith, Lancaster, CA., Yamaha 6. Aviery Hickey, Decatur, TX, Kawasaki 7. Michael Furlin, Pismo Beach, CA., Honda 8. Lee Chavous, Perkasie, PA., KTM 9. Josef Debower, Audubon, IA., Honda 10. Vicki Golden, El Cajon, CA., Honda

Volume 13 Issue 2 29 Visit us on the web @ www.iowasportsconnection.com

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Spring high school sports l ike soccer, track and f ield, and tennis are well under way across the state. These spor ts wil l lead to injur ies for some high school athletes. The hip is a common site of pain and injury for many athletes. There are many potential causes of hip pain in teenagers and adolescents. Muscle strains and tendonit is are two of the more common ai lments that cause hip pain in many high school athletes. Unfor tunately, more ser ious problems may also init ial l y present as muscle strains. Hip labral tears and spor ts hernias are just two of several other condit ions that can cause hip pain in young athletes. Al l of these condit ions typical ly begin with the onset of increased physical activ ity. The treatment for each of these condit ions var ies widely, but the crucial par t of the treatment process begins with accurately diagnosing these condit ions.Muscle Strains and Tendonitis Muscle strains are usual ly the result of a sudden injury and begin with the injury onset. Hip f lexors, such as the rectus femoris or the i l iopsoas, and hip adductors are examples of muscles frequently strained. Muscle strains are sudden onset injur ies common in athletes who sprint, jump, and twist whi le tendonit is injur ies are usual ly the result of chronic overuse of a cer tain muscle or muscle group. There are three grades of muscles strains: mild, moderate, and severe. Mild muscle strains can range from spasms to muscle inf lammation, but do not involve any tear ing of muscle f ibers. Moderate muscle strains involve tear ing of the muscle or tendon f ibers and have an associated loss of strength. Severe muscle strains involve complete tear ing of the muscle or tendon. Muscle strains and tendonit is are init ial l y treated similar ly : with rest, ice, and sometimes with anti - inf lammatory medications. Treatment of moderate and severe muscle strains can involve prolonged rest with

gradual return to stretching and strengthening. Treatment of muscle strains and tendonit is almost never involves surgery. Return to spor ts usual ly occurs when the athlete is pain free.Hip labral tears The hip labrum is a car ti lage r ing that surrounds the hip and serves to deepen the hip socket and add stabi l ity to the hip. Unfor tunately, the hip labrum can be a site of injury for many high school athletes. Another unfor tunate character istic of hip labral tears is that they rarely heal spontaneously—making for prolonged pain and discomfor t. The most common history given by these patients is one

that involves a previous diagnosis of a “groin strain.” Addit ional ly, due to a prolonged lack of an accurate diagnosis, it is not uncommon for many patients to have had ongoing groin pain for a year or more. An experienced examiner can of ten determine whether hip pain is coming from a patient’s musculature around the hip versus pain within the hip joint, but the best way to diagnosis a hip labral tear is with an MRI ar throgram, or an MRI done af ter dye has been injected into the hip. The addit ion of dye into the hip joint pr ior to the MRI can raise the diagnosis rate for labral tears from approximately 30% to 90%. Treatment for hip labral tears also star ts with non-operative means. Rest, anti - inf lammatory medications, and physical therapy are al l commonly used in the non-operative treatment of hip labral tears. Occasional ly, hip injections may be done for diagnostic and treatment purposes. I f non-operative measures fai l to provide adequate rel ief , surgical intervention may become necessary. Most hip labral tears can be repaired with hip ar throscopy (hip scope). Rarely, a hip labral tear, or the associated condit ions with the labral tear, may require a more involved surgery, cal led a surgical hip dislocation. Return to spor ts af ter a hip scope or a surgical hip dislocation is typical ly 6-12 months.Sports Hernias A spor ts hernia is another type of injury that presents with groin pain. Despite a misleading

name, spor ts hernias are real ly more of a muscle strain than a true hernia. Abdominal and inguinal hernias involve the protrusion, or herniation, of abdominal contents through a hole in the abdominal wal l or inguinal canal. Spor ts hernias usual ly involve tear ing of the inguinal wal l . Like hip labral tears, diagnosing a spor ts hernia can be chal lenging and of ten involves a prolonged period of persistent pain and tr ips to multiple medical professionals. The hal lmark of a spor ts hernia is a lack of groin pain at rest and a return of pain with activity, whereas condit ions l ike hip labral tears can be painful at rest when the hip is in a f lexed posit ion. Again, treatment for spor ts hernias star ts with conservative measures, including rest, anti - inf lammatory medications, stretching, and strengthening. Unfor tunately, spor ts hernias usual ly require operative treatment. This can be per formed with either open or laparoscopic techniques. Return to spor ts af ter surgical treatment of a spor ts hernia can range from 1 to 6 months, depending upon hernia size and the type of surgery per formed.Summary Although most condit ions causing hip pain to high school athletes are usual ly self - l imit ing, athletes, parents, coaches, and trainers should be wary of prolonged groin pain. With proper diagnosis and treatment, high school athletes can usual ly return to ful l activ ity af ter hip injur ies, even those that require surgical treatment. Dr. Chris Nelson special izes in has special interests in reconstructive surgery of the adult hip and knee and has special training and exper tise in var ious joint preservation procedures for adolescents, young adults and adults. Dr. Nelson also has interest in spor ts related injur ies, knee and shoulder ar throscopy, and musculoskeletal trauma. Dr. Nelson’s pr imary of f ice location is at DMOS – Carrol l in Carrol l , Iowa. He also provides a monthly satel l ite cl inic in West Des Moines. For more information or to reach Dr. Nelson please phone 712-792-2093.

Hip Pain in the High School AthleteChris Nelson DO, Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons, PC


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Iowa Sports Connection - Voulme 13 Issue 2

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