IN THIS
ISSUE 04
ICY TO HOT: MY EXPERIENCE AT WHITE LAKE TRIATHLON TEAM
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RUBBER SIDE DOWN CYCLING TEAM
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CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL WOMEN’S RUGBY
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EXCITING PAST, BRIGHT FUTURE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
09 Director of UREC
FINALLY, SOME HOME GAMES! WOMEN’S SOCCER
Publicity Programmer
Joe Carter, carterjr@appstate.edu
Alyssa Gribble, gribblead@appstate.edu
Director of Club Sports
Executive Officers
Erin Sanders, sandersec1@appstate.edu
Activities Coordinator Chelsea Watson, watsoncg@appstate.edu
Philicia Gibson, gibsonpn@appstate.edu Ian McNeill, mcneillim@appstate.edu Katherine Uva, uvakr@appstate.edu
10 OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND EQUESTRIAN TEAM
12 A TEAM FOR THE YEARS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
13 EXECUTIVE’S CORNER 14
BUILD YOUR BOARD SNOWBOARDING TEAM
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STRAIGHT TO THE BANK MEN’S ULTIMATE
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YOSEF FALL CLASSIC WOMEN’S LACROSSE
For more information on any of the club teams, visit the website: clubsports.appstate.edu email us at: clubsports@appstate.edu or call us at the Student Recreation Center (828) 262 2100
The September 12th Edition of the Club Sports Illustrated Designed by Alyssa Gribble
WRITTEN BY RILEY PARR, SECRETARY So far, every race I have done in my college career has been a blast. They have all had their ups and downs, but one stands out above the rest, being completely different than all of the others. The White Lake Triathlon is located a few miles south of Fayetteville, NC in midApril every year. Last semester, the triathlon team decided to have our one and only spring triathlon there. It was very unique in that we could volunteer the day beforehand to waive our entry fees. The “White Lake” itself was beautiful albeit a little bit cold (wetsuits were strongly recommended). Located towards
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the coast, the flat landscape was a welcomed change from the mountains we train in here. After checking out the course the night before, we went to bed in a little cabin about 20ft away from the finish line. Waking and warming up at 6 a.m. the next morning was difficult, and getting into the lake that early was a shocking way to wake up to say the least; but we were able to warm up quickly with our wetsuits. At the start, it was mass chaos as usual. I started off far too fast and 100 meters into the race; I panicked and gave up
hope of making it to the end of the swim. I had essentially forgotten the mechanics of swimming in my mind. I looked for the nearest boat to save me; but once I saw the boat, I realized that dropping out of a race would be one the most humiliating moments of my triathlon career. Regardless of what happened, I WAS going to finish (in the words of Dory, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming”). The next thing I knew, I was out of the water and executing a perfect transition into the bike. I slowly regained my confidence as I pedaled along in my element, passing people
“left and left.” Half way through, I was passed by some guys who had real jobs and could afford five thousand dollar bikes. Sure they looked fast with their expensive bikes; but it’s more about the rider than his set of wheels. I pushed and pushed until I got to the last transition to the run. After the start of the race, I did not see a single soul from my team. I had no idea if they were in front of me or behind me. My legs felt like they were molten lead. It was all I could do to propel them on the first mile. After that first agonizing 2000m, I got my stride and was a solid race pace. I
finally saw my teammates Will and Bobby. I pushed myself even harder trying to catch up. The sweat that had collected in my visor was now dripping into my eyes. Eastern North Carolina’s temperature shoots up very quickly in the spring, and the temperatures in the mid-80s were killing my Booneadapted body. When a teammate yelled that he was going to catch me, I ramped up my speed for the last mile and pushed all the way to the finish. In what felt like no time at all, I was done. Finally, I gasped and smiled and hugged my teammates, cheering on the ones yet to finish. It was then that I realized that even though my body was
sore, my muscles were throbbing, and my lungs were burning; I felt great. I knew at that moment that the feeling of finishing was amazing, and that I wanted to keep racing for the rest of my life.
“
I KNEW AT THAT MOMENT THAT I WANTED TO KEEP RACING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE
”
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WRITTEN BY CRAIG STEWART, SECRETARY
The question is never “if I crash” but “when I crash.” Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport. Road cycling lends itself to races where competitors are merely inches from one another. Road cycling also lends itself to close encounters with cars and drivers. Mountain biking might not have the risk of automobile accidents but gains risk due to sketchy trail conditions and obstacles that are not clearly marked. I have been involved in the worst of each. I have been T-boned by sedans, bucked by a boulder and thrown by another racer.The injuries are never pleasant to the eye. Most are marked with road rash that covers underlying bone fractures. Sometimes the injuries are not visible immediately but show up later. A vertebrate compression fracture can be hard to detect on
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a stretcher, speaking from personal experience. However, most recently, in the early swing of the collegiate mountain bike season I suffered a crash. Feeling confident and shredding swiftly I entered a rock garden that I could not handle, mainly from the rain making each jagged stone slick. I was thrown off the trail plummeting about 5-10 feet depending on my trajectory. The result was an open compound fracture of my nose along with the possibility of several broken teeth and a nasty concussion. I had fallen face first, landing onto a boulder. Luckily, I was riding with several friends who could help me out to the road as I picked pieces of bone out of my snot and blood. For the first time I questioned the dangers of my sport. If I had fallen at a slightly different angle, slightly farther down the hill, or slightly
faster off the trail the injury could have included unconsciousness or worse. Is the rush of cycling worth it? Can I continue to ride at such risks? Before now the answer has always been yes. However, I had never asked myself those questions previously. I have seen friends who have answered no, and I have observed others who continue to answer yes. For now my answer is yes but I do wonder what will change my mind.
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Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport
”
WRITTEN BY MELISSA MANDERBACH, CLUB SPORTS COUNCIL REP
One of my favorite rugby traditions is when we circle up before each game and hand out rubber bands to everyone on the team. Each band has a quote written on them to inspire us for the game ahead and every game’s quote is different. I think my favorite one had to be, “We came in like a wrecking ball”. It didn’t so much inspire us, but it did help us shake off our pre-game jitters. This team is like a family. We have each other’s backs on and off the field. I am most looking forward to getting to know the new players on our team and expanding our rugby loving family.
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With a couple weeks of practice under the belt, the Women’s Club Basketball team is very excited for the upcoming season. The girls have shown that hard work at practice is the only way to be successful. The teams motto this season is, “Every practice is a try out.” Coach, Dylan Eppley, starts every practice making this statement to the team to increase the intensity and keep the level of play like a game situation. The coaches are looking for improvement with every practice and everyone should push each other in order to make people better. If the girls get comfortable with their playing time, then the level of play may fall. The coaches want the team to fight for every possession and give 100%. Last year there were many unforgettable moments. One of the team’s favorite memories was the tournament at Maryland. After a full day of playing,
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the team spontaneously decided to go to Washington, DC late at night and see all the national monuments. It was refreshing to see a very competitive team relax and enjoy the away tournaments. The team saw these trips as bonding experiences and a chance for us to get closer. As the year moved on, one could see from the outside perspective, that team was becoming one unit and really becoming a force to be reckon with.
“ THE COACHES
ARE LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH EVERY PRACTICE
”
This upcoming season has a lot of excitement built into it. The women’s team is planning on going to James Madison University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest in the next couple months, as well as, a tournament hosted by the team in the Student Recreation Center right here in Boone on September 20th. It is expected to be a huge turnout at these tournaments featuring many teams throughout the southeast. The girls have started preparing since the second week of school and are steadily getting the expected cohesiveness required to compete and place in these tournaments.
WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA HORAN, SECRETARY
WRITTEN BY: CARLY WILSON, VICE PRESIDENT
Appalachian State is a beautiful place as we all
make an impact on the team. This year we have
know very well, or we wouldn’t be here. Sadly other
had more girls come out for the team then in the
schools never seem to want to travel to play us at
past and are looking forward to allowing everyone
home for Club Soccer. This is why we are so excited
to suite for the games this weekend. This will be a
for our games this weekend! Not only are they our
great start to our season and hopefully the first step
first games as a team this year, but we are actually
to our goal of making it to Regionals. So if anyone
hosting the round robin! We are playing Virginia
is looking for something to do this Sunday come out
Tech, always a rival of ours, and Wake Forest. Both
and support us at State Farm, we’d love to have a
are great teams that should lead to great games
crowd for our only home games.
that will not be easy wins. Our team is up for the challenge. We have some fantastic returners ready to play along with some new faces that want to
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HOWARD, ONE OF THE HORSES THAT MEMBERS GOT TO KNOW AT THE OPEN
WRITTEN BY MADDY MASON, DRESSAGE CAPTAIN
T
he first weekend of September was a successful one for ASU and the first of many big weekends for the Equestrian Team. Every year, our coaches and friends at Foothills Equestrian Center host an Open House as an opportunity for new riders to get acquainted with the facility, the coaches, and of course, everyone’s favorite horses. It also gives students and coaches a chance to sit down and finalize lesson schedules, an aweinspiring task that our coaches
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are somehow able to accomplish every semester. My name is Maddy Mason, Dressage Team Captain, and in my humble opinion, this year’s Open House went especially smoothly. To start, we were able to organize carpooling so that every new member could hitch a ride with a returning member and no one had to make the 45-mile trek through the boonies to FEC on their own. After our long journey down the mountain, we were greeted by
refreshments, air conditioning, and our coaches, Dana Dewey and Sarah Klasset. While both new and returning riders completed stacks upon stacks of paperwork, a few Equestrian Team veterans saddled-up some of our trusty steeds. Once the paperwork was conquered and the refreshments were pillaged, we ventured into the arena along with our equine partners Howard, Micky, Tristan, Skye, and Woody. Returning riders warmed up the horses and then handed off the reins to the proselytes, several of whom
SMUDGE, ONE OF THE BARN CATS
had not ridden in months or years and were aching to get on (and probably still aching when they got off). Each new member had an opportunity to ride under the observation of Dana and Sarah, in order to give new members a sense of what we do at FEC and to give the coaches a sense of where each rider is in terms of experience. After everyone had dismounted, some returning members brought the horses into the barn to be untacked and groomed while other team veterans led the novitiates on a tour of the farm. FEC is a beautiful facility located in, you guessed it, the rolling red foothills of western North Carolina. The farm is home to about 50 horses (not to mention an entire pride of barn cats) and I remember being quite in awe of the herds of horses, acres of pastureland,
and roomfuls of saddles when I was a freshman attending Open House. I hope that this year’s new members are as excited as I was, and still am, to ride at FEC. Our Western team and their coach Roy Blanton also put on a great Open House at Risin’ B Ranch this past weekend. Between these two successful events and ASU’s crushing victory at our first home game, it was a good weekend for the Equestrian Team. And with horse shows rapidly approaching, including our ASU home show at FEC on October 26, it was only the first of many big weekends this semester. Despite our excitement about the rest of the semester, we are reminded that this is also a painful time for ASU and for the family of Anna M. Smith. We are all hoping for her safe return.
“
I hope that this year’s new members are as excited as I was, and still am, to ride at the FEC
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WRITTEN BY CORBIN BRUTON, SECRETARY
T
here’s no doubt being a freshman is scary. We’ve all been through those nerve-wracking moments that can only be described as such. If it weren’t for Club Volleyball, I personally would have had a
much harder time making friends as a freshman. Not only did Club Volleyball give me an outlet for my competitiveness, it also gave me the opportunity to meet girls who were similar to me. I once heard one of our girls compare our club to a sorority. At first, I was a little thrown off… how could a team be similar to a sorority? Then I began to make the connection and I kept coming back to one word, sisterhood. Just like sorority members, our girls are forging bonds in our club that will last them throughout college and maybe even beyond. When asked about her first impression of Club Volleyball, Freshman Addie McGraw said, “I felt I had walked into a room full of fun people, that I’ll get along with for my 4 years here at Appalachian.” Not only does joining a club sport allow you to play the sport you love, but it also gives you the opportunity to create friendships that will carry you throughout your college experience. Volleyball is one thing that has stayed a constant in my life, and I think a part of that is the want to always have a team that will support me. In that way, I can see a clear connection between
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a sorority and a team. After all, sisters are there to support you, care for you and make you a better person, just like a teammate
OUR GIRLS ARE FORGING BONDS IN OUR CLUB THAT WILL LAST THEM THROUGHOUT COLLEGE AND MAYBE EVEN BEYOND
”
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is supposed to. Reflecting back on her 4 years as a player for Club Volleyball, Senior Stephanie Glasgow comments, “I have seen this club grown tremendously. Not only becoming more competitive, but more unified as a club. It’s no longer about staying with the girls you know, it’s about ALL of us playing together, making friends and improving as a whole so that we can all compete at a higher level.” I think this comment solidly represents what Club Volleyball is aiming to become, a group that freshman can join that will give them the value of sisterhood as well as an outlet to compete and improve in the sport they are passionate for.
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In our second Club Sports Council
WRITTEN BY:
event for a minimum of one hour.
meeting of 2014-2015, we started
IAN MCNEILL, CLUB SPORTS EXECUTIVE
“
TEAM UNITY COMMITTEE PROPOSED THAT EACH TEAM HAVE A BROTHER/ SISTER TEAM
”
preparing National Championship reimbursement
guidelines
for
with a quick run through of all
On a less gleeful note, in light
addition to the club sports manual.
the activity that teams have been
of recent events on campus Erin
Community service will be helping
a part of since our last meeting.
decided to tell us about two
with Boone clean-up day on
Highlights included a Mens Rugby
safety apps that will soon become
Saturday, September 20th, 2014
scrimmage free of injuries, news
available for students. The first,
and are also considering assisting
that the Cycling team began
TAPSHIELD, is a live feed of what
with the local blood drive. Finally,
their 2014 campaign with a good
crime is going on around you at
publicity talked about where and
showing in Raleigh and word that
all times and includes features
how to put up more club sports
Women’s Soccer will be competing
that will allow family and friends
posters around campus and are
against Virginia Tech and Wake
to track where you are. The second
working on stickers!
Forest this coming weekend! We
app, Lifeline Response, will alert
hope to continue the trend of good
local police if the user’s finger
Concluding the meeting, Alyssa
news in future updates. Following
slips off the designated spot on
reminds us to have a non-social
this period we breezed through
the phone screen.
media website available to be
the nonexistent Old Business
linked to the club sports website,
category (as there was no old
In the last half of our meeting the
Chelsea reminds us to have
bidness to take care of) and began
council representatives broke up
coaches do coach forms and to see
to delve into the New Business
into their respective committees.
her if you have reserved a facility,
category. September 22nd marks
A lot hard work is put into the
and Erin says you need to read
the beginning of National Hazing
committees at each meeting, and
the darn minutes to find out what
Prevention Week and club sports
this week was no exception. Team
she said!
is proud to be playing a part in
Unity proposed that each team
the activities this week. Katherine
have a brother/sister team that
I hope everyone has a great next
Uva spoke about the budget point
they can attend competitions
two weeks of competition and
opportunity that will be available
with and earn some budget
fun and I look forward to hearing
for this event. In order to earn a
points if enough spectating team
about all that you have done.
budget point a team must simply
members attend. The budget
have four team members at the
point
committee
worked
on
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WRITTEN BY: TYLER GRANDIS, PRESIDENT
It is a new year, a new team, and we are already
as you won’t be too comfortable in the negative
gearing up to go shred on the slopes. That rush
degree weather and will probably be banned
of the ride is so close but there is something
from the slope, here is a list of other accessories:
that every snowboarder needs before the snow
such as UV protection and anti-fog coatings. Helmet- WEAR A HELMET! You can get these in all sorts of steezy styles now a days and they
falls, and that is a set up! For many people on
Jacket and Pants - Go waterproof on these
will protect you against yourself and others. I
the team and across the Appalachian community
as many days you will get wet. You can always
can’t tell you the amount of injuries I have seen
the move to the mountains signifies the time
wear layers underneath as long as your outer
prevented due to a helmet, plus your head will
to buy their own equipment for the first time.
shell has a good water-proof rating.
be much warmer on cold days.
This can be daunting for some as the options are endless and it can cost a fortune to broke
Facemask - Ever go through a snow blower at
college students. In this article I hope to outline
full speed without one of these? It stings.
some of the things every rider should look for when browsing to buy your own equipment.
Gloves - Find some with a good waterproof rating. Nothing worse than freezing fingers.
First we need to talk about the absolute necessities! Technically all you need are the
Goggles - This is so you can see when it snows.
three B’s, Board, Boots, and Bindings. You could
The cheapest pair of these will get you through
just have these on and go earn major GNAR
the day while the more expensive will have
points with a BN (bare-naked) run. But seeing
better style features as well as functionality
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“all you need are
the three b’s: board, boots, and bindings
”
1.
Board This is the big ticket item that people spend the most time looking over. When shopping around these are the things you
2.
Boots Boots are extremely important to your set up. I highly recommend buying your boots in a shop rather than online so you
should look for. If you do your research
can measure the comfort that it provides.
you can buy a board in a shop or online but may be able to find
If your boots are uncomfortable then snowboarding becomes a
a better sale on the web.
lot less fun very quickly. Your toes should be close to the toe but not scrunched up against it. If you are looking to race/ speed you
Design - So everyone wants to have to coolest looking board
may want to consider a stiffer boot. Lastly boots have different
on the mountain but really this should not be your number one
lace styles and it is really just personal preference. Quick lace
reason for buying the board. Most boards come in one or two
systems will be faster but may come loose more often.
different design types, though a shop may only have one.
Size - A general rule for a new rider is that you want your board to reach about where your chin is. Park riding boards tend to be smaller as there is less weight to throw around as you do tricks. Racing boards will be longer to allow for more edge contact with the snow.
Flexibility - The flex scale goes from 1-10 on most boards. Right in the middle is where you want to be for general riding and where most all-mountain boards lie. Racing boards tend to be in the higher range (stiff) and will be more difficult to turn and control. Park boards will be on the low end (flex-tastic!) to allow for more pop but will not feel stable at high speeds.
Edge - The metal edge around the board is what allows you to turn effectively through the snow. Most board edges are in a straight line but some have a feature called magnetraction (this is the LibTech term, other companies call it different things) which basically makes the edge “wavy”. This puts more points of contact on the snow and allows for better control of turns. I highly recommend magnetraction if you like to go fast.
3.
Bindings This should really be the least of your concerns out of the three B’s. Cheaper bindings will get the job done and are a
good way to save if you are on a budget. As you move up in price
Camber vs Rocker - This refers to how your board is bent
you will be able to get more comfort and style and more support
when looking at it on flat ground. A camber board will allow for
if you are an advanced rider. A medium to high price binding may
more points of contact on the snow and is good for turning and
also have better straps that are more resistant to freezing and
holding your edge. Rocker is what you will see with more park/
coming undone. You do want to make sure you buy a size that
jib boards and allows for extra float in powder and you are less
fits on your board as well as your boot.
likely to catch an edge, but it will not turn as easily and will be slower than a camber board. I recommend camber boards for new riders.
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WRITTEN BY RYAN SCHANZ, SECRETARY
The Appalachian State Men’s Ultimate team
However, mindset behind sending two
At Bank Run a major goal for the first year
looks to build off some of their late season
squads to this tournament is clearly rookie
players is to become comfortable being
mistakes last year as they begin their 2014-
development. With the amount of athletic first
uncomfortable. This may sound like an
15 campaign. Although the Nomads lost some
year players that have come to practice the
oxymoron, but in Ultimate, players are always
key players, Mark Stumpf and Justin Allen,
sky is the limit for this program.
put into unique situations they can’t prepare
they look to a strong rookie class as well as determined veterans to pick up where they left off. The Nomads are also adding a coach, Eric Woolridge. Woolridge is coming off an impressive summer of Club Masters play, which was capped off with winning the World Ultimate Club Championships in Lecco, Italy. Starting the season on the right foot is very important to the Nomads and they plan on doing this as they travel to Charlotte to compete in Bank Run next weekend. At this tournament the Nomads will face off against in section opponents from across the state, and although they will be playing as x and y squads, still look to win the championships.
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“STARTING THE
for. All they can do is to become comfortable being uncomfortable. To prepare for this, a high priority at Nomad practice is to get rookies involved on the field and in situations
SEASON ON THE RIGHT FOOT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NOMADS
”
they might not have seen before. This is an area where the addition of Woolridge is really paying off. With only a few practice days before Bank Run, Woolridge or Ewoo as the players call him, is pushing the team to work harder than they ever have before. For anyone interesting in playing for the Nomads please email the captains at Appalachianmensultimate@gmail.com.
WRITTEN BY CAROLYN GENAY, PRESIDENT
The start of the Fall 2014 semester has
the “Yosef Fall Classic”, this September.
slightly exhausted, the officers are
been an exciting time for the women’s
This year, 6 teams will be joining App
feeling especially proud of the hard work
lacrosse team. With large numbers and a
State right off the beautiful Blue Ridge
they have all contributed in making this
remarkably high skill level, the semester
Mountains for a weekend of non-
tournament the success it is bound to
is looking up for this dedicated group
conference fall-ball.
be! Come support App Lax on September
of girls.
The team is getting excited
all over the East Coast, include ECU,
to be hosting their third annual home
Charlotte Women’s Lacrosse Club, UNCC,
tournament, taking on a new name as
UConn, Lynchburg, and Radford. Though
The teams from
27th and 28th at State Farm Fields!
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