Buckshot | September 2019

the magazine

SEPTEMBER 2019

NOT

SLOWING DOWN

BLOOMER VOLLEYBALL’S KLIMA WON’T LET CYSTIC FIBROSIS KEEP HER OFF THE FLOOR

MORE INSIDE

LEAD

-TELE ER

P

UB

AM GR

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• Stanley-Boyd grad Ponick making impact with UW-Whitewater football • Local equestrian teams at Chi-Hi and Memorial riding confidence to success

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the magazine

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 4: Bloomer’s Jordan Klima not letting CF slow her down 8: Posterized: North’s Haley Cronin 10: Stanley-Boyd’s Ronny Ponick finding major role on UW-Whitewater football 13: Chippewa Falls, Memorial equestrian teams riding confidence to success

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SEPTEMBER 2019 | BUCKSHOT THE MAGAZINE

NO GIVING UP Bloomer’s Klima isn’t letting CF slow her down

By Jack Goods BLOOMER — Jordan Klima has to lug around a vest in a suitcase whenever she goes far from home. Not very convenient, considering it weighs about 40 pounds.

That’s been her normal for pretty much as long as she can remember. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was two years old, requiring her to jump through hoops to live as close to a normal life as possible.

There was a time when Klima, who moved to her third high school as a junior after her father got a new job, wanted to keep it all a secret from her Bloomer classmates. With time, her

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comfort level increased to the point where she was ready to share with her volleyball teammates.

On the Blackhawks’ first trip of the season, a bus ride to Whitewater, she laid everything out for her teammates.

She even let the girls try out the vest, which sends out rapid bursts of air to loosen mucus from airway walls.

“It’s pretty mind boggling, to be honest,” Bloomer coach Liz Bohl said.

“For myself and the other coaches that were there and the girls, it was very eye-opening. That’s when I finally understood.”

It’s important for her to share her life with those around her. Cystic fibrosis doesn’t define her, but it’s an important part of her story.

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Bloomer’s Jordan Klima poses by the net in the Blackhawks’ gym following volleyball practice on Sept. 16.

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Guest Article

The

real

impacT of a concussion

As fall approaches and students prepare to return to school, many look forward to the return of fall and winter sports. Participation in sports is rewarding. Athletes develop leadership skills, character and work ethic. Being a part of a team produces lasting memories beyond high school. However, there are risks associated with sports participation, and I would like to discuss one in particular: Concussion.

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a traumatic head injury with temporary loss of some brain function.Concussions most often are associated with contact sports,such as football, hockey and wrestling. However, concussions can occur in any sport in which one can sustain head trauma or sudden acceleration/deceleration.

Frequently, a concussion is caused by a blow to the side of the head, which causes a sudden lateral acceleration and deceleration of the brain within the skull.

These types of injuries can occur at a much lower velocity or force than a head-tohead impact, as the athlete usually cannot anticipate or brace for the side impact, as opposed to the typical head-on impact.

Concussion has often been referred to as mild traumatic brain injury, although that term is misleading, as the long-term consequences of concussions, particularly multiple concussions, can be significant, and the “mild” term is less frequently used.

What are the symptoms of a concussion? Symptoms of a concussion include: • Headache • Visual changes • “Foggy” feeling • Difficulty concentrating • Difficulty recalling the injury Other symptoms can include: • Emotional changes • Nausea or vomiting • Drowsiness • Difficulty following conversations or lectures in school

• Difficulty doing homework • Incoordination or difficulty with balance • Loss of consciousness What should I do if I think I have a concussion?

Treatment involves monitoring for symptom resolution or change, as well as physical and cognitive rest or reduction of such activities as school work, television time, playing video games and text messaging. Sometimes, physical or occupational therapy is suggested. Symptoms usually resolve within three weeks, though they may persist or complications may occur.

It is important not to downplay concussion symptoms, as persistent symptoms are a sign that the concussion may be more extensive. Concussion severity is based more on the duration of symptoms and not on the intensity of the symptoms at the time of the injury. If you think you have a concussion, it is best to seek medical attention immediately. A concussion is not to be taken lightly, and with proper treatment, most recover with no long-term effects. As the science of concussion advances, our treatments and recommendations continue to evolve.

By: Russell Bergum, D.O., Mayo Clinic Health System

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“It’s kind of like a severe asthma,” Klima said.

“People with asthma don’t generally go out and join track or cross country, but it’s one of those things, like, hey, I’m out here doing this. People with asthma may might look at me and think, ‘If she can do it, I can too.”

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease which causes a mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene, affecting the body’s ability to move chloride to the cell surface. Mucus in multiple organs, notably the lungs, gets thick and can cause clogs without the chloride attracting water to the cell surface. More than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis in the United States and more than 70,000 worldwide according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry.

Cystic fibrosis is an invisible illness. If Jordan wasn’t open with her classmates, many wouldn’t even know.

“You don’t know because she just does,” Bohl said. “She fits in and she does what she’s supposed to do.”

But behind the scenes, there’s a lot of work that goes into keeping her healthy.

Of course, there’s medications, inhalers and about an hour a day of respiratory therapy, which is what the vest is for. She needs about 4,800 calories a day and needs a high fat, salt and protein diet. That sometimes means extra trips to Dairy Queen or making sure there are extra packets of salt available in the school cafeteria. She goes to Minneapolis, home of some of the top CF doctors in the country, regularly.

The last piece of treatment, which makes her role on the Blackhawks so vital, is about an hour of cardiovascular exercise per day to clear the secretions.

“There’s those days where sports, you’re just like, not having it,” Klima said. “But I know that those athletics and that running and that training also helps with the CF and maintaining it.”

“Volleyball has really been the thing to keep her active,” said Spring Klima, Jordan’s mother. “If she had not worked hard and been able to stay in volleyball and been able to contribute and she had fallen out of a sport ... her health would not be where it is.”

Jordan’s memory of the early years is blurry, but Spring said they’d taken her to the hospital 13 or 14 times before her diagnosis. She had a serious lung infection and a collapsed lung and weighed 18 pounds, about the size of a six month old.

“The nurse practitioner that we saw many times actually called social services on us and reported us for not feeding her,” Spring said.

It was clear something was wrong. What exactly was still up in the air.

“They did a whole bunch of tests,” Spring said.

“It took them 11 days to figure out what it was.”

There is currently no cure to CF and, while medical advancements have improved the outlook of those diagnosed, it is still daunting news to hear.

In the 1950s, children diagnosed rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school. Now, many live long enough to live out their dreams of going to college and starting a career.

“It’s hard on family and friends because everybody goes and looks it up when I tell them,” Klima said. “They’re like, ‘This is going to happen to you.’ No, it’s not because I work hard to keep myself healthy. You guys push me to keep myself healthy.”

Doctors weren’t sure she was going to be one of the lucky ones at first due to her frequent illnesses. She was nominated for a Make-A-Wish trip, which she eventually made to Disney World, but it took her two years to even get healthy enough to do that.

“Make-A-Wish people are fantastic,” Spring said.

“They’re used to dealing with very critically ill people with many health needs and still making dreams come true. But Jordan was literally too sick to go up there for an interview to tell them what she wanted.”

The fact that she fought through, and now can compete at a varsity level, is a testament to both her work ethic and advances in medicine.

“I’ve broke a lot of records,” Klima said.

On the floor, Klima is a setter playing her first year at the varsity level for the Blackhawks.

Bohl complimented her ability to get everyone involved as well as her volleyball smarts, likely developed after spending time in multiple programs over her high school years.

“You can tell she’s been around the game of volleyball,” Bohl said. “She’s ball smart. ... She knows strategies.”

Her competitive volleyball career is close to coming to an end, but there are bright moments on the horizon. Following her graduation this spring, she’s planning on continuing a family legacy by going to North Dakota State University, the same school her brother currently attends and her parents, both grads, met at. She’ll study pre-physical therapy, getting some inspiration from those who helped her along the way.

“When I was admitted to the hospital in fourth grade I had a physical therapist and I didn’t want to do what he wanted me to do,” Klima said. “I was tired. I was in pain. I just wasn’t myself. But I know that he’s one of the bigger reasons that I’m healthier now. He actually pushed me to do that stuff.”

PHOTO BY BRANDEN NALL

Bloomer’s Jordan Klima goes to make a pass in the Blackhawks’ gym on Sept. 16.

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Stanley-Boyd alumnus Ronny Ponick, now of UW-Whitewater, stiff arms a Dubuque defender during a game on Sept. 7 in Whitewater.

Stanley-Boyd alumnus Ponick embracing captaincy for UW-Whitewater football team

F

By Spencer Flaten

our years ago when Ronny Ponick made his way across campus to head to practice, his destination was the mat.

Back then, he was Ronny Ponick the wrestler. The Augsburg freshman certainly had the credentials: He made the podium at the WIAA state wrestling tournament as a third-place finisher in 2014, and was a two-time state qualifier.

But those weren’t the only feats on his resume. Although his post-high

school career took him to the mat, he was equally menacing on the gridiron. The running back helped Stanley-Boyd win a Division 5 state football championship in 2013, and was an honorable mention all-state linebacker the following year.

And after a year of college wrestling, Ponick couldn’t ignore a better academic fit back in his home state that had another big perk: the chance to strap on a football helmet again.

So he packed his things and transferred to UW-Whitewater, where

he has become Ronny Ponick the football player again. Four years later, the Warhawks are glad he did.

“I wanted to play football again,” Ponick said. “I was also looking at different avenues for school and career paths, but ultimately football was something I wanted to get back into.”

Now a senior, Ponick is a team captain and a prolific running back for one of the best Division III programs in the nation.

No, not even he expected to end up with this large of a role in Whitewater.

BUCKSHOT THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2019

“I didn’t expect it at first,” he said.

“Just trusting the values of the program helped springboard me into the position I’m in now. I’m honored that my teammates picked me to be in the position I’m in now, and the coaching staff and people around the program.”

Ponick was Whitewater’s second-leading rusher as a junior, racking up 902 yards and 11 touchdowns on 138 carries.

He helped lead the Warhawks to a WIAC title and the national semifinals, where their quest for a Division III championship ended just short of its goal with a loss to eventual champion Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Through two games this season, Ponick has gained 101 rushing yards and scored once for the third-ranked Warhawks. But as team captain, his role stretches beyond just what he can do with the ball.

“It’s a huge opportunity to lead,” Ponick said. “We get the guys ready, get them fired up for the game. Realistically, there’s probably about 20 guys on the team that are always leading, but overall it’s a huge honor to have the ‘C.’” Ponick’s ascent into a leadership role for a team like Whitewater, which has won six national titles since 2007, didn’t come as a surprise to those around the Stanley-Boyd program.

“He was always a hard worker on and off the field, and teammates see that and respond to that,” Orioles head coach Jeff Koenig said. “And he’s also a person with good character, and people respond to that as well. So it doesn’t surprise me. He was in a leadership role on our team, and I’m glad he’s been able to continue that success.”

When it comes to his on-the-field skill

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set, it would be difficult to find more of a workhorse-style back than Ponick. The 5-foot-8, 200-pounder runs hard and is tough to bring down.

“He never wanted to be beat, his competitive nature was always there in practice drills and the weight room,” Koenig said. “That’s fun to work with.”

And he’s on a team of like-minded individuals with the Warhawks. Whitewater features a balanced rushing attack which already has produced four 100-yard rushers on the season.

And as the wins keep coming, it doesn’t really matter to Ponick who’s getting the ball.

“It’s just knowing that there’s a job to do, and it doesn’t matter who’s out there, it has to get done no matter what,” Ponick said. “We seniors have the younger guys’ backs, and the younger guys hold us accountable. Having those types of values is what’s going to make us dangerous this year.”

This season is Ponick’s last chance to take the field for the program he’s called home for four years. After coming close to national glory a couple of times in his career, he and his teammates are aiming to make this the year they get the job done.

But when the sun has set on Ponick’s football career, he said he’ll remember the values and lessons he learned from his leadership role more than any win or loss.

“Obviously winning is the ultimate goal,” he said. “But going out every day and working with the guys, making sure they have the best game they can have, that’s more important than doing it yourself.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO

Stanley-Boyd’s Ronny Ponick runs through the Amherst defense during a WIAA Division 5 state semifinal at DC Everest in 2014.

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KEEPING THEIR COOL

Local equestrian teams all about confidence, with outstanding results

By Aaron Rose CHIPPEWA FALLS — Hannah Tambornino stands calmly along the edge of the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. Behind her stands her horse Doc, who is facing the opposite direction. At this point, she’s in the danger zone. A spooked horse can have a lethal backward kick. At any moment, a falling leaf could startle Doc, causing him to rear up and knock Tambornino out with a deadly blow.

And yet, she is unfazed.

“You need to be comfortable with your horse and your surroundings,” she says.

Equestrian is all about confidence. It’s a sport about looking calm and graceful on top of a 1,000-plus pound animal whose willingness to follow instructions can waver at a moment’s notice.

“You really need to be in control of your emotions because the horses sense when you’re upset,” Chippewa Falls equestrian coach Cara Schueller said. “Horses look to their riders to be leaders, so if that person is scared, the horse is going to be scared. So you really need to develop that emotional stability and self confidence.”

That comfort takes years of hard work to develop and it’s what has made Chippewa Falls’ equestrian team state champions at the Division A level of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Horsemanship Association for six straight seasons.

When Schueller took over the program in 2012, the Cardinals had never won a state title. The team only practiced once a week and she had a staff of three, but her riders were

thirsting for more organized training.

So Schueller responded. Now, Chi-Hi equestrian has a six person staff and the team trains three times a week, often until darkness.

They’ll spend hours at the fairgrounds preparing for competition.

First comes horsemanship and equitation training. During these events riders are judged on elegance and accuracy in movement. After that, a new set of coaches hop onto the dirt and help the riders train for the gaming and speed events, during which riders are required to race around and through poles, barrels and flags with speed and precision.

The riders often make it look easy, moving their horses through the obstacles with subtle kicks to the side, shakes of a leg, and kissing and clucking sounds.

STAFF PHOTO BY STEVE KINDERMAN

Chippewa Falls High School sophomore Hannah Tambornino competes with her horse, “Doc,” as a member of her school’s equestrian team.

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STAFF PHOTO BY STEVE KINDERMAN

Ruthann Haile rides “Patience” through a pole bending course during Chi-Hi Equestrian Team practice on Sept. 15 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.

“When you’re riding in pleasure, we don’t want people to see what we’re doing,” said Ruthann Haile, a senior at Chi-Hi. “So for most people it probably looks like we’re doing nothing on the horse, but there is a lot going on.”

It’s dozens of tiny movements that, if done properly, will create something beautiful. But done without precision and a horse will stand still, refusing to move, or worse.

Take Tambornino’s other horse for example.

“He had a problem with pressure,” Tambornino said. “He ended up rearing up and he went over and I went over.

He went over backward and fell on me. I only got kicked in the head, thank God I was wearing a helmet, and I got hit in the back, but it only left bruises. I was one of the lucky ones.”

These moments can leave riders physiologically scarred, afraid to ride again for lengthy periods of time.

In Fall Creek, Eau Claire Memorial’s equestrian team, winners of two reserve state titles, spent Sunday afternoon training at coach Elizabeth Whinery’s barn.

There, senior Sheila Treacy and her horse were jumping for the first time since her nasty spill a few weeks ago.

“I like to say my horse and I parted ways, he went one way and I went the other,” she said with a chuckle. “I landed right on my

hip and got a soft tissue injury.”

Mentally, Treacy is still recovering from the fall.

“When you ride you kind of gain muscle memory and then when you fall, your brain thinks your going to fall again if something small goes wrong, so I lost that muscle memory,” she said. “So if I react in a panic it makes things go worse.”

That’s what makes equestrian such a difficult sport. It’s a mental game where confidence is key and it requires riders to know the intricacies of their animal. And at times, even expert riders can be at the whims of an unhappy horse reluctant to follow instructions.

“Every horse here has had days where it’s come in here, they look amazing and other days where they say, ‘Not today, thank you very much,’” Whinery said.

That added element is why Memorial’s Allisa Hansen can’t eat during competition days. She said she wakes up with jitters that last until she’s in the ring and the competition begins.

For both these teams, the quest for another state title begins on September 28 at Wild Bill’s Riders Saddle Club. They won’t know how they stack up compared to their competition until they show up and size up their opponents, so for now, all they can do is keep training, building that confidence so that there are no hiccups come game day.

BUCKSHOT THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2019

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