8 minute read
Student Athlete of the Month
By Ashley Hoskins
Starting basketball at eight-years-old, Julia Rueda (‘23) strives for excellence as a sophomore point guard on the varsity girls’ basketball team at J.W. Mitchell High School. Rueda leads her team to victory by scoring numerous points during games, with guidance from her coach, Mr. James Devins (FAC). Through previous friendships with her fellow teammates, she learns what it takes to become a leader and encourage others on and off the court.
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“During the season, I try winning one game at a time. Lifting up my teammates during games is very important, especially if we’re down by a few points. I tell them to shake it off and get the ball back on the next play in order to keep them focused on the next possession. We’re hoping to make it to districts, then states and further towards the end of the season,” Rueda said.
Making varsity two years in a row comes with joy but also hardships needed to work through. Rueda received a mild injury during the fifth game of the season, which meant taking time away from the sport she loved most.
“I thought getting up early and spending long hours of practice was going to be the hard part of this journey. I had gotten a concussion around the middle of December and was out for about a month. Since it wasn’t too major, I knew I would come back at some point. Being patient was the difficult part,” Rueda said.
With endless conditioning and long practices, Rueda plans on considering basketball as a college path once she graduates high school in 2023.
“Since basketball has always been my number one sport, It would be nice to play in college. I would definitely look into options, such as Division one schools like the University of South Florida or the University of Central Florida in the future,” Rueda said.
Rueda continues to succeed as she leads her team by 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and 4.6 steals per game. During their six-game winning streak, she had led the way, which included critical victories over Fivay High School, Nature Coast High School, and Calvary Christian High School.
As she dribbles down the court, Julia Rueda looks to pass the ball to a teammate in the Jan. 22 against East Lake High School. Photo by Olivia Hunt
By Jelayna Vasquez
Although the Mitchell wrestling team has not placed first in any tournament in the last six years, that could be changing thanks to the efforts of Logan O’Leary, a junior at J.W. Mitchell High School. O’Leary has been wrestling for three years and has become an important member of the team according to his coach, Michael Loguidice. “He is undefeated this year with a record of 8 wins and no losses. Logan is one of my two team captains and always goes above expectations. His leadership got us to get first place at the Gulf Christmas Duals,” Loguidice said. The wrestling matches are divided by weight class. Starting with the lightest weight class of no more than 106 lbs., and each team or school sends the teammates that fit in that weight class until they reach up to the heavyweight class. “To prepare for matches, the team jogs, stretches out, then we go through our moves and wrestle with our team to get warm. The team is like a family, we are all really close and we do the best to push each other to be better,” O’Leary said. O’Leary decided to join the team his freshman year after his father had the idea for him to try it. He was interested in wrestling and realized he liked it after trying it out, so he continued to keep up with it. By junior year he earned a leadership role on the team. “As co-captain, it’s my job to make sure everyone is working their hardest in practice, in their matches, and that the team stays motivated. David [ the other co-captain] and myself work really well together. We both started wrestling at the same time and we’ve gotten really close. We both do our best to keep everyone in the right headspace,” O’Leary said. So far this season, the team has a record of 12 wins and 25 losses. One of O’Leary’s most recent wins came from the meet on Jan. 19 at the Anclote Quads, bringing his new record to 20 wins and 6 losses, with just one more team tournament left this weekend. As a part of the COVID-19 protocols in public schools, O’Leary was quarantined from Jan. 22 to Feb. 2, which stopped him from competing at matches during that time period, including the Mustang Duals on Jan. 26. He will return to the gymnasium on Feb. 5 and 6 at Hudson High School for the Hudson Duals.
In Feb. 2020, Logan O’Leary takes down his Wesley Chapel opponent. Photo by Gigante Productions
avoiding a previously scheduled invasive Harrington rod surgery.
The gentle science driven Orthospinology procedures she used, coupled with the research performed on those procedures, form the basis for his cuttingedge chiropractic practice today. A Stetson University graduate, Dr. Dingus earned his chiropractic doctorate degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, FL.
Let his own words on his online website, westpascochiro.com., tell you how a classmate’s mother’s referral to his mentor changed his life forever: “This was a major influence in my life and allowed me to pursue an athletic career, as I love my sports! I was able to play high school golf and basketball before receiving a scholarship to play golf at Stetson University. When I graduated from Stetson, it was abundantly clear the path God had laid out for me.”
“I graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in September of 2018 and was an associate doctor at Dr. Julie Hunt’s practice. My life had really come full circle! I am very passionate about bringing upper cervical specific care to Pasco County and helping everyone maintain health through a balanced nervous system.”
As Dr. Dingus noted in our interview, he, like his
mentor, is a specialized type of chiropractor. “I focus on the upper cervical spine. My adjustments are the highest quality range you can get. They are very specific.” My wife and I always associated chiropractors with cracking bones and pain afterwards. We did not know why he referred to the adjustment as “specific.”
I learned that his “specific” applied to what he told me were the Atlas and Axis (C1-C2), two unique vertebrae that, unlike any other, ligament and muscle hold in place, instead of bone. Although this allows for greater mobility, it also makes them more susceptible to misalignment that can produce irritation to the brain stem and nervous system. That is what helps account for many sports injuries and fall-related ones today.
It was equally surprising to learn he treats as, he said, everything from “the actual range of conditions related to Chiari malformation (brain tissue extending into the spinal canal, present at birth when part of the skull is abnormally small or misshapen), multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases affecting brain health, and typical neck pain, midback pain, low-back and sciatic nerve pain, etc.”
Dr. Dingus noted he doesn’t use “any pharmaceutical intervention.” He doesn’t write any drug prescriptions for pain. Instead, the adjustments he performs, do not confuse them with the manual manipulation of the lower back or neck, are very precise and allow improved range of motion.
Unlike traditional methods, Dr. Dingus uses a device that achieves a more detailed level of adjustment, applying less than two pounds of pressure to the affected area to achieve the desired results. He has found this lighter touch to be more desirable for his patients.
Dr. Dingus is committed to your spinal health. Aligning your spine is not a hit-or-miss proposition. It is an exacting scientific process. Taking multiple x-rays is an important part of your diagnosis for him. He takes them before your first correction to determine the precise vector he will need to restore your spine to its proper alignment.
Ask yourself the important questions the West Pasco Chiropractic Clinic is asking you. “Are you suffering? Is your body telling you that something is wrong and isn’t working properly? Explore a unique approach to maintaining health.” While you are there, don’t worry about accidental exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
The office follows all recommended safety precautions including social distancing, the required use of masks and sanitizing spaces before and after each patient. For your convenience, you can call the office when you arrive and go directly to an examination room, bypassing the waiting room entirely if you choose.
Passionate about helping everyone maintain health through a balanced nervous system, with Dr. Dingus, you have nothing to lose except your pain! Call today for a
healthier tomorrow. 727 514 8532. Schedule your no charge consultation today! West Pasco Chiropractic Clinic, 1928 Duck Slough Blvd, Trinity, FL 34655. Just a short drive from anywhere in Pasco County. Visit their website for more information: westpascochiro.com or follow them on:
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