One Thumb for the
Iowa City Regina wins unprecedented fifth-straight state title
Iowa City Regina RB/LB Jake Brinkman
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Darrin Cline Reporter
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STATE VOLLEYBALL REVIEW
Recap and photos from the 2014 state volleyball tournament.
FALL SPORTS REVIEW
A look back at cross-country, girls swimming and fall golf.
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HY-VEE HORIZON ATHLETES
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STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
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BE A SPORT
Some of the state’s top performers from the past month, sponsored by Hy-Vee and Horizon Dairy.
Western Christian’s Jamie Gesink excels both on the volleyball and basketball courts, as well as the classroom. Read her Q&A.
Nancy Justis tackles the issue of overtraining in youth athletics.
Editor’s Note: In this issue, we recap all of the fall sports as we enter the winter season. Find a recap and photos from the state volleyball
tournament held in Cedar Rapids on Nov. 11-14, as well as a fall sports review covering swimming, golf and cross-country. And be sure to check out our feature stories on each of the six state football champions, plus photos from the UNI-Dome and our first team All-State selections.
state
Football PG 14
High School
STATE VOLLEYBALL RECAP Darrin Cline | Reporter
The 2014 edition of the annual descent on Cedar Rapids for the Iowa high school state volleyball tournament featured one of the greatest talent pools in the state’s history. A bevy of college recruits, astounding title streaks and dominating performances culminated in a tournament rich with passion. Bettendorf came into the Class 5A state championship match with the word “dynasty” surrounding the program. The Bulldogs had become firmly entrenched as the big school powerhouse in Iowa; they had captured the last two state titles, rode a 47-match winning streak and held the No. 1 ranking all year. They were the only state finalist squad to carry an unblemished record into the championship round. However, Ankeny Centennial came into the state tournament with a head of steam and one of the best players in Class 5A in Jaali Winters. The Creightonbound recruit and All-Tournament team captain guided the Jaguars to the state title in a sweep. In hard-fought first set, Centennial fended off the defending champs, 29-27. The Jaguars then hit their stride in the next two sets, edging out 25-22 and 2521 victories. Ankeny Centennial dropped only one set during the state tournament, losing the opening set to Iowa City High. The win marked the first girls’ state championship for Ankeny Centennial in only its second year of existence. Winters was joined on the AllTournament team by teammates Jordyn Rittman and McKenna Pierson, Megan Sharkey and Daniella Pennington of Bettendorf, Kristen Stucker of Johnson and Kelsey Johnson of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln. In Class 4A, Harlan was back to defend their crown after winning their first-ever volleyball championship last year. After dispatching Lewis Central and Clear Creek-Amana in straight sets, the Cyclones rallied in four sets to topple West Delaware. The Hawks took the first set, dominating the defending champs, 25-16. Powered by the strength and athleticism of outside hitter Jess Schaben, Harlan found its groove in the next set with a 2518 victory; the girls kept the rhythm going with a 25-19 third set win. With one set standing between
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them and their second-straight title, the Cyclones rolled in the fourth set with a dominating 25-10 performance. Schaben, with her 34 kills in the championship match, captained the All-Tournament team. Fellow Cyclone players Kenzie Swanson—who tallied 48 assists in the title bout—and Taylor Frederick joined Schaben; as did West Delaware stars Carlee Ketchum and Emily Thole, Isabella Sade of Marion and Natalie Brimeyer of Clear Creek-Amana. As far as athletic powerhouses go in Iowa, few schools in Iowa compare to Solon. The 2014 Spartan volleyball team added to that lineage. The second-ranked Spartans lined up across the net from a familiar foe—the number one ranked Mount Vernon Mustangs. The conference foes had met twice before, splitting the regular season series. Round three was all Solon. In the first set, the Spartans cruised to a 25-13 win, following that up with two close sets, 25-21 and 25-20, to sweep the rival Mustangs. After finishing second the last two years, Solon finally climbed to the top of the mountain. Solon’s trio of Jordan Smith, Jordan Runge and Taylor Nearad headlined the All-Tournament team. Mount Vernon’s duo of Morgan Melchert and Libby Ryan were also recognized for their achievements; Kate Walker of Red Oak and Katie Cassabaum of Nevada rounded out the Class 3A squad. The seniors at Dike-New Hartford have had some of the best careers in Iowa volleyball history; four years, four state titles. However, for every year the Wolverines have celebrated a state title, one team has faced the agony of defeat. In each instance, that team has been Western Christian. In what has become one of the great rivalries in Iowa volleyball, Dike-New Hartford and Western Christian have dominated the 2A volleyball scene over the past few years. Both teams swept their way into the state finals, with Dike-New Hartford toppling West Branch and Unity Christian, and Western Christian taking down Grundy Center and second-seeded SumnerFredericksburg. Led by an outstanding senior class that featured two UNI recruits in Brianna Weber and Rachel Koop, Dike-New Hartford battled to a four-set
(Photo by Tork Mason)
(Photo by Tork Mason)
win, 25-21, 25-23, 17-25, 25-23. Koop, the vocal floor general for the Wolverines, captained the AllTournament team. Weber and Lizzy Blough were also selected, as well as Ema Altena and Jamie Gesink of Western Christian, Becca Pagel of Sumner-Fredericksburg and Anna Kiel of Unity Christian. Holy Trinity Catholic has built an elite-level program in 1A, with Michaela Foecke as the foundation. Widely considered to be the best player in the entire state, at any level, Foecke etched her name into a few more lines of the state record book as the Crusaders swept their way through the state tournament. Holy Trinity had to take down perennial contenders Gehlen Catholic and Tripoli on its path to the championship bout. Central Lyon had to grind out victories over Marquette Catholic and Janesville, the latter coming via a five-set thriller. After coming up short in the championship game last season, Foecke and company rolled over Central Lyon, 25-22, 25-13, 25-8, with the star middle hitter collecting 30 kills in the championship match. The Nebraska recruit notched 88 kills during the three matches of the state tournament, including a recordbreaking 37-kill performance in the semifinals. Foecke now owns the Iowa high school record for career kills with 2,676, and her performance earned her All-Tournament team captaincy. Holy Trinity was also represented by Madlyn Orton, with the runnerup Lions placing Angel Rasmussen and Sarah Halse on the team. Peyton Benson of Tripoli and Kendyl Sorge and Shelby Schnurstein of Janesville also earned All-Tournament honors. Foecke also headlined a supreme group of players on the Des Moines Register’s Elite All-State team. Winters, Schaben, Koop and Weber were all chosen, as was Riley Sents of Grundy Center as the libero. It was a great year for volleyball, as a loaded group of seniors provided the state with one of the state’s most talented groups of players in recent memory. Next year will see new stars emerge to battle for championships. But for now, this year’s champions can enjoy the thrill of winning a title before starting over again next fall. Be sure to follow all of next season’s action with Sports Spotlight!
SportsSpotlight.com
High School
(Photo by Tork Mason)
(Photo by Tork Mason)
(Photo by Tork Mason)
SportsSpotlight.com
Volume 3 Issue 3
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Fall Sports Review
Boys Cross-Country Team State Champs
High School The 2014 Iowa high school Iowa boys state cross-country championships made for new team champions in each class. In Class 4A, Linn-Mar took first with Daniel Murphy (5th), Michael Mather (8th) and Ryan Murphy (10th) posting top ten finishes. Senior Daniel Soto of Valley won the 4A individual championship with a time of 15:24.2. Gilbert took the class 3A title with the help of individual champion
Thomas Pollard (15:04.5), Wesley Greder (5th) and Bradley Richard (7th). In Class 2A, East Marshall won the state title with four runners in the top 20. Tipton’s Eric Lenz took the individual title in 16:09.2. Bellevue won the Class 1A title, led by Andrew Meyer (3rd). West Fork’s Peter Twedt claimed the indivudal championship by eight tenths of a second over Turkey Valley’s Ryan Izer.
Class 4A: Linn-Mar (Marion)-85 Class 3A: Gilbert-73 Class 2A: East Marshall-84 Class 1A: Bellevue-80
Gilbert’s Thomas Pollard. (Photo courtesy of The Des Moines Register)
Girls Cross Country Team State Champs
The 2014 Iowa high school state cross-country championships were held at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge. In class 4A, Johnston claimed the state team title, led by Jordan Kleve (2nd) and Jessica McKee (7th). Megan Scott of Des Moines Roosevelt took the individual title with a time of 14:11.6. Decorah captured its third-straight Class 3A team title, led by Amanda Taylor, who finished eighth. Stef Bjerke placed 12th and Josephine Berlage came in 17th to help the Vikings claim the title. Gilbert’s Grace
Gibbons won the individual title in 14:37.7. Monticello won the team title in Class 2A, thanks individual champion Paige Holub, who ran her race in 14:58.8 to win the crown in her freshman campaign. In Class 1A, Pocahontas Area took the team title led by Grace Meyer, who finished in 10th place. Rebekah Tophman of Griswold posted the best time in any class and became the first girl in state history to win four state titles with a time of 14:32.2.
Class 4A: Johnston-84 Class 3A: Decorah-86 Class 2A: Monticello-63 Class 1A: Pocahontas Area-79
Ballard’s Abby Kohut-Jackson. (Photo courtesy of Marian Kohut)
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SportsSpotlight.com
Fall Sports Review
Girls Swimming State Swim and Dive Meet Team Standings
1. Pleasant Valley-301 2. Ames-293 3.Cedar Falls-170 4. West Des Moines Valley-159 5. Linn-Mar (Marion)-156
Pleasant Valley and Ames battled the 2014 state swimming and diving championship with Pleasant Valley taking the team title by eight points, 301-293. Pleasant Valley placed first in the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle relay with seniors Ashton Ehrecke, Sydney Angell, Evan Hundley and Grace Stori. Pleasant Valley also took fourth in diving from Claire Park, and third by Evan Hundley in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 200 freestyle. Many new records were set at the state meet. Jacintha Thomas of Iowa City West claimed the state diving title with a score of 561.10, which broke
the state record set by Ames’ Maggie James earlier this year after standing for 32 years. Thomas also stopped James from winning her fourth state diving title. Alyssa Fluit of Southeast Polk took the 200 freestyle title, breaking her own record with a time of 1:47.14. MyKenzie Leehy of Lewis Central set a new all-time record in the 100 freestyle with a time of :50.40. Waukee’s Maddie Gehrke made a new all-time state record in the 100 backstroke with a time of :54.83. As for relays, West Des Moines Valley took the 400 freestyle and Waukee won the 200 medley relay.
Waukee’s Maddie Gehrke. (Photo courtesy of The Des Moines Register)
Boys Golf
For the second year in a row, Waukee claimed the Class 4A team championship. The team led by three strokes after the first round, and by the finals, they had a 12 stroke lead over runner-up Des Moines Roosevelt. Waukee used strong efforts by Tripp Kinney, Aaron Denucci, Parker Howe and Andrew O’Brien to power past the field. Individually, Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker took home indiviual
medalist honors for the second time in three years after losing in a playoff for first place last season. While he stood in third place after the first round, he completed the tournament at 1-under par and three strokes ahead of Aaron Wirt of Roosevelt. Finishing in third, five strokes back were Jake Marvelli (Indianola) and Kinney.
State Golf Tournament Team Standings
1. Waukee-600 2. Des Moines Roosevelt-608 3.Ottumwa-610 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy-620 5. West Des Moines Valley-622
Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker. (Photo courtesy of The Des Moines Register)
SportsSpotlight.com
Volume 3 Issue 3
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Lieurance was near-perfect for the Cougars this season. The senior completed over 76 percent of his passes for 2,669 yards and 29 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions.
Jacintha Thomas Photo courtesy of Iowa City West High School
Thomas won the state diving title and set a new all-time record, which was broken twice this year after standing for 32 years, in the process. She topped Ames star Maggie James and kept her from earning her fourth diving title at the state meet.
Senior | Newell-Fonda
Ollinger led Class 5A in total kills this season (532) and kills per set (5.27), and was fourth in kill efficiency among players with at least 400 kill attempts (.384). She also led her team with 28 service aces and 218 digs.
Smith was named the Class 3A All-Tournament team captain after helping lead Solon to a state volleyball title. The senior led the Spartans in kills this season (461), finished second in serving aces (54) and blocked shots (44) to go along with 287 digs.
Clayberg was electrifying all season and led the Little Dutch to a Class 3A championship over defending champion Bishop Heelan. Clayberg piled up nearly 2,900 yards of total offense and accounted for 36 total touchdowns on the season.
Senior | Iowa City West
Photo courtesy by Tork Mason
Senior | Solon
Topham wasted little time establishing herself as one of the state’s elite distance runners, and she capped a brilliant cross-country career with her fourth Class 1A title, becoming the first girl in Iowa history to win the crown four times.
Derek Lieurance
Photo by Tork Mason
Photo by Tork Mason
Senior | Cascade
Junior | Cedar Rapids Jefferson
Amanda Ollinger
Jordan Smith
Noah Clayberg
Photo courtesy of Ed Adair
Myers was the driving force behind the Tigerhawks’ first trip to the state football playoffs since 2003. Myers led Class A with 2,506 passing yards this season. He also connected for 22 touchdown passes and led his team with 678 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground.
Junior | Pella
Senior | Griswold
Junior | Colfax-Mingo
Rebekah Topham
Jared Myers
Brady Dicks Photo by Tork Mason
Dicks was instrumental in the Mustangs’ rebound from an 0-3 start to win the Class 8-Player state championship. The senior passed for 1,756 yards and 30 touchdowns, and he ran for 898 yards and 13 scores.
In the
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CLICK IT OR TICKET Jamie’s Q & A What’s your favorite sport to play? Why? Softball; playing a sport and not having to worry about school and the business of the school year, just hanging out with my friends and playing a game that I love. It’s a fast moving game and I love to dive after hard grounders! What’s your favorite sports memory? Winning state basketball three times and building relationships with my teammates. Do you have any fun pre-game “rituals” that prepare you for an event? Listening and dancing to music in the locker room with my teammates. What’s your favorite subject in school and why? Accounting and math. I love working with numbers and figuring things out. Who inspires you? Why? Mr. Bill Harmsen. He pushes me to be the best person and athlete that I can be. He truly cares about all of his players and believes in all of us. He lives out his faith daily, and pushes me to live out mine in all areas of my life. What was the best movie you saw in the last year? Divergent What is your dream job? Kindergarten teacher or middle school math teacher
Achievements Sports: Volleyball, basketball, softball, track Academic Achievements/Honors: A Honor Roll, National Honor Society College or post-high school plans: Attend Dordt College and major in Elementary Education Athletic Achievements/Honors: All-State volleyball (4x), Basketball All-Tournament team captain (2014) Photo by Tork Mason
Jamie Gesink
SportsSpotlight.com Western
Christian (Hull), Class of 2015, 3.95 GPA
Newell-Fonda’s Jason Hess scores the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds to play in the Mustangs’ 39-35 state title game victory over Fremont-Mills. (Photo by Tork Mason)
Never Say Die Newell-Fonda never had it easy this season, but the Mustangs still found a way to claim their first-ever state championship. By Tork Mason
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dversity can take many different forms, and the Newell-Fonda Mustangs faced their share of them this fall. Before the season had even started, head coach Brian Wilken was tasked with trying to replace nearly the entire starting lineup from the 2013 squad that finished 12-1 and reached the Class 8-Player semifinals. Then, the team started the year 0-3. And in the second quarter of the state championship game against Fremont-Mills, Mustang quarterback Brady Dicks left the game with a shoulder injury and never returned. They persevered through it all and edged out a thrilling 39-35 victory to win the first football state title in school history. Dicks, who had been the driving force behind the Mustang offense for most of the year and the playoff run, said finding out he would have to watch the majority of his final high school game from the sideline was “the low of lows.” But he said his teammates’ response was a perfect example of their mentality this season. “Our motto this year was ‘Next Man In,’ because we lost all those guys from last year,” Dicks said. “This was just a great demonstration of that. People came in and made plays just like we knew we could.” Wilken had nothing but praise for the way his team battled through the early season struggles. “This is a special group,” Wilken said. “The challenges and adversity they had in weeks one, two and three when we were 0-3 and just trying to find a way to win one football game. Those things, at that point in time, brought this football team together, brought them closer and brought them to SportsSpotlight.com
where they are today.” Dicks said he and his teammates struggled trusting and believing in themselves during those first few weeks, and they held themselves back through penalties and turnovers. The turnaround started right away in the Mustangs’ week four contest against Kingsley-Pierson. “Those first three games, we were kind of nervous and we lacked experience,” Dicks said. “We still should have been in those games, and we were, were just couldn’t finish drives. Week four came around and we knew we meant business and we went from there. “I remember we came out, drove it right down the field and punched it in. Everybody just kind of looked at each other like, ‘Let’s just keep doing that.’” The team’s trials throughout the regular season was something that helped the players handle the flow of a postseason game, the wild atmosphere that comes when two top-tier teams meet with the stakes at their highest. That held true in the title game, when Fremont-Mills seemed to take control of the game when the Knights’ Spencer Phillips recovered a fumble and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown to give them a 29-20 lead and all the momentum. But Wilken knew his team could handle that setback and keep fighting. “Playoff games are long games,” Wilken said. “There are momentum swings; it’s going to go back and forth, but you’ve got to keep fighting and keep playing. Players make plays and players win games, and we had a number of young men who made plays and won this football game.”
Jason Hess, who stepped in under center after Dicks went down, had thrown just four passes all season before being thrust onto center stage of the biggest game of his career. He answered the bell and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with just 17 seconds remaining in the game. He credited his teammates for helping him get the job done. “Guys were helping me to step up,” Hess said. “I’d come back to the sideline and Brady was giving me tips, telling me how they’re covering, when I should throw and what I should be looking for. We’re in quarterback drills together, we always work together and we’re great friends. He was able to help me out through that game. “Everyone was behind me, ready to make plays for me, and that’s the reason we won.” But Fremont-Mills nearly managed to pull off a miracle finish, running a pair of hookand-lateral plays to get to the Newell-Fonda 9-yard-line with 4 seconds to play. Wilken called timeout and gave his players one final message before sending them back on the field, where they ultimately forced and recovered a fumble to seal the victory. “I just told them, ‘These are the moments. Embrace these moments, go make a play and win a state championship,’” Wilken said. Dicks had a similar message as they prepared for the game’s last play, and he recalled his reaction to the final result. “I went out there and told them, ‘Just one more play,’” Dicks said. “I knew that’s all we needed and when I saw the ball on the turf — I probably jumped higher than I’ve ever jumped before.”
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Logan-Magnolia’s Brady Charbonneau was dominant in the Panthers’ run to a Class A state championship. The senior ran for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns in his team’s 28-24 state title game victory over GladbrookReinbeck. (Photo by Tork Mason)
Little Big Man Logan-Magnolia’s Brady Charbonneau didn’t let his small stature keep him from playing big in his team’s biggest game. By Tork Mason
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ogan-Magnolia head coach Matt Straight faced a critical decision with 1:04 to play against GladbrookReinbeck in the Class A state championship game. After his offense came up a yard short on third and five from the Rebel 12-yard-line and the Panthers down, 24-21, Straight took a timeout and drew up a play to get the first down. Then quarterback Cole Fisher took another timeout after getting a look at the Rebels’ defensive formation, and Straight changed his mind. “We were going to do a sweep outside and we saw that they were going to blitz outside,” senior tailback Brady Charbonneau said. “Fisher used his head and called timeout. So we had a chance to switch it up and coach knew what to do.” Instead of running that sweep to junior Riley Wohlers, Straight decided to put the ball in Charbonneau’s hands one more time. The 5-7, 162-pound senior had already racked up 226 yards on just 17 carries to that point in the game, and Straight said he felt that was their best option in that situation. “We thought about going for a field goal there at the end; we have a pretty good field goal kicker,” Straight said. “But Charbonneau had the hot hand all game, so we put it in his hands to see what he could do.” Charbonneau took the inside handoff and bounced it to the outside and burst forward SportsSpotlight.com
for 8 yards and scored with less than a minute remaining to give the Panthers a 2824 lead that would hold up as the final score. Gladbrook-Reinbeck head coach John Olson said he was proud of his team and that they did everything right on that pivotal play. Sometimes, great players just make great plays, he said. “Nothing broke down for us, I’ll be honest with you,” Olson said. “What happened was [Charbonneau is] a heck of a good player. We had every gap covered, we had the outside gap covered. That play was probably designed to go to the 3-hole and we had that stuffed, so he tried to bounce it to the 5-hold and that was stuffed. If you stuff every single hole and you’ve got a player as good as No. 7 who can bounce it to the outside like that, I don’t think anything broke down. It was just a well-designed play; we stopped one, we stopped two, but we just couldn’t stop that third bounce.” The play gave Logan-Magnolia its first state championship since 1990 after the team was just 5-4 in 2013. Straight looked back on his squad from a year ago, which saw its four losses come by a total of 27 points, and said last year’s final result could very easily have been different. “We were really close last year to having a pretty good season,” Straight said. “So we knew we had the chance to do some really good things this year. Now, did I think this was going to happen? No. But with
that being said, we felt good about it and our seniors really stepped up and made big plays, and we’ve got a lot of younger playmakers that you saw on the field today.” But no playmaker was bigger than the diminutive Charbonneau, who finished the game with 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns — including an 83-yard scamper just 23 seconds into the third quarter to put the Panthers up, 21-10. Early in the game-winning drive, Charbonneau tallied runs of 14 and 10 yards to move the chains, and Straight said that was a great way to seize the initiative in the closing minutes. “Charby popped a couple big runs at the start of that drive, and I think that put them on their heels,” he said. “Because they were going forward for a couple drives and hitting us pretty good. I didn’t think we responded terribly well, but then boom, we popped a couple runs by Charby and got first downs, and all of the sudden they started getting up slower.” On the clinching touchdown play, Straight said it almost looked like Charbonneau was prepared to just “put his head down inside and go get” the first down. But then he saw an opening to the outside, and that was the moment that decided the game. “If he puts his head down and gets one yard, two yards, maybe we don’t win that thing,” Straight said. “So it was a good decision on his part.” Volume 3 Issue 3
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Iowa City Regina quarterback Drew Cook helped lead the Regals to an unprecedented fifth-straight state championship this fall. (Photo by Tork Mason)
One for the Thumb Iowa City Regina has dominated the state over the past five seasons and made history once again this fall. By Tork Mason
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aking history has become routine for Iowa City Regina football. After setting a state record last season with a 56-game winning streak that was capped by a fourth-straight state championship, head coach Marv Cook and the Regals rebounded from an opening week loss to Solon this year to win a fifthconsecutive title — becoming the first team in state history to accomplish that feat — after taking down West Lyon, 38-21. Cook said that 29-28 overtime loss at Solon served as a bit of a wake-up call for him and reminded him to stay aggressive. “It helped me be a better coach, I know that,” Cook said. “I made a lot of mistakes from a coaching standpoint. Not that I was complacent, but I was getting a little too conservative, to some extent, and not pressing the envelope with what we were doing. It was more of a wake-up call to me, as a coach, than it was to the players.” Senior tailback Jake Brinkman said the loss put everything back in perspective and gave the team an extra bit of motivation in practice for the rest of the year. “That week one loss was hard, but I think both the players and coaches needed a little wake-up call, and better to have that happen in week one than now,” Brinkman said. “We started practicing harder and getting better prepared for teams. Our coaches just put us in the right positions and our players are good enough to make plays.” In the title game against West Lyon, the Regals certainly made their share of big plays. On the Regals’ first offensive play, offensive coordinator Ed Hinkel drew up a double-reverse flea-flicker that resulted in a 47-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Cook to wideout Nathan Stenger. Brinkman opened the second half with a 94yard kickoff return for a touchdown. SportsSpotlight.com
Marv Cook said those couple plays, and a few others, were what decided the game. “It was one of those games where I think our kids knew they were going to be challenged for 48 minutes and wanted to see if they could answer the bell,” Cook said. “We made big plays; Jake’s kick return was obviously huge, the first play of the game was for us, offensively, was huge. That was the difference in the game, for the most part, just a couple big plays.” West Lyon provided a strong test up front throughout the game, doing what few teams have been able to do against Regina in recent years: come out and punch them in the mouth. Brinkman said that was nothing they didn’t expect after seeing the Wildcats play in the semifinals a week earlier. “You know going to the state finals, no matter who you’re going to play, it’s going to be a tough game,” Brinkman said. “Watching West Lyon last week against St. Edmond, we knew we were going to have a dogfight, and that’s probably one of the best offensive lines we’ve played all year. It’s hard to do that when you’re playing teams that you normally pound, but our coaches put us in the right position, we faced a lot of adversity and guys stepped up and it ended up working out for us.” Some of that adversity was self-inflicted, as the Regals committed an early mistake when Nick Phillips fumbled at his own 15-yard-line in the first quarter. That set up a quick touchdown for the Wildcats to knot the score at 7-7. Then, in the third quarter, Drew Cook was picked off by West Lyon’s Colin Snyder, which led to another Wildcat touchdown to make the score 28-14. But Marv Cook credited his team for its resiliency in the face of adversity. “They made huge plays,” Cook said of his defense. “They made play after play after
play. Fortunately for us, we had a big stop right before the half and kept it 21-7 instead of 21-14. You take this thing down, and it comes down to about four or five big plays.” Drew Cook said he knew West Lyon would be a tough opponent, but he had faith that in the end, his teammates could create enough positive plays to turn the game in their favor. “We’ve been playing good teams; West Lyon, they’re big and physical up front and that causes problems,” he said. “But it’s our playmaking ability that fuels our offense and gets us where we need to be in the game.” When asked to reflect on the past five years, Marv Cook stressed his pride for his senior class and the joy he takes in seeing his players respond when the pressure is on. “Each [title] is uniquely different and similar in tradition,” he said. “I’m just really happy for this group of seniors; they worked so hard for so long, and they really finished the season off well. It’s a family kind of a deal, and honestly, I’ve known all these kids since first or second grade, so they’re all really close. We’ve been able to put them in tough spots and challenge them, both as young men and as athletes, and it’s really fun to watch them when they are tested and how they step up and play for each other.” His son also expressed pride in what he and his fellow seniors have left behind as one of the most successful groups of players in state history. “This program, it’s second to none,” Drew Cook said. “The coaches have built this Regina legacy and this tradition of winning and expecting to win state championships. I feel like that’s just going to go on for years and years down the road, and that’s what we’ve left this team as seniors.”
Volume 3 Issue 3
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High School All-State Football
Class 4A
1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Ryan Boyle, Sr., Dowling Catholic QB-Daniel Tillo, Sr., Sioux City North RB-Trevor Allen, Sr., Waukee RB-Sam Cook, Jr., Fort Dodge RB-Riley Newberg, Sr., Ankeny RB-Justice O’Conner, Sr., Bettendorf WR-Austin Ahrendt, Sr., Sioux City East WR-Dominique Dafney, Sr., WDM Valley OL-Julian Good-Jones, Sr., CR Washington OL-Jake Marnin, Sr., Southeast Polk OL-John Raridon, Jr., WDM Valley OL-Erik Nelson, Sr., Waukee OL-Cole Wymore, Sr., Dowling Catholic UTL-Austin Simmons, Sr., Lewis Central K-Tommy Zinselmeier, Sr., Johnston
DL-Hezekiah Applegate, Sr., Johnston DL-Max Morris, Sr., Dowling Catholic DL-Anthony Nelson, Sr., Waukee DL-Nick Tweeten, Sr., Waukee LB-Kyle Boulanger, Sr., Waukee LB-Deion Mikesell, Sr., Southeast Polk LB-David Smith, Sr., Bettendorf LB-Connor Vincent, Sr., CR Washington DB-Dante Campero, Sr., Dowling Catholic DB-Reid Snitker, Sr., CR Washington DB-Nick Wilson, Sr., Dowling Catholic P-Nick McLellan, Sr., Dowling Catholic
1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Brady Brandsfield, So., Norwalk QB-Alex Nielsen, Sr., Creston/Orient-Macksburg RB-Matt George, Jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton RB-Grant Petersen, Sr., Bondurant-Farrar RB-Coy Roussell, Jr., West Delaware RB-Tony Tobin, Sr., Bishop Heelan WR-Luke Greenslade, Sr., Norwalk WR-T.J. Hockenson, Jr., Chariton OL-Logan Linderbaum, Sr., Solon OL-Luke Oja, Sr., Carlisle OL-Tommy Peterson, Sr., Washington OL-Austin Schulte, Jr., Pella OL-Tucker Spears, Sr., Bishop Heelan UTL-Noah Clayberg, Jr., Pella K-Conner Pals, Sr., Creston/Orient-Macksburg
DL-Garret Jansen, Sr., Pella DL-Michael Maher, Sr., CR Xavier DL-Joe Kayl, Sr., Bishop Heelan DL-Jacob Protzman, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes LB-Marcus Johnson, Sr., Ballard LB-Andrew Ragsdale, Sr., Waverly-Shell Rock LB-Brady Ross, Sr., Humboldt LB-Tyler Smith, Sr., Bishop Heelan DB-Jake Hovden, Sr., Decorah DB-Austin Kloewer, Jr., Dallas Center-Grimes DB-Brent Lammers, Sr., West Delaware P-Grant Sherman, Sr., Saydel
1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Derek Lieurance, Sr., Cascade QB-Alec Henrickson, Sr., Spirit Lake RB-Jerry Lowe, Jr., South Tama RB-Carter Isley, Jr., Albia RB-Jett Ketwick, Sr., Clarinda RB-Josh Mackey, Sr., North Fayette Valley WR-Nate Bergfeld, Sr., Cascade (Western Dubuque) WR-Austin Folsom, Sr., Spirit Lake OL-Andy Cooper, Sr., Sheldon OL-Patrick Girard, Sr., Collins-Maxwell-Baxter OL-Tyler Johansen, Sr., North Fayette Valley OL-Steven Kragt, Sr., Sioux Center OL-Nick Yarkosky, Jr., Albia UTL-Christian Rozeboom, Sr., Sioux Center K-Adrian Castanon, Sr., South Tama
DL-Braden-DeBoer, Sr., Sioux Center DL-Darin Greenfield, Sr., Sheldon DL-Nashua Lansing, Sr., North Fayette Valley DL-Wyatt Sadler, Sr., Center Point-Urbana LB-Connor Frerichs, Sr., New Hampton LB-Steven Holloway, Sr., Mediapolis LB-Tyler Hirsch, Jr., Dyersville Beckman LB-Ko Kieft, Jr., Sioux Center DB-Blake Bayer, Jr., Albia DB-Brady Stover, Jr., Collins-Maxwell-Baxter DB-Tucker Tenge, Sr., New Hampton P-Peyton Paddock, Sr., Monticello
Trevor Allen Waukee
Class 3A
Joe Kayl
Bishop Heelan
Class 2A
Josh Mackey
North Fayette Valley
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Volume 3 Issue 3
Offensive Player of the Year: Ryan Boyle, Sr., Dowling Catholic Defensive Player of the Year: Connor Vincent, Sr., CR Washington Coach of the Year: Brad Zelenovich, Ankeny
Offensive Player of the Year: Noah Clayberg, Jr., Pella Defensive Player of the Year: Joe Kayl, Sr. Bishop Heelan Coach of the Year: Doug Winkowitsch, West Delaware
Offensive Player of the Year: Derek Lieurance, Sr., Cascade Defensive Player of the Year: Christian Rozeboom, Sr., Sioux Center Coach of the Year: Rob Luther, Collins-MaxwellBaxter SportsSpotlight.com
All-State Football 1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Drew Cook, Sr., Iowa City Regina QB-Jayden Johnson, Sr., North Cedar RB-Trent Johnson, So., Dike-New Hartford RB-Luke Lenoch, So., West Branch RB-Vaughn Moser, Sr., West Lyon RB-Sam Wegner, Sr., IKM-Manning WR-Nathan Stenger, Jr., Iowa City Regina WR-Jordan Rommes, Sr. South Winneshiek OL-Phil Arendt, Sr., Iowa City Regina OL-Nick Chapman, Sr., Emmetsburg OL-Tommy Irvin, Sr., Dike-New Hartford OL-Neil Metzger, Sr., West Lyon OL-Cal Twait, Sr., Manson-NW Webster UTL-T.J. O’Tool, Jr., St. Edmond K-Jacob Adam, Sr., Iowa City Regina
DL-Luis Uribe, Sr., South Winneshiek DL-Jake Newborg, Sr., West Lyon DL-Adam Poduska, Sr., North Cedar DL-Rylan Richardson, Jr., South Central Calhoun LB-Jake Brinkman, Sr., Iowa City Regina LB-Ryan Hageman, Sr., South Winneshiek LB-Gavin Richey, Sr., Panorama LB-Trenton Wells, Sr., Central Decatur DB-Colten Hacker, Sr., IKM-Manning DB-Taylor Miedema, Jr., Western Christian DB-Landon Peed, Sr., St. Edmond P-Chase Rath, So., Highland Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Cook, Sr., Iowa City Regina Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. O’Tool, Jr., St. Edmond Coach of the Year: Dick Tighe, St. Edmond
Class 1A
Nathan Stenger Iowa City Regina
1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Trever Northup, So., Pekin QB-Garrett Saunders, Sr., Van Buren RB-Brady Charbonneau, Sr., Logan-Magnolia RB-Reece Reams, Sr., Nashua-Plainfield RB-Eric Stoakes, Jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck RB-Devin Tripp, Sr., Sioux Central WR-Brandon Plecker, Sr., Van Buren WR-Dylan Irizarry, So., Akron-Westfield OL- Matthew Jones, Sr., Pekin OL-Landon Paulsen, Sr., Woodbury Central OL-Joe Peck, Sr., Montezuma OL-Ty Pitt, Sr., Logan-Magnolia OL-Dalton Schwartz, Jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck UTL-Ryan Parmely, Sr., Maquoketa Valley K-Brock Rohler, Sr., Grundy Center
DL-Levi Paulsen, Sr., Woodbury Central DL-Zach Pierce, Sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck DL-Izaak Shedenhelm, Jr., Denver DL-Joe Ricker, Sr., Mount Ayr LB-Bryce Ehlers, Sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck LB-Clay Meinders, Sr., AGWSR LB-Riley Weehler, Sr., Mount Ayr LB-Noah Zylstra, Sr., Lynnville-Sully DB-Ben Hill, Sr., Bedford DB-Jordan Klingman, Sr., Nashua-Plainfield DB-Christian Wittrock, Sr., Pekin P-Dyson Umscheid, Sr., North Union Offensive Player of the Year: Eric Stoakes, Jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Parmely, Sr., Maquoketa Valley Coach of the Year: John Olson, GladbrookReinbeck
1st Team Offense
1st Team Defense
QB-Noah Dodd, Jr., Janesville QB-Mason Svoboda, Sr., Don Bosco RB-Christopher Brown, Jr., Glidden-Ralston RB-Nathan Fitzgerald, Sr., Central (Elkader) RB-Clayton Kiefer, Sr., Wayne RB-Colton Ranney, Sr., Lamoni WR-Elliott Conover, Sr., St. Mary’s (Remsen) WR-Joe Wolfe, Sr., West Central OL-Noah Borkowski, Jr., Glidden-Ralston OL-Zach Kliefoth, Sr., Exira/EH-K OL-Bret Blackburn, Sr., Fremont-Mills OL-Dalton Smith, Jr., Don Bosco UTL-Drew Peppers, Sr., Exira/EH-K K-Emmitt Wheatley, Sr., Adair-Casey
DL-T.J. Even, Sr., Don Bosco DL-Louis Kriegel, Sr., H-L-V DL-Cole Wise, Jr., Newell-Fonda LB-Isaiah Hopp, Sr., Central (Elkader) LB-Ben McDaniel, Sr., M-M-C LB-Sam Meyne, Sr., Janesville LB-Spencer Phillips, Sr., Fremont-Mills DB-Brady Dicks, Sr., Newell-Fonda DB-Austin Tull, Jr., Lamoni DB-Connor Wolterman, Jr., Newell-Fonda P-Nolan Robert Dahlhauser, Jr., West Bend-Mallard Offensive Player of the Year: Mason Svoboda, Sr., Don Bosco Defensive Player of the Year: Spencer Phillips, Sr., Fremont-Mills Coach of the Year: Brian Wilken, Newell-Fonda
Class A
Eric Stoakes
Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Class 8-Player
Clayton Kiefer Wayne
SportsSpotlight.com
Volume 3 Issue 3
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North Fayette Valley’s Josh Mackey (44) sparked the Tigerhawks on both sides of the ball to upset Sioux Center in the Class 2A state championship game. (Photo by Tork Mason)
Steady as She Goes
North Fayette Valley stuck with its power running game to grind out tough yards and pull off a championship game upset. By Tork Mason
A
fter a thrilling playoff run that saw victories over Central Lyon/ George-Little Rock, No. 1 Clear Lake, No. 2 Spirit Lake and No. 10 Albia, third-ranked Sioux Center entered the Class 2A championship game as a clear favorite. But North Fayette Valley was having none of that and pulled off one of the more shocking upsets at the UNI-Dome this season. The Tigerhawks used their powerful running game, fourth down conversions and a pair of well-timed pass plays to come away with a 14-10 victory. Sioux Center opened the game with a quick, 4-play drive that took just 53 seconds off the clock to take an early 7-0 lead, and after forcing a three and out, it looked like the rout could be on. Warrior senior Christian Rozeboom couldn’t pinpoint where everything went wrong. “We came out and played hard and I think we maybe caught them a little off guard, but then after that, they got on their feet and played good defense,” Rozeboom said. “The ball just didn’t roll our way the rest of the game. It wasn’t anything effort-wise, it wasn’t any X’s and O’s. I really don’t know what to say.” North Fayette Valley senior tailback Derrick Kuehner said he and his teammates just needed to relax and let the game come to them. “We just came in with our heads too high,” he said. “It took us awhile to get settled in with what we were supposed to do. After that, we figured out what they were doing and settled in.” The Tigerhawks’ offense leaned heavily on senior fullback Josh Mackey, just as it had all year. He finished the game with 140 yards, and even though those yards only came at SportsSpotlight.com
a 3.6-yard clip, he was the workhorse who could be depended upon to get the tough yards his team needed to keep drives alive throughout the game. Sioux Center’s defense had built a solid reputation for being able to get clutch stops, especially in playoff wins over Clear Lake and Spirit Lake, where the Warriors got fourth down stops in the closing moments to preserve victory. But the Tigerhawks went 4-of-5 on fourth down conversion attempts, with Mackey picking up a pair of those first downs. “We saw on tape that they were able to make some game-winning stops, even on fourth down,” Mackey said. “But all season and all week, we just kept telling ourselves that all we need to do is get three yards every play. So when it’s fourth and one, I know I need to just get one yard, so I just go in, use all the strength I have and just try to fly through there.” For a team so renowned for its defensive prowess, Rozeboom said giving up those conversions was one of the game’s biggest deciding factors, as the Tigerhawks scored both of their touchdowns on drives where they converted on fourth down. “That’s one of the things, if I could change, that would be one of them,” Rozeboom said. “I think they had like six fourth down conversions, and it’s pretty hard to recover from that.” North Fayette Valley also used a pair of well-timed passes to catch the Warriors off guard and pick up big yardage. On the final scoring drive of the game, head coach Bob Lape dialed up a deep seam route off of play-action to Kuehner, who made a great catch for a 35-yard pickup and put the Tigerhawks at midfield. Just a couple plays
later, a screen pass to Ben Martin picked up 31 yards and set the offense up in Warrior territory. Mackey took over from there and punched it in from two yards out to give his team a 14-10 lead. “Nobody expects us to throw it, so when we do throw it, it shocks everybody,” Lape said. “That screen pass on the other side, they get past and they were coming. We connect on it and there’s nobody out there. The long seam down the middle to Kuehner, I’ll be honest, they just didn’t cover him. They took the safety over and didn’t cover him.” That drive came right after a Mackey fumble in his own red zone that gave Sioux Center excellent field position and an opportunity to perhaps put the game away. But a pass to a wide-open quarterback Chris Borchers on a trick play went just off his fingertips, and the Warriors had to settle for a field goal to take a 10-7 lead. Lape said he made sure his team didn’t hang their heads after giving up the lead. “No, I wasn’t nervous, because that was a win for us,” he said. “We turn the ball over down inside [our own 20], and I was trying to convince our kids that that was a win for us because that needed to be a touchdown [for Sioux Center] and we held them to a field goal.” Lape credited Sioux Center and noted that there were many similarities between the two teams that made for a classic contest. “They have big, physical linemen and a lot of good skill kids,” Lape said. “We’re 300 miles apart, but that seems to be the recipe for good football. You know, 14-10 in the state championship game is quite a game. It’s exciting that whole time for the fans, keeps people in their seats and it is good football.” Volume 3 Issue 3
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After a slow start in the Class 3A state title game, Pella quarterback Noah Clayberg led the Little Dutch past defending state champion Bishop Heelan, 38-17. (Photo by Tork Mason)
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Volume 3 Issue 1
SportsSpotlight.com
Keeping the Faith Top-ranked Pella overcame a shaky start to rout defending state champion Bishop Heelan by believing in itself and its quarterback. By Tork Mason
P
ella quarterback Noah Clayberg and his teammates faced an unfamiliar challenge in the Class 3A state championship game against defending champion Bishop Heelan, but the players kept the faith in their quarterback and believed he would bounce back to lead them to victory, and he didn’t disappoint in a 38-17 romp to give Pella its first state championship in school history. The Little Dutch were excellent about not turning the ball over throughout the season, giving it up just 11 times through their first 13 games. But Clayberg committed costly errors on three consecutive possessions with an interception and a pair of fumbles that the Crusaders turned into a 17-7 lead with 3:22 to go in the second quarter. Pella hadn’t been forced to play from behind very often, but Clayberg said his teammates never stopped believing in him. “We knew that’s not our team,” Clayberg said. “Multiple guys came up to me saying, ‘Noah, that’s not us, I believe in you; we trust you. Any decision you make is the right one from here on.’” And Clayberg made sure that faith wasn’t misplaced. The junior took the ball with 3:18 left in the half and orchestrated a 10play, 77-yard drive that saw him complete 2-of-3 passes for 48 yards and run for 15 yards, and he put the exclamation point on the possession with a 4-yard touchdown SportsSpotlight.com
run with only 26 seconds remaining before halftime to pull the Little Dutch to within 17-14 going into the locker room. Pella head coach Jay McKinstrey said that drive was critical for the team to get itself back on track and go into the locker room feeling good about itself despite the sloppy start. “We haven’t turned the ball over all year; it was uncharacteristic,” McKinstrey said. “I think the touchdown right before that first half was over, that was so key. Our kids got some momentum back and they felt good about themselves, even though we were down 17-14 at half. That was a really important touchdown. The last five minutes of the first half and we played well the first five minutes of the second half. That was the momentum switch in the game.” During the intermission, Pella tailback Nathan Henry said the coaching staff urged the players to just “shut everything out and play our game.” They didn’t seem to have a problem accomplishing that in the second half, as the Little Dutch pitched a 24-0 shutout over the final two frames to turn what had been a close contest into a certifiable blowout. Clayberg said the defense knew it had to come out in the second half with a “brick wall mentality” to keep the explosive Heelan offense in check, and keep that frame of mind, even if they weren’t successful every time.
The game was still close with 3:05 left in the third quarter, when Pella took possession with a 21-17 lead. But Henry broke the game open on the second play of the series, when he burst through the line and raced downfield for a 72-yard touchdown to give the Little Dutch a 28-17 lead from which they never looked back. Henry tried to put into words the feeling he had when he broke through the line and saw nothing but turf in front of him. “I can’t even describe it,” Henry said. “It was like, ‘yes, yes, yes.’ I knew that was a huge turning point in the game. I’ve got to thank my linemen for that; it was perfect blocking. And the last guy who could get me, my fellow running back, Quentin [Murphy], he plugged him. “It was just a footrace from there, and we can win those every time.” Clayberg said he and his teammates would enjoy the moment for a bit before turning their focus toward next season, when the Little Dutch will be considered heavy favorites to repeat with most of their core players returning, and he reiterated the impact his teammates’ faith in him had in propelling him into a dominant second half and a victory in a “game of heart.” “It just made it so much easier to bounce back, knowing that I had everybody behind me; they had my back and I had theirs,” he said. Volume 3 Issue 3
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Dowling Catholic quarterback Ryan Boyle was one of the state’s most electrifying players all season, and he put his abilities on full display at the UNI-Dome to lead the Maroons to a second-straight Class 4A championship. (Photo by Tork Mason)
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SportsSpotlight.com
One Goal Dowling Catholic entered this season looking to be the first repeat Class 4A champion in over a decade. Thanks to a quarterback fulfilling his promise and an earlyseason defeat, the Maroons succeeded. By Tork Mason
T
here hadn’t been a program in Class 4A to win back-to-back state championships since Valley (West Des Moines) in 2002-03, but Dowling Catholic quarterback Ryan Boyle had made his head coach a promise. And Boyle proved to be a man of his word with a dominating performance in a 49-14 state championship game victory over Cedar Rapids Washington. In 2012, Boyle tore the ACL in his right knee and watched from the sideline as his team came up short in the playoffs. Head coach Tom Wilson was watching games at the UNI-Dome and texting with Boyle, who told his coach that he’d never have to buy a ticket to the dome again while he was at quarterback. That’s just who Boyle is, Wilson said, and it’s not the first time his quarterback has made him a big promise and delivered on it. “That whole exchange really defines him,” Wilson said. “He’d just gotten done having ACL surgery when he made that comment. He’s delivered, he’s promised, he’s led and everything he said he was going to do, he’s done. And that started when he was in about fifth or sixth grade and he started coming to our camp. I asked him what he was doing there — he didn’t live in Des Moines at the time — and he just said, ‘I’m going to come here and play quarterback.’ And that’s what he did.” Boyle said from that point on, he and his coach brought an extra edge to the team. “And from then on, he and I have the SportsSpotlight.com
mentality to take it into every workout, every practice, to have that mentality that we’re going to state, that we’re going to win. And I just couldn’t be more happy to have it end like this and end the career off right.” But that’s not to say there weren’t any hiccups along the way. Dowling opened the season impressively, with commanding victories over Cedar Rapids Xavier, Urbandale and Waukee. That opening salvo seemed to go to the heads of the Maroon players a little bit, Boyle said, and it came back to bite them in a 24-21 loss to Valley that saw the Maroons commit four turnovers on Sept. 19. But Boyle looked back and said that loss was perhaps exactly what the team needed to win another title. “Going into that week, the practice wasn’t good at all, like we felt we couldn’t be beat,” he said. “It was a wake-up call that we are mortal and that, for the rest of the season, we had to prove to ourselves that we can come back to the state championship and win it again. “Coach Wilson looked at us and said, ‘How do you want to be remembered? What’s your guys’ legacy going to be?’ And from then on, we practiced far greater than I could ever imagine, just dedicated and committed for the entire season.” Boyle said the loss also gave them motivation to “start off fast and just not let off after that” for the rest of the season. And the Maroons stuck with that motto in the title game. Against Cedar Rapids Washington, Boyle completed 7-of-11 passes
for 68 yards and a touchdown and he ran for 144 yards and 3 scores on 19 carries, but the Maroons ran for 328 yards as a team and outgained the Warriors, 396-166. Wilson said it’s easy to look at his star players, but the victory was a total team effort. “There are so many kids involved with that, so many kids made plays,” Wilson said. “Ryan gets a lot of credit, [senior defensive end] Max [Morris] gets a lot of credit. But [senior tailback Max] Kasap has a big game and he scores the last touchdown with a broken collarbone. [Senior tailback Gray] Gochenour comes out in the second half and pounds for some yards. So just a lot of kids did a lot of good things. Couldn’t be more proud of them.” Only seven times in state history has a team successfully defended its state championship the following year in Class 4A. When asked to compare last year’s championship squad to this year’s, which broke the state scoring record with 698 points, Boyle didn’t really bother with an in-depth analysis of each team’s differences. Instead, he focused on where the two teams were similar. “Both were great teams; we completed our one goal that we wanted to,” he said. “There are differences here and there, but it’s just a great group of kids from the younger level to the senior level. What I loved was that the chemistry was always there. There was never division within the offense and defense; it was just one family, one set, one team and one goal.” Volume 3 Issue 3
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Health and Fitness
IMPORTANCE OF RECOVERY IN ATHLETICS By Brian & Chad O’Meara - Ignit Sports & Fitness
as protein, anti-inflammatory or electrolyte components, but nothing is as important as water. Athletes should be drinking water all day long, prior to workouts, during workouts and after. “Know yourself ”
It’s funny how, over time, conventions surrounding certain topics change. In our minds, change doesn’t always equate to good, but the change of attention to recovery as it relates to athletes before, during, and after training or competing is very good. We grew up in the era of “no pain no gain”. We were taught that to make progress, you had to continually work to muscle failure and fatigue through countless repetitions and never ending workouts. Work rate just simply seemed more important than form, technique, hydration or nutrition. Pushing yourself to improve is good, but do it in ways that set you up for optimal outcomes. There are many ways to work on optimizing recovery, but we have placed them under the following categories: “take care of
yourself,” “know yourself ” and “help yourself.” “Take care of yourself.” After rigorous workouts, the body needs appropriate amounts of rest, sleep, hydration and nutrition to repair and recover. Studies continually show that depriving the body of any of these variables will be detrimental to progress. It’s critical that athletes get at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep on a regular basis. Hydration and nutrition are critical factors before and after workouts for recovery. Eat protein snacks before and after workouts. Start the day off with a balanced breakfast of carbs and proteins for nutrition needed throughout the day. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Chocolate milk, cherry juice or sports drinks have other nutritional values such
Knowing yourself requires an in-depth look at every aspect of yourself, such as knowing your age or maturity level, if you are in the middle of a growth spurt, in season or out, soreness or stiffness that is really bothering you or if you are recovering from an injury. What workout did you do yesterday, when are the playoffs, how is your focus, what is going on with you technique? The bottom line is everyone is different and facing different circumstances at any given time. Ideally everyone would have a holistic training and recovery routine that takes this all into account, but it’s also up to the individual to plan and adjust exercise and recovery for these situations. Not taking your situation into account can lead to underperformance, over training or even injury. When considering these variables, recovery can become at least as important as the actual training program. “Help yourself ”
of workouts to work different parts of your body on alternate days. Are there rest and recovery periods appropriately built in? Do you have input and can you impact workout routines when situations covered in the “know yourself ” section arise? Accelerating and optimizing recovery is a growing area of focus. We will all be introduced to new techniques and programs claiming to help recovery. Some of these techniques may be viable, while others may be more about marketing, so education and guidance from experts is critical. In addition to the basics already mentioned, there are a few areas growing in popularity to help athletes recover quickly including massage therapy, cold bath immersions and compression techniques. Yes, thoughts around the importance of recovery have changed dramatically since we were young and thank goodness. We believe these changes are for the benefit of all athletes. We would like to challenge athletes to think and act on recovery as much as they think and act on training. We believe this can be accomplished through “taking care of yourself ” better, “knowing yourself ” better and “helping yourself ” better by staying informed on the latest recovery techniques and programs.
Helping yourself is all about what can be done to better manage recovery. Stay informed. Make sure your training programs include holistic recovery plans through the type of exercises and the rotation
www.agentkeithh.com
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Volume 3 Issue 3
SportsSpotlight.com
Health and Fitness
INDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF LOWER BACK PAIN By Dr. Shane McClinton, D.P.T., OCS, FAAOMPT, CSCS
For runners and cyclists, knee pain is the most prevalent injury, but lower back pain is the most common reason they seek medical help. Fifty percent of cyclists and 10 percent of runners experience lower back pain, and the causes vary from simple overuse to bad posture to muscle weakness. Identifying the source of lower back pain can help you eliminate it and get back to your training regimen. A posture problem On a bike, your back is in a flexed position for a prolonged period of time. Your lower back is at the mercy of how your bottom is on the seat and the suspension of your upper body on the handlebars via your arms. Most cyclists have no idea they are too flexed and maintain this position regardless of pain levels. Adjusting the saddle or handlebar stem may correct this hyperflexion. Often, a bike fit assessment and bike motion analysis is necessary to catch and correct it. There is no postural relationship
SportsSpotlight.com
established in runners, yet an extreme posture may contribute to lower back pain. Running involves higher vertical impacts than cycling, therefore runners experience impact in ways that cyclists do not. The force of each step can be two to four times your body weight and is dampened by your body, including your back. Appropriate recovery time, stretches, muscle training, massage and modalities like heat, ice and sports creams may be enough to get you “back” to running. If the pain lingers, there could be an issue that needs to be evaluated by a health care professional. The core issue In cycling, core weakness makes you use your legs less efficiently, which influences your ability to produce power. This includes greater side-to-side movement at the knees and moving your ankles more during the pedal stroke. This inefficiency translates to the bike,
creating more wobble in the bike path and potentially adding miles to the ride. Similarly in running, a weak core affects how you use your legs to absorb impact. Your knees and feet can cave in and the pelvis can drop excessively, causing strain or injury. For both runners and cyclists, core strengthening is an important piece of the training and rehabilitation puzzle. Body imbalance Whether it’s dropping or rotating your pelvis, striding longer, pushing off with more force on one foot or pedaling unevenly, you may use one side of your body differently than the other. This imbalance can lead to lower back pain among other problems. Imbalance issues can be corrected by doing unilateral exercises like standing on one foot or bridging on one leg. Often it is easy to perceive a difference between the two sides during a muscle stretch or training exercise. If not, a movement specialist
like a physical therapist can recognize the underlying issues and help you achieve a more balanced state. While you might be able to fight through it for a while, lower back pain usually results in missed runs and rides until you can correct the underlying problem. Taking proper measures to identify the cause will help get you back on track. Shane McClinton graduated from Des Moines University in 2001 with a physical therapy degree. He earned his post-professional doctor of physical therapy degree from the DMU in 2007. Dr. McClinton works in the Running and Cycling Clinic at DMU, treating the specialized needs of runners and cyclists.
Volume 3 Issue 3
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Health and Fitness
BE A SPORT Kids are not adults when it comes to sport training By Nancy Justis
The old adage of “practice makes perfect” isn’t always the route to success, especially when it comes to training kids in sports. Kids aren’t adults. Excessive training time and the kind of training can lead to overuse injuries, emotional stress and burnout, resulting in kids dropping out of programs. Have you ever watched your young son or daughter at practice and wondered if the activity is too strenuous, too intense? Does he or she look like they are enjoying the experience? If you are questioning the time and method used by the coaching staff, whether volunteer or paid, don’t ignore your instincts. Dr. Paul Stricker, a Scripps Clinic sports medicine pediatrician, Olympic physician and author of “Sports Success Rx!”, said in a 2010 Scripps Health Report that he had seen a 25 percent jump in the number of overuse injuries he treats. The injuries were becoming more severe. “Stress fractures were unheard of in children just a few years ago, but now have become relatively common,” he said. “That’s what we get when we train kids at adult levels.” To help counteract this trend, Dr. Stricker offered information on physical sports skill milestones. Ages 2-5: Most kids can’t yet effectively throw and catch. Basic skills like running and hopping are acquired primarily through free play.
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Volume 3 Issue 3
Ages 6-9: The body’s nerve connections start doing a better job of communicating the brain’s messages to the muscles. Thus, a basic toss may progress to a more accurate throw. Age 10-Puberty: Control of body motions becomes more automatic; kids can refine skills like pivoting, turning and spinning; eyeto-brain pathways mature, allowing for better visual judgment of speed and location. Puberty (11-13 for girls, 13-15 for boys): Because of rapid growth, there may be a temporary decline in balancing skills and body control. Mid- to late-teens: Aerobic and strength gains are achievable with training, but heavy weights should be avoided until the skeleton fully matures. In a nutshell, kids need time to develop both physically and mentally (mental maturity will be addressed in a future article) so resist the urge to train too hard, too soon. Aplington-Parkersburg head football coach Alex Pollock recently posted on Facebook: “It has recently been brought to my attention that local communities are asking kids out of our community to get involved with their 5th and 6th grade tackle football leagues. For what it’s worth, I am 100% against tackle football at those ages. It is my belief that one of the major reasons A-P has had great participation at the junior high and
high School levels is because we do not drive kids away at young ages. Our 4th, 5th and 6th grade flag football league focuses on work ethic, fundamentals, and most importantly, having fun...” No one disputes the fact that practice is important because that’s how people get better. But even experts disagree on the number of hours required to master a skill, or even if practice is all there is to it. The 2008 book “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell discussed the “10,000hour rule”. But a study published last May in the journal Intelligence by David Zachary Hambrick of Michigan State University suggested that practice explains only about a third of success among other disciplines. He and his team concluded that practice accounted for only 30 percent of success in music and 34 percent in chess. Plenty of studies suggest besides practice, individual differences help explain success, such as socioeconomics, coaching and I.Q. The big difference between study participants was the amount of good coaching they received at a young age. My conclusion is that youth sports programs can enhance motor, physical and social growth but when practice sessions become so intense that the result is both mental and physical stress or even permanent injuries, one should take a step back and reevaluate the
Nancy Justis
reason the child is enrolled in the program. Too strenuous of activity resulting in pain or that which is used as punishment, such as running laps, I don’t believe has any place in youth sports. Tell us what you think. Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and collegiate sports information director. She is a partner with Justis Creative Communications and a Champion for Positive Coaching Alliance in the state of Iowa.
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