Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Cougars to Compete at Nationals


The ICC Cougar cross country teams will compete at the national NJCAA Division I tournament on Saturday, November 10. The races are being held at the Rend Lake Golf Course in Whittington, Illinois. The men's 8 km race starts at 10:00am with the women's 5 km to follow at 11:00. Going into the race, the men are ranked 24th nationally and the women 22nd. In last year's race in El Paso, TX, the women finished 11th and the men 16th. The teams' goals this year are to improve on those finishes.

Several of the Cougar runners also have legitimate chances of attaining All-American or Coaches All-American status. To be designated an NJCAA All-American, you must finish in the top 15 in the race. The first 25 American citizens receive Coaches All-American designation. Last year, Hannah Griffin received this honor by virtue of her 32nd place finish overall. Her time of 20:11 in that race ranks third on the all-time ICC list. This season, she and Kelsey Holsapple have consistently been the team front runners. Other women competing at nationals will be freshman Darce Knapp, and sophomores Rachel Harvey, Marissa Menke, and Sam Conlee.

The men have been led all season by freshman Billy Miller. The remainder of the men's squad consists of sophomores Justin Phillis, Scott Perry, Carl Pflederer, Joe Klumb, and Hank Stickelmaier. The experience of both squads should help the teams to compete well in the season finale.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Women Dominate Sauk Valley Invitational


The ICC Women's Team, behind the one, two, three finish of Kelsey Holsapple, Hannah Griffin, and Darce Knapp, dominated the Sauk Invitational with 26 points, 40 better than Lincoln College, which had been ranked 22nd in the latest NJCAA poll. They were backed up well by the 10th and 14th place finishes of Marissa Menke and Rachel Harvey. Rachel, a standout on the ICC women's soccer team, was running her first race for the Cougars. The women followed the pre-race plan to perfection, packing up behind the leaders and making their move in the second half of the race. Kelsey finished in the fine time of 19:54, with Hannah and Darce just a few seconds behind. Darce finished the last 400 strong to pass two runners going into the finish and complete the sweep.
The men's team, running without number three runner Scott Perry, had a tougher go in the meet, finishing third behind the tight duo of Lincoln (51 points) and Harper College (52 points). Billy Miller led the Cougar contingent with his 3rd place finish. Justin Phillis in 12th and Carl Pflederer in 13th also received individual awards.
Both teams will have next week off to prepare for the NJCAA Region 24 meet that will be held in Danville on October 26.
GO COUGARS!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Men's and Women's teams Win Benedictine Invite!


Behind the top-10 finishes of Kelsey Holsapple (8th) and Hannah Griffin (10th), the ICC women's cross country team defended their Junior College division title at the Benedictine University Eagle Invitational, Friday, October 5 in Lisle, IL. Even more impressive was their 3rd place team finish overall in the 21 team field. Backing up the two Metamora High grads were Marissa Menke, running her first race this season, in 33rd place, Sam Conlee in 41st, Darce Knapp (pictured) in 49th, and Liz Koch, running her first race as a Cougar, in 101st. Darce was awarded the team trophy by her teammates for her gallant effort despite physical adversity. This was the first time this season that the Cougars fielded a complete team.

The men were equally dominant, impressively winning the JC division and finishing 4th overall in the 21 team field. Billy Miller went out hard, leading for the first two miles and finished 9th in the field of 133. He was adequately backed by Justin Phillis in 17th, Scott Perry (pictured) in 26th, Carl Pflederer in 37th, Joe Klumb in 63rd, Hank Stickelmaier in 104th, and Nick Reed in 112th place. Scott was voted the recipient of the team trophy by his mates.

The Cougars will next travel to Dixon, IL next Saturday to defend their team titles in the Sauk Valley Invitational.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Eight Simple Ways to Enhance Your Energy Level

1. Start the day with breakfast. This jump starts the metabolism and enhances energy levels throughout the day (which also makes you more effective in the classroom.)
How do I make time for this?
a. A bowl of low-sugar, high fiber cereal, plus a glass of orange juice.
b. A glass of OJ when you get up and trail mix on the way to school. This works during the day, too, if you don’t have time for lunch.
c. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich prepared the night before.

2. Eat Frequently. Several small to moderate-sized meals during the day are more effective than one large one.
Strategies:
a. Pre-plan with nutritious snacks in your backpack (e.g., Trail mix, apples, fig newtons, etc.). Avoid junk food from the vending machine.

3. Switch to whole grains.
Strategies:
a. Snack on whole grain cereals or popcorn (air popped or microwaved; no butter) instead of pretzels, chips, or candy.
b. Eat instant oatmeal packets for breakfast.
c. Eat lots of fresh fruit, raisins, or fruit yogurt.
d. Avoid white bread.
e. Eat brown rice or wild rice rather than white rice.

4. Lower dietary fat consumption. Some fat is ok, but high levels can be bad. Switch to lower-fat versions. Fatty foods are digested slowly and can cause a feeling of sluggishness. Avoid trans fats.
Strategy: Cut fried foods out of your daily routine. Anything deep-fried contains a lot of fat.

5. Work out with sports drinks. Carbohydrate ingestion during exercise in addition to good hydration enhances performance. If you are like me and can’t tolerate anything but water during training, do what I do and mix a sports drink 50:50 with water. It’s much easier on the stomach.

6. Refuel after Exercise. Muscles are especially good at taking up carbohydrates mixed with a little protein during the period immediately after exercising. Stocking up on energy after today’s workout can be a great way of preparing for tomorrow’s workout. The key ingredients of a good post-exercise refueling snack are fluid, carbohydrates, and a little protein. Good examples are trail mix and a sports drink, or a banana with yogurt and fruit juice. Tip: Keep a supply of refueling snacks in your sports bag for after practice.

7. Include enough iron. Iron is involved in the formation of hemoglobin, a protein that helps supply oxygen to cells. Iron deficiency is common among athletes.
Solutions:
a. East beef three times a week. Beef is a great source of iron.
b. Eat cereals fortified with iron at a level of at least 40% of the Daily Value.
c. Drink lots of orange juice. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.

8. Avoid “Energy” Supplementation. Many energy drinks, bars, and tablets contain caffeine and herbal stimulants that give you the perception of more energy, but do not actually give you more energy. Some actually contain unsafe levels of stimulants that can cause gastrointestinal problems and cardiovascular issues.
What to do:
a. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and im for seven or more hours of sleep.
b. Take in enough carbohydrates during the day. This is the true source of energy for exercising muscles.
c. Avoid caffeinated energy drinks.

Reference: Rockwell, Michelle “Small Changes, Big Gains” Coaching Management. Vol 15, No. 8, pp. 27-32.