Wednesday, July 14, 2010

“Gymnastics: Sassa's hard work produces big results” plus 3 more

“Gymnastics: Sassa's hard work produces big results” plus 3 more

Gymnastics: Sassa's hard work produces big results

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 02:55 PM PDT


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By Gretchen Andersen
Student Intern

Katie Sassa has more than 200 medals, 50 trophies and 40 leotards — she knows what hard work entails and gets the results she deserves.

As opposed to other sports when there might be an offseason, gymnastics is familiar to no such trend.

Sassa, 16, of Harleysville, is a second-year Level 10 gymnast at Silvia's Gymnastics in Zieglerville. Since age 6, there has been no other sport Sassa loves more than gymnastics.

Sassa recently competed in the Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Also known as the JO-NIT, the tournament is very exclusive.

According to its website, only "448 athletes out of the almost 1,500 Level 10s competing at the State Championships level have the opportunity to qualify to the Jr. Olympic National Championships."

Just how difficult is it to qualify?

"If you have a bad day at Regionals, the next three after get to compete," Sassa said.

The JO-NIT, though, is not the only notable competition in which Sassa has competed. She has traveled to South Carolina, Texas, Maryland, Virginia and more for competitions.

In order to prepare for these events, there is extensive training. During the school year she practices Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 3:30 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5:30 p.m.

The summer is even more grueling with four hours of practice a day, Monday through Saturday.

Sassa says practice often begins with stretching, followed by warm-up and then 45 minute rotations and practice of routines.

On those special off-days, Sassa said she enjoys hanging out with her friends, shopping or swimming.

From May to October, she doesn't compete. Instead, she and other gymnasts learn new skills by practicing vehemently. Yet, when November rolls around and fall colors become more apparent, so too does Sassa's unwavering drive to win. At that time, she competes in meets almost every other weekend.

Sassa's mom, dad, sisters, aunt and uncle often come to her meets. For all the traveling, helping and cheering, Sassa has her family to thank for their undying support, whether at practice or competitions.

"They're always here for me and have given up a lot of stuff to travel. I like to see them there for me," she said.

Sassa's favorite event is beam, of which she describes as "most challenging, and requires a lot of skill." Last year, Sassa was the 2009 Level 10 State Champion for balance beam.

"I was really surprised, it was unexpected," she said of winning the event.

However, coach Maia Mitova would probably disagree about the "surprise," due to Sassa's never-wavering effort.

"Katie is an amazing kid," Mitova said. "Katie is a very, very respectful kid, very disciplined, she works very hard. Whatever she gets, it's based on hard work — very, very hard work. (Qualifying for the JO-NIT) was amazing for her. We were hoping she was going to make it. At her age, it's very hard. She's at the age where everyone is so, so good, it's very hard to qualify. We were very proud of Katie going down there."

When she is not performing a tumbling run, powering off the vault or trying to stick a landing, Sassa is finishing homework for her high school classes at Souderton Area High School. Sassa is persevering in gymnastics and school for a college scholarship.

Where does she wish to go?

"Penn State," Sassa said, smiling. She has visited the school to watch a gymnastics meet and enjoyed the college.

"Sometimes it's hard with homework," said Sassa. "When I have a big test the next day I have to go home early and study."

But the next day she'll be right back on the mat.

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Sports briefs

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 03:14 PM PDT

July 14, 2010

Sports briefs

LOCAL

RiverHawks to host reunion golf tournament

Northeastern State football will host its second annual "Northeastern State Football Golf Tournament and Reunion" on Saturday.

The tournament, a four-person scramble with a 1 p.m. shotgun start, will be held at Cherry Springs Golf Club. The cost is $100, which will provide golf, food and beverage of your choice. Those not wanting to play golf can pay $75 for food and beverage.

For more information, contact Kenny Evans at 444-3913, Tom Eckert at 456-5450, Charles Cooper at 458-4776 or Matt Hodgson at 444-3908.

Cheer It Up! to celebrate NGD  

National Gymnastics Days is Aug. 7 and Cheer It Up! is celebrating by having a "Cartwheel-a-thon" on the courthouse square from 10 a.m. to noon.

Cheer It Up! will hold tumbling demonstrations and students will be performing as many cartwheels in a row for fundraising efforts for the upcoming competition season.

STATE

OU's Jones named to O'Brien watch list

NORMAN — Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones has been named to the 2010 Davey O'Brien Award watch list released Wednesday by the Davey O'Brien Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas.

Given annually to the nation's top quarterback, the 2010 Davey O'Brien award winner will be announced December 9 at The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

After taking over under center for the Sooners in 2009 following Sam Bradford's season-ending shoulder injury, Jones led the nation's freshmen QBs in passing yards (3,198) and TD passes (26). The yardage figure also set an OU record for yards in a season by a freshman passer, surpassing the 3,121 by Bradford in 2007.

Jones ended the 2009 campaign by setting an Oklahoma bowl record with 418 yards along with three touchdowns in the 31-27 Brut Sun Bowl victory over Stanford. The Artesia, N.M., native also broke a program record with six passing TDs against Tulsa en route to being named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honorable mention by league's coaches and All-Big 12 Freshman by ESPN.com.

This year's list, which was compiled by a subset of The O'Brien National Selection Committee, features 30 of the nation's top collegiate quarterbacks who were selected based on player performance during the previous year and expectations heading into the 2010 college football season. Jones is one of four sophomore quarterbacks on the list.

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CrossFit training featured at Spartan Sports

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 09:58 AM PDT

Contributed Article

Spartan Sports Performance in Thatcher features the CrossFit core strength and conditioning program, which is designed to elicit a broad adaptation response.

Offering the program are Eric and Ashley Walker, owners of the business since June 1, when they purchased SimplyFit from Carl and Be Mitchell.

CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but an attempt to optimize physical competence in each of 10 recognized fitness areas: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.

The CrossFit Program was developed to enhance competency at all physical tasks. Athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse and randomized physical challenges. This fitness is demanded of military and police personnel, firefighters and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess.

The program is distinctive in its focus on maximizing neuro-endocrine response, developing power, cross-training with multiple training modalities, constant training and practice with functional movements and the development of diet strategies.

Athletes bike, run, swim and row at short, middle and long distances, guaranteeing exposure and competency in each of the three main metabolic pathways. They are trained in gymnastics from rudimentary to advanced movements to control the body dynamically and statically while maximizing strength to weight ratio and flexibility. A heavy emphasis is also placed on Olympic weightlifting because of this sport's unique ability to develop an athlete's explosive power, control of external objects and mastery of critical motor recruitment patterns.

CrossFit features compound movements and shorter high-intensity cardiovascular sessions. Lateral raises have been replaced with the push press, the curl with pull-ups and the leg extension with squats. For every long-distance effort athletes will do five or six at short distance because compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio are more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. The CrossFit approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite training programs associated with major university athletic teams and professional sports. CrossFit brings state-of-the-art coaching techniques to the general public and athletes who have no access to current technologies, research and coaching methods.

Is this for me?

Increased power, strength, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, flexibility, stamina, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy are important to the world's best athletes and to our grandparents. The same methods that elicit optimal response in the Olympic or professional athlete will optimize the same response in the elderly.

You can't load the elderly with the same squatting weight assigned an Olympic skier, but they both need to squat, which is essential to maintaining functional independence and improving fitness. Squatting is just one example of a movement that is universally valuable and essential, yet rarely taught to any but the most advanced athletes.

Who has benefited from CrossFit?

Many professional and elite athletes are participating in the CrossFit Program. Fighters, cyclists, surfers, skiers, tennis players, triathletes and others competing at the highest level are using the CrossFit approach to advance their core strength and conditioning. CrossFit has tested its methods on the sedentary, overweight, pathological and elderly and found they met the same success as athletes. If the program works for Olympic skiers and overweight, sedentary homemakers, then it will work for anyone.

Visit Spartan Sports Performance, and trained professionals will provide a program that fits one's fitness needs. It's located at 2281 W. Highway 70, Thatcher, 928-651-6264 or 928-428-0044.

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Director’s Cup gives LSU 19th place

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 06:55 PM PDT

Last year LSU had its worst showing in sports since 2005-06 — at least according to the Directors' Cup standings.

The Tigers failed to claim a national championship, but they did have top-10 finishes in gymnastics and track and field.

LSU was rewarded with the No. 19 spot in this year's Directors' Cup, the school's fifth consecutive top-20 finish but lowest since 2005-06 when the Tigers finished 20th.

The Directors' Cup standings are computed by giving point values to each sport from a school according to how each team finishes its season.

The 824 points LSU earned this year was third in the Southeastern Conference behind Florida, which finished second overall, and Tennessee, which claimed the No. 16 spot.

"Across the board we were happy with how our sports did," said Verge Ausberry, LSU senior associate athletics director.

LSU's track and field and gymnastic teams garnered the most points.

The women's indoor track and field team received 85 points for its third-place finish. The men's indoor track and field team got 80 points for finishing fourth.

The men's and women's  outdoor track and field teams scored 73.5 points for each placing sixth.

The women's gymnastics team got 69 points for their No. 9 finish.

A few other LSU sports had disappointing seasons last year.

The men's basketball, men's and women's cross country and men's and women's tennis teams failed to earn any points toward the Directors' Cup.

"We want to be in the top 10," Ausberry said. "We want to compete with the likes of Florida. If Florida can do it, then we can do it as well."

Football and women's basketball, soccer and volleyball all ranked No. 17 and earned at least 50 points each.

"We were fortunate that a large percentage of our teams were in postseason play," Ausberry said.

Stanford took home its 16th-straight Directors' Cup, claiming 1,508.5 points.

Ausberry said schools like Stanford have an advantage because they have sports like water polo, lacrosse and wrestling.

High finishes in those sports can be counted toward the Directors' Cup.

"We're at a disadvantage because we only have 20 sports," Ausberry said.

The Cardinal tallied points in 28 total sports, but only its top finishes from 10 men's and 10 women's sports are counted to equal the playing field.

"Finishing in the top 20 is great with the amount of sports we have," Ausberry said.
Georgia fell right behind LSU with a 20th finish in the standings.

--
Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com

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