Athlete Spotlight

ORTEGA WINS HONDA AWARD FOR LACROSSE

June 21, 2022 by Tara S

Jamie Ortega, a senior attacker from the University of North Carolina, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Lacrosse as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

Ortega is just the second Tar Heel to win the Honda Award, joining Kara Cannizzaro (2013).

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 46 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27th.

Ortega was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Ally Mastroianni (North Carolina), Charlotte North (Boston College) and Emily Sterling (Maryland).

“I am honored to have been chosen for this year’s Honda Sports Award for Lacrosse,” Ortega said. “To be selected from this amazing group of finalists is truly gratifying. I am part of an incredible team sport and receive this along with the teammates who I’ve shared my accomplishments with, and I am both humbled and grateful to have been chosen.”

Ortega was named the ACC Attacker of the Year for the second straight year and is a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist. Hailing from Centereach, N.Y., she is a four-time First Team All-American and the first five-time All-American in UNC history after earning Third Team honors as a freshman.

She led North Carolina to four trips to the NCAA Final Four and the 2022 national title. In the conference postseason, she set ACC Tournament records with nine points and five assists against Boston College.

The attacker is UNC’s leader in goals (69), assists (44) and points (113) on the season and her points and assists ranked sixth and seventh nationally. Overall, she finished her career first in ACC history and second in NCAA history with 466 career points. Her 334 career goals are third in the NCAA history and second in ACC annals. The senior closed her career as UNC’s career leader in goals and points and is second in school history in assists.

“We are so grateful that Jamie is being recognized with the prestigious Honda Award,” said head coach Jenny Levy. “We cannot think of a more deserving student-athlete. Throughout her time in Chapel Hill, Jamie excelled at the highest level and continued to grow as a player and teammate. A consummate winner, her consistency of excellence during her collegiate career and the impact she had on our program is unparalleled.”

“As a co-captain of our 2022 team, Jamie’s leadership, hard work and dominant performances were keys to our undefeated, national championship season,” continued Levy. “Simply put, she is a champion who represents the University of North Carolina and the sport of lacrosse in a first class manner.”

The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.

April 25, 2022 by Tara S

Angela Eiter is the first woman to climb one of the world’s hardest routes

Austrian climber Angela Eiten had a pretty good weekend.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old became the first woman to send a 5.15b grade. She bested the La Planta de Shiva climb, which is located in Villanueva Del Rosario, Andalucia, Spain. Before her historic climb, the route had only been finished by men — and only a handful of them at that.

Eiten was obviously stoked and took to her Instagram, saying it was “One of the most memorable days of my life.”

“One of the most memorable days of my life. Planta de Shiva 9b ✅ … I still can’t believe it. A dream came true! 😆😛😃👻🙈 #verleihtflügel #jedentagtirol @team_edelrid @lasportivagram #9b 📸 Redbull Contentpool/ E.Holzknecht”

The site 8a.nu notes that Eiten had been training for this specific route. She had been sending similar climbs, including a 5.14b at La Planta de Shiva just two years ago, all leading up to Sunday’s historic moment.

“One of my hardest so far, pure endurance climbing with few rests, continuously hard with minimum of rests,” she told the site.

Angela eiter is the first woman to climb one of the worlds hardest routes

https://agsa.org/2022/04/4255/

Oksana Masters breaks U.S. record for most Winter Paralympic Medals

March 17, 2022 by Tara S

by: Olympic Talk

Oksana Masters broke the U.S. records for career Winter Paralympic medals and for most medals at a single Winter Games by making the podium in all seven of her events in China.

Masters, 32, finished her slate with gold in the mixed-gender cross-country skiing relay on Sunday, the ninth and final day of competition. Masters led off the U.S. quartet and was followed by Sydney Peterson, Dan Cnossen and Jake Adicoff.

She finished with one gold and three silvers in cross-country skiing and two golds and one silver in biathlon. That upped her career Winter Paralympic medal tally to 14, one more than Alpine skiers Sarah Billmeier and Sarah Will, who competed from 1992-2002.

Masters owns 17 medals among four sports between the Summer and Winter Games when including her rowing bronze from 2012 and two cycling golds last summer.

The U.S. Paralympians with the most medals come from the Summer Games, led by swimmers Trischa Zorn (46 medals) and Jessica Long (29).

The overall Winter Games medal record is held by Norwegian Ragnhild Myklebust, who won 27 medals, including 22 golds, in biathlon, cross-country skiing and ice sledge speed racing, which is no longer on the Paralympic program.

KENDALL GRETSCH, OKSANA MASTERS WIN GOLD, SILVER FOR BACK-TO-BACK PARA BIATHLON PODIUM FINISHES

March 17, 2022 by Tara S

By Katie Grunik | TEam usa

ZHANGJIAKOU, China – Kendall Gretsch became a Paralympic champion again after finishing 1-2 with teammate Oksana Masters in Para biathlon women’s middle-distance sitting on Tuesday at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Center.

Kendall Gretsch won gold after finishing in 33:12.3. She entered the race as the current world champion and improved on her fourth-place finish from the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

“I’m really excited with today’s race,” Gretsch said. “I had a good day on skis, and I’m happy with our performance. Hopefully, we can build on that for the rest of the races too.”

U.S. teammate Oksana Masters won silver in 33:21.0, and Germany’s Anja Wicker took bronze in 35:45.3. Team USA’s Lera Doederlein finished ninth.

“It’s going to be an incredible podium,” Masters said. “I’ve got my teammate Kendall on top and an incredible athlete, Anja Wicker. She’s been my influence in biathlon. … She’s who I embody, she’s the queen of biathlon. I’m so happy to share this with Team USA and Germany on the podium.”

On a sunny day with the most favorable racing conditions of the Games so far, Gretsch took control of the 2.5-kilometer race around the halfway point. The now four-time Paralympic gold medalist made up time in the race thanks to her quick and accurate shooting. She only missed one shot out of the four shooting passes.

“I really wanted to shoot or hit as many as I could because the races have been tight so every shot counts,” Gretsch said.

Shooting proved to be a key element of the race for both Team USA athletes on the podium. Masters, who also won her second-straight biathlon medal at the Beijing Winter Paralympics, shot clean across all four shooting passes.

“I know my teammate, Kendall Gretsch, is an incredible shooter. She’s a fast shooter, and in the past, I’ve tried to keep up with that,” Masters said. “… This is my second consecutive biathlon medal that I’d shot clean for, which I don’t normally do. I’m so proud of myself.”

The U.S. Para Nordic team has seen the most success at the Paralympic Games so far, boasting seven total medals, thanks in part to Gretsch and Masters. The duo accounts for half of Team USA’s 10 total medals as of Tuesday afternoon, and the only two American gold medals so far.

Despite their continued success, both women remained humble and thankful to their support systems, who have been there for them at both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games over the last six months.

“We have such a strong program and great support from our team,” Gretsch said. “… Back home I have a ton of family and friends that are supporting me. It’s so great knowing that they’re supporting me while they’re there and watching and cheering me on.”

Dan Cnossen competes in the Para Biathlon Men’s Middle Distance Sitting at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on March 8, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China.In men’s Para biathlon middle-distance sitting, Team USA’s Dan Cnossen and Aaron Pike finished 12th and 15th r, respectively. Cnossen, the silver medalist from PyeongChang 2018, said it was tough day of shooting for the American men.

Both Cnossen and Gretsch have pointed to the altitude as a difficult component in both the cross- country and biathlon races.

“I’ve just been struggling a little bit with the altitude and the dry air,” Gretsch said. “It just feels like it’s your heart rate is skyrocketing, and you can’t take a deep breath. Today, it felt a little bit better so maybe just more time here helped.”

First-time Paralympian Dani Aravich represented Team USA in women’s middle- distance standing classification, placing 11th with eight total missed shots. Men’s standing athletes Ruslan Reiter, a two-time Paralympian, and Drew Shea, a 24-year- old first-time Paralympian, placed 12th and 13th r, respectively.

Several of Tuesday’s competitors will take the snow again on Wednesday to compete in the Para cross-country sprint races.

Want to follow Team USA athletes during the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022? Visit www.teamusa.org/beijing-2022-paralympic-games to view the competition schedule, medal table and results.

Kendall Gretsch

March 17, 2022 by Tara S

United States of America Nordic Skiing | Athletics | Swimming

Kendall Gretsch

United States of AmericaNordic Skiing | Athletics | Swimming2

Having only taken up Nordic skiing in 2016, Kendall Gretsch won two golds in women’s biathlon sprint and cross-country long distance sitting at her maiden Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018.

She also became the first female athlete representing the USA to win a gold medal in biathlon.

“Going into the Games I was just hoping to maybe win a medal, so to win two golds was incredible. I still feel pretty new to the sport so I’m trying to take all races as learning experiences. There’s a lot you can learn by practising and training but on some level, you just have to get into races and do them to get better.”

Gretsch works as technical support for a company that provides health care software to hospitals and other medical facilities.

BIOGRAPHY

Impairment information

Origin of Impairment Congenital

Further personal information

Residence Colorado Springs, CO, USAOccupation AthleteLanguages EnglishHigher education Biomedical Science – Washington University in St. Louis: United States

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport? She took up Para triathlon in 2012 in Chicago, IL, United States of America. She first tried Para Nordic skiing in 2016 at the Central Cross Country Ski Association in Madison, WI, United States of America.Why this sport? “[Para Nordic skiing] was good cross-training for Para triathlon.”Name of coach Gary Colliander [biathlon, national]; Derick Williamson [triathlon, national]Training Regime “There is a lot of cross-over between the two sports [Nordic skiing and triathlon] that I do. Cross-country skiing, biathlon and triathlon are all endurance sports, so between the seasons I do a lot of endurance fitness and cardiovascular fitness. I focus on building sport-specific endurance in between the two seasons. I like to train outside, so doing a winter sport is beneficial for me mentally.”

International debut

Year 2017 [Para Nordic skiing]Competing for United States

General interest

Memorable sporting achievement Winning two gold medals in Nordic skiing at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, and a gold medal in triathlon at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (teamusa.org, 28 Aug 2021)Hero / Idol US Para cross-country skier, rower and cyclist Oksana Masters. (Athlete, 29 Mar 2018)Awards and honours In 2015 and 2018 she was shortlisted in the Best Female Athlete with Disability category at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly [ESPY] Awards in the United States of America. (fasterskier.com, 11 Sep 2018; paralympic.org, 22 Jun 2018)

She was named the 2014 Female Para Triathlete of the Year by USA Triathlon. (fasterskier.com, 11 Sep 2018)Other sports She won a gold medal in biathlon and another gold in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, while she also won gold in triathlon at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 28 Aug 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 07 Jan 2019; wts.triathlon.org, 25 Jun 2017; tri.com, 03 Mar 2015)Milestones She became the first female athlete representing the United States of America to win a gold medal in biathlon at the Paralympic Winter Games by claiming victory in the 6km sitting event at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang. (SportsDeskOnline, 05 Dec 2018; pyeongchang2018.com, 10 Mar 2018)Ambitions To compete at the 2022 and 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, and at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 05 Feb 2022)Impairment She was born with spina bifida and as a result her leg muscles did not fully develop. “In my case I basically just had a bunch of extra scar tissue around my spinal cord. When I was first born I had some surgeries and they take out all that extra scar tissue, but as a result those nerves are kind of damaged or just don’t work as well. It impacts mainly my lower half, no function for some of my lower leg muscles or very limited.” (World Triathlon YouTube channel, 25 Aug 2021; fasterskier.com, 23 Oct 2019; triathlon.org, 20 Nov 2015)Other information MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE
She started looking for a new sport after discovering that her triathlon category would not be part of the programme at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She took up Para Nordic skiing during the 2015/16 season, and went on to win gold in both biathlon and cross-country skiing at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. “I wanted to find another sport where I would have the chance to go to the Paralympics. I think this one [skiing] has been the tougher sport for me to pick up. I think triathlon came a little bit more naturally to me. It’s a tough sport and I loved it just being outside and being able to ski. I think that’s one thing that I like between the two sports is that you are travelling around the world and you get to race in beautiful venues. When I got the news that Tokyo [2020] would be postponed, and Tokyo and the Beijing 2022 Winter Games would be extremely close together – six months apart – that was terrifying. In my mind, I was going to have a much different lead-up to Beijing, but now [speaking in 2021] looking back, it is comforting. Transitioning between two seasons has been something I have done for the past five years, and I know how to manage that transition well with my coaches and other members of my team that I’ve worked with for so long.” (teamusa.org, 09 Jul 2021; paralympic.org, 07 Feb 2019, 13 Jul 2018)

TRIATHLON
She was the first triathlete to win gold in the women’s wheelchair category at the Paralympic Games when the event made its debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. “I got my start in Para triathlon after my sophomore year of college. I stopped doing sports when I went to college. I swam all through high school and then I took a little break from exercising at all. I wanted to get back to sports. I went to a swim practice, and the person that was leading the swim practice said, ‘Hey, we have track practice after this’. At that point, I had not done any adaptive sport, just swam with my high school team, so I didn’t know that much about it. She then said, ‘You can come race in your wheelchair, we started a Para triathlon club and we have practice on these days’. This was the Dare2tri Para triathlon club based out of Chicago, and that’s how I got started in the sport. I was not so sure where I was going to be with triathlon after Tokyo. I think at this point, I still love the training so much and can’t see myself stopping after Tokyo. The plan is to keep training and competing in triathlon while I still love it. If that ever changes, then maybe it’s a decision of not continuing. I do not want to commit myself to saying I am going to Paris 2024 or any specific year – but as long as I am loving the training and racing, I will keep going.” (teamusa.org, 09 Jul 2021, 28 Aug 2021; triathlete.com 28 Aug 2021)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has worked as a technical support agent for a company that provides healthcare software to hospitals and other medical facilities. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2020; teamusa.org, 24 Aug 2018)

Kendall Gretsch Wins Biathlon Gold 6 Months After First-Place Paralympic Triathlon Finish

March 15, 2022 by Tara S

By Christa Sgobba, C.P.T.

Team USA finished strong on the podium for the women’s 10K sitting biathlon event on March 8, sending two athletes to the top positions. Kendall Gretsch and Oksana Masters took gold and silver, respectively, in the event, just over six months after they both earned gold medals at the Summer Games in Tokyo.

Gretsch—who earned triathlon gold in Tokyo—finished first with a time of 33:12.3, just ahead of Masters, who clinched her first Summer Games golds in cycling in Tokyo. Germany’s Anja Wicker took home the bronze.

“I haven’t really been feeling that confident skiing the past couple of races, so I didn’t really know what to expect today, but I felt really good all the way through,” Gretsch told NBC after the race. “I’ve skied so many times with Oksana and I know she can really turn it on in the last lap, so you just have to push every second.”

For Masters, her second-place finish was a redemption of sorts, since she had to drop out of the same race in Pyeongchang after she fell and reinjured her elbow.ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s actually incredible to be able to line up in this race again with clean shooting, and be on the podium with my teammate,” Masters told the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Gretsch made her Paralympic debut as a Winter Games athlete in 2018 in Pyeongchang, where she won golds in the 6K biathlon and cross-country skiing. The biathlon gold was the first time any female athlete from Team USA won any medal in biathlon in either the Paralympics or the Olympics, according to NBC.

A triathlete since college, Gretsch was named USA Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year in 2014, but was only able to compete in the sport at the Paralympics once her classification was added to the program for Tokyo, according to NBC. She earned gold in a thrilling finish, in which she took over first place just seconds out from the finish line.

The 2022 Games in Beijing have already been successful for the duo. On the first day of the Paralympic competition, Gretsch and Masters shared a podium in the women’s sitting 6K sprint biathlon—in that event, Masters finished first while Gretsch took home bronze. They nearly did it once again in the 15K cross-country event, in which Masters earned silver and Gretsch narrowly missed the podium with her fourth-place finish. For Masters, the 2022 Winter Games have brought her three medals in three events so far.

Gretsch and Masters aren’t done yet, either. According to the IOC, both have three more individual events plus a relay left in Beijing—and history is on the line there. The current record for the most medals ever won at a single Winter Paralympic Games is six, the IOC says. Gretsch has a chance to tie that, and Masters to beat it, before Beijing is in the books.

Erin Jackson Talks Olympic Gold, Inspiring Others as a ‘Black Person in Predominantly White Sport’

February 25, 2022 by Tara S

“Whatever someone sees in me, or whatever they can relate to, I just hope that they can use that to get out and reach for their dreams,” Erin Jackson tells PEOPLE

By Nicholas Rice

Erin Jackson is reveling in her Olympic glory.

Shortly after the speed skater took the gold at the Beijing Winter Games in the women’s 500m, becoming the first Black woman to win an individual medal in the event, the athlete, 29, tells PEOPLE she still cannot believe her feat.

Calling her feelings “just kind of like a big rush of a whole bunch of different” things, Jackson says of winning: “At first it was shock and happiness, relief of course, just because it’s always stressful. There’s a bit of stress mixed in with just daily life as an athlete, and of course, being on a stage like that.”

“[There’s] just a big relief from all the training that I put in from the season and just having it pay off. Yeah, the main thing for sure, happiness,” she continues. “It was pretty cool.”

Erin Jackson | CREDIT: COURTESY US SPEEDSKATING

During her event, Jackson won gold with a time of 37.04. She crossed the finish line just 0.08 seconds before Japan’s Miho Takagi, while Angelina Golikova of the Russian Olympic Committee came in third with a time of 37.21.

Jackson is also the first U.S. woman to win gold in speed skating at the Olympics in nearly 30 years after Bonnie Blair placed first in 1994.

The Florida native’s victory came after her teammate Brittany Bowe gave up her spot in last month’s qualifying event so Jackson could go to Beijing in her place. (After spots in the 500m were reallocated, Bowe, 33, was also able to compete in the event).

The noble move came after Jackson placed third, due to an unfortunate slip on the ice. “No one is more deserving than her to get an opportunity to bring Team USA home a medal,” Bowe said of her decision at the time.

CREDIT: ROBERT CIANFLONE/GETTY

Jackson says she hopes her achievement as a Black woman will inspire other young girls to compete, themselves. “I just hope that it can kind of help other people think maybe I can try something new, get out and try some of the winter sports, or even just speed skating specifically,” she says.

“I’m always trying to be a good example to anyone who wants to look, [especially as] a Black person in a predominantly white sport, to put it simply,” she continues. “Or even just someone who wants to show [parents] that their kids can have multiple priorities in life, not just sports and not just school, but how it’s possible to do both.”

“But yeah, whatever someone sees in me, or whatever they can relate to, I just hope that they can use that to get out and reach for their dreams,” Jackson adds.

RELATED VIDEO: Skier Mikaela Shiffrin Sometimes Sings a Classic Children’s Song in Her Head While Competing

Looking ahead, Jackson says she is “definitely” aiming to compete in the next Winter Olympics when they take place in Italy in 2026.

“I feel like I can’t be done yet,” she tells PEOPLE. “I feel like I’m just starting to figure it out, so I don’t want to stop now.”

However, Jackson says she plans to take a pause now that her run at the 2022 Games is over.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to it, [but] not too quickly,” she explains. “I want to take some time to myself, but [I’m] definitely excited about the next Games.”

Erin Jackson Makes History As First Black Woman To Win Speed Skating Olympic Medal

February 17, 2022 by Tara S

BLACK GIRLS ON ICE? WE’RE INTO IT.

BY KEYAIRA BOONE · UPDATED FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Erin Jackson, 29, became the first Black woman to earn a gold medal in speed skating for the United States on Sunday.

Jackson claims the prestigious honor for her performance in the women’s 500-meter speed skating race in Beijing.

According to NBC News, she slickly sprinted through the ice to complete the event in 37.04 seconds. She is the first person to win that event on behalf of Team USA since 1994. (PHOTO BY CATHERINE IVILL/GETTY IMAGES)

The Ocala, Florida native’s success as a long track speed skater and inline speed skater is even more remarkable as she has only spent a few years as an ice bound athlete. Jackson previously skated on rollerblades and participated in roller derbies. When she made her first appearance in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, she reportedly had only pivoted towards the ice one year prior. This year Jackson experienced unexpected difficulties during the official qualifying period for the Beijing games.

She arrived in this year’s winner’s circle thanks to her friend and colleague Brittany Bowe opting to give up her qualifying spot to make sure Jackson was afforded the opportunity to compete.

The skating star proved worthy of the sacrifice by making history. She expressed her awe at her accomplishments in a tweet. “Olympic Champion,” she wrote before an emoji of a gold medal. “It’s going to take me a while to process those words.”

Congratulations Erin!

African-American Pioneers in Women’s Wrestling

February 16, 2022 by Tara S

guest writer Shannyn Gillespie
IG: @coachshannyntalks
FB: www.facebook.com/coachshannyn2

Women’s wrestling at the Olympic Games (2004), in College (1994), & World Championships (1987) is a relatively new phenomenon when compared to men’s wrestling which started about 100 years earlier in Olympic, World, & College competition (1903 & 1904). However, African-American women (and men) have been trailblazers in women’s wrestling from the start of USA fielding teams…

Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first African-American Olympic Champion at the 2020 Tokyo Games and second African-American women wrestler to be crowned World Champion in 2019. She accomplished this feat at 68kg and also won a World Championships silver medal in 2021 and a bronze medal in 2018. In college, she was a 2X WCWA National Champion and 4X all-American for Wayland Baptist University. Mensah-Stock is from Texas (where high school girls wrestling has been sanctioned since 1999) and won 2 state titles while finishing as runner-up her sophomore year for Morton Ranch H.S.

[Read more…]