Youth Sports

Ella Bruning: Five things to know about the Little League World Series breakout star

August 26, 2021 by Tara S

Ella Bruning is making history at the Little League World Series.

The 12-year-old catcher for the Wylie Little League team from Abilene, Texas, is the 20th girl to take part in the annual event in South Williamsport, Pa., and the only girl in this year’s tournament.

With two hits in her team’s 6-0 win over Washington on Friday, Bruning became the seventh girl to get a hit during a LLWS game and only the third girl to have multiple hits in a game. She also drove in a run, stole a base and scored a run during the game.

[Read more…]

10 Reasons Why Kids Should Wrestle

August 17, 2021 by Tara S

Wrestling is one of the most unique sports on the planet. It is definitely not the most popular sport, but that is quickly changing as more and more people become aware of the incredible benefits that a career in wrestling can provide.

1. Wrestling Develops Athleticism

Balance, strength, coordination, and overall body awareness is fundamental in having success in the sport. Year after year kids will start practice with gymnastics, calisthenics, and activities that develop these skills. It provides a foundation of athleticism.

2. Wrestling Promotes Personal Responsibility

As an individual sport the only person responsible for success or failure is the individual themselves. Wrestling teaches self-awareness and how to be responsible for your actions. What you put in is what you get out.

3. Wrestling Develops Mental and Emotional Resilience

Like no other sport, wrestling triggers the emotions of athletes. When you suffer losses and setbacks they are often painful and uncomfortable. However, through the process individuals can develop resilience that will last a lifetime.

4. Wrestling Teaches About Nutrition and Weight Management

Through competition athletes become aware of weight-classes. If done correctly, this can encourage athletes to learn about food and how proper nutrition can impact their performance.

5. Wrestling Develops Leadership Skills

Leadership is both verbal and nonverbal. A wrestling room has the ability to create an environment where leaders emerge. You will quickly see young athletes push each other, teach each other, and support one another.

6. Wrestling Teaches Discipline and Accountability

Discipline and accountability are requirements for achieving success in the sport of wrestling. There is literally no way to achieve ultimate success in the sport without choosing to do hard things even when you don’t want to and athletes must hold themselves accountable for their own actions if they want to succeed.

7. Wrestling Brings People Together From All Backgrounds and Cultures

Wrestling is an international sport and doesn’t require anything to participate. People from all corners of the planet and from all different economic and social backgrounds can compete in the sport.

8. Wrestling Promotes Self-Mastery and Focus

Wrestling has been described as the most difficult martial art to master. It takes years of practice and experience to understand the positions of wrestling. The sport teaches individuals to have a long-term perspective and requires a high level of passion to pursue the elite levels of the sport.

9. Wrestling Teaches Self-Defense

The best way to ensure that you’re not a victim of physical violence is by learning self-defense. Wrestling is the most important skill-set required in combat sports today because it has the ability to control where the battle goes. Knowing how to wrestle could very easily help anyone in a situation of self-defense.

10. Wrestling Can Provide Opportunities to Travel and Further Education

There are so many opportunities to travel the country and see the world while competing in youth and high school wrestling. In addition to traveling, there are endless opportunities to wrestle in college. Individuals can use the sport to create educational opportunities that might not otherwise have existed.

Awards Ceremony at Proctors Recognizes Standout Female Athletes

August 10, 2021 by Tara S

By Jim Schiltz | The Daily Gazette

Recent Taconic Hills graduate Clare Howard couldn’t help but notice just how proud the parents, siblings, coaches and friends were of the individuals who were honored Monday evening at the second annual Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala at Proctors.l

Howard’s rooting section included her mom, dad, brother and sister.

“You could see how each family supported their athlete,” said Howard, who, after each individual was honored, earned the prestigious Grand Scholastic Sports Woman of the Year prize. “To be able to invite people shows how far we’ve come in this pandemic.”

The first awards ceremony held last August saw only two guests allowed for each of the young women who were honored for their outstanding athletic and academic achievement, service to their school and community involvement.

The 2020 Capital District Sports Women of the Year gala was originally scheduled to take place in May of that year at Proctors, but that was postponed due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and was instead held at The Desmond Hotel in Colonie in a low-key affair where the grand winners were sprinter and soccer player Lydia Ware of Averill Park in the high school category and soccer player Morgan Burchhardt of Saint Rose in the collegiate category.

“This was the dream I had,” Capital District Sports Women of the Year president and founder Eric McDowell said as pictures were taken in a room adjacent to the GE Theatre, where the event was held. “Women’s sports deserve coverage and recognition outside the arena. This is what I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it here.”

Soccer player Hallie Klosterman of Russell Sage College was the Grand Sports Woman of the Year winner in the collegiate category.

Also honored Monday were recent high school graduates Phoebe Fox (Glens Falls), Riley Gibbons (Germantown), Jenna Hoffman (Maple Hill), Anna Jankovic (Averill Park), Sara Langworthy (Warrensburg), Izzy Mancini (Galway), Madison Relyea (Mayfield) and Kate Sherman (Mohonasen), rising high school senior Beth Irwin (Guilderland), and Naseyah Dix (Bryant & Stratton College).

“What an all-star team,” McDowell said before each of the honorees received a trophy and gave a speech. “What accomplishments.”

Howard, Taconic Hills’ five-sports participant and senior class president, said she was both surprised and excited when the grand awards were announced.

“I was expecting a lot when I got here, but when I heard the resumes, it was mind boggling,” Howard said. “I was blown away by what the girls had done. Each girl has so much to offer. We all could have won it for different reasons.”

“We read about them. Put out the releases,” McDowell said of the honorees. “To see them come to life was very, very special. What they did is amazing.”

McDowell said there were more nominations for the 2021 awards than in 2020, and he expects an even larger number next year.

“It’s growing,” McDowell said. “Word will come out and they will say, ‘We have someone, too.’ ”

Howard began competing in sports at Taconic Hills as a seventh-grader, and as the years passed she kept adding teams to her athletic resume. She capped off her record and award-filled scholastic career this school year by participating in soccer and cross country in the fall, swimming and skiing in the winter and track in the spring. She would have done the five as a junior, too, had that spring season not been taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Clare is a remarkable young lady that manages her time well in order to be successfully involved in as much as she is,” Taconic Hills math teacher Angela Webster said in a pre-event testimonial. “She is one of the most all-around talented individuals I have met in my career. I admire her for her positive, calm demeanor in the classroom while being an aggressive, sportsmanlike competitor on the field.”

Howard will focus on the 400 hurdles at William and Mary, and while she has yet to declare a major, she has great interest in the math and science fields where the National Honor Society member has received several prestigious awards.

“How many hours are in her day?” McDowell asked.

The multi-talented teen also has an ear for music, and can play the piano, flute and cello. She has been involved with several different groups, and was invited to perform with the Empire State String Youth Orchestra.

“I was always active growing up, and that carried over to my teenage years,” Howard, who served as her class treasurer for three years and was on the school’s COVID-19 reopening committee, said prior to the awards gala. “I am just really thankful that with everything I’ve done, I’ve had my family and friends and everyone in school backing me up and supporting me.”

Howard graduated third in her class.

“I really want to be the best version of myself as I can,” the 18-year-old academic and athletic star said when informed earlier this year that she was among the 10 high schoolers to be recognized. “It’s rewarding to see it all pay off.”

Klosterman anchored Russell Sage’s run to its first Empire 8 women’s soccer championship last spring as a junior, while academically, she was named to Russell Sage’s President’s List, Dean’s List and Athletic Honor Society for the third time. This past academic year she was also named to the college’s Athenian Honors Society. The Wallkill High School graduate has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average throughout her college career.

“The key to my success is challenging myself to be the best I can as a student, athlete and person,” Klosterman said.

Klosterman was named the Empire 8 tournament MVP after the team captain assisted on the winning goal in the semifinals, and scored both the tying goal late in the second half and the game-winner on a penalty kick in extra time against Utica College in the title match.

“Oh my gosh,” Klosterman had said, “it was incredible. Everybody on the team, that was their goal. That’s what we were striving for. Did we have a perfect season? No. But, in my opinion, winning a championship doesn’t have to be a perfect season. If you have some upsets here and there, that’s where you learn. That’s where your growth comes from. That’s what can make or break a championship.”

Klosterman has already completed her undergraduate work at Russell Sage and is now embarking on a three-year graduate program in physical therapy.

News Channel 13 sports personality Ashley Miller served as the master of ceremonies and Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, who lived in Schenectady as a youth, was the virtual guest speaker. Indie-pop artist Annie Scherer of Voorheesville performed on piano at the beginning of the event and on guitar after a brief intermission.

Best of the Best: Future Gamecock, Local Standout Wins Third SC Gatorade Award

July 26, 2021 by Tara S

Jayla Jamison added another top award to cap her high school career.

The Airport High School junior was named South Carolina’s 2021 Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year on Friday — it’s the third straight year she’s won the honor

Jamison is the first three-time winner in South Carolina since J.L. Mann’s Brianna Nelson did it in 2008-10. She is the first Midlands athlete to win three in a row since Spring Valley’s Monique Hennagan in 1992-94.

Jamison won in the long jump and the 100, 200 and 400 meters in the 2021 S.C. track and field championships in May. She was the lone Airport runner who placed in the meet and helped the Eagles to a third-place finish in Class 4A. Jamison’s four state championships give her 12 for her career. She won four events in 2018 and 2019. Had last year’s championships not been canceled because of COVID-19, she would have likely added to her total.

[Read more…]

Ola’s Amani Jones wins gold at Junior Pan American Championships

July 22, 2021 by Tara S

Amani Jones, fresh off her graduation from Ola, made history at the Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico.

Jones became the first Georgia high school girls wrestler to win a gold medal at the games, taking the freestyle title at 55 kilograms with a dominating 10-0 win over Mexico’s Victoria Chazez in the finals. The U.S. team won gold in the event with 176 points, finishing ahead of runner-up Mexico’s 147 and third-place Cuba’s 101.

“This is a huge step for Amani,” Ola coach Joey DiNino said. “She has international level aspirations and this is a step in the right direction. We are extremely proud of Amani.”

Jones, a North Central College (Ill.) recruit, won high school state championships the past three seasons, the first three the Georgia High School Association sanctioned wrestling. She also is a Girls USA Cadet Freestyle National Champion, a Girls Super 32 National Champion and a USA Today Atlanta Sports Female Wrestler of the Year.

IHSA Board Sets Schedule For Inaugural Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals, Extends Two State Final Hosting Contracts

June 30, 2021 by Tara S

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, June 14, 2021, where the Board finalized the schedule and location of the first-ever IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals in 2022.

The Board approved the tournament structure developed by the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to conduct the first-ever girls state finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday, February 25-26, 2022. The IHSA previously conducted its Dual Team Wrestling State Finals on this Saturday and will now extend that tournament to two days, running it concurrently with the Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena.

“This is an exciting development for the IHSA and for female wrestlers around the state,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The number of female participants continues to grow, and we are proud to be able to offer an incredible venue and stage to recognize them on. This is an important step for Illinois high school wrestling as a whole.”

The IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals will consist of the quarterfinal round and the first two rounds of wrestlebacks being contested on Friday morning and afternoon. The semifinals, consolation rounds, and place matches will follow on Saturday morning and afternoon. The event will culminate with a Grand March of the finalists, followed by the state championship matches in 14 different weight classes.

The IHSA Board first approved the formation of the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at their meeting in June, 2020, before asking the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to develop the tournament schedule and structure.

Over 800 girls from IHSA schools were eligible to wrestle during the 2019-20 school year after completing the required testing to determine their weight class. In 2020-21, the IHSA wrestling season ran from April 19 to June 12 as a result of the pandemic and the IHSA was not able to conduct a postseason.

Richards High School’s Mia Palumbo (above) made history on February 15, 2018, when the then-freshmen became the first female wrestler to win a match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals.

ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to a modification of the IHSA Scholastic Standing By-laws (3.022 and 4.022) for the first semester of the 2021-22 school term. The Board had modified the by-laws in December to help ease scholastic issues brought about by remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Board continues to recognize the challenges faced by many students in the spring and believes that continuing the academic modifications make sense as schools transition back to a more normal manner of service for the 2021-22 school year.”

2. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Bass Fishing State Final hosting contract with Carlyle Lake in Carlyle for three more years. The contract extension will encompass the 2022, 2023, and 2024 state finals.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The city of Carlyle, Carlyle High School, the Army Corp. of Engineers who oversee Carlyle Lake, and a host of volunteers from around the area have been with us since day one. They helped us realize the dream of a bass fishing state championship and have embraced the event as a community in every way possible. We are proud to return there to conduct the event for three years.”

3. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Speech-Individual Events State Final hosting contract with the Peoria Civic Center for five more years. The contract extension will encompass the state finals from 2022-2026.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Peoria Civic Center provides a great setup and space for this event and has been a wonderful setting for it since 2010. We appreciate their support of IHSA activities and look forward to our continued partnership.”

4. The Board approved a recommendation to allow a one-year Cooperative agreement in the sport of football between Olympia High School and Delavan High School.

5. The Board approved a recommendation to use the actual enrollment, and not IHSA classification enrollment, when determining the membership assessment of single-gender schools.

6. The Board approved a recommendation to reduce the number of required students on a team in order to be eligible for the IHSA Academic Team Award.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.

1. The Board approved the consent items, from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities:
Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Chess, Dance, Sportsmanship, Gymnastics, Journalism, Music, Officials, Scholastic Bowl, Soccer, Speech, Student Advisory, Swimming, Wrestling, Athletic Administrators and Activities Director.

Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.

One non-consent item was approved:
Student Advisory Committee
1. The annual Student Advisory Committee retreat will be held on August 1, 2021.

HEARINGS & APPEALS
1. The Board held a hearing with administrators from Grayslake North High School to discuss the school violating IHSA by-laws 2.010 and 6.011 by knowingly allowing an ineligible student-athlete to participate in a football contest this year.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the June 14, 2021 agenda:

1. The Board heard a report on the three new by-laws that will take effect on July 1, 2021, as a result of the membership’s annual legislative process in November and December. A full release on the new by-laws and by-laws changes can be found by clicking here.

2. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on the future of an IHSA State Series in esports.

3. The Board reviewed a request for an enrollment waiver for LaMoille High School/Amboy High School cooperative, but took no action.

4. The Board agreed to work on creating a timeline and process for gathering input from member schools during the 2021-22 school year concerning the possible implementation of the shot clock as early as the 2022-23 school year.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“I expect to have a good discussion with the membership on this topic over the next school year. I could envision the shot clock being phased in over the next handful of years to allow the membership adequate time to become accustomed to the shot clock, purchase the necessary equipment, and identify workers who will be able to manage the clock.”

5. The Board recognized outgoing Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Executive Director Steve Endsley, who will retire on June 30 after over 20 years of service to the IESA and its membership.

Golden Nuggets With Bhaavya Manikonda- IHSA State Girls Badminton Champion

June 17, 2021 by Tara S

Our Sports Program Coordinator, Elizabeth Blaszynski, had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Badminton State Champion, Bhaavya Manikonda! Read all about how Bhaavya started playing badminton, all the hard work she put into becoming a state champion, and how her father inspired her to keep playing!

How many years have you played for your team?

I played varsity badminton all throughout high school (freshman to senior year). I was also first in the lineup every year. I am currently ranked number 2 nationally in singles and 3 in doubles. I won the IHSA badminton state for singles in 2019 and 2021 as well.

Why did you start playing badminton?

My dad always wanted to put me in a sport for three reasons: learning discipline, learn the importance of fitness and athletics and having fun. There was a badminton club near the house we moved into in 2012 so he signed me up and I have played and grown ever since.

What is your favorite badminton memory?

My favorite memory while playing would be when I was warming up to play singles finals at the Pan American Junior Tournament in Moncton, Canada. The previous year I played in the same tournament in Brazil and I lost the first round so it was satisfying to see hard work and perseverance be worth it. The entire year before this day I made sure to stay motivated with the three reasons my dad had in mind and having that purpose helped me stay grounded towards my goal and it was cool to see everything pay off.

What is a life lesson you learned from playing badminton?

I learned that experience comes from more than just winning. If you want to be successful, failure is bound to be a stepping stone. Badminton is a fun recreation sport but it can also be a beautiful competitive sport and sticking with it and embracing the challenges it brings is key.

How did badminton impact your student-athlete life?

Badminton definitely had an impact on my academic life when I first started high school because I had not yet learned how to balance both. I was able to fix this problem by setting up schedules and to do lists for even little time periods of my day because even though I might not stick to them completely, I can refocus even after getting off track. I also would be in the moment when in school and doing homework and then also would have my mind completely up present when playing badminton so I am not thinking about other aspects of my life. Badminton did create moments of stress for me because of how it constructed my time for everything else but I now have the lifelong skill of time management and self composure.

What are 3 words you can think of that describe badminton?

I would describe badminton as uplifting, dynamic, and gritty.

Do you continue to play badminton once your season is over?

I do still play now and am currently attending a camp to train for nationals that are happening at the end of June (June 2021). After this tournament, I will be going to college in the fall so I will stop training as regularity and will play for fun and fitness and not as competitively.

How has participating in badminton camp helped you?

Badminton camp not only improved my physical and mental endurance but also gave me a place to be around other people who are willing to put in work and appreciate badminton as a sport. The friends I have made are forever and they have taught me so much and given me some of my favorite memories.

Campbellsport Softball Player with Cancer Receives Help from Opposing Team

June 14, 2021 by Tara S

By Jason Zimmerman

WAUPUN, Wis. (WBAY) – Some much needed help for a Campbellsport teenager battling brain cancer.

Alexis Feucht plays high school girls softball and in a game Monday night the opposing team took action.

Before Feucht could take the field in Waupun, it was hard not to notice the bake sale and raffle being done, as an attempt to raise money in her fight against brain cancer.

Feucht, who plays shortstop, was diagnosed last fall after a series of bad headaches wouldn’t go away.

She said, “I had no idea what was going on. We thought it was sinuses, we thought it was just because I had a heavy case load for school.”

As Feucht undergoes treatment, she continues to play sports.

She also has friends in Waupun, on the opposing team, and they wanted to help and raise awareness.

“It was also a school project and it started like this could be a small little community event and just to like help as much as we can and it turned into something so much bigger and so much better than we could have imagined,” said friend and event organizer Makenya Potratz.

Dulcie Kind was also among the organizers.

She added, “I’ve known Alexis since we were young and she’s always been a good motivator for me and I played with her on the softball field and she always gives it her hardest and not once since this whole journey she’s been thru has she given up, nothing like that and she keep pushing forward.”

All of the money from the event will help cover the family’s medical expenses. The goal is to raise at least a thousand dollars, knowing that every little bit helps.

Feucht responded, “I am super thankful. It’s unbelievable how much the small towns have come together to just help me out and just makes be feel so much better about having what I have.”

Before the game, Feucht also addressed the crowd, saying she’s optimistic about her chances for a full recovery.

“I’m hoping that it goes within the year of chemo, but you know, I’m going to do what it takes to get rid of this crap,” she told the crowd.

Bradford Softball Team Caps Historic Season with School’s First State Title

June 14, 2021 by Tara S

By Greg Billing, Contributing WriterRailroaders

AKRON – The texts started coming in the fifth inning. By the sixth and seventh innings Shon Schaffer’s phone was vibrating almost non-stop with congratulations and celebratory texts.

The Bradford Railroaders’ softball team was still nine outs away from the school’s first team state championship in any sport. But with standout hurler Skipp Miller dealing her 60 mph-plus fastball and a standout defense behind her, Schaffer’s team had Bradford buzzing with confidence.

“I wanted to play more,” said Maggie Manuel. “I was like please don’t end in a run rule.”

Three Bradford teams have reached the state semifinals. The 1982 football team lost 7-6 to Fostoria St. Wendelin. The 2018 softball team lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale, the eventual state champs, 1-0 in eight innings. And now the 2021 Railroaders, who broke through with a dominating tournament run.

Bradford (30-2) outscored their seven postseason opponents 64-1. The Railroaders, ranked No. 4 in the final Ohio High School Softball Coaches poll, knocked off No. 2 New Riegel, No. 3 Mechanicsburg and No. 6 Cuyahoga Heights along the way.

“She’s definitely the best pitcher in the state,” Cuyahoga Heights coach Kyle Manfredonia said. “That rise ball is hard when it’s coming from that low to where it’s ending. It’s like the Montana Fouts girl throwing for Alabama. It’s impossible to hit when it’s coming that fast. She kept it moving and her change-up was sick. She’s good. Really good.”

Miller threw her 12th no-hitter of the season in the state semifinals on Friday in a 11-0, 5-inning victory against New Riegel.

She finished this season with 414 strikeouts, which ranks third in OHSAA single-season history behind Batavia Clermont Northeastern’s Emily Anderson (432 in 2010) and Rocky River’s Leah Black (455 in 1999). Her 12 no-hitters are No. 2 in single-season history behind Richwood North Union’s Jessica Price (15 in 2000).

“Okay, yes, now that I look back and it’s the only hit of the game (it disappointed me),” said a smiling Miller in the postgame interview session. “I should have warmed up more.”

Miller said she battled her nerves through the early innings and felt almost panicked at times with the pressure to win. After that, it was vintage Miller.

“When I got to the fourth inning I finally got my nerves down I felt great. I felt unstoppable,” she said.

Bradford’s offense was, too. New Riegel surrendered a season-high 11 runs against Bradford (and the only team to score double digits). The eight against Cuyahoga Heights was one away from the most runs the Redskins allowed in a game this season.

Nine different Railroaders had hits in the championship game and seven different players scored.

Austy Miller and Abby Fike both had four hits in the state tournament, while Emma Canan and Samantha “Buzz” Brewer each had three. Rylee Canan knocked in three runs and both Millers and E. Canan had two RBI each. E. Canan scored four runs, A. Miller three and Nylani Beireis three and Brewer two.

On defense, third baseman Maggie Manuel had a pair of standout plays in the title game. She chased down a foul ball for one out and charged a slow grounder and threw to Beireis for another.

“(Friday) I was begging just hit me the ball, please,” Manuel said. “Me and Abby (at shortstop) always talk about how we have no action ever. That’s what happens when you have a good pitcher. … I’ve been caught off guard plenty of times. I just try to tell myself the ball could be hit to me at any time. It could happen so I try to keep my head in the game.”

Bradford graduates five seniors from the state championship team with Brewer, E. Canan, Manuel, S. Miller, and Courtney Monnin.

“I’ve got 19 of them that love this game of softball. It was really fun,” said Schaffer, who completed his eighth year as coach. “They make me look like a really good coach because they’re so talented. All 19 of them, all the way through, make my job pretty easy.

“I don’t want this to end. Once we get back home you’ll always have it but not together like this. You just want to savor it.”

« Previous Page