MVP Sports Magazine December 2013

stormontvail.org

Teamwork.

Amazing things happen when dedicated orthopedic surgeons and athletic trainers work together to help high school athletes compete at a healthy level. Whether on the field or in the exam room, our integrated model of care leads to a win for the entire team.

Cotton-O’Neil Clinic – Orthopedic Surgery 823 S.W. Mulvane | (785) 270-8880 Brian Wilson, M.D., orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, is now accepting new patients by physician referral.

Kansas Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 909 S.W. Mulvane | (785) 357-0301

Athletes in action: Topeka High vs. Wichita Heights Photos by craig strever

CONTRIBUTORS Publisher Tara Dimick Editor-in-Chief Tara Dimick Photographer Rachel Lock Designer David Vincent Contributing Writers Mark Elliott Jake Lebahn Rachel Lock Adam Vlach Bridget Walter Contributing Photographer Craig Strever Account Executive Tara Dimick 785.217.4836

December 2013

Subscriptions 785.217.4836 or taradimick@gmail.com MVP Sports Magazine PO Box 67272 Topeka, KS 66667 MVP Junior Board Alec Beatty, THS Justin Bibler, WRHS Logan Bledsoe, SLHS Alex Brun, SHHS Meredith Bender, TWHS Laura Dicus, TWHS Lindsay Dunekak, THS Zach Haney, SHHS Madeline Hill, WRHS Michael Houghton, HPHS Jeremy Hurla, SHS Kylie Loewen, WRHS Kirah Lohse, HHS Mandy Madden, THS Andrea Rietcheck, RHS Katy Trupp, HHS Madi Wegner, SLHS Alisha White, HPHS

4

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

Thank you for voting us the Best Credit Union in Topeka!

peka o T f o Best

TH E

TOPE RNAL KA CAPITAL-JOU

and

Northeast Kansas

2013

Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government

NCUA

National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency

Forever FREE i

o

Checking Account Convenience in the palm of your hand.

Free Visa debit card and ECU Mobile service.

> No hidden charges. > No monthly fees. > No kidding!

Come in to any full-service ECU location to open a checking account. Simplify the switch with an ECU Switch Kit. $100 minimum deposit to open, no minimum thereafter.

Shrink

the cost of owning

your own car

!

Apply Today Visit www.EducationalCU.org and fill out an online loan application.

T peka ->

If you live or work here, you can bank here.

Where YOU Belong!

785.271.6900

EducationalCU.org

6

MVPSportsMagazine.com November 2013

Sophomore Joah Hickel

V

ery few high school wrestlers can say that Tom Brands, the 1986 Olympic gold medalist and head wrestling coach of the University of Iowa, has shared a lasagna meal with them in their home. However, the three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year makes himself at home in the Lambotte kitchen. He traveled from Iowa to Rossville to seek out the three-time Kansas State High School Wrestling Champion, Tagen Lambotte.

The past Olympian feasts on the homemade lasagna and banana bread prepared by Tagen’s mom, Alaina Lambotte, and chats with Tagen’s dad, Todd Lambotte about wrestling and football. Todd and Alaina, both Rossville-born and raised, are proud of their close-knit family and the wrestling tradition Tagen shares with his older brother Cody.

As the visit ended, Tagen's fate to wrestle for Division 1 University of Iowa was sealed. But, for this determined young man, the decision

8

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

to sign at Iowa was made in his mind many, many years before.

THE BEGINNING In wrestling, there are 1,000 different positions on the mat. For every action you take on the mat, there are 100 possible reactions.

This is a mental challenge that Tagen Lambotte took on without reservation at the age of six. Lambotte is the first to admit that at first he was "pretty much the worst wrestler in the club."

But, with the ferocity of a bulldog he focused and refocused his attention to the sport he would come to love.

The stars were aligned perfectly for Tagen's success. During his fifth grade year at Rossville Elementary School, his older brother, Cody Lambotte, came home from college on a break. Cody, who wrestled for the University of Nebraska, decided to put Tagen through a plate workout. It was grueling, but Tagen found immediate value in it. He added it to his everyday fitness routine and noticed that

gradual physical gains became both felt and visible. The interest that had begun to take hold at age six was further ignited.

Little by little, this boy began to shed anything that distracted him from his wrestling ambitions. He gained tone, muscle and a solid frame.

Baseball was put aside and all of his efforts were focused toward the thing he loved most—The Grind.

THE GRIND As Cody's college wrapped up, he decided to return to Rossville and became the assistant high school football coach and assistant wrestling coach. Armed with Cody's guidance, Tagen began to understand "The Grind." The grind is a mindset specific to wrestling.

"Wresting requires a different mindset than other sports,” Cody said.

“You have to be willing to shut yourself in a room with no windows and wear down your opponent for eight to nine months of the year. It's a battle.”

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

9

THE WILL

"If you don't think you are going to win, don't step on the mat."

- Tagen Lambotte, Rossville High School Senior

Alaina explains another part of Tagen's success. "He is always looking online for informational videos with new techniques…anything he can learn. He is a sponge when it comes to wrestling.”

Tagen knew early on that the sport that had captured his attention would be brutal. "It was made clear to me at a very young age that before I could have success, I would have to take my beatings." Tagen said.

His closeness with his brother provided tremendous support while he trained. Cody pushed him in a calm and measured way. He used his experience from years on the mat to sharpen Tagen's understanding of the grind ahead.

"You can learn how to take beatings from coaches and high school kids in practice.” Tagen said. “Once you take beatings, you have the choice to keep going. Then, eventually there will be guys that you break."

10

THE GOAL When Tagen reached seventh grade, his sights were set on the University of Iowa. Known nationally as a school that cranks out Olympic medalists, Iowa instructors have mastered a style of wrestling that uses heavy hands and a non-traditional approach to wrestling. Their attacking mindset, coupled with the caliber of athletes that exit the school wooed Tagen.

Determined to sign with this D1 university, he began to focus his approach even more finely. His grades held steady at just under a 4.0, and he devoted every practice and workout to perfecting his technique.

"Tagen doesn't just come in to practice to punch a time clock or go through the motions, he comes in not afraid to get his hands dirty,"says Cody.

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

Tagen’s fear of physical pain vanished, and he began to understand how critical off-season practice time was. Many teens across the country were vying at the exact same time for the titles and honors that Tagen wanted. So, he made the decision to become a winner.

"If you don't think you are going to win, don't step on the mat," Tagen said. "It comes down to forcing your will on another guy. It's you and another guy. Who is willing to endure more pain in those six-plus minutes?"

Knowing with certainty that he has put in the time and out-trained his opponents is critical to Tagen's success on the mat.

"If I sat around and ate ho ho's and doughnuts, I wouldn't have the confidence to go out and wrestle. But, I know that I did things like run extra laps after practice when I was dogtired,” Tagen said. “These things are in the back of my mind and give me confidence."

Tagen is open to critical feedback from coaches to determine what he could do better next time. This mindset will be necessary to will his way through the list of things he hopes to accomplish in wrestling. NCAA titles, World titles, Olympic glory…these all find their place on Tagen's bucket list.

THE CHAMPION’S MIND With wrestling season amping up, the Rossville community will watch as Tagen goes for his fourth state championship. But, Tagen grows serious when this topic is mentioned, and replies, "It isn't a given.” mvp

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

11

Ethan Jackson, JR, TWHS; Brett Evenson, JR, TWHS Matthew Watson, JR, TWHS; Zachary Wagers, TWHS Head Coach; Ken Bennett, THS Head Coach; Jack Palmer, FR, THS; Walker Ricks, SO, THS

Imagine a sport where you’re constantly moving your entire body but can only breathe a fraction of that time. Imagine a sport where the difference between winning and losing can be decided by hundredths of a second. Imagine a sport where you practice eight times a week all season long. These guys live that sport.

Officially, the boys’ swim season didn’t start until November 18th; that is when they can get in the water.

In reality, though, these athletes began weight training and dry-land conditioning two months before they

12

even set foot in a pool. In addition, that November 18th date set by the Kansas High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) only prohibits swimmers from practicing as part of a high school function. These young men swim year-round to better themselves.

DIVERSE SKILL LEVELS Teams consist of both those very experienced (some of whom swim for the Topeka Swim Association) to new beginners to the sport.

Topeka High’s Coach Ken Bennett says he focuses on new beginners’

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

strengths and evaluates which strokes are their strongest. Similarly, the coach of Topeka West, Zachary Wagers, says his coaching staff is very detail and technical-oriented. He also focuses on building new swimmers’ confidence.

“We are able to take an athlete who is not very confident and break down the process allowing them to gain the confidence needed to compete,” says Wagers.

MENTAL ASPECT Swim practice is a multi-faceted process. One side of swimming that is

often forgotten is the mental aspect.

The ability to keep one’s morale up and mind focused when things are looking down is a must if he wants to overcome the adversity.

PHYSICAL ASPECT Then there is the actual swimming.

To begin, the swimmers spend ten to fifteen minutes stretching on land. Once warmed up, they work on building a strong foundation through body balance and beginner drills.

“Building endurance early [is important],” says Coach Bennett. The only way to do this is to swim day after day. It’s a slow but sure process.

Topeka West swimmers are able to evaluate this process, and all of their swimming, using video analysis equipment. This allows the boys to see themselves swim and, with the coaches, critique techniques. With

today’s science, swim practice is much more complex, but at the same time, it is more effective.

PERSONAL RECORD

A swimmer finishes the race when his hand touches a very sensitive board against the wall at the end of his final lap. Touching this board sends an electronic signal to the clock to stop that swimmer’s timer. The race ends when all of the swimmers in the heat have stopped their timers.

It’s always a goal to finish in first place, but in swimming many people focus more on personal bests, or personal record (PR). Many times a swimmer feels as if he is racing against himself, rather than against other opponents. Even if he beats his personal record by a few hundredths of a second, that is still a victory to a swimmer, regardless of how he

finished in the heat.

“When I took over in the boys’ season, they (Topeka High) had a long standing history of dedication and determination. I want to continue that,” says Coach Bennett.

LESSONS LEARNED Both Coach Bennett and Coach Wagers hope their boys will take lessons learned from swimming and being part of a team and apply them in their futures. Knowing that they were part of something great and they helped build it, is what Coach Wagers wants for his boys.

Swimming is a tough sport, but although it may not always seem like it, it is a team sport, and that means that there will always be others standing by through the good times and the bad.

MVP

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

13

The typical day of a four-year-old includes going to preschool, watching cartoons, and nap time. For John Fritsch, it also included competitive swimming.

Before he even started Kindergarten, the now junior at Washburn Rural High School swam in a summer league at Wood Valley.

Three years later he joined the Topeka Swim Association (TSA) with his older sisters. John is supported through it all by his father, Dale.

Dale Fritsch knows what it’s like to compete on one of the highest levels. He swam for Ohio State for four years, serving as co-captain his senior year, and then went on to be the graduate assistant to Ohio State’s Men’s Swimming for a few years. John wants to follow in his footsteps, but to do so he must sacrifice much.

“If you want to excel in competitive swimming, it is a very challenging and demanding sport,” says Dale. “Most high school age club programs, like TSA, train about 9-10 times per week for eleven months out of the year. The

14

swimming practices last about two hours and a swimmer will usually swim between 25-35 miles per week. Club swimmers are typically in excellent condition, as training focuses on both endurance (aerobic training) and speed (anaerobic training). In addition to the swim practices, many swimmers like my son John also work on strength training three to four times a week.”

This intense schedule keeps John, and other TSA swimmers like him, very busy. “A down side of club swimming is the huge time commitment required,” Dale explains.

“Club swimmers are frequently unable to attend social events, and also have limited time to spend with friends due to their training regimen.”

Swimmers like John are dead set on a goal and are willing to push themselves as hard as they need to in order to reach that goal. John’s goal is to swim for Ohio State, like his father.

Very few can make such a commitment, but for those who do, the rewards are great. mvp

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

Let us level with you.

Call us for a smoother, safer playing surface.

Barry Neville Topeka Swim Association Head Coach

• American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 4 Coach • Top 8% of Coaches in the Country • Received ASCA’s Excellence in Coaching Certificate

(785) 608-0195 midwestlaserleveling.com

Past Accomplishments: • Coached 28 YMCA National Swimmers • Coached 125+ Sectional & Junior National Swimmers • Coached 29+ Senior National Swimmers • Coached 2 Olympic Trial Qualifiers • Coached A former swimmer represented Bulgaria in the 2004 & 2008 Olympics and is the current American Record Holder in the 200-yard Breaststroke • Head Coach of Bettendorf Swim Club (Bettendorf, IA) • Named Iowa Senior Coach of the Year • Served Iowa Swimming as Vice-Chair of Technical Planning and Senior Programs • Former President of the Iowa Swim Coaches Association • Coached the Bettendorf Middle School Swim Team • Head Coach of Champaign County YMCA (Champaign, IL) • Head Coach of STAR Swimming (Buffalo, NY) o Doubled their size from 200 to 450 swimmers • Head Coach of Huntington YMCA and University of Charleston Aquatic Team (Huntington, WV) • Aquatics Coordinator for the Coralville Recreation Department (Coralville, IA) • Started the Coralville Swim Club • Coached the Northwest Junior High Swim Team • Assistant with the University of Iowa Women’s Swim Team (Iowa City, IA) o In charge of the D1 Women’s College Swim Coaches Association of America’s Top 20 Poll for two seasons.

• University of Iowa Graduate December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

15

November 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

17

Having played either volleyball or soccer almost every day for the past 12 years, Alix Weigel never thought there would come a day when that wouldn’t be an option.

18

Volleyball Alix, a senior at Shawnee Heights High School, has played on the varsity volleyball team since her sophomore year. During her junior year, she helped lead the Shawnee Heights volleyball team to a second place finish at state.

She was then selected for the 2012 All State Tournament Team.

SOCCER

Alix has played on the varsity soccer team since her freshman year. She was selected as All Region First Team and All League Second Team in 2013.

INJURY This past summer, Alix’s club volleyball team was competing at nationals in Dallas, TX when in an instant she went from chasing after a pass, to lying on the ground, holding her knee.

Alix had just completely torn her ACL.

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

She recalls the moment when she found out the extent of her injuries, “I was in shock when my mom got the call from my doctor,” she said. “All I could think was, “this sucks.””

The worst moment was when she realized she would not get to play her last senior high school volleyball game.

Instead of preparing for her senior season, she had to prepare for surgery.

SURGERY Weigel admits that she underestimated the seriousness of her surgery. She never anticipated how painful it would be, nor the amount of stiffness and bruising that would come afterward. But pain aside, she still managed to walk without crutches, go to her brothers’ soccer game and support her fellow volleyball teammates at open gym the day of her surgery.

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

19

RECOVERY “She was bound and determined after surgery not to use the crutches because she didn’t want to be dependent on them,” said Karen Weigel, Alix’s mom.

“The first several weeks after surgery, and before school started in August, I would do my physical therapy exercises twice, sometimes three times per day because I wanted to get better, stronger,” says Alix.

Not only does her will to get better keep her going, but she also credits her physical therapist, Mike Bagwell. Alix says that Bagwell makes it enjoyable but also pushes her to do her very best.

Alix to doing physical therapy twice a week and working out on her own almost every day. Bagwell says it’s obvious that she puts in work outside of their twice-weekly sessions. “She has made great gains. It really makes it fun to work with her in the clinic because she is such a hard worker,” said Bagwell.

Alix gives credit to her parents’ support for her ability to focus on school (4.2 GPA) and rehab. “They have been so understanding and have just been there for me the whole time,” she said. “They are willing to do whatever is needed for me to be happy and get better.”

to work hard and push herself to the limit. “These past few months have definitely been an emotional roller coast, and I couldn’t ask for better people in my life to be there helping me through this,” Alix said.

MOVING FORWARD

HARD TIMES Alix does admit there are times when it is hard. Times like when she watches her friends play volleyball and knows she can’t join in. Times when she felt unable to confide in anyone because they didn’t know what she was going through. It is these times when she reminds herself that she still has soccer and club volleyball to look forward to.

When she gets discouraged or is lacking the motivation to go to therapy she reminds herself of the big picture. She reminds herself that the ultimate goal is to be released to play.

And to be released to play, she has

20

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

While her injury has upset Alix’s

senior volleyball season, she isn’t sure yet how it has affected her future in playing college athletics. However, Alix is sure that she wants to pursue a degree in the medical field and has narrowed her school options down to three choices: Baker University, University of Kansas or Pittsburg State University. mvp

Alix Weigel works with physical therapist Mike Bagwell

Serving Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and surrounding areas.

We provide photo booth rental for ANY event! We are the Heartland’s Premier provider of photo booths and will travel to your location with no additional fees.

(800) 710-2584 www.heartlandphotobooth.com

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

21

Coach Talk With Mark Elliott

Mark Elliott WIBW 580 AM SportsTalk Silver Lake High School Graduate

Mark interviews Rossville Athletic Director, Assistant Principal and Head Boys Basketball Coach Derek Dick.

Derek Dick College: Fort Scott Community College Emporia State University High School: Rossville High School

ELLIOTT: Let’s go back to your high school days. You were a fantastic athlete, played on some great football and basketball teams.

DICK: My first high school memory is my freshman year. I started on the football team, we only had eighteen kids out for football and our very first game of the year was against Silver Lake, who was ranked number one in the state. We actually beat them by eighteen points. It was their only loss that year and they went on to win the state championship. I actually had a couple big plays early on in that game that kind of got us the lead.

I did not know what I was doing; I was just an immature freshman. But, that was my first memory of high school athletics.

ELLIOTT: So in high school as a freshman, you started as a quarterback?

DICK: No not quite, I was one of those kids that

22

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

matured early and we only had eighteen kids out there, so I actually started as a freshman on the offensive line. Then my sophomore, junior and senior year I started as quarterback.

ELLIOTT: That is not normal to go from the offensive line to quarterback.

DICK: There was one game against Centralia, I think we suited up fourteen kids and I started on the line, moved to receiver, played a little quarterback, moved to tight end and then moved back to the line before the game was over. I had two sets of shoulder pads with the jerseys pulled on, and would have to switch at timeouts.

ELLIOTT: How about basketball? I know you went onto Fort Scott Community College to play both football and basketball.

DICK: Basketball was a great experience as well. Probably the most

fun memory I have is of my junior year where we made it to the state tournament. We ended up losing the first round of the tournament but it was the first time Rossville qualified for a state basketball tournament.

ELLIOTT: What year was that?

get that job and inherit some really good players.

ELLIOTT: You guys went to state several years.

DICK: Yeah, I coached four years basketball. The first three years we made it to the state tournament, we placed third one year and fourth one year. Wichita Collegiate beat us both times.

been an assistant for a long time. He is a great coach, one of the best basketball coaches I have ever been around.

Now you are back doing the boys basketball.

DICK: Fortunately, I caught another break and this year they let me get back into coaching. I just love the

DICK: That was my junior year, so that would have been 2000.

ELLIOTT: So, after you leave Emporia State where do you go?

DICK: I was fortunate and got a job at St. Marys. I taught P.E. and helped coach high school football and basketball at St. Marys for a few years.

In 2007, I taught at St. Marys, but some coaching opportunities opened up at Rossville for football and basketball, so I switched over to coach at Rossville.

I was the assistant football coach for Rossville when the head basketball coach job first opened up, and was fortunate enough to

ELLIOTT: At this level of school (3A), do you find that when the athletes are there it goes well, but if not, there is not a lot you can do?

DICK: If you build a program and work with kids when they are young you can always be competitive. That is my goal as a coach, always be competitive no matter what type of kid you are working with.

ELLIOTT: How was your time at Emporia State?

DICK: We made the playoffs my first year there.

I was behind Tad Hatfield at quarterback who at the time set a school record, which has been broken since then; but, it was a good experience. I learned a lot that helped me in coaching later in life.

better person. It is hard to replace a guy like that. But Coach Hammes has come in and done a phenomenal job and we could not ask for anything more out of him or any of our coaches that we have hired.

ELLIOTT: Now you are the Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Rossville High. What made you want to get into this side of things?

DICK: When I set out for Rossville that was never really my goal, but the opportunity just presented itself and ultimately, for our family, it was the best move.

ELLIOTT: Last year you guys had hired a couple of coaches, or you thought you did, for basketball.

Both at the last second changed their minds for one reason or another. So Eric Anderson, who was your coach, said he would do it for one year. He had

game and being around the game. I love the X’s and O’s, the whole game plan about it.

ELLIOTT: So your first year as athletic director was pretty exciting with Steve Buhler leaving to go to Washburn Rural, and you taking Derek Hammes from Washburn Rural, which worked out perfectly. And, Rossville had a great year.

I think at a smaller school, and for basketball especially, you have to adapt the system you run to the kids you have. But I think you can develop a system with the grade schools and work with the kids all the way through and hopefully be competitive with the kids you have each and every year.

DICK: I feel like we made a great hire. Coach Hammes’ personality fits really well with the town of Rossville.

He is a hard-nose, hardworking type of guy and that is how our community is.

ELLIOTT: Football has tended to be pretty good for a pretty long time and with a lot of stability within the coaching spot. Having a different coach every year is a hard thing to deal with.

Stability in coaching really has something to do with the success of the program.

Coach Buhler was just a phenomenal coach, and a

DICK: I could not agree more and that is my goal

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

23

DICK: More responsibility and you have to deal with a whole lot more problems, from the littlest thing (pickles were too hot at the concession stand) to something big.

You just deal with a lot of complaints. After awhile you just realize that it is part of the job and learn how to handle it.

as the athletic director is to get coaches in place that will be here for a long time, and put together a good program where kids can succeed on and off the field. Other than football, we have had a lot of turnover in coaches.

ELLIOTT: Today’s kids play video games all of the time, they are not outside. You just do not see as many kids outside shooting baskets.

DICK: My biggest pet peeve is kids that will not go out for sports in high school because they want to go home and play video games. It just drives me nuts. And I think you are right, you do not see kids really in the summer time out in the driveway playing basketball or at a baseball field playing baseball.

I think we spread them too thin. I know the kids now lift weights everyday in the morning, then play four baseball games a week, four basketball games a week, and seven-on-seven

24

twice a week. They are spread too thin.

But, those kids that choose to participate are usually the kids that are successful in high school, active and involved. As opposed to those who want to take it easy in the summer and not be apart of the weights and the extracurricular activities.

ELLIOTT: Your brother, Dustin Dick is at Highland Park as the Associate Principal. Do you guys discuss how Rossville and Highland Park are diffferent?

DICK: Yeah we talk about it a lot. They are in a different situation, they have more kid, but I think it is harder for them to get their kids to come to stuff. We have fewer kids and their parents get them to weights, and their extracurricular activities. It is just a different type of environment from there to here.

ELLIOTT: You grew up here, your mom and dad are a Rossville-Silver Lake

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

marriage, and you followed along. You have a wife that is from Silver Lake, which is kind of fun when you talk about the rivalry.

That is one of the cool things about Rossville and Silver Lake—there are a lot of great friends and a lot of trash talking. How was it for you growing up?

DICK: It was good. My mom was obviously converted to a Rossville fan since her kids went to school here, but now she has a niece at Silver Lake and no more kids in school, so she is kind of going back to being a Silver Lake fan.

My wife converted. She still has a lot of good friends at Silver Lake, but she is always routing for Rossville now. It is fun, it is a great rivalry.

ELLIOTT: So what is the biggest difference from being just a full time coach, where you are a teacher and a coach during the day, to now being an athletic director and a coach?

ELLIOTT: I watched your football team—they are really fast—which means your basketball team ought to be really fast.

DICK: Yeah. We do not have a lot of height, but I do feel like we are going to have pretty good depth.

And you hit it on the head, we do have a lot of great athletes. We are going to try to use that to our advantage and create an up tempo style of game on offense and defense, attack the rim, put pressure all over them, and use our athleticism to our advantage.

ELLIOTT: Good luck this season. mvp

December 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

25

Top Shawnee County student-athletes, Erika Lane of Washburn Rural and Autura Campbell of Topeka West, joined the Division 1 University of Tulsa Hurricanes' women's basketball team this year. Jake Lebahn caught up with them to find out about the transitions they have experienced going to the next level.

AUTURA CAMPBELL LEBAHN: My first question is about the recruiting process. Did you enjoy the recruiting process?

CAMPBELL: Yes, I did.

It was really fun taking visits everywhere. I think everybody, if they have the chance, should definitely take advantage of it because it’s a fun experience.

LEBAHN: Worst part about it?

Erica there, how nice was that having someone you knew there?

my hands and hit me in the facemask. Have you had your moment yet?

LEBAHN: Was that a lot to handle? Was that one of the reasons why you decided to go to Tulsa so early, you just didn’t want to deal with it?

CAMPBELL: I loved having Erika here because even after a rough day we could always sit and talk to each other. She’s always there for me and I’m always there for her.

CAMPBELL: Yes exactly.

The mail got overwhelming.

There were some times when I didn’t even open mail from a school because I knew I wanted to go to Tulsa.

LEBAHN: Biggest difference in playing basketball at Tulsa compared with playing basketball at Topeka West?

CAMPBELL: Oh definitely.

Within the first week of practice, I was going against another post, and basically she ran me over.

Fell right on my butt. That was probably the wakeup call that I’m playing Division 1 basketball.

CAMPBELL: All the letters and phone calls (laughs).

LEBAHN: I know you went down there in the summertime, how was it being on your own for the first time in the summer?

CAMPBELL: It was scary at first, but I felt myself quickly adjusting. Plus, I had Erika and six other freshman to help out. It was fun.

AUTURA CAMPBELL Freshman, university of tulsa

LEBAHN: You mentioned having

CAMPBELL: Faster paced.

Everything is so much faster than high school and there are people who are just as good as I am that I have to guard. You have to play to another level of intensity here at Tulsa.

LEBAHN: Have you had your: “Welcome to Division 1 basketball moment?”

I’ll tell you my story, when I was playing football at Washburn, I came in and my very first practice as a freshman, someone threw me a pass. He threw it so hard that I wasn’t expecting it and it went right through

LEBAHN: How much have you already improved since the summer?

CAMPBELL: From the summertime till now I feel like my post moves are much smoother. I’m stronger. I’m faster.

ERIKA LANE LEBAHN: Right now in college, what has been the biggest adjustment for you?

LANE: I would say the biggest adjustment is actually having to study and do my homework because this is such a strong academic institution.

You really have to put all of your effort into your

studies, along with all the effort you have to put into basketball.

LEBAHN: On the basketball side of things, the weight room, how much of a difference is the weight program in college.

LANE: I actually never lifted in high school. I had the class, but I guess I never really took it seriously.

Then I got here and in the summer we had weights 4 times a week. We still lift during the season 3 times a week. They really emphasize the details in the weight room and making sure you do all of your reps, because how much you focus in the weight room goes into how you play on the court.

It’s been a big adjustment.

LEBAHN: Can you already tell how much better your game is?

Erika Lane Freshman, university of tulsa

LANE: Yeah, it really helps with quickness. In D1, you’re not the fastest person anymore, you’re not the most athletic person.

You really have to work on your strength. The girls are all big. I’ll probably be one of the smallest people out there when conference play comes.

LEBAHN: You’re playing a lot thus far. What is some of the advice that the upperclassmen have told you?

LANE: Really the advice that they have given me is just listen to the coaches, they’re there to make us better and help the program win.

LEBAHN: The intensity in practice, a little bit different than a Kevin Bordewick practice?

LANE: (laughs) Yes. I would say the biggest shocker for me and for most of the other freshman that I’ve talked to is in practice. The intensity is just on a whole new level.

I got a concussion at the beginning of the year. In high school, if you would dive for the ball, people would be like “oh don’t go for the ball, don’t hurt Erika, don’t hurt Autura, don’t hurt this person.”

But now, everyone’s going to go for the ball because everyone wants to play.

Everyone is in everyone’s grill on defense. It is a whole new level of intensity that I had never seen before.

LEBAHN: Alright, my final question for you.

Do you have the same type of relationship with your college teammates,

camaraderie-wise and fellowship, as high school?

LANE: In high school, I played with people that I grew up with, so I was close with them in that way. In college, you live together, you eat together, you do absolutely everything together. You just go through so much more in college together than you do in high school.

You’re constantly tired and you just have to pick each other up. I think we’re not like any other group of freshman because there are seven of us and we are just all so close with each other.

Catch Autura and Erika playing against the University of Kansas at KU on December 22. mvp

Photo by Bill Powell, University of Tulsa

28

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

Interview with Justin Glasgow How have sports played a part in your professional success?

Structure more than anything. Knowing the path to success (however one defines it). Success takes planning and lots of trial and error. AND you need to surround yourself with good people who share your vision.

Best sports memory?

Standing in huddle and taking play calls from Dan Marino when I was with the Dolphins was surreal.

• Winning the State Championship in wresting my senior after missing my senior season of football because of injury was amazing.

• But overall, my favorite memory was representing the University of Kansas and being Jayhawk!

•

With each year that passes, the memories are all equally great.

What advice would you give young people today?

Don't sell yourself short. If your dream is to play football and you are 5'4" and 110lbs, try it!

What advice would you give parents of studentathletes?

I have great parents. I realize this everyday when dealing with my kids. Win or lose, I could count on them to tell me that I played great! While I know that some times I did NOT play well, it felt good that I had them behind me. IF your child played bad, tell you them you are happy with the way they played. Believe me, your child will be told by a lot of other folks (coaches/players/media) that they played bad. At least your child knows that YOU will ALWAYS have their back.

October 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com

29

30

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2013

#1

EASY TIP

READ LABELS About 90 percent of us eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet, and too much sodium increases your risk for high blood pressure. Sodium hides in places you don’t always expect. So always compare products and focus on the amount of sodium per serving.

Learn where sodium hides, and make healthier choices.

SPOT THE SALT SPOTTHESALT.COM

SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE SODIUM

WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS MEDICINE, HE’S OUR MVP.

Dr. Messmer Sports Injury Clinic Saturdays 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. throughout the Fall Walk-ins welcome or call 888-365-0440 for an appointment.

Location: St. Francis Health Family Medicine Hunter’s Ridge 4646 NW Fielding Rd. Dr. Messmer is Sports Medicine Fellowship trained and specializes in concussion and sports medicine.

www.stfrancistopeka.org