A prototype of CHSAA’s new trophy design. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — The trophies awarded by CHSAA at state championship events are changing this fall.
The new, more modern look will officially debut at boy golf’s state meet Sept. 29-30, the first championship event of the 2014-15 school year. But a prototype delivered to the Association’s office on Tuesday (pictured above) was very close to what the final design will look like.
There will be tweaks to the above design, but the figurines featured on trophies of years past are definitely going away.
“It has been very difficult to get the figurines that have been used in the past,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann, who is in charge of awards.
A prototype of CHSAA’s new trophy design. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Coupled with that was a want to “improve the service of our trophy vendor,” Borgmann said, so CHSAA has now partnered with Over The Divide Athletics to provide trophies.
Over The Divide Athletics is represented locally by John Green, the former district athletic director at Cherry Creek Schools.
“They are committed to Colorado and to serving Colorado schools,” Borgmann said.
The change in vendor also brought a chance to redesign the trophies. In all, it was a 12-month process.
“We really wanted to modernize them,” said CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico.
The Association drew inspiration from the NCAA’s trophies, and will move toward plaques with the new design. The wood has been darkened, and CHSAA’s seal is featured prominently in gold atop each trophy.
Each sport will be designated in gold lettering on a black background in the middle, along with an athletic figure etched into glass.
Additionally, there is room for engraving on a gold plate at the base.
The second-place, or runner-up, trophy will have a similar (yet smaller) look of the redesign — only silver will replace gold on the trophy.
Regional final plaques, as well as medals, have also been redesigned.
A final version of all new awards is expected in mid-August.
Here are a few pictures of the new design’s details:
For comparison’s sake, here are trophies used in previous years:
She’s the fourth known local volleyball player from the 2016 class to make her college choice.
Conifer’s Makenna Browne is headed to Oregon State, Lewis-Palmer’s Mariah Evans pledged to North Carolina and Brighton’s Karysa Swackenberg committed to Rutgers. (Find other class of 2016 commits in our database.)
Last season, Wetterstrom averaged 2.4 kills and 1.9 digs per set, and also had 39 total aces. At 6-foot-1, Wetterstrom plays on both the outside and in the middle — she had a team-high 1.0 blocks per set.
Longmont reached the Class 4A state tournament last season, where it went 1-1 in pool play.
Wetterstrom also plays basketball, where she averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game as a forward, and runs track. She was second in the triple jump at the 4A state track meet last spring, and also qualified for the meet in the high jump.
AURORA — Regis Jesuit was the lone Colorado school to finish in the top 25 of the CBS MaxPreps Cup rankings, which honor the top all-around athletic departments across the nation.
The Raiders finished 12th with 739 overall points for the 2013-14 school year. Bentonville (Arkansas) topped the national rankings. Montana was the only other state from the Rocky Mountain region with a school in the top 25, as Bozeman finished No. 18.
The MaxPreps Cup rankings are determined on a points system which factors in state championship, runner-up finishes, playoff classification size, state size and type of sport. MaxPreps’ Computer Rankings and Xcellent 25 Rankings are also used, as are Dyestat’s national track and cross country rankings, and On The Mat’s wrestling rankings.
It is well known that weight-bearing activities such as walking, running or weightlifting stimulate bone development. Bones, like muscles, get stronger when they are used. But is activity alone enough to maintain strong bones?
Registered dietitians who specialize in sports nutrition recognize that, in addition to physical activity, consuming sufficient amounts of both calcium and vitamin D is necessary to promote optimal bone health.
Calcium’s Role in Bone Health
Calcium plays many vital roles in the body, including participation in blood clotting, nerve and muscle function and some enzyme reactions. Still, calcium is most commonly known for its important role in helping to build strong bones and teeth. Ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth and helps to make up bone’s mineral structure ̶ the other one percent is in blood and soft tissues.
Because of calcium’s widespread need in many body functions, when dietary calcium levels are low, the body steals the calcium it needs from your bones. After an extended period of time, this borrowing can cause bones to become porous and weak. Eating foods rich in calcium can help prevent this bone weakening for most people. Think of dairy and other high-calcium food sources as a security system; when milk, cheese and yogurt are eaten regularly the system prevents theft of calcium from your bones.
Vitamin D’s Role in Bone Health
Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” as well as potassium and magnesium helps the body absorb calcium, which as mentioned, is critical to bone health. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are good sources of vitamin D. Fortified with vitamin D, milk is also a good source of vitamin D along with the essential calcium and other nutrients needed for healthy bones and bodies.
Building Bones for a Lifetime
Choosing calcium and vitamin D-rich foods is an important part of any diet, regardless of age. But choosing these nutrient-rich foods is even more important for teens and teenage athletes who are at the peak of their bone building stage of life. Ninety percent of the body’s skeletal development is completed during childhood and adolescence (before age 30, for most people). Girls reach 85-90 percent of their peak bone mass by age 18, while boys reach theirs at age 20. Past this peak bone mass stage, and throughout life, bones are constantly changing and growing and calcium and vitamin D remain important nutrients.
Four Quick Tips for Promoting Strong Bones:
Exercise. As mentioned, bones, like muscles, get stronger when they are used. Weight-bearing activities such as walking, running, hockey, football, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and basketball can help promote bone health. Choose activities you can enjoy every day, even if you don’t play them competitively or on a team.
Safely enjoy the sun. The body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Still, overexposure to the sun can be dangerous, increasing the risk of skin cancer. Talk to your doctor about a sunscreen regimen that will work for you.
Choose calcium and vitamin D-rich foods post-exercise. White or chocolate milk are calcium and vitamin D-rich and also provide other nutrients, including high-quality protein, which make them an ideal post-exercise recovery beverage. Drinking three cups of milk each day provides about 90 percent of your recommended daily value of calcium and 75 percent of recommended vitamin D.
Use food trackers like SuperTracker on choosemyplate.gov. Track the vitamins you receive in your diet to ensure that you are achieving the right balance of food and nutrients for optimal nutrition and bone health.
Try tasty food sources of calcium and vitamin D instead of supplements. These foods are quick to prepare and are nutritious options before and after exercise:
Oatmeal with milk. Prepare oatmeal with milk instead of water for added nutrition, and sprinkle with nuts or berries for extra flavor.
Fruit smoothie made with milk. Blend yogurt, frozen or canned fruit and milk in a blender for a refreshing snack.
White and chocolate milk. Cow’s milk is nature’s sports drink with carbohydrate, protein and electrolytes to refuel, recover and rehydrate the body after a workout.
Mushroom, spinach and cheese omelet. Add other vegetables for a nutrient powerhouse breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
Cheesy tuna melt sandwich. Choose whole-grain bread toasted or broiled in the oven.
This year’s attendees to CHSAA’s Student Leadership Camp. (Troy Rivera) More photos »
FORT COLLINS — This week was a great reminder that this Association is about more than just athletics.
Monday brought the return of the annual CHSAA Student Leadership Camp to CSU. It was something I was exposed to for the first time last summer, and it was slightly overwhelming then — hundreds of eager, high-energy students just waiting to be involved. In anything.
These kids are, quite literally, the best-of-the-best when it comes to leadership in Colorado’s high schools.
Last summer, the thought crossed my mind that this Leadership Camp was the best thing CHSAA does. This year’s trip only reinforced that notion.
Think about CHSAA’s stated mission — in large part, to “provide an environment that enhances personal development through sporting behavior, character education, teamwork, leadership, and citizenship.”
The annual camp — this summer actually marked the 50th anniversary — ticks all those boxes. Students attend keynote speeches, they have breakout sessions on a variety of topics, they absorb seemingly everything they can about leadership in four jam-packed days. And then they take it all back to their schools and disseminate it to their respective student bodies.
The camp is the epitome of the Association’s overriding goal: to create better students and citizens. It is something special, and offers a unique view at our state’s future.
A major part of this is the kids who attend. Like I said, they are the type who want to learn, who want to be involved. They make great pupils for Rashaan Davis, Harry Waterman, Troy Rivera and the dozens of other staff members who put the camp together.
When the four days are up, and the camp concludes, the staff has to drag the students out of their dorms. Because with so many like-minded individuals in one place, the camp forms a kind of lasting bond among its attendees.
Mountain Vista’s Mallory Pugh will take part in the Under-20 Women’s World Cup after she was the youngest player picked to the United States’ roster on Thursday.
Pugh, who will be a junior this fall, was one of 21 players named to the roster on Thursday. The U-20 Women’s World Cup is Aug. 5-24 in Canada.
Due to national team commitments last spring — Pugh was a member of the U-17 squad — her schedule was limited with the Golden Eagles, but she did score 13 goals and had six assists in eight games.
Pugh led the U.S. Under-17 team in scoring, according to USSoccer.com, and was one of three current high school students picked to the Under-20 team.
She had been taking part in a the first week of a two-week training camp in Seattle ahead of the tournament. The United States will face Germany, China and Brazil in its group. All games are on the ESPN family of networks.
The U.S. is the defending champion of the U-20 Women’s World Cup, having won the event in Japan in 2012. The Americans also won in 2008 and 2002.
Pugh wasn’t the only Colorado native picked. Lindsey Horan, now playing professionally at Paris Saint-Germain, attended Golden but did not play high school soccer.
