LITTLETON — Chaparral boys lacrosse went on the road and beat Dakota Ridge 10-5 on Monday.
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Month: March 2016
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Photos: Johnson stars in Cheyenne Mountain boys lacrosse’s win over Pine Creek
COLORADO SPRINGS — August Johnson had five goals and an assist as Class 4A No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain boys lacrosse beat Pine Creek, a 5A team, 10-8 on Monday.
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All about the fat
Protein is the main nutrient on an athlete’s mind these days, but what about fat, which is part of the big three nutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats) that help you perform? All of these nutrients are important to an athletes’ performance, but many athletes are confused about fats in the diet.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines discusses healthy eating patterns, which include fats. Let’s explore the types of fats:
Saturated Fats Found in red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy Trans fats Found in foods from oils that have been partially hydrogenated Monounsaturated Fats Found in olive, peanut, canola, sesame and safflower oils Polyunsaturated Fats Found in soy bean, corn and sunflower oils. Also in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout Omega 3 fatty acids Found in fatty fish, flax seed oil (cold pressed), salmon, chia seeds, walnuts Omega 6 fatty acids Found in poultry, eggs, avocado, nuts, cereals, vegetable oils While saturated fat has been labelled the “bad” fat, emerging research shows that not all saturated fats are bad. Milk fat is classified as a saturated fat, but recent research suggests that the fat in milk is part of a complex food matrix that may not elevate blood cholesterol or increase risk for disease. That is good news for whole milk lovers! It may be that the fat in 2% milk, whole milk or cheese isn’t as bad as we once thought.
Fats are used for many things within an athlete’s body; fat acts as a source of calories and energy. Fat provides the main fuel in long duration activities, but also plays a role in high intensity activities, during which fat is utilized to help access stored carbohydrate (glycogen). Not only is fat beneficial for athletes, but for everyone trying to follow a healthy eating pattern.
Fat plays a role not only in the food we consume but also in many aspects of our development. Fat is part of the three major components in food, but it also serves to provide flavor and aids in satiety (how full you feel after a meal). As we grow, fat helps the brain and nervous system to develop correctly, it supports cell growth, protects our nerves, cushions our organs, keeps the body warm and provides energy. If that isn’t enough, fat also plays a role in helping the body to absorb certain nutrients, such as Vitamin A, D, E and K and it is the building block of hormones needed for body function.
Fat is a very important nutrient for our bodies, unfortunately it has been given a bad reputation. When choosing foods, balance is the key. Make sure you eat a variety of different foods using My Plate recommendations.
Keep the idea of healthy meal pattern in mind; instead of focusing on a single food as “good” or “bad,” aim for balance in all of your meals for a healthier you and a better fueled athlete. For now, stick with the current Dietary Guidelines recommendations by choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy foods. If you choose to drink 2% or whole milk, be sure to balance calories and fat elsewhere within your overall eating style.
Visit WesternDairyAssociation.org for recipes and more information about eating healthy!
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Lakewood’s MacKenzie Forrest passes away following car accident
MacKenzie Forrest. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) The Lakewood community is reeling from the loss of basketball player MacKenzie Forrest, who passed away Sunday following a car accident.
Forrest, a senior, was beloved by her teammates, and the school as a whole. She had signed to continue her basketball career at Regis University.
Her family released the following statement on Sunday:
We are sad to share the news of the passing of our precious daughter, MacKenzie. Early this morning, MacKenzie lost control of her car on I-70 near Frisco. The doctors here at St. Anthony’s have been trying all day to do all they could for MacKenzie. We are devastated that she is gone. MacKenzie was an amazing daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend and teammate. She made the most of her time at Lakewood High School, and was excited to be heading to play for Regis University in the fall. Now MacKenzie’s legacy will instead live on through those who knew her and those who may benefit from her selfless decision to be an organ donor. We appreciate everyone’s kindness throughout this difficult day. Information about a celebration of MacKenzie’s life will be forthcoming.
Said Lakewood principal Lisa Ritchey: “Lakewood High School shares in this tragic loss. Our thoughts are with the family and MacKenzie’s friends as we struggle through the times ahead.”
Forrest was Lakewood’s all-time career leading scorer, including this past season, when she averaged 13.5 points as they reached the Great 8 round in Class 5A. She was a four-year letter winner, a team captain her junior and senior seasons, an academic All-State selection, three-time all conference pick, and Jeffco League MVP as a sophomore and junior.
On Sunday night, the Lakewood community came together to remember Forrest, bringing flowers, photos and posters in her honor.
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Ball Fever: Final thoughts on the 2015-16 boys basketball season
(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) The Great 8 action set us up for what we hoped to be outstanding individual performances, favorites going down, huge comebacks, and players who have performed all season becoming possible household names.
Guess what? The Final 4 in Boulder didn’t disappoint: players we expected to step up did just that, but we had a few surprises making us wish the season wasn’t over so soon! Let’s catch up on how it all went down in Boulder!
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Week in review
5A Final 4
- As much as we love to watch Colbey Ross on offense, it was a defensive play Dan Mohrmann points out as key in Eaglecrest’s upset of unbeaten Rangeview.
- Brian Miller covered the Trailblazers roaring early and often vs. Chatfield on Friday.
- Final 4 Photos.
- Ball Fever Final 4 thoughts: We again had a game/team heavily influenced by early foul trouble to a star. Social media was tough on the refs but there were some fouls by Rangeview’s main man Tyrei Randall that honestly weren’t smart like a critical reach at half court 10 seconds into the third quarter that gave him his fourth. Don’t want to be too tough on the young man, he has been an absolute stud this season and has a bright future but the Raiders lacked a bit of confidence and flow as their star wing sat major minutes. Eaglecrest did their job and took advantage of Rangeview searching while their leaders minutes were inconsistent.
- Sometimes there’s not just a lot to add to dominant performances! What stood out to us? How about five seniors scoring in double figures for the Trailblazers in a Final 4 match. Overland is simply stacked and have multiple players who could be standout starters for other schools. Accepting your role is what they have been about and how championship squads are built.
- Chatfield’s Cameron Pearson led the Chargers with 10 points and Cannon Casey took a unique look at his passion here.
4A Final 4
- Dan Mohrmann has your report on the Pueblo West sophomore who continually steps up to give his team a boost.
- Can you say "4th quarter blur?!!" Brian Miller has you covered on Valor’s epic fourth quarter rally.
- Final 4 Photos.
- Ball Fever Final 4 thoughts: As Vista Ridge unleashed the "Box & 1" defense to slow David Simental, the supporting cast led by sophomore Nieyeme Smyer-Williams had no problem stepping up! Those who know all angles of the CO hoops world were fully aware of Hunter Maldonado but he let the masses know he’s a 2017 prospect to be heard from.
- Longmont has lost two elimination games in the same amount of seasons and unfortunately they both happened in Boulder. I’m sure that’s no consolation to them, and we heard a few times that the furious 30-point fourth quarter and adjustments made were exactly why Valor brought on coach Troy Pachner.
5A championship
- Long stretches without star De’Ron Davis didn’t halt Overland’s repeat march towards a title and Brian Miller recaps the complete team effort, which includes a pregame peek into coach Danny Fisher behind the scenes.
- 5A actions shots from title game here.
- Ball Fever Final thoughts: It was almost poetic that the Trailblazers had to play long stretches without big De’Ron as a mid-season loss to Eaglecrest was completely without him. In the rematch De’Ron and crew sent a dominant message early and often! So what would the rubber match bring? It was clear to the Fever Crew the Trailblazers are dominant — mostly on defense — when De’Ron’s on the floor but this squad has DEEP senior athleticism that goes far beyond Davis, Gibson, and Robinson. Those are the familiar names but Wang and Stevenson add a relentless wave that overwhelms teams and we see how top national squads such as Bishop Gorman and Omaha South (state champions) went down to "OVE" as well. Congrats to Coach Fisher who coached continually emphasized doing the little things right to this squad and this produced our first repeat champ since Regis.
4A championship
- Pueblo West raced their way to the school’s first title game ever and Brock Laue has the complete report, including a sweet clip of Coach Roberto Tyler’s pregame speech.
- 4A title game photos here.
- Ball Fever Final thoughts: Ahhh yes, the classic small town/home grown Pueblo West squad vs. the suburban talent laden private "power house" Valor! Guess what? As some were loving those dynamics in the back of their minds, this match really came down to any of that in our humble opinion. This was a special group of young men from the Cyclones who play fast, confident, and to their coaches game plan. David Simental solidified his spot in Pueblo history and both of these squads are stacked with a chance for a Boulder return.
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Season wrap up
(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) It doesn’t take much more than looking at the eight teams who made up our Final 4s to get you excited for what’s to come next season.
Overland will be a mystery with big De’Ron and a crew of seniors moving on to the next level but rest assured Coach Fisher and staff plan to fully compete with a wealth of young talent the Trailblazers hope to become the new household names.
5A runner-up Eaglecrest had only four seniors on the roster, and with Colbey Ross getting a taste of what Boulder is like, he’ll be looking to make a return visit with a deep group of hungry seniors next season.
4A returning players you ask? How about 18 of the players who were in the championship game Saturday returning to Pueblo West/Valor rosters next season, led by stars David Simental and Jalen Sanders, respectively.
As we experienced with Longmont’s recent late-season heart break, a returning crew of veterans certainly doesn’t guarantee a championship, but goes a long way in a return trip to Boulder and we won’t be surprised if the Cyclones and Eagles are there again. What makes it even more fun for us all is who are the surprises that could punch their tickets?
Enjoy the spring and summer folks. Winter will return before we know it but the good part is it’s always 72 and sunny in the gym! The Ball Fever Crew will be ready and already counting down the days to next season. Peace.
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April Legislative Council meeting agenda, proposals and information
On April 21, the Legislative Council will meet in Aurora. Below is information about the meeting, including links to the agenda and proposals that will be considered.
Where: Radisson Denver Southeast (3155 S. Vaughn Way, Aurora)
Files
- Agenda (.pdf)
- Full packet (.pdf)
- All proposals (.pdf)
- January 2016 minutes (.pdf)
Meeting info
Schedule
Thursday, April 21, 2016
- 7:45-8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
- 8:30 a.m. – Meeting Convenes (Arapahoe/Douglas)
- 10 a.m. – Coffee/Tea/Soft Drink Break
- 11:45 a.m. – Lunch
- 1 p.m. – Meeting Reconvenes
Action Items
Note: Constitutional Proposals require 2/3 vote for approval; Administrative and Sport Proposals requires majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted.
Proposals Constitutional None Administrative ADM 1 Accurate Information (Transfer) (Board of Directors) ADM 2 Transfer (requires 60%) (5A CSML) Sport S-1 Practice at State Facilities (Board of Directors) S-2 Pitching Rules (Pitch Counts) – Baseball (Board of Directors) S-3 Equipment Dates – Football – Effective Immediately (Board of Directors) Activity None Policy None Action items — Committee reports
Note: Require majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted. Some committees reported at the January meeting. Those are noted.
Committee Reports Administrative ADM-1 Budget/Property Administration (final reading) (Jeff Durbin) ADM-2 Classification and League Organizing Committee January ADM-2a (Req. 2/3 approval) Heritage remain in 5A (Continental) ADM-2b (Req. 2/3 approval) Loveland play down to 4A (Northern) ADM-2c (Req. 2/3 approval) Alameda to stay in 4A (Jeffco) ADM-3 Coaching Education Registration Advisory (CERAC) January ADM-4 Equity (Eddie Hartnett) ADM-5 Officials’ fees January ADM-5a (Req. 2/3 approval) Officials Fees – Wrestling section (EMAC) ADM-6 Sportsmanship (Carl Lindauer) ADM-7 Tournament and Playoff Finance (Karen Higel) Activity ACT-1 Music (Bethany Brookens) ACT-2 Speech (Christine Jones) ACT-3 Student Leadership January Sport S-1 Baseball January S-2 Basketball (Paul Cain) S-2a 4A/5A state tournaments (Front Range) S-2b 2A regional basketball (Lower Platte) S-3 Cross Country January S-4 Field Hockey January S-5 Football January S-6 Golf January S-7 Gymnastics January S-8 Ice Hockey (Chad Broer) S-9 Lacrosse (Boys: Mark Kanagy) (Girls: Carol Degenhart) S-10 Skiing (Amy Raymond) S-11 Soccer January S-12 Softball January S-13 Spirit (Diane Shuck) S-14 Swimming (Sharon Lauer) S-15 Tennis January S-16 Track and Field (Darryl Abeyta) S-17 Volleyball January S-18 Wrestling (Ernie Derrera) -
April Legislative Council preview: Transfer rule — again — on the agenda
AURORA — Surprise! The transfer rule will once again be a major topic of discussion at April’s Legislative Council meeting.
The same rule was the center of focus in January, and just last week a transfer rule committee tasked with exploring changes was announced. But next month, two more proposals will deal with the controversial rule. (Find complete info for the April meeting here.)
First is a bylaw proposal from the Board of Directors which centers on the waiver process. It would mandate that all parties provide “true, correct, accurate, complete and/or not false or fraudulent” information during the transfer. If any submitted information is found to be inaccurate, the penalties would be stiff.
For starters, the student involved becomes ineligible for CHSAA competition “at at any level in any sport for a period of up to 12 calendar months from the date the determination was made that incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete or false information was provided.”
Secondly, if that student were to gain eligibility based upon information which was later proven to be incorrect, each contest they participated in would be forfeit.
Furthermore, if “someone associated with a school … knowingly participates in providing” the incorrect information, the team would be placed on restriction, making the entire team ineligible for the postseason. If the individual was a coach, they would also be placed on restriction. The school may also be placed on probation, and face other penalties — including the “revoking of CHSAA membership.”
Other states have a similar rule in place, and it has helped them cut down on dishonesty in the transfer process. In fact, this proposal was modeled after something used by California.
If passed, the bylaw would go a long way in strengthening the waiver process.
The second proposal that deals with the transfer rule comes from the 5A Colorado Springs Metro League. It would make most summer transfers eligible only for the last 50 percent (and postseason) of a varsity season in all sports.
The exceptions to this proposal are noteworthy: Students moving from out-of-state, or because of a “documented military move” would be fully eligible. Additionally, a student whose permanent residence has changed “by 30 miles or greater” would be granted full eligibility, as would students who change schools as the result of a “court-ordered school transfer.”
The proposal is much more strict for transfers after the start of school, as the transferred athlete in that scenario would be ineligible for all varsity sports for the remainder of that school year, and then also be subject to the 50 percent rule “for 365 days from date of transfer.”
In submitting this proposal, the CSML said that it would create a “clear, understandable, and enforceable transfer rule.” However, a major drawback is that is abandons the opportunity for students to challenge the rule via a waiver process.
With the creation of the transfer rule subcommittee, it is possible that the second proposal would be withdrawn from the floor. The first proposal (from the Board of Directors) is not likely to be withdrawn, however.
Other notable proposals coming before the April Legislative Council:
- The Front Range League is seeking to stop the proposed 64-team bracket in 4A and 5A basketball. It wants to keep the fields at the current 48- and 32-team format.
- A bylaw proposal that would not allow teams to practice the site of a state tournament, unless is it “expressly allowed” in the sport’s bulletin, or if it is a team’s “regular practice or game facility.” The proposal encompasses all forms of the postseason, including district, regional or state.
- The following sports will have their committee reports voted upon: Basketball, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, spirit, swimming, track and field, and wrestling. In addition to the team sports recommending a move to RPI across the board, a number of the sports are recommending major changes. Basketball’s committee, as noted above, has recommended a 64-team bracket in 5A. Hockey is seeking major realignment, and lacrosse also realigned. Swimming is planning for the addition of 3A girls.
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Photos: ThunderRidge beats Highlands Ranch to win 5A girls basketball
BOULDER — ThunderRidge girls basketball beat Highlands Ranch 47-32 to win the Class 5A girls basketball championship on Saturday.
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Lutheran avenges earlier loss, wins 3A girls basketball championship over Manitou Springs
More photos. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com) DENVER — When Manitou Springs and Lutheran met in early January, Manitou came away with a 55-43 victory. But on Saturday, with the Class 3A championship on the line, Lutheran took the trophy with a 52-44 win.
It was Lutheran’s second championship in three seasons, the previous coming in 2014.
If not for a one-point loss to St. Mary’s in late February, the Manitou Springs Mustangs would have finished with a perfect regular season. In their first title game appearance, their perfect postseason run was put to a halt by the Lutheran Lions.
“Last time we played them, we just weren’t as prepared as we could have been. We were hungry for it time time, it was a game that we really wanted redemption for,” said Lutheran senior Morgan Barone. “We practice shooting every day, and tonight each one of us was really feeling it. All the cards fell into place.”
The Mustangs opened the game with a basket from senior Angala Jensen, who led her team with 15 points. From the opening shot, every basket was answered on each end of the court.
For nearly the entirety of the first quarter, there wasn’t an unfinished possession from either team. Lutheran’s Barone (13 points) hit the first of many threes of the game just a minute in, starting her hot hand for the evening.
She finished the quarter with a three off a steal, but Manitou finished the first quarter with a 17-15 lead.
Manitou’s star, point guard Shelby Megyeri, hit just her second shot of the game to start the second quarter, but Lions point guard Kristin Vigil answered with a three to tally her first points of the game.
From then on, Vigil was alive and the Lions began to capitalize on Mustang misses. Vigil scored another three at the end of the half to cut the halftime lead to one, 30-29 Mustangs.
The second half was another show of beyond-the-arc shooting, with three threes in a row, two from the Lions. Barone and Vigil continued to score, creating the biggest gap of the game at six points with under two minutes in third quarter play.
Manitou started the fourth quarter with a full-court press that seemed promising, creating an early turnover, followed by jumpers dropping from ‘Stangs senior Brooke Garretson to make the game close again.
But Lutheran just couldn’t miss and Manitou began coming up short on the offensive end. The last two minutes of foul shooting from Lutheran sealed its victory.
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Yuma girls basketball wins 2A championship, ends string of runner-up finishes
More photos. (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com) PUEBLO — Bridesmaid talk is finally in the rear-view mirror for the Yuma girls basketball team.
Losers of three state championships in a row, the Indians reversed their fortunes with a 55-46 victory over Paonia in the Class 2A state title game Saturday night at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Yuma coach Mike Neill said. “They worked hard in all of these state championship games and they finally got one. It couldn’t be a better feeling. They kept working and they kept plugging and we finally got one. That was a lot of fun.”
Yuma capped its memorable season with a 26-1 record. This is the Indians second girls state basketball title as they also won one in 1997.
The latest victory also immediately erased the memory of losing three state championship games in a row to Akron (2013), Lutheran (2014) and Akron again last year. Paonia ended the season with a 24-3 record. The Eagles won their lone state girls basketball crown in 2010 when they beat Akron. The Eagles also played for a state crown in 2009, losing to Wray.
Yuma senior Logan Hixon led the way for the Indians scoring a game-high 27 points.
“This is awesome,” Hixon said. “We came to state and we refused to lose. We worked as hard as we could and we made this state championship possible.”
Yuma, which was the top-seed in the tourney, had the upper hand, leading 24-17 at half. Hixon and Peighton Roth paced the Indians with eight and seven points. Paonia’s Ashley Van Vleet kept things close for the Eagles with 10 points.
Early in the fourth quarter, Yuma tried to put the game out of reach as Hixon made two consecutive buckets, the latter gave the Indians a 38-26 lead with 6:46 remaining.
Paonia was staggered, but didn’t surrender. The Eagles kept clawing away and when Taylor Carsten made a driving layup with 1:45 on the clock, Paonia was only down 45-40.
The Eagles could get no closer before the final buzzer, namely because Hixon made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 1:19. Yuma converted 18-of-26 free throws for the game.
“We worked on free throws earlier (Saturday) because we knew we were going to need to make our free throws against Paonia,” Hixon said. “I stepped to the line and knew I could do it and I knew my teammates could do it. This is an amazing way to go out. There is not a better way. When we wake up (Sunday) morning we are not going to see the second-place trophy. We are going to see the championship trophy.”
The loss left Paonia coach Scott Rienks shaking his head.
“We didn’t hit our shots, but on the record I don’t feel like the kids didn’t decide the game,” Rienks said.
Van Vleet was the only player in double-figures for Paonia with 20 points.