UTEP softball head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk took her Senior Day lineup card and worked some magic as UTEP (12-36, 6-18 Conference USA) spoiled Florida Atlantic�s (35-20, 15-9 C-USA) bid for the no. 3 spot in the C-USA Tournament.
The Miners used three runs in the third that started with a Taylor Grohmann single to defeat the Owls, 6-4, in their final contest of 2017 on Senior Day at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
�The season hasn�t gone the way we wanted, but [the Miners] came out and they fought,� Echo-Hawk said. �That�s how we�ve been all year, we just keep fighting. It may not be pretty, it may not go the way we wanted it to but the team never quit. They just kept battling � even yesterday they were scrappy. Today they committed to each other, said they were going to show up and play with everything they have. As a whole, our entire team played a great game. And everyone contributed.�
One the of magical moves was when Grohmann, a senior pitcher, was inserted as pinch hitter in the no. 2 spot for junior Courtney Clayton in the third inning. Grohmann�s first career at-bat produced a single on a 2-1 pitch to left with junior Kaitlin Ryder on and two outs.
�It was nice because [Grohmann�s] mom last night asked me if I can give her an at bat and I said �absolutely�, this day is about [the seniors] and that�s the most important thing,� Echo-Hawk said. �She got up there and singled. We worked on some things this past week and, man, when she hit it, it was so exciting. You couldn�t ask for a better moment.�
Continuing the third frame, sophomore Cortney Smith reached after being hit by a pitch to load bases for Kiki Pepi who connected on a two-run single to right that plated Ryder and Grohmann to give the Miners a 2-0 lead. Smith would eventually cross the dish in the frame on an error to put her squad up, 3-0.
Pepi then used her third RBI of the game to put the Miners up 4-1 on a single to right that scored Clayton. In the sixth, sophomore Brianna Red led off with a bunt single, senior Miranda Gutierrez and Ryder each drew walks that set up a Clayton sacrifice fly to center to plate Red. Pepi then gave the Orange and Blue a 6-1 lead another sac-fly to center that scored Gutierrez.
The Owls, however, would not go down easily as they scratched out three runs in the seventh with two outs, but senior hurler Kaitlin Fifield would not let her team come out on the losing end. Fifield earned her third save of the season after throwing 2.2 frames and it was only fitting that Delaney Rickey grounded out to the pitcher to end the Senior Day contest. Fifield ended her career with five saves to rank no. 2 on UTEP�s all-time list.
Grohmann (2-2), whose bat was lit, earned the win after throwing an inning and tallying a strikeout. Senior Erika Harrawood made the start, her staff-leading 17th of the season. Harrawood pitched 3.1 innings, striking out three and walking none.
�It feels great to see our senior pitchers end their careers the way they did,� Echo-Hawk said. �It was a perfect ending for Grohmann to get her last career strikeout. For them to come out and pitch some of their best innings was just a great thing. I think it just shows they have a lot of heart and play for the love of the game.�
Back to the offense, the Miners registered seven big hits on the day, led by Pepi�s 3-for-3 outing. She also finished with four RBI to rank no. 7 with 103-career RBI on the program�s all-time list. Pepi, who was stuck at 99 RBI for the past few weeks, finally broke into the 100-RBI club; the seventh Miner to accomplish the feat. She also finished as the team leader in 2017 with 36 RBI.
�[Kiki] had a great weekend,� Echo-Hawk said. �We worked a little bit on scoring runners this week in practice and changing our mentality. She executed that plan and looked for the pitches we asked her to. To end her career on a RBI was pretty awesome.�
Clayton recorded her seventh double of the season in the fifth, while it was her 38th-career double to rank tied no. 4 with Stacie Townsend. Clayton will enter her senior campaign with 180 hits (ranked fifth) and 101 runs (ranked sixth). Clayton�s .349-career batting average is ranked fourth.
Ryder didn�t have a hit on the day, but did draw a pair of walks and scored run. She hit .455 this weekend and will enter her senior season ranked sixth with a .329-career average. Taylor Sargent finished her junior season with a career highs in RBI (19) and batting (.326), while leading the squad with three triples, also a career best. Sargent will enter her senior year with 650 putouts, ranking fifth on the school�s all-time list.
Smith singled and finished as the team leader in batting with a .364 average. Sophomore Lindsey Sokoloski only struck out once in 136 at bats as one of the national leaders in toughest to strikeout in 2017. She finished her second season with a .316 average. Sokoloski hit .625 (5-8) against FAU to lead the team.
�It�s always nice to know your team is going to play for these seniors to make sure they go out on a good note. It�s also good for our team for next year to end on a positive note,� Echo-Hawk said. �They showed what they�re capable of and moving into next year, we can ride that a bit.�
The UTEP softball team recorded 23 total hits as senior Miranda Gutierrez connected on her first career hit in game one on her way to three total hits, and Lindsey Sokoloski and Kaitlin Ryder each collected five hits on the day.
Cortney Smith added four hits in the two-game set, homering in game two, while Courtney Clayton and Ryder connected on back-to-back home runs in the second contest. But Florida Atlantic took both games, 7-4 and 11-8, on Saturday night at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Owls (35-19, 15-8 Conference USA) pounded out 27 hits on Saturday and is vying for one of the top spots in the C-USA Tournament later this week. The Miners (11-36, 5-18 C-USA) had been struggling offensively the last few weeks but finally produced some runs on an Owls’ pitching staff that had a 1.94 ERA entering the weekend.
The Senior Day contest is Sunday with a 1 p.m. start. Seniors Kaitlin Fifield, Taylor Grohmann, Gutierrez, Erika Harrawood and Kiki Pepi will be honored following the game. The five fathers of each senior will toss out the first pitch prior to the contest.
UTEP 4, FAU 7
With the Miners down 5-0, they got within a run with a four-run third inning. Gutierrez led the third frame off with her first career hit, an infield single. Ryder followed with a single to left and Clayton reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Smith came up with a single to center that plated Gutierrez and Ryder to make the score 5-2. Pepi then reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, while being thrown out at second on a run down. But Clayton and Smith crossed the dish during the chaos to make the score 5-4.
But in the top fourth, Florida Atlantic star shortstop Emily Lochten hit a solo shot, her 18th long ball, over center and Tatum Buckley registered a RBI to pull away from UTEP.
Starting pitchers Erika Harrawood (3-13) and Amanda Wilson (15-9) then kept goose eggs on the scoreboard the rest of the way. Harrawood threw a complete game and struck out four batters on 162 pitches.
UTEP would get more base runners on which included another Gutierrez hit in the sixth, while also drawing a walk in the fourth. But the Miners couldn’t sustain more offense to punch the runners across home plate.
Gutierrez finished 2-for-2 with a run, while Smith went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Sokoloski went 2-for-3.
UTEP 8, FAU 11
The Owls struck first with two runs in the top first led by a Buckley RBI, and a stolen base each from Lochten and Madisyn Palmer.
The fighting Miners, after an intense talk from head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk in the middle first, would take a 3-2 lead in the home half as Ryder led off with a single to left. Clayton sacrificed Ryder over that setup Smith’s eighth home run of the season and first since April 1. Smith launched a two-run shot over left on the first pitch to tie the contest. Pepi followed with a single to right and would advance on a Taylor Sargent groundout. Sokoloski used her first double of the contest to drive home Pepi to take the 3-2 advantage.
The Miners would strike again in the fifth with the score 9-3. Ryder led the bottom half off with her fifth home run and Clayton smacked her fourth dinger of the season as both were towering shots over left field to make the score 9-5. After a pair of outs and a Sargent single through the right side, Sokoloski connected on her second double that scored Sargent to bring the Miners within three runs.
But the two squad would trade runs the next two frames. Smith registered her third RBI to tie her career high in the sixth and Sokoloski crossed the dish on an error on a Gutierrez at bat in the seventh. UTEP had runners at the corners, but again, couldn’t get that key hit to bring more runners home.
Sokoloski (3-for-3) tied her career high in hits and is hitting .321 on the season. The sophomore has only struck out once in 134 at bats to rank in the top three in the nation in toughest to strikeout. Smith went 2-for-4 and is currently leading the team with a .362 average. Ryder (3-for-5) also tied her career high in knocks and scored a pair of runs. Pepi finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Clayton registered a hit along with a RBI and run scored. Clayton now has 179-career hits, needing nine to pass no. 4-ranked Amber Bennett on the program’s all-time list. Clayton’s two runs on the day gives her 100 to rank sixth on the all-time list, needing eight to surpass Ashley Ellis. Clayton is the sixth Miner to join the 100-run club.
Fifield tossed a complete game, striking out three and only walking one on 141 pitches.
Several well-known Miners have formed an alumni basketball team and, with the support and votes from UTEP fans, hope to make a national tournament that pays the winners $2million for the win.
The team, known as the �Glory Road Boys�, is made up of five former players: Omar Duran, Earvin Morris, Brent Murphy, Ioana Tofi and Jason Williams. �The team is looking to make the The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a national basketball tournament to be held this summer, similar in structure to the NCAA�s annual college basketball tournament.
The main difference, according to the TBT website, is�64 teams (with 16 in each region) are either selected based on their fan vote totals or play their way into the tournament.
The top nine (9) vote-getters in each region as of June 1 @ 12p ET get in automatically. Six (6) additional teams in each region will be chosen at-large.
The final team in each region will play-in through the TBT Jamboree in Philadelphia, set for June 17th and 18th.
The winner-take-all $2 million purse is divided among the team, their coach, a booster, a top fan and 99 other fans who voted their team into the 64-team tournament.
�We are very excited for the opportunity to represent our University and the great city of El Paso. Our identity comes primarily from our school�s great basketball tradition. The fact that UTEP is the only school from Texas to win a National Championship is astonishing considering all the great Universities and tradition of great players from Texas. Also for the fact that the Disney movie Glory Road demonstrated how the 1966 team broke color barriers and changed basketball is very appealing to some who might not know the story behind it. We also have a strong competitive players that are elite on their teams overseas and want to represent a great basketball alumni group of UTEP.��Omar Duran, GM
Should the team get the required number of fans signed up and voting, the team would be part of the West Region. �To sign up to vote and support the team, click HERE.
“You can do anything for 20 seconds.” You might have heard that line in a workout class or on Daily Burn 365, when a trainer wants you to focus on an exercise, drive through the burn and push past what you think are your limits. Well, there’s a reason they want you to go short but hard. You only need to push at your max effort for 20 seconds to conquer a Tabata— a training technique founded by scientists back in the late 90s. Research still says this method improves your VO2 max and offers mega cardio benefits, not to it mention blasts calories fast.
Tabata workouts—a form of HIIT—specifically involve putting in 20 seconds of serious work, then resting for 10 seconds. You repeat this work-to-rest ratio for eight rounds. (Yes, that means you can get a solid workout in just four minutes.) Better yet, you can incorporate almost any exercise into a Tabata format (as long as you’re going at an intense effort), and you don’t need weights or a lot of space.
So, still thinking you have no time to squeeze in a workout? Put this total-body Tabata workout, courtesy of Daily Burn 365 trainer Prince Brathwaite, to the test today. You won’t even have to leave your living room.
Meet your new time-saving, body-burning, calorie-scorching workout. In true Tabata form, you’ll do the two exercises below for 20 seconds each, resting for 10 seconds in between. Repeat for eight rounds, alternating moves, so you hit a total of eight minutes. Do this whenever you can fit it in, and get ready to get fit.
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart (a). Quickly drive your knees up to your chest as you move toward your right side. Pump your arms so opposite arm comes up with opposite leg (b). After three steps, pause for a second, then drive off your toes and take three steps in the other direction (c). Continue powering through for 20 seconds.
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart (a). Push your hips back and drive your butt down to perform a squat(b). Without standing back up, place your hands on the ground and walk them forward so you hit a high plank(c). Perform a push-up, with your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles (d). Walk your hands back in toward your feet, then stand up (e). Repeat.
This weekend, Nike will stage an intriguing human experiment with the hopes of breaking the two-hour barrier for the marathon. Using a combination of advanced running apparel and an army of pacers on a 2.4-kilometer loop at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza complex just outside of Milan, Italy, the sportswear giant looks to shave two minutes and 27 seconds off the fastest recorded time ever run by a man.
Dennis Kimetto currently owns the world record with his 2:02:57 victory at the 2014 Berlin Marathon. He is an Adidas athlete and has struggled with injuries in the past two years, so no sub-two hour marathon attempt has been tied to him, but his sponsor is working on its own sub-two shoe after having outfitted the last four world record holders.
Nike has taken the largest step forward in the sub-two arms (and footwear) race by staging the attempt under its own parameters and enlisting Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa and Zersenay Tadese tackle one of the biggest queries of elite running.
The athletes have been in Monza since about Monday morning. A photo leaked on Twitter of one of the strategists explaining the pacing plan for 18 runners�which includes Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat and elites from the renowned Nike Bowerman Track Club�and it appears there will be runners alternating segments while remaining six at a time on the course with the three stars.
Social media posts out of Monza have the pacers and their agents targeting the attempt on Saturday, May 6, which would be the 63rd anniversary of Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile. A window from May 6 to 8 has been set by Nike to select the day with the most favorable weather.
Here�s a look at the r�sum�s and credentials for the three protagonists of the attempt:
?Eliud Kipchoge
Age: 32 Country: Kenya Personal Bests: 2:03:05, 2016 London Marathon Accolades: 2016 Olympic marathon gold medalist, 2008 Olympic 5,000-meter silver medalist, 2004 Olympic 5,000-meter bronze medalist, four-time world championship medalist (includes cross country and indoors), 2014 Chicago Marathon champion, 2015 Berlin Marathon champion, 2015 and 2016 London Marathon champion
Kipchoge enters the attempt as arguably one of the greatest marathoners in history. His personal best of 2:03:05 is the fourth-fastest time over 26.2 in history and the third-fastest over a standard course. By running in Nike�s Breaking2 project, we didn�t get to see Kipchoge try to win is third consecutive London Marathon or a clash between him and 2:03:03 man Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. Kipchoge has proven he can win so Nike recruited him to go for time while probably also throwing him a large check to pass on appearance fees and potential prize money. Kipchoge was also the first of the three selected runners to receive the Zoom Vaporfly Elite shoes that will be worn in the attempt. He�s been instrumental in the company�s tailoring of the footwear to meet his needs and performance.
According to early reports out of Kenya, Kipchoge followed most of his regular training that made him successful in his marathon career thus far. He�s won seven of his eight career marathons and in the one that he didn�t win, he finished second to Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, who won in a then-world record time of 2:03:23.
LetsRun.com paid a visit to Kipchoge and filmed one of his workouts back in March
Kipchoge ran 59:17 in Monza seven weeks ago, when Nike staged an unofficial half-marathon to show off its new shoes. He told Runner�s World that it was about a 60% effort on his part.
Pacing is going to be critical in the attempt and it would be a bad sign for Kipchoge and the leaders to cross the half-marathon mark in over 60 minutes. Kimetto�s world record has an outlier of a 14:09 split at 35-kilometers, which is a large part why he negative split in the race and why attempts to go out hard and hang on haven�t worked as well. Sports scientist Ross Tucker noted on Twitter that 14:13 per 5K is the pace for a sub-two yet a 14:14 has happened only 10 times in fastest 90 marathon winners in history. It�s a tall order for Kipchoge but of the three, he�s the most probably to come the closest to under two-hours� yet that could still be a high-2:01 or low-2:02.
?Zersenay Tadese
Age: 35 Country: Eritrea Personal Bests: 58:23 for the half marathon (WR), 2:10:41 for the marathon (2012 London Marathon) Accolades: Half marathon world record holder, 2004 10,000-meter Olympic bronze medalist, 2009 10,000-meter World Championship silver medalist, five-time World Half Marathon Championship gold medalist, seven-time World Cross Country Championship medalist
The marathon has not been good for Tadese. Asking him to cut more than 10 minutes off his personal best sounds like a lot even for special shoes. He is probably the most unlikely of the group to be the one to break two-hours for the marathon but could be serving as an unofficial pacer to stick with Kipchoge and Desisa for as long as possible. In his attempt to debut at the 26.2 distance, Tadese dropped out of the 2009 London Marathon at about 35K. He finished the race in 2010 with a disappointing 2:12:03. His personal best remains 2:10:41 from the 2012 London Marathon, which put him at a distant 14th place. His last attempt at 26.2 came in 2014 and was another DNF but this time in Chicago and just after the half. Nike hasn�t affirmed it, but Tadese essentially serves as the best pacer (one with world record credentials) for Kipchoge and Desisa for maybe 25K to 30K. Tadese ran 59:41 behind Kipchoge in the Monza test run.
Lelisa Desisa
Age: 27 Country: Ethiopia Personal Best: 2:04:45, 2013 Dubai Marathon Accolades: Three-time Boston Marathon champion, 2013 World Half Marathon Championship silver medalist
Desisa has competed in 11 marathons since he started contesting the 26.2 distance in 2013. His first one at the 2013 Dubai Marathon was a 2:04:45 victory and it remains his fastest. His next-fastest was a 2:05:52 at the 2015 Dubai Marathon, but those are the only two occasions in which he�s run under 2:06. His most recent run resulted in a DNF at the 2016 New York City Marathon and so his other completed marathons have been tactical or unpaced affairs that have resulted in podium finishes or victories on the marathon majors circuit. Desisa struggled in the test run in March and fell off the sub-two pace less than halfway through and finished in 62:55, If he could somehow find that 2013 marathon form, he would hang late into the attempt with Kipchoge and maybe serve as a pacer through 35K. That�s a big �if� though.
Given that we didn�t see any official races from these three runners ahead of the attempt, it�s really hard to assess their fitness and come up with any percentage of a chance. There�s the mental factor that comes with having run 17 laps around the course. There�s also the element of fueling and hydration that takes place within the body. Weather is another uncontrollable variable. Nike got the attention it wanted while also remaining secretive on a lot of details up until the week of the attempt. With millions watching, it�s on three men to deliver in the ultimate race against the clock.
Looking to take your burpees to the next level? If you’ve mastered this basic go-to fitness move, you have to try this challenging new version demoed by Nike trainers Kirsty Godso and Lauren Williams, AKA the “Pyro Girls,” on Instagram this week.
What makes their burpee upgrade so hot? “It challenges core and shoulder stability and strength differently from a regular burpee,” explains Williams. “You have to balance the explosiveness of the tuck with shoulder stability and core strength so you can do the move with control and grace.”
Up for the challenge? Here’s how to do it: Start with your feet hip-width apart. Then place both hands on ground and jump both feet back, going into a plank. Jump both legs up into the air while bending knees to bring feet toward butt (think donkey kick). Hop legs back out to a plank, and then jump feet in toward your hands. As you stand, explode up, bringing knees into chest. Land softly, and then immediately repeat the entire sequence. If you’re feeling extra cool, grab a buddy and try doing this move in tandem like Godso and Williams.
Yep, it’s just as intense as you think. (We know, we tried it!) Need a modification? Williams suggests just jumping your feet back up to your hands instead of attempting the full-blown donkey kick.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez reveals what the popping sound is during a spinal adjustment.
Chiropractic Care &�Back Pain
Has this happened to you? You are at the chiropractor getting treatment for your own back pain, and during a spinal adjustment, a sizable popping sound is heard by you. It seems somewhat alarming, does not it? Rest assured, though: That pop within a chiropractic spinal adjustment is totally ordinary.
During a back adjustment, your back experiences rapid, mild stretching of the spinal joint, which means you may hear a snapping or popping sound. This really is brought on by little pockets of air or bubbles, which are in the fluid that surrounds your joints. When joint tissues are extended throughout a chiropractic adjustment, the pockets of atmosphere “pop,” which creates that cracking sound you hear.
Following this treatment, you could feel in your back for more movement. But, the muscles may still be raw and tight.
Your chiropractor might also incorporate other chiropractic care treatments like muscle therapy. You must notice more back pain relief with each session.
Your chiropractor could also advocate preventive care, including specific exercises, and he/she might give you ergonomic tips on the best way to accurately bend and lift, in addition to how to take good care of your back while at your desk (if you work in a office). Doing specific exercises and maintaining good posture might help keep movement that is healthy in your back.
Is Chiropractic Care Right For You?
It is crucial that you consider that chiropractic care is not a cure all for all conditions that are back. Some backbone conditions that cause back pain may require a combination of treatments, or other treatments, for example surgery and drugs.
But in the event you have a condition that causes pain back and you need to test a non-operative treatment, chiropractic care can be an excellent treatment choice for you personally. But remember, you need to not be alarmed by a popping noise during a spinal adjustment�it’s ordinary in chiropractic care.
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
