Dominating the Competition – Melissa Bettess, DC Student

from skinny swimmer to winning middle weight body building championships

On Saturday, July 16, 2011, after years of diligently working out and months of restrictive dieting, fourth quarter Joe Mushanlansky did what few people have the drive or guts to do; he stepped onto the stage at the Georgia World Congress Center and dominated the competition at the NPC Georgia State Bodybuilding, Bikini & Figure Championships, taking away three first places out of the four categories. Joe’s first place finishes happened in the following divisions: Junior Middle Weight, Junior Overall, and Open Middle Weight. The win in the Open Middle Weight division not only qualified him for Nationals, but he was also awarded a pretty sweet battle axe!

So how did a skinny freshman swimmer end up in the intense world of bodybuilding? You could say it was love at first sight. The moment Joe walked into a weight room to start lifting to improve his swimming, he was hooked. Joe simply loved the gym. Then to further fuel his drive, his sister was dating a bodybuilder and Joe went to watch his first show. It was at that moment he knew that someday, he too had to be on that stage. At that time he didn’t know what it took to make it to that point. In April 2007, he set his sights on doing his first show the following year.

Back then, with the help of his sister’s boyfriend, Joe started on a strict diet and intense work-outs. He competed in his very first show on September 6, 2008. Joe had no idea just how restrictive the diet was, so after avoiding many sweet, delicious food temptations starting at 14 weeks out prior to the show, Joe competed in the Tri-State Championships in Eerie, Indiana. His first time on stage was a mixture of euphoria and nervousness. He was happy to be done dieting, knowing he could now eat whatever he wanted, but he was also being very critical of himself and his presence on stage, always wondering if he had done enough. By the last class his nerves had subsided and he was able to put on a huge smile for the judges. To his delight and amazement, he won the biggest class of the night!

Since bodybuilding does not happen overnight, Joe took three years before competing again. He felt he was too skinny his first show and wished to improve upon his earlier success. He, along with the judges, were thrilled with the results. With the help and critical eye from friend and coach, Dan Newmire, a Master’s program student and bodybuilding expert, Joe went from initially 154 pounds on stage, to 168.5 pounds on stage, with fuller, more dense and symmetrical muscles.

If you have class with Joe, or see him in the halls at school, he seems happier, more talkative and more fun. Why? He is now free to eat whatever he wishes! To make his dream of success in bodybuilding happen, he was on a restrictive diet for five months prior to the show. He ate the same thing, at the same time every day. The diet consisted of lean protein, such as turkey, chicken, or tuna and low glycemic carbs, such as oatmeal, apples and brown rice. Zero sugar and dairy, except for egg whites, is allowed. A bodybuilder has to eat about every 2.5 hours, must resist cravings, and is left feeling hungry most of the time.

Another key component to Joe’s success was his willpower to be at the gym twice a day. At 530 am, before class, he would be doing 50 minutes of cardio, briskly walking on an incline, rocking out to “Rise Today” by Alter Bridge. After class the workout consisted of high intensity weight lifting with his workout partner and fellow classmate, Jericho Matthews. As the show drew closer, his diet got stricter, so the intensity of the workout decreased, since the caloric intake had dropped.

Along with the set regime of diet and exercise, Joe took a regiment of supplements such as creatine, casein powder, whey protein powder, l-glutamine, multi-vitamins and fish oils. The supplements helped to keep his insulin levels stable, which aids in lipolysis. Clearly a ton of dedication and discipline goes into making it in the bodybuilding world. The sport is not for the faint at heart.

Chiropractic helped give Joe the winning edge. The day before the show and following the morning weigh-ins he was adjusted. After weighing-in, he was having trouble posing, even the relaxed poses. After an adjustment he felt fantastic. Posing is stressful to a competitor, and often times painful, but thanks to chiropractic, Joe was able to pose dis-ease free, and it showed on his face! While other competitors were trying to hide their agony, Joe was happily smiling away! Even professionals will have chiropractors backstage to help improve their posing. As Joe works towards paving his way to pro level, do I smell a chiropractic sponsorship for Joe in the future? Joe will continue to use his chosen sport of bodybuilding to spread the gift of chiropractic.

Bring. It. On. – Sarah Moreau, Dietetics Student

competitive cheerleading at life university

On Monday July 18, some amazing women and one amazing young man assembled for the second tryout in 2011 for competitive cheerleading at Life. The fresh faces of hopeful cheerleaders bore smiles as they learned a dance, two cheers, and how to throw each other up into the air safely.  As the evening progressed, Captain Travis France discussed fundraising options, uniform ideas, and cheerleading camp with the squad.

On August 12, the cheerleaders will venture to Myrtle Beach, SC for the National Cheerleading Association’s local cheer camp. This camp will prepare the cheerleaders for the great endeavor of their upcoming cheerleading competitions.  The team will compete in the National Cheersport Competition in Atlanta in February, the Atlanta Grand Championship, the Big City Jam Mega Jam Fest Atlanta in November, the Music Jam Nashville in February, and the College Nationals Competition NCA located in Daytona Beach, Florida in April.

The squad has been enthusiastically raising money through bake sales, anonymous donors, and other various fundraisers including cheer camps and a deal on facebook which gives a $50 gift card to a large selection of restaurants with a $20 donation to the cheer team.  These funds will go directly towards uniforms, camp, and various other necessary items for the cheerleaders.

The cheerleaders come from various backgrounds.  Some have never cheered before attending Life University, and some were collegiate cheerleaders before.  Many who joined the squad did so to learn a fun new way to work out and push their bodies past what they previously thought possible.

Ultimately, the cheerleaders function for several reasons.  The squad performs essential functions of cheering at basketball games.  There are those who hope to expand the cheering events to the rugby games as well.  Additionally, the competitions serve to help recruit new students to Life and to educate other athletes about chiropractic.  With several of our cheerleaders pursuing DC degrees currently or in the near future, they are able to “talk the ‘TIC” with a large group of athletes who would most definitely benefit from chiropractic care. Any time an athletic team from Life pursues competition outside the school, they open the door for such conversations, and allow students who tend to be undergraduates to see that they can pursue the sport they love after their bachelor’s degree if they choose to pursue one of the graduate level degrees offered here.

While the Life University cheerleading squad might not consist of life-long cheerleaders, they do encompass that which cheerleaders are—athletes who work very hard to produce an amazing result.  They bring an atmosphere to sporting events, and provide much-needed optimism around campus.  The jovial nature of the sport requires that athletes overcome what emotional issues they might endure to bring out the positive instead.  This is a lesson that would benefit all of us to learn.

Pull-outs:  The jovial nature of the sport requires that the athletes overcome what emotional issues they might endure and bring out the positive instead.

competitions serve to help recruit new students to Life and to educate other athletes about chiropractic.

The team will compete in the National Cheersport Competition in Atlanta in February, the Atlanta Grand Championship, the Big City Jam Mega Jam Fest Atlanta in November, the Music Jam Nashville in February, and the College Nationals Competition NCA located in Daytona Beach, Florida in April.

Developing Young Players – Kelly Milano, DC Student

life holds second annual rugby camp

This year, LIFE Rugby Club hosted the 2^nd annual high school rugby training camp.  During the first rugby training camp in 2010, Life quickly found there was higher interest in the camp than originally expected as the camp filled up quickly and a waiting list developed. For 2011, the Rugby staff created two camps-a three day skills camp and a four day high school camp to follow.  They also created more openings for attendees, and still filled up both camps with thirty-five players attending the skills camp and fifty-five attending the high school camp. Elite Schools Rugby.com (www.eliteschoolsrugby.com) states, “Life University Atlanta boasts arguably the most professional and elite rugby program witnessed in the US and is one that would certainly rival any club or university worldwide.” Because of this players came from all over the country to attend the camps, traveling from as far as California and Montana. Charlotte had the largest number of players in attendance. According to LU rugby coach and director Dan Payne, “Rugby is gaining a lot of momentum up there and it’s becoming one of our strongest recruiting grounds.”  Payne told  RugbyStrong, “We’re happy to provide an environment we’re confident will help both the development of those players that attend, and the growth of rugby in our country.” As this event grows in popularity, it’s another way LIFE Rugby continues to step ahead of the crowd to be a force to be reckoned with in the rugby world.

LU Basketball Reaches Out – Kelly Milano, DC Student

Serving the life community and marietta

On Saturday, June 11 the Running Eagles basketball team took a day trip to Marietta High School where the Kiwanis Club held their annual Soap Box Derby. The team spent the day cheering on the 37 participants, ranging in age from 10-17 years old. Dr. McAuluy, Executive Vice President of LIFE commented to the Marietta Journal, “Life partners with Marietta High School on a number of projects throughout the year and the invaluable work of our student-athletes this weekend is just one way we give back to our community. The players thoroughly enjoyed the day’s events, despite the heat. When given the opportunity to go home after they were finished volunteering, the team chose to stick around until all the races were completed and for the rest of the days activities.”

Barrington Ferguson, LU Guard, was recruited from Marietta High School and commented that, “We had a great time helping the kids and I hope to be back there again next year.”

To further the team’s service to the community and those around them, the players were on hand to help new students move into the Village Retreat on campus. New students enjoyed the extra help and one student responded that she can’t wait to go to the basketball games. This was a great opportunity for them to gain some new fans in the new students, meet those who will be living on campus with them and make a presence on campus.

More events will be taking place in the future. The Athletics Department is currently working on finishing up details for a school wide event that will be hosted by the Athletics Department and players. Stay tuned to Vital Source for more information in the coming weeks!

2nd-Gen Running Eagle – Kelly Milano, DC Student

following in his father’s footsteps

When the Running Eagles take the court for the home opener, one face may look familiar to those administration and faculty who have been around for awhile. That player is Trestin White from Cottondale High School in Cottondale Florida. White is a 2^nd generation LIFE Running Eagle. His dad, Bruce White, played for LIFE in 91-92 and 92-93, the first 2 years of the basketball program.

According to the Jackson County Floridian newspaper, White joins the team as a 6 foot forward. He averaged nine points, six rebounds and three assists for his high school team. He also helped to lead them to a playoff appearance and victory.

White told the Floridian, “Obviously, it means something to go to the school that my dad did, but (Life) is a really great program. I think the coaching staff is great, I like the area, and it’s just a great opportunity for me.”

According to Coach Barrett, “Trestin plays a very hard and athletic game just like his father.” He continues with, “We’re very excited to have Trestin and he’ll be a good fit for the team.” Continue watching our Facebook page for more information on the newest members to the LIFE Running Eagles basketball team as they approach their opening of the 2011-2012 season.

LIFE Rugby Updates – Kelly Milano, DC Student

The Dynasty Continues

Life Rugby has once again had an incredibly successful season. The Super League teams have gone undefeated while totaling over 230 points since February 19th while keeping its opponents to 95 points. They are currently 5-0 for the season, one win away from hosting the Super League semi-final game here at Life University in May. Only Boston stands in their way on April 30th. Life is currently ranked #1 in their league, with Boston tailing behind them in the #2 spot. It should prove to be a hard fought game as Life vies for home field advantage and Boston sets out to stop them.
This season marked the first for the Life College Premier team, made up entirely of undergraduates, who have made a strong showing in the league. RugbyMag had given them a #3 ranking before the season began, so there has been a lot of pressure to perform well and find their place. Currently, as of April 11 they are ranked #4 after having taken their only loss at the hands of Arkansas, who are now in the #3 place. The team is currently 10-1 (5-1 in league play) and getting ready to take on Oklahoma on April 30th.

Dan Payne, director of rugby, stated, “The program and the players specifically, have done a phenomenal job as we have taken on the task of running two full teams in two separate national competitions.” He continued, “I am extremely grateful and proud of the effort the players and our staff have displayed in an attempt to uphold the standard of excellence our alumni, classmates and, most importantly, our university as a whole, have come to expect from our organization.”

You Won’t Hear Us Shout “Fore!” – Jason Feltz, DC Student

the life golf club is warming up their swings early

Usually the LIFE Golf Club is shut down for the winter quarter, but with the early arrival of spring, members are getting out early to play some rounds. The club currently has 18 active members and is looking to expand every quarter. Why golf? Golf is the most commonly played sport in the United States and it is a great outlet for marketing and promoting chiropractic.

The golf club is open to membership for students of all talent levels from beginner to professional. There are opportunities to compete and the club will be working with LIFE Athletics and the marketing department for opportunities to represent Life University in quarterly golf tournaments. As a member, there is not a requirement to compete, however, players of different talents will be offered opportunities to do so. The club puts on free golf instruction and clinics during the weekly meetings held at Marietta Golf Center. With recording equipment and decades of experience provided, members have a chance to pick up a game that will stick with them for life. The club has several relationships with area golf courses that give them discounted play. Members of the club have access to care at LUSSI (Life University Sports Science Institute) unlike regular students. As a member, one can qualify to be part of the team that represents Life University at the Chiro-Games!

Be sure to check out the golf club and pick up the sport that will give opportunities to network and market. The club is committed to promoting both the sport and chiropractic in developing character through the values they entail. In representing Life University, the club helps bring awareness to the campus, its clinic offerings and the paradigm shift it represents.

Interview With The Golf Ball Slayer – Jason Feltz, DC Student

A Student Reveals His Unusual Talent

Maurice Allen is your typical 2^nd quarter DC student. While he is fresh in the DC program, he is adapting to a demanding curriculum and is molding himself to be an effective time manager and future chiropractor. But something else is demanding of Maurice’s time. While he is a full-time student, Maurice is also a professional long-drive golf competitor.

Sponsored by Life University and Bang golf, Maurice travels the country competing against the world’s best long-drivers. At 5’8”, Maurice is much shorter than the average competition in the field. Competitors will criticize Maurice’s address and setup to the ball as it is atypical, but when the ball leaves the clubface they are dumbfounded. On average, Maurice hits the ball over 400 yards compared to the average player on the PGA Tour at 287.7 yards. As an avid golfer, I had to take an opportunity to interview Mr. Allen who is literally splitting golf balls.

Q. How did Maurice Allen become a long-drive hitter?

A. Throughout my life I had participated in almost every sport available, from track, soccer, volleyball and baseball. After high school I went to the University of South Florida on a track scholarship. After two years of competing in track I decided to play football for the university and played wide receiver, running back, and kick return. After I suffered a broken tibia and fibula I transferred to FAMU to return to track on a more competitive team and became an all-American in the 4×100. In 2004 I made it to the Olympic trials but tore my hamstring in three places in tryouts. In 2006 I went to training camp play football for the Arizona Cardinals and didn’t make the cut, the experience was great however.

Q. What is the longest drive that you have hit in and outside of competition?

A. In competition I hit a golf ball 442 yards and at a practice facility I hit 461 yards.

Q.What does it take to hit a golf ball that far?

A. I think it is a combination of power, torque and precision. Swing speed has a lot to do with the compression of the ball. I just hit a golf ball last week with a club head speed of 161mph. On that monitoring system, that is the highest swing speed ever recorded in the world. That information is being submitted now to be the official record as the previous was 159mph.  The average golfer in the PGA Tour has a speed of 110mph and Bubba Watson has the highest on tour at 128mph. To be honest, I don’t how I generate that much torque and power. I’m still new to this sport and I’m still learning how to swing.

Q. How many events do you compete in each year?

A. Well the second half of 2010 is when I began competing. This year I plan on playing in all seven of the LDA Tour events, all five Southern Swing events and four international events in Sweden, the UK, Italy and Paris.

Q. What do you do to train?

A. I go for a run twice a day, one at 4:30am and the other in the evening for a half hour at a time. I lift weights three times a day, morning, lunchtime and evening. I practice cone drills, speed work with hands and plyometric exercises weekly. I hit 300-500 golf balls every day. Training and school is my life because endurance is the key to competing in these long-drive contests. You have several rounds a day of swinging a club as hard as you can, and you can’t afford your arms to turn weak. In addition to my training I get adjusted twice a week.

Q. Who is your biggest competitor?

A. I think it would have to be myself. There are athletes that are most noted in my sport and I will recognize my competition, but I don’t notice them when I’m competing. I can be hard on myself sometimes because my goals and standards are high. I’m still new to this sport and I know I’m far from perfecting what I know is possible. My goal is to hit the ball 500 yards on a flat plain with no wind. The world record is 539 yards from an elevated tee and a helping wind.

Q. What other goals do you strive for in long-drive?

A. I want to set every record possible in the sport and be the face of long-drive. I also would like to win every event in a single season and be the first to do that. I’ve had to overcome my competition and commentators saying that I couldn’t make it to where I am today. They said I didn’t have the height or the golfing background to produce and I’m here today. Winning a competition at one time was my goal, but my mind has moved beyond that step, I know that winning is inevitable and I’m set to prove the doubters.

Q. What led you to chiropractic and Life University?

A. Track and field introduced me to chiropractic, because at FAMU it was mandatory to be adjusted once a week. It also fits with my training regimen and outlook on physical fitness. What brought me to Life was an old classmate of mine at FAMU who encouraged me to stay after class to listen to a guest speaker. That speaker was Mackel Harris and what he told that room convinced me to come to.

Q. What makes you pursue being a long-drive hitter and a chiropractor?

A. I look at the talents that I have and thank God every day for the opportunities that I have encountered. There are people out there that would wish and sacrifice for the opportunities that I have, so wasting them would be an injustice to them and myself. People deserve the chance to be great and some need help getting there. I like to uplift people to help them reach their potential, and I think chiropractic is a perfect outlet for that.

Maurice hasn’t played much regular golf. I have played with him twice and in case you were wondering, on a moderately difficult course he shot scores of 85 and 87. That’s not too bad for a beginner!

Bump, Set, Dunk It! – Jason Feltz, DC Student

Winter INTRAMURALs Are a Big Hit For Students

As spring is still a couple months away, students are crawling for activities to do during the winter gray skies. This quarter’s intramural sports of basketball and volleyball have drawn the largest participation yet with over 200 students participating on 18 different teams between basketball and volleyball.

With the weather delay at the beginning of this quarter the athletes are enduring condensed schedules and practices, but it hasn’t stymied their competitive drive.

Intramurals provide a competitive environment for students to form new friendships and build competitive squads that may later participate in the 2011 Chiro-Games. Life’s championship beach volleyball team for the Chiro-Games is participating in this year’s league and they are favored to win it. There are several other teams that are vying for that top spot including Staff Infections, a team composed of staff and faculty at Life.

Look for results to be posted as the intramural season draws to a close. If you are interested in participating in upcoming intramural sports and/or preparing for the Chiro-Games, visit Life Athletic’s website and/or contact Jenni Bennett from the Athletics Department.

 

Champions And Pride In The Making – Jason Feltz, DC Student

Why the Chiro-Games can never go away

Memories define chapters in your life, and surely our time here at Life University is a chapter we are all writing. For most of us, we’re in a constant battle between education, retention, testing and time. A lot of us forget to have fun while in school, and one day when I look back on my journey at Life, I want the memories to be filled with more fun experiences. Before the fall of 2009, my focus had been on the struggle of getting through the DC program, but a shift in my thought processes and inner-determination brought me to build something missing from Life that would impact the environment here. In planning and bringing Life to the Chiro-Games, some of the best memories I have experienced while being a student here have come from them.

I will always remember the unseasonably cool weather we faced this past trip to Cocoa Beach, with the wind just as strong as it was in 2009. Ask any student who participated in the games, and they will have a list of memories to share. I remember the fun people I got to know and have since become friends with. I won’t forget the brotherhood all of us athletes felt as none of us were strangers to one another. A bunch of Life students can pack into a van, each of them never having met each other, and have the best riding experience on a trip. Such was the story and my experience to and from the Chiro-Games. Out of all 128 attendees from Life to the games, many friendships were formed.

At the awards ceremony, we screamed loudest for our players and chanted “Ole!” as the gold medal winners were announced for Life in both men’s and women’s soccer. Most of us needed a couple days to recover our voices thereafter. But the lingering, inescapable memory during that ceremony was the dominance of Parker on the podium. Upon receiving the overall golden trophy after placing in the medals for every event, all the Parker athletes rushed to the stage and hoisted their athletic director, Steve Weller, into the air while repeatedly chanting their school’s name. It wasn’t only Parker’s athletic dominance that bothered me that evening, it was the school pride those athletes were displaying. They have a summation of feelings that I and others have been trying to create here at Life. In an effort to bring that same pride back to our campus, I will be taking on one last project before I graduate next year; I want to establish competitive club sports around all the events held at Chiro-Games. While some sports have already developed clubs on campus, I want to sit with leaders of each to help organize and ready them for some competition. I’m going to push to have these clubs compete in intramurals and Atlanta-area leagues and competitions to face the best talent possible. I don’t want to bring home anything less than the gold trophy in my last Chiro-Games in 2011, so I need your help. If you play or have played a sport, get involved in an athletic club on campus. I know we have the best athletes of all the chiropractic schools, but we left a lot of our best athletes home this year as each had a particular reason not to go. The games will always be held in the fall and it will always land on our midterms being that we are on a quarter system, so preparation ahead of time is the key.

Chiro-Games is a building opportunity for Life University as we are becoming more and more committed to these events. We can all bask in the connections we built and felt with one another, but an even bigger reward that we can build together is pride.

As we turn a page in this life chapter, never forget those feelings and connections that were developed at the games. Remember to share your experiences and encourage others to be a part of this growing movement. This is the community that Life needs, and it starts with us. If we relish the moments we created, we all will contribute to this growth of pride and family on this campus.

Running Eagles Basketball – Kelly Milano, DC Student

A great start to a great season

The Running Eagles basketball season is off to a great start. The first three games of the season brought wins over Faulkner University (93-92), Auburn University Montgomery (83-72), and the season opener against Atlanta Christian (100-93). Senior Tony Reese is currently topping the scoring stats with an average of 17.25 points per game, followed by Junior P.J. Meyers with 13.5 per game, and Ramon Walker is topping the rebound chart with an average of 8 points per game.

The first loss of the season came in the 4^th game on November 9^th against University of Cumberlands. After a long, back and forth game, the final score came about in the last two seconds of the game. With just over a minute left, Life University’s James Hooper hit two free throws to tie the game at 63-63. The Patriots missed their chance to score, giving Life the chance to gain the lead. With less than five seconds left, Life missed their shot, allowing Cumberland to grab the rebound, head down the court and win the game, 65-63.

One thing can be said for the Running Eagles, they play a good game. The scores are close, and the action is back and forth, and non-stop. In the game against Faulkner University, the teams went into double overtime before Life pulled off the one point victory.

The season is just beginning and big games are still ahead.  Come out and cheer your team on as they face some great competition. Upcoming home games include Georgetown College on January 5^th, University of Mobile on January 8^th, Faulkner University on January 11^th, Talladega College on January 25^th and Carver Bible College on January 27^th. For updates, join the Running Eagles on Facebook!

Bruised. Battered. But Never Beaten. – Alexandra Gerdel, DC Student

Life U’s women’s soccer brings home gold at Chiro Games for the second time

The moment the final whistle blew around 5 PM on Sunday November 7^th, 2010 was epic. Having endured six grueling matches, sprained ankles, concussions, knee strains, bruises, “shin-juries,” and pathetic attempts by Parker College of Chiropractic to disqualify them in the final game for not having two colors of jerseys, Life women’s soccer team finished on top once again.

Wearing “home made” jerseys from extra green t-shirts the men’s soccer team had with them, the women’s team easily defeated Parker 4-0 in the Championship game. The exhausted and injured team celebrated with a euphoric trip through a victory tunnel formed by the hoard of Life students watching the final match.

The weekend was an overall success, with the Life women winning their games against Palmer-West (12-0), Palmer (8-0) and tying New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) 1-1 on day one. On day two the ladies defeated Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) and Logan College of Chiropractic in the quarter and semi final play off games before taking on Parker and earning the gold crown for the second year running.

The Life women’s soccer team has developed quite a reputation after squashing the competition with no losses and a very small team two years in a row. With talent ranging from former national and professional level players to college and high school All-Stars, the team has a unique bond and ability to mesh well on the field. With Stephanie Smith, Aleshka Calderon, Jill Burk and April Smith all graduating before the games next year, the team has some big shoes to fill and is already looking for new talent among the earlier quarter students. If you are interested in joining a team that plays some awesome soccer and has a lot of fun, contact any of the girls who played on this year’s team.

Life Undergrad Rugby – Kelly Milano, DC Student

Success in the first season

As Life Rugby unveiled the first season of its undergrad team, there was much expectation and anticipation of what the season would be like. While the first season was a short one, consisting of only five games, it gave us a preview into what the full season in the spring will look like. One of the most fun games of the season to watch was when Life faced county rival, Kennesaw State, which resulted in a score of 104-3, with Kennesaw’s only points coming from a penalty kick. The game started with a “try” by Life’s Cornelius Dirksen on the opening play, only 20 seconds into the game. At the half, Life was already leading 68-0! During the game, 13 of Life’s 15 starters added points to the total.

Next, Life faced off against University of Georgia, again dominating the field and leaving the game with an 86-0 win. Life also dominated the field over Ohio State (84-12). The season picks back up in March, with games against University of Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. Don’t miss out on the action! And don’t forget to follow the Life Running Eagles on Facebook.

Life Reclaims Bronze – Jason Feltz, DC Student

Students Are Excited for the Games in 2011

Amidst strong winds and unseasonably cool temperatures, the 19^th annual Chiro-Games was held in Cocoa Beach, FL this past November. Over one thousand athletes from 14 chiropractic institutions participated in this year’s games, setting a new attendance record.

The student athletes who represented Life University in the games brought home the bronze trophy for the second year in a row, falling just short in points to 2^nd place Logan College of Chiropractic and 1^st place Parker College of Chiropractic. This is the second consecutive year Life has participated in the games, having representitives in all the sports with at least one team. Life had committed 128 total student athletes to the games this year, with two teams in men’s soccer, flag football, softball, golf, tennis, and beach volleyball.

Thanks to funding from Life Athletics, student athletes were able to attend the games at a fair price. Coach Barrett and Coach Firnbach, with assistance from Jenni Bennett, helped make the games a possibility for Life. The athletes were afforded the opportunity to stay Sunday night after the awards ceremony to be part of the celebration and Life athletes let their voices be heard during the ceremony.

In 2009, Life won gold medals in women’s soccer and beach volleyball, and silver in golf and flag football. Life improved its standings in the medals for the sports this year earning gold medals in men’s and women’s soccer, silver in beach volleyball, softball and tennis.

The women’s soccer team, captained by Alexandra Gerdel, repeated its 2009 championship with a sweep in all of their matches. Most of the ladies suffered some minor injuries in the matches as they played competitively with all their opponents. Asked how her experience with Chiro-Games was this year, Alex replied, “Almost our entire team was injured in some way by the time the weekend was over. I was side-lined with an ankle sprain and couldn’t play on the second day, but with more than one sub on the bench this year, a lot of talent on our team, and a lot of heart, we were able to take the championship again. When all was said and done we scored somewhere around 36 goals in six games and only had two goals against us at the end of the weekend.”

Captain Adam Fackler of the men’s soccer team was very proud of his group’s gold medal. Having not even placed last year, this year’s team went undefeated in all its matches, scoring 38 total goals to their opponents’ combined 3 goals. Adam had high expectations going into the games, saying, “Life is fortunate to have a lot of soccer talent. Some of our players played D1 soccer and we had a lot more practices with and commitment from our players this year.”

The silver medalist softball team from Life was captained by Ron Wilcox, whose team was a compilation of the winning team in Life’s intramural softball league. He looks forward to forming some competition this coming spring for all potential softball players in preparation for next year’s Chiro-Games. He is also currently looking into fundraising for equipment for the softball teams.

The A-team for Life tennis just came up short in winning gold in the championship match against Parker, but they did play and place better than last year’s games when they brought home a bronze metal. Captained by Jason Rogers, the tennis players came to the Chiro-Games more prepared this year as they practiced in the Tennis Club more frequently.

The coed beach volleyball team was captained by Grant Sikes, and in looking to repeat last year’s gold, they lost the championship match to Parker. Having lost that match, Grant is looking forward to preparing for next year as it will be his last Chiro-Games. “Life has so many talented athletes that we can form teams from. Next year we will place in gold and silver, guaranteed.”

With the success and popularity that the Chiro-Games has brought, the university and student body is standing behind the games. It is the goal of Life University to host the games in the next couple years. Also this coming spring, Life Athletics will be working with students in developing clubs and competition to help prepare our student athletes for the Chiro-Games. All club sports will be open to any interested parties in participating in the games. It is likely that the planning for next year’s games will be a collaboration of several departments at Life along with student leaders.

Chiro-Games Update – Jason Feltz, D.C. Student

Line-ups are looking to win gold!

This year’s planning for the Chiro-Games has been much more organized thanks to my experience in planning last year’s games and now with the support of Life University Athletics. The athletics department, including Jenni Bennett and coaches John Barrett and Bill Firnbach, have given opportunity for the athletic clubs to hold tryouts and practice sessions in preparation of the upcoming games. Athletics has also contributed thousands of dollars to the cost of the trip to Cocoa Beach this year which has made it possible for students to attend the games at a moderate expense.

At a cost of $140 for each attending student athlete, the fee will cover a $45 registration per student for their sport, a beach-front hotel for 3 nights, transportation costs including gasoline, and their uniform. Said golf team member John Gould, “The cost is well worth the trip because of the fun you have, and now we get to stay that extra night for the awards ceremony.”

Two teams will be representing in each sport with the exception of women’s soccer and basketball. Tryouts have determined who will be on the A team and the B team for those sports with multiple teams. Out of the 374 students that expressed interest in playing in the games, 153 will be taken this year, up from 90 that attended last year’s games.

Life U. brought home gold medals in beach volleyball and women’s soccer last year and those teams have returned this season in hopes of defending their title. Last year’s silver medal winning teams in golf, tennis and flag football have restructured their lineups this season in hopes of claiming gold medals. Kelly Duffner, the B-team captain for flag football feels his team has a great shot at medalling, “With the depth of talent that [Life] has, our teams seem about equal. I think our biggest competition will be ourselves. If we are disciplined, and we utilize our talents effectively, I think we’ll have a great shot at winning gold and we could end up playing our A-team in the championship.”

Life faced some stiff competition last year and this year’s all-star line-ups seem poised to bring some power to the field. When asked who might be Life’s biggest competition at the Chiro-Games, beach volleyball captain Grant Sikes says “Well Logan is the defending champs, but Parker won the previous 4 years and they invest a lot into their club sports. Palmer isn’t too far behind either. With the number of athletes we have this year, we have high expectation of gold and those other schools need to prepare for us.” It is true that Parker’s athletic department is fully invested in its student athletes. Besides equipment and uniforms, student athletes are granted excused absences from class to practice for the Chiro-Games. It is the goal of Life Athletics to form yearlong clubs surrounding the sports represented in the Chiro-Games as well, allowing student athletes to develop their talents and teamwork to a higher level of competition.

In the overall standings last year, Life came up with the bronze trophy in its first school-wide commitment to the event. With the lower levels of interest last year and a lot of last-minute planning, Life managed to surprise the other schools in the standings. This year Life plans on taking the top platform and bringing home the gold trophy.

Life Undergraduate Rugby – Kelly Milano, D.C. Student

Dominating the Competition

Saturday, October 2 was the perfect day for a rugby game! The air was cool, the sun was out and there was excitement in the air. The stands were packed with new students, returning students, alumni and fans! This game was a monumental game for the Life University Rugby Club (LURC) as the club unveiled its all undergraduate team.Up until this point, the teams consisted of a Men’s Division 1 team and a Super League team that combined both undergraduates and DC students on the same field.

The opening game of the season had almost a carnival atmosphere with face painting and a moon jump for the kids, pre and post game parties, food, drinks and a lot of excitement. It also coincided with the New Student Orientation that welcomed in the new students for the fall. The new students were all decked out in their new Life Rugby t-shirts courtesy of the Athletic Department. While most of these students had never seen a rugby game and didn’t understand how it was played, most left excited about the game, looking forward to future games. Several of the DC rugby students were in the crowd, interlaced with the new students, explaining how the game worked and what the calls meant, helping to better equip the new students with a new understanding and appreciation for the game.

Life came out to a slow start while facing off against the Virginia Tech Hokies, with the first try not coming until 13 minutes into the game, but failing to get the 2 point conversion. The Hokies responded with a try and the conversion and took the only lead they would have in the game with a score of 7-5.

During the 2^nd half, Life dominated the pitch, scoring a total of six tries in the half and walking away with a 60-7 win over the Hokies. The preparation leading up to this opening game was intense for these young players. Many were new to the team and some saw their first collegiate game play. The practice hours were long, often starting at 6:30am to help teach discipline and increase endurance and drive in the players.

In the coming weeks, Life will face off against some big name teams including University of Georgia, Ohio State, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU and Notre Dame. Come out and cheer on your Life University Eagles and join the frenzy!

Photo courtesy of Adam Schwarz – Lightning Photography