Racers jump over fire April 20 at a Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle Race in North Carolina. Obstacle races have become increasingly popular during the last several years, according to Matt Davis, editor-in-chief of Obstacle Racing Magazine, a publication that started in the U.S. in 2010. Courtesy RUGGED MANIAC LLC

Navigating a threatening environment is just one challenge athletes encounter while competing in the sport of obstacle racing, which has exploded in popularity during the last few years, according to Matt Davis, editor-in-chief of Obstacle Racing Magazine, a publication in the process of switching to an online format that reports news on U.S. obstacle racing.

Davis, who said an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million people participated in an obstacle race last year, attributes the growth in popularity partly to people developing a community of friends with whom they race. Davis said the sheer fun of the sport also draws crowds.

“I’ve jumped in freezing cold water, I’ve gone under barbed wire and I’ve jumped off platforms,” said Davis, who has competed in about 20 obstacle races since 2010. “You just get into it and [it] becomes a blast.”

Davis said no governing body or obstacle racing league exists in America, though one is needed primarily for safety concerns.

“You can’t have these cowboys who throw up these races, and the average person sees a half-decent website and thinks it’s going to be a decent race and then they show up and it’s not safe,” Davis said. “Someone needs to validate safety.”

Injuries happen during races, Davis said, but some occur as a result of poor obstacle design, such as water obstacles that are too shallow, which can lead to broken ankles and legs.

According to Davis, Spartan Race, a race series established in 2005, offers four different courses of varying difficulty. Its races are put on worldwide, in countries such as Australia, Mexico and Hungary.

Davis said Spartan Race is one of the big three race series and is joined by the Tough Mudder, a race designed by British Special Forces, and the Warrior Dash, a race produced by Red Frog Events, a Chicago-based entertainment event planning group.

He said these races believe they can operate independently. However, the medium-sized, successful events, such as the Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle, could conceivably join together to start a league.

Rob Dickens, chief operating officer of Rugged Races LLC, producer of the Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle Race, said his series has become more popular as it heads into its fourth year of existence. He said only one race was held in 2010, and this year 20 races are scheduled, including an Aug. 3 event at a ski resort in Wilmot, Wis., which serves the Chicago and Milwaukee communities.

“It’s just an evolution of the outdoor sports industry,” Dickens said. “People can do all of these obstacle races where they crawl through mud, jump over fire, scale 50-foot walls, do water slides. It’s a much more immersive experience and challenges you much more than just taxing your legs and your cardiovascular system.”

Last year’s event in Wilmot had approximately 5,000 participants, and as of press time, 6,000 people are registered for this year’s race, according to Dickens. He said registration fees alone fund the festival and the licensed contractors that construct the obstacles, which he said separates his race from unsuccessful ones.

“If they can build a wall, that’s great,” Dickens said. “But that’s completely different than accepting registrations from 10,000 people and making sure that everything runs smoothly.”

According to Davis, it will take a few more years for the sport to weed out the poorly planned races. He said the quality of a race depends on its obstacles and volunteers, who are responsible for tasks such as registering racers and directing participants at obstacles.

Chicagoans can participate in the June 8 Urban Warrior Dash, which runs from the Museum Campus and Soldier Field south to 31st Street, according to Michael Coco, the event’s operation director.

Coco said the Urban Warrior Dash, which held its first event March 2 in San Diego and currently has 2,000 people registered for the Chicago race, is a cousin of the regular Warrior Dash, which launched in July 2009.

Though the Urban Warrior Dash does not have barbed wire, mud-crawls or fire, Coco said it might be more difficult than an event with those obstacles, largely because the Urban Warrior Dash requires more upper-body strength.

Coco said one of the harder obstacles is the “daily grind,” which requires athletes to shimmy down a pair of sloping poles, all the while keeping their feet off the ground. “Urban Summit” requires participants to scale a slightly angled wall by rope, Coco said, adding the wall is 15–18 feet high.

According to Coco, new experiences accompany every race, which is part of its appeal.

“It’s a thrill both to work in and participate in,” Coco said. “It’s always a rush, always something different, so it keeps me coming back for more.”

Abby Cress, a junior fashion studies major, is stepping down as president of the Columbia Renegades after holding the position for three semesters. She will replace Matthew Case, a senior marketing communications major, as the student representative to the board of trustees, serving as a liaison between the board and the Student Government Association.

Jon Bowman, a junior poetry major, was elected as the new president of the Renegades on May 6. Kevin Gebhardt | THE CHRONICLE

On May 6, The Renegades announced that Jon Bowman, a junior poetry major and former Renegades vice president, and Timothy Gorski, a junior marketing communications major, would be the fall 2013 Renegades president and vice president, respectively.

Mark Brticevich, coordinator of Columbia’s fitness and recreation program, said the general assembly of athletics, composed of the captains of all recognized club teams, voted on the board positions in the Loft, 916 S. Wabash Ave.

Bowman said his chief responsibility as president will be managing everyone involved in Columbia athletics.

“[I will be] monitoring how the teams are doing, planning events and recreational [tasks], as well as monitoring and helping out my other board members,” Bowman said.

Gorski said his new responsibilities will be managing the 50–60 students that make up the Renegades club teams. In addition, he said, as head of the organization’s marketing department, he will execute most of the group’s advertising.

Bowman, who ran unopposed, said he ran for president because athletics have been a major part of his life at Columbia.

Bowman was baseball team captain for two years before the vice president job opened up.

“Just being a part of this board, I feel like we have become a very prominent force at Columbia, and I just want to continue that tradition,” he said. “Cress did leave some pretty big shoes to fill, but I am pretty confident.”

Bowman said one of Cress’ major undertakings was working to further collaboration among different Columbia organizations, and he wants to continue that in an effort to expand the Renegades position in the school.

Gorski said he plans to improve the Renegades by raising student awareness about Columbia sports.

“I want our school to know that we exist,” Gorski said. “And that we’re a lot bigger than most of the students know about.”

He said he plans to continue the effective communication Bowman had previously maintained with the sports teams and the rest of the board.

“[Bowman] is a great people person,” Gorski said. “He’s excellent at communicating with everybody and knows how to get to know them on a personal level, and I would like to keep that up.”

Brticevich said he has high hopes and expectations for Bowman and Gorski based on their ability to operate the program successfully with few resources.

“This board, which Gorski and Bowman were part of, is probably the best board that we’ve had in athletics because they did miraculous things with virtually nothing,” Brticevich said. “They did it on a shoestring budget [and] we have more sponsors now than we’ve ever had.”

He said the board was able to produce great programming despite such obstacles as not having traditional practice areas for teams to use.

Brticevich said Bowman’s previous experience as baseball captain and vice president will help him excel as president. He said the board looks for someone who shows excitement about athletics and is willing to take action when needed, as well as being able to make wise decisions during times of conflict.

“[Bowman] grew as a captain,” Brticevich said. “When he was put in a position to use his leadership skills, they really came out. That’s what I’m really looking for from him, for him to step up as a leader [and] project expectations.”

Brticevich said he wants Bowman to focus on his own ideas for the future of the Renegades instead of following in Cress’ footsteps.

“I don’t want him to try to compete with or duplicate Abby,” Brticevich said. “I’m looking for him to turn [his] vision into reality.”

Bowman said he plans to organize a 5K marathon next year because running is a common activity that can involve a lot of people outside club teams.

Cress said she will miss serving as president mainly because of the people she worked with, but she said she has high hopes for Bowman’s term.

“I hope [Bowman] continues collaboration [with] different organizations [and] keeping people excited and involved in athletics,” Cress said.

Renegades won their quarterfinals game on May 8 against 3rd seed That’s What She Sets by winning both sets.

Renegades volleyball captain Tyler Vinezeano returned to the line up after being suspended for most of the regular season for violating team rules.
Carolina Sanchez | THE CHRONICLE

The volleyball team advanced in Captain and junior film major Tyler Vinezeano first game back since his suspension in April. While he was gone, the team dropped from first to sixth place in their standings. They now currently have 12 wins and 11 losses after the quarterfinal. Before, they had ten wins and eleven losses in his absence.

Vinezeano was suspended from the team in the first week of April for allowing a non-Columbia student to play in one of the Renegade’s games during Spring Break.

“Over Spring Break, we had literally three people able to come including me to a game and I couldn’t find anyone at Columbia who could come,” Vinezeano said. “I asked one of my cousins to come out and play. It was dumb, but I didn’t want to forfeit a game.”

On the Athletic Association Constitution, it states that if it is under Columbia and funded by the school then it can only be Columbia students partaking according to Abby Cress, president of the Renegades.

“It was a really tough decision,” Cress said. “As a board, we had to meet and talk about it. There are rules for a reason and there are consequences.”

Mark Brticevich, the faculty advisor for the Renegades, said he had to be the “moral barometer” in this situation and get the Executive Board to see how “what they do today will influence behavior and expectations in the future.”

According to Brticevich, he and the rest of the board had made it very clear to the Captain and players that no non-Columbia students could play. The Athletics department has had trouble in the past with students allowing outside students or peers to come and play. The consequences caused the sports teams to no longer be allowed to participate. This was a different case however.

“This is a situation where the captain was very clear on what the expectations were and he still had outsiders play and he openly admitted it,” Brticevich said. “Now, normally the ramifications would be taken out on the team itself, but the captain made the mistake and so he got the ramifications.”

Vinezeano didn’t agree with his punishment.

“I don’t think they should have suspended me for the entire season because I missed like five games,” Vinezeano said. “It hurt the team and our number. I think they should have just given me a warning.”

Some of his teammates agreed seeing how they dropped from their first place position to sixth since his suspension.

Katie Harris, junior Fashion Design major, also found that the decision was unfair to the team.

“I understand the suspension,” Harris said. “I understand where Abby [Cress] is coming from. It just sucks for everybody because our captain is our best player and he is the leader of the team and to have him sit out over one silly mistake… it’s awful.”

Even though Vinezeano was suspended, he was still active with the team leading up to the play offs on May 8. He was allowed to go to the games and partake in practices and workouts.

“He has taken up his role as captain [by becoming] a coach,” Harris said. “He has gone to at least the past five games, kept score, told us what to do and where to go. He is very active and he has been really good about the fact that he can’t play.”

According to Cress, when he wasn’t playing, he was coaching and taking up the captain position off the court. He was leading us and doing the line-up.

According to Vinezeano, he didn’t miss a game during his suspension. He stood on the sidelines and let them know what they needed to do to win.

With Vinezeano and the rest of the “core team” all playing in the quarterfinal, they were able to win the two out-of-the three sets, 25-19 and 25-14, against That’s What She Sets. They move on to the semifinals against SKIDZ, which will be held on May 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Windy City Fieldhouse.

The Renegades are hosting their third annual Columbia Olympics May 10, where anyone in the Columbia community can participate in a friendly competition at root beer pong, a three-legged race and an obstacle course and other games.

Sarah Kotnik, a sophomore marketing communication major, participated in the limbo contest during last year’s Columbia Olympics in Grant Park. This year, the event will take place May 10.
Courtesy Columbia Renegades

Monique Maye, who teaches the Business of Professional Sports class at Columbia, had her students join forces with the Renegades to plan and market the annual event, which will take place at Grant Park from 12–5 p.m. Renegades President Abby Cress said other games include a water balloon toss, tug-of-war, water balloon dodge ball and beach volleyball.

“The games will be creative so that Columbia students will relate to the competition,” Maye said.

According to Mark Brticivech, Columbia’s Fitness Coordinator, last year’s event attracted approximately 100 participants.

In the week leading up to the games, Maye’s class and Renegades athletes will promote the event by playing some of the games, like bag toss, outside Columbia buildings to encourage even more students and faculty to participate in this year’s games. Maye said she hopes students and faculty will see the Olympics as a fun event instead of a competitive contest.

“I think [Columbia students] are afraid and they think that they are going to have to run and jump over some hurdles,” Maye said. “This is Columbia Olympics, not United States Olympic Committee Olympics. Not to say that [Columbia students] are not athletes too, but [we want to] make it fun, make it colorful, make it artsy.”

Each semester, Maye gives her students the opportunity to market and search for sponsors of an event to help them understand how sporting events are organized.
She said she has not helped with planning the Olympics and simply observed as the students took command. Cress said she served as the liaison between the class and Renegade board members.

Students can show up alone or with teammates the day of the event, which is free to students and faculty with a valid school ID. Competitors may preregister at the Fitness Center, 731 S. Plymouth Court, but it is not required. Winners will be awarded medals and gift cards to shops and restaurants around campus, but Cress said the specifics have not been determined yet.

Cress said the Renegades will provide food and refreshments, but as of press time, they have not decided whether Artist’s Café, Pockets or Connie’s Pizza will cater the event. Izze Beverage Company will be the exclusive drink provider of the Olympics and will donate drinks for the participants.

Cress said the event has a distinct Columbia flare.

“Our motto is to create friendly and ethical competition [among] faculty, staff and students, and I feel like this event is more broad and open to all of Columbia instead of our tournaments where it is more competitive,” Cress said. “Olympics is something that anyone can come out to do.”

The “dumb-jock” stereotype, perpetuated by non-athlete students and professors, can cause student athletes to try harder on the field than in the classroom, new research shows. But coaches—not teachers—have the power to combat academic apathy, according to an April 22 paper published in The Journal of College
Student Development.

Photo illustration | Michael Scott Fischer

The paper, “Predictors of Collegiate Student-Athletes’ Susceptibility to Stereotype Threat,” found that athletes in Division I, II, and III schools are more likely to be successful academically if their coach emphasizes the importance of education. Michigan State University Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and lead researcher of the study Deborah Feltz said she and her team explored what previous research had established: athletes are still widely susceptible to the “dumb-jock” stereotype.

“Based on previous research by others who surveyed student-athletes, those student-athletes reported experiencing prejudice in the classroom,” Feltz said. “The more students identify themselves as an athlete, the more threatened they are going to be by these
stereotype perceptions.”

The study, which surveyed 318 student-athletes, found that those competing at higher divisional levels and in higher profile sports were more vulnerable
to stereotypes.

“I personally have never had that kind of a problem, but I do know a few people on our team who have,” said Coryn Schmit, infielder for the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames softball team.

For the study, student-athletes from different Division I through Division III schools were asked questions meant to quantify how strongly they identify with the term “athlete,” how they feel they are affected by stereotypes and their belief in their
academic achievement.

The first evaluation used the Athlete Identity Measurement Scale, developed in 1993 by psychology professor Britton W. Brewer “to assess the importance of the athlete role to the individual,” which taps into how the athlete identifies him or herself, according to
the study.

The study also evaluated participants using the Academic Beliefs Standards created by Robert E. Ployhart in 2003 to determine individual differences in perceptions of stereotype threat. Both of these methods direct participants to rank statements pertaining to athletics and academics on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).

The Self-Concept of Ability Scale, developed by professor of sociology Wilbur B. Brookover in 1964, was established to assess college students’ thoughts on their own academic abilities and achievements. Feltz used it to measure general academic identity with scores ranging from 8 (low-academic self-concept) to 40 (high self-concept).

Researchers analyzed the responses and determined that when coaches emphasize academics,students have more confidence in the classroom.

“When their coaches thought more highly of their academic capabilities, then they identified more as a student, so it positively predicted student identity and it negatively predicated their perceptions of stereotype threat,” Feltz said.

According to Schmit, athletes must put equal effort into athletics and academics to combat
the stereotype.

“I think if they showed the same enthusiasm to their professors about their academics, they might get a little better response,”
Schmit said.

Michelle Venturella, head coach of the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames softball team, thinks academics will only be important if coaches also treat it that way.

“It doesn’t have to be, ‘I expect you to perform well, it’s, ‘You’re a student and being a student is just as important a skill as being an athlete,’” Feltz said.

Age: 33 Team: Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky’s season begins May 31 when the team takes on the Connecticut Sun, and center Ruth Riley is entering her second season with the team.

Courtesy Chicago Sky

The Sky added Elena Delle Donne with the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, as reported by The Chronicle April 22, adding more depth and talent to its roster, and Riley said she would mentor her new, young
team members.

Riley is headed into her 13th season as a WNBA player and her second as a member of the Sky. She began her career with the Miami Sol, which selected her No. 5 overall in the 2001 WNBA draft.

After the Sol collapsed in 2002 because of financial problems, Riley was selected No. 1 overall by the Detroit Shock in the 2003 WNBA Dispersal Draft.

Riley and the Shock won two WNBA championships in 2003, when she was named MVP of the Finals, and in 2006.

The Chronicle sat down with Riley to find out how she has adjusted her playing style to suit the Sky and what it will take for Chicago to win the WNBA title
this season.

The Chronicle: What would you say has been the best part of your basketball play during your 12-year career?

Ruth Riley: I would say the best part of my game is my ability to adapt to different roles on different teams. As a collegiate player, I was strictly a back to the basket, old school-type post player. In the pros, I’ve played different roles, and I think that type of
versatility helps.

What is your role with the Sky?

As a veteran player, it’s more of a mentor, helping the young girls, especially our rookies coming in [and] sharing some of the knowledge and wisdom I’ve gained over the years. Whether it’s playing [forward], facing up and hitting shots, or coming in for [starting center Sylvia Fowles] more under the basket, that’s probably yet to be determined.

What advice will you give the rookies joining the Sky
this season?

Challenge yourself to get better. Your rookie year is a difficult one because you’re coming off a long collegiate season and some of these girls made it into the tournament, and it’s a quick turnaround into the pros and it’s a different game. Take care of your bodies and continue to find people who are going to help [you] elevate your game.

How would you describe your first year with Chicago?

We had a great start, but it was just frustrating with injuries. It was a roller coaster. It was up and down, and I think we learned a lot from the first season. [I’m] excited to be back for a second season.

What does it take for a team to win a WNBA championship?

I think being healthy is key. Our season is short, so even a minor injury that would only knock you out for a month—that’s a third of our season. Secondly, it’ll be interesting to see all of our talented players playing the whole season together. That’s something that we didn’t have a chance of doing last year. I’m excited to add young talent [like] Elena Delle Donne playing alongside Epiphany [Prince] and [Fowles]. Those are three dynamic scorers and they are going to complement
one another.

Rick Strilky, captain of the laser fleet at the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club, rigs his laser boat May 1. Kevin Gebhardt | THE CHRONICLE

Railey began laser sailing—a type of sailing characterized by the uniformly designed, single occupancy boat the sport requires—when her dentist in Clearwater, Fla., suggested the activity to her family. At age 8, Railey picked up the sport, following in her brother Zach’s footsteps.

Railey, now 25, finished first out of 29 racers in February in women’s laser radial—a class of laser sailing based on the size of the boat—at the 2013 International Sailing Federation World Cup. The summer before, Railey represented the U.S. in the 2012 London Olympics, placing eighth in the same event.

“I consider sailing like chess and also an athletic sport because you have to strategize and figure out everything that’s going on around you and know the different elements, but then you also have to be very athletic to sail, too,” said Railey, adding that one studies the wind and the tendencies of competitors prior to racing.

During competitions, which can last six days with two races per day, sailors race around a predetermined track, which takes about an hour, according to Railey, who is training for the 2016 Olympics. A first place finish is awarded one point, and each racer earns additional points relative to how they place, Railey said. The racer with the fewest points wins.

Rick Strilky, fleet captain for the laser fleet at the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club, 601 W. Montrose Ave., said he has been racing competitively since 2002, and the club’s fleet, which currently consists of eight sailors, solely focuses on competition. Training takes place in the gym and on the water through clinics, one of which will be hosted by Railey and her brother in Chicago this June.

“That’s all I do,” Strilky said. “Train and compete. [Racing is] all it’s about, for us.”

Strilky said the fleet’s summer season unofficially kicked off with the Vlad Kobal Regatta, a race held May 4–5 honoring a deceased Chicago Yacht Club member. The club’s website had nine racers registered for the laser event as of press time, which launched from Belmont Harbor, 300 W. Belmont Ave.

In the winter, Strilky said, he races in Florida, but the fleet is based in Chicago the rest of the year, staging a Fall Frostbite season from October to right before Thanksgiving and a Spring Frostbite, an eight-week season beginning in mid-March. Spring Frostbite cost $65 this year and featured five 20-minute races each Sunday. Strilky said 19 racers were registered for the season, which was open to anyone with a boat. He said boats cost about $600 used and $6,000 new.

According to the International Laser Class Association website, more than 200,000 boats are in use in 140 countries, making lasers one of the most popular racing boats. Besides being a family sport, Strilky said the appeal of laser sailing over other types of sailing relates to the boat’s standard production, which makes the focus of the competition solely the skill set of the sailor opposed to the boat.

“Everything is identical on the boats design wise,” he said. “It’s why people like sailing them, because there’s no real advantage from one boat to the other. A newer boat might be a little bit better, [but] that’s about it.”

One technique laser sailors use during races is switching from one side of the boat to the other, leaning their backs over the edge, which helps with speed, according to Meka Taulbee, vice chairman of the International Laser Class Association-North American Region, a group she said was established to maintain the integrity of laser sailing.

“You are using your own body weight to keep your boat flat,” Taulbee said. “The flatter that your boat is, the faster it’s going to go.”

Taulbee said for a sport in which athletes work hard just to endure the hour-long races, the U.S. does not give it the same support and promotion as other countries.

Taulbee said the sport is popular all over Europe and is especially prevalent in Brazil, home of sailor Robert Scheidt, who Taulbee said is revered as a Michael Jordan-type figure in his native country.

Because of North America’s lack of recognition of the sport, Taulbee said laser sailors compete for their own enjoyment.

“Our sailors here … they have to be really self-motivated and they really are doing it for their own personal goals and to follow their own dream,” Taulbee said.

Born in Kumasi, Ghana, Nyarko, a starting midfielder for the Chicago Fire, said he came to the United States in 2005 to play soccer at Virginia Tech. The Fire selected him in the first round of the 2008 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, and since then, he has played 130 regular season matches with the team.

Courtesy EUNICE KIM

Nyarko, whose favorite player is New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry and favorite team is Manchester United, said he got into soccer because in Africa, it’s part of the culture.

“If you did not play, you were very passionate about it,” he said.

Despite his ability on the pitch, Nyarko said he honored his parents’ wishes growing up and focused on school rather than soccer—though he played soccer as much as he could, including for Kaaseman F.C., a Ghanaian team.

Though Nyarko focused on academics during his youth, it was his soccer skills that led Virginia Tech to recruit him. Currently, Nyarko holds the record for third-most goals and assists in three seasons in Virginia Tech’s history, a trend that has followed him to the MLS as he led the Fire with seven assists last season. Before his first season in Chicago got started, he was able to finish his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Virginia Tech.

Nyarko spoke with The Chronicle about his family, his time at Virginia Tech and his affection for Young Jeezy.

The Chronicle: How often
do you go back to Ghana?

Patrick Nyarko: Pretty much every offseason. The seasons are longer now—you go into November, you got pretty much the month of December off—and so my entire family is back [in Ghana]. So I just go down there for Christmas [to] just hang with them and get to see them. So pretty much once a year.

Were you at Virginia Tech in 2007 during the shootings?

Yes, I was there. It was an early spring day, and we were out in the field training. [It was a] cold snowy day, and the day didn’t start well, didn’t end well. It was a dark day in the history of the United States in general, and even though I did not know any [victims], it’s still really sad that had to happen. I think the community there is very strong, and they came together very well and moved on very well. I give them props for coming together in those dark moments.

What goes through your head when you get the ball in a 1-on-1 situation?

I’m just surveying my options. [My vision is] the best part of my game. I survey the field and start to figure out my available options. The main goal is to try to beat the defender and set up a chance or go to the goal.

Which do you enjoy more—scoring a goal or making
an assist?

Making an assist. It’s a no-brainer. Everyone likes to score goals, but for me—even though I’d like to score more goals—my making plays and assisting on plays is the best part of my game. It makes me happy when I can create a chance, and strikers, or whoever, can finish. It just makes my day.

Who’s your favorite rapper and why?

Young Jeezy. I just fell in love with mostly his voice and how he goes about his raps. I pretty much like every song he’s been in. [Before games], I listen to his song “Put On” and I love it. It just pumps me up. I’m all into the beat. I listen to a lot of Ghanaian rap as well because I think those sounds in the beats are incredible, and it just gets me going, just gets me on my toes and pumps me up for the game.

Zach Gordon, national champion kite flyer and junior music major, flies a kite last May at the State Park in Grand Haven, Mich. Courtesy DAN BRINNEHL

However, Zach Gordon, 21, a junior music major and national champion kite flyer, will be doing just that.

According to Gordon, he is scheduled to perform May 17–19 at the 25th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival in Grand Haven, Mich. Gordon said the performance consists of choreographing his kite to a piece of music, which is referred to as ballet in the sport of kite flying.

Gordon has won 13 individual events between 2002–2009 at the annual national convention hosted by the American Kitefliers Association. He said his neighbors at his family’s former vacation home in Michigan introduced him to the sport, an activity Gordon enjoys with or without the competitive aspect.

“When you launch the kite and you feel it on the end of the line, it’s just very calming,” Gordon said. “It relieves a lot of stress to just fly in general.”

According to Gordon, who last won the nationals in 2009 when they were held in Rochester, Minn., said competitive kite flying has three divisions based on skill level: novice, experienced and masters. Gordon said he first competed at the masters level in 2003 when he was 11 years old.

Gordon occasionally gets paid to perform at festivals and has received anywhere from $75 to $400 for a weekend. In addition to his performance fee, travel expenses are sometimes covered, adding that he has traveled as far as Japan for kite festivals.

He said aside from ballet, the other competitive category is precision, which tests a flyer’s ability to replicate a figure in the sky. There are precision and ballet events for dual-line kites and quad-line kites, which one person operates by way of two lines and four lines, respectively, he said.

Steve Negen, event coordinator of the Great Lakes Kite Festival, which he described as a cross between fighter jets and figure skating, said the event can bring 30,000–40,000 spectators with nice weather, but bad weather drops attendance to about 10,000–20,000 people.

According to Negen, most kite festivals follow the Great Lakes format of demonstrations rather than competitions, in which individual fliers and teams, such as the Chicago Fire Kite Team that Gordon is a part of, continuously fly kites to a piece of music. He said they don’t host competitions because judging a flyer’s precision takes nearly 10 minutes and leaves too much blank air space to keep spectators interested.

Assuming the weather is nice May 4, Chicagoans will get to enjoy the 15th Annual Chicago Kids and Kites Festival, according to creator Dave Zavell, who owns ChicagoKite, 5445 N. Harlem Ave., a retail store that helps put on festivals across the country.

The festival will be held at Cricket Hill in Lincoln Park, between West Montrose Drive and West Wilson Avenue. Zavell said the show usually draws about 20,000 spectators. He said like the Great Lakes fest, the Chicago Kids and Kites Festival eschew competition in favor of demonstrations.

So much of kiting incorporates music, both in the demonstrations and competitions, Gordon said, which is why he decided to study music composition at Columbia.

He said his ideal kite song is 3 minutes and 20 seconds long with upbeat beginning and end sections surrounding a calmer, legato section, so he can demonstrate a variety of skills. Gordon’s two favorite kite songs that he has used were created from the movies “I, Robot” and “V for Vendetta.”

“It’s very difficult to find a good kite song—that’s what we call them—with just one movie score,” Gordon said. “Because they have to be a certain length, typically you have to edit them, so I’ve actually been working with editing software since I was about nine years old, taking parts of soundtracks and mixing them together.”

According to AKA President John Barresi, the nonprofit organization currently has about 2,100 members worldwide who pay an annual fee, which is currently $40 and includes four annual issues of Kiting magazine, access to the convention and 10 percent discounts to participating kite stores.

AKA’s 36th Annual National Convention will be held Oct. 8–13 in Seaside, Ore., Barresi added, and to participate, members pay an additional cost, which is $175 this year and fluctuates yearly based on the size of the event.

He said that the association meets a range of interests, from flight to design, adding that the sport is more exciting than one might think.

“It’s not Charlie Brown, it’s not Ben Franklin,” he said. “You can be as rad as you want, you can be as cool as you want, you can be as mellow as you want, whatever. There’s something for everybody.”

The DePaul University Blue Demons softball team split a double-header against the University of South Florida Bulls. They lost game one 3-0, but the Blue Demons came back in the second game and beat USF 2-1 on April 20 at the Cacciatore Stadium.

The DePaul Blue Demons split the double header because of great pitching.
Rena Naltsas | THE CHRONICLE

In the first inning of the first game, USF hit three solo homeruns and DePaul struggled offensively and could not get a run in.

“We expected them to be tough competition,” said Mary Connolly, starting pitcher and first baseman. “Losing that first game and getting down like that was motivation just to come back in the second game and hit the ball because [offense is] what we lacked.”

In the second game, the game was scoreless until the sixth inning when DePaul catcher, Staci Bonezek, made a home run.

“I thought that we just needed to hit,” Bonezek said. “We held them after the first inning and I thought if our offense came around, then we would definitely be able to beat them.”

In the seventh inning, USF scored the first run of the game, but in the bottom half of the inning the Blue Demons tied the game and it went into extra innings.

“[We] had to plan the strategy according to the situation,” said DePaul Head Coach Eugene Lenti. “We’d always love to get the homerun, but you don’t plan on that, we don’t strategize that. We definitely strategized in the last inning.”

DePaul player, Bree Brown broke the tie in the eighth inning when she scored a run, ending the game with the final score being 2-1.

“I knew they wouldn’t be high scoring games,” Lenti said. “This weather is not conducive to high scoring games.”

Lenti said that the weather had also been hindering DePaul’s ability to practice.

“It’s been very difficult to prepare for today’s games,” Lenti said. “We haven’t played in 10 days because of the weather and we haven’t been able to practice outside very much. Preparation has not been easy. It’s been a tough 10 days.”

Connolly also said how difficult practice time has been, especially on the players.

“We’ve just been trying to make the best out of practice time,” she said.

Connolly said that USF’s pitcher, Sara Nevins (19-6), made the games challenging.

DePaul’s pitchers, Kirsten Verdun (16-9) gave USF a challenge as well.

These games were also DePaul’s Strike Out Cancer Fundraiser games. The games were hosted to raise awareness and money for breast cancer. Each player wore a pink jersey in support of the cause and fans gave donations.

“We do [this] every year,” Lenti said. “It’s something that pretty much all the softball programs in the country do. It’s something to bring about awareness and a little bit of money.”

USF won the series finale 4-3 on April 21.

Walking down the hallway to the gym at South Loop Elementary School, 1212 S. Plymouth, you can hear sounds of scuffling feet and feel the pulse of music before you even open the door. The Renegades and faculty are warming up for their match to the pulsing beats of djB and DJ Fangs, otherwise known as sophomores Branden Gelinas and Christopher Villegas.

Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Kelly led the staff to a victory against the students.
Rena Naltsas | THE CHRONICLE

The semi-annual Renegades versus Faculty match was held on April 22. The Renegades had dominated the staff in their last encounter together, but the faculty extracted revenge this time.

“We creamed them,” Mark Kelly, Vice President of Student Affairs, said.

The faculty won two games in a row, defeating the students. These matches were full of minute long rallies demonstrating the skills of volleyball. In the first game, the staff won 25-22 and in the second they cemented their win with a score of 25-21.

“I have white hair and can barely walk, but I and my peers still showed them,” said Kelly about the staff’s performance.

President of the Renegades Volleyball team Abby Cress attributed the staff’s step-up to a few things, which included they have “a pretty good group of players.”

“When Mark Kelly is there, everyone steps up a little bit just because he brings the intensity,” Cress went on to say. “I also think they were sick of all of our smack talking.”

Cress has been apart of the Renegades Volleyball team for three years now and became president the end of her sophomore year when the current president graduated a semester early and she got bumped up.

According to Cress, “the students win the majority of the time.”

However on this night, the staff was on its A game as the matches unraveled. The teams were both very competitive, but at the same time everyone was enjoying the sport of volleyball.

“Beautiful” and “nice” were said multiple times to each other across the court as well as shoulder slaps and hand taps, providing reassurance and support for the players.

Both teams were very supportive of each other and their teammates. With this support, environment, and competition, it is no surprise why students and the majority of players return each year.

“It’s fun!” junior film major and team captain Tyler Vinezeano said.

The Renegades Volleyball team play every Wednesday night at Windy City Field House and it is open to all communities at Columbia College. There are no try-outs.
There will also be Olympics held on May 10 with a whole afternoon of games and fun according to Cress.

“Next week, starting April 29, we will have Recess,” Cress said. “It is everyday and we will be going out to the park and play just like when we were kids. It should be a good time.”

The LPJ Chicago high school girls varsity rowing team trains on the Chicago River April 18 for a race in Madison, Wis. James Foster | THE CHRONICLE

Even a thunderstorm that caused flooding in Chicago April 18 did not keep LPJ Chicago, the official rowing team of the Chicago Rowing Foundation, from holding a practice in the midst of the spring season, which began March 1, according to Head Coach Mike Wallin.

The nonprofit organization was created in 1998, in part to make rowing, a sport traditionally reserved for East Coast preps, all-inclusive and accessible for Chicago area middle and high school students, he said.

“[We look for] whoever is the hardest worker, regardless of your ability to pay or what school you go to,” Wallin said.

He said LPJ’s high school teams, which draw students from both private and public schools, have advanced to the USRowing Youth National Championships every year since 2004 and hope to advance to the 2013 tournament held June 7–9 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Though an LPJ team has yet to win gold at nationals, Wallin said their string of trips to the tournament reflects a quality program.

According to Lynne Dinzole, president of the CRF, at least 191 high school seniors involved with the program since its inception have enrolled in college, nearly a 100 percent. The current enrollment rate for graduates of public Chicago high schools is 59.5 percent, according to the Chicago Public Schools’website.

The success, however, does not come cheap.

Dinzole said the organization set a fundraising goal last December of $1 million when the organization learned it would be relocating this summer to Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St., where a new boathouse is being built, as reported by The Chronicle March 15.

Dinzole said Clark Park will be bigger and able to hold rowing machines, an indoor rowing tank and locker rooms.

The team’s current launch point, 1020 W. Weed St., consists of two wooden boathouses—one for boys and one for girls. Charlotte Lantz, an 18-year-old rower and student at Oak Park and River Forest High School said not having the best equipment has infused in the team a no-nonsense approach to rowing.

“We [don’t] have a super great boathouse, and our equipment sometimes can be kind of old, but that aspect … kind of makes us a little more aggressive and have that drive that some other teams maybe don’t,” Lantz said.

Clark Park has the capacity to house about forty boats, and according to Dinzole, the group needs to purchase about 20 new boats to fill that space. Eight seat boats cost about $40,000 and are paid for with fundraising, she said.

High school students are asked to pay $1,400 for the season, and Dinzole said up to 33 percent of that collective money is used to cover scholarships for students who need them.

Not only is the sport costly, but it is also physically demanding, according to Wallin, who said the high school teams, which draw from Chicago area schools and some in Indiana, practice every day after school at 4:30 p.m. They have an additional practice Saturday morning at 7, unless a race is scheduled, he said.

He said a typical practice involves rowing from Harrison Street to 18th Street and back—about a mile—multiple times.

Wallin said middle school students can get their oars wet in a less competitive program that practices three times a week, the same number of times the LPJ Chicago adult team practices.

Wallin said there is a learn-to-row program for adults 18 and older to learn the basics, starting with carrying the boat and getting it in the water. It costs $125 for six to eight sessions, he said.

For all the effort and money that goes into rowing, Wallin said it can be very rewarding.

ECollegeFinder.org, which helps students choose an accredited online school, said rowers boast the highest efficiency of earned scholarships, with nearly one in six collegiate male rowers and half of collegiate female rowers being awarded money for tuition.

Wallin said high school teams compete against other schools and clubs across the country, such as teams from Seattle, St. Louis and Wisconsin.

He said rowing teams create their own schedules and could avoid preliminary races and still show up to the Midwest regional for a chance to race 2 kilometers, earn a top-three qualifying time and head to the national tournament.

Despite the fact that rowing consumes the lives of many students, causing some to miss prom or graduation for tournaments, Nevin Cunningham, 18, of Evanston Township High School, said the sport pushes people like him, who are not necessarily the best students, to work hard in school knowing scholarships are up for grabs.

“I wouldn’t be going the school that I’m going to if it wasn’t for rowing,” said Cunningham, who was recruited to row at Dartmouth College next fall. “It affects how you live your life.”

Elena Delle Donne (left) was drafted second overall by the Chicago Sky in the WNBA draft on April 15. The Delaware University forward, who can play multiple positions, stands with WNBA President Laurel J. Richie.
Courtesy Getty Images

When the 2013 WNBA draft began April 15, the Sky used its second overall pick to satisfy the team’s need for a forceful forward, taking Delaware University’s Elena Delle Donne. The team also drafted Baylor University forward Brooklyn Pope in the third round.

According to Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman, the Sky selected Delle Donne over media darling and former Notre Dame point guard Skylar Diggins because Delle Donne is a more versatile player.

“[Delle] Donne filled a need at multiple positions for us and is a better complement [than Diggins] to the current roster,”
Chatman said.

Delle Donne, who averaged 26 points and 8 rebounds as a senior, can play shooting guard, small forward, forward and center with small lineup, according to Chatman. Delle Donne, who is 6’ 5”, said she is most comfortable playing either forward position but is willing to play any position Chatman wants.

Pope is a more traditional forward who bangs bodies near the rim and is expected to help the Sky grab more defensive and offensive rebounds. Chatman said having her on the roster will take pressure off current center Sylvia Fowles. Last season, Fowles averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds a game.

Although the starting five is not official, Chatman has an idea of what her team is going to look like on May 27 when the Sky kick off the 2013 season against the Phoenix Mercury in Arizona. Current Sky guard Epiphany Prince, guard Courtney Vandersloot, forward Swin Cash, Fowles and Delle Donne are the front-running five, Chatman said.

“I don’t think veteran players are going to lay down and let rookies come in there and own things, but I think Delle Donne’s skill set gives her an upper hand,” Chapman said.

Delle Donne said her ability to score from anywhere on the court will help space the floor for her teammates, especially for Fowles down in the post area.

“I think playing alongside Fowles, Vandersloot, Prince, Cash—all those players are awesome,” Delle Donne said. “I think I’m going to fit in really well into that system. I think we will be able to create some room for [Fowles] inside.”

Although Delle Donne dubbed her new Head Coach as defensive-minded, Chatman said she wants to make players comfortable offensively. Chatman said she expects her team to play an up-tempo style of offense because of the talent she has on the roster.

Chatman does not expect her team to be a “run and gun” type of offense that rushes to score but said she has players like Fowles who can run up and down the floor like a guard. But Chatman also said that when things slow down in a half court setting, she expects her team to be able to score near the basket.

“I think we have pretty good size and speed,” Chatman said. “We can space the floor. We also want to be able to pound it inside when we can.”

Chatman said the team should have confidence in the upcoming season because of the great start it had in 2012. She said last season’s injuries were beneficial in preparing the team for this season by freeing playing time for some of her players who lacked experience.

After starting the season 7–1, the Sky lost Prince to a Jones fracture in her right foot during the team’s second loss of the season against the Indiana Fever on June 16. She averaged a team high 18 points per game prior to the injury.

“I think the fact of what’s possible should be prevalent in the players mind,” Chatman said. “But also with the injuries we were able to have some players step in and get some quality minutes.”

Jeff Larentowicz (left), Chicago Fire midfielder, passes the ball April 20 in a match against the Columbus Crew at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Larentowicz’s goal in the 83-minute game held for a 1–0 victory over the Crew.
David Banks CHICAGO FIRE

In the 83rd minute, Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz found the back of the net and put his team on top of the visiting Columbus Crew 1–0, a lead the Fire never gave up.

The win improves the team’s regular season record to 2–4–1 and ends the Crew’s string of four undefeated games, making their regular season record 2–2–3.

“It was a huge win for us, and we got to enjoy it tonight, but it’s a long season and things change pretty quick, so we just got to enjoy it [and] regroup starting off on Monday,” said Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas.

Although the Fire earned 10 corner kicks and were not able to net a goal from any of them, the game’s lone score did result from a play that is treated like a corner: a long throw-in from defender Jalil Anibaba.

Throwing from the right side about 10 yards from the end line, Anibaba launched the ball into the 18-yard-box where Fire defender Austin Berry flicked the ball with his head, continuing its airborne path toward the center of the box. Larentowicz headed the ball by Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum into the right corner of the net.

Klopas and the players spoke highly of the performance of Gruenebaum, who allowed the single goal but saved six of the Fire’s 21 total shots on goal.

“I think to have has many shots on goal as we did and to not win the game would have been a crime,” Larentowicz said. “[Gruenebaum] did play well, but we were able to put one by him.”

Sixteen of the Fire’s shots came in the second half of play, and many of the opportunities were created by midfielder Patrick Nyarko, who worked the right flank for 87 minutes of the 93-minute match.

“We felt that anytime we had the ball, if we can play to [Nyarko] quick or switch the point of the attack where he can get opportunities 1 v. 1 [we should], and I felt he was fantastic tonight,” Klopas said.

In addition to a persistent offensive attack, the Fire kept from adding to their 12 goals given up—one of the highest totals in Major League Soccer. Nyarko said the team was focused on working as a cohesive unit, both offensively and defensively.

“We had a different purpose today, he said. “We needed the win, and we played like it. We played very desperate. The most important thing for us was [to] keep creating [shots] and not take our foot off the pedal, and I think the guys did very well.”

Aside from giving Fire fans another win over an Eastern Conference rival—the Fire are now 23–12–13 in the regular season all time against the Crew—Klopas said the victory could reverse the trend for the Fire, which earned its second win in seven games.

“Regardless of our record, I think [with] the attitude and the work we put in, [we] have no regrets because everyone is putting everything in to it, and when you do that and you have a good mentality, we feel that things are going to turn,” he said.

The Fire crosses the border April 27 for a road match against the Montreal Impact.

Every semester the Renegades host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Abby Cress, president of the Renegades said it was the biggest turn out so far this year. The event was open to all Columbia and non-Columbia students. Twenty-four teams participated and the winners won Bulls tickets for the game on April 18. The Chronicle went and covered the free throws, the cheerleader’s first dance of the semester and the roaring of the crowd.

Steve Hernan, founder of Open Water Chicago, a local swimming group, stands April 10 at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston, Ill. He tested the water’s temperature and said only the lightning ruled out a swim. Rena Naltsas | THE CHRONICLE

Strong, who owns Precision Multisport, an endurance sport training facility in Evanston, Ill., was overseeing his student Aurora Louise’s 14-hour open water swim across the English Channel in 2001, a feat he likened to scaling Mt. Everest. He could sense she was disoriented as she was taken up the coast by the strong current, so he jumped in and helped lead her to land.

Open water swimming, which Strong said was incorporated into the Olympics in 2008, is not a stranger to Chicago. Now that the weather is getting warmer, people can expect to see swimmers enjoying the less dangerous waters of Lake Michigan, according to Steve Hernan. In 2007 Hernan founded Open Water Chicago, a community of year-round open water swimmers that has grown to a couple hundred active members after starting off as a Craigslist post.

“You’re out in the elements, it’s a challenge and you feel a certain sense of accomplishment,” Hernan said. “The cold temperature and the cold water are very exhilarating, but they [also] do have a mood elevating type of effect.”

Though Hernan said there are a handful of swimmers who brave the lake in the winter, in the summer months, the self-named Lake Monsters typically meet at least one day each weekend for open swims at Ladder 1, a safety ladder on the Lakefront Trail south of North Avenue.

Thanks to Hernan, Ladder 1 is the lone Illinois swimming spot, as of press time, plotted on the Wild Swim Map, an interactive map of swim spots around the world created by the Outdoor Swimming Society, an international community of open water swimmers founded in 2006.

Though Lake Michigan is calmer than the English Channel, a shipping lane that 400–600 tankers pass through daily, Hernan said Chicago winters present a bitter challenge that, in addition to parking fees, forces swimmers to migrate each winter to beaches in the northern suburbs, such as Lighthouse Beach in Evanston.

“The [main] reason for that [is] it’s closer to the parking lot,” Hernan said. “When you get out of cold water, you don’t want to walk several hundred yards.”

According to Hernan, he and another swimmer returned to Ladder 1 March 30, the first time since fall 2012, and swam their typical route to Oak Street Beach.

Hernan said he holds lessons in Lake Michigan for those who swim for fun and for competitive swimmers starting in May. Lessons typically take place after weekend swims and normally cost $85 per session, he said.

Hernan said keeping safe while swimming in open waters relies on being prepared to handle the unpredictable occurrences of nature.

“Every once in a while, there’s a death in the swim part of a [marathon or triathlon],” he said. “What I focus on is how people can effectively manage the uncertainty of open water.”

One risk is hypothermia, and Hernan said if the temperature is below 45 degrees, he will protect himself with heavy-duty swimwear.

Because Hernan tries to find a local swim spot everywhere he travels, he said he loves the Wild Swim Map, which he used to post about Ladder 1 and to warn swimmers that Lake Michigan can be choppy.

The map, created in 2010 by the Outdoor Swimming Society, an international group of open water swimmers, allows people to review swim spots and note any precautions to take, according to Oliver Pitt, who oversees the OSS Facebook page. He said about 12,000 people subscribe to the email list and that the group emphasizes enjoyment, not competition. Pitt said people can invite others through Facebook to swim, a feature added to the map March 22.

“We very much see ourselves as a flagpole of getting people to jump in and enjoy themselves, rather than being hesitant about it, and just giving them a heads up with things,” Pitt said.

In Evanston, Strong said he trains marathon athletes and triathletes for open water swims. Though Strong said he does not want to swim the English Channel himself because of the cold waters, he is willing to coach athletes who do, adding that all open water swimmers need an awareness not needed in a pool.

“You have to know your area and you have to be conscious of what’s going on at all times,” he said. “If you get caught in the rip current and you’re not paying attention … you can wind up in a lot of trouble.”