IN THISISSUE

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DIXON STYRES06

08 KYLE CICENIA

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CARLY HALL

Director of URECJoe Carter, carterjr@appstate.edu Director of Club SportsErin Sanders, sandersec1@appstate.edu

Activities CoordinatorChelsea Watson, watsoncg@appstate.edu

Publicity ProgrammerAlyssa Gribble, gribblead@appstate.edu

Executive OfficersPhilicia Gibson, gibsonpn@appstate.eduIan McNeill, mcneillim@appstate.eduKatherine Uva, uvakr@appstate.edu

CAROLYN GENAY

TYLER GRANDIS

WOMENS LACROSSE

ALPINE SKI TEAM

SWIM TEAM

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SNOWBOARDING TEAM

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Publicity ProgrammerAlyssa Gribble, gribblead@appstate.edu

Executive OfficersPhilicia Gibson, gibsonpn@appstate.eduIan McNeill, mcneillim@appstate.eduKatherine Uva, uvakr@appstate.edu

For more information on any of the club teams, visit the website:clubsports.appstate.edu

email us at: clubsports@appstate.edu

or call us at the Student Recreation Center(828) 262 2100

The September 26th Edition of the Club

Sports IllustratedDesigned by Alyssa Gribble

PRIYA FORDWOMENS VOLLEYBALL

SAMUEL YOUNGICE HOCKEY TEAM

DISCOVERING A NEWOBSESSION

EXECUTIVES’ CORNER

INGRID HUMPHREY

TRIATHLON TEAM

WOMEN’S ULTIMATE

MEET YOUR

PRESIDENT,

CAROLYN GENAY

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What is your favorite part ofcompeting?

My absolute favorite part of competing is constantly being

proud of my team. I’ve had countless coaches, referees, and

spectators come up to me after a game to compliment my team. 

The compliments typically revolve around how impressive my

team is at being friendly and good sports. To me, this speaks

volumes of who we are and how we come together. We truly are

able to bring the best out of each other and it shows.

What made youwant to be thePresident of yourClub Sport?

Since I’ve been on the team, I’ve noticed how influential the

officers inevitably are on the team members. Good or bad, the

team typically follows suit of the captains and I couldn’t resist

the opportunity to have a hand in this team’s success. I love this

sport and there is something truly special about my team.

How do you getyour team’s spiritsup after a loss?

My team is pretty good about keeping their chins up but I like

to foster an environment that isn’t all about score. At the end of

the day, a score is a numerical value but there are many other

values that I will be more proud of in my team.  I like to remind

my girls to be proud of what they do well, compliment each

other’s successes, and play until the last whistle. If nothing else,

a losing game is still great practice!

Where would youlike to see yourteam in a year?

I would love to see the women’s lacrosse team do the best that

they can while remaining a tight-knit group. Personally, I would

to see my team in the top 3 in our conference. We play against

some great teams and I’d love to see a winning record for us. 

However, my most important goal is to see this team be happy.

The field is a place we all love to be so hopefully winning and

happiness can go hand-in-hand.

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A NEW CHALLENGE

I try and imagine sometimes exactly what professional ski racers do in preparation for their races. All the preparation that goes into something as short as 28 seconds for them seems a little over zealous once you look into it. But once you experience it first hand, the need for speed is what its all about.For the past couple of weeks the ASU Ski team has been busy recruiting new members that are

as eager as we are to be on the slopes this winter. People from all walks of skiing experience are joining together to not only become a better family, but to also improve their experience on the slopes. Our drylands practices give us the motivation and edge on our opponents in our efforts to be at our very best this season.And as we travel to our first race this January we aim to push

ourselves and our school to the top again as we practice daily, wait for opening day, and put in many hours of preparation for our next 28 second shot at glory.

WRITTEN BY DIXON STYRES, PRESIDENT

How did youoriginally get into your sport & howlong have you been

playing it?

I originally started at Hawksnest Ski Resort when I was 3 years old, but i had been on the slopes in a backpack way before that. I’ve been skiing about every year since.

What is your favorite part ofcompeting?

The USCSA southeast conference to which we are members of is one of the best conferences that i’ve seen in our community. The unity that our teams share both on and off the slopes almost seems like we aren’t out there to compete but more so to become better friends.

Do you have a role model that inspires you?

Our faculty advisor Witold Kosmala has put in several years of work to reach the coaching level he has today. His work towards his goal has brought him down a long path and the fact that he’s been able to have a job at the school and still pursue his goals is truly remarkable.

Where would youlike to see yourteam in a year?

Our team has been to our regional championships for several years now. I would like to see us place better in this event and become more well known in the conference.

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MEET YOUR PRESIDENT, DIXON STYRES

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MEET YOUR

PRESIDENT,

KYLE CICENIA

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YOUR TEAMMATESARE YOUR FAMILY

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How did you originally get into your sport & how long have you been playing it?

When people first think of swimming, they normally think of the Olympics or summer league. In reality there are many other forms of swimming: summer league, high school swimming, and competitive (or club level) swimming. My name is Kyle Cicenia and I have been fortunate enough to participate in all levels of swimming. As President of the Swim Team, it only makes sense that I love the sport of swimming. After coming to campus as a freshman, I immediately contacted the current President in hopes of joining the team. It was the best decision I have made

in college.

What made you want to be the President of yourClub Sport?

After my freshman year I was elected to be Captain of the team. Here I really learned how much of a difference I can make on my teammates. I was there to motivate and inspire my teammates, ultimately providing me with a great leadership opportunity. After our previous Presidents graduated, I knew it was my time to step up. Our previous Presidents had such a huge impact on my college career and I can’t thank them enough for that. I wanted to give freshman the same experience I received.

What is your favoritepart of competing?

The feeling after going a new best time is one of the most rewarding experiences during the swim season. It makes all of the hard work worth it in the end. After practicing day in and day out, you start to form a special bond with your teammates. By the time you start traveling together, you are a swim team family. That kind of relationship is like no other. During my four years, I can honestly say that my best friends to this day, are my teammates that I have made through swimming. Your teammates are your family.

Do you have any advicefor younger athleteswanting to succeed intheir sport?

Being a competitive swimmer takes a lot of hard work. Before getting the chance to compete in a swim meet, swimmers put in a lot of work in the pool. Swimming between 5-7 times a week on top of weight training, it is up to the individual swimmer to keep themselves motivated and push through those hard practices. Time management is also something you will learn by being a competitive swimmer. Being able to manage athletics as well as academics will only better prepare you for the future. No one understands that more than a competitive swimmer.

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MEET YOUR PRESIDENT,

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THE MORE DEDICATEDYOU ARE, THE BETTER

YOU WILL BE

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CARLY HALL

The Women’s Club Basketball Team is a very dedicated

group of girls. The President, Carly Hall, is an incredible

player and even a better leader. Her infectious aggression

and energy radiates throughout the entire time when

she plays on the court. Carly answered some questions

regarding her position as the President and her desire to

play basketball.

How did you originally get intoyour sport / how long have you been

playing it?

I’ve been playing basketball since 3rd grade. I think I was

interested in playing because my best friend started playing a

year before me and my dad also coached basketball.

What made youwant to be president?

Basketball is my passion and I am very competitive. I wanted to be

president so that I could share my passion and competitiveness

with other members and hopefully they too would eventually

feel the same way. I wanted to leave my mark on our program

and make a difference.

What is someadvice for younger athletes?

The more dedicated you are, the better you are going to be. Only

putting in time at practice isn’t going to make you stand out on

the court. I spend hours outside of practice working on my game

so that when it comes to game time I am more prepared than

the competition.

What is yourfavorite part ofcompetition?

The adrenaline rush you get that helps you compete at a

level you didn’t know you were capable of. Also, having team

cohesiveness and working together in order to win the game.

Where would youlike to see yourteam in a year?

My goal this year is to finish top 3 or better at every tournament

we compete at. We have been to nationals the past 2 years and

not performed well. I would love to see us go there and prove to

people how good of a team we really are.

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How did youoriginally get into your sport & how

long have you been playing it?

I decided to join a bus trip that went to Cataloochee Ski Mountain on Friday nights my freshman year of high school with my friends. I taught myself how to snowboard and slowly got better. Through being at the mountain I found out about their high school racing program. From there it was just the matter

of convincing my friends to join me in founding the snowboard club at my school and giving the racing a try. I simply fell in love with the sport after that.

What is your favorite part ofcompeting?

I absolutely love the thrill of the speed. The rest of the world falls away as I fly through the course. It is a strange mix of adrenaline and concentration that

makes an almost zen state.

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MEET YOUR PRESIDENT, TYLER GRANDIS

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What made youwant to be thePresident of yourclub sport?

When I joined the team freshman year, I found a family of friends. A group of people bound together by the desire to shred. I wanted to keep that family going and make sure other students had the same opportunity I did.

Do you have anyadvice for youngerathletes wantingto succeed in their

sport?

My advice for those wanting to succeed is to practice as much as possible and never loose track of the fun. If you always have fun with your sport the practice will never be a hassle.

Do you have a role model that inspires you?

My role model is definitely my Dad. He has taught me so much throughout my life. His entrepreneurial spirit has inspired me to tackle my own projects and put in the effort to get things done.

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MEET YOUR

PRESIDENT,

PRIYA FORD

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How did youoriginally get intoyour sport / howlong have you been

playing it?

I originally tried out for volleyball in 8th grade and almost made

the team, but got cut on the last day. Freshman year of high

school I tried out again and my coach told me I made the team

not on my technical skill, but based on my positive attitude and

my ability to take direction from my coach. I remember when my

coach told this to my parents, my parents told me how proud

they were and were so happy I made the team and worked so

hard.

What is yourfavorite part ofcompeting?

My favorite part of competing is just being in the game. I love

being a part of a team and working together for a win. When I’m

on the court I don’t think of anything else but what’s going on

on the court and it’s the best stress reliever for me.

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What made youwant to be thePresident of yourclub sport?

I’ve wanted to be president ever since I got involved in the club

freshman year. I love volleyball, have always made it a priority

in my life, and I want to be as involved in volleyball as I can be

until I reach an age that I can’t play anymore. Even then I want

to continue reffing or coaching.

Do you have anyadvice for youngerathletes wantingto succeed in their

sport?

My advice is to make your sport a priority and when you get to

the court, field, etc. to only focus on your sport. It’s a great time

to forget every other stress going on in your life.

How do you getyour team’s spiritsup after a loss?

I believe the best way to get my teams spirit up after a loss is to

focus on the things we could improve on, and them make them

better in the next game. Once we get a loss there is no point

in dwelling on the unfortunate feeling of losing but to start the

next game with a positive attitude and make up for that loss.

Where would youlike to see yourteam at the end of the year?

At the end of the year I see my team at nationals dominating and

having such a fun time doing. I believe not only does my team

have so much potential, but the other teams in my club also

have a great amount of potential.

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MEET YOUR

PRESIDENT,

SAMUEL YOUNG

KNOWING THAT YOU’RE IN THE BATTLE WITH YOUR GUYS IS A

GREAT FEELING

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1.How did you originally get into your sport & how long have you been playing it?

I started playing hockey when I was about 7 years old and haven’t stopped for 13 years. The first league I played in was a little local Parks and Recreation league in Raleigh. At that age, not many kids wanted to play the goalie position, so our team cycled through a rotation of who would play goalie every game. Once it came to my turn, I didn’t want to stop playing the position. I continued to only play goalie in a league in a roller rink throughout middle school and high school. Eventually, I could afford to join an adult ice hockey league during my senior year of high school.

”What is your favoritepart of competing?

My favorite part of competing, especially while playing goalie, is the feeling of dependency on one another. It’s very hard in any team sport for only one player to dominate while the others sit back. Each player has to have a level of trust with each other in order for the whole of the team to succeed. Whether it results in a win or a loss, knowing that you’re in the battle with your guys is a great feeling.

Do you have any advicefor younger playerswanting to succeed in

their sport?

One piece of advice I have to younger players in the sport is that you don’t need to join a professional travel hockey team and have a lot of money to play hockey or have fun playing it. You can have as much fun on the ice as you can have in your driveway with a stick, a ball, and a trashcan. Growing up, I learned that playing ice hockey can be an expensive sport, and I got a little upset when my friends joined teams that I couldn’t or bought equipment that I couldn’t afford, but I still had fun playing in my garage and shooting a ball against a wall until I put a million holes in the drywall!

Where would you like to see your team at the end of the year?

After losing six seniors last year, including three from our top line, our team will be missing a good amount of experience, leadership, and talent. App State hockey has 6 games on the schedule. Although we have a slightly younger team for this season, we still have a great group of guys that will be able to compete hard this season against some tough competition. Our goal this year is to get our financial situations in order and have yet another competitive season.

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OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO GET OUR FINANCIAL SITUATIONS IN ORDER AND HAVE YET ANOTHER

COMPETITIVE SEASON

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riathlon instills a constant, inward obsession that

pokes at the nerves and fuels daily motivations. It’s

like a dormant fire that, once caught ablaze, is not

easily extinguished. When I joined the Triathlon

Team in the Spring of 2014, I caught that fire.

Prior to joining, I had no idea what triathlon was, how

it worked, or any of the lingo that came along with it; I was a

newbie in every sense of the word. Sure, I had seen a few videos

online and heard about how difficult they were; but my real

world experience was limited, if not nonexistent. My sophomore

year at App State, I joined the team because I felt myself slowly

developing an unhealthy lifestyle. I joined because I cared about

my body.

Before college, I swam for high school, year-round,

and summer league teams. My experience with land sports

like running and cycling was almost nonexistent. When I got

to college, I made the decision to take a break from swimming

that had, kind of, “burned-me-out,” to pursue new interests that

come along with being a freshman at a university. However,

the yearning to get back in the pool became stronger and

stronger the longer I stayed out of the water. It wasn’t until my

sophomore year that I got the itch to try out endurance, time-

based sports yet again. This time however, I wanted a sport that

was eclectic in nature; but required a physical prowess unlike

any other.

When I finally mustered up the courage to the join the

team, I was immediately hooked on the distinct camaraderie

that the triathlon atmosphere facilitates. In the Triathlon

Team, I found new friends that share a common goal of self-

improvement while still having a good time. When officer

elections rolled around last year, I decided that I wanted to lead

the team that I had, in a rather short time, grown to love dearly.

We cheer each other on through the thick of the race, and we

celebrate each others’ accomplishments and successes. While

we’re all still getting to know each other this year, the Triathlon

Team has become a close-knit, hard working group of individuals

that I am proud to lead! Stay aero.

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THE TEAM HAS BECOME ACLOSE-KNIT, HARD-WORKING

GROUP OF INDIVIDUALSTHAT I AM PROUD TO LEAD!

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WRITTEN BY WILL RUMLEY, PRESIDENT

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MEET YOUR

How did youoriginally get intoyour sport?

I originally started ultimate my freshman year of college, so I’ve been doing it for 3 years. I started because I wanted a change from soccer,

and the girls at the club expo table were really nice and enthusiastic.

What is your favorite part of competing?

My favorite part of competing is having fun

playing a sport I love. Winning is awesome, but mostly I just enjoy

playing with my teammates.

What made you wantto be the President ofyour club sport?

I wanted to be president because I wanted to be in a leadership role,

but not as captain. For our team the president is more of a behind

the scenes role, someone who helps the other officers and the team

with any needs they have. Also as the only senior and returning officer,

I felt like I needed to step into a bigger role than the position I had

last year (secretary).

How do you get yourteam’s spirits upafter a loss?

When we lose, a good way to get our spirits up is to talk about what we did well during the game and discuss what we could’ve done differently (if anything). Ultimate is a very unique sport in that it is self refereed and governed by a sort of code of ethics called “the Spirit of The Game”, that basically says we are all out here to play a great game, let’s be good sports to each other and ourselves, show respect, make honest calls, have fun. I consider a game of ultimate to be successful when everyone has a good time, despite winning or losing.

Where would you like to see your team at

the end of the year?We have a lot of new players this year, so by the end of this year I’d like to see the new girls comfortably taking charge on the field and working well with the returning players. I’d also like to see us going to sectionals and regionals for the 4th year in a row!

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PRESIDENT,

INGRID HUMPHREY

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WRITTEN BY:

PHILICIA GIBSON,

CLUB SPORTS EXECUTIVE

At our third council meeting of the

semester, we are finally starting to

dive into things and we couldn’t

be more excited about it! We

started off the meeting with team

updates. Teams are getting into

the full swing of competition and

it is awesome to hear how all

of the different teams are doing.

Women’s and Men’s Ultimate

traveled to a tournament together,

Womens’ Basketball won their

home tournament, and everyone

that traveled on the Equestrian

team placed (these are some of

the highlights of the updates).

The bulk of our meeting this week

was spent on discussing the vote

that took place last meeting. Team

Unity committee had proposed that

each team would be paired with

another team creating a “brother/

sister” team. They also proposed

that every time a team goes to

their brother or sister team’s

game, they would receive a budget

point. The Council voted this into

effect at the last council meeting.

After reflection and discussion,

the Executives decided that this

vote was not in the best interest

of the program. It is extremely

beneficial to some teams while

not beneficial at all to others; it

dilutes the value of the budget

point, and it distorts the vision

and motive that Team Unity had in

mind while creating the brother/

sister teams. The Council voted to

nullify the vote, and work together

over the next couple of months

to figure out how we can make

brother/sister teams beneficial to

the program as a whole.

During the next part of our

meeting the council members met

with their committees. During the

committee updates we learned

that Team Unity committee has set

the date for their annual Dodgeball

Tournament: November 19th.

Community Service committee

held their first street clean-up for

their adopted street, Queen Street.

Publicity committee has started

to look into Club Sports stickers

as well as reserving a slide on

the TV’s in the Student Union.

And Budget Points committee

is working on what awards they

would like to give out at the end

of the year banquet.

It is a super exciting time for Club

Sports and we all can’t wait to

hear about the great work that our

teams are continuing to do!

IT IS A SUPEREXCITINGTIME FOR

CLUB SPORTS

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