CSU Men’s Rugby Rallies Behind Their Coach

LAFAYETTE, Colo. – The 2015-16 season ended without a trip to the D1A Rugby Playoffs for the Colorado State University rugby team. Couple the below par season a year ago with the graduation of All-Conference performers Lance Eberhard, Evan Geist and Carmine Hernandez, as well as Olympian Ben Pinkelman,and the expectations outside of the Rams locker weren’t high coming into this year’s campaign.

The reality of the situation was that Colorado State hadn’t been performing below its expectations because of the level of talent on the field, but because the team’s commitment to a healthy culture and hard work went astray. Then, in June, the team received some very difficult news. Long time Rams coach Rod Hartley informed the majority of his team that he was battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or a disease more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“A lot of us were shocked and immediately pained by the information, but there were some guys that didn’t know what ALS was,” said Colorado State winger Corey Parker. “We all understood the gravity of the situation, though, and have made it clear to Rod that we would do whatever we could to help.”

One way the players knew they could lift the spirits of their coach that had volunteered so much time to the program was to improve their performance on the pitch. So, a large contingent of Rams made a commitment to do everything they could over the summer to better themselves ahead of the West Conference’s fall season.

“A strong core group of the team really focused and worked on both our strength and conditioning, as well as our basics,” explained Parker.

And who was there to encourage the student-athletes and monitor their progress? Coach Hartley.

“The strength portion was really on the individuals, but Rod worked with all of us on the conditioning and mental toughness,” Parker added. “I wouldn’t say we were inspired because of his diagnosis, but we became more driven and focused to put all our effort into it every day.”

The hard work put in during the dog days of summer made for some impressive fall results. The Rams haven’t dropped a game this season, and their unblemished mark includes wins against D1A Rugby’s 12th-ranked Air Force and No. 13 Utah. Although a unintentional use of an ineligible player during Colorado State’s victory over rival University of Colorado docked the team six points from the West’s standings table, its body of work and current ranking of No. 10 puts the Rams in good position for a place in D1A Playoffs’ 12-team field.

“We are working to finish this season undefeated and plan to work even harder to prepare for the Playoffs should we get the opportunity to represent Colorado State University then,” Parker said of the team’s expectations.

Colorado State isn’t sure if it will finish the season as West Champions, or where they will fit in the D1A Playoff picture come April, but the entire team is certain that the success they are having on the pitch is due, in large part, to Coach Hartley’s guidance and unspoken inspiration.

“His leadership and ability to show up everyday after his diagnosis, both in the offseason and regular season, has inspired the players,” Parker said. “He has demanded our highest caliber of play, and won’t give up or let us accept anything less. It’s his strength and respect, along with the fact that the moment we step on the pitch we become part of his family, that creates such a strong group.”

The Colorado State University rugby program has setup a GoFundMe account in order to raise money for its beloved coach that is forced to deal with the financial burden of battling ALS. You can visit the Rams GoFundMe account for Coach Hartley here: https://www.gofundme.com/rod-hartley-als-family-support.

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The Inclusivity Committee: Working to be the best place on campus

By Rachel Holzhaeuser

Through inclusive policies, practice, and training, Campus Recreation strives to be a place on campus where everyone feels safe and comfortable to be the Rec’ing Ram that they are.  The Inclusivity Committee is volunteer-based and composed of ten professional staff members and two student staff members from Campus Recreation. The committee has been meeting since October of 2015 and has since then been striving toward providing ongoing, intentional oversight of departmental efforts of creating an inclusive recreation experience.

The Inclusivity Committee is a result of a recommendation from the GLBTQ Audit conducted in May 2013, which evaluated how well Campus Recreation was doing in terms of being safe and welcoming for the GLBTQ community on campus. Since its implementation, the Inclusivity Committee has largely been focused on prioritizing projects, reviewing the recent Adaptive Recreation Audit, and updating inclusion-related materials on the website as well as staff training materials.

Associate Director of Administration, Erin Patchett, is the chair of the committee and has been working for Campus Recreation at CSU since August of 2010. In regards to inclusive spaces at the Rec Center, Gender Inclusive Restrooms and Changing Rooms were already in place when Erin began her work at CSU.

“Over the past six years, some of the major changes I’ve seen have been the formalization of an Asserted Gender Identity Policy, an expansion of type and quantity of adaptive fitness equipment… the creation of the Inclusivity Committee, and more intentional and accessible communication about what policies, facilities, and resources we have in place to create a welcoming and safe environment for the diverse users of our services,” Erin said of the changes since she began working for Campus Recreation.

Staff trainings are crucial in making sure we can fulfill our goals and that each staff member has the knowledge and understanding of policies and how to educate fellow staff and patrons in order to create the best atmosphere for everyone.

With that, the Inclusivity Committee has focused largely on improving the education of both professional and student staff through inclusivity trainings.

One new project aimed to educating staff is the “Inclusion Infusion” project. In hopes of furthering education and social responsibility, Inclusion Infusion features posters in the student staff breakroom that address different topics such as allyship, white privilege, cultural appropriation, and more.

All of our program and support areas are continuously working to create an educated and welcoming environment so that all Campus Recreation participants feel as though the Rec Center is a place they can achieve their goals and be their authentic self.

In order to continue improving the environment we create, we invite you to share your opinions and feedback. If you identify as having a disability, please take this 5-minute survey to help guide our adaptive recreation efforts. Survey-takers can opt-in to be entered into a giveaway drawing for an item from the CSU Bookstore. If you need an alternative form the survey or would like to provide feedback beyond the survey, please contact Campus Recreation Inclusivity Committee Chair, Erin Patchett, at Erin.Patchett@ColoState.Edu.

Survey link: http://studentvoice.com/csu/adaptiverecsurvey 

 

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Behind the Scenes: 4th Annual Harvest Hang

 

By Rachel Holzhaeuser

Bumping it up to allow for some Halloween spirit, this year’s competition will be on October 24. Prizes will not only be awarded to highest performing competitors, but also those who participate in the costume contest. So get ready to get your boulder on and show off that banana costume in the back of your closet.

To get an inside look at what goes into coordinating the event—and most importantly the routes—we asked our Climbing Wall Manager Anika Ramey for some insight on what goes into setting up the Harvest Hang.

The Harvest Hang offers 4 different competition categories: recreation, intermediate, advanced, and open. There are 10 routes in each category, ascending in difficulty, and 2 final problems for both the men and women’s category.

Let’s talk about these final problems. Designed to stump even the most talented competitors we see, they’re a bit more cryptic, and certainly more challenging. Anika let us in on a secret that they usually include some sort of party trick. This could be “dynos,” which is when the climber loses some or all points of contact in order to reach a distant hold, or “bat hangs,” where the climber hangs from only his or her feet. These are only a few possibilities, though, so be sure to stick around for these final ascents for the chance to witness other flashy moves, too.

The difference between the routes you’ll see at the Harvest Hang and the ones you can see on any normal day at the CSU Climbing Wall can be pretty significant.

“Route setting for the competition is typically different from everyday gym setting; the movement shouldn’t be obvious—it should take the climber a bit of thought and technique to finish the problem—and the problem itself should be aesthetically pleasing,” Anika said.

And just because the easier routes are designed to be easier for the climber, doesn’t exactly mean it’s easier to create.

“While it can be easy to make the difficult routes look cool and the movement more puzzling, it’s often a challenge to do this with the routes in our easier categories. It’s easy enough to set a route that is just a ladder (good holds moving straight up the wall with good feet), but the real challenge is to set a problem that makes the climber have to think and be specific in their movement,” Anika said of the challenges the easier routes present during the setting phase. “It can take hours to set, fore-run, and perfect a route.”

While route setting is deemed most important for the Harvest Hang preparation, that’s not all there is to it.

Sponsorship requests are sent, new holds are ordered while thousands of old ones are stripped and washed, and not to mention the obtaining and organizing of prizes. (This year’s to include crash pads, chalk buckets, brushes, hats, guidebooks, and more!)

This Harvest Hang is taking a whole new turn with the costume contest.

“This [the costumes] will add a creative, fun, and casual element to the competition. A lot of our competitors are new to climbing, so we try to foster an easy-going, fun environment, rather than a serious, competitive one,” Anika said.

Of the route setters masterminding the creation of the competition is Climbing Wall Employee and Head Route Setter John Marlatt. John has experience route setting at Miramont and has set routes for multiple competitions including the Collegiate Regionals. Under John’s guidance, experience, and advice, all of the setters and employees are striving for high quality routes that will guarantee a good time.

Registration for the event is underway and costs $12 ahead of time, and $14 the day of. However, if you’re looking to have a t-shirt to remember the day by, be sure to register at the Service Center by October 7.

Remember that we invite everyone and anyone who is interested so feel free to compete, or at least spectate. And don’t forget the costumes! We’ll see you there.

 

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Celebrating CSU’s first woman All-American wrestler, KaMele Sanchez

Article written by Rachel Holzhaeuser

CSU’s first woman All-American wrestler, KaMele Sanchez, is back at CSU and ready for the new season.

Despite the fact that Sanchez is prone to shoulder dislocations, wrestles with a shoulder brace, and that her shoulder came out of socket twice the week before Nationals last year, Sanchez became the first woman wrestler from the CSU Sport Club Wrestling team to win an All-American award at Nationals in 2015.
 
“I sprinted off the stage into my drill partners’ arms; to be picked up and whirled around. We were all pretty excited,” recalls KaMele of the moments following her win.
 
For KaMele wrestling began on the Big Island of Hawaii during her freshman year of high school, and hasn’t stopped since. Always striving to be better, Kamele’s family, coaches, and teammates help remind her that she has the ability and tools to accomplish great things.
 
This year, KaMele will be the Wrestling team’s treasurer and is excited for the leadership and responsibility this new title brings. She hopes to find a new confidence within herself on the mat and create the best opportunities for her teammates by helping put together the team’s competition schedule.
 
Wrestling and its impact on KaMele’s life have inspired her off the mat as well.
 
“I have kind of always been involved in community activities, I really like helping others and being a part of a larger picture,” said Sanchez.
 
She and her teammates, as well as coaches Kendall DeJonge and Barry Bernstien, volunteer for the Loveland Classical Schools Club Wrestling team and the Northern Colorado Wrestling Academy. With the guidance and coaching from Sanchez, DeJonge, and Bernstien both teams received honors and medals at competitions during the past year.
 
Aside from her personal goals of dropping down a weight class and earning another All-American medal, KaMele is excited for a shift in the team dynamic this year.
 
“We have had some interest from a couple of other women this year, and I hope that we will be able to build each other up and support each other so that I will not be the only female making it to Nationals this year… hopefully in a few years we will have a full women’s team!”
 
We want to wish KaMele and the rest of the Sport Club Wrestling team a successful season and can’t wait to hear about their new accomplishments.
 
Feel inspired to try out your own wrestling skills? Intramural Sports is offering a Wrestling Tournament on Sep. 20 and 22. Registration is open through Sep. 18.
 

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CSU Sport Club Rugby Team Member Competes in Rio

 

By Jenna Fischer

As summer draws to a close, Colorado State University welcomes students and staff back to campus for the new academic year. Among those returning is rugby Olympian, Ben Pinkelman. Campus Rec had the opportunity to speak with Pinkelman about the experience before he left for Rio.

At age 22, Colorado State University student and Sport Club athlete, Pinkelman earned himself the title of the youngest rugby Olympian on Team USA for the 2016 Olympic games. He was selected to compete as a Forward for the Men’s National 7s Team in Rio de Janeiro.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Pinkelman said. “It probably won’t sink in until we get to Rio.”

Pinkelman first discovered his passion for the game as a freshman at Cherry Creek High School.

“I played football as well, but I didn’t have a spring sport,” Pinkelman said. “So I went out to the first [rugby] practice and just kind of fell in love with it.”

Four years later, Pinkelman knew his rugby career was just beginning.

“I decided to keep playing in college because I just couldn’t stop,” Pinkelman said. “That never crossed my mind.”

Although he first considered other universities, Pinkelman ultimately decided to attend CSU for it’s noteworthy Sport Club rugby program.

“I knew CSU had a good program from their recruiting trips to the high school invitational and state tournaments I played in,” Pinkelman said. “So I knew they had a good program with a good history and that’s one of the main factors that pushed me to go to CSU.”

During his time at CSU, Pinkelman has continued to hone his athletic abilities and fuel his passion for the sport.

“I was a good player my freshman year, but I think I definitely developed a lot and learned a lot at the program at CSU,” Pinkelman said. “The leaders really helped push me in the right direction and get me where I am now.”

The CSU Men’s Rugby Team also served as the key that opened doors for Pinkelman to be able to compete at the national level.

“[The coaches at CSU] reached out to the national team coaches and told them to give me a chance,” Pinkelman said. “CSU really got me my first shot.”

Throughout his rugby career, Pinkelman has had the opportunity to travel all over the world while competing in international tournaments. His travels have taken him to Hong Kong, Africa, Sydney, and Paris to name a few.

Although Pinkelman has played on a number of rugby teams both at the state and national levels, the Sport Club program at CSU holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s a brotherhood for sure,” Pinkelman said. “It’s definitely great to play with all the guys on the team who have become my closest friends at CSU, my roommates, guys I’ll talk to and hang out with for the rest of my life.”

That brotherly connection translates off the field as well. While the CSU Men’s Rugby Team has certainly stood out on the field, they have made a positive impression off the field as well. The player-run organization requires its team members to participate in community service and fundraising.

“We have run CSU football games, RamRides, and done a lot of things around Fort Collins to help the community,” Pinkelman said. “You have to go work for all your own stuff, you have to do the community service, you have to raise money in order to travel. It also makes you closer to the team because you have to do all of those things together.”

Pinkelman has overcome many challenges throughout the years in order to be where he is today. As the youngest player on the national team, he is the only one still in school.

“It’s been hard going to CSU and trying to stay on track with school while doing all this traveling,” Pinkelman said. “I usually miss at least a month every semester—sometimes a little more. On the road it’s hard to get homework [finished] and stay focused, especially when you don’t know if you’ll have wi-fi in a lot of the places.”

In addition to academic challenges, Pinkelman has also overcome some medical complications. In 2014, the athlete was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease—a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract.

“When I first tried out for the U20s the symptoms were really bad,” Pinkelman said. “I was anemic from losing so much blood and couldn’t run very far without getting exhausted. I got cut at the last tryout because I just couldn’t focus. I was really sick.”

After his diagnosis, medication has allowed Pinkelman to manage his condition and continue participating in the sport he loves.

“Rugby has pretty much defined who I am,” Pinkelman said. “It’s the most important aspect of my life and the most time-consuming aspect of my life. It’s definitely shaped who I am today.”

As he looks toward the future, Pinkelman has several options to consider. After completing his final semester at CSU this fall, he will graduate with a degree in criminal justice.

“I want to do something in law enforcement, but I will also probably have an offer on the table to move to Chula Vista to train full time at the Olympic training center,” Pinkelman said. “I want to play rugby for as long as I can.” He even mentioned the possibility of trying for the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.

For now, Pinkelman is focusing all his energy on the challenge ahead and preparing for the games in Rio. He will compete along with Team USA on Aug. 9 against fifth-ranked Argentina in the first match.

“We’re just focused on the medal right now,” Pinkelman said. “Getting to the Olympics is obviously a huge accomplishment and a goal and a dream for a lot of people, but you don’t just want to go and be a participant. You want to go and win. You want to be a contender in the fight for the medal.”

While it’s true that the Sport Club program at Campus Rec boasts a myriad of talented athletes, you don’t have to be an Olympian to become involved. Pinkelman offers some advice for incoming students at CSU and students who are considering joining a sport club.

“Just don’t be intimidated and just go for what you think sounds like fun,” Pinkelman said. “Not any of the clubs at CSU are going to reject you—they are going to accept you with open arms no matter the talent level. Just reach out to them. If you’re a student coming in, get information and come out to practice and you’ll enjoy it and you’ll have fun.”

The USA Men’s Rugby Team finished 9th overall in the Rio Olympic Games. In the key match of the tournament, the team lost against Fiji who went on to win the Gold medal. Although Pinkelman is returning from Rio without a medal, he is still gold to us—Green and Gold that is.

 

 

 

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