Preventing Heatstroke In Athletes
By Matt Thomas (From 02/25 edition of The Lakeshore Weekly News

While most people in the upper midwest are still trying to prevent frostbite, sports fans and athletes were once again reminded last week of the dangers of extreme heat.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died Monday, Feb. 18 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from complications caused by heatstroke. Bechler was 23 years old.
Bechler complained of dizziness and later collapsed after taking part in a routine conditioning drill on the Orioles third day of spring training. He died less than 24 hours later at North Ridge Medical Center after his body temperature reached 108 degrees.
Bechler’s death is hauntingly similar to that of the late Korey Stringer, the former Minnesota Viking who died two years ago in Mankato during training camp.
Like Stringer, Bechler was overweight (6-foot-2, 239 pounds) and pushing his body in a warm climate. The temperature in Fort Lauderdale was 81 degrees and the humidity was 74 percent the day Bechler collapsed.
Of course it is not unusual for local high school teams to practice in similar conditions. One could often find area football and soccer teams practicing in temperatures in the eighties or nineties.
The intention of this article is educate athletes and parents about heat related illnesses and what can be done to prevent tragedies like the deaths of Bechler and Stringer.
Paul Bruning, the head athletic trainer at Gustavus Adolphus College says that there are three primary types of heat illnesses.
The first stage in the progression is what is considered heat cramps. This is the least severe stage of heat related illnesses and a stage where simple actions can remedy the symptoms.
“Usually this is caused by dehydration and is easily remedied by stretching and increasing fluid intake,” Bruning said.
The next and more serious stage in the progression is heat exhaustion. Bruning says that a person experiencing heat exhaustion will have an altered level of consciousness, be lightheaded, dizzy, disoriented and may experience vomiting.
“They will have an increased heart rate and respiratory rate,” Bruning said. “Their skin will be cool, pale and very sweaty.”
The final stage in heat related illnesses is heat stroke, which is what claimed the lives of Bechler and Stringer. This is the point where the body is no longer able to regulate its own temperature.
“The body’s sweating mechanism shuts down and the skin can become red, hot and dry while the clothes may still be very wet from prior sweating,” Bruning said. “The persons level of consciousness becomes increasingly altered and decreases to the point of coma and or unconsciousness. This person will have marked dehydration and sometimes electrolyte imbalances.”
When a person reaches the state of heatstroke, several changes in the body occur which usually lead to organ failure, brain damage and ultimately, death.
“The blood has lost a lot of its plasma volume and is very thick and viscous,” Bruning said. “The heart has to work harder to [pump blood through the body] and it becomes harder to breathe as oxygen levels in the blood drop.”
The body will be unable to sweat, and as heat builds in the body, the pH level will change and become acidic due to the lack of blood and oxygen to the tissues and cells.
“As tissues and cells die, chemicals are released into the blood stream that are toxic and cause further tissue death,” Bruning said. “As pH levels drop, more tissue is damaged and proteins denature due to rising heat and dropping pH. This changes cell walls and more damage occurs.”
So what can a high school football player or just an average jogger do to prevent all of this from occurring? Most experts will say the best way to protect yourself from heat related illnesses is to remain hydrated.
“The biggest and easiest precaution is to drink a lot of fluids and stay hydrated,” Bruning said. “In most instances water is fine and cold water is preferred.”
“Being accustomed to the heat before working out in it is also important,” he said. “Modifying activity when needed and avoiding supplements and drinks that can dehydrate is very important.”
It is believed that Bechler was taking an over the counter supplement that contained the stimulant ephedrine which may have contributed to his death. Ephedrine is often used by athletes to increase endurance and lose weight. It has been banned by the NCAA, NFL and International Olympic Committee, but not Major League Baseball.
The use of alcohol can also dehydrate the human body and is discouraged for athletes who will be taking part in strenuous activities.
If you feel that someone you know may be suffering from a heat related illness there are steps you can take that may seem obvious, however early detection is the key
An athlete experiencing any heat related illness symptoms should immediately stop their activity and try to cool down quickly.
If they are able to keep fluids down, they should primarily drink water. One should always air on the side of caution when it comes to calling the paramedics, but if an athlete is nauseous, vomiting or experiencing an altered level of consciousness they should be seen by a physician immediately.
So the final question in this story is how hot is too hot? The Minnesota State High School League does offer several guidelines in its Athletic Rules and Policy Manual.
A graph has been developed which the manual says is most relevant for long distance running and prolonged high intensity events like soccer, football and tennis.
By taking in account the temperature and relative humidity, the graph suggests whether practices and games should be cancelled or if protective equipment should be removed.
For example, if the temperature is 81 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is 74 percent like it was in Fort Lauderdale the day Bechler died, the graph recommends that breaks be given every twenty minutes and that teams practice with no protective equipment.
While guidelines can be laid out, the fact remains there is no exact formula to know how hot is too hot for each individual.
The best advice it seems is for coaches to make sure their athletes feel comfortable asking for water breaks and brief resting periods when they feel they need them. The other important aspect is for the athlete to make sure they continue to replenish their fluids.
If heatstroke can happen to professional athletes like Stringer and Bechler, it can happen to anyone and that is something everyone involved in high school athletics should focus on preventing.

Blake Girls Hockey Crowned State Champs
By Matt Thomas (From 02/25 edition of The Lakeshore Weekly News

The Blake girls hockey team set some high goals for themselves when the year began and all of them were an attempt to avoid history from repeating itself.
Last year the Bears had their undefeated season ended by Benilde St. Margaret’s in the section final. After the Bears got past the Red Knights this year, they had to worry about the team’s State Tournament history.
The Bears were 0-4 in previous State Tournament games going into this year’s tournament at Ridder Arena.
After a dominating 3-0 shutout of Wilmar in the semifinals, the Bears scored three goals in the second period to top Hibbing/Chisolm 3-2 to win the first girls hockey state championship in school history.
The Bears main focus in the championship game was to limit the scoring chances for Blue Jackets star forward Andrea Nichols. Nichols came into the game with a state high 70 goals, 54 assists and scored five goals against Farmington/Randolph in the semifinals.
“We knew we would have to keep track of her every time she was on the ice,” Bears head coach Brano Stankovsky said. “We put Kelsey Johnson on her and Kelsey took it as a personal challenge to not let Andrea score.”
The emphasis on stopping Nichols may have led to the first goal of the game for the Blue Jackets.
After the Bears had racked up a 15-1 shots on goal advantage in the first period, Nichols slid a pass from behind the net to Chelsea Davis who scored past Bears goalie Kitty Hurley for a 1-0 Blue Jackets lead.
The Bears could have gone into the locker room during the first intermission frustrated, but their senior leadership made sure that didn’t happen.
Stankovsky said that several players assured the team that if they kept putting the pressure on in the Blue Jackets zone that the goals would come.
7:36 into the second period, the Bears found themselves on the power play and freshman Berit Johnson found herself all alone.
Johnson got the puck off the boards from junior Amy Cobb and walked in for a point blank shot on Blue Jackets goalie Brittany Krause. Johnson’s shot trickled through Krause’s pads and the game was tied at one.
The next five minutes of the second period were crucial as Blake senior Kathryn Moos ended a mini-goal scoring slump with two goals in less than two minutes.
The second of the two goals was about to go wide of the net, but the puck hit Nichols’ skate and eluded Krause into the back of the net.
The Bears once again dominated the shots on goal category in the second period. They held a 29-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 3-1 advantage on the scoreboard heading into the third period.
The way the Bears season had gone, one just knew that things weren’t going to be easy for them in the third period.
With 5:21 remaining, the Blue Jackets tightened things up when Nichols scored her 71st goal of the season.
A delayed penalty was called while Nichols was scoring the goal, so the Bears were forced to protect their one goal lead while shorthanded for two minutes.
The Blue Jackets had one quality chance to score, but Hurley made all the key saves and the Bears went on to kill the clock to take home the hardware.
Hurley made 11 saves in the game as the Bears outshot the Blue Jackets 35-13.
The Bears and Blue Jackets faced each other during the regular season, with the Blue Jackets coming out on top with a 3-0 victory.
Moos, Kelsey Johnson and Cobb were all named to the Class A All Tournament Team following the victory.
Cobb was the team’s fifth leading scorer during the regular season, but came through with a goal and three assists to lead to the Bears in scoring during the State Tournament.
Kelsey Johnson scored 34 goals during the regular season, but was held without a goal during the tournament. Johnson did finish as the second leading point scorer with three assists.
Moos and Berit Johnson each finished with two goals during the tournament, while Johnson was key in leading the Bears’ defensive efforts.
“It was just such a wonderful feeling,” Stankovsky said. “You set goals and have a plan at the beginning of the year and when it actually happens you just want to pinch yourself. It was the whole team bringing their A game this weekend because everyone did what they were supposed to do.”
The Bears got to the championship game with a dominating 3-0 victory over Wilmar in the semifinals.
The Bears outshot the Cardinals 14-1 in the first period and got on the board with 1:06 remaining.
Berit Johnson took a high wrist shot that bounced off a Cardinal defender and into the goal.
With the 1-0 lead, the Bears got exactly what they needed in two quick goals from someone other than Moos or Kelsey Johnson.
Cobb scored with 12:35 remaining in the second period with a shot just inside the blue line. Just ten seconds later, Alyssa Saunders took the puck off a face-off and skated all the way down to the goal and scored to give Blake a 3-0 lead.
It was just the fifth goal of the year for the freshman, but one that will definitely be remembered.
“It’s great that we got some other girls to step up,” Kelsey Johnson said. “It was great that our young line stepped up and got two goals in one shift and just great to see them succeed.”
Hurley recorded her 13th shutout of the year by making 12 saves.
The two victories are especially sweet for the six seniors on the team as most of them have played on the varsity squad all four years of high school.
Moos, K. Johnson, Hurley, Anna Morrison, Maggie Schneider and Donner Stocks will all end their high school careers with a state championship.
“Most of them have played all four years and Kathryn (Moos) and Kelsey (Johnson) have played since they were eighth graders,” Stankovsky said. “They’re all just a great core group of players to have on a team. They gave good leadership, they’re all good students and just good people.”
Several of the graduating seniors have plans to play collegiate hockey next year.
Moos will have the chance to play soccer and hockey at Brown next year, while Johnson will be attending Yale. Hurley will be attending Gustavus Adolphus, which has one of the strongest women’s hockey programs in the MIAC.

Ms. Hockey Award Given Out

Johnson and Moos were both finalists for the Ms. Hockey award, but it was ultimately given to a deserving Andrea Nichols from Hibbing/Chisolm.
Moos finished the year with 59 points, while Johnson tallied 70 this season. Both players scored their 100th career goals this year.

Sluggish Trojans Fall In Sections
By Matt Thomas (From 02/25 edition of The Lakeshore Weekly News

For 15 minutes the Wayzata boys hockey team was out-shot, out-checked, out-hustled and out played in every facet of the game.
The result of all that was a 3-0 lead for the visiting Chaska Hawks and a lead the Trojans would never overcome. The fifth seeded Hawks left Plymouth Ice Arena with a 5-0 shutout over the fourth seeded Trojans in the section six quarterfinals.
“We really limited our mistakes because I think we only made one mistake in the first period,” Hawks head coach Dave Snuggerud said. “We just capitalized on their mistakes and that’s why we were successful in the first period.”
The Hawks struck first with 9:16 left in the first period on a slap shot by senior Jacob Obermeyer. The shot glanced off the glove of Trojans goalie Kevin Johnson, off his back and into the net.
Less than a minute later, Hawks sophomore Troy Harlander beat a Trojan defender to a loose puck in the slot and scored through the five hole.
With 3:13 left in the opening period, the Hawks lead grew to 3-0 when Harlander scored on a breakaway.
By periods end, the Hawks had one more goal with three than the Trojans had shots on goal with two.
The Trojans played better hockey in the second period, but failed to capitalize on two power play opportunities.
The Hawks stretched their lead to 4-0 with 2:22 remaining in the second period on a two on one rush.
The Hawks added one more goal in third period to complete the 5-0 shutout. Hawks senior goaltender Chris Gardeski made 20 saves in the shutout.
“Chris Gardeski has been great all year long and he’s had to face some great players in the Lake Conference which has really helped him,” Snuggerud said. “To shut out a team like Wayzata is very impressive for Chris because they have some players who can score.”
The loss for the Trojans is disappointing, especially considering the fact that they had been playing some of their best hockey of the season.
The Trojans finished the conference season with an 8-2-2 record which included a win they were forced to forfeit because a player played in more than four periods in the junior varsity and varsity games combined.
The Trojans had gone 11-1-1 in their last 13 games, until the quarterfinal loss to the Hawks.
The loss also means that five Trojans have played their last hockey game in a Wayzata uniform.
The Trojans will lose the services of forwards Matt Sundberg, Ryan Freeland and Travis Olson, defender Bryan Nelson and Johnson, the team’s goaltender.
Eleven juniors and four sophomores saw varsity time this year, giving the Trojans a good chance to contend for the conference championship next year.

Skippers lose in quarterfinals
Minnetonka senior goaltender Dan Steinkamp made 44 saves as the sixth seeded Skippers shocked the third seeded Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars 4-3 in the section six quarterfinals.
Senior Michael Faber’s goal tied the game at three in the third period. That set up senior John Arundel’s game-winner with 1:37 remaining.
The Skippers had lost 4-0 to the Jaguars in a regular season contest.
The Skippers were unable to produce a second upset as the second seeded Eden Prairie Eagles topped the Skippers 8-4. The eagles scored just nine seconds into the contest and never looked back. The Skippers end the year with an 11-15-1 record.
The Skippers will lost six seniors to graduation this year including Arundel, Faber, Steinkamp, Peter Shenk, Patrick Eidsmo, Patrick Murray, Brent Hanus and Peter Dauwalter.

Armstrong advances
Senior Mike Hosfield scored 49 seconds into the second overtime period as the Armstrong boys hockey team topped Maple Grove 5-4.
The fourth seeded Falcons entered the third period trailing the Crimson 2-1. Two goals by Tommy Anderson and a third by David Gutierrez gave the Falcons a 4-2 lead.
The Crimson rallied for two goals in the final 1:02 to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Falcons goaltender Erik Dahl made 24 saves in the victory.
The Falcons will now move on to the section semifinals to face top seeded Anoka. The puck will drop at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the State Fair Coliseum.

Blake On Their Way
The Blake Bears are trying to get back to the State Tournament, but to get there they have to win three games in the toughest section in Class A.
The Bears had no trouble disposing of Andover in the quarterfinals as they came away with a 9-0 victory.
Will Engasser notched a hat trick for the Bears, while J.T. Wyman scored two goals and two assists.
The Bears must now face the Metro Alliance Conference champions from Benilde St. Margaret’s in the semifinals. If they advance to the final, they will likely face St. Louis Park who the Bears split a pair of games with this season.
The Bears and Red Knights face off on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Parade Ice Arena.

Girls Basketball Teams Head Into Sections
By Matt Thomas (From 02/25 edition of The Lakeshore Weekly News

The Benilde St. Margaret’s girls basketball team got 21 points from junior Stevi Seitz as they topped the Orono Spartans 53-45 in a key Metro Alliance victory. The victory kept the Red Knights undefeated at 10-0 in conference play, while the Spartans slipped to 7-3.
The Red Knights jumped out to a 12-11 lead after the first quarter and pushed the lead to 26-19 by halftime.
Seitz scored eight points in the second quarter including two three pointers to lead the way.
Spartans senior Maggie Richardson cut the lead to four early in the third quarter with two straight baskets, but the Red Knights proceeded to go on a 10-0 run.
Five points at the end of the quarter from Spartans junior Kati Hilbelink cut the Red Knights lead to 45-34 going into the fourth quarter.
The Spartans got with six of the lead when junior Ali Chorley hit a three pointer, but the Red Knights sealed the game at the free throw line after that.
The end result could have been much different had the Spartans capitalized on their free throw attempts. The Spartans went 2-12 in the game from the line and 2-9 in the second half alone.
Chorley led the Spartans in scoring with 11 points, while Richardson added ten.
The Spartans bounced back three nights later to top Fridley 46-45 in conference play. Richardson was the hero as her basket with three seconds remaining turned out to be the difference.
The Spartans received the fourth seed in section 4-3A and will host St. Michael-Alberville in a Feb. 26 quarterfinal at 7 p.m.

Hopkins gets top seed
The Hopkins Royals were out to prove that they can still be state championship material, even though their leading scorer Leslie Knight is out with a foot injury.
The Royals jumped out to a 48-15 halftime led over the Minnetonka Skippers and won the game 73-27. The win was crucial for the Royals because they were coming off a 62-48 loss to Wayzata.
Jordan Barnes led the charge with 21 points as the Royals improved to 11-1 and clinched the conference championship.
The Royals received the number one seed in section five and will play the winner of the Minnetonka and Cooper quarterfinal.
The Royals will open section play at Eden Prairie High School on Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m.

Falcons playing strong
The Armstrong Falcons got 12 points from junior Cassie Bethke and rolled to a 48-38 victory over Edina on Feb. 21.
The victory created a three way tie for second place in the Classic Lake Conference between Edina, Wayzata and themselves.
The Falcons received the third seed in section five and will play host to Park Center in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.

Trojans cruising
After a 14-point triumph over conference leading Hopkins, the Wayzata Trojans continued their strong play with a 59-36 victory over St. Louis Park.
Senior Jowan Ortega led the way with 21 points, while junior Allie Rivard chipped in 16.
The Trojans received the second seed in section five and will receive a first round bye. The Trojans will play the winner of the Armstrong and Park Center quarterfinal on March 1 at Eden Prairie High School at 3 p.m.