Barry Roubaix has quickly become the largest gravel road race in America and it is held right here in West Michigan every March. Conditions over the past few years have ranged from 50 degrees and dry, to 19 degrees and icy. The 2014 race, held this past weekend, was somewhere in between at 33 degrees with some mud. In 2012, Amy Stauffer and Marie Dershem won the Overall Women’s podium spots in the 62 Mile and 36 Mile races, respectively. In 2013, Marie returned to the podium for the 36 Mile overall and placed 1st in her age division. In 2014, Roxane Kippen secured 3rd place Overall Woman for the 24 Mile race and 1st place in her age division.
Athletic Mentors co-founder and head hockey coach Mark Olson is tipping his hat to Michael Schmitt, Battle Creek Revolution forward who has just signed with the Indiana Tech men’s hockey team. “Michael’s been with our program for years and has proven himself to be disciplined, tough, and committed to excellence,” Coach Olson said. “He’s an outstanding athlete, and a great guy. Indiana Tech made a good call.” Schmitt, who hails from Kalamazoo, is a 5-foot-7, 155-pound forward who played in 44 games in the NA3HL where he collected 12 points on seven goals and five assists. While his parents credit Olson’s coaching for much of their son’s “strength, leadership, and mental toughness,” Schmitt’s tireless hours of hard work finally paid
Kaitlyn Patterson crossing the finish line (photo courtesy of www.nordicskiracer.com) Nordic skiers Kaitlyn Patterson and Ryan Harris represented Athletic Mentors well at the Forbrush Corner 17k Freestyle on February 15. With temperatures above zero, sunny skies and minimal wind, the participants received a great day for competition success. The Forbrush Corner track is filled with hills, creating a tough, always climbing or descending course. Kaitlyn dominated the race with a first place finish while Harris had an intense battle that landed him third place. The men’s start was a little rough out of the gate given a few crashes before the first turn and during the wide climb. Skiers were ultra aggressive in getting to the front. Ryan Harris, alongside
Athletic Mentors teams pride themselves on professional appearance and conduct. You might be a professional athlete without realizing it. One definition offered by the Merriam Webster dictionary defines the word professional as “characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession”. Further, it defines a profession as “a principal calling, vocation, or employment”, another way of saying a profession is a job. Seriousness of conduct is at a higher level then what one would approach with a hobby. Though we don’t race for a living, everyone on a team benefits from professionalism. Here are a few ways to be “professional” and how it positively impacts yourself and the team. Sharp Dressed (Wo)man Nothing says “conforming to
Daniel Yankus competing in a cross country ski race. On February 8, Team Athletic Mentors Nordic Ski racers Alex Vanias, Daniel Yankus, Ryan Halstead and Kaitlyn Patterson competed in the VASA 50k freestyle race. The race start temperature was in the negatives, far undercutting the forecasted temperature of 10 degrees and provided cold, bitter conditions. There were 69 racers, and as usual, Athletic Mentors racers finished on top. Alex finished second in a time of 2:29:12, Dan took fourth in 2:37:50, Ryan came in 10th in 2:46:23, and Kaitlyn finished third in the women’s field (24th overall) with a time of 3:06:30. The main heat of the race was between winner Eli Brown and Alex. Complications began the night before
Team Athletic Mentors has assembled a great roster of past, present and future skiers. With the excellent snow season this year allowing for highly competitive and sometimes brutal conditions, the 2014 Nordic Ski Team has been pushing limits, reaching season goals and topping the podium. Five athletes represent Athletic Mentors this year and each of them took top placements in pre-season events. Alex Vanias, Kaitlyn Patterson and Ryan Harris represent the future of the sport, having combined for five individual wins and one relay win so far this year. Daniel Yankus and Jon Morgan round out the team providing leadership and experience, both finishing with great results, adding a win and multiple podium places to the team’s high success. Combined,
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