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Monthly Archives: August 2012
500 wd post #2: Athlete Profile: Holley Mangold: Breaking Barriers
Ever since Holley Mangold appeared on MTV’s True-life series, “I’m a Big Girl”, her name and more notably her physique have become recognizable beyond cross fit gyms across the country. When you think of sheer power in weightlifting, you might think of a person with lean muscle mass, but not an obese 23 year old girl. Mangold is about 5’8 and weighs 350 lbs.; however her gender and size never stopped her from competing as a linebacker for her all male high school football team then competing alongside other top female athletes the Olympics as a weightlifter.
Mangold is not just famous for her athletic prowess herself; she is the younger sister of Jets player Nick Mangold. In her appearance on MTV’s True-life series, “I’m a Big Girl”, Holley compares herself to her brother and states her admiration for him which led to her wanting to play football at a very early age leading up until high school in Ohio.
Because Mangold could not be drafted like her brother onto a college football team after high school, Mangold’s position as an offensive lineman came to an end. But with all her strength to burn, she luckily was turned on to power weight lifting, in which she picked up pretty quickly. No pun intended. She trained hard at a local weight lifting gym, better known as a cross-fit gym, and became highly ranked among her peers. To prove that she was above the rest, Mangold then started competing nationally and then internationally. After being ranked nationally as one of the best female power lifters her notoriety grew and so did her competitiveness. She soon became interested in competing for a spot in the 2012 Olympics.
Before becoming an Olympic contender, Mangold competed in the following competitions and placed high in the rankings:
Jr. National Champion 2008 total: 185 kilos
Jr. World Team Member in 2008 and 2009
– 2008 6th place total: 170 kilos
– 2009 9th place total: 197 kilos
Pan American Championships
– 2010 8th place total: 210 kilos
American Open Champion 2009 and 2011
– 2009 Total: 220 kilos
– 2011 Total: 249 kilos
It was at the 2012 Olympic trials at the Arnold weightlifting Championships otherwise known as the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Ohio that Mangold was given a shot at the Olympics. The Arnold Sports Festival, named after one-time weight lifting champion, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and hosts popular weightlifting competitions every year. For the first time in March, the festival which is also run by the Columbus weightlifting club where Mangold trained, successfully hosted the Olympic trials.
Mangold’s larger than life physique and attitude has awarded her the attention she needed to garner hype before the Olympics, but will her size do her more harm than good? She is one out of two female lifters over 300lbs and like most athletes in weightlifting, she has sustained major injuries such as torn cartilage in her right knee, a torn tendon in her right hand.
Such injuries in this type of sport is likely to be harder to recover from when you take into the account the pressure that is put on the areas of the body that are injured, not to mention the pressure already received from the weight of the athlete. However, Mangold’s stats seem promising and she doesn’t seem to mind carrying the extra weight of the pressure as all eyes are on her to bring home the gold for the US.
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Nice Homestand
With Tex missing two games in a row with a sore wrist, and CC, ARod, and Andy all still on the DL the Yankees still managed a good homestand against the Rangers and Red Sox, which will conclude tomorrow night against Boston.
Swisher’s bat really came alive against Boston. Friday night he went 2 for 3 with two home runs one from each side of the plate, the 12th time in his career, he is now one behind Tex on the all time list. On Saturday he was 3 for 4. During this homestand Swisher has gone 10 for 24 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
Derek Jeter had a historic weekend as well tying Graig Nettles at ninth place of all time Yankees. He also became the fourth player in major league history to hit 250 home runs, have 300 stolen bases, and 3000 hits. Another historic night for a true baseball gentleman!
The Yankees will complete their homestand tomorrow night against the Red Sox.
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Nice Homestand
With Tex missing two games in a row with a sore wrist, and CC, ARod, and Andy all still on the DL the Yankees still managed a good homestand against the Rangers and Red Sox, which will conclude tomorrow night against Boston.
Swisher’s bat really came alive against Boston. Friday night he went 2 for 3 with two home runs one from each side of the plate, the 12th time in his career, he is now one behind Tex on the all time list. On Saturday he was 3 for 4. During this homestand Swisher has gone 10 for 24 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
Derek Jeter had a historic weekend as well tying Graig Nettles at ninth place of all time Yankees. He also became the fourth player in major league history to hit 250 home runs, have 300 stolen bases, and 3000 hits. Another historic night for a true baseball gentleman!
The Yankees will complete their homestand tomorrow night against the Red Sox.
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The Road to Brooklyn
Jay-Z’s dream has finally come true. For the first time in six years, the formerly New Jersey Nets are a playoff caliber team representing Brooklyn, New York. The Nets made many changes during this off-season. Not only did they change their home state/city, uniform, and logo, but they also made some colossal modifications to the roster.
Re-signing Deron Williams was critical. Without him, this team would be nothing. He is the glue that holds the whole team together. Williams led the team last year with 21 points and 9 assists per game. He also set a franchise record scoring 57 points in one game!
D-Will was extremely close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and teaming up with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki. However, D-Will had a change of heart when Brooklyn’s aggressive management re-signed Gerald Wallace and acquired Joe Johnson.
Johnson is incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the court. Last year in Atlanta, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He also is an incredible shooter averaging two three-pointers a game and shot 39% from beyond the arc!
The Nets may perhaps have the best backcourt in the league. Johnson and Williams are elite players at their respective positions and the young and talented Marshon Brooks is a great asset to have coming off the bench. Brooklyn was also able to sign back-up point guard CJ Watson from the Chicago Bulls.
While the Nets have secured a remarkable backcourt, they were also able to re-sign seven-foot-tall Brook Lopez and power forward Kris Humphries, a rebounding machine. This rounds out the top five when you include Gerald Wallace at the 3. Let’s take a look at the projected starters.
PG Deron Williams SG Joe Johnson SF Gerald Wallace PF Kris Humphries C Brook Lopez
Lopez is primarily a scorer and is a great offensive presence for the Nets down low. He may not be the best defender or rebounder but Wallace helps make up for it as one of the best all around defenders in the league. And Kris Humphries is an absolute beast on the boards averaging 11 rebounds per game last season.
With Brooks, Watson, and newly acquired Reggie Evans coming off the bench, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With the two All-Stars in the backcourt, the Nets are capable of making a serious playoff run. They are one solid big man away from being championship contenders.
The Knicks might have a little competition this year. For the first time in NBA history, these two teams will be competing for the best team in the state. And the Nets home opener is against none other than the New York Knicks. Let the rivalry begin!
Posted in Basketball, Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Nets, CJ Watson, D-Will, Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Free Agency, Gerald Wallace, Jay-Z, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Reggie Evans, Trades
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The Road to Brooklyn
Jay-Z’s dream has finally come true. For the first time in six years, the formerly New Jersey Nets are a playoff caliber team representing Brooklyn, New York. The Nets made many changes during this off-season. Not only did they change their home state/city, uniform, and logo, but they also made some colossal modifications to the roster.
Re-signing Deron Williams was critical. Without him, this team would be nothing. He is the glue that holds the whole team together. Williams led the team last year with 21 points and 9 assists per game. He also set a franchise record scoring 57 points in one game!
D-Will was extremely close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and teaming up with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki. However, D-Will had a change of heart when Brooklyn’s aggressive management re-signed Gerald Wallace and acquired Joe Johnson.
Johnson is incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the court. Last year in Atlanta, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He also is an incredible shooter averaging two three-pointers a game and shot 39% from beyond the arc!
The Nets may perhaps have the best backcourt in the league. Johnson and Williams are elite players at their respective positions and the young and talented Marshon Brooks is a great asset to have coming off the bench. Brooklyn was also able to sign back-up point guard CJ Watson from the Chicago Bulls.
While the Nets have secured a remarkable backcourt, they were also able to re-sign seven-foot-tall Brook Lopez and power forward Kris Humphries, a rebounding machine. This rounds out the top five when you include Gerald Wallace at the 3. Let’s take a look at the projected starters.
PG Deron Williams SG Joe Johnson SF Gerald Wallace PF Kris Humphries C Brook Lopez
Lopez is primarily a scorer and is a great offensive presence for the Nets down low. He may not be the best defender or rebounder but Wallace helps make up for it as one of the best all around defenders in the league. And Kris Humphries is an absolute beast on the boards averaging 11 rebounds per game last season.
With Brooks, Watson, and newly acquired Reggie Evans coming off the bench, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With the two All-Stars in the backcourt, the Nets are capable of making a serious playoff run. They are one solid big man away from being championship contenders.
The Knicks might have a little competition this year. For the first time in NBA history, these two teams will be competing for the best team in the state. And the Nets home opener is against none other than the New York Knicks. Let the rivalry begin!
Posted in Basketball, Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Nets, CJ Watson, D-Will, Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Free Agency, Gerald Wallace, Jay-Z, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Reggie Evans, Trades
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