SVSU sends students and faculty to present at regional sports medicine conference

SVSU sends students and faculty to present at regional sports medicine conference

Saginaw Valley State University student Taylor Taraski's study on the mobility of Division II football players won high praise at a recent regional sports medicine conference.

On Friday, Nov. 10, Taraski was among the four exercise science students that traveled to Grand Rapids to present at the two-day Midwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Of the 670 people that attended, this Oxford native won the award for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation with her presentation "Movement Deficiencies in Division II Male Football Athletes as it Relates to Class and Position." Jeremy Knous, associate professor of kinesiology at SVSU, mentored Taraski on this project.

The study involved examining 43 student-athletes by measuring their physical performance during a number of exercises. The project concluded that identifying deficiencies in physical performances would allow for the utilization of training protocol aimed at enhancing performance.

Three other SVSU exercise science majors presented their own projects at the conference as well, under the guidance of Meghan Baruth, assistant professor of health sciences; Samantha Deere, assistant professor of kinesiology; and Becca Schlaff, associate professor of kinesiology.

Kiersten Mead, from Saginaw, discussed her work entitled "Care Provider Physical Activity and Nutrition Discussions According To BMI." Anya Odabasic, from Midland, outlined her research on the "Patterns of Sedentary Behavior in Pregnant Women." Ashlyn Swafford, from Tekonsha, presented her work, "Examining Relationships Between Pregnancy Symptoms and Gestational Weight Gain."

To view these students click here: http://svsu.meritpages.com/achievements/SVSU-sends-students-and-faculty-to-present-at-regional-sports-medicine-conference-/81978