Photo of the Day | December 16, 2022

Smith a rising star for Spartans

SJO quarterback Logan Smith pitches the ball to running back Tyler Burch during St. Joseph-Ogden's home football game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Smith, who was nominated to 2nd Team in the Illini Prairie Conference and earned an All-State Honorable Mention by the IHSFCA, had a stellar 2022 season. Moving into the top four of every passing statistic for the Spartans, he has tied for the Most TD Passes in a Game, Most Completions in a Game, and Most Passing Yard during the regular season. The junior threw 28 TD passes, completing 148 out of 245 for 2,582 yards during the 2022 season. SJO won the Senior Night season finale, 34-20.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Barber and Mboyo-Meta lead Tigers in conference win over visiting Danville

URBANA - It took 34 months, to the day, for the Urbana girls' basketball program to finally post a win on their home court at Oscar Adams Gym. A week ago Thursday, after holding visiting Danville to just eight first-half points, the Tigers (2-4) posted a 40-24 win over the Vikings.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Destiny Barber goes up for one of three first-quarter scores during Urbana's home game against Danville on December 8. Barber finished with eight points in the Tiger's first home win since 2020.

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The last time the girls' program celebrated a victory on their hardwood dates back to a 64-47 win over visiting Bloomington High School when most of the squad were playing freshman ball back on February 8, 2020.

"It's been almost two and half years since we had a home win. They earned this one," Head coach Bobby Boykin said after the game. Despite their current record, he is pleased with the strides his team is making this season. "They have really grown and are starting to come together."

The Tigers return eight players who saw significant playing time from the previous season. Many of last season's familiar faces contributed to last week's win.

Destiny Barber and Gabreille Mboyo-Meta led the Urbana offensive effort with a game-high eight points a piece. Junior guard Aziyaha Davis finished with seven points, and Jasmine McCullough rounded out the top four scorers for the Tigers with six points.

Barber, a senior, scored six of her eight points in the first quarter with assists from Davis, who forced turnovers to create an abundance of scoring opportunites for UHS in the first half. With the help Mboyo-Meta and McCollough, the Tigers put up an 11-point lead on scoreboard.

Urbana continued to stretch the gap on the scoreboard all the way to the end of the third quarter boasting a 22-point advantage.

"Danville is definitely a hardworking team," Boykin said, acknowledging Danville's attempt to dig themselves out of an impossible situation. "We tried our best to be the same tonight."

Layla Johnson paced the Vikings with seven points.

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Box Score

Urbana 40 - Danville 25

	1	2	3	4	F
Urbana	14	6	14	6	40
Danville	3	5	4	13	25

Urbana --
Barber 4(0)-2-0--8, Davis 3(0)-3-1--7, Mboyo-Meta 2(1)-4-1--8, Schroeder 1(1)-0-0--5, McCullough 2(0)-4-2--6, Sprague 1(0)-3-0--2, Hall 1(0)-0-0--2, Blanden 0(0)-2-0--0, Lange 1(0)-0-0--2, Hall 0(0)-2-0--0.

Danville --
Johnson 3(0)-2-1--7, Blandeo 0(0)-0-0--0, Rudy 0(0)-6-1--1, Berryhill 2(0)-4-2--6, Longfair 1(0)-0-0--2, Walls 1(0)-3-1--3, McFarland 0(0)-0-0--0, Brown 0(0)-0-0--0, Parker 0(0)-0-0--0, Johnson 0(0)-0-0--0, Taylor 1(0)-0-0--2, Foley 2(0)-0-0--4, Winston 0(0)-0-0--0.

Shoveling heavy snow may increase risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac episode

by The American Heart Association

Photo: Todd Trapani/Unsplash

DALLAS — Clearing sidewalks and driveways of snow may be essential to keep from being shut in, however, the American Heart Association urges caution when picking up that shovel or even starting the snowblower. Research shows that many people may face an increased risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest after shoveling heavy snow.

The American Heart Association’s 2020 scientific statement, Exercise-Related Acute Cardiovascular Events and Potential Deleterious Adaptations Following Long-Term Exercise Training: Placing the Risks Into Perspective–An Update, notes snow shoveling among the physical activities that may place extra stress on the heart, especially among people who aren’t used to regular exercise. Numerous scientific research studies over the years have identified the dangers of shoveling snow for people with and without previously known heart disease.

The lead author of that scientific statement and long-time American Heart Association volunteer Barry Franklin, Ph.D., FAHA, is one of the leading experts on the science behind the cardiovascular risks of snow shoveling. He has authored a number of studies on the topic, estimating that hundreds of people die during or just after snow removal in the U.S. each year.

"Shoveling a little snow off your sidewalk may not seem like hard work. However, the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research we’ve conducted." said Franklin, a professor of internal medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan. "For example, after only two minutes of snow shoveling, study participants’ heart rates exceeded 85% of maximal heart rate, which is a level more commonly expected during intense aerobic exercise testing. The impact is hardest on those people who are least fit."

A study conducted in Canada a few years ago found that the chance of heart attack after a snowfall increased among men but not among women. The study found that, compared to no snowfall, a heavy snow – about 7-8 inches – was associated with 16% higher odds of men being admitted to the hospital with a heart attack, and a 34% increase in the chance of men dying from a heart attack.

Photo provided by AHA

Franklin said winter weather in general can contribute to the increased risk. Cold temperatures may increase blood pressure while simultaneously constricting the coronary arteries. Those factors, combined with the higher heart rate from the extra physical effort, may increase the risk for acute cardiac events. There are even studies that show an increased risk for heart attacks among people using automatic snow blowers. Similar to the extra exertion of pushing shovel, pushing a snow blower can raise heart rate and blood pressure quickly.

"The impact of snow removal is especially concerning for people who already have cardiovascular risks like a sedentary lifestyle or obesity, being a current or former smoker, having diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, as well as people who have had a heart attack or stroke," he said. "People with these characteristics and those who have had bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty simply should not be shoveling snow."

Franklin said the most important thing is to be aware of the dangers, be prepared and take it easy, including taking short breaks. Even people who are relatively healthy should note that pushing the snow with a shovel is better physically than lifting and throwing it.

The American Heart Association urges everyone to learn the common signs of heart trouble and if you experience chest pain or pressure, lightheadedness or heart palpitations or irregular heart rhythms, stop the activity immediately. Call 9-1-1 if symptoms don’t subside shortly after you stop shoveling or snow blowing. If you see someone collapse while shoveling snow, call for help and start Hands-Only CPR if they are unresponsive with no pulse.

Learn more about cold weather and cardiovascular disease here.