Urbana dominates Normal West for conference tennis win

Urbana's Karl Bonito hits a volley back over the net in their home match against Uni-High last month. Teamed up with Santi Lleras in the #2 doubles slot, the pair defeated Tyler Cunningham and Dane Schlipmann in their road conference match at Noral West, 8-4. The Tigers' varsity tennis team brought home the W after dominating the Ironmen, 6-3.

Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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NORMAL - There is no better feeling than walking away with a pair of wins after a varsity tennis match. You can bet Urbana's Ian Peters and Xander Ashley were happy campers after helping UHS pick up a 6-3 team win over host Normal West on Tuesday.

After dropping a first close set 7-5 at #1 singles for Urbana, Ashley rallied back to win the second set 6-2 to force a tiebreaker. Having West's Rolen Schlipmann's number, and the momentum still in his favor, he took the third set 10-5.

Later, paired up with doubles partner Luke Pankau at #3 doubles, the duo rolled past Ironmen Nolan Lampert and Andrew Cunningham for breadstick, 8-1.

Like Ashley, Peters also dropped his first set during his singles match against Normal West's Tyler Cunningham. The senior recovered from the lopsided 6-1 loss to take the second set 6-3. Still in command in the 10-point tiebreak, he took the match with an impressive 10-3 win.

With teammate Joe Solava as his doubs partner, the two ground out a hard-fought victory over Ironmen duo Rolen Schlipmann and Evan Pattelli, Normal West at #1 doubles, 8-6.

Also picking up wins for the Tigers were Dominic Urban at #6 singles and # doubles pair Santi Lleras and Karl Bonita.

BOX SCORE ~

Singles:
No. 1 - Xander Ashley, Urbana def. Rolen Schlipmann, Normal West, 5-7 , 6-2 , 10-5
No. 2 - Evan Pattelli, Normal West def. Joe Solava, Urbana, 2-6 , 6-4 , 10-2
No. 3 - Ian Peters, Urbana def. Tyler Cunningham, Normal West, 1-6 , 6-3 , 10-3
No. 4 - Dane Schlipmann, Normal West def. Santi Lleras, Urbana, 6-3 , 3-6 , 10-4
No. 5 - Nolan Lampert, Normal West def. Karl Bonita, Urbana, 6-3 , 7-5
No. 6 - Dominic Urban, Urbana def. Michael Zaleski, Normal West, 6-2 , 6-7 (5), 10-8

Doubles:
No. 1 - Joe Solava - Ian Peters, Urbana def. Rolen Schlipmann - Evan Pattelli, Normal West, 8-6
No. 2 - Santi Lleras - Karl Bonita, Urbana def. Tyler Cunningham - Dane Schlipmann, Normal West, 8-4
No. 3 - Xander Ashley - Luke Pankau, Urbana def. Nolan Lampert - Andrew Cunningham, Normal West, 8-1

FINAL: Urbana 6 - Normal West 3

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Boosting your immunity, expert offers a few tips

Photo provided

NewsUSA - The recent pandemic highlighted the importance of keeping your immune system strong and healthy. According to Leonard A. Farber, MD, a healthcare executive and expert in emerging technologies and their impact on public health, a weak immune system increases your risk not only for developing illness, but an even more severe case if you do become ill with something such as COVID, says Dr. Farber, who also serves as a spokesperson for nutritional supplement manufacturer Quadramune.

Fortunately, there are many ways the average person can strengthen his or her immune system. In many cases, following the obvious and well-known advice to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly can help boost your immune system. Other factors include avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and incorporating ways to relieve stress, such as with yoga, tai chi, or other mindfulness-related activities.

In addition, the right nutritional supplements can play an important role in reducing inflammation in the body and supporting a healthy immune system, says Dr. Farber. “At early stages, our bodies’ inflammatory response can fight off infection as well as play an integral role in injury repair. When inflammatory cells reach an unhealthy level such as in chronic inflammation, they can trigger your body’s immune system to attack healthy tissues and organs,” Dr. Farber explains.

Nutritional supplements, such as those developed by Quadramune, are designed to help keep the immune system in balance. Anti-inflammatory foods such as salmon, tofu, walnuts, grapes, and olive oil can have a positive effect on the immune system, and many of the active ingredients in these foods are actually found in Quadramune supplements.

The Quadramune supplements provide the benefits of infection-fighting power and protection against chronic inflammation, according to the company website. Several key ingredients in Quadramune supplements include:

Pterostilbene. A natural dietary compound that has shown antioxidant activity and inflammatory properties.

Epigallocatechin gallate. This powerful antioxidant plant compound boasts antioxidant properties and potential ability to help protect the lungs and promote healthy T cell activity.

Sulphoraphane. This natural plant compound has been shown to help reduce inflammation, which may help protect your lungs and reduce your vulnerability to respiratory infections.

Thymoquinone: phytochemical compound found in the plant Nigella sativa. This active ingredient is chemically related to hydroxychloroquine, but with no prescription needed. It has demonstrated to stimulate natural killer (NK) cells which are antiviral, and is a potential antiviral itself based on its mechanistic effects on cells.

This combination of ingredients “can be immune stimulating or boosting and preventative of an unhealthy immune response,” says Dr. Farber. “This allows the body a better chance not only to fight the onset of an infection or inflammatory reaction but also to lessen the severity of certain illnesses, especially those that are inflammatory-based in nature,” he adds.

For more information, visit buyquadramune.com.

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Save $$$ - Solid tip on how to avoid high-cost smartphone repair bill

Photo: Militiamobiles/Pixabay

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StatePoint Media - From listening to music to watching movies, connecting with family to counting steps, Americans say in a new study that they depend on their smartphones like never before. And they are putting their money where their mouth is. The amount of money they spent on screen repairs surged to $8.3 billion in 2023, nearly tripling the amount spent in 2018 ($3.4 billion).

In its latest Mobile Mythconceptions Survey, Allstate Protection Plans found that despite the rising amount spent on smartphone repair, Americans are actually damaging their devices less frequently. In the past 12 months, 78 million Americans reported damaging a device compared to 87 million during a comparable period in 2020.

Cost Conscious Consumers
Last year, the three most frequent accidents and malfunctions reported were: damaged screens (67%), Wi-Fi or connectivity issues (28%) and touchscreen problems (24%).

Philipp Zurawski/Pixabay

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When Americans do damage their phones, repair costs remain a significant concern for many. In fact, 49% of Americans would not repair a damaged smartphone that still functions due to the high costs involved. This could be in part due to sticker shock and misconceptions around the cost of smartphone ownership. The survey found that the average cost for repairs and replacements is now $302, yet 47% of Americans think repairs cost $150 or less. The top reason given by respondents who have damaged a smartphone for avoiding or delaying repairs was the cost, with 39% saying they could not afford it.

The Race to Repair
Smartphones have taken center stage, with 45% of smartphone owners spending five or more hours a day glued to their screens and the overwhelming majority saying their phone has completely replaced their digital camera. So it’s no surprise that despite cost concerns, many American smartphone owners don’t delay when dealing with damage, with 27% saying they would initiate screen repairs within a day due to the importance of their phones in everyday life. When it comes to broken buttons, 36% say they would wait a day or less to repair their phone, 30% for damaged speakers, 29% for broken microphones and 22% for broken cameras.

The good news? With a high-quality case, you can help prevent damage, and with a protection plan in place, you can avoid hefty out-of-pocket costs when mishaps do occur. For information on plans, which cover repair costs on everything from battery failure and cracked screens to liquid damage and touchscreen failure, and which are available to both individuals and families, visit AllstateProtectionPlans.com.

Since the introduction of the smartphone, Americans have spent $149 billion on repairs and replacements. By taking a few precautionary measures, smartphone ownership can be a much more affordable prospect.

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