The city of Boulder is famous for a great many things, not least some of our sporting heroes.
The city is surrounded by thousands of acres of recreational space, which has seen some high-profile sportspeople learn their trade before going on to bigger and better things. We’ve also got strong college teams, with ESPN reporting that the Colorado Buffaloes recently reached the semifinal of the Pac-12 Conference tournament. Of those players, some might just make it big, joining the famous faces we already count as our own.
Some were born here; they walked the streets in their youth and imbued the Boulder spirit to take with them on their sporting travels. Others have moved here, adopting our slice of America for themselves, and in doing so brought sporting glory with them.
Who are these famous people, what did they do, and who did they do it with? Here are four of Boulder‘s famous sons who have made our city proud.
Tony Boselli is a former offensive tackle with the Jacksonville Jaguars, although he also had a short spell with the Houston Texans. He spent his youth here, attended USC and was drafted second pick in the 1995 draft. He made history by being the first-ever draft pick of the new Jaguars franchise. How the Jaguars could do with him now; they’re almost always rank outsiders for success, and they are in the bottom four in the football odds on Ladbrokes looking ahead to Super Bowl LVII next year. However, such was the excitement when he signed; local burger outlets started selling the Boselli Burger in his honor! He is a five-time Pro-Bowl player and a source of pride in Colorado and Florida, where he now resides.
Shane O’Neill
Shane O’Neill wasn’t born in the US; he’s an Irish soccer player who came to Boulder after his father, All-Ireland winning Cork Gaelic footballer Colm O’Neill, won a green card through the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery program. Local soccer fans were delighted he did; O’Neill signed for the Rapids when he hit 18, playing 58 MLS matches. He had spells abroad, with Apollon Limassol, NAC Breda and Cambridge United, before joining Seattle in 2020. He appeared 45 times for the Sounders and has been capped by the USMNT up to Under 23 level. He recently joined Toronto, who are among the outsiders for MLS success. We love an underdog team here in Boulder!
Eagle Wynne McMahon
If O’Neill and Boselli represent outsiders, then McMahon is a true world champion born right here in Boulder. He is a professional disc golfer, ranked number one in the world. Disc golf is based on normal golf, but players have a disc to throw at a target instead of a club and a tee. It might not sound conventional, but there are more than 71,000 active members of the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) worldwide. McMahon has won more than 50 events, including the Konopiste Open and National Tour Series in 2018.
Matt Hasselbeck
Hasselbeck is another who grew up in Boulder and ascended to the NFL. Curiously, he also played in Seattle just like O’Neill, although he was also on the books of the Packers, Titans and Colts. He was a three-time Pro-Bowl player in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He now lives in Weston, Massachusetts, and has worked for ESPN as a color commentator. Oddly, both him and his wife, Sarah, have been struck by lightning.
Chestnut Mountain Resort in Galena may be known for its winter activities but it also offers plenty of outdoor recreation during the warmer months as well. And if flying downhill on a mountain coaster in Illinois is something you’ve always wanted to try, you’ll have to head to Chestnut Mountain Resort this summer.
During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.
Found along the Mississippi River in Galena, Chestnut Mountain Resort is mostly known for its winter activities like skiing and snowboarding. However, it is a premier destination for both relaxation and recreation in Illinois year-round.Chestnut Mountain Resort is home to a 119-room lodge with two restaurants, an indoor pool, a hot tub, and plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy all year long.
If you’re looking for a thrilling adventure when the weather starts to heat up, head to this resort for its alpine mountain coaster.
Start at the top of the alpine slide where you’ll wait your turn to slide down 2,050 feet to the banks of the Mississippi River.
After twisting and turning all the way to the bottom of the slide, take the lift for a ride back to the top. Along the way, take in the scenic landscape views around the resort.
The alpine slide opens Memorial Day weekend. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall and 7 years old to ride alone. Children under 7 must ride with an adult.
Also offered at Chestnut Mountain Resort during the summer months is a river cruise, segway tours, the Soaring Eagle Zipline, mini-golf, disc golf, and bike rentals. But how fun would it be to try the alpine slide?
How would you like to fly downhill on a mountain coaster in Illinois? Have you ever been on an alpine coaster before? Let us know in the comments if you have! The alpine coaster runs seasonally, opening Memorial Day Weekend. To learn more, visit the Chestnut Mountain Resort website and Facebook page.
If you’re visiting Chestnut Mountain Resort, head to this post to learn more about the town of Galena it resides in.
Address: 8700 W Chestnut Mountain Rd, Galena, IL 61036, USA
FARMINGTON — The sport of disc golf, before seen perhaps a niche activity, has quickly grown into a sport of international recognition.
With active tournaments in more than 20 countries around the globe and nearly 10,000 courses designed for disc golf across North America, the sport has found a niche for those who want to get out and about.
The Professional Disc Golf Association, which consists of more than 213,000 members, shows the roots of disc golf dating back to the 1970s, complete with all the frustrations and joys of golf, but with a few differences.
Disc golf is often free to play in public parks, although pay-to-play courses have been trending upward in recent years. A casual round takes one to two hours and may be played alone, eliminating the difficulty of scheduling tee times.
More:Farmington, Shiprock events to recognize National Vietnam War Veterans Day
But perhaps the greatest attribute of the sport is the relatively low economic impact to play. A professional quality disc costs roughly $15, and it only takes one for basic play.
“It’s honestly a very awkward game, throwing something that looks like a frisbee into a basket,” joked Cameron Otero, owner of Chasin Aces Disc Golf and Supply and promoter of disc golf events around the Four Corners. “There’s a lot of technique you have to learn, just like with any sport. You sort of just have to jump in.”
More than 50 players of various ages and skill levels turned out Saturday morning at Lions Wilderness Park to compete in an event presented by Prodigy Disc, makers of official gear for the sport.
The course at Lions Wilderness consists of rugged, but not dangerous terrain where discs can find rocks and trees. The players were broken up into groups of four and made their way around the course in just a few hours.
“No one wakes up and knows how to be a disc golfer, but it’s just got so many benefits,” Otero said. “
The sport grew immensely in popularity during the pandemic, with people looking for safe, outdoor activities that broke up the monotony of being stuck at home.
“The sport is still growing in record numbers right now,” Otero said. “When the pandemic hit, people were looking for something to do while they were tied down. It had social distancing, it was outdoors, it was safe. Now it just continues to grow in popularity.”
In the men’s competition, Aztec’s Devin Stalcup scored the lowest number of the day in the Par 2 event at Lions Wilderness, carding a 66 over a round of 30 holes, one shot better than Angelo Topaha, Craig Lozier and Phillip Johns.
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Among the women competitors, Michelle Saggboy from Moab, Utah had the score of the day, with a 72. In the junior rounds, Josiah Billy and Amethyst Whitmark each won their respective rounds.
The PDGA has events sanctioned events scheduled around the country this year leading to the national championship, which is coming up Oct. 13th in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Regional events like the Treebash Open, scheduled for Flagstaff on July 15, will likely be a stopping point for some area and local disc golfers.
“The sport is getting bigger here in New Mexico,” Otero said. “There’s some really elite players around this part of the country.”
For more information about the local disc golf community, check out discgolfscene.com.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at [email protected], via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
March 27, 2022 by Charlie Eisenhood in News, Recap with comments
Paige Pierce. Photo: DGPT.
TYLER, Tex. — Paige Pierce added a stroke to her lead at Texas States on day two, sending her into the final round with a five shot advantage.
Pierce wasn’t as sharp as she was during round 1, carding no eagles on Saturday and finding two fewer greens in regulation. Still, she put together a 4-under par 63, just one stroke off the hot round, Maria Oliva’s 5-under. Pierce managed to mostly stay clean despite three OB strokes. She scrambled to save par on four holes, her lone blemish a double bogey on hole 14. Her blend of power and putting accuracy continued to prove to be big weapons. Opening up with this putt on hole 1 to take a stroke on the entire lead card was an early statement:
Paige Putt Hole 1
Slow starts from Catrina Allen and Kristin Tattar helped set Pierce up to expand her advantage. Allen’s typical prowess off the tee wasn’t there in the front nine; she went 2-over and only had one look at birdie. She picked it up with an excellent back nine, carding five birdies to finish 3-under on the day. Tattar, meanwhile, had a lot of long birdie looks in the front nine and couldn’t convert; she too started pouring in the birdies in the back and matched Pierce’s 4-under for the round. She and Allen are tied at 8-under on the tournament, five shots back.
Hot Round
Maria Oliva has looked very much at home on the bomber holes at The Thorn in her home state. She was tied for the lead in greens in regulation at 67% and moves on to the lead card for the final round after posting a 5-under 62. She left some birdies on the course from Circle 2 as well. Like Tattar and Allen, she got her round going a little bit late, carding her first birdie on hole 6.
“I knew I wasn’t really shredding, but I was kind of just not making any mistakes,” said Oliva. “And I think I just tried to keep doing that, and I did.”
Tough Holes
Holes 2, 3, and 15 all went unbirdied on Saturday. Between the three, there were only two birdies during round one: Paige Pierce on hole 2 and Stacie Hass on hole 15.
On hole 3, only one player has even reached the green in regulation: Ella Hansen, who drove it to Circle 2 on the 464 foot par 3. She missed the putt. It could become the first hole this season to see zero birdies from the field.
Catrina Allen’s Putting Has Been an Asset This Season
Have we ever seen this much confidence from Catrina Allen around the green? She’s long been a good long-range putter, but she is putting with a ton of confidence right now both inside and outside the circle. She’s 4th at Texas States in strokes gained putting, thanks in large part to a superb 57% C2 putting percentage. While her 65% C1X number isn’t as impressive, some of that data is clouded by the layups on hole 1’s pyramid green. It’s clear to see that she has improved, especially from what used to be a shaky 15-25 foot range.
Overheard
“If it was as calm as yesterday, I don’t think a 4-under would have cut it, but with the wind picking up a little bit more today, I was thinking between 5 and 7 would be my goal. A couple short putts kept me from that goal and that’s easy to improve on.” – Paige Pierce
Shot of the Day
Ohn Scoggins is STRONG on hole 17:
Ohn Scoggins Bicep Kiss
Round Two Highlights
FPO Round Two Highlights Texas States 2022
What To Watch For
It’s going to be very tough for anyone to catch Paige Pierce unless she has a very bad round: there are just too many open tee shots with distance proving to be a separator. How will the battle for podium spots shake out? Maria Oliva’s best finish on Tour last year was 7th at Ledgestone. She has the tools to get a 2nd place result this weekend.
Johnson City has a robust variety of recreational options for residents and visitors who want to get some fresh air, and those opportunities are continuing to grow.
Hiking and biking
Tweetsie Trail: This 10-mile trail for walkers, runners and riders is a rails-to-trails project built along the former East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad right-of-way between Johnson City and Elizabethton. The railroad was known as the “Tweetsie.”
The Tweetsie Trail begins at the corner of Alabama and Legion streets in Johnson City at a trailhead that includes paved parking, benches, water fountains, a bike repair station, and a portable restroom.
Buffalo Mountain Park: Buffalo Mountain is a 725-acre mountainside park featuring nine miles of looping hiking trails of varying difficulty. The park functions as a nature preserve primarily for hiking, picnicking, and nature programs.
Pinnacle Fire Tower Trail: The 4.5-mile Fire Tower Trail goes to the top of Buffalo Mountain and provides a view of the Buffalo Valley, Unicoi and the surrounding mountains.
Tannery Knobs: Tannery Knobs is a 40-acre, wooded bike park crisscrossed with seven, professionally-designed off-road and paved trails of varying difficulty.
The park also offers scenic views and opportunities for hiking and trail running.
Parks
Winged Deer Park: The 200-acre Winged Deer Park features softball fields, batting cages, an 18-hole disc golf course, half-mile walking track and paved fitness trails.
The park’s lakefront area features two sand volleyball courts, picnic shelter with restroom, public boating access, green space, lighted handicap accessible boardwalk, amphitheater, and a Festival Plaza multi-use area with restroom.
Soon, the city will be adding a new athletic complex that will include diamond fields for softball and baseball as well as new soccer fields. The facility will help the city host large tournaments.
Willow Springs Park: This 36-acre park in southwest Johnson City includes walking trails, picnic pavilions, and the Johnson’s Depot playground that features train and village-themed play elements. Willow Springs also has a 1.6-acre enclosed dog park.
Founders Park and King Commons: These two parks feature unique green spaces in the heart of downtown Johnson City. The 5-acre Founders Park includes an amphitheater, walking paths, a creek, and a variety of public art.
King Commons is a 3-acre recreational and event space with walking paths, an amphitheater, the Wildabout mural, a playground featuring natural elements, and a history circle highlighting significant dates from Johnson City’s first 150 years.
Rotary Park: The 10.4-acre park include six covered picnic shelters, restrooms, picnic tables, multi-use playing field, and an all inclusive playground area.
Pine Oaks Golf Coure: Pine Oaks is an 18-hole municipal golf course suitable for golfers of all skill levels. The course features a learning center, league play and a pro shop.
Kiwanis Park: This 9-acre neighborhood park was established in 1949. It includes a baseball field, basketball courts and a new playground funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Foundation.
The playground includes a swing set, play areas for children ages 2 to 12, a community pavilion and fitness stations. In December, the city announced plans to build a new pavilion at the park.
Metro-Kiwanis Park: Located on Guaranda Drive, this park totals 15 acres and is used primarily for softball league games. The park includes a concession area, restrooms, two picnic shelters, a playground, two lighted softball fields and five tennis courts.
Keefauver Farm park project: Johnson City is developing a new park at the former Keefauver Farm in the Boones Creek area. The 50-acre property is at the corner of Hales Chapel Road and Shadden Road. The city has hired McGill Associates to develop a master plan for the park, and the firm has presented three concepts to city leaders derived from public feedback.
ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.
RASPBERRY (raz’ber’e) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.
•ROSES to a new disc golf course that will be installed in April at Deerfield Park, southeast of South Albany High School.
The 9-basket course is intended for beginners, and you’ll likely see parents teaching children the sport.
Deerfield Park has been an underutilized bit of green space for years, so it’s nice to see the city of Albany making the most of the wide-open site.
The Disc Golf Club of Albany also is paying for the course, so that saves the city a small expense.
And speaking of money, disc golf is a great activity in part because it doesn’t cost very much to have a nice walk in the park. You only need a disc or two – though some players carry a full arsenal with them, of course.
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The mid-Willamette Valley is something of a hotbed for disc golf with quality courses at Waterloo County Park outside Lebanon, Bryant Park in Albany, Adair County Park in Adair Village and Willamette Park in Corvallis. This adds another option.
•ROSES to the Albany Police Department and its efforts to connect with residents via the social media platform TikTok, where the agency has roughly 700,000 followers.
For the most part, APD does fun videos for the sake of community building. That’s important in a day and age when many people don’t trust law enforcement.
“(We’re) showing we’re just regular people who like to have fun and are not scary like the uniform can come across,” said Laura Hawkins, APD community engagement officer, who started the organization’s TikTok account.
The short videos don’t take much staff time and are often shot in one take. The comic relief also is important for officers whose jobs can get a bit tough and dark. Trust us on this one. We’ve sat through trials where the testimony was harrowing.
The agency users additional social media sites to get its message out, such as Facebook, and that’s been critical to help find missing children and with other cases.
While there are public safety announcements and tips through TikTok, that isn’t the main point of the app for the agency.
Still, thanks to APD’s huge following, we’d love for it to do a few more helpful reminders on the platform to focus on its core mission – and to silence critics who say the outreach is a waste of taxpayer money.
•ROSES to a $24 million construction project on the Oregon State University campus that will make conditions safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers along Southwest Washington Way.
Unfortunately, the project includes the elimination of more than two dozen maple trees and 123 parking spots. That seems like a small price to pay for increased safety for students, workers and Corvallis residents.
Thankfully, parking isn’t a major issue at OSU, and that likely won’t be the case moving forward. You can almost always find a parking spot at OSU, though you also should be prepared for a healthy walk to the heart of the campus.
The project includes dividing the roadway from a wider pedestrian walkway and a two-lane separated bicycle track – the first of its kind in Corvallis. Crosswalk accessibility also will be improved, fencing installed and lighting will alert passersby of oncoming trains.
Work is scheduled to be completed in multiple phases during the next two years.
•ROSES to local efforts to help Ukraine and deliver medical supplies, protective gear and other resources to the war-torn country, whose residents are fighting a Russian invasion.
Those efforts are too numerous to mention in this limited space, but we’d like to highlight one in particular.
Hannah and Misha are a Corvallis couple, but they met in Ukraine, where he’s from.
With the war, they’ve returned to his homeland with nearly a ton of supplies, some of which was supplied by the Corvallis Sister Cities Association.
Additional donations can be directed to @steviethevagabond on Venmo or you can find “Help Us Help Ukraine!” on Go FundMe.
You can also go to the “Ukraine: How to help” article on our websites.
How much blame do enablers within Trump’s party deserve for the upheaval that is threatening to tear our country apart?
The university must make systematic and funding changes going forward with regards to sexual harassment and violence prevention and survivor support.
Some people galvanize the community, and Melissa Goff is one of them, but not in a good way.
An overzealous cleanup at a Lebanon cemetery has given the community a bit of a black eye, and that’s a shame.
While the expansion of the Coffin Butte regional landfill is unfortunate, it seems necessary and it’s the best option for mid-Willamette Valle…
Live coverage, commentators, and next day coverage.
March 24, 2022 by Charlie Eisenhood in Coverage, News, Video with comments
The third stop on the 2022 Disc Golf Pro Tour is the Texas State Disc Golf Championships in Tyler, TX, on March 25-27.
The opening two rounds of live coverage from Texas States will only be available on the Disc Golf Network, the DGPT’s over-the-top subscription service.
What is the schedule of live video streams for the 2022 Texas State Disc Golf Championships?
Round 1 coverage begins Friday, March 25, at 10:30 AM Eastern on the Disc Golf Network.
The round 1 FPO feature card that tees off at 10:50 AM Eastern is:
Catrina Allen
Holly Finley
Valerie Mandujano
Maria Oliva
FPO lead card coverage will begin at 10:30 AM Eastern each day.
MPO coverage begins at 4:30 PM Eastern each day.
The round 1 MPO feature card that tees off at 4:50 PM is:
Ricky Wysocki
Chris Clemons
Luke Humphries
Niklas Anttila
Is there any free coverage of the 2022 Texas State Disc Golf Championships?
Final day live coverage is available free of charge on the DGPT YouTube Channel while live coverage of rounds 1 and 2 will be exclusive to Disc Golf Network.
JomezPro, GK Pro, and Gatekeeper Media will have next-day round coverage on YouTube for free.
JomezPro will cover MPO Lead Card. Round 1 coverage will feature Matt Orum, Paul McBeth, Jeremy Koling, and Linus Carlsson.
GK Pro will cover FPO Lead Card. Round 1 coverage will feature Allen, Finley, V. Mandujano, and Oliva.
Gatekeeper Media will cover MPO Chase Card. Round 1 will feature Albert Tamm, Connor O’Reilly, Kevin Jones, and Mason Ford.
Who is commentating the 2022 Texas State Disc Golf Championships?
Ian Anderson will be doing play-by-play with Philo Brathwaite MPO color and Christine Jennings providing FPO color on the live coverage from the Disc Golf Network.
Terry Miller will be in Texas providing updates from the course.
Will there be a press conference at the 2022 Texas State Disc Golf Championships?
Yes, the DGPT is airing a live press conference at 3 PM Eastern on Thursday, March 24. Watch here:
Texas State Disc Golf Championships Press Conference
Tentative Press Conference Schedule (All Times Central)
An analysis of Salonen’s form and recent putting woes
March 24, 2022 by Patrick Aubyrn in Analysis with comments
Eveliina Salonen. Photo: Jamie Thomas – UWDG
Eveliina Salonen might be the best tee-to-green player in the game. Watching her mash on a driver is thrilling. Her throwing form is powerful and athletic, and she is an expert shot shaper with an ability to throw with great finesse both backhand and forehand. Salonen is also a midrange technician; her approach shots are deliberate and controlled. When you see her play, you can’t help but marvel at her precision.
The stat sheet backs up the eye test: Salonen leads the tour in parked percentage and circle 1 in regulation and ranks second in fairway hits, third in C2 in regulation, and fifth in scramble percentage.
However, Eveliina Salonen is struggling mightily on the green, and her poor putting has offset her throwing prowess of late.
At the Las Vegas Challenge, she only converted 51% of her C1X putts (18/35) and 5% of her C2 putts (1/19). At the Waco Annual Charity Open, she converted an abysmal 17% (5/29) of her C1X putts and 0% (0/12) of her C2 putts. Her early season averages across those seven rounds—36% C1X putting (23/64) and 3% C2 putting (1/31)—rank her last among touring professionals.
The stark difference between throwing and putting is perhaps best demonstrated by strokes gained and lost at WACO. Salonen led the field with 23.39 strokes gained tee to green—9 points better than Valerie Mandujano, 13 better than Kristin Tattar, and 16 better than Catrina Allen—but she lost 13.99 strokes putting, which ranked dead last for the tournament by 5 strokes.
But let’s set the record straight: Eveliina Salonen is not a bad putter.
According to the available UDisc and Metrix Statistics from 2019-2021, Salonen averaged 66% C1X putting (358/543) and 7% C2 putting (22/281) during that three-year span. Neither of those numbers is stellar, but they are significantly better than her 2022 averages thus far. Compared to the field writ large, her three-year average ranks in the middle of the pack. Only 9 percentage points separated the tenth best C1X putter on tour in 2021 (73%) from the 40th (64%).
Notably, Salonen has been remarkably consistent over the aforementioned three-year span as well. Here is how her numbers break down on a year-to-year basis1 —
In 2022, Salonen is missing nearly 50% more putts per round from C1X when compared to the previous three years. In an attempt to diagnose the problem, I went back and watched all of the available tournament footage of Salonen from 2021 and 2022. What was the tale of the tape? Would an in-depth film analysis allow me to hypothesize what accounts for the dip in her percentages?
Avid fans of the women’s game followed the European tournaments closely in 2021, especially the Prodigy Disc Pro Tour (PDPT) in Finland and the European Disc Golf Championship (EDGC). One event stands out as the tipping point that precipitated her current struggle: a disastrous five-putt triple bogey on the 18th hole to end her third round at the EDGC:
Eveliina Round 3 EDGC 2021 Five-Putt
Salonen was unbeaten (4/4) on the PDPT heading into the EDGC and led the continental championship by nine strokes heading into the 18th hole on Saturday. In that moment, she gave up four strokes to Henna Blomroos, the eventual winner, but more unfortunately, her experience on the 18th green clearly shook her confidence, and she turned in her worst performance of the season to date on the green the next day, carding five two-putts and two three putts from inside the circle. She lost eight strokes to the field and twelve to Blomroos on the green on Sunday.
But the box score doesn’t tell the full story.
Rewind to the previous day. The 54th hole started out promising. Salonen hucked a midrange disc approximately 410 feet downhill, which left her 36 feet short of the pin. Putting toward the gallery, she whiffed wide right from C2, and her disc settled about 14 feet away. Salonen putts quickly, but this time she appeared to rush her routine and flung her attempt wide right at band height. Normally even keeled and genial on the course, Salonen was visibly angry with herself after missing this putt. For good reason. It was the third time that day she missed a putt from inside of 18 feet, and the second time in four holes that she pulled it wide right and missed the target entirely from inside of 20 feet.
Next, the unthinkable. Salonen missed her comebacker from 16 feet, barely drawing chains right, then splashed out right on the ensuing 15-footer. Watching the sequence in its entirety is excruciating.
These missed putts were shocking because Salonen had been money from 11-24 feet prior to August 13, 2021. In fact, through fourteen rounds encompassing the first four tournaments on the PDPT and the first two rounds of the EDGC, Salonen was on pace to have her best season on the green by a wide margin. Heading into moving day at the EDGC, she had converted 79% of her C1X putts (118/150), and the vast majority of her C1 misses in the previous four tournaments were in the 25-33 foot range.
Over the final nine rounds of her season, encompassing the last two rounds of the EDGC, the Finnish Championships, and the last stop on the PDPT, Salonen only converted 50% of her C1X putts (53/106), but it was really only the final round at the EDGC where she looked completely lost on the green.
Before attempting to assess what might be causing the prolonged dip in Salonen’s putting performance, we should break down her mechanics from the first half of the 2021 season when she was in peak form.
Salonen prefers a staggered stance, though she appears equally comfortable putting from a straddle. Regardless of stance, she first squares up the basket with her shoulders. At the top of her downswing, Salonen extends her right arm fully at about shoulder height. She grips her putter along its right rim with her thumb pointed at the target and her left hand lightly supporting the disc. From there, she simultaneously begins lowering the disc and loading her lower body. The longer the putt, the lower her crouch. Both hands support the disc at the beginning of its descent, but the left breaks away naturally before Salonen begins her throwing motion. She lets her right elbow soften as she draws the putter slightly toward her midsection.
Salonen begins her leg drive just before initiating the whip-like motion that characterizes her putt. It’s the same movement you might use to snap a towel. Her right elbow breaks out to the right side of her body as she cocks her wrist. At the same time, she begins to rotate her torso slightly, pushing her right shoulder forward while her right elbow initiates the extension back toward the target. She typically releases the disc with a snap of the wrist and on a slight hyzer angle. When her timing really clicks, her putts come out with a slight wobble but good velocity and a relatively direct trajectory, not breaking much above band height.
Here are some examples:
Eveliina Putting, Front View
Eveliina Putting, Side View
In other words, Salonen’s default putting stroke is fundamentally sound. When she was struggling in the second half of 2021, it looked like her timing and release point were slightly off, but her form remained otherwise consistent compared to the first half of the season.
So what’s different in 2022?
Based on my analysis of footage from the Las Vegas Challenge, the Memorial, and the Waco Annual Charity Open, I have noticed the following tendencies:
Salonen lobs the disc a bit more now than she did historically, especially on longer putts. It appears as though she is trying to drop the disc into the basket rather than putting it through the chains. Perhaps on account of the loftier toss, her putter often flies on a steeper hyzer angle as well.
Compare this birdie putt from the third round of 2022 WACO:
Eveliina WACO Miss
To this birdie putt from the third round of 2021 Turku:
Eveliina Turku Make
She alternates more frequently between stagger and straddle stances, seeming to prefer the latter, and it looks as though she is engaging her lower body less, though this could be an intentional move to economize motion. More crucially, the timing between lower and upper body looks slightly off. Compare this missed birdie putt at the 2022 LVC:
Eveliina LVC Miss
To this par putt from the 2021 Turku:
Eveliina Turku Make #2
At WACO, Salonen putted with Innova Aviars instead of Discmania P-Line P2s. The classic Aviar is most similar to the P2 in shape but would be an unusual choice for a windy weekend because it is a more neutral flier. The Aviar driver is more overstable than a P2 but feels considerably different in-hand owing to its big bead. Notably, she has been using a P2 for the past five years since 2017, perhaps longer, and neither of the putters she used at WACO were featured in her bag check video from March 11.2
Overall, I would characterize her putting stroke and its results in 2022 as inconsistent. For every putt that dies to the left, glancing off the chains or the cage, she will drill one in the heart of the basket. Sometimes it clicks, like during the first round of the Memorial, and sometimes it doesn’t, like at WACO.
Some pundits have suggested that she should start over from scratch. I disagree. Salonen is a consummate champion in the midst of a putting slump. In my opinion, she needs to rediscover her form from the beginning of the 2021 season when she was converting 79% of her C1X putts. Recommit to the stagger stance, engage the legs more, throw on a lower trajectory with more velocity, and put the P2s…ahem, Infinite Alpacas…back in the bag.
Winter has come and gone, but funds are still on the way for unsheltered veterans.
With an event titled “Game of Throws” the group Nation’s Finest aim wasn’t just at cornhole boards on Saturday, it was also raising funds for unsheltered veterans returning home from duty. The event at Napa Smith Brewery was just one of nine sites in three different states (California, Arizona, Nevada) with a mission to raise awareness and $150,000 in funds for homeless veterans.
Nation’s Finest is a nonprofit that was founded 50 years ago that serves over 3,500 veterans and their families every year. Its primary focus has been on housing, mental health, case management and employment services. It was founded in 1972 by three veterans in Santa Rosa and has been ticking ever since.
Staff Sergeant Jesus Escobar tosses a bag Saturday as he competes in the Game of Throws corn hole tournament. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
That being said, the primary focus on Saturday was to meet new people, have a few beers and throw a small bag a few feet into a small hole and gain 21 points.
“This feels great and I’m so happy to see all the community come out and support the veterans,” Nation’s Finest Case Manager Nicole Stinnett said. “This event began when we started thinking about ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary and got a real big push starting in January. I think my favorite part has been seeing the faces of the players when they see what prizes they are going to win.”
Stinnett hopes to make the event an annual one. The prizes included a gas grill, a wheel barrow full of liquor, tickets to Great America, a tank ride at America Armory Museum and a 55-inch television, just to name a few, according to Stinnett.
But while there was a lot of prizes to be given out, there was also plenty of awareness on the homeless veteran issue to be told.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that homeless people want to be homeless,” Stinnett said. “That is not at all true. But it takes months to gain a veterans trust because they’ve been let down so many times before.”
Staff Sergeant Jesus Escobar, who has been in the Army for five years, was at the event and sank a few big throws.
“I’m here to support veterans who aren’t getting the overall help they need,” Escobar siad. “So I’m happy to be here.”
So was Terresa Rodriguez, who has been in the Army for 11 years.
“I’m not going to play today. I’ll be the referee,” said Rodriguez, with a laugh. “But I love how the whole community has come together to support the veterans. I think the biggest thing people should know (about unsheltered veterans) is that you need to be patient. Veterans are going through a whole lot that can’t really be explained by anyone but them.”
Reese Levasseur is a veterans that served from 1992 to 2002 in Operation Desert Storm, while also being in one of the first units to serve overseas after 9/11. He was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2005 that has confined him to a wheelchair. He currently works as a light armor vehicle operator.
“I was kind of an adrenaline junkie when I came back from serving,” Levasseur said. “I had developed this Superman complex that I could do anything and I think that’s one of the reasons I got hurt.”
That being said, Levasseur appears to have no kryptonite, as the man competes in many sports such as cornhole. He won a gold medal in 2019 for off-roading. He also plays disc golf.
“I’m looking forward to the camaraderie today,” Levasseur said. “And I’m always up for something helping veterans. People sometimes can’t understand the kind of stress level people go through when coming back. We’re hoping to raise awareness so congress can pass some bills that will help with mental health care and help make the transition easier for veterans.”
Levasseur’s teammate, Troy Plunkett, the president and CEO of Sci Active Network, is also in a wheelchair. Although not a veteran himself, he was thrilled to be on hand for the event Saturday. Plunkett said he’s been playing cornhole for three years.
“I play here pretty often, so when I saw they were holding an event to help support homeless veterans I wanted to be here and show my support,” Plunkett said. “Hopefully we get a great turnout. It’s nice to do something local and help out the homeless, because that’s a big issue here. They don’t get the support that they need. A lot of people think that veterans don’t want the support because they were in combat and are too proud to ask for help. That’s not true. We need more resources to help people get back into their jobs and way of living.”
Stinnett has never played cornhole before, but said she would eventually play before the day was over.
“They talked me into it. But I think it’s so they can make fun of me,” Stinnett said, with a laugh.
“It’s really important that we stand behind the veterans,” Stinnett continued. “We’re here to support them in any way we can.”
March 26, 2022 by Charlie Eisenhood in News, Recap with comments
Paige Pierce. Photo: DGPT
TYLER, Tex. — On the longest course the women have played this season, Paige Pierce made it clear why she has long held the mantle of #1 in the division.
Pierce used her distance advantage over the field to reach holes others couldn’t and cashed in some long birdie putts to put together a 1020-rated 9-under par 58, giving her a four shot lead heading into day two. Pierce’s lead could have been even bigger, but she took a double bogey after going out-of-bounds on hole 15 when most players were carding par.
Catrina Allen continued to flash her strong overall game with improved putting that’s gotten her off to a great start this season. She’s in second place at 5-under par, one stroke ahead of Kristin Tattar and Missy Gannon.
Kat Mertsch also continued her strong play, hitting 13 Circle 1 putts from outside of 15 feet with no misses. She sits in fifth place at 3-under par.
Paige’s Separator Holes
Let’s take a look at some of Paige’s “bonus birdies” (or eagles) today:
Hole 2 (741 ft, par 4) — Birdie (the only one of the day)
Hole 8 (564 ft, par 5) — Eagle (1 of 3)
Hole 13 (562 ft, par 4) — Birdie (1 of 2)
Hole 14 (426 ft, par 3) — Birdie (1 of 3)
Hole 17 (780 ft, par 5) — Eagle (1 of 2)
Pierce was the only player to card two eagles during the round. Unsurprisingly, she led round 1 in strokes gained from tee-to-green (6.44), more than a stroke better than Kristin Tattar in the second spot (5.21).
A Course Built for MPO
It’s hard not to look at Round 1’s scores and not feel like the new Thorn layout at Lindsey Park was not well considered for FPO play. This has become an unfortunate theme at a number of tournaments. From comically easy holes (hole 16, a 459-foot par 4 that only two players bogeyed) to impossibly difficult ones (hole 3, a 464-foot par 3 that literally nobody birdied), there are simply too many holes that don’t really set up well to test the FPO players’ skills. It’s not just about the relationship to par; it’s about considering how FPO players will play a hole and creating scoring separation opportunities.
Look at the difference between MPO hole results:
And FPO hole results:
There are holes (like 3, 11, 16, and 17) that just aren’t separating players effectively.
Eveliina’s Putting Woes Continue
Eveliina Salonen may be a good putter, but she sure is not at the moment. She opened her round with a five-putt on the pyramid-elevated basket on hole 1 en route to missing 11 inside-the-circle putts and going 0/7 from Circle 2. Once again, Salonen was elite from tee-to-green (3rd, +5.2 strokes) and disastrous on the green (dead last, -7.18 strokes).
It will be difficult for her to compete without turning around the putting.
Kona Panis Bounces Back
Kona Panis is tied for 13th at even par after shooting just the second round of 2022 above her rating (950 rated round v. 948 rating). A slow start gave way to a lot more birdies in the back nine, and although the putter was still not a strong point, she started to hit her lines much better off the tee and finished top 10 in getting to the green in regulation.
Hello, Stacie Hass
The second-place finisher at the 2021 PDGA Junior World Championships, Stacie Hass was the surprise top 10 finisher after round 1 at Texas States. She shot an excellent 4-under in the back nine without a bogey, turning around a rocky start. She was 5th in getting to the green in regulation (61%). If she can clean up some of the early mistakes, she could push higher up the leaderboard.
Overheard
“Kinda everything felt good. My putts felt good; I was getting off the tee really clean except for one hole. And I think that’s what it takes to put together a good round, an all-around good game.” – Paige Pierce
“I had some good shots today that impressed myself. And that’s what I’m looking for as a competitor — I don’t want to be content. I want to throw shots that impress me and make me strive to hit it again.” – Paige Pierce
Shot of the Day
Paige Pierce was simply able to separate with shots like this one on hole 14, a 426 foot par 3. She put her drive inside the circle and went on to cash the putt:
