Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Sept 15, 2008 0:36:25 GMT -5
Local skater joins brother to train in Salt Lake City
Posted by Mike Spencer | The Bay City Times September 14, 2008 07:32AM
Morgan Izykowski, 17, is leaving her family and friends behind and heading West.
It's all in the name of moving her short track speedskating career forward, perhaps to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Izykowski, a senior at Essexville Garber High School, will live with her 24-year-old brother, Alex, in Salt Lake City, Utah, about 30 minutes from the Kearns Olympic Oval used in the 2002 Winter Olympics. She will train on a daily basis with 53 other Category 1 speedskaters including members of the United States Speedskating short and long track teams.
"This was by far the toughest decision I've ever had to make," said Morgan, who left Saturday morning with her father for the 1,700-mile drive to Salt lake City. "It is a big move and a huge sacrifice, but I'm willing to leave the comforts of home and take my speed skating commitment to the next level."
Morgan's big brother, Alex Izykowski, left home when he was 16 to train at the Olympic Training Center in Marquette. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 2006 Winter Games' relay in Turin, Italy.
Still, Morgan's departure will be an adjustment for her parents, Al and JoAnn Izykowski of Monitor Township.
"I've been working and trying to keep busy so I wouldn't have to think about this day," JoAnn Izykowski said. "We are prepared, but when she's gone, I think both Al and I will have a hard time with this."
Morgan, a National Honor Society student with a 3.97 grade point average at Garber, went out to visit her brother last month for two weeks and to explore the possibility of moving.
"The biggest motivation in moving is obviously the training environment," said Morgan, who skated with some Japanese and Australian skaters during the visit. "The program offers more athletes to train with who have similar goals and abilities and much more access to ice time.
"Being in that kind of environment - near to so many other past Olympians and current Olympic hopefuls - is really motivating."
Her brother agrees.
"It's a great environment to stay focused and motivated," Alex said. "We have international competitions and training camps, several national teams and a few development groups and even club level skaters.
"And that's something you can't find in Bay City."
The Iyzkowskis will be the second brother/sister combination training in Utah, U.S. Speed Skating officials say. South Carolina's Lauren Cholewski, a member of the U.S. long track sprint team is out there with her brother, Clay, who is on a club program.
"Alex has lived and trained full-time at one of the Olympic training centers or with the national teams since I was 9," Morgan Izykowski said. "This is not just an opportunity for us to reconnect, it's an opportunity for me to tap into his knowledge and experience of having already gone through all the things that I face now."
Alex acknowledges training life isn't always easy to adjust to.
"Hopefully me being here will help," he said.
Al Izykowski said Morgan's move is a far cry from when he dropped Alex off eight years ago at the dormitories at Northern Michigan University, signing over legal guardianship to two coaches.
"I wasn't real comfortable doing that ... leaving a boy with braces sitting on a bed ... a long way from home," Al said. "But I don't know if you ever are when your kids move on to the next stage of independence."
Morgan Izykowski, who turns 18 on Nov. 12, is a "little more independent," than Alex was when he departed, the Izykowskis say.
Still leaving friends behind is difficult, Morgan said.
"The hardest thing for me is saying goodbye to the students (at Garber) and all my friends."
Allen Atkari, principal at Garber High School, said the district is very proud of Morgan and will miss her work ethic. He said she needs only a handful of credits in Salt Lake City to finish up her graduation requirements.
"Morgan has accomplished in three years what a lot of students do in four," Atkari said.
Morgan was invited to train a year ago at the Olympic Education Center in Marquette after she earned Category 1 status by being among the top 16 junior speedskaters in the country. She chose to stay home instead.
"I've always known that I would have to move to be competitive at the highest level. It was just a matter of when," she said. "With the Olympic Trials just 12 months away, it feels like it's time."
Morgan, a member of the Bay County Speedskating Club, has trained under coach Joe Rohraff for the past six years.
"It's like sending one of your kids off to college," Rohraff said. "You don't want to see them go, but when it's for the right reasons, it's always a good departure."
Rohraff said he still has a core group of Olympic hopefuls, including Rachel Skrocki of the Bay County club. But it won't be the same.
"Morgan's absence will have a definite effect," he said.
Morgan Izykowski is coming off a good 2007-08 season, despite a sluggish start.
"I accomplished almost everyone of my goals," Morgan Izykowski said. "But the expectations for this year are quite a bit higher and the competition continues to get tougher every year."
The first competition of the new season will be the Short Track American Cup I (Sept. 27-28) in Minneapolis, Minn. Morgan will return to Bay City to compete for the U.S. Junior Championships Nov. 14-16 at the Bay County Civic Arena.
The top three men and women at the nationals will represent the U.S. in the Junior World Championships Jan. 9-11 in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
"I just missed making the Junior World Team last season and that is my No. 1 goal this season," she said.
All she has to do now is get through the adjustment period in Salt Lake City.
And having family there is sure to help.
"We're a lot more secure with this," said JoAnn. "Morgan will have her big brother to watch over her."
- - - - - -
GOOD LUCK, MORGAN! ;]
I hope the move helps you achieve your goal of making the JR World team.
Posted by Mike Spencer | The Bay City Times September 14, 2008 07:32AM
Morgan Izykowski, 17, is leaving her family and friends behind and heading West.
It's all in the name of moving her short track speedskating career forward, perhaps to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Izykowski, a senior at Essexville Garber High School, will live with her 24-year-old brother, Alex, in Salt Lake City, Utah, about 30 minutes from the Kearns Olympic Oval used in the 2002 Winter Olympics. She will train on a daily basis with 53 other Category 1 speedskaters including members of the United States Speedskating short and long track teams.
"This was by far the toughest decision I've ever had to make," said Morgan, who left Saturday morning with her father for the 1,700-mile drive to Salt lake City. "It is a big move and a huge sacrifice, but I'm willing to leave the comforts of home and take my speed skating commitment to the next level."
Morgan's big brother, Alex Izykowski, left home when he was 16 to train at the Olympic Training Center in Marquette. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 2006 Winter Games' relay in Turin, Italy.
Still, Morgan's departure will be an adjustment for her parents, Al and JoAnn Izykowski of Monitor Township.
"I've been working and trying to keep busy so I wouldn't have to think about this day," JoAnn Izykowski said. "We are prepared, but when she's gone, I think both Al and I will have a hard time with this."
Morgan, a National Honor Society student with a 3.97 grade point average at Garber, went out to visit her brother last month for two weeks and to explore the possibility of moving.
"The biggest motivation in moving is obviously the training environment," said Morgan, who skated with some Japanese and Australian skaters during the visit. "The program offers more athletes to train with who have similar goals and abilities and much more access to ice time.
"Being in that kind of environment - near to so many other past Olympians and current Olympic hopefuls - is really motivating."
Her brother agrees.
"It's a great environment to stay focused and motivated," Alex said. "We have international competitions and training camps, several national teams and a few development groups and even club level skaters.
"And that's something you can't find in Bay City."
The Iyzkowskis will be the second brother/sister combination training in Utah, U.S. Speed Skating officials say. South Carolina's Lauren Cholewski, a member of the U.S. long track sprint team is out there with her brother, Clay, who is on a club program.
"Alex has lived and trained full-time at one of the Olympic training centers or with the national teams since I was 9," Morgan Izykowski said. "This is not just an opportunity for us to reconnect, it's an opportunity for me to tap into his knowledge and experience of having already gone through all the things that I face now."
Alex acknowledges training life isn't always easy to adjust to.
"Hopefully me being here will help," he said.
Al Izykowski said Morgan's move is a far cry from when he dropped Alex off eight years ago at the dormitories at Northern Michigan University, signing over legal guardianship to two coaches.
"I wasn't real comfortable doing that ... leaving a boy with braces sitting on a bed ... a long way from home," Al said. "But I don't know if you ever are when your kids move on to the next stage of independence."
Morgan Izykowski, who turns 18 on Nov. 12, is a "little more independent," than Alex was when he departed, the Izykowskis say.
Still leaving friends behind is difficult, Morgan said.
"The hardest thing for me is saying goodbye to the students (at Garber) and all my friends."
Allen Atkari, principal at Garber High School, said the district is very proud of Morgan and will miss her work ethic. He said she needs only a handful of credits in Salt Lake City to finish up her graduation requirements.
"Morgan has accomplished in three years what a lot of students do in four," Atkari said.
Morgan was invited to train a year ago at the Olympic Education Center in Marquette after she earned Category 1 status by being among the top 16 junior speedskaters in the country. She chose to stay home instead.
"I've always known that I would have to move to be competitive at the highest level. It was just a matter of when," she said. "With the Olympic Trials just 12 months away, it feels like it's time."
Morgan, a member of the Bay County Speedskating Club, has trained under coach Joe Rohraff for the past six years.
"It's like sending one of your kids off to college," Rohraff said. "You don't want to see them go, but when it's for the right reasons, it's always a good departure."
Rohraff said he still has a core group of Olympic hopefuls, including Rachel Skrocki of the Bay County club. But it won't be the same.
"Morgan's absence will have a definite effect," he said.
Morgan Izykowski is coming off a good 2007-08 season, despite a sluggish start.
"I accomplished almost everyone of my goals," Morgan Izykowski said. "But the expectations for this year are quite a bit higher and the competition continues to get tougher every year."
The first competition of the new season will be the Short Track American Cup I (Sept. 27-28) in Minneapolis, Minn. Morgan will return to Bay City to compete for the U.S. Junior Championships Nov. 14-16 at the Bay County Civic Arena.
The top three men and women at the nationals will represent the U.S. in the Junior World Championships Jan. 9-11 in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
"I just missed making the Junior World Team last season and that is my No. 1 goal this season," she said.
All she has to do now is get through the adjustment period in Salt Lake City.
And having family there is sure to help.
"We're a lot more secure with this," said JoAnn. "Morgan will have her big brother to watch over her."
- - - - - -
GOOD LUCK, MORGAN! ;]
I hope the move helps you achieve your goal of making the JR World team.
~Lori