Iannelli Preparing for Track Season at Texas Lutheran University
La Grange’s Brenna Iannelli in action during cross country season at Texas Lutheran University.
Brenna Iannelli limited her cross country activity during the fall.
The La Grange High School graduate competed in only the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Cross Country Championship as the Texas Lutheran University sophomore recovered from injury.
She said she was affected by runner’s knee in each knee. “Generally you only get it in one knee,” she said.
The ailment started as “pain when I’d run,” she said. “It started lingering on, when I was sitting up and studying or walking.”
She iced the knees daily, took medication prescribed to help with the inflammation and had regular physical therapy, she said.
To hasten the recovery process, she competed just once because Iannelli said, “It’d be better for me to hold off and stay healthy.”
“Leading up to the conference meet, I only ran in intervals,” she said. “I would run about every other day.”
She modified training by varying her distances, some days running 400 meters and others 800. She completed the conference 6K in 44th place among 65 finishers, seventh among the Bulldogs.
Her knees are feeling better, and she is preparing for track and field season. “I like the diversity that track and field brings,” she said. “I’m able to perform in more events.”
During the past track season, she competed in the 400 and 800 runs, 400 hurdles, pole vault and triple and high jumps. “A lot of the events were fairly new to me,” said Iannelli, who specialized in the pole vault and 800 and 1,600 runs during high school.
She placed fifth in the pole vault and sixth in the 400 hurdles at the conference outdoor championship in April, scoring in each. It was her first time competing in the hurdles. She was seventh in the triple jump and missed scoring by one place.
The pole vault and 400 hurdles will be her featured events this season, she said, with an emphasis on improving in the hurdles. “I’m very new in that,” she said. “She (coach) liked what she saw.”
Women’s beach volleyball
Erin Treybig is not on the Abilene Christian University roster. The Schulenburg High product was a freshman on the squad last spring. She is no longer on the roster for the indoor volleyball team, which in December added a new head coach. The setter did not play an indoor match during the fall.
Men’s basketball
Out of Schulenburg High, Victoria College freshman Alex Lozano had one rebound against Paris Junior College.
Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at jdanddoc@gmail.com.