Coming up with the term for a “collared Scotty dog fracture†would stump most people, but for a team of athletic training students from Indiana State University, "spondylolysis" rolls off the tongue with ease.
ISU students brought home top honors in the 2007 College Quiz Bowl competition at the recent Indiana Athletic Trainers Association annual meeting in Indianapolis.
In besting 27 teams from other Indiana colleges and universities, the three-member team of Kirsten Bondy of North Salem; Jacob Tucker of Lawrenceville, Ill.; and Ashley VanBuskirk of Terre Haute, was presented with the 2007 Golden Scissors Award and will be representing the state of Indiana at the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association Quiz Bowl competition in March 2008.
ISU also captured second place through the efforts of team members Adam Moore of Terre Haute, David Hassler of Terre Haute, and Hannah Smith of Hartford City.
A Ball State University team took third place.
The teams were coached by Michelle Landis, ISU associate athletic trainer.
“All of the students in the competition did a great job, but ours just shined that day,†Landis said. “The environments that we provide them prepare them academically and clinically, but the majority of the credit goes to the dedication of our students who work very hard and come out well-rounded professionals.â€Â
During the two-day competition, students were asked questions from all domains of athletic training, including medical care, anatomy of the human body, legal issues in health care, and more.
Bondy said her team’s first-place win can be attributed to the knowledge she and her teammates have accumulated throughout four years of studying and practicing
athletic training.
All undergraduate athletic training students at ISU are required to complete clinical rotations. In addition to this clinical experience, Bondy completed a paid summer internship position at Methodist Sports Medicine Center/The Orthopedic Specialists in Indianapolis.
“I was employed by one of the orthopedic knee surgeons as a clinical and research assistant, where I worked directly with patients and other allied health professionals in the clinic setting,†Bondy said. “Through opportunities like this, we take concepts from the classroom and apply them to clinical situations. Having this hands-on experience helped us during the quiz bowl competition.â€Â
Bondy also presented research at the annual meeting. In her case study, “Bilateral Osteochondral Defects in a Collegiate Men’s Basketball Player,†she presented the history of an ISU athlete, how the injury occurred, how it was treated, and the outcome.
“The case study was well-received and I have submitted the abstract to our district for
potential selection to be presented at the district meeting in March,†Bondy said.
Tucker also presented a research project on “Appropriate Athletic Medical Coverage in Indiana and Illinois Colleges and Universities.â€Â
As a student leader with a strong academic record and active involvement in professional organizations, Bondy has earned the respect of her mentors. During the IATA annual meeting, Bondy received the organization’s Dr. Robert Behnke Undergraduate Scholarship and was awarded $1,000. In September, Bondy was named a recipient of the Linda Craig Memorial Scholarship from the Indiana Pacers organization.
ABOUT ISU’S ATHLETIC TRAINING PROGRAM
One of the first four undergraduate athletic training programs in the country; and one of the first two graduate athletic training programs in the country, and the first to admit women, Indiana State University’s athletic training program enjoys a national reputation with a network of alumni throughout the world at professional sports organizations, universities and in health care settings.
ABOUT ISU’S ATHLETIC TRAINING CLINICAL PROGRAM
The Athletic Training Clinical Program has been designated one of Indiana State’s Programs of Promise, which enabled it to gain additional funding through the Lilly Endowment's Initiative to Recruit and Retain Intellectual Capital for Indiana Higher Education Institutions in conjunction with ISU's "Fulfilling the Promise" strategic plan.
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ISU Quiz Bowl Team
Cutline: Pictured with Paul Plummer, Indiana Athletic Trainers Association president, are members of the winning IATA Quiz Bowl team and 2007 Golden Scissor Award recipients from Indiana State University: Kirsten Bondy, Ashley VanBuskirk and Jacob Tucker.
Contact: Michelle Landis, associate athletic trainer, Indiana State University, 812-237-4062 or mlandis2@indstate.edu
Writer: Katie Spanuello, media relations assistant director, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or kspanuello@isugw.indstate.edu