November 26, 2008

The Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located in Talladega, Alabama. It’s the largest (and second most steeply banked) oval track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and has seating provisions for over 175,000 patrons.

Whether it has been mixing it up with the boys in stockcar competition or setting speed records, female drivers have a long and storied history at Talladega Superspeedway.

To mark 4o years of racing, Talladega takes a look back at what a number of women have accomplished at NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track over the years:

Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James set her first speed record at Talladega Superspeedway in 1985 when she broke the 200 mph mark in a Ford Mustang Probe Prototype. She followed up that feat with a 212.577 mph women’s national speed record in a Ford Thunderbird on Oct. 11, 1988.

Patty Moise
Moise trumped St. James’s speed records in 1989 by driving 216.607 mph around Talladega Superspeedway. She went on to set another record in 1990, moving the bar to 217.498 mph on Jan. 23rd. Moise also competed in the ARCA RE/MAX, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup series’ at Talladega Superspeedway. She earned two pole awards in ARCA competition in April 1988 and July 1988. Her best finish at Talladega was seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1995.

Janet Guthrie
Guthrie competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series three times at Talladega Superspeedway, with an average starting position of 11th.

Shawna Robinson
Robinson had two top-ten starts in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition at Talladega Superspeedway, with a best finish of sixth in the 2000 ARCA RE/MAX Series 250.

Erin Crocker
Erin Crocker competed three times at Talladega Superspeedway; twice in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and once in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. She recorded top-20 finishes in each of her outings, with a best of fourth in the 2005 ARCA RE/MAX Series 250.

The next generation of famous female racers have already begun competing at Talladega Superspeedway. The ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 in October featured three female drivers, with Chrissy Wallace (daughter of Mike Wallace and niece of Rusty Wallace) scoring a best among the women ninth-place finish.

Jill recently took time out of her busy schedule to talk to Pretty Tough. Find out more about this amazing player, coach and woman.

Vital Stats:Name: Jill Pauline Oakes
Sport: Soccer
Age: 24-yrs-old
Hometown: Encino, CA
College: UCLA
Position: center midfielder/defender
Music: Alicia Keys
Food: Vegetarian
TV Show: Project Runway

PT:  Tell us about your soccer background/training; how old were you when you started playing? What position(s) do you play? What are some highlights from your youth, club, high school, college, international and pro soccer experiences?

JO: I started playing AYSO at 8-yrs-old (Allstars) and moved to Club at 10-yrs-old for the Valley United Stars (I went to Santa Anita Strikers for senior year in high school). I started ODP (Olympic Development Program) at 12-yrs-old. 

Then, State team, Regional Team -USYSA Adidas All Star team in high school -Harvard-Westlake School (captain, CIF champs, Mission League Offensive MVP, CIF Defensive MVP) - First camp with Full US Women’s National Team July 2002 -Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year 2002 -Parade Magazine High school Soccer Player of the Year 2002 -FIFA Under-19 World Cup Champion (2002)

College, UCLA… freshman All-American, 2nd team All-American, First team All-American, two-time NCAA College Cup finalist, captain.

First cap with Full Women’s National Team: Algarve Cup, March 2005, Portugal, Match vs. Denmark-Under-21 National Team member at multiple Nordic CupsAmateur: W-League…New Jersey Wildcats (’06), Vancouver Whitecaps All-Western Conference defender (’07), Pali Blues W-league Champion & All-League midfielder (’08)Professional: Damallsvenksan (SWEDEN), fall ‘07…Team: Falkopings KIK

PT: Wow! Impessive. Did you love soccer right away? Did you play any other sports? Did you dominate during high school? How has your playing style changed over the years?

JO: I absolutely loved soccer immediately. At 8-yrs-old, it was the first organized sport that I participated in. I had done ballet and karate a little, but there was something about soccer that I connected with. I loved being on the team. I seemed to be a natural, making the All-Star team my very first year and on. I was always a very quiet and shy and fairly introverted person (with strangers), but soccer allowed me to express myself. I gained attention from others for my talent. I made new friends and always had the respect of my teammates. It was a great feeling. I was extremely fortunate to excel at every level available, moving my way up fom AYSO All-Stars to ODP to youth National teams to UCLA, and now to the professional level.I have been very consistent with my playing style throughout my entire career. I was a “stopper” my first year in AYSO and today I still consider defensive/holding midfield to be my favorite and strongest position. I feel that I’m calm and simple; I’m a ball winner; I like to organize things and keep things positive.

PT: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

JO: “Be unreasonable.” I love this advice because people can always justify why you CAN’T do something, why something CAN”T happen or it WON’T happen. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Reasons, reasons, reasons. Pursue your dreams. Be unreasonable in your pursuit. Let nothing be the reason you CAN’T have whatever you want! If failure was not an issue, what would you create for your life? Then, create it.

PT: What makes you Pretty Tough?

JO: I have always valued ‘balance’ in my life. I never wanted to ONLY be one thing. I’m a tough, aggressive soccer player, yet I definitely have a girly side. In high school, I was in the Advanced Dance program and was a high school cheerleader! In fact, I was a co-captain one year. And even now, I have a small business as an independent jewelry distributor for a company called Premier Designs Inc., presenting at-home jewelry parties for women! I love it. It’s empowering. It’s uniting. It’s 100% girly. It’s pretty tough!

PT: Thanks so much for you time and good luck on the pitch!

Editors Note: Follow Jill and the WPS when they start play next April.

November 21, 2008

And today, Sorenstam’s storied LPGA Tour career is coming to an end.

From ESPN:

The 72-time tour winner shot a 3-over par 75 on Friday at the ADT Championship, making her 5 over through two rounds of the LPGA’s season-ending event. The projected cut was 1 over, meaning it was virtually certain Sorenstam’s week — and career — was done.

“I know it’s over,” Sorenstam said.

She announced six months ago she was leaving the tour at year’s end to pursue business interests, get married and start a family. Sorenstam is still is No. 2 in the world rankings, but at 38 she says it’s time for new challenges.

Annika’s legacy is undeniable.  Often called the female Tiger Woods,  Sorenstam locked up 72 LPGA titles, made more than $20 million in earnings on the LPGA, and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2003.

A win this week would have been the perfect ending to her career, but alas…the legend departs before our eyes.  She is, and has always been, a class act who will be sorely missed on the LPGA. 

After her LPGA Tour swansong this week Sorenstam will play in the Lexus Cup in Singapore later this month before bringing down the curtain on her competitive career at the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters.

Sorenstam won’t be out of the limelight for long however.  Surely she’ll be back for a random tournament here and there and she’s launching a signature fragrance called ANNIKA for Mother’s Day 2009.  The fragrance is said to evoke the essence of Annika -  confident, casually elegant and naturally beautiful.  Won’t be nearly as good as watching her play but hey….it’s something.

Annika Sorenstam website

November 17, 2008

Sixteen year old high school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a pro team in the Kansai Independent League that will launch in April.

With a side-armed knuckleball in her arsenal, Yoshida took part in a tryout held earlier this month and passed with flying colors. She threw a hitless inning against male batters during a tryout this month and was among 33 players picked in the draft.

“I always dreamed of becoming a professional,” Yoshida told a news conference Monday. “I have only just been picked by the team and haven’t achieved anything yet.”

At five feet, 114 pounds, Yoshida says her inspiration is fellow knuckleballer Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox.

A female professional baseball federation existed for a few years in the 1950s, but Yoshida will become Japan’s first-ever woman to play alongside professional male players.

No doubt we’ll be hearing much more about this young phenom in the future.

November 13, 2008

Since she joined the LPGA in 2003, Lorena Ochoa’s 24 tournament victories are second only to Annika Sorenstam. Last year she became the first woman to earn more than $2.9 million in a single season, topping $4.3 million in prize money.

Ochoa, who turns 27 on Saturday, takes another big step in her career today when she plays host to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at her home course in Guadalajara, becoming the 15th woman in history to have her own LPGA tournament.

The LA Times reports that while Ochoa has come to define women’s golf, the sport is a long way from defining her.

“Who wins a golf tournament or leaves with that beautiful trophy is only a memory for a while,” Ochoa says in a second-floor ballroom overlooking the Guadalajara Country Club course, where she learned to play the game while in kindergarten. “And it’s only satisfaction mostly for you and the people around you. It sounds a bit selfish. I prefer to be remembered for other things. Being a good person. Giving back to the community and help[ing] others.”

Ochoa’s humility is evident in all aspects of her daily life. While others on the LPGA tour travel in private jets or at least fly first class, Ochoa insists on going coach. And as many as a dozen times each year she sets aside a morning to meet or make breakfast for the groundskeepers at tour stops.

The world’s No. 1 women’s golfer also has a foundation that helps with education in her native Mexico. She helped save an elementary school in one of Guadalajara’s poorest neighborhoods and now La Barranca has 245 students and a waiting list of dozens. Ground is about to be broken on a high school complex next door, a $650,000 project funded by Ochoa’s foundation.

For Ochoa, challenges come in a variety of shapes and sizes and she tackles all of them with a stroke of genius.

Holly has worked in the adrenaline sports industry for over eight years as a skydiving camera flyer and rock climbing instructor. She has over 2000 skydives, including 1200 camera jumps.

Check out Budge’s interview with “The Early Show” where she tells what it was like on the top of the world free falling into the record books.

October 31, 2008

Great Britain’s Radcliffe, who won New York in 2004 and 2007, owns a world best at the 26.2 mile distance with a time of 2:15:25. Her daughter, now 21 months, seems a lucky talisman. Radcliffe looked in fine form last weekend as she won the 10-mile Great South Run in a British record time.

Throughout her pregnancy Radcliffe trained, in fact she trained until the day before she delivered Isla and she started running again 12 days after giving birth in January 2007. After her win there was a lot of debate about how much one can or should exercise during pregnancy but clearly an elite level athlete is different from the general population.

Radcliffe’s target now is a third victory in New York, the most by any woman after Grete Waitz’s nine triumphs between 1978 and 1988. Approaching her 35th birthday next month and coming off a 23rd-place finish at the Beijing Olympics where injuries hampered her preparation, Radcliffe hopes she is fit enough to defend her New York title.

Radcliffe insists she has nothing to prove this year. Even if she did win in New York in 2004 to rebound from Olympic disappointment and last year in her first marathon as a mother.

Seeking another New York marathon revival, Radcliffe’s husband and manager, Gary Lough, said she was her old self three weeks after the Beijing Games and is doing her customary preparation, averaging between 130 and 140 miles a week.

 According to Mary Wittenberg, the New York race director, being a “marathon mom” is now all the rage.

Wittenberg said: “I can’t stress enough how important Paula is to get people interested in running. Paula’s win after having Isla only 10 months before had a ripple effect throughout New York City and beyond.“

It’ll be interesting to see see how many more moms are running this year over previous years.

Mother or not, Radcliffe faces a deep field that includes last year’s runner-up Gete Wami, and another Ethiopian, Dire Tune, who is seeking her second major marathon victory this year after winning in Boston.

Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, coming off a silver medal in Beijing, chases her ninth major marathon title but her first in New York and American Kara Goucher is a bright spot running in her first marathon. A bona-fide star on the track and in cross country, Goucher has run few road races—but last September, she upset Radcliffe in a half-marathon.

So after New York, what’s next for Radcliffe? She hasn’t counted out a possible run at the London Olympics yet.  Radcliffe believes passion, rather than age, will determine whether her Olympic career is over.  The long road to London may well begin in New York.

See mommy run.

(Editors Note: Radcliffe successfully defended her title at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2 2008 to become the second woman to win the race three times. Her time: two hours, 23 minutes, 55 seconds.)

Check out this WSJ interview with one of the winningest female players in tennis history.

Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Today, Tincher lists her favorite things.

Fave TV Show: Heroes

Fave Song: Anything by Rascal Flats and Keith Urban

Fave Magazine: Sports Illustrated

Fave Book: Anything by John Grisham

Fave Subject: Math

Fave Athlete(s): Jessica Mendoza and Stacy Nuveman

Fave Movie Star: Jennifer Garner

Dream Job: Playing softball for the rest of my life

Girliest Thing You Like to Do: Get a pedicure

Thanks, Angela! 

Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Today, Tincher shares what it’s like to play professional softball. 

Team: Akron Racers
Location: Akron, Ohio
2008 Record: 19 wins 29 loses
Season: Summer: June - August 

What’s a typical day like for a National Pro Fastpitch Player?
Each week during the season, we play four games in a row. On a typical game day, the games are at night. We usually sleep in during the morning. After we get up, we hang out at the house for a little bit. During the afternoon, we eat a good lunch and try to arrive at the field between three and four. Then, we warm up for three hours before the game. During the season when we’re not playing, we usually have a practice. And some days, we hold pitching and hitting clinics to help out kids. Other days, we make appearances and hang out with fans. 

Where do the players live? 
The team owns a few townhouses ten minutes from the stadium. Each house holds three teammate/roommates. 

What’s the best thing about being a NPF player?
Being paid to do what we love to do. Being able to keep playing as long as possible. 

What’s the average salary like for a NPF player?
It averages around $3000 to $5000 for rookies.  Each team has a $100,000 salary cap divided up between 20 players. We can also do lessons, camps, and clinics to make extra money. 

What do players do during the off-season?
As soon as the season is over, we can basically do whatever we want. A lot of the players have teaching jobs or college coaching jobs. Some players spend the rest of the year teaching at camps and clinics. And some NPF players earn their graduate degrees or continue college. 

How can a softball player make it to the professional level?
A lot of practice and time. I always enjoyed softball. I still love practices and playing. Luckily, I never got burned out. Even though, I missed a lot of time with my friends when I was off playing, it was all worth it in the end.     

Don’t miss next week’s Part 4: Angela Tincher shares her faves.