Nov. 17, 2004

Contact: Gordon Ovenshine 724-738-4854; gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu

SRU SENIOR WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR RESEARCHING

LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY OF ENDURANCE RUNNERS

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – For her research into lower body flexibility, Slippery Rock University exercise science major Valerie Williams recently received the Undergraduate Student Research Award at the 27^th Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Williams, of Beaver Falls, studied runners participating in a 100-mile race at Mohican  State Park in Loudonville, Ohio. She checked lower body flexibility before and after the race, using four motion tests to document reductions.

“To our knowledge, she was the first to measure significant decrease in flexibility after a  100-mile race,” says SRU’s Dr. Jeff Lynn, assistant professor of exercise science and her adviser.

All four tests detected a small decrease in flexibility after the race. The next step will be to determine if any of the tests are better at detecting small declines in flexibility. Williams said a follow-up study with more participants is being planned.

Measuring flexibility has applications to general conditioning, injury prevention, rehabilitation, athletic training and wellness care, she said, adding that her research will ultimately help people choose the best test for determining the extent of flexibility loss.

Williams, who presented her findings at the conference in Bushkill, has a 3.9 grade-point at SRU and is involved with several campus organizations. She is co-chair of the social committee for the Exercise Science Society, a peer leader for Fyrst Seminar, a freshmen orientation program, an anatomy tutor and a biology lab assistant.

 The American College of Sports Medicine is a nonprofit organization that integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.