No Looking Back: Ricky Kreklow

While on the road to Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Mo., Rock Bridge senior Ricky Kreklow settles in for the hour and a half long bus ride by finding a song on his iPhone. “Nobody around Columbia wants to play a school our size.” Rock Bridge’s schedule involves numerous road games against Kansas City and St. Louis opponents. Being on the road has become something of a metaphor for Kreklow in his final year at Rock Bridge. Both recovery from numerous injuries sustained in his junior year and having verbally committed to play at the University of Missouri next year have Kreklow looking at what lies ahead.


During a physical therapy session, Physical Therapist Cynthia Komes works over Kreklow’s leg joints. Towards the end of the 2008-2009 season Kreklow suffered from a number of injuries included a stress fracture in his right ankle and a ruptured disk in his back, which led to surgery in August. Not to be put down by the injuries, Kreklow made a steady recovery and was able to start his final season at Rock Bridge without trouble. “You almost don’t need me anymore, Ricky,” Komes commented during the therapy session.


Kreklow listens as Rock Bridge head coach Jim Scanlon instructs the team on things the need to remember when they play defense in an upcoming game.


Before setting off for a road game in Troy, Mo Kreklow spends some time playing video games with childhood friends and teammates Trey Millard (left), and Justin Miller (right) at Kreklow’s home in Columbia, Mo.


Kreklow prepares for a game against McCleur North on Dec. 11, 2009 in the Troy Buchanan High School locker room during the Troy People’s Bank Tournament. “I always get nervous I’m going to forget something,” Kreklow said. “I have to check and make sure I have everything three or four times.”


Kreklow attempts to drive to the basket early in the second half of the Troy People’s Bank Tournament championship game against McCleur North. Rock Bridge would lose 67-78. Following the game Rock Bridge head coach Jim Scanlon said, “Ricky looked like the only one out there that wanted it all.”


While Kreklow’s teammates wait in silence for head coach Scanlon to enter the locker room following the team’s loss to McCleur North, Kreklow examines a bleeding rash on his hip from diving after a loose ball. “Its not like you can play the game over,” Kreklow said. “You just have to move on to the next game.”

Thanksgiving Shenanigans

Can I have a CPOY award now?

Tony Hawk and Co. in Columbia, MO

Picture Story/Photo Essay: Personality Profile

Picture Story/Photographic Essay: Video Example

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/10/06/sports/baseball/1247464960472/the-thinking-mans-games.html

This is somewhat of a job profile on a job that is ultimately pretty boring to watch in action, that of the baseball manager. But the way the NYTimes managed this is to find something interesting about the manager in question, the fact that he has played chess from a very early age, and ask him how chess and baseball share the same set of skills and how he can benefit in one game by knowing the other. They mix some stills in to show the manager during a game setting, but the video footage they use is much more in key to what the story is about.

Gettin' Dirty

I shot a lot of stuff this last weekend and my favorite has to be the stuff I did on Sunday. I shot the Mizzou Cycling club, who were hosting a midwest collegiate regional meet. I used my first remote camera set-up and was pretty stoked with what came back. Here's a few shots.









All images ©Matthew Cavanah, 2009

One Day Story: Stone Hill Winery Grape Harvest

Joel is....different

Missouri vs. Bowling Green

Uhh...Justin. I think they want you to throw it back...

The Great Escape

The Problem: The black part inside the "box" contains six CDs. I'm not exactly sure what CDs are in there, but I know that the box will no longer accept any commands from the controller or the reset buttons meaning those CDs are trapped inside. Good thing I liked taking things apart as a kid.

Step 1: The actual unit was suspended on shock absorbers within the main shell to prevent skipping while the car was in motion. Good for listening to my music (when the thing worked) bad for stability when removing the necessary screws to get to the CD carriage.

Step 2: The actual playing unit is fully exposed. I'd hoped to have been able to simply get to this step and just pull the CD carriage right out, no problem. Unfortunately...

...a CD was being held in the play position and didn't want to leave it. This led to...

Step 3: Break out the precision screw drivers to begin dismantling the casing around the play head.

Step 4: A few screws later and we have sucessful seperation of the CD carriage and the play head. Thankfully the CD that was lodged in the play position was a worthless burn I made in high school. This CD is now classified as a POW.

Step 5: After extricating the five remaining CDs I'm left with a giant heap of trash. All this and it only took two screwdrivers and a wire cutter to take it all apart.

The liberated CDs (from left to right): Pseudopod, Lostprophets "Start Something", Linkin Park and Jay-Z "Collision Course", Freebird The Movie Soundtrack, Linkin Park "Reanimation".

ADFPF National Championships

The American Drug Free Powerlifting Federation held their national championships, dubbed "Mayhem in the Midwest", at the Rec Complex this last weekend.