Representatives of the Marshall University Department of Biomechanics traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, Sept. 10-14 to attend the 36th International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports.

Three graduate students and two faculty members within the department each had papers accepted for presentation at the conference, according to Dr. Suzanne Konz, director of the university’s biomechanics program.

“This was an annual event for the presentation of academic research in sports biomechanics,” Konz said. “Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds including exercise science, education, engineering, computer science, rehabilitation and medicine, to name a few. We were so grateful to be able to provide our students with an opportunity to exchange ideas and to help bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners.”

The students involved included:

  • Andrew Ebert, 26, of Avon, Indiana, who led a poster presentation titled “A Correlation Between Vertical Jump and Isokinetic Measurements in Female Basketball Athletes.”
  • Mahalie Hargis, 23, of Hamlin, West Virginia, who led a poster presentation titled “Examining the Reliability and Validity of the Fitbit Charge 2™ Technology on Heart Rate During Treadmill Exercise.” She also presented on the reliability and validity of the Fitbit Charge 2™ Technology on step count during treadmill exercise.
  • Kevin Moore, 26, of Wayne, New Jersey, who led an oral presentation titled “Associations Between Clinical and Performance Tests in Soccer Athletes.”

Ebert said the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports conference was truly an eye-opening experience.

“I was honored to present my own research and represent Marshall University. I was able to network with fellow professionals as well as some of the top corporations,” Ebert said. “The opportunity to listen to some of the most distinguished professionals in biomechanics discuss innovative technology and research has confirmed my passion for the field of biomechanics.”

The faculty who presented included:

  • Suzanne Konz, associate professor and director of the biomechanics program, who presented an oral presentation titled “Analyzing Vertical Jump and Standing Long Jump Power Ratios to Determine Lower Extremity Injury Risk Using AUROC Curves” and a poster session titled “Optimizing Exercise Selection for Power Development in Athletes Using Velocity-Based Training.”
  • Steven Leigh, assistant professor of biomechanics, presented a poster presentation titled “Return-To-Play Criteria Following ACL Reconstruction Surgery: A Case Study Over Nine Months.”

To learn more about the conference, visit https://sprinz.aut.ac.nz/isbs-2018. For more information about the university’s biomechanics program, visit www.marshall.edu/biomechanics. Call 877-GOHERD-1 to schedule a visit and learn more at www.marshall.edu.

Originally from Megan Archer for Marshall University Communications