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I wish to acknowledge the tremendous support of my faculty mentor Dr. Zachary Domire. I greatly appreciate his guidance and encouragement during the research process and the development of my thesis. I am very appreciative of the time he dedicated to my research and for the valuable information and skills he shared throughout the process. I would like to thank Jamie Hibbert for her continuous assistance in the data collection and in managing any obstacles in the research process. Her willingness to teach and assist me in the data collection process is greatly appreciated and I am so thankful to have worked with her. I would like to acknowledge the Biomechanics lab at East Carolina University for the use of their equipment and for a supportive group of students who were willing to assist me in my thesis production. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their continuous support and motivation throughout the process. ii TABLE OF CONTENT