Ryan Crosina (Cedars Christian), Viv Anderson-Francois (St. John’s), Jason Mvundura (Deer Lake), Jackson Tonsi (Nanaimo Christian) Jay Smiens (Unity Christian)
Cohen Cadieux (John Barsby), Jeremy McInnis (Westsyde), Nathan Chiang (Pacific Academy), Jaden Mesfin (Pacific Academy) Jose Zaluaga (King George)
BCSS AWARD BOYS BASKETBAL
AAA
AAAA
Champions
St Patrick Regional Secondary
Semiahmoo Secondary
Finalist
Dover Bay Secondary
Fleetwood Park Secondary
Tournament MVP
Irish Coquia (St Patrick)
Torian Lee (Semiahmoo)
Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Spencer Tatlock (M.E.I.)
Andre Juco (Semiahmoo)
Championship Player of the Game
Jovin Sunner (St Patrick)
Quinn Keast Foundation Player of the Game
Cole Bekkering, (Semiahmoo)
Most Sportsmanlike Team
North Delta Secondary
Braich Foundation Most Inspirational Player
Walker Sodaro (Keowna)
Most Inspirational Team
Kelowna Secondary
Wink Willox Most Sportsmanlike Team
W J Mouat Secondary
School Spirit Award
Fleetwood Park Secondary
First Team All Stars
Kaden Carrion (St. Patrick), Gabe Vig (M.E.I,), Dylan King (Lord Byng), Harvir Hothi (North Delta) Luke Linder (Dover Bay)
The 55th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards is tomorrow – congratulations High School Female Athlete of the Year Award Finalists: Lauren Clements, Maelle Hodgson, Rupinder Johal, Marina Rodocaj and Rory Rothnie. Thank you to @BCLC for presenting this category!
The 55th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards is tomorrow – congratulations High School Male Athlete of the Year Award Finalists: Laon Kim, Walker Sodaro, Logan Thiessen, Aidan Turner and Jimmy Zaborniak. Thank you to @FNHIC_BC for presenting this category!
BREAKING NEWS! YHS TIGERS 2023 ALPINE SKI PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS
The defending provincial champions have repeated winning the 2023 Alpine Skiing BC Championship this week at Sun Peaks Resort. The Tigers young BC Championship Ski Team includes Grade 8 Sarah K.; two Grade 9s, Alexa F. and Isabelle Q.; two Grade 10s Nicole W. and Ruby F., and one Grade 11, Maddie W. Not a single skier graduates so pencil in the Tigers as favourites again in 2024! Our Snowboard Team is small and includes two Grade 12s Dylan P. and Ruby W., and Grade 9 Macy W.
On Monday, in the Ski GS race, Nicole W. won gold while Maddie W. took the bronze. All six YHS skiers placed in the top 23 in BC. On Tuesday, our Snowboarders raced the GS course. Dylan P., Ruby W., and Macy all raced well out of the total field of over 60 snowboarders. Lyra X. qualified for Canada Games and was unable to join the Tigers at Sun Peaks. We hope to continue to grow the snowboard team next season.
On Wednesday, the Terrain GS race took place and again, YHS owned the top of the podium with Maddie W. winning gold, Nicole W. placing 4th, Sarah K. placing 7th, and Alexa F, placing 8th. All six Tigers placed in the top 20. The top four finishers in each race score points for YHS while the others play a big role in placing ahead of other schools’ top four skiers; thus helping the Tigers take home another title. It is a full team contribution.
Most schools have two or three top skiers but YHS has incredible depth. The depth extends to several very talented skiers who are not participating at BCs. The Tigers Ski Team includes approximately 30 students; only the top six form the team to compete at BCs. YHS has a smaller Snowboarding Team which we are hoping continues to grow next season.
This year, I attended the BCs and had the chance to see our skiers race. This is an impressive group who train hard, are courageous competitors, and have fun and support one another. I am very proud of these student-athletes.
A huge thank you to the team’s committed coaches Ms. Matthews and Mr. Lum. They bring their knowledge and experience along with their fun and professionalism. The work done behind the scenes is intense and of course, race days are cold and long. The entire team supports one another and it was a joy to watch.
Thank you as well to the many parents who go above and beyond in supporting this team. The YHS Ski and Snowboard program was founded in 2006-07 behind the incredible support of a group of “ski parents”. Over the years, new generations of ski parents have stepped in to help and this tradition continues. Thank you!
The Great Lakes Wolfpack won the boys’ team title at the OFSAA wrestling championship in Ottawa this week.
The Wolfpack also tied for second in the overall standings, but those results are being rechecked, because Great Lakes may have won the overall team title as well.
Brampton Fletcher’s Meadow is first in the unofficial standings with 159 points, one more than Great Lakes and Hamilton Bishop Ryan.
Two Wolfpack wrestlers also won individual gold. Kelso Jennings was first in the boys’ 95-kilogram division and Lucy Butler was first in the girls’ 38 kg division.
Jaylene McLean of Great Lakes won silver in girls’ 44 kg. Mason Flett of Great Lakes won bronze in boys’ 89 kg.
Duke Butler of Mackenzie (boys’ 51 kg), Jakob Wildschut of Great Lakes (boys’ 61 kg) and Bella Round of St. Patrick’s (girls’ 115 kg) won fourth-place medals.
Brock Callister of Lambton Central (boys’ 72 kg), Matt Anderson of Great Lakes (boys’ 77 kg), Griffin Wittliff of St. Patrick’s (boys’ 95 kg) and Devyn Manning of North Lambton (girls’ 54 kg) were fifth.
Great Lakes won the boys’, girls’ and overall team titles at the SWOSSAA championship recently. Manning was voted best LKSSAA female wrestler at the meet, while Wildschut shared the SWOSSAA boys’ MVP award with Daniel Piccolo of Windsor St. Joseph’s.
The SWOSSAA boys’ champions included Butler (51 kg), Wildschut (61 kg), Artem Greer of Great Lakes (67.5 kg), Callister (72 kg), Anderson (77 kg), Flett (89 kg), Jennings (95 kg) and Hayden Wilson of North Lambton (130 kg).
The SWOSSAA girls’ champions included Butler (38 kg), McLean (44 kg), Adelia Kontonova of Great Lakes (51 kg), Manning (54 kg), Breanna Trudgeon of Great Lakes (61 kg), Abby Willis of Great Lakes (67.5 kg), Victoria Guerette of St. Patrick’s (77 kg) and Round (115 kg).
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OFSAA Wrestling Championships make triumphant return
The OFSAA Wrestling Championships are underway at TD Place, and more than 700 students from across Ontario are taking part in the largest high school wrestling tournament in the country.
After a hiatus of three years due to COVID, the tournament is back, and it has added more spots for girls.
“This year we have the same amount of weight classes for both boys and girls. Before we only had 14 weight classes for girls. Now we have 17. So there’s more opportunity for girls to get involved. There’s a pathway for them to compete,” said Guy MacDougall, OFSAA Wrestling Championships Co-Convener.
For Grade 9 student Myla Blackshaw, this is her first provincial tournament, and she is excited to be part of it.
“It’s kind of overwhelming, but it’s really exciting to know that I can be involved in something like this so young,” said Blackshaw. “I like that you can always work on yourself and there’s never a limit of how good you can get.”
Meanwhile, Grade 11 wrestler from Bill Crothers Secondary School, Nathan Persaud, pinned his opponent in his first match. Even though he was nervous to be part of such a big event.
“Once I got that cross ankle, I was really in my zone. It’s like one of the biggest ones in Ontario, so my nerves are at an all-time high. But once I got on the mat, it’s all business,” said Persaud.
The tournament is more than just wrestling for some athletes. For Great Lakes Secondary School Grade 12 wrestler Abbagail Willis, the team environment helps her get through life situations.
“Coming here is way more than just wrestling. It’s a team. It’s building skills. I’m gonna be using this for the rest of my life,” said Willis.
“This is the pinnacle of our season, and it’s something that everybody, all the athletes and coaches look forward to,” says Willis’s coach Eric Clarke. “And it’s nice that it’s back. So we missed a couple of years with COVID obviously, so it’s nice to see it back. This is this is what we look forward to all year.”
As wrestlers take the mat, family members in the stands share their excitement.
“She’s on in number 406, I believe, is her next one. So yeah, we’re excited. Just so proud of her,” said Mary Chaulk, Myla’s grandmother.
Blackshaw won her second match of the day by making the adjustments she needed to. And she’s hoping to be on the podium when it’s all over.
“I went in with a game plan. It didn’t go too well,” says Blackshaw. “But you can always adapt to how it goes and figure it out.”
About 1,000 matches were held today, with the championships taking place Wednesday at 2 p.m.
