Ottawa athletes claimed eight individual medals at August’s Canadian Legion youth track-and-field championships in Charlottetown, PEI.
It was a breakthrough event for the C.A.N.I. (Constant and Never-ending Improvement) club as the young Ottawa-based group earned more individual medals than the deep-rooted Ottawa Lions Track-and-Field club.
St. Paul High School sprinting sensation Shermar Paul was responsible for two of those, earning gold in the U16 200 m and bronze in the 300 m, while Tony N’Zoigba captured U16 high jump silver and Jacob Plunkett won U16 110 m hurdles bronze.
Lions medalists included Zachary Kerr in the U18 pole vault (gold), Charifa Labarang in the U18 100 m (bronze), and U16 800 m runner Erinn Stenman-Fahey (bronze).
Representing Team Ontario, Lia Codrington won U16 steeplechase bronze.
The Lions were U18 girls’ 4×100 m relay national champs (featuring Alexandra Telford, Victoria McIntyre, Shelani Fernando and Labarang), while C.A.N.I. won the U18 boys’ 4×100 with Jonelle Halog, Akhil Edirisinghe, Shermar and Plunkett.
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Klus climbs jr. triathlon ranks
Four months made a world of difference for Samantha Klus of the Bytown Storm triathlon club. The Bell High School senior began her season with an eye-opening experience at the North American junior championships in Mexico, when she placed 13th out of 16 racers.
Originally the second alternate for Canada, Klus got to race at August’s Pan American junior championships in Edmonton and made the most of it by placing 16th out of 54 competitors, and third amongst 14 Canadians.
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Young Royals Futuro teams shine at home tourneys
The Ottawa Royals soccer club hosted its Kickin’ in the Capital tournaments on Aug. 11-12 (boys) and Sept. 8-9 (girls), earning several titles at their home tournament.
On the boys’ side, the Royals Futuro Red downed Capital United 1-0 for the U10 red crown, and it was the same teams with the same result in the U11 red category as well. The Royals Phantoms topped OSU by a 1-0 count to win U9 blue division and the hosts were also runners-up in U18.
The Gloucester Hornets bested the Ottawa Royals Blue 4-3 in the U10 white A championship and also were on top of the U11 11v11 category. Gloucester cruised to a U12 red win, and beat the Internationals 2-0 to earn the U13 white division victory.
St. Anthony Sevilla topped OSU 1-0 in the U11 white final, while OSU claimed a U11 blue title, placed second in U10 white B and outlasted the Nepean City Storm 1-0 in the U15 red final.
The Ottawa Internationals were finalists in U10 blue A, U16-17, U17 and U14 white, won the U10 blue B event and also knocked off the Royals in U12 blue B.
The Nepean Hotspurs downed OSU 2-1 in U12 blue A and were also finalists in U13 red, while the Hotspurs Gunners lived up to their nickname in a 5-4 U16 final victory.
In the girls’ tournament, the host Royals placed second in U9 white and battled West Ottawa in the U14 white final.
OSU and the Internationals both required penalty kicks to reach the U13 red final, while OSU used penalties to beat the Royals in U13 white.
Nepean beat OSU 1-0 for the U9 red title, while Nepean City fell to OSU in U12 white.
Cumberland topped West Ottawa in penalties for the U14-15 red crown, and the same combatants squared off in the U14-15 blue final.
Cumberland went all the way in U10 white A, as did Gloucester in the U13 blue division. Gloucester won U10 blue and battled OSU the U12 red final while also reaching U16 blue and U17-18 blue finals.
West Ottawa teams faced off in the U11 final, while the club also reached the final step in the U14 blue event. West Ottawa took down OSU 1-0 in U15 blue, also won U16 white, and used penalties to win the U17-18 red title.
The Internationals were finalists in U11 blue, U11 11v11 red and U15 red.
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ER Cup final matches offer intrigue
The East Region Cup soccer finals are all set to go for Sunday, Sept. 16 at South Gower fields. Eight championships will be up for grabs in total as teams from under-13 to under-16 go head-to-head in the final round of the knockout-format competition that began back in June.
Gloucester and Nepean have the chance to come away with the most titles as they each send four squads to the final, while Ottawa South United and Cumberland each send two entries. Here’s a breakdown of the matchups in each category:
Boys’ U13
In a matchup of the first- and second-place teams from ERSL league play, Capital United takes on the Gloucester Hornets in the ER Cup final. The first two rounds of Cup play were cakewalks for both squads as they smashed their opponents by a combined 45-2 total.
Both squads were put to the test in the semis though, as Gloucester required penalty kicks to outlast the West Ottawa Level 4s and Capital United edged Cumberland 4-3. Capital United took the ERSL division crown by three points on the strength of an early-season 8-5 win, although the teams tied in their later regular season meeting.
Girls’ U13
The ER Cup final could have been the rubber match between the two squads that dominated the girls’ U13 ERSL ranks all season long, but the West Ottawa U13 Level 3s did not participate in Cup play. Instead, it will be the Nepean Hotspurs trying to upset the OSU Force in the final.
Nepean finished third in the division with a .500 mark – well behind OSU and West Ottawa, who both won 13 of 14 league matches and lost only to one another by a three-goal margin. Add to that the unlikely event that both OSU and West Ottawa ended up with +56 totals in goal differential and it could have been a match for the ages.
But the Hotspurs have played OSU tough this year, falling by just one and two goals in their regular season meetings against a team that received multiple-goal performances in 10 of 14 games from star Gabriela Mendoza-Saud, who scored 39 in total in league and Cup play.
Boys’ U14
It’ll be a classic east-end duel as the Cumberland Cobras battle the Gloucester Hornets for the U14 boys’ Cup crown. Cumberland would be the expected favourite in the contest based on their 11-2-2 ERSL record and easy 13-point division title over the next best challenger.
But it’s the Hornets who have been dominant in Cup play, blasting through to the final with a pair of 8-0 victories. The Cobras, meanwhile, downed Level 4 opponents just 2-0 and 2-1 in their previous Cup matches, although their 1-2 scoring punch of Christ Sangala and Mikaël Conde will be tough to contain.
Girls’ U14
Cumberland has the chance to claim titles on both the boys’ and girls’ sides in the U14 age group as the Cobra ladies get set to take on Seaway Valley in their Cup final.
Seaway Valley rides into the game on a major high from their semi-final victory when they knocked off West Ottawa, who’d earned a perfect 14-0 record in ERSL league play and won the division title by a whopping 14 points.
Cumberland has enjoyed a strong run in Cup play, earning comfortable 4-1, 2-0 and 6-1 victories leading up to the final, where they’ll have multiple scoring weapons available such as Sydney Switzer, Veronique Landriault, Nadjema Soro and Madisen Foley-O’Brien.
Boys’ U15
The Nepean Hotspurs are one game away from doubling up their ERSL league and ER Cup titles, and they’ll have an excellent opportunity to do it against the Cataraqui Clippers.
Nepean was virtually unstoppable this season, posting a 10-1-3 record in league play and outscoring Cup opponents by a combined 20-3 mark in their three previous victories. Vuk Stefanovic led the team in combined scoring this season, while three different goalkeepers recorded shutouts for the squad that averaged only one goal against per game.
Cataraqui took out second-place Gloucester in the Cup opening round on penalties and will look to make up for a 6-8 season.
Girls’ U15
The top two teams from the ERSL girls’ U15 ranks will meet again in the Cup final as the Nepean Hotspurs and Gloucester Hornets face off.
The Hotspurs are the clear favourites, having earned an undefeated 12-0-2 record in league play, including a pair of three-goal victories over the Hornets. Nepean has been masterful since July 5 – the last time they failed to win an East Region match by at least three goals. Hornets leading scorer Alyssa Baker is due for a Cup goal, having registered all 15 of her markers in league play for her 7-2-4 squad.
Boys’ U16
Both the Nepean Hotspurs and Gloucester Hornets are thankful to be in the ER Cup finals, having survived semi-final penalty kicks against OSU Power and Nepean City. It’s a bit of an unexpected trip to the final for Nepean, who went 5-7 in league play but earned three wins in the ER Cup.
The Hornets, meanwhile, won the division crown via tiebreaker over the Ottawa Internationals, earning an 8-3-1 record in the ERSL. Stewart Bennett has caught fire in recent matches to lead Gloucester’s offensive attack along with Mathieu Goupil and Xavier Pereira.
Girls’ U16
The OSU Force have a shot at an East Region double as they take on the Glengarry club that finished closest to them in ERSL league play. One of just two losses for OSU this season came against Glengarry as they cruised to a league title with a 12-1-2 record.
Backed by goalkeeper Kathleen McCormick, the Force have not yet allowed a goal in Cup play, while Glengarry has allowed just one. OSU’s top gunner Darby Perry will hope to open up the goal-scoring gates in the final.
U17/U18 wrap-up
The U17/18 Cup finals were played back on Aug. 19, with West Ottawa prevailing on the boys’ side and Gloucester earning the girls’ crown. West Ottawa U18 boys’ leading scorer Ali Ercan got the lone goal in his ERSL-champion team’s 1-0 victory over Cumberland, while the Gloucester U17 girls followed up their ERSL title with a penalty-kicks Cup victory over Belleville following a scoreless contest.
Three other teams earned undefeated records in ERSL play this season – the Cumberland U16 Level 4 boys, the West Ottawa U17 Level 3 boys and the Gloucester U21 women.
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Youngest OYSL group poised for top By Dan Plouffe
The Ottawa South United Force U14 girls are in very unfamiliar territory. Not only are they playing their first season in the province’s top soccer league, they’re also very near the top.
It’s already an unprecedented level for an Ottawa team that young to reach, and the 8-4-1 squad has a chance to cement their name in the record books if they become the first club from the region to win an Ontario Youth Soccer League division title. With three games left to play, OSU is three points back of Woodbridge, who have just one match left.
“It’s true – there are not too many teams at that level that have done this,” highlights coach Widdgin Bernard. “But this group is very determined to finish on top.”
The bulk of the Force girls have been training together for a remarkable six years, which has been a big help as the squad made the jump to Level 1 following an undefeated U13 season against regional opponents.
“The girls know each other and they want this really bad,” adds Bernard, whose lineup boasts three key offensive weapons – Andrianna Dmuchalsky, Julia Rosenthal and Alexis Martel-Lamothe. “They train hard, they work out together, and they work well together as a unit. They’re a great, great team.”
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OSU U15 boys need one win to clinch OYSL By Dan Plouffe
You’ll have to forgive Ottawa South United Force Black U15 boys’ coach Russell Shaw if he’s been haunted by flashbacks leading up to his team’s final Ontario Youth Soccer League match of the season.
The scenario is all too similar for him as his squad prepares to face second-place Woodbridge on the road Sunday, Sept. 16. Last season, his U17 boys’ squad had the chance to clinch the capital’s first-ever OYSL division crown with a win in their last game, but they came up short and had to settle for second.
“It’s been a terrific season,” Shaw says of the 12-1-4 campaign his boys have produced. “We hope to keep it going. We don’t want it to fall off the wheels like it did for us last year.”
Besides of course being a totally different roster, this OSU group does have a tiny bit of a cushion atop the standings – a loss against Woodbridge would still force their rivals to collect two more points from their final two games.
And for a squad that was unsure of its makeup at the start of the year – several members delayed trials with the Vancouver Whitecaps academy until after their season, while others have been over to Liverpool and returned – the players have shown their dedication to the pursuit of a title.
“It’s the way we approach the game,” says OYSL co-leading soccer Yousef Aldaqqaq. “Last year was a learning experience for us, and it was good preparation for this season now. We’re transitioning into it well.”
Shaw believes a change in attitude, and a belief that they can be champions, has pushed the team to new heights after finishing 7-4-5 in 2011.
“Last year we were just competing, and now we’re trying to boss the league – keep the ball and play,” Shaw highlights. “They do really want to make something happen this year.”
Title hopes alive for more Ottawa OYSL teams
There are a handful of other local OYSL teams still in the chase for division championships, while several others have key remaining games to stave off relegation.
At 6-2-4, the Capital United U16 girls sit in second place, six points back of division-leading Glen Shields. Both squads have four games remaining in their seasons.
Just a win away from Ajax, the 8-2-3 OSU U17 boys will face their first-place foes in the last game of the year.
Capital United (8-3-4) and OSU (7-4-4) have both put together solid U17 girls’ seasons as well.
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Relay goal achieved despite DQ By Anne Duggan
It was maybe Canada’s most heartbreaking moment of the 2012 Olympics – the improbable bronze medal victory of the men’s 4×100-metre relay team suddenly taken away due to one step on the lane border line.
And make no mistake, Ottawa’s Seyi Smith felt the full weight of the heartbreak, but a month after the team’s disqualification in London, the 25-year-old former Brookfield High School student views the race as a sign of great things to come.
“Some people say we fired a warning shot, that we can now vie for the medals,” he notes. “Still, it would have been nice to have the hardware.”
A delay in displaying the correct results meant the team thought they had won bronze for the first moments after the race. The eventual DSQ designation was an abrupt and painful end to a full-swing celebration with hugs and maple leaf flags.
“My memory of how we felt for those 10 minutes that we thought we had won bronze, it is now becoming hazy,” says Smith.
Prior to the Games, Smith said his team’s main objective in London was to bring back the pride in Canada’s sprinters that existed when Ottawa’s Glenroy Gilbert, now the national relay coach, and company won 4×100 gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“The important goal of making Canada proud: I think we got that,” Smith highlights, noting It’s now up to the team to return to the Olympic stage and re-win that medal.
Unexpected performance
Chemistry, says the Calgary-based former Ottawa Lion, is the answer to the puzzle of how four athletes who have never run under 10 seconds somehow managed to finish third against a field full of sub-10-second sprinters.
“The simple explanation is that we are perfect together,” Smith says, adding that the four Canadian runners also have maximum top speeds comparable to the world’s very best sprinters.
The team, which also included 21-year-old Ottawa Gee-Gees sprinter Segun Makinde as an alternate, may have been defeated by a few centimetres of white line, but Smith believes he’s come away from the experience a victor. He learned much from his first Olympics, he notes, and he’ll bring that knowledge with him each time he trains for Rio 2016.
“My goals for the next quadrant are to make the relay team and to qualify as an individual in the 100 metres,” Smith states.
The power of Usain Bolt
Smith is proud that the Canadian team was not cowed by the size of the venue or the volume of the crowd’s roars. In fact, it helped them to focus, he believes. Also assisting them to be ready and focused was the great Usain Bolt.
“We had just arrived in the stadium and the officials were rushing us while we were putting on our shoes,” Smith recounts. “We were definitely feeling the stress. “Then Usain Bolt held up his hand and said, ‘We need five minutes.’ And they listened to him like they would listen to nobody else.”
Other athletes with Ottawa connections who competed at the Olympics included: Courtnay Pilypaitis (basketball, fifth), Michael Tayler (canoe slalom, 20th), Sherraine Schalm (epee fencing, 17th), Melanie McCann (modern pentathlon, 11th), Nicolas Tritton (judo, 17th), Mo Zhang (table tennis, 33rd), Andre Ho (table tennis, 65th singles, ninth team), Pierre-Luc Hinse (table tennis, 33rd singles, ninth team), Eugene Wang (table tennis, ninth team), Cristy Nurse (rowing, alternate due to injury, silver), Morgan Jarvis (rowing, 14th), Melissa Bishop (athletics 800 m, 30th), and Sultana Frizell (athletics hammer throw, 26th).
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Coach’s perspective: an inside account of Dunkerley’s run to two Paralympic medals By Coach Ian Clark
I am sitting in an East London pub with a pint of lager, suffering from a bit of a hangover. This hangover is of a different sort however; unrelated to alcohol, this one comes the “morning after” the Closing Ceremony, a finale that marks the end of the most successful 11 days in Paralympics history.
This is a participants’ party, one that sees 4,000 athletes from 160 countries celebrate each other’s human and sporting triumphs; appropriately, they are saluted by artists of their generation – Coldplay and Rhianna.
Sipping my lager, I am content and proud as I reflect on the London 2012 performances of Jason Dunkerley, the Ottawa middle distance runner who I coach: first, a bronze in the 1,500 metres and a then a few days later, a silver medal in the 5000 m (in both events, Jason is classified in the T11 category: athletes who have no vision).
As I think of my coaching relationship with Jason, and Josh Karanja, his indispensable guide runner, I know that the three of us really began to prepare for this success 20 months ago.
This preparation addresses the critical components of thoughtful planning around training and racing, nutrition, injury prevention and rest. But at its core, the approach relies upon the tireless dedication of Jason and Josh – toughing-out the hard but necessary practices that I dish out to them in Ottawa over several months, day-in, day-out; good weather and bad.
A former competitive runner myself, I know there is no short-cut around these relentless efforts, as do Jason and Josh. It is a true team effort of three. That said, the lion’s share naturally goes to the runners; they are the ones who must perform.
As I begin to coach Jason in 2011, I am aware of his running ability, background and age. I decide to discuss with him the possibility of new approach to his training; he is receptive.
We agree to focus the next 18 months on increasing his maximum aerobic capacity through greater mileage and long-tough track repeats and hill-work, while simultaneously maintaining his speed and improving his running efficiency. Jason buys in to this approach, as does Josh.
The plan pays dividends as Jason continues to improve his times over both the 1,500 and the 5,000 events; his 5k time improves immensely. Jason and Josh become increasingly successful running and racing partners. I know that Jason relies on and has full confidence in Josh. Josh appreciates Jason’s efforts and toughness and, from my perspective, adds to Jason’s running by increasing his confidence and pushing him beyond his comfort zone.
As the Games near and as we taper the training, I know the two are mentally and physically ready. Race results and time trials in Ottawa have proven that. My conversations with both of them give me final comfort: they are fit, rested and confident.
In the final days and weeks in Ottawa, we discuss the opposition, principally Brazilian, Kenyan and Chilean, and agree upon our final strategies and tactics for both races. We have consensus: the goal is to win gold in both races. Inside, the three of us know this will be a tough achievement. In sport, as in life, one has to take risks. We do not take our opponents for granted.
Prior to leaving Ottawa, we learn of the Paralympic “buzz” in London – all 2.5 million tickets sold out for all events; the public demanding more. Our arrival in London demonstrates why Great Britain has been so successful in hosting these Olympic and Paralympic Games. Superb athletic facilities, transportation (the Tube; “mind the gap, please”), 24/7 print, television and electronic coverage and the ever-present, friendly and helpful volunteers dressed in purple.
But most importantly, the British, a sophisticated sporting people, have embraced the Games with their hearts and minds. The Games are simply the talk of the nation; a pleasant respite for a nation weary from the Euro-crisis, the economy and the spring rains.
Visiting Jason and Josh in the Athletes Villages, we enjoy a meal together, firming up each other’s confidence. These visits confirm to me that their needs are well met; they can focus on their upcoming performances without distraction.
I take my seat in the Olympic stadium for Jason’s 1,500 m semi-final. I am astonished that 80,000 screaming Brits are in attendance (for a semi!). I look around. I am moved