May Snapshots: A roundup of local sports action

By Ottawa Sportspage

FIVE FROM RCC TO PADDLE FOR CANADA AT WORLD CUPS

Canoe Kayak Canada announced that five Rideau Canoe Club athletes will be in boats to represent the nation at the 2018 Canoe Sprint World Cups at the end of May. Ottawa’s Drew Hodges will be in the senior men’s canoe, Stephen Frodsham will race in the Un- der-23 men’s canoe, Rowan’s Hardy-Kavanagh will be in the U23 women’s canoe and Madeleine Schmidt will race in the U23 women’s kayak. Rideau Canoe Club’s Natalie Davison, of Manotick, will race in the senior division of the women’s kayak. The World Cups will be held in Szeged, Hungary and Duisburg, Germany over the month’s last two weekends. About two months ago, the Rideau Canoe Club announced it would be a new home to Canada’s national men’s canoe sprint team.

OTTAWA ATHLETES HEADING TO QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP

A couple of Ottawa muggles will represent Canada at this year’s 2018 IQA Quidditch World Cup. Ottawa natives Alex Naftel of Carleton University’s Quidditch team, and Katie Brown, who plays for Valhalla Quidditch in Toronto, will play from the national team at the tournament in June to July in Florence Italy. The University of Ottawa’s Karen Douglas, originally from Brazil, and Raphael Roy-Laurore, from Montreal, will also be part of the 42-person Team Canada squad.

TENNIS FUNDING TURNS TO NATIONAL CAPITAL TENNIS

The Recreation Association announced that the Rideau Tennis Club’s Junior Development Fund would be diverted to the National Capital Tennis Association. National Capital Tennis will benefit from more than $18,000 in funding as well as some tennis equipment. The Rideau Tennis Club was sold in August 2017 and has since been redesigned and reo- pened as the Rideau Sports Centre.

WELDON DEBUTS IN 5TH IN OPENING PARALYMPIC TRIAL

The Ottawa-adopted Robbi Weldon placed 5th in the tandem individual time trial at the first round of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, Belgium, held May 3-6. It was the first event for the 43-year-old four-time Paralympian that counts towards qualify- ing the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Weldon moved to Ottawa from Thunder Bay with her family ahead of the 2016 Paralympics.

ONDC ATHLETES MAKE A SPLASH A CUBA INVITATIONAL

Ottawa National Diving Club athletes returned from Matanzas, Cuba with enough medals to fill a small pool following the Copa Yumuri Invitational in April. Kathryn Grant and Talia Wootton swept the top spots of the U15 category, with Grant winning three golds and Wootton winning three silvers. Audree Howes won a silver in the tower in U13. Catherine Boyer won a bronze on the tower and beat the reigning Pan-American champion to capture and gold medal on the 3m in U13. Ottawa’s Henry McKay made a splash of his own at April’s Dresden International diving competition, claiming gold with his partner Victor Povzner of Maple, Ont., thanks to a risky dive in their final attempt in the 3m synchro. McKay also placed 5th in the 3m of the 16-18 age group.

LOCAL TEAMS OFF TO OPPOSITE STARTS IN JR. B LAX

The Ontario Jr B Lacrosse League has begun, and Ottawa teams are off to opposite starts. The Nepean Knights bolster a winning record five games in at 3-2, while the Gloucester Griffins have failed to record a victory, registering an 0-5 start to the season. It’s a much better start to the 2018 campaign for the Knights than last season when they opened the year with 11 consecutive losses.

16U CAPITAL WAVE GIRLS TAKE SILVER AT EASTERNS

The 16U Capital Wave girls fell just short of a gold medal at Water Polo Canada’s Eastern Con-ference Championships in early May. The Wave lost 5-4 in the tournament’s finals to CAMO. Regardless of the loss, Capital Wave’s season continues at the National Finals, where they’ll first take the pool on May 25. Meanwhile, Ottawa Titans 16U boys ended their season with a one-goal loss, falling just short of a bronze medal and finishing 4th. After losing to the Montreal Machine 10-7 in the semifi-nals, the Titans came up short against Dollard Black in the battle for third place, losing 12-11.