July Snapshots: A roundup of local sports action

By Ottawa Sportspage

CITY OF OTTAWA SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR COACHING AWARD

The City of Ottawa is seeking nominations for the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching. The award is presented annually in recognition of an amateur coach who exemplifies leadership and commitment. The City is accepting nominations for the award until Sept. 13. The award will be presented at an awards ceremony held in the fall. Find more information here.

LOCAL SOCCER STAR NAMED TOP CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Ottawa’s Jonathan David was recently named Canada Soccer’s player of the month for June. David received his recognition for his performance at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup event, in which he scored men’s national team record six goals in the event. Canada reached the quarterfinals for the second time in a row. David scored two goals in the opening match against Martinique, a hat trick against Cuba and his final goal against Haiti. He also assisted two goals when Canada played against Mexico and Cuba. David’s player of the month title is part of Canada Soccer’s summer of soccer, and was launched to celebrate one male and female Canadian soccer player to recognize outstanding performances in international and/or club soccer.

BROTHERS CAPTURE GOLD AT PANAMERICAN SAMBO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nepean brothers Adam and Torin (Takahashi) MacFadyen each won gold medals for their performance in the 62kg and 52g categories at the Pan-American Sport Sambo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At the martial arts event held in late June, Adam captured gold against Venezuela after being behind by three points, while Torin saw gold by winning against an opponent from Mexico. Torin also competes in combat sambo alongside his other brother Liam, while beach sambo is also something Torin is looking into.

RUSSELL DRIBBLES HER WAY TO WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Barrhaven’s Merissah Russell was selected to be part of Team Canada for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2019. The event will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from July 20-28. Head coach Claire Meadows said in a press release that training camp had been “competitive” and that there had been “a lot of work” and “good progress” from Team Canada’s athletes.

“We are looking forward to representing Canada on the international stage in Thailand at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup,” Meadows said. In 2017, Canada won a bronze medal in the same event, which was their first medal in the eight times that they’ve appeared in the competition since 1985. Canada’s team is currently ranked 4th in the world, according to FIBA.

OTTAWA PADDLERS PACE THEMSELVES TO INTERNATIONAL SPRINT TEAMS

Out of 300 sprint paddlers from a cross the country, a number of Ottawa-based sprint Canoers and Kayakers were recently names to Canada’s 2019 international sprint teams. Based on results from the National Team Trials in June in Dartmouth, N.S., Mike Trauner from the Ottawa River Club was selected to compete at the 2019 Para Canoe Pan American Championships in early July, while the 2019 ICF Junior Canoe Sprint World Championship team heading to Romania in early August will feature Rideau Canoe Club’s Ella Hodgson-Pageau for women’s canoe. Rideau’s Maren Bradley and Toshka Besharah will both be in the same world event as Hodgson-Pageau, except this time for women’s kayak. The 2019 Olympic Hopes International Regatta, happening in Slovakia in September, will include Rideau’s Kieran Graham and Matthew O’Neill for men’s canoe, Ella Hodgson-Pageau for women’s canoe, Jacob Price for men’s kayak and Toshka Besharah for women’s kayak.

MORRISON HANGS UP HER SKATES

Former Gloucester Concordes-trained speed skater, Keri Morrison is packing up her professional speed skates and retiring from competitive competition in the sport, she announced earlier in July. Morrison said her decision to retire was “not an easy one” but she felt it was time to “challenge” herself in a new direction. “The main reason I felt it was hard to leave the sport was because of the friendships and comradery I have built over the years,” Morrison said. The 27-year-old debuted at the Olympic Games last year, where she was part of a 4th-place finish in the team pursuit and had the top-ranked finish of all Canadians in the mass start, in which she came in 12th.

SHAÏNAH JOSEPH COMPETES IN PAN AM CUP

Ottawa native Shaïnah Joseph participated in the Women’s Pan American Cup in Peru, which ran from July 6-14. Team Canada finished 6th overall, eventually losing against Argentina in four sets. Joseph captured 16 points in Canada’s final loss, which was tied for second most on the team. The team will now look ahead to an Olympic Games qualifier being held in Russia in August, where they’ll face teams from Russia, Korea and Mexico.

WRESTLER WINS BIG AT CADET PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa’s Ismail Ayyoub, was selected as the outstanding wrestler and won the Golden Boot at the Cadet Pan-American Championships in Morelia, Mexico last month. According to a press release from Wrestling Canada, the 16-year-old won in the 80kg class weight, beating an opponent from the U.S. in the final. He also defeated opponents from Mexico, Chile, Peru and Brazil. Though Ayyoub is originally from Kuwait, he has since obtained his citizenship, and can now compete for Canada. He’s expected to compete at the Cadet World Championships in Bulgaria from July 29-Aug. 4.

LOCAL SOCCER STARS SIGN WITH OTTAWA FURY

Two Ottawa soccer players are moving up in their career by signing contracts with the USL Championship’s Ottawa Fury FC. Midfielders Cameron Shaw and Antoine Coupland will join the club on an academy contract that allows them to play in league games while also protecting their amateur status and scholarship eligibility. Coupland, 15, played previously with Ottawa’s St. Anthony’s Futuro Soccer Academy, and is one of the youngest Canadians to sign such a contract with a professional soccer league. At 18, Shaw had been playing with the West Ottawa Soccer Club, before being with FC Gatineau.

OTTAWAN DIVES INTO MEDALS AT JUNIOR NATIONALS

Nepean Ottawa Diving Club’s Kate Miller, took home two bronze medals at Diving Canada’s Speedo Junior Elite Nationals in Montreal from July 4-7. Miller scored 323.60 points in the platform event and scored 367.65 points in the 1m event. Miller also finished 5th in her group in the 3m competition.