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SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL: Swain, Udeschini, Hunter set all-time marks
Friday, May27, 2011 • 475-2187 • sports@nugget.ca

HIGH SCHOOL
C

Trojans
Trio set NOSSA track records
Nugget Staff hurdles mark in a time of 41.57 tering Jeremy Cooper’s 2009 Chippewa in the senior discus Jerome, Ariane Lefebvre and
clinch first
seconds, a full two seconds mark of 9:18.68 by more than 11 (36.58). Johanna Van Shie-Copol) fin-
Sarah Swain and Luke Udes-
chini of the Chippewa Raiders
and Ryan Hunter of the Algo-
nquin Barons set all-time
faster than the previous record of
43.94 set in 2005 by Sudbury’s
Kyle Beaudry.
Udeschini also came within
seconds.
Northern Braves thrower Jesse
Demers qualified for a pair of
OFSAA events Thursday. He won
Other local winning girls
events included Taylor Murphy
of the Bears in the midget long
jump (4.80), Madison Fraser of
ished second in the 4X400-metre
relay.
St. Joseph-Scollard Hall’s
Poeta (senior boys’ 400), Skyler
in NDA
records at the NOSSA track and

baseball
seven one-hundreths of a the midget boys’ javelin with a Chippewa in the midget 1,500 Graham (junior boys’ discus)
field championships in Sudbury. second of tying the all-time throw of 39.28 metres and fol- (5:18.72), Cassandra Romain of and Shelby Martin (midget girls’
Swain cleared 3.35 metres in junior boys’ sprint hurdles lowed that up with a 32.19-metre F.J. McElligott in the junior shot discus), Chippewa’s Alison Fung
the senior girls’ pole vault during record Wednesday. However, his toss to win the discus event. put (8.49) and Maryse Boulay of (senior girls’ pole vault) and
the opening day of competition winning 14.87-second time was Algonquin in the midget 800 Ryan Daley (junior boys’ 3,000), Nugget Staff
Wednesday at Laurentian Uni- still good enough to break the OFSAA IN SUDBURY (2:36.36). Algonquin’s Lefebvre (midget
versity, erasing her own all-time post-2004 mark. The OFSAA track and field In the 4X100-metre relays, top The West Ferris Trojans
girls’ 400), Corrie Oukes (senior locked up first place in the NDA
mark of 3.22 from 2009. Swain West Ferris’ Graham Hansel championships are June 2-4 and finishes went to the St. Joseph boys’ discus) and Johanna Van
also won the 100-metre hurdles set a pair of modern NOSSA will also be held at Laurentian Scollard Hall junior boys (Mason exhibition baseball league
Shie-Copol (junior girls’ 800), Wednesday at Veterans Field
in 14.54 seconds to qualify for records in the junior boys’ 1,500- University in Sudbury. Dominico, Skyler Graham, Jake Widdifield’s Patricia Smith
OFSAA in a second event. and 3,000-metre runs. Other locals winning boys’ Ibbitson and Tyler Kennedy) and with a 13-2 victory over the St.
(junior girls’ long jump) and Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears.
In the junior boys’ discus, Wednesday, the lanky Trojan events included Brad Piper of senior boys (Spencer Brooks, West Ferris’ Kiefer Uuksulainen
Hunter’s toss of 49.31 metres finished the 1,500 in 4:09.87, West Ferris in the senior javelin Gabe Hamilton, Jeremy Poeta Dale Valade pitched a solid
(senior boys’ 800) also qualified five innings, giving up two runs
eclipsed West Ferris Trojan Dale almost five seconds better than (48.21), Mathyeu Simard of Algo- and Isaac Sullivan) and the for OFSAA by finishing second in
Valade’s all-time record of 47.13 Matt Walters, a former West nquin in the junior triple jump Chippewa senior girls (Swain, on one hit while striking out 11
their events. batters and walking six. Jake
from 2008. He also won the Ferris distance runner who set (12.69), Cooper Chirico of Wid- Alison Fung, Lindsay Goodridge Results for the 100- and 200- Tougas pitched the final inning
junior boys’ shot put Thursday the previous mark in 2005. difield in the midget long jump and Gabriella Deubelbeiss- metre finals were not immedi- in relief, allowing no runs on one
with a heave of 13.92 metres. Hansel made it two records on (5.61), Malcolm McCubbin of Mathieu). ately available. hit while striking out a batter.
Thursday, Udeschini wiped two separate days by running the Widdifield in the midget 1,500 The Algonquin Barons girls
out the junior boys’ 300-metre 3,000 in 9:06.88 Thursday, shat- (4:38.51) and Mark Wang of (Molly McCann, Shannon sports@nugget.ca Curtis Lacelle and Matt Salter
pitched for the Bears.
Tougas led the way for the
BASKETBALL: Top-ranked team at D-5 provincial championships beginning today in Waterloo Trojans with three hits and four
runs batted in, Valade had a long

Spartans hope to live up to OBA billing

two-run homer to left-centre,
while Nick Scott, Thomas Hamil-
ton and Jake Shannon had two
hits apiece.
Jake Staples, Tom Pritchard
and Brian Johnston had one hit
JORDAN ERCIT There’s so much each for the Trojans. Greg Grav-
The Nugget elle and Matt Salter picked up a
parity in the OBA hit each for the Bears.
Living up to their seeding
landed the West Ferris Spartans this year. We have a really The Algonquin Barons fin-
ished their regular season
a bronze medal last year. good chance to go 3-0 and Wednesday with a 13-8 win over
If they can do that it in 2011 at
the Ontario Basketball Associa- we have a really good the Widdifield Wildcats.
Brad Berube earned the win,
tion championships in Waterloo, chance of going 0-3.” striking out five before being
they’ll be golden.
Larry Tougas relieved by Jeremy Clouatre.
The Spartans head to the
Miguel Champagne, who had
under-19 junior provincial play-
a pair of hits, and Eric Filion led
downs as the top-ranked team
have experience and chemistry the way on offence with a triple
out of eight Division 5 clubs
on their side for the three-game each for the Barons. Berube,
when play starts today at Water-
round robin, which also includes Clouatre, Lander Cook, Anthony
loo Collegiate at 4:30 p.m.
games against the No. 8 Etobi- Yearington, Steve Champoux,
against No. 5 Blessed Sacrament
coke Thunder and the No. 4 Marc-Antoine Gaudet and Chris
from Hamilton.
Oakville Thunder Saturday. Depencier also picked up a hit.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said
The top-two teams make it to Peter Quedent and John
guard Sam Levac, one of five
the semifinals Sunday morning Kortschaga split pitching duties
players moving on to the post-
beginning at 9 a.m. for the Wildcats.
secondary level after this season.
Meanwhile, in Niagara, the Playoffs begin Monday with
“It’s not really where we wanted
North Bay Bulls are seeded fifth the Trojans and Wildcats at 4
to be — we wanted to be in a
in the under-17 juvenile Division p.m. in the first semifinal at Vet-
higher division — but we’ll take
6 championships and open the erans Field. The Barons and
it. I think they did a fair job of
tournament today against the Bears take the mound in the
placing teams where they should
top-ranked Cambridge Cen- other semi Tuesday at 4 p.m.
be.
taurs. The winners move on to the
“But we’re No. 1 and we’re the
Eight players on the Spartans’ championship game Thursday at
favourites and we should come
10-man roster have returned Veterans Field at 4 p.m.
out with a gold medal and that’s
our goal. Last year we came out from last year’s bronze-medal sports@nugget.ca
and got a bronze, even though squad. It’s a veritable NDA all-
we wanted the gold. So this is star team with names like Levac,
our last crack at it.”
Despite dropping a division —
Shawn Humphrey, Charlie Han-
cock, Joey Puddister, Tyler
Cameron, Jake Tougas, Spencer
sportsbriefs
they were in Division 4 last year
— the Spartans will have a Brear and Chris Kangur making LAKERS REGISTRATION
tougher field to go through in up the roster. The Nipissing Lakers are holding
Waterloo. The OBA sliced the With newcomers Michael a registration session Saturday for
size of its divisions in half at the Cuncins and Will Christian its annual summer hockey camp.
provincial championships, rounding out the Spartans Members of the Lakers men’s
meaning the top 40 teams in the bench, its mean four NDA hockey team will be on hand from
province compete in divisions 1 schools (West Ferris, Widdifield, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Skater’s Edge
through 5. Chippewa and Northern) will be Source for Sports on Fisher Street.
Last year, there were 64 teams represented in Waterloo. The camp, for kids six and up and
in divisions 1 through 4. “I leave everything on the divided into three separate age
court, so anything between groups, includes two different ses-
“There’s so much parity in the
Chippewa and Ferris (is in the sions on back-to-back weeks at
OBA this year,” Spartans coach
past),” said Humphrey, a former Memorial Gardens in late August.
Larry Tougas said. “We have a The first session is Aug. 22-26 and
really good chance to go 3-0 and NDA MVP for the Raiders who
clashed against Trojans Levac, the second is Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.
we have a really good chance of The camp will be led by Lakers
going 0-3. Hancock, Puddister, Tougas,
Kangur and Brear two seasons head coach Mike McParland, who
“It’s so tough. If we have a has 20 years of coaching experi-
sub-par performance for even ago in the NDA finals, which JORDAN ERCIT The Nugget
West Ferris won. “We don’t hold ence in the Swiss national league.
one game, our chance at a gold West Ferris Spartans’ Spencer Brear goes for a layup Thursday during practice at West Ferris Secondary For information, visit
medal will be shot.” anything against each other. School. The Spartans are the top-ranked favourites in the OBA Division 5 championships beginning today www.nipissingu.ca/athletics/
The Spartans, however, should see SPARTANS | Page C3 in Waterloo. hockey.

OBITUARY: Friends will miss fun-loving multi-sport athlete

Former Brier skip, fastball ace loses battle with cancer

Nugget Staff New Liskeard’s Campsall Electric assigned the same desk,” said friends for an awfully long time, national curling championships years) and the first New Liskeard
and North Bay Brown Supply Meehan, a North Bay Sports Hall close to five decades,” said and several provincial play- team to play in the Brier since
One of the North’s top multi- Golden Seals met in the NFA of Famer. “I first wondered how Umphrey. “He’s been a great downs. 1952 (32 years).
sport athletes has passed away. intermediate final. things would work out. As it friend to me. I’ll miss him big His greatest accomplishment An altered lineup with McK-
Gord McKnight, who lived McKnight struck out 80 batters turned out, Gord and I became time. came in 1984 when he and team- night skipping but Johnson
most of his life in New Liskeard in the five-game series. He good friends. “As for the decision to trade mates Bill Johnson, Bud Carr throwing last rocks and Terry
before moving to North Bay sev- retired 22 Brownie batters via the “He had a changeup and that his bat and glove for a golf club and Reg Gardner won the North- Thib and Gardner on the front
eral years ago, recently died after strikeout in the opening game as was a pitch I and ball, only Gord knew when ern Ontario men’s curling cham- end had a solid week in the 1996
a short battle with cancer. the New Liskeard squad won the couldn’t hit. the time was right. A great love pionship and qualified for the Canadian senior men’s champi-
McKnight excelled in fastball, first two games in the best-of- Someone told for golf proved costly in the Labatt Brier in Kamloops, B.C. onship, reaching the televised
curling and golf for several five series before Browns Gord and the negotiations to keep Gord on the The Northerners finished with a final where they fell to Team
decades and also played hockey charged back with three straight result was a fastball roster for at least one 6-5 record and missed the play- Ontario. They returned to the
in the late 1950s with the New wins, including one in steady diet of more season. But Gord said ‘no’, offs by a single win. national seniors again the next
Liskeard Cub Juveniles. which McKnight threw a one- them. He’d that was it, he was hanging up The drawmaster didn’t do the year but struggled to a 6-5
McKnight was among a long hitter but lost. throw one, I’d his spikes.” McKnight rink any favours in records.
line of elite fastball pitchers in Two years later, McKnight, swing and miss In the early 1970s, McKnight Kamloops, as they opened the Asked what he was going to
Northern Ontario during the late while enrolled in teacher’s col- and in doing so said pitching fastball was having Brier against Saskatchewan miss with the passing of his skip,
50s and 60s, that also included lege in North Bay, signed with I would let out McKnight an adverse effect on his golf (Gary Bryden), Alberta (Ed Johnson gave a one word
Larry Hillman, Luke Lefebvre, the RCAF Voodoos of the Gate- a loud a grunt game and, while he was still one Lukowich) and Ontario (Ed answer— “fun.”
Gerry Boucher, Sonny Jim McK- way Fastball Association, com- and groan. It of the top hurlers in the North, Werenich). “I’ll miss the fun and the good
innon, Marty Reynolds and piling a perfect 12-0 record, was embarrass- he packed in the sport and con- However, the New Liskeard times we had as a team. Playing
Gerry Gelinas. He also curled in highlighted by striking out ing, “ centrated on golf. squad opened by defeating with Gord was fun, practising
two national championships, 21 Brown Supply batters in a Former North Bay Nugget McKnight was a top-notch Bryden and Werenich. The McK- with him was fun, and just sitting
including the Brier, and captured seven-inning game. sports writer Mike Umphrey, a golfer who competed effectively night-skipped quartet remained around with him was fun. Play-
two Northern Golf Association McKnight and Brown’s longtime friend of the McKnight on the Northern tournament in contention right up to the ing with Gord. That was what we
bestball championships as well catcher Garry Meehan were at family, believes the lanky pitcher trail on a regular basis, winning a final day, when a loss to New- as a team had,” said Johnson.
as several titles on the Northland opposite sides of the field during was one of the best fastball pair of Northern Ontario bestball foundland eliminated them. A celebration of McKnight’s
Fastball Association’s tourna- the 1961 series, but were soon to pitchers in the North who could championships, one partnered The McKnight rink’s appear- life will be held Saturday
ment circuit. join forces at North Bay have been even better had he with Bobby Laronde and the ance at the Brier halted a pair of
at 2 p.m. at the North Bay Gran-
One of the most memorable Teacher’s College. not given up the sport in favour other with Butch Wall. streaks. They were the first Tri-
ite Club.
NFA playoff series McKnight “Not only were we going to the of golf. In curling, teams McKnight Town team to gain a Brier berth
pitched in was in 1961, when same school, Gord and I were “Gord and I have been good skipped qualified for two since Bill Grozelle in 1967 (17 sports@nugget.ca