The year in amateur sports

Report an error

One local pistol just smoked the junior football world with one of the most awesome performances ever seen on the amateur scene.

Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Ryan Marsch won the Peter Dalla Riva Award as the Canadian Junior Football League?s Offensive Player of the Year, was named All-Canadian quarterback, and was a unanimous choice as the Prairie Football Conference Most Valuable Player.

Marsch, who led the PFC in passing with a CJFL record 3,030 yards and tied a PFC record with 31 touchdown passes, is a strong candidate to win Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year.

Winnipeg?s Michael Schmidt is also a nominee for Manitoba?s top male after he qualified for the fifth time to represent Canada at the Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup.

Our women amateurs were impressive, too. Sarah-Anne Brault, for one, won the women?s Canadian Triathlon Championship in Kelowna, B.C., upsetting Edmonton?s Paula Findlay, ranked No. 3 in the world. Ste. Anne?s Jocelyne Larocque starred on defence for the national women?s hockey team, winning a silver medal in the 4 Nations Cup. Larocque, who plays for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was a first team All-American and a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA?s top women?s hockey player.

Former University of Manitoba Bisons midfielder Desiree Scott made her mark on the international soccer pitch. She helped Canada win the Cyprus Women?s Cup and the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Mexico. Chantal Van Landeghem had yet another outstanding season as she won four individual and one relay medal at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.

The Winnipeg Thrashers were one of the most dominating amateur teams in history.

The Thrashers were the first Winnipeg team, and just the second from Manitoba, to win the Telus Cup Canadian Midget Hockey Championship in its 33-year history. The Thrashers also won the Manitoba AAA Midget crown and the Western regional. They are one of five finalists to become Manitoba Team of the Year.

Others who made their marks on the local amateur scene included Brandon Wheat Kings forward Mark Stone, golfers Jesse Skelton and Myles Sullivan, racquetballer Kurtis Cullen and diver Kevin Geyson.

Stone currently leads the WHL in scoring and just cracked the national junior hockey team roster. He also scored 106 points and was an East all-star last season. Skelton was named the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year after winning both the Manitoba Amateur and Match Play titles. Sullivan won Manitoba junior men?s golf championship. Cullen was the Canadian Boys U18 singles and doubles racquetball champ. Geyson got a bronze at the Pan Am Games.

On the women?s side, rowers Meghan Montgomery and Janine Hanson, golfer Winnie Hyun, bowler Lynne Gauthier, lawn bowler Elaine Jones and fastpitch players Ashley Lanz and Krystal Hathaway had great years.

Montgomery won a silver medal in the adapted mixed four at the World Rowing Championship to qualify for the 2012 Paralympics in London, England. Hanson won silver in the women?s eight at the same Worlds to qualify her boat for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Hyun, who won the Manitoba junior women?s title, was a finalist for Manitoba Golfer of the Year. Gauthier qualified for the national 10-pin bowling team for the sixth time. Jones won gold medals in singles and triples at the Canadian senior championships. Lanz helped Canada win a silver medal at the Pan Am Games. Hathaway of Smitty?s was the all-star pitcher at the Canadian Senior Women?s Championship.

As for teams, the Portage Terriers won the MJHL championship and the ANAVET Cup. Marsch?s Rifles qualified for the PFC playoffs, losing to the eventual Canadian junior champion Saskatoon Hilltops.

THE 2011-12 SEASON AT THE HALF

The first half of the Winnipeg High School Hockey League?s 2011-12 season finished trying to recover from a black mark.

Almost an entire team of Sturgeon Heights Huskies were suspended for drinking while away on a tournament.

That spoiled an otherwise wonderful year on ice last winter.

The Oak Park Raiders avenged a loss in the city final by beating the St. Paul?s Crusaders 4-2 in the provincial final. St. Paul?s had shut out the Raiders 5-0 in the city final.

The Crusaders dominated most of the major high school sports. They also overwhelmed Oak Park 32-12 in the Winnipeg High School Football League final.

The Crusaders boys volleyball team also made it to the final, but lost to the Miles Mac Buckeyes. The St. Mary?s Academy Flames won the provincial girls volleyball title for the first time by downing Crocus Plains in the final. Championship MVP Alicia Ogoms also committed to the University of Southern California during the championships.

The Raiders were no slouches, either. They beat Garden City in the boys basketball final and the Oak Park girls lost the hoops final to River East.

?

Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/12/23/the-year-in-amateur-sports

lakers mall of america mennonite gordon hayward smokey robinson smokey robinson close encounters of the third kind