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Sports Briefs: Canadian bobsledders make winning starts

Lumsden, Moyse win first-ever World Push Challenge ahead of World Cup opener
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push prowess Jesse Lumsden holds the men's title belt after winning the inaugural World Push Challenge in Calgary on Nov. 21. image courtesy of fibt

Canadian bobsledders got off to winning starts — literally — just days before their World Cup sliding campaigns will get underway at home this weekend.

Jesse Lumsden and Heather Moyse were the men's and women's winners of the inaugural World Push Challenge held Nov. 21 at the WinSport Ice House in Calgary, which pitted some of the World Cup circuit's top brakemen against each other.

Athletes pushed a two-man sled by themselves on the track at the Ice House, the world's only indoor push-start training facility, looking to set the fastest start times.

Lumsden's time of 5.004 seconds put him ahead of runner-up and fellow Canadian Lacelles Brown in the final. U.S. team member Chris Fogt finished third and Canada's Neville Wright was just off the podium in fourth.

Moyse stopped the clock at 5.550 seconds. She was flanked on the podium by Judith Vis and Sanne Dekker, both of the Netherlands. Canadian athlete Ashley Shumate finished fifth.

Lumsden and Moyse each picked up an estimated $6,500 in cash and prizes for finishing first, plus a title belt.

"It feels good, it's good to set the tone," said Lumsden. "It's a fun event and all the athletes had a great time. Now we are just looking forward to getting to the top of the hill to do some bobsledding."

The first FIBT World Cup bobsleigh and skeleton races take place Nov. 29 and 30 in Calgary.

Saints settle for second

The Whistler Saints came up short in their championship game on Sunday, Nov. 24, as the North Vancouver Raiders handed Whistler a 20-8 defeat in the North Shore Football League's flag division final.

Liam Forsyth had the lone Saints touchdown in the loss, while Logan Anderson made good on the two-point kick after. Josh McKenzie was a standout on defence with a touchdown-saving interception, but it wasn't enough to stop the Raiders on Sunday.

"It was a fantastic season," said head coach Ralph Forsyth. "It was disappointing to lose, for sure. They tried really hard and practiced so hard all season, but I'm sure proud of them."

The Raiders were the only team to topple the Saints this season, handing them their only loss during the regular season as well.

Seven players on the Whistler squad will be old enough for tackle football next season. There weren't enough players to form Sea to Sky squads in older NSFL divisions this year, but coach Forsyth expects many of the players on the 2013 Saints to be playing peewee-level football next fall.

Other players on the Saints roster included Josh Wheeler, Griffin Brown, Taiki Auger, Kai Auger, Ambrose Vollmer, Quinn Goertzen, Benyon McKeen, A.J. Lacroix and Marlowe Gaddes.

Skaters strong at Jingle Blades

Eight athletes from the Whistler Skating Club put together some strong performances during the annual Jingle Blades competition that wrapped up on Nov. 24 in Vancouver.

The Whistler skaters were particularly strong in the free skate, during which the skills they display are judged at a gold, silver or bronze standard.

Caitlin Patterson, who competes at the Star 4 level, finished third overall and achieved the gold standard with her free skate. Star 3-level skaters Eme Leigh and Brennan Riddle also earned gold honours, while Kate Risso and Lily McConnachie reached the silver standard. Georgia Strim was awarded bronze. Meanwhile, Star 2 skater Olivia Hutchinson achieved gold.

Skaters also competed in the interpretive category, some for a first time, and showed great improvement in their performances at the event.

Skating at the Silver level, Patterson finished in fourth place. In Bronze Interpretive competition, Madeline Blaser placed fourth as well.

Introductory skaters Riddle, Strim, McConnachie and Leigh finished in fifth through eighth place, respectively. Pre-introductory competitor Hutchinson finished second.

Spring Creek girls win volleyball title

The Howe Sound Volleyball Championships for junior high girls wrapped up on Nov. 22 with one of two Spring Creek Community School squads securing the title.

It was an all-Whistler final to cap off the 12-team tournament, with the Spring Creek team defeating a Myrtle Philip Community School crew in the championship game.

Myrtle Philip captured the first set of the final, but Spring Creek rebounded with two straight set victories to take the title.

Members of the winning squad included Amy Romano, Breanna Martindale, Emma Cronin, Hannah McKenzie, Jade Eberhard, Mila Wittenberg and Pasqual Fecteau.

Spring Creek's other team in the tournament finished in third spot after defeating Brackendale in the battle for bronze.

Sea Wolves make waves

The Whistler Sea Wolves swim team has had a busy start to the competitive season, already attending three meets over the past several weeks and posting a number of personal best times.

There were several highlights for the club out of the Lower Mainland Regional (LMR) meet that took place at the Simon Fraser University pool on Nov. 16 and 17. Leading the way was Eric Milley, who qualified for the AA provincial championships by meeting the required standards in his 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre backstroke events. He fell just short in a couple of other events and will be working to reach the AA standard before the championship races get underway in late February.

Eleven-year-old swimmers Samantha Deally and Lauren Wentzel competed up in the Open class (ages 12 to 18) at the meet and qualified several times at the A level.

Stephane Barnett is showing great improvement in the 200-metre breaststroke, as the 14-year-old took 14 seconds off his previous personal best. He came within two to five seconds of the AA standard in many of his events at the LMR meet and will be working to keep lowering his times over the coming months.

Despite swimming with the club for less than a year, Maya Christensen drastically lowered her PB in the 200-metre breaststroke while beating the LMR standard by more than 10 seconds.

J.J. Deane took an incredible 24 seconds off her previous best in the 200-metre individual medley at the meet, leaving her less than a second from the event's A standard time.

The girls' medley relay team, which included Deane (breaststroke), Christensen (freestyle), Pietra Kamstra (backstroke) and Katarina Kranjc (butterfly), finished second in the girls' 14 to 15 race despite having three 12-year-olds on the squad. With Kranjc, 14, on the team, the other three were forced to race up at the older level but had no trouble competing against the older field.