Pat Payton
Sports Editor
AYLMER - The St. Michael Junior boys’ cross-country running team captured the WOSSAA championship held here at the Springwater Conservation Area last Thursday, Oct. 29.
The Warriors Junior boys squad of Tyler Natywary, Paul Wunder, Luke Salter, Mac MacSorley, Cam Olive and Brandon Gray now qualify for the OFSAA championships to be held at Boyd Conservation Area in Woodbridge this Saturday, Nov. 7.
Natywary finished fourth overall at WOSSAA, and teammate Wunder was fifth.
Sarah Wilson, of St. Mikes, claimed silver in the Senior girls’ race and also qualifies for OFSAA
The St. Michael team, meanwhile, took third place in the overall boys team competition.
• Point guard Tara McPherson scored 53 points in three games and was named a tournament all-star as St. Mikes Warriors went 2-1 at the Chatham-Kent Senior girls’ basketball tournament this past weekend.
Warriors got off to a good start in the first game against Chatham McGregor, winning 56-50. McPherson poured in 21 points and Laura Groenestege added 10.
Game 2 saw Warriors struggle offensively and dropped a 42-38 decision to Essex Red Raiders. McPherson led the charge with 18 points and Groenestege contributed seven.
In a determined defensive effort in the third game, St. Mikes easily defeated Waterloo Bluevale 40-28. McPherson once again led the way with 14 points and Bridget O’Reilly added seven.
The tournament was the final one of the season for the Sr. Warriors, who stand at 19-6 in league, exhibition and tournament play. St. Mikes is idle until next Monday when they host Northwestern or Exeter South Huron in a H-P semi-final playoff game.
• Workers from Dig-It Unlimited, Lloyd’s Electric and Perth Concrete were busy last week erecting new light standards at Stratford’s National Stadium.
The project, which has been nearly a decade in the making, will cost approximately $175,000. A Trillium grant of $50,000 has already been paid out, and the city will cover the balance.
The project, which includes moving the scoreboard and right-field lighting outside the outfield fence, is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
• Stratford Minor Baseball Association is now accepting coaching applications for the 2010 travel season for the following Indians teams: Sr. Rookie, Minor Mosquito, Major Mosquito, Minor Peewee, Major Peewee, Minor Bantam, Major Bantam, and Midget.
The SMBA website has been updated with a ‘coaching application’ under online forms. Please submit your intentions via this form by Sunday, Nov. 15. Any questions, please contact SMBA president Cathy Graver at 519-271-3602.
• Stratford Dunny’s Source for Sports Belle ‘AA’ ringette team won twice recently, 9-2 over Waterloo Open ‘A’ and 9-1 over the University of Western Ontario.
Sam McIntosh and Jaynie Van De Walle each fired hat tricks against Waterloo, while Amy Wilson scored two goals and Kaylee Whitcroft one.
In the win over Western, Emily Bakker scored five goals, Van De Walle three and Whitcroft one. Goalie Ashley Miller had a strong game.
Mitchell’s Amberlee Dickson scored for Western.
• Brad Wittig tells the Gazette that the Stratford Indoor Soccer League has officially started its second season.
A round of exhibition games were played last Friday, and regular-season matches begin this Friday. Each team will play one another twice during regular play.
The league has nine teams this year, up from eight a year ago, although one team is a little short on players.
“It’s pretty much the same rules as last year, except we instituted a penalty system for yellow and red cards. For example, players will serve two minutes (or less) for a yellow card,” Wittig explained.
