11 minute read
The Starting Line-Up
Starting
Compiled by Scott Taylor Photos by James Carey Lauder, David Larkins, Sport Canada, Sport Manitoba, Swimming Canada, Dave Mahussier/University of Manitoba, Bruce Fedyck, Basketball Manitoba, Drury University
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Line-Up
SportsLife Magazine brings you the hottest news stories in Manitoba sports. Once again, we’ll catch up with a number of the star athletes who we’ve featured before and introduce you to some newcomers who have taken the local sports scene by storm…
WOG NAMED USPORTS’ FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Wog named To no one’s surprise, Winnipeg’s Kelsey Wog has been honoured as
USports Female the finest female athlete in Canadian university sports for 2019-20. Athlete of the Year Wog won four national gold medals (50m and 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 200m individual medley), while her 200m breaststroke and 200m IM golds were USPORTS records. Wog’s 2:22.42 in the 200 breast is still the fastest time in the world in 2020, while her 100m breaststroke time of 1.06.44 was among the fastest in the last calendar year. Thanks to her stellar national championship, Wog was named the U SPORTS Female Swimmer of the Year. The (now) 2021 Olympics are now on Wog’s radar. Heading into 2021, her sights remain set on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, which are now scheduled for July of next year. Prior to dominating at Nationals in February, Wog earned four gold medals and a relay bronze at the Canada West Championships in
November of last year.
RICHERT FINALLY RETURNS TO EUROPEAN RACING
David Richert with Inter-Europol
After spending some time back in Manitoba on the karting circuit, the province’s international auto racing star David Richert, is back in Europe. After many months of delay due to the pandemic, Richert, flew to France to compete at Ultimate Cup Series in late September. Richert drives Inter Europol Competition’s Formula Renault 2.0 race car and on Sept. 26 and 27, he was at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, a race track that previously played host to Formula 1’s French Grand Prix. Having signed a contract earlier this year with Inter Europol Competition, Richert was just a few days away from starting the season in the spring until COVID-19 interrupted all plans. The easing of international restrictions has paved the way for competition to resume once again. “It’s great to be back in a fast car,” said Richert. “Thankfully we made the right decision to stay in Canada David Richert’ as the coronavirus was just starting to advance across Europe. It was tough to see everything cancelled as I had spent many months preparing for the start of the season, but everyone across all walks of life was in the same boat so that was just the way it was. It’s great to get back to Formula David Richert’s Europol Renaultracing again after a summer of Karting.” David Richert’s Kart
The University of Manitoba Bisons have named Arnd Ludwig as the new head coach for the Bisons men’s volleyball team, the successor to the retired legend, Garth Pischke. “We are excited to welcome Coach Ludwig to the Bisons,” said U of M athgletic director, Gene Muller. “Our men’s volleyball team is a prestigious and proud program, built by the efforts of retired coach, Garth Pischke and the many exceptional student-athletes that have made their way through the program. We are starting a new chapter and we look forward to the bright future under Coach Ludwig’s leadership.” Ludwig, also known as “Lupo”, comes with an extensive resume. As head coach of the Canadian women’s national team from 2009-2016, Ludwig made appearances at the World Championships in Japan in 2010 and Italy in 2014, the Pan American Games in Mexico in 2011 and Toronto in 2015, and the Grand Prix in 2014, 205 and 2016. The Bisons men’s volleyball season is scheduled to begin in January 2020 with a revised regular season format due to COVID-19. The conference regular season schedule will be released at a later date.
Bisons Coach Arnd Ludvig takes over from a legend
KRISTJANSON INVITED TO NATIONAL VIRTUAL TRAINING CENTRE
Liam Kristjanson
After an all-star season, Liam Kristjanson has caught the eye of Volleyball Canada. Kristjanson, who just finished his freshman season with the 201920 UWinnipeg Wesmen men’s volleyball team, was one of 27 athletes named to the Volleyball Canada U21 men’s virtual training group.The national organization announced U21 men, U19 men and U20 women training groups, were forced to train and connect remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on world championship qualification in 2021. Kristjanson, a 6-foot-9 left side out of Brandon Crocus Plains High School, was named to the Canada West all-rookie team after he stepped into a starting role early on in his freshman season in 2019. He appeared in 21 of 22 conference matches and finished the season with 94 kills, 16 aces, 30 digs and 22 blocks.
The Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame and Museum Inc. Board of Directors has made the decision to postpone the annual Softball Hall of Fame Induction dinner That had been rescheduled for Sept. 19, 2020 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. The event has not been rescheduled, and will not be, until the Provincial Guidelines for the COVID-19 Pandemic allows for attendance provisions. The induction banquet, when it now takes place, will honour six Individuals and two teams inducted into the Hall – Athletes:
Rick DeGagne, Rick Denney, John Kalinowski
and Gary Magwood. All-Around: James (Jim) Lehman. Official: Charlie Kurtz. Teams: 1999-2004 Sportstraders Men’s Slo-Pitch Team and the 1976-1980 Winnipeg Colonels Fastball Team. The Winnipeg Colonels Previously purchased tickets will be honoured on the new date or if you require, tickets can be returned for a full refund. Contact Les Newman at lnewman@live.ca or by phone at 204 235-1674.
Emily Mandamin from Iskatewizaagegan First Nation has accepted a basketball scholarship Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill. Mandamin, who attended Dakota Collegiate and is a member of Team Manitoba grew up in the tiny Northwestern First Nation of 300 people. “It’s crazy what I have accomplished and sometimes I have to take a breath and step back,” she told CBC News. “My mind just boggles and my brain explodes when I think, ‘Wow! I really did that’.” After playing at Dakota in Grades 9 and 10, Mandamin moved to Toronto to play Prep basketball for her final two years of high school. Emily Mandamin
D-2 SOCCER TRANSFER SCHNEIDER COMMITS TO WESMEN
Karrisa Schneider playing at Drury
Karrisa Schneider, a third-year transfer from NCAA D-2 Drury University, has signed on as a late commitment to Amy Anderson’s 2020 University of Winnipeg recruiting class. She will enroll in the Faculty of Economics and will have three years of eligibility remaining. With U Sports and Canada West cancelling fall sports for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Schneider will have to wait until 2021 to make her debut with the U of W. After two seasons of competition in Missouri, then another year of academics at the University of Manitoba, Schneider enrolled at UWinnipeg. She then reached out to Anderson to gauge the possibility of restarting her soccer career. A centre-back out of Oak Park High School, and a former member of the U18 provincial program, Schneider transitioned into centre-midfield at Drury, where she played the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In addition to four years of high school soccer at Oak Park, Schneider played her club soccer with Portage Trails, FC Northwest and Manitoba Blizzard.
WHSFL CANCELS THE 2020 SEASON
For the first time since another pandemic – the polio outbreak of 1953 – the Winnipeg High School Football League has cancelled its season. “I’m at a loss for words,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Bannon, in a written statement. “I, like so many, love this game, value its teachings and the fellowship. However, this game has also taught us how to battle through adversity and become better for the challenge.” According to Bannon, the WHSFL will continue to work with Football Manitoba, the MHSAA and all participating school divisions under the direction of Manitoba Health with the ultimate goal of providing its athletes the opportunity to compete in a 2021 spring season. The WHSFL has been part of the Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario sporting scene since 1933.
Coach and Commissioner Jeffrey Bannon
WEDLAKE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS AT BASKETBALL MANITOBA
Adam Wedlake started working for Basketball Manitoba in 1992 as a summer student. Two years later, he became the Program Coordinator. In 1995, he moved up to Technical Director and in the fall of 1997, he co-founded the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association (WMBA). It was only fitting that in June of 2006, when the position became open, he was named Executive Director. On Sept. 5, 2020 he celebrated his 25th years as an employee of Basketball Basketball Manitoba Executive Manitoba. Wedlake is known as one of the most respected executive directors in Canada.
Director Adam Wedlake He has taken Basketball Manitoba into the 21st century with his technical skills and creative thinking. Numerous new programs and initiatives are a result of his leadership. A great friend of SportsLife Magazine, we here congratulate Adam on an outstanding career and wish him many more years to come.
The University of Manitoba Bisons Track and Field team has added 13 local athletes to the squad for the 2021 season. Abby Bestland, 18, competed in the sprints events with Sanford Collegiate and, amazingly, just took up the sport last year. Adam Chahid, 19, was a sprinter with Kelvin High School. Tyler Cox-Yestrau, 17, competed in the sprints events at J.H. Bruns Collegiate. Alex Davis, 17, ran sprints and middle distance at Balmoral Hall School. Graham Hutchinson-Campbell, 17, competed in sprints and jumps at J.H. Glenlawn Collegiate. Angela Kroeker, 18, is a middle distance / distance runner out of River East Collegiate. Justin Kroeker, 17, is a middle distance / distance runner from Edward Schreyer School. Reese Lange, 18, is a sprinter out of Murdoch McKay Collegiate. Rachel Mann, 18, competed primarily in the hurdles at Kelvin High School. Jakob Paquette, 17, is a sprinter and jumper out of Garden City Collegiate. Issac Peters, 18, competed in the High Jump at Fort Claude Berube Richmond Collegiate. Daxx Turner, 18, excelled in the Triple Jump and High Jump while at Neepawa Area Collegiate. And Ilona Zrinyi, 17, joins the Bisons sprints and middle-distance team from Vincent Massey Collegiate. “These athletes exemplify the tremendous work being done in track and field at both the high school and club levels in Manitoba,” said Bisons Track and Field head coach, Claude Berube, who is in his 24th year with the U of M. “With backgrounds in competitions at the provincial and national level, this group has all the tools to compete in Canada West and USPORTS. They will all be key members of the Bisons program moving forward.” The Bisons track and field teams are returning many of their top performers from the Women’s team that finished fifth at the 2020 Canada West Conference Championships.
Claude Berube
Jeff Hnatiuk
HNATIUK NAMED DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT
The president and CEO of Sport Manitoba is leaving his post at 145 Pacific Ave. to become the province’s Deputy Minister of Sport, Heritage and Culture. Jeff Hnatiuk, who was responsible for not only the impressive growth of amateur sport in Manitoba during the past 25 years, but also for the construction of the Training Facility at Manitoba’s Sport for Life Centre, has just about done it all in Manitoba sport. A former accomplished hockey player, Hnatiuk was the executive director of both Golf Manitoba and Hockey Manitoba. In 2017, he was the CEO of the Canada Games and he’s also been on the board of the 1999 World Junior Hockey Championships, the Canada Games Council, KidSport Canada, The Exchange District Biz, YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg, the advisory board of the University of Manitoba’s Health, and the Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute. He has started his new role with the provincial government.
MJHL WILL BEGIN PLAY ON OCTober 9
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League will be one of the few Jr. A leagues in Canada to begin play this fall when the 2020-21 season begins on Oct. 9. Not only that, but with the addition of the Winnipeg Freeze, the MJHL will boast 12 teams this year. It’s the first time the league has had 12 teams since 2002-03 and the first time Winnipeg has had two teams since 2011-12. Former NHLer and Manitoba Moose player Josh Green, will be the teams head coach. There will be six games on opening night: Swan Valley will play at OCN, Winkler journeys to Neepawa, Portage plays at Virden, the Winnipeg Blues are at Selkirk, Steinbach plays the Winnipeg Freeze at the RINK and Waywayseecappo plays at Dauphin.
Last season’s MJHL leading scorer Mikol Sartor of the Winnipeg Blues
