A22
THURSDAY, May 12, 2022
SPORTS
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MSS track and field athlete falls to injury
Ryland Sheldon competing to get first place at the 100m dash right before the injury. Photo/ Misty Sheldon
Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM Unfortunate news coming from Kamloops this past weekend. MSS track and field athlete, Ryland Sheldon suffered a season ending injury. Sheldon, Grade 9, was competing in the 100 metre dash this past Saturday at the Dylan Armstrong track meet held in the TRU Hillside Stadium. “There was one guy ahead of me but I was gaining on him at about the 60 metre mark,” Sheldon recalled.
Right around the 80 metre mark, Sheldon said he felt a pop on his right leg, below his hip. He then recalled slowing down until eventually falling on the ground. “I was caught up in the moment and I didn’t really know what was happening,” Sheldon recalled. “This level of injury has never really happened to me before.” Sheldon was taken away on a stretcher and immediately taken to Royal Inland Hospital’s emergency room. “The thing that scared me the most
was when I tried to get up, I couldn’t move my right leg,” Sheldon explained. “Initially I thought it wasn’t a big deal and then I realized I couldn’t move my right leg at the hip joint.” Sheldon is a multi athlete. Aside from track, he also played for the school’s fastball, ultimate frisbee, and basketball teams. During the meet, Sheldon was also competing in a basketball tournament held inside the stadium. He was going back and forth between the two sports. “At halftime we were winning 24-0 and then I left to go for the 100m,” Sheldon recalled. After analyzing his x-ray results, Sheldon’s doctor found that his injury is more significant than initially perceived. “We got a call from the doctor yesterday after they looked at my x-rays again and the tendon actually pulled a bit of bone off,” said Sheldon. Sheldon’s injury will cut his season short for all the sports he was playing. “It’s disappointing especially when it’s the end of the year and playoffs for certain sports are about to take place.” Trying to be optimistic, Sheldon feels
happy he is still able to join the Panthers from the sidelines. “As a team, I probably hate to miss the rest of the ultimate frisbee season the most because we’re going to the provincials,” Sheldon explained. “As a team, I probably hate to miss the rest of the ultimate frisbee season the most because we’re going to the provincials. As an individual player, I would miss basketball the most, because I was doing pretty well,” said Sheldon, who was the Jr. Boys starting point guard. “Ryland’s impact on the team is deeper than on the court and the energy he brings on and off the court is hard to match,” said Jay Peralta, Sheldon’s basketball coach. “He’s a talented player and great athlete, him missing the rest of the season will be a tough season as his contribution to the team is more than he realizes. I hope he has a speedy recovery and will be back stronger than ever” As of now there is no set timeline on Sheldon’s recovery. He intends to see a specialist in the coming days to get more information.
Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM
Principal Gian Cavaliere says that the ultimate frisbee program, a relatively new offering by BC School Sports, has been well received and benefited students and the school alike. “The kids have grown in so many ways. They’re playing club ultimate frisbee in the summer now. It’s a big deal for us. We do get a lot of success out of our teams, but not usually in newer programs,” said Cavaliere. “Ultimate frisbee definitely caters to a different clientele of athletes, and it’s one of the few co-ed sports there are. There’s no referee, it’s very much a sportsmanship based game. The kids love it.” The upcoming Okanagan tournament will see the Panthers go up against schools such as Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, Osoyoos, and many others, only three of which will avoid elimination to move on to the provincial tournament in Surrey, May 28 and 29. Moving forward, Cavaliere says that the school and its students are excited to claim their place at the provincial tournament, and look to continue providing new athletic opportunities to the community.
Panthers win West Zone Championships
Merritt Secondary’s Panthers ultimate frisbee team were crowned West Zone champions, and will be the top seed out of the west at their next tournament. Photo/Shelly Moorhead
Another win for Merritt Secondary School’s (MSS) athletic community came on May 5 with the Panther’s 12-1 defeat of Kamloops Westsyde Secondary School, crowning them 2022 West Zone Ultimate Frisbee Champions. The Panthers’ co-ed team of ultimate frisbee players compete in the Okanagan league of BC Ultimate Frisbee, which is divided into four zones. The west zone will be represented at the Okanagan tournament in the second week of May by MSS and Westsyde Secondary, with the Panthers winning for top seed. “We worked hard for this. It was a nice bonus, especially with sports starting back up again this year. This is the first major win the school’s had in a while now,” said Ryland Sheldon, grade 9 student at MSS and player for the Panthers ultimate frisbee team. “Half our team right now is made up of seniors, so hopefully next year the sport will be more known and we can get more players. It’s a good experience,” added Sheldon. MSS Athletics Director and Vice-
