December Sports Update

 

In early November, Shawnigan had the honour of hosting the provincial AA field hockey championships, where we proved to be one of the top teams, going 3-1 in pool play before ultimately winning the bronze medal.

 

Shawnigan beat Sentinel 2-1 and Southern Okanagan 3-0 on the first day of play, then defeated Brentwood 4-0 and lost 3-0 to Seycove on the second day. A semifinal loss to Rockridge sent Shawnigan to the bronze medal game, where the girls finished strong with a 3-0 win over Glenlyon Norfolk to claim a medal on their home turf.

The senior girls’ volleyball team competed at the Island championships for the first time in recent memory and came an impressive fourth. The team was repeatedly commended by other coaches for its outstanding defensive play. Setter Madison J. earned Island tournament all-star recognition by running an outstanding offence. Coaches Mr. Hussack and Ms. Fawcett would like to thank the entire team for representing Shawnigan so well throughout the season. With five of six starters and our libero returning next year, the future of Shawnigan volleyball is looking bright indeed!

 

 

The basketball program began competitive play last week, with five of the seven teams jumping right into action. The senior boys tipped off the season against Frances Kelsey Secondary on Tuesday before moving on to the Wolverine Ice Breaker in Sooke over the weekend, while the senior girls met Mount Douglas in their opener last Tuesday.

 

The Grade 9 boys hosted the return of the Cowichan Valley Classic on Friday and Saturday after a one-year hiatus, while the junior girls competed at the Victoria Tip-Off tournament.

 

 

On November 6-9, Joelle K. and Kaleb A. represented the Shawnigan squash program at a national Junior Circuit event hosted by the Glencoe Club in Calgary. Kaleb had an excellent weekend, pushing two higher-rated opponents and showing how much his game has improved. Joelle played up an age category and still battled her way into the final, where she lost a tight 3-1 match against the top-ranked female junior player in Canada.

 

On November 21-23, Joelle competed in a women’s professional tour in Victoria, which included a strong match against the 80th-ranked player in the world, an impressive result for a 15-year-old. Joelle finished the event in third place, gaining valuable ranking points.

 

Before the end of December, the squash team will be competing at the Canadian Junior Open in Ontario, where Joelle is seeded first in the U17 division, followed by the US Junior Open in Philadelphia.

 

 

The U18 Prep boys’ ice hockey team has secured an invitation to the Circle K Classic in Calgary, the top tournament in North America for their age group. Only 32 teams are invited to the long-running event each year, including the top teams from the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. Shawnigan last competed in the 2023-24 tournament. A year earlier, the boys reached the semifinals, and in 2021-22, they were named the Most Sportsmanlike Team.

 

The Shawnigan girls’ team claimed top spot in the Kingstone Invitational tournament, which marked its second iteration on Founder’s Day weekend in October. Shawnigan defeated the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers 3-2 in a thrilling final to take the title for the first time. The strong five-team field included squads from BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

 

The U15 Prep boys continue to show strong development in their play. They hosted RINK Kelowna for a two-game series last weekend that included a special Movember-themed match on Friday, and a 6-5 overtime loss on Saturday. The U17 Prep boys are playing in a tough division, and closed out November with three home games where they came up just short of victory.

 

Term 2 Dev Squad/Junior Varsity ice hockey for both the boys and girls has started up again this year. Both programs are loaded with students who are excited to have lots of fun on the ice. Approximately 80 students are involved in the two programs.