October Sports Update

Finally, Shawnigan hosted the Island AA championships on October 20 and 21, finishing fourth and qualifying for the provincial championships in North Vancouver on November 5-8. That same weekend, the School hosted the ISA junior championships, with two teams in the Tier 1 tournament, finishing second and fourth, and a Grade 8 team earning invaluable experience in the Tier 2 tournament.

 

The U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team is off to a spectacular start this season, going undefeated through their first six games of league play. Morgan J. is leading the way and is second in league scoring with 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) through six contests. The girls are off to Calgary for a Canadian Sport School Hockey League showcase this weekend.

 

The U18 Prep boys are also off to an excellent start, with four wins, one regulation loss and one shootout loss through their first six games. Josh P. and Brendyn V. have set the pace so far with four goals and four assists apiece. The U18 boys are hosting a CSSHL showcase this weekend.

 

The U17 Prep boys’ team has one win, four losses and one shootout loss so far this season, while the U15 Prep boys have two wins and six defeats.

 

 

Shawnigan has sent rowers to three regattas this fall. First up was the National Rowing Championships on September 28-30 on Quamichan Lake in North Cowichan, where athletes Arden A., Dylan A., Justus F., JD P., Kathryn Y., Abby M. and Shelby H. competed against university and provincial teams. The goal was to execute great race plans at this stage of the game, which all the crews accomplished.

 

On October 14 and 15, Shawnigan competed in the Head of the Gorge and Tail of the Gorge regattas, collecting several top placings. In the Head of the Gorge, Arden A., Justus F., Dylan A. and JD P. took first in the boys’ 4x, while Kathryn Y., Eva M., Sophia W., Abby M. and Vanessa L. placed first in the girls’ 4x+.

 

In the tail of the Gorge, Arden, Justus, Dylan and JD won the boys’ 4x; Radu A., Christian W., Bendix W., Benneit H. and Norman W. won the boys’ 4x+; and Livia C., Gwenlili J., Christina Z., Kaho H. and Vanessa L. won the girls’ 4x+. The girls’ 4x changed their lineup and placed third with a crew of Sophia W., Eva M., Ella-Rae M. and Abby M., and the B boys’ 4x of Moose B., Tait A., Gabe B. and Martin H. placed fourth. The girls’ double of Shelby H. and Kathryn Y. raced in the open women’s category as there was no junior category, and finished in the top half of their field, competing against university students. A novice girls’ 8+ crew also raced in the open category, encountering some tough situations and a shared experience to build on.

 

 

Shawnigan hosted a Squash BC Silver Series tournament on September 30, with 22 of our own athletes competing. Kaleb A. won the boys’ platinum draw, Tony Z. won the boys’ silver draw, Josef J. was runner-up in the silver draw, Gilles B. won the bronze event, and Francois B. was runner-up in the bronze event.

 

 

The Grade 9 rugby team hosted a sevens tournament at Shawnigan on October 12, where they were joined by two teams from the Mainland, two from other Island schools, and a sixth side composed of players from all the schools.

 

“Everyone had fun, and we had lots of kids playing,” said coach Mr. Remi Anctil. “It was the first sevens experience for most players, so there were lots of new experiences and lots of learning.”

 

 

The senior girls’ volleyball team had a successful start to the season. They opened with back-to-back tournaments at Gulf Islands Secondary and Spectrum School, then performed well against high-calibre teams at the Brentwood Classic on October 13 and 14, and the ISA tournament on October 20 and 21.

 

“The athletes have shown significant growth with their individual skills as well as with their ability to play within our team’s system,” head coach Mr. Jonathan Koltun commented.

 

The junior girls’ team has been competitive in the A division of the Central Island league, playing to a 4-1 record so far. The team has a great mix of players, with leadership from their six Grade 10s, and a strong group of six Grade 9s and two Grade 8s. They played their best volleyball of the year at the ISA tournament last weekend, and are heading to Central Islands this weekend with the aim of qualifying for the Island championships.

 

Students in the Outdoor Pursuits sports group have been working on completing the

Level 1 sea kayak skills course with the national certifying body, Paddle Canada. The course will prepare students to plan and run a kayak day trip in sheltered waters on the ocean. The 11 students and instructors Ms. Jessica Dick and Mr. Kyle Leis have been doing skills sessions twice a week on Shawnigan Lake, as well as day trips on Saturdays to Mill Bay and Cowichan Bay. In November, they play to do an overnight kayak trip to a nearby island.

 

 

The senior boys’ soccer team has qualified for the North Island championships, which Shawnigan will host this weekend (October 26 and 27). They are hoping to qualify for the Island championships in Comox on November 6 and 7.

 

 

Students competed in the Cowichan Valley race series, with events held at Bright Angel Park, Shawnigan Lake School, Glenora Trails Head Park, and Cobble Hill. For the race at Shawnigan, the entire cross country team was involved, either running or marshalling. Any athlete who finished in the top eight in a race qualified for the Island championships on October 18, with eight Shawnigan athletes making the cut: Elizabeth G., Dora A., Thomas Y., Tristan C., Ethan R., Selam C., Christian L., and Dave P. Christian had the best finish, narrowly missing the top 10 out of more than 100 runners in the senior boys’ race.

 

“Our cross country athletes have worked incredibly hard so far this term and should be very proud of what they have accomplished,” said coach Mr. Albee Eisbrenner. “Over the past several weeks, they have trained to improve their strength, cardio, and flexibility in a supportive and collaborative environment.”