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Holiday Sports Success
December had most students looking forward to going home for Christmas Break, but several of our accomplished student-athletes had other thoughts as they prepared to travel to other parts of Canada and the globe for high-level competition in a variety of sports.
Squash – Joelle K.
Prior to Christmas, Joelle K. became a national champion in squash, winning the U17 girls’ title at the Squash Canada 2025 Canadian Junior Open in St. Catharines, Ontario. Although the field consisted mostly of players a year older than her, Joelle didn’t lose a single game, and outscored her opponents 165-68. From Ontario, she travelled straight to Philadelphia for the US Junior Open on December 20-23. In Philadelphia, Joelle went in as a 9-16 seed (out of 108 competitors in the U17 bracket) and won her first three matches, including an upset of the No. 8 seed, to reach the round of 16. She was ousted from the tournament in an intense match with the No. 1 seed.
Circle K Classic
The U18 Prep boys’ ice hockey team spent most of their Christmas break in Calgary, competing at the Circle K Classic, generally regarded as the foremost U18 boys’ tournament in the world. Already missing some key players, Shawnigan ended up in arguably the toughest pool in the round robin, which included the top-ranked U18 team in Canada, the Regina Pat Canadians. Shawnigan’s scoring leaders were Nolan B., Phoenix H., and Keegan S., each of whom recorded one goal and two assists over four games.
That same team is hosting the Robertson Invitational Tournament this Thursday to Sunday, marking the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Charlie Purdey Arena. Shawnigan is joined by fellow CSSHL teams St. George’s School and Pacific Coast Hockey Academy, the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the BC U18 AAA league, and Palm Springs Hockey Academy and Fairmont School from California in a competitive tournament.
Ice Hockey – Wylie W.
Among the players Shawnigan was missing at the Circle K Classic was defenceman and team captain Wylie W. Wylie played one game for Shawnigan in Calgary before jetting off to Bucharest, Romania to play for Team China in Div. II Group A the IIHF U20 World Championship. China recorded just one win through their first four games as of Friday, although Wylie collected three assists in a 4-3 loss to Croatia on Thursday. This is Wylie’s second year representing China at the World U20 level. In addition to being captain of our U18 Prep boys’ team, Wylie is tied for the team lead with 21 points and leads the team in assists with 17.
U18 Prep Girls’ Ice Hockey
Before the Christmas Break, the U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team attended the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Hockey Tournament, the largest female U18 AAA tournament in Western Canada. Also competing in a challenging pool, Shawnigan posted two wins and one loss in pool play, then a win and a loss in the playoffs. Grace C. led Shawnigan and finished sixth in the tournament with eight points (four goals and four assists) in five games, while Leah H. had six points (two goals and four assists) and Zoe C. added five points (three goals and two assists). The girls’ team is attending the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Showcase Tournament in Ontario this weekend. The Gee-Gees Showcase features the top U22 women’s teams in Canada; Shawnigan had a successful showing at the same tournament last year.
Global Youth Sevens
Grade 11 students Emma N. and Evelyn W. travelled to New Zealand with the BC Bears provincial team for the Global Youth Sevens rugby tournament, the top event in the world for U18 players, which ran December 19-21. Playing against national, regional and club teams from around the world, the BC Bears, who were the only Canadian team in the tournament, won four of seven games and finished 16th out of 32 teams, and Emma scored six tries over the course of the tournament.
Volleyball – Camryn S. and Kelsey J.
Two members of our junior girls’ volleyball team from last fall, Camryn S. and Kelsey J., were invited to Volleyball Canada’s National Excellence Program Futures Camp. NEP Futures is a new early-identification pathway designed to spot and prepare high-potential young athletes for future National team development. Congratulations to Camryn and Kelsey for this accomplishment!
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
