June Sports Update: CSSRA Gold!

The junior boys’ crew of Christian P., Sascha H., Henry G., Thomas Y., and cox Clara C. also had a remarkable regatta, earning silver in the coxed four and bronze in the coxed quad. The semifinal at St. Catharines, in which they finished second behind their Vancouver Island rivals from St. Michael’s University School, marked the first time this year that the boys had raced the quad this season.

 

“What an amazing regatta we had,” Head of Rowing Mrs. Jennifer Parfitt commented. “What makes me most proud is not the medals or results, but the unwavering commitment these athletes showed to the process every day, trusting the work, embracing challenges, and staying focused on improvement, which is why such a small team was able to achieve so much. Their dedication, resilience, and countless hours of effort have laid the foundation for far more than racing success; they have developed the confidence, self-belief, and character that will open doors to future opportunities both in sport and beyond.

 

Two of our students are preparing to compete at the BC Summer Games in Kelowna on July 22-26. Jack P. (Grade 8) will represent Zone 6 (Vancouver Island), and Henley D. (Grade 9) will represent Zone 8 (Cariboo-North East).

 

Two Shawnigan alumni are also bound for the Royal Henley Regatta in England on June 30-July 5: Gunnar Platt ’22 (Lake’s) with Syracuse University and Ally Tuttle ’23 (Strathcona) with Brown University.

 

 

 

All three of our eligible teams won their respective Island championships and reached the final four in the province, with two of them bringing home medals.

Shawnigan’s best finish came in the senior girls’ AA tournament, where the Iron Women placed second behind Yale. They defeated Earl Marriott in the first round and Island rivals G.P. Vanier in the semifinals to reach the final. Amelia H. was named a tournament all-star.

 

Also at the senior level, Shawnigan’s 1st XV finished fourth at the senior boys’ provincials. They got past Island rivals Claremont in the first round before falling to top-ranked Collingwood in the semis and St. George’s in the bronze-medal match. Massino R. was picked for the all-star team. The boys’ season started with club rugby in the fall: they reached the Island final where they lost to the eventual provincial champions. “This experience provided valuable game exposure and helped identify key areas for improvement in match play,” head coach Mr. Jeff Williams related.

 

The Colts capped off their season with a third-place finish at the junior boys’ provincials, defeating St. George’s in the bronze-medal match. “The Colts had a great season of growth, fun, and passion for the game,” said coach Mr. Remi Anctil. “It all started on our trip to the UK, and continued on Canadian soil. While bronze wasn't the colour we set out to win, the true success of this season goes far beyond our finish.”

 

For more than a dozen of our student-athletes, rugby will continue into the summer, as they are trying out for Island Tide regional teams this weekend, hoping to be selected to compete at the BC championships in Abbotsford on July 4 and 5, where provincial teams will be selected for the national championships in Ontario on July 18-26.

 

 

Shawnigan held the fourth edition of the Mike Johnson Classic on May 22 and 23. It included a men’s and ladies’ professional event that drew players from Canada, the USA, Macau and Chile to our courts. Shawnigan alumni Ryan Picken and Gigi Yeung won the professional event, and current Grade 10 student Joelle K. was runner up in the ladies’ event, a phenomenal achievement to be competing at that level at 15 years old.  Next up, Joelle will be representing Canada at the World Squash Junior Championships in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario in July.

 

A week later, Shawnigan hosted the Squash BC silver series finals. Sixty junior squash players from across BC travelled to the School for the event, with 16 Shawnigan students among the qualifiers. Brian T. narrowly lost the Division 1 final to a much higher ranked player, and Chloe W. finished third in the same division, making her the overall girls’ winner. Akira O. finished third in Division 2, which was a massive achievement as he only started playing squash in November. Aki S. and Spencer W. won divisions 4 and 5, respectively to cap off a season of hard work and huge improvement.

Grade 9 student Camryn S. has been named to the Vancouver Island 15U volleyball team. She will be competing at the 2026 BC Summer Games in Kelowna on July 22-26.

 

Grade 8 student Liam R. qualified for and competed in the BC School Sports track and field Grade 8 invitational meet, placing seventh in the 3000m and 14th in the 1500m with a personal best performance. 

 

 

The School hosted a 10-year anniversary celebration for the Female Prep ice hockey team on June 6. More than two dozen former players and coaches reunited for a game against the current team, followed by a reception at the Hyde-Lay Pavilion.

 

Shawnigan U15 Prep head coach Mr. James Pollock will be coaching Team BC in the 2027 Canada Winter Games in Quebec City on February 27-March 14. The original group has been cut down to 76 players, and Mr. Pollock plans to have it at 25-30 after the next camp in Chilliwack in late July, with the final roster to be selected around Christmas.