Sports | DrumhellerMail

403 Selects win Tier 4 National gold

Nationals Win 1

The U18 403 Selects girls volleyball team has struck gold at Nationals in Edmonton last weekend, May 16-22.

The hardworking team placed first with a gold medal by the end of the week long tournament.

“For our team, we ended up losing most of our games on both the first and second days so we moved to Tier 4,” explained Alia Nielsen, a Delia girl who plays for the 403 Selects in Calgary. “We were ranked already in Division 1 because we placed fifth at provincials. We ended up on our third day winning all of our games so we ended up with a Division 1, Tier 4 gold medal.”

Nielsen marvelled at the level of play and distinctive styles the tournament had to offer.

“It’s always fantastic because throughout premiers and provincials you are playing the same teams over and over again so really just to see the difference in play between provinces like how the eastern provinces play a little bit differently than the western provinces. They will position differently. That was really neat to play against and have a more diverse number of opponents. It was just amazing to see the level of volleyball when you have the top teams in the country playing against each other which was pretty phenomenal,” said Nielsen.

The season has stacked up to be a great one for the 403 Selects with the help of skilled coaches. The team hovered at the fifth and sixth place mark in the province throughout the season.

“It’s definitely been a great season. We were really lucky to have such great coaches that we did,” said Nielsen. “It was a really good season for development and fun even though it is such a high level in division one it is still fun.”

Nielsen and her sister Sonya have travelled to Calgary three times a week for practice since December. Sister Sonya Nielsen placing top five in Canada as they placed first in Division 1, Tier 1 for their U15 age group.

“They went undefeated throughout the whole tournament until their last game which was a quarter final,” said Nielsen. “They ended up losing in the third set which was really disappointing but overall they only lost one game. They had actually beat the team that won the entire tournament so they had a super successful weekend.”

Alia was proud of her little sister.

“Just watching her thrive under excellent coaches and in such a competitive, high level atmosphere they are not used to and seeing her succeed was really cool,” said Nielsen.

The Delia local plans to play for another season despite the fact the season is now over.

“I’m really excited to see what next year brings,” said Nielsen.

Cera Cawiezel and Grace Spitzer of Munson also played for the Strathmore Chaos where they won a Division Three silver medal at Nationals as well.

Bulldogs/Titans Victorious at Drumheller Debut

The Badlands Bulldogs and Red Deer Titans combined Men’s 3rd Division Rugby team battled to a convincing win at the first home game played in the Valley on Saturday.

It was another scorcher as the Bulldogs welcomed teammates from the Titans and their opponents from Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club to the DVSS field for a historic first game, watched by an enthusiastic crowd.

Bulldogs player Dustin Clark opened the scoring with a try inside the first 10 minutes. The Irish equalized and converted their try shortly after, taking the score to 5-7.

“It was pretty close for the first 30 minutes or so” said April Harrison of Badlands RFC, “but Badlands/Titans scored again before halftime and the team started to really jell from there, they came out and dominated in the second half”.

The game ended 29-7, which is a welcome win for the home side.

“Big thanks to the Red Deer guys for making it possible to bring rugby to Drumheller” said Clark; “We couldn't ask for a better group to help us get rugby off the ground in the Valley” he added.

Clark was joined by fellow Bulldogs Shane McEnery, Troy Poulson, Darren Doecke and Austin Kimmel all of whom made effective contributions to the game. It was a Bulldogs debut for Kimmel and a rugby debut for Doecke,

“It was a great experience…I really appreciate the Bulldogs and Titans teams for the help on the field with positioning, rules, and tactics” enthused Doeke who played Lock. “It was great having our home opener in Drumheller and starting it with a win made it even more special. We’re looking forward to a promising season and a successful future for the club” added McEnery who played Flanker.

Titans Coach Sean Tindall noted “I thought the Bulldogs that made it out did a fantastic job. Good blend of ability and instinct…The Irish brought a mostly young team that liked to run the ball and were very challenging to defend. Big thanks to the few Titans that played two games to help make the day successful!”

The Drumheller Titans Community Football Association have offered their support to the fledgling Rugby Club, including help putting lines on the field ahead of the game “they’ve been fantastic and special thanks has to go to Head Coach,

Ken Fournier – it’s great to have that kind of support in the community” said Harrison. “Thanks also go to the Drumheller Aquaplex for staying open late, Boston Pizza, to everyone that came out and cheered us on and to all of the volunteers; from coaching to providing first aid, to our linesmen, to picking up garbage and running the concession; all the behind the scenes stuff that makes days like this happen” she added.

The Bulldogs/Titans face the Calgary Canucks at home in Red Deer on Saturday, June 2 at 2 p.m.

Triathlon swims, bikes and runs into seventh year

   A great way to challenge your fitness and have fun is the Drumheller Dinosaur Trail Triathlon.
   This is the seventh annual triathlon coming up on Saturday, June 2. Race organizer Morgan Syvertsen says there are still spots available for the race. Last year they had to cut the registration at 49 due to insurance. This year they are able to handle a few more
   “We actually have a sponsor this year,” said Syvertsen.
   He explains Drumheller Associated Physicians has signed on as a sponsor this year, and the organizers are excited to have them. They will provide some funding to help with costs, as well as host an aid station and have an onsite medical presence if needed.
    “We are very excited to have them along,” he said.
Competitors this year can take on the sprint distance featuring a 750m swim (30 lengths) a 20k cycle and a 5k run, or an Olympic distance which is a 1,500m swim, a 40k cycle, and a 10k run. So far, he says there are equal competitors signed up for both.
    One element that is missing so far this year is he has no teams signed up. The race lends itself well to a team effort, with racers able to take on each leg of the race. It is a great way to get a taste for the event and triathlon racing.
   “We have people this year who are doing the solo events, who competed with a team last year,” said Syvertsen.
He encourages those interested to register right away, as the cut-off date to receive a race shirt is May 15. To learn more go to the Drumheller Dinosaur Trail Triathlon Facebook page, or email drumhellertriathlon@gmail.com.

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