Young Wolfville Tritons shine at senior provincials
Wolfville Tritons senior athletes should be proud of their recent trip to Hailfax to compete at the Senior Ken Dunn Provincial Championships.
To qualify for this competition, it’s all about time standards not, as the name may suggest, age. The Wolfville Tritons sent nine athletes to this event. The growing number of qualifying athletes is a pleasing indicator to the improvements shown of the younger swimmers making the grade, said head coach Moira Milward.
The youngest swimmer attending this meet was Eliza Stokesbury-price, who just recently made the standards at the junior provincials and also just squeaked in under her 12th birthday. Eliza swam the six events allowed, making vast improvements on her previous best times set just one month prior.
Her training companion, Maggie Graves, 12, also showed huge improvements. For Maggie as well, this was her first senior championship.
“For her to make 3 B finals was no mean feat for this tiny 12-year-old,” Milward said. “B finals are the next fastest six that did not make finals and these places usually go to stronger, older swimmers.”
Eliese Groeneveld, 12, has been to senior provincials before, but was excited to have young friends with her and managed to accompany Maggie to a B final in the 50-meter breaststroke.
Milward said the performances by the youngest members of the senior team were thrilling.
“They have worked so very hard this year and each one of them has been rewarded by best times and even finals swims. This shows so much promise for next season,” she added.
Other more experienced members of the team were out to improve their times and trying to make further qualifying standards for junior nationals – these are much higher than those for provincial champs. Ava Vial, 15, Nicolaas Groeneveld, 16, and Bo Stokesburyprice, 14, all have standards for at least one event and will head to Toronto later this month. These three athletes all brought provincial medals home.
While not qualified for nationals, Matthew Bent, 16, and Gabriel Graves made a strong showing at this meet. Both have been working hard to maintain their earlier season form and managed well at this meet. Gabriel, being a younger and one of the more accomplished breaststroker for his age in Nova Scotia, came home with three gold medals.
The oldest competitor of the meet, Ben Henger, 19, swam hard and assisted the team to a fourth place in the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay.
“This is a long season for many swimmers this year with Canada Games not happening until August, so it is pleasing that our Triton swimmers managed to show so well. They are developing into strong swimmers and showing a great desire to win, it is a pleasure to be a part of such a team,” said Milward.
Acadia Hockey Development will be hosting the second annual showcase event for 13 to 15-yearold players.
Running from July 27-29 at the Acadia arena, on-ice instruction will be led by Acadia Axemen staff and several guest instructors, including Halifax Mooseheads assistant coach Jon Greenwood.
“This is the kind of the time when hockey starts to get a little more serious and (players) need to realize what it is that university teams or major junior teams are looking for,” said Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns.
The showcase puts up and coming locals in front of recruiters from high-level hockey programs.
“Things happen a lot younger now,” said Burns. “Kids are even signing letters of intent to commit to division one schools at the age of 15 now.”
In Acadia hockey’s recent efforts, Burns’ staff - including Kris Macdonald, Mark Richards, Mike Alcoe and Acadia Minor Hockey Association Hockey Development chairman Shaun Kuryluk - have developed select teams that travel abroad.
“Shaun and Kris’ work is an example of our program’s ability to help grassroots hockey in developing youth in the basic skills. We also have the university staff to be able to help guide kids who are getting to the age where they need to make important decisions in their careers,” said Burns.
The showcase helps with player development, he said, and also offers Atlantic Canadian hockey players access to some of the best coaches from various levels, including prep school, major junior, junior A and the university level.
“It’s always been the goal of Acadia…. to try to provide something here in the Valley where kids don’t have to travel,” he said.
It’s a benefit to the coaches as well, Burns said, as it offers local coaches an opportunity to watch and learn from coaches outside the area.
Other camps planned
The showcase will kick off a series of development camps for every age and skill level in August.
Local standouts Cam Whynot, Bailey Peach, Damien Hartt, Maggie Burbidge and Brent Levy are examples of kids who have benefited from the Acadia camps and all have represented the province at various regional and national events, he added.
“Where it is important to bring in the region’s top players, it’s essential that we spend time focusing on the grassroots level,” Burns said.
The female instructors are some of the best in Atlantic Canada, including U18 Team Canada member Brette Pettet; the most sought after recruit by NCAA Division 1 schools in Atlantic Canada Maggie Burbidge and Kate Spooner, a Union College NCAA Division 1 goalie.
“It’s so important to have those female role models. When you look at those three kids, it doesn’t get much better than that,” said Burns.
Coaching staff
Coaches for the camps include Greenwood from the Halifax Mooseheads; University of Maine Black Bears associate head coach Ben Guite; Berwick native Charles Grant, who has extensive experience as a professional goaltender and most recently played for the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL- an affiliate team of the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL; and Travis Young, a former player and assistant coach with the Acadia Axemen and new head coach of the junior A Valley Wildcats. A high-level, off-ice training led by Acadia Athletics’ strength and conditioning coach, Elliott Richardson, will also be included in the camp programming.