St. Peter Saints rower wins national title
Grace VandenBroek first, TASSS’s Brianna Coombes sixth at Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association Championships
For the second year in a row St. Peter Saints’ Grace VandenBroek has won the girls singles sculls gold medal at the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association Championships in St. Catharines on Sunday.
The Douro native finished with open water between her and the second-place finisher. Thomas A. Stewart’s Brianna Coombes finished sixth in her first appearance in the A final.
“It is exciting to be leaving high school with back to back wins,” VandenBroek said.
“I have had a good winter of training and now can look forward with confidence to junior National Team selections. It is a great sport community to be involved in, and I would encourage others to give rowing a try.”
Next for VandenBroek is the Rowing Canada junior selection trials at the end of June in London.
In other action, Roz Shepherd, from TASSS, came second in her Friday heat in the 63kg girls single event. She advanced to the semifinals on Saturday. She also raced the senior girls double with Brianna Tombs. In the double they advanced to the semifinals but didn’t advance to the final. Tombs, from TASSS, made it through the heats and semis to race on Sunday in the senior girls single.
Ian Holmquist, from St. Peter, advanced from the heats to race the semis. The three schools from Peterborough, Adam Scott, TASSS and St. Peter, had a total of 32 athletes entered.
Boys Rugby
Thomas A. Stewart Griffins kicked off the OFSAA AAA boys rugby tournament in London with a 31-7 win over Toronto’s Senator O’Connor on Thursday afternoon.
The Griffins were up 7-0 at half-time before opening up the game. Braden Bruce scored two tries, Haeden Moher, Mark Nicolson and Tye Wesenberg one each. Alex Zajac kicked three converts.
“We had a slow start,” said Griffins coach Jeff Challice. “Lots of nerves and lots of mental mistakes in the first half. In the second half, we settled down and played well.”
The No. 5 seed Griffins play the No. 4 seed Oakville Trafalgar in quarter-final action on Friday.
AAA Girls Soccer
The Thomas A. Stewart Griffins opened the OFSAA AAA girls soccer championships with two losses on Thursday in Windsor.
TASSS lost 4-1 on Thursday morning to St. Martin from Mississauga. Rebecca Bartosh had the lone Griffins goal.
TASSS was then edged 5-4 on Thursday afternoon by St. Anne from Lakeshore, Ont. Sarah Williams had two goals for the Griffins and Emma Flindall and Amelia Lackie also scored.
The Griffins wrap up Pool A play on Friday facing A.B. Lucas Secondary from London at 9:30 a.m. and Regiopolis Notre Dame from Kingston at 2 p.m.
The championship games are Saturday.
AA Girls Soccer
The Holy Cross Hurricanes were shut out twice on the opening day of the OFSAA AA girls soccer championships in Windsor on Thursday.
Holy Cross lost 5-0 to Notre Dame Secondary and 5-0 to Parkside Collegiate.
The Hurricanes continue pool play Friday against Sandwich Secondary and St. David Secondary.
The championship games are Saturday.
AA Boys Soccer
The Adam Scott Lions had a tie and a loss on the opening day of the OFSAA AA boys soccer championships in Tecumseh, Ont. on Thursday.
The Lions tied Iona Catholic 1-1 and lost to Monsignor Paul Dwyer 3-0.
Adam Scott continues roundrobin play Friday against St. Joseph-Scollard Hall and Essex District High.
The championship games are Saturday.