Even when you can’t see him arounda corner, you know he’s coming.And it’snot just because you know he’s guaran-teed to be at the front. Once the first per-son catches a glimpse of him, it spreadsthroughout the crowd – that unmistak-able first syllable of his name.

“Y-Y-Y-Y-VES! GOY-Y-Y-Y-VES!”And in their voices, you can tell it’s

about more than cheering on a guy who’swinning a race. It’s an expression of joyto see a young man thriving not only inrunning, but in life. It’s an appreciationfor his courage. It’s an understanding thathe’s overcome more than any of his racecompetitors could imagine.

And it’s a love for a bright youthfulathlete with the perma-smile who hasnothing but love to give back.

“He really believes that there’s goodin everybody,” says Nicole Le Saux,Sikubwabo’s Canadian mom. “He treatseverybody with respect, and he really en-courages everybody. He’s just a reallygenuine kind of person and I think that’swhy people can relate to him.

“He’s just so sweet and he’s verycaring.”

RRWWAANNDDAANN RROOOOTTSS

It seems almost unfathomable thatsomeone could emerge with such an eter-nally positive spirit from a place wheredeath and despair often ruled the day.

When he was just one year old,Sikubwabo’s parents were among an es-timated 800,000 people murdered in theRwandan genocide. Tensions betweenthe Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups re-mained present throughout Sikubwabo’syouth, and his family would sometimesreceive threats from the same group thatkilled his parents.

Sport provided a place for Sikub-wabo to find “joy and peace,” whicheventually led him to the 2010 world jun-ior track-and-field championships inMoncton, N.B. as Rwanda’s lone repre-

sentative.After calling his aunt following his

race, Sikubwabo made the bold decisionto leave the athletes’ village and jump ona bus to Ottawa, which he knew was thecapital, to start a new life in Canada –with nothing but his backpack, clothesand a pair of running shoes.

AA NNEEWW LLIIFFEE

Sikubwabo spoke very little Englishat the time, and not much more French,but all the stars seemed destined to align.He found a shelter to stay in with help

from a woman he met downtown whohappened to speak his native tongue, andlater a family whose daughters had justmoved away and had a bedroom to offerhim.

“We invited Yves for dinner, and hewas just so sweet that between the maincourse and dessert we decided we wouldask him to come and live with us,” re-counts Le Saux, who first heard Sikub-wabo’s story in a community newspaperarticle.

Le Saux and husband Jim Farmer’sOld Ottawa South home also happens to

not be too far from the city’s top cross-country running school, Glebe CollegiateInstitute.

CCAAMMAARRAADDEERRIIEE WWIITTHH RRIIVVAALLSS

No one has ever come close to chal-lenging Sikubwabo in a high school race.But instead of jealously or disdain for thefour-time OFSAA champion, the oppo-nents who are left to chase for secondplace embraced Sikubwabo the sameway he embraced them.

p. 5

A home OFSAA cross-country running championships providedthe perfect stage for a communityto celebrate the success of gold medalist YVES SIKUBWABOYVES SIKUBWABO– not only in athletics but also in the radiant refugee’s remarkable journey to adapt to life in Canada so seemlessly.

PHOTO: MARC DESROSIERS

SKATERS DANCE TO CHALLENGE

Christina Julien and Rachelle Beanlandsplayed significant roles in Canada’s women’ssoccer gold medal at the Pan Am Games.

PAN AM GOLD FOR LOCAL PAIR

CIS BASKETBALL TIP-OFF TIME

p. 3

Championship season is underway for areafigure skaters and many Sectionals champi-ons from Ottawa clubs are medal hungry.

p. 2

The Carleton Ravens and University of Ottawa Gee-Gees are poised for big thingson the men’s and women’s sides this season.

p. 7

IQALUIT D-MEN JOIN GRADS

Two players from way up north are prowl-ing the blue line for the Cumberland Gradsin the Central Canada Jr. A Hockey League.

NNoovveemmbbeerr 22001111VVooll.. 22SSppoorrttssOOttttaawwaa..ccoommTThhee HHeeaarrttbbeeaattHHeeaarrttbbeeaatt ooff tthhee OOttttaawwaa SSppoorrttss CCoommmmuunniittyy

By Dan Plouffe

VisitHIGH SCHOOL UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY ELITE

ffoorr aallll yyoouurr llooccaall ssppoorrttss nneewwss..

From Rwanda,With Love

YVES continued on back pagePHOTO: MARC DESROSIERS

With gold medals already in the bag, thenovice and junior women’s champions nowhope their breakthrough performances fromthe Skate Canada Eastern Ontario Sectionalswill vault them towards this season’s Canadianchampionships in Moncton, N.B.

Zoe Gong of the Minto Skating Club andElizabeth Comeau of the host Gloucester Skat-ing Club won the most competitive divisions atthe Nov. 4-6 event, but, like the rest of theskaters, they still came away with even moredetermination to make it to the national level,along with a list of must-dos and an end-of-November deadline.

That’s when the top four athletes fromSectionals will take the final stepping-stone tonationals for the Skate Canada Challenge inRegina, Sask. from Nov. 30-Dec. 4.

For Gong, Challenge will represent an-other opportunity to get together with formertraining partner Lisa Nasu-Yu, who moved toMississauga in March to stay with her oldersister and mother and train at the Canadian IceAcademy. At Sectionals, the 14-year-oldswere practically inseparable –which mirrored their scores lastseason when Nasu-Yu edged Gongout for gold at Sectionals and forsilver at Challenge.

This year, it was Gong leapfrogging Nasu-Yu, with Gloucester’s Nikki Mattocks, whowas “really happy” to set a new all-time bestscore, sandwiched in between for second, andGloucester’s Kelsey MacLean earning fourth.

Bolstered by music with a storyline and ablack and sequined two-piece costume madeby her mother, Gong became a compellingJames Bond on ice.

“I really like the theme (song) because thebeginning is slow and the end is fast,” saysGong, a Grade 9 Earl of March SecondarySchool student. “This is a chance for me to begraceful and dynamic in the same piece.”

To prepare for Challenge and Canadians,Gong plans to start putting triple Salchows intoher competition program and work on hertriple toe.

FFRREEEESSKKAATTEE EELLEEVVAATTEESS CCOOMMEEAAUU

Comeau’s victory in the junior women’sevent was the first Sectionals title of the long-time Gloucester skater’s career. The Grade 10Lisgar Collegiate Institute student has nevermade it to nationals before, but thinks this sea-son may be a different story.

“This year it feels bigger and better,”Comeau explains. “I've noticed a big im-provement. My training is more focused. Thisyear I am skating for myself and having funwith it.”

The 15-year-old also knows where sheneeds to make adjustments to her performancebefore the Challenge competition.

“There's a lot more I could have done,”adds Comeau, who moved up from third placeafter the short program to the gold medal posi-tion. “My spins were not as strong, jumps notas crisp.”

Minto’s Anna McCorriston finished lessthan a point behind Comeau in second place,while one of the Sectionals’ best-knownskaters, Jennifer Pettem, fell from first to third.

“My legs were shaky, I was a little nerv-ous,” recounts Pettem, who’s been a memberof many Eastern Ontario clubs because she’sfrom a small town near Brockville. The 18-year-old has a plan to calm her nerves next time.

“Breathing is huge for me – in through thenose and out through the mouth. And smiling.It relaxes my body and then I remember why Iam here,” says Pettem, who wants to land hertriples when she attends her third Challengeevent in search of her first trip to nationals.

The Rideau/Minto Samantha Glavine andJeff Hough pair won the novice ice dance title,while Rideau's Andriyko Goyaniuk (pre-novice men), Minto’s Sophie Fu (pre-novicewomen) and Gloucester’s Hailey Fournier (ju-venile women) were also champions.

Visit SportsOttawa.com for a completelist of local Challenge qualifiers.

Minto Skating Club

Visit our website for details www.mintoskatingclub.com

Register now for our January to April 2012 CanSkate session

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COMMUNITY CLUBS

By Anne Duggan

Ottawa figure skaters chase prized nationals berths

Michael Black, along with St. Matthew Tigers andMyers Orleans Bengals teammate Alex Gauthier,put in four weeks’ worth of work into a single day onFriday, Nov. 4, playing offence and defence for bothhis high school and community club.

“It’s a tough deal,” Bengals coach Ntare Baino-mugisha says with a smile. “An old man like me, Iwouldn’t expect to do that, but at their age, it’s justget hydrated, get some food, and that’s it.

“These guys have so much heart. There’s no waythey’re going to let anything stop them from achiev-ing their dreams.”

The afternoon didn’t start of well for the St. Matt’spair as their severely understaffed Tigers fell to St.Mark in the league semi-final, but their eveningended on a great note as the Bengals completed anundefeated National Capital Amateur Football Association season with a 21-0 victory over the

Nepean Redskins.

Quarterback Darcy Lavoie, a Tiger grad himself,was named the team’s championship game MVP,while defensive leader Ryan Lawther received theRedskins’ honour.

The Cumberland Panthers (Tyke and Mosquito),Myers Riders (Pee-wee) and Gloucester SouthRaiders (Bantam) were also crowned NCAFA A

Cup champions.Check SportsOttawa.com for

more on the NCAFA finals.

Bengal champ pulls double-duty, twice

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Jeff Hough of the Minto Skating Club held onto the novice ice dance titlewith Rideau partner Samantha Glavine and also won a novice men’s silver.

PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

Minto’s Zoe Gong moved up to novice this year and won gold.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

Elizabeth Comeau reacts to news of junior gold.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

As if a gold medal wasn’t enough tocelebrate already, the Pan Am Games werea coming-out party for Rachelle Beanlandsand a coming-of-age party for ChristinaJulien as both local players enjoyed mem-orable women’s soccer tournaments inGuadalajara, Mexico.

Canada’s second group match againstArgentina was when the Ottawa Fury W-League players really stepped to the fore-front for the senior national team. Julienscored the lone goal in a 1-0 Canadian vic-tory, and Beanlands wrote a little piece ofhistory for herself by becoming theyoungest goalkeeper to ever record a cleansheet in net.

“I have to give credit to my team forhelping me out,” says Beanlands, whocouldn’t help but feel nervous early on inher first international cap. “I didn’t have todo too much, and thanks to (coach) John(Herdman) for giving me the chance.”

Although a single start doesn’t sud-denly make Beanlands a Team Canadastar, it was a big step nonetheless from arole as the extra kid who hangs out atcamps to the person counted on as the lastline of defence for the likes of ChristineSinclair.

“When you first meet them, they in-troduce themselves, and you’re kind oflike, ‘Well, I already know who you are,’”laughs the 18-year-old first-year Univer-sity of Maryland student.

For Julien, the Pan Am Gamesshowed that her apprenticeship with thesenior national team is nearing its end, andthat the 23-year-old is ready to step in and

be a part of Team Canada’s core of regularcontributors.

“I ended up playing almost everyminute of every game,” notes the strikerwho scored twice in Canada’s five games.“It kind of builds your confidence and youfeel really proud of playing for your coun-try at that time. And knowing that you putin the work to be where you are, it’s finally

paying off.”Julien felt she

played one of the bestgames of her career ina 2-1 semi-final winover Columbia, butwhen they were backon the pitch for thefinal against Braziljust a day-and-a-halflater.

“I remembergoing into that gameand thinking, ‘Oh myGod, my legs aredead,’” Julien recalls.“A lot of us were

really tired.”Brazil tallied before the game was five

minutes old, but Sinclair got the equalizerwith about same amount of time remain-ing, which eventually led to penalty kicksto determine the Pan American champion.

‘‘SSLLEEWW OOFF HHAAPPPPYY EEMMOOTTIIOONNSS’’

When Karina Leblanc made the win-ning save on the fifth shot to give Canadathe gold, Beanlands and Julien had differ-ent reactions.

“Everyone was yelling and screaming,rushing to the keeper, hugging and con-gratulating,” Beanlands recounts. “It wasjust a whole slew of happy emotions.”

But for Julien, it was one other emo-tion that prevailed.

“I remember I was really nervous be-cause I was the sixth shooter,” explains theJames Madison University kinesiologyand business grad. “If it would have gonein, I would have been shooting. I was justrelieved.”

The Pan Am gold couldn’t have comeat a better time for Canada, Julien adds,

after going winless at the World Cup thispast summer and enduring the resignationof former coach Carolina Morace.

“It was really important,” emphasizesthe Williamstown, Ont. native who nowlives with her parents in Cornwall. “Weneeded something to rebuild our confi-dence and get that swagger back almost.The Pan Ams was a good way to do that.We’re going to have a bit of confidencegoing into Olympic qualifiers and hope-fully it can continue on from there.”

With the countdown on to the London2012 Olympics, attending a major interna-tional multi-sport Games was an experi-ence both players fully soaked in.

“It was a cool seeing everyone fromthe different sports and the different coun-tries – seeing the boxers in the gym doingall this crazy stuff that you couldn’t evenimagine doing,” explains Beanlands, whoran into a former youth soccer teammateof hers, Kellie Ring, a member of Canada’sPan Am Games women’s basketballsquad. “It was really cool to see her there.”

‘‘PPRROOUUDD TTOO BBEE CCAANNAADDIIAANN’’

Nothing quite compared, however, tothe feeling the athletes experienced as theywalked into the 40,000-person stadium forOpening Ceremonies at the front of the linejust behind flag bearer Sinclair.

“It was overwhelming when they callyour country’s name and you walk throughthat gate,” Julien describes. “I almost lostit. It was surreal. I’ve never been moreproud to be Canadian.”

While Beanlands’ focus now shifts toschool soccer and playing for Canada’sunder-20 team, it’s full steam ahead to Jan-uary’s Olympic qualifier for Julien.

“The opportunity is there,” Juliennotes. “I think about (the LondonOlympics) every day. Every day when I’mtraining, that’s the one picture in my mindand my one goal.”

They wound up one goalshort of a championship, butCapital City FC hopes it haslaid the groundwork for along-term place in the Ot-tawa sports scene as the teamwent on a remarkable run tothe Canadian Soccer Leaguefinal, where Toronto Croatiawon 1-0.

“I don’t think anyone butmaybe ourselves internallywithin the organization feltthat we were going to be asgood as we were,” sayscoach Shaun Harris. “Itshowed an awful lot for our

organization for how far

we’ve come in just sevenmonths.”

Capital City FC finishedwith an 18-5-7 overall record.

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Ottawa pair share breakout performances at Pan AmsELITE 3

View this video report online at SportsOttawa.com.

Capital City reaches CSL final in Year 1

Rachelle Beanlands (left) became the youngest keeper in team history to record a clean sheet, while Christina Julien played almost every moment in Canada’s 4-0-1 run to Pan Am gold.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFEPHOTO: CANADASOCCER

By Dan Plouffe

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

December 16, 2011.

BANQUET TICKETS

or

TIONSOR NOMINAOR NOMINATIONSCALL F

SANQUET TICKETB

December 16, 2011.

or

SANQUET TICKETB

Jason Dunkerley is the star attraction out of the Ottawa-area athletes headed to Mexico for this month’s ParapanAmerican Games in Guadalajara.

The three-time Paralympic track-and-field medalistwho’s come back strong from an Achilles injury that kepthim on the sidelines for part of the summer is Ottawa’s surestbet for a medal at the Parapan Am Games.

Also competing at the Nov. 19-27 event will be Ot-tawa’s Jacqueline Rennebohm (athletics), Keven Smith-Wothylake (boccia), Tony Walby (judo), Meagan Michie(swimming), Barry Butler (table tennis), Jamey Jewells(wheelchair basketball), and Whitney Bogart, Amy Knee-bone and Jillian McSween (all goalball), plus there are tonsof coaches and support staff from the nation’s capital.

Dunkerley’s fellow Ottawa Lion, Noella Klawitter, isanother strong medal contender, although many of the othertop track-and-field athletes are not attending the ParapanAms because the competition comes so late in the year lead-ing up to the 2012 Paralympics.

“It will be a young team for sure,” Dunkerley says, not-ing Athletics Canada is looking at the event as a develop-ment opportunity. “For (new guide runner) Josh (Karanja)and I, we’re a new team and it’ll be our first championship,so it makes sense for us to be there.”

DDUUNNKKEERRLLEEYY GGAAIINNSS SSPPEEEEDDYY LLEEAADDEERR

Karanja recently returned to Ottawa after competing forthe Eastern Michigan University Eagles in cross-countryrunning and track-and-field, and eagerly jumped at the op-portunity to travel the globe and help Dunkerley push to-wards being the best in the world.

“We’re pretty much the same stride and our arm-swingis pretty similar, so it wasn’t too hard to adjust, really,” high-lights Karanja, a Nepean High School grad. “We haven’traced much though and that’s probably where going to PanAms will help us big time.”

After previously working infrequently with a guidefrom southern Ontario, Dunkerley deemed it essential to finda regular guide runner locally.

“It’s absolutely key,” says Dunkerley, who competes inthe T11 class for athletes with visual impairments and isn’table to do any work on the track without a guide. “Josh is

also considerably faster, so he’s really able to work me hardand help me get the best out of my running.”

The 34-year-old has changed his focus from runningthe 800 metres and 1,500 m to the 1,500 and the 5,000 sincehe believes there’s a lot of room for him to grow in the longerevents. Ian Clark, who became Dunkerley’s coach near thestart of 2011, believes his distance-focused training is start-ing to pay off.

“Frankly, he’s never been this aerobically fit ever,” statesClark, noting however that it’s inevitable for an athlete intheir mid-30s to lose a bit of their foot-speed. “We’ll just tryto max out with the speed endurance, and with taperinggoing into the big races, we’ll hope for the best.”

Although he’d certainly like to defend his 1,500 m Para-pan Am title and is eager to see how things go in the 5k,Dunkerley’s primary focus remains squarely on next sum-mer’s Paralympic Games in London.

In order to have more time for training, Dunkerley hasdropped down to part-time work hours with his organizationthat promotes active living for people with disabilities, whichmeans the countdown is on.

“There’s a lot of talk about it,” smiles Dunkerley, not-ing a recent site visit to London made him truly feel howquickly it’s approaching. “Life is really starting to take shapetowards the Paralympics. It’s on my mind a lot – every dayfor sure.”

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OSU alumni excel at next levelOSU alumni excel at next levelSpanning across

places near and far,Ottawa South UnitedAlumni have left theirmark this autumn allover North Americacompeting for CIS,CCAA and NCAA

universities and colleges.It doesn’t require a very far look to see the impact

Force Academy graduates are having. Suiting up lo-cally for Carleton University, Michael Calof steppedinto an important starting role during his rookie sea-son with the OUA regular season-champion Ravens.

The ’93 boys alum started every game and was arock on defense while also picking up two goals inhis first year.

“It’s a big jump playing against some guys who arefive and six years older, but I’ve enjoyed my timehere,” says Michael, who played for OSU since itbegan in 2003.

“Playing for OSU was a tremendous help in prepar-ing me for University soccer. I had a chance to com-pete against the best players in North America,playing in such high profile tournaments as the DisneyCollege Showcase for two years and training withCoaches from Everton FC and the Dallas Texans.”

AACCAADDEEMMYY GGRRAADDSS TTOOPPSS IINN AACCAADDEEMMIICCSS

Force Academy Alumni are also thriving in theclassroom as well as on the soccer pitch – no onemore so than Heather Ambery, who was named aCIS Top-8 Academic All-Canadian for earning a per-fect 4.3 GPA in her sport management program.

The fourth-year University of New Brunswick Var-sity Reds captain and co-top scorer earned a slew ofawards and scholarships for her achievements atUNB. Heather participates in many activities at UNBsuch as promoting physical activity for young femalesat a Fredericton high school, acting as president ofthe school’s athletics council, executive of the VarsityReds’ Red Brigade fan club, co-president of the Ki-nesiology Club and co-president and co-founder ofUNB’s Right to Play University Club.

The AUS All-Star midfielder also designed and rana weekly sports program for underprivileged children at a community centre in Ottawa the pasttwo summers.

“We are so proud of what Heather, and all ourForce Academy alumni, are accomplishing in theirnew ventures,” says OSU club president Bill

Michalopulos. “Our main focus at OSU is to developand get players ready for the next level and the nextstage in their lives, so nothing pleases us more thanto see them excel on the soccer field and in their stud-ies.”

A number of other OSU alumni are making wavesin the university soccer world:

–Robbie Murphy, who represented Canada at theWorld University Games this summer in China, wasnamed OUA West conference MVP for Guelph Uni-versity, where he scored 16 goals in 14 games thisyear.

–Colin Aubrey, Tim Engert, Max Bair-Marshall andBrandon Rollocks also helped Guelph to a third-placedivision finish.

–Garrett McConville, an OUA All-Star, won aprovincial gold medal with the McMaster Marauders.

–OSU ’90 Girls Alumni Paula Wong, a 2010 CISchampion with the Queen's Golden Gaels, has ashot at capturing national title No. 2 after winning the2011 OUA championship.

–OSU ’93 Girls Alumni Eli Asare-Danso is the lead-ing rookie scorer and just one goal away from theteam lead at Francis Marion University as they com-pete against some of the top NCAA Division 1 teamsin the U.S.

–OSU ’91 Boys goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi isleading the University of Buffalo Bulls this season in between the pipes during their NCAA Division 1 campaign.

–OSU ’90 Boys Alumni Brandon Tardioli is finish-ing a fantastic career this fall at Mars Hill College, whocompete in NCAA Division 2.

–’93 Boys Alumni Colin Phillips has earned a start-ing spot for Duquesne University as a Freshman asthey compete in NCAA Division 1 play.

–OSU Alumni Godwin Addai is leading SpringArbor University to a breakout season this fall.

–OSU ’91 Boys Alumni Brandon Stonehamstarted every game this season for the Adelphi Uni-versity Panthers in NCAA Division 1 play.

–Brothers Godwin and Jeffrey Addai have made aserious impact this year together at Spring Arbor Uni-versity.

–Captain of the men's team, Abdul Ibrahim is oneof many OSU Alumni competing for the AlgonquinCollege Thunder, including Morena Pizzo, ChelseaMcLean, Chelsea Saunders, Gabriel Urquhard andJacob Law.

Ottawa South United salutes our local affiliated pro-fessional soccer franchise, Capital City FC, on an out-standing first season in the Canadian Soccer League.Congratulations on your amazing run to the final!

The Force Academy ZoneParalympian hopes new guidewill help push to new heights

By Dan Plouffe

Three-time Paralympic medalist Jason Dunkerley (left) now works with a regular guide runner locally in Josh Karanja.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

Josh Karanja has been in Canada fora majority of his life now, but lookingback to when he moved to Ottawafrom Kenya with his mother at age 11,there’s no doubt Jason Dunkerley’sguide runner qualifies as an immigra-tion success story.

The 27-year-old recently came homewith a Master’s degree in public ad-ministration from Eastern MichiganUniversity.

“I’m super proud of him,” saysKaranja’s coach, Ian Clark. “He’sfought for everything he’s got –whether it’s his athletics or his aca-demics. He’s come by it honestly.”

Karanja received an athletic scholar-

ship while running for the Eagles, butpaid for the final year of Master’s stud-ies once his athletic eligibility was up.

“I don’t know if I would have done aMaster’s if I hadn’t gone down there,”notes Karanja, who believes he wouldhave stayed in Ottawa for post-sec-ondary studies if it weren’t for thescholarship offer. “I got to experiencesomething different than most people. Iwas lucky.”

In his youth career, Karanja missedout on a chance to represent Canadabecause his citizenship papers weren’tfinalized, although the steeplechasespecialist eventually did get to competewith a maple leaf on his chest at the

2009 Francophone Games in Lebanon.“It was fun,” recalls Karanja, who

loved receiving his team gear. “I wasfinally running for Canada in an inter-national event. I’d waited for so long.”

On top of work at the RunningRoom, taking French courses, and hisguide runner duties, Karanja helpedcoach his old cross-country team at Ne-pean High School this fall, and he alsovolunteers at the Boys and Girls Club,where he helps youngsters between theages of six and 10 learn to swim.

“A lot of the kids there migrated heretoo,” Karanja notes. “It’s nice to see adifferent face than just a Cajun face sothey can relate somehow.”

Kenyan-born guide runner returns to Ottawa with EMU Master!s

As the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s andwomen’s basketball seasons get underway, the nation’scapital boasts four strong Ottawa Gee-Gees and Car-leton Ravens teams that are among the country’s best.

The Ravens men are after what would be a record-tying eighth national title – all in the span of a decade,no less – the Ravens women are poised to push furtherahead after emerging onto the national scene last year,the Gee-Gees women own the pieces to be one of thebest, and the Gee-Gees men are a year older as theyseek to reclaim contender status.

It’s an embarrassment of riches for the local bas-ketball community, and a major reason for each of theprograms’ success, the coaches note, is because the toplocal prospects from the high school ranks are decidingto play at Ottawa U or Carleton.

Gee-Gees women’s coach Andy Sparks believesthere’s been a swift in thinking that’s occurred for thecurrent crop of female rookies, who probably believedthree or four years ago that they’d certainly be headedsouth for NCAA basketball.

“Those kids that wanted to leave Ottawa didn’thave the draw saying I could be on a very good uni-versity team at home,” Sparks explains. “Now we’vegot two teams in Ottawa that are as good as anybody.”

The fact that all the university coaches are very in-volved in community basketball helps develop the al-

ways-increasing supply of Ottawa talent, although thatalone doesn’t guarantee that they’ll continue their ca-reers in the nation’s capital, notes Ravens women’scoach Taffe Charles.

“A lot of times, it’s really about winning,” he high-lights. “People want to be linked to successful programsand successful teams. Both schools have done a greatjob of producing successful teams not only in our divi-sion, but nationally as well.”

RRAAVVEENNSS MMEENN OONNLLYY GGEETT SSTTRROONNGGEERR

Ranked #1 all last season, more of the same canbe expected of the Ravens men, who return all theirkey weapons from last year including Cole Hobin,Philip Scrubb and Tyson Hinz, the winner of everymajor award available last season.

That trio may in fact be even more dominant afterraising their game to an international standard for the

Pan Am Games in October.“It’s definitely good experience to play against dif-

ferent teams and different styles of basketball,” saysHinz, who believes the fire remains just as strong forthe Ravens on the heels of a CIS title. “It’s still the samegoal this year, and we have a long way to go.”

Hinz’ abilities against Canadian competition wereevident, but the way the St. Matthew Catholic HighSchool grad was able to take control of games this pastsummer at the World University Games demonstratedthat the Ravens own a special talent on the global stageas well.

“Every other team had seven-foot posts, and it waslike, ‘What’s Tyson going to do?’” recalls Hobin, alsoa Canadian Universiade team member. “And he justoutplays everybody and outthinks everybody. Tyson issomething else. Playing with that guy is just awesome.”

Ottawa U men’s leader Warren Ward also got toplay in the Pan Am Games, as did women’s rookie Gee-Gee Kellie Ring, who serves as the prime example oflocal players electing to stay in town for university.

With veterans Teddi Firmi and Ashbury Collegegrad Bess Lennox joining Hannah Sunley-Paisley andJenna Gilbert, the Ottawa women should be a forceagainst anyone, but may find their best match againstthe experienced Ravens lineup featuring Alyson Bush,Ashleigh Cleary, Kendall MacLeod and Jessica Resch.

All four squads tip off their season on the road Nov.11 before their home openers on Nov. 18.

By Dan Plouffe

Basketball Ravens & Gee-Gees fly high into new seasonUNIVERSITIES

Ottawa native Tyson Hinz won every major CIS award available last year and should only be better this season.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

2010-11 regular season:2200--00 ((11sstt OOUUAA EEaasstt))

Finish: WWoonn CCIISS nnaattiioonnaallcchhaammppiioonnsshhiipp

Key players:TTyyssoonn HHiinnzz,, CCoollee HHoobbiinn,, PPhhiilliipp SSccrruubbbb

Season opener: NNoovv.. 1111 @@ MMccMMaasstteerr

Home opener: NNoovv.. 1188,, 88 pp..mm..,, vvss WWeesstteerrnn

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A couple of new university teams areall set to go as a wrestling club debutsfor the Ottawa Gee-Gees and thewomen’s rugby club becomes a varsity-status Carleton Ravens squad.

“It's a tremendous honour for ourteam,” says Ravens rugby coach DenisBlondin, who has operated his club witha “varsity feel” to it for several years.

Rugby was selected to be the newfully funded female sport alongsideRavens men’s football, both financed bythe Old Crows football alumni.

Gee-Gees wrestling is just in its infantstages as a student federation club, butcoach Derek Kossatz, who also operates

Tsunami Academy, believes they’ll

be competitive right off the bat.“The wrestling community’s been re-

ally encouraging,” says Kossatz, whoseathletes won two bronze medals in theteam’s first event at Concordia. “It’s kindof been a thorn in the side of Canadianwrestling that the capital region does nothave a university team, so a lot of people

are very excited.”More on Sports

Ottawa.com

New Ravens & Gee-Gees teams

Yanick Evola of the Gee-Gees andthe Ravens’ Shelley Coolidge havebegun to put their stamps on the Ot-tawa and Carleton women’s hockeyteams, and both squads are holdingtheir own in the highly compe-titive Quebec university division. See

SportsOttawa.comfor more on theirevolution.

Hockey teams mature

It was a triumphant return to Ot-tawa for Guelph Gryphons cross-country runners Allan Brett andJoanna Brown as they swept themen's and women's OUA team titles.Brown is loving life as a rookie,while four-time All-Canadian Brett

is in his final year.More on Sports

Ottawa.com

XC stars shine on

The Ottawa Gee-Gees women'ssoccer team earned its first appear-ance at the CIS national champi-onships in three years with an OUAbronze medal, but the regular seasonchampion Carleton Ravens men lostout on winning a trip of their own.

See SportsOttawa.com formore.

GGs return to nats

CCAARRLLEETTOONN RRAAVVEENNSS

TYSON HINZ

Third-year post was the 2010-11 CIS Athlete of the Year &nationals tournament MVP

MMEENN’’SS BBAASSKKEETTBBAALLLL

2010-11 regular season:1111--1111 ((TT--33 OOUUAA EEaasstt))

Finish: LLoosstt nnaattiioonnaallss qquuaalliiffyyiinngg ggaammee bbyy 22

Key players:WWaarrrreenn WWaarrdd,, JJoohhnnnnyy BBeerrhhaanneemmeesskkeell,,JJaaccoobb GGiibbssoonn--BBaassccoommbbee

Season opener: NNoovv.. 1111 @@ BBrroocckk

Home opener: NNoovv.. 1188,, 88 pp..mm..,, vvss WWiinnddssoorr

OOTTTTAAWWAA GGEEEE--GGEEEESS

JOHNNY BERHANE

Second-year OUA All-Rookieteam guard hit over 45% of 3-point attempts last year

MMEENN’’SS BBAASSKKEETTBBAALLLL

2010-11 regular season:1188--44 ((TT--11 OOUUAA EEaasstt))

Finish: LLoosstt ffiirrsstt rroouunndd aatt CCIISS nnaattiioonnaallss

Key players:AAllyyssoonn BBuusshh,, AAsshhlleeiigghh CClleeaarryy,, KKeennddaallll MMaaccLLeeoodd

Season opener: NNoovv.. 1111 @@ MMccMMaasstteerr

Home opener: NNoovv.. 1188,, 66 pp..mm..,, vvss WWeesstteerrnn

CCAARRLLEETTOONN RRAAVVEENNSS

ALYSON BUSH

An OUA East second-teamAll-Star last year, the fourth-year guard led OUA in assists

WWOOMMEENN’’SS BBAASSKKEETTBBAALLLL

2010-11 regular season:1144--88 ((33rrdd OOUUAA EEaasstt))

Finish: 22--22 iinn ppllaayyooffffss ttoo wwiinndd uupp 66tthh iinn OOUUAA

Key players:JJeennnnaa GGiillbbeerrtt,, BBeessss LLeennnnooxx,, HHaannnnaahh SSuunnlleeyy--PPaaiisslleeyy

Season opener: NNoovv.. 1111 @@ BBrroocckk

Home opener: NNoovv.. 1188,, 66 pp..mm..,, vvss WWiinnddssoorr

JENNA GILBERT

Fourth-year Lasalle Universitytransfer became immediateimpact player last season.

OOTTTTAAWWAA GGEEEE--GGEEEESSWWOOMMEENN’’SS BBAASSKKEETTBBAALLLL

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902 Pinecrest Rd.Ottawa, Ont.

K2B 6B3

Dan Plouffe Editor613-261-5838 editor@SportsOttawa.com

Larry RingDirector of Business Development613-293-1730larry@SportsOttawa.com

Matt GilmerAdvertising & Marketing Manager613-80-SPORTmatt@SportsOttawa.com

The Ottawa Sportspage is printed thefirst Tuesday of every month by Ottawa Sports Media, the locally-owned and operated publishers ofSportsOttawa.com and the OttawaSportspage.

EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL

The second edition of the OttawaSportspage is now here, and we'vegotta say thank you Ottawa for keepingus so busy with all your amazing sportsnews this fall!

A big thank you also for all the peo-ple who have expressed their supportand encouragement for this new ven-ture that we know will only continue togrow.

Speaking of which, we are veryhappy to welcome Matt Gilmer to theOttawa Sports Media team! Matt willbe the new Advertising & MarketingManager for the Ottawa Sportspageand SportsOttawa.com.

Born and raised south of the city inSouth Mountain, Matt grew up playing

hockey in Winchester and continues tomake the trek out to the old rink severaltimes a week even though he's lived inOttawa and worked for local sportscompanies over the past five years.

Matt is very excited to meet andwork with our partners in the localsports community.

We're also very enthusiastic tobring Dr. Shayne Baylis on board as anew Ottawa Sportspage columnist!Better known as Doc Hockey, Shaynewill share his expertise in a wide varietyof areas for the Doc Hockey Corner.

Drafted by the Ottawa 67's, Shayneinstead chose to accept a scholarship toplay hockey at Niagara Universitywhere he earned a biology degree. He

later graduated with Honours fromNew York Chiropractic College and iscurrently practicing chiropractic andsports therapy for all types of patientsat Orleans Chiropractic Clinic at 2543St. Joseph Blvd.

The co-author of a book on explo-sive strength training for hockey play-ers, Shayne also serves as a soccertrainer, works with local athletes toachieve their health and fitness goals,and runs hockey camps during sum-mertime and March Break.

With such a vast background, welook forward to everything DocHockey Corner will bring to us eachmonth.

And lastly, we're very excited for

our official launch event taking placeon Tuesday, Nov. 15! We'd like to in-vite the sports community to come onout to East Side Mario's in the St-Lau-rent Centre to celebrate the birth of thisgroundbreaking publication dedicatedto bringing you all the great local sportsnews that can't be found anywhere else.

It's also half-price appetizer night(and of course we'll provide some freeones too!) and the Sens game in Cal-gary will be on, so it's guaranteed to bea good time. Many thanks to generalmanager Joey Pottie and the East Side'sgang for welcoming us.

We look forward to seeing you thenand all over town as winter sports ac-tivities rev up!

Ottawa Sportspage welcomes new members to the team

WWHHAATT AARREE TTHHEESSEE HHIIGGHH SSCCHHOOOOLLSS’’ SSPPOORRTTSS TTEEAAMMSS NNAAMMEEDD??

SPORTSOTTAWA.COM OCTOBER STARS OF THE WEEKName: Karyn JewellSport: SwimmingClub: Gatineau PhénixSchool: St. Peter CHSGrade: 12Accomplishments: The Canadian

400 m IM champ, Jewell competed at the2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara.

Name: Sebastian SavilleSport: XC Running/TrackClub: Ottawa LionsSchool: Colonel By SSGrade: 12Accomplishments: 2011 OFSAA

senior boys’ 800 m bronze medalist.

Name: Sadie MooreSport: Field Hockey, XC RunningSchool: Nepean HSGrade: 10Accomplishments: Moore just

missed qualifying for the OFSAA XCchampionships by one place, but made itfor OFSAA field hockey later that day.

Name: Sonia TangSport: Figure SkatingClub: Gloucester Skating ClubSchool: St. Peter CHSGrade: 9Accomplishments: Outstanding

skater at 2009 Eastern Ontario Sectionals.

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Need sports photos?Need sports photos?Hire an Ottawa Sportspageprofessional photographer to come out to your game or event.

For more details, e-mail editor@sportsottawa.com

JUNIOR LEAGUES 7

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Grads welcome Iqaluit bluelinersManasie Kendall and Phil Verreault have endured a

tumultuous start to their first year in the Canadian CentralJr. A Hockey League (CCHL). The two defencemen, bothfrom Iqaluit, Nunavut, are part of a Cumberland Gradsteam that limped through the first two months of the sea-son with a 7-13-3 record.

But for each of these players, just the chance to playhockey is an opportunity they’re both looking to seize. Justhow did two boys from Iqaluit find themselves in Canada’scapital?

“Growing up in Iqaluit, every year we came down fora tournament in Ottawa, so we knew the city quite well,”Kendall notes. “But living here is a lot different.”

For Verreault, the opportunity came on the heels of aseason with a Jr. B club in Invermere, B.C., while Kendallwas living in Iqaluit when he decided to attend the CCHLimport tryout camp held last May.

“Obviously their size stands out,” Cumberland Gradshead coach and general manager Paul Flindall says. “Bothof them skate fairly well and they play a fairly simple game.”

TTOOUUGGHH RROOAADD TTOO TTHHEE TTOOPP

For these players, growing up playing hockey was notwithout its challenges. The one team in Iqaluit had someplayers who took the sport seriously and many who – asFlindall bluntly put it – “Stop at the Canadian Tire and getthe ‘I want to be a hockey player’ kit.”

Growing up in a small community with less than oneper cent of Ottawa’s metro population has significant draw-backs for players who want to become elite-level players.

“It was hard to advance or improve ’cause you’replaying the same guys all the way through the system,”Kendall explains. “We only had enough guys for one teamin Midget.”

When not playing for their local hockey team, bothboys were still on the ice but had speed skates strapped totheir feet instead.

Kendall won four speed skating medals at the 2008Arctic Winter Games, which features teams from all theterritories, plus Greenland, Alaska, and parts of northernAlberta and Quebec.

Verreault also won a relay medal at those Games, andthe pair returned for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games, butthat time with their focus on hockey.

Both players hope that their careers in Jr. A hockeywill grab the attention of universities and help them get ascholarship.

But for the moment, their feet have to stay firmly tothe ground as they try to help the Cumberland Grads pickup more wins.

The step up to Jr. A hockey hasn’t been easy for eitherplayer, says Flindall, who believes both have had prob-lems adapting to the level of play.

“They’re not adjusting as quickly as we hoped to thespeed of the game, so that’s something we have to workon,” Flindall adds.

Finding consistency game-to-game has been the hard-est part in the coach’s view. Verreault hasnotched one goal and four assists in 14 gamesthis season while Kendall has a solitary assist in21 games.

But their presence serves as an example toother players that they should fight for the op-portunity they’re given.

“The [players from Ottawa] need to seethese guys coming in from Newfoundland andIqaluit who haven’t had it as easy,” Flindall ex-plains. “The rink hasn’t been 20 minutes awayand it’s a different lifestyle.”

All three Ottawa Senatorswomen’s hockey players got onthe scoresheet as they represented Ontario at the Canadian under-18women’s hockey championshipsNov. 2-6 in Saguenay, Que., whileAmanda Leveille shutout Quebecto give Ontario Red the gold.

Defenders Morgan Richardsonand Cydney Roesler also wongold with Ontario Red, whileCristin Shanahan played for Ontario Blue.

The local players are off to a hot start with theirProvincial Women’s Hockey League club. The Sen-ators jumped out to a 6-1-1 start despite playing six ofthose games in back-to-back-to-back scenarios onroad trips to the western side of the GTA.

“It’s tough,” notes Senators coach Luke Richard-son, who’s pleased his speedy team’s start. “It’s a

lifestyle choice really. If you want to live this and dowell, you can see the girls who have prepared allweek to play on the weekend.”

The young Nepean Wildcats are also starting to getthe hang of it as the second-year PWHL clubrecorded its first pair of victories on its first homeweekend of the schedule to improve to 2-4-1 overall.

The PWHL squads play at home on Nov. 19-20.

Senators PWHL stars win gold for Ontario at U18 nationals

By Nick Wells

Phil Verreault is one of two Iqaluit D playing for Cumberland.PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

C.A.R.E. about concussionsC.A.R.E. about concussions

“Did you see that?He got his bell rung.”It may have seemedfunny to watch asthe player hobbledover to the benchstruggling to stay ontheir feet. In the past,

players with this type of injury would rest a fewshifts before being sent back out onto the ice.

However today, this type of response in aplayer is becoming more of a concern. Playerssuch as Theoren Fleury have talked about theirbouts of dizziness on CBC and how throughouthis NHL career he continued to play through thesymptoms, and Delaney Collins, who was onceon the Canadian National Team was forced to re-tire after repetitive efforts to try and play throughher post-concussion symptoms.

Concussions are not an injury you can justpush through – you must take it seriously becausethe long-term effects can be debilitating. Themajor concern is coming from past hockey culturewhere everyone is supposed to be tough, strongand not let injuries slow you down.

The research is out that concussions need tobe dealt with conservatively for a complete re-covery and lower the re-occurrence factor. It is thesecond and third concussions that are the mostdetrimental to the human brain. The second

i m p a c tsyndrome( S I S ) ,which ism o s t l yseen infootball, iswhere thes e c o n dc o n c u s -sion oc-curs before the first one heals, and the swellingof the brain causes respiratory failure and death.

There is a positive trend beginning to occur inhockey, as they are taking the initiative in the NHLto have no tolerance for dangerous, recklessplays that lead to concussions such as headshots, boarding and charging.

The major themes that need to be implementedby the player is respect, both for themselves andothers, as well as fair play rules practiced on theice. Bottom line is the parents, coaches, players,and trainers need to become more educated aboutconcussion symptoms, assessment, management,return to play protocol, and prevention – to helpspeed recovery and decrease reoccurrence.

Recently I have been involved with studying thecurrent research of concussions and have en-gaged in public presentations about the Concus-sion Awareness and Respond Effectively(C.A.R.E) protocol where hockey attitude,strength training for prevention, on-site evalua-tions of concussions, safe play strategies, and thelatest research and treatment is discussed.

I will be speaking about the above topics to theNepean Girls Hockey Association on Nov. 15 atthe Nepean Sport-splex. For more information, visitwww.dochockey.ca

Doc Hockey Corner--By Dr. Shayne Baylis, Doc Hockey

Concussion Awareness andRespond Effectively seminar

Nepean Sportsplex Nov. 15, 7:30-9 p.m.

C.A.R.E.

OTTAWA!S #1 SOCCER CLUBOTTAWA!S #1 SOCCER CLUB

Before each race, Sikubwabo wishes as manypeople good luck as he possibly can, which wascertainly the case at OFSAA when he was part ofthe group of national capital senior boys from dif-ferent schools who united for an “Ottawa!” cheer atthe start line.

“They’re like my brothers. They come and hugme,” says Sikubwabo, who set a new course recordevery time he ran a cross-country race this seasonincluding OFSAA. “They said to me, ‘Yves, wecan’t get that high, in the top-five, but you can, sodo your best and make us proud at home.’ Imagineyour (competitors) telling you that.

“So many people said good luck, and that youcan do your best, so I’m very happy now that I didit. I’m smiling now.”

There is never an interview where Sikubwabodoesn’t emphasize his appreciation to all the

people that have helped him along in Ottawa. Atthe top of that list is his (Canadian) mom, who gaveSikubwabo the chain he wears around his neckevery race for good luck, and to think of her.

LLIIMMIITTLLEESSSS HHOORRIIZZOONNSS

Although the Grade 12 student plans to stay atleast one more year in Ottawa to further improvehis English before thinking about attempting SATs,Sikubwabo received his 23rd recruiting packagefrom a university at OFSAA. With a strong supportgroup behind him, the future couldn’t be muchbrighter for an athlete, and a person, who shinesevery step of the way.

“I used to think, ‘If I stay in Canada, whatwould my life be like?’” Sikubwabo recalls, not-ing that life was constantly in flux with all the newpeople he encountered. “The people around memake me happy. It’s a wonderful life. I really enjoyevery day.”

continued from p. 1

YVES: Sikubwabo receives 23rd offer from college/universities after winning fourth OFSAA crown

Find us on Facebookto access all our photo galleriesphoto galleries! Search for SportsOttawa.comor click the Facebookicon on our site atSportsOttawa.com

OFSAA XC COVERAGEVisit SportsOttawa.com for full coverage

of the OFSAA cross-country running cham-pionships and seeSportsOttawa.com’sFacebook page for allour raceday photos.

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The undefeated St. Peter Knightsand the St. Mark Lions were the lastones left standing in the national cap-ital Tier 1 high senior football league.Visit SportsOttawa.com for up-to-date coverage of the Nov. 12 junior,

senior Tier 1and Tier 2 finals.

St. Peter vs St. Markin senior T1 football final

Nepean field hockey

John McCrae soccer

Canterbury quidditch

HIGH SCHOOLS

Nicole Le Saux and Jim Farmer’sdaughters had just moved away,which meant there was an extrabed available in their house for Yves Sikubwabo, who previouslylived at a shelter for his first fewmonths in Ottawa.

PHOTO: MARC DESROSIERS

PHOTO: MARCDESROSIERS

PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

PHOTO: DAN PLOUFFE

PHOTOS: DAN PLOUFFE

PHOTO: MARCDESROSIERS

(Clockwise from top) A. Y. Jackson’s Brendon Howard, Franco-Ouest’s Emma Galbraith, Nepean’s Scott Donald, Brookfield’s OliviaRobertson and Earl of March’s Erica Van Wyk were all top-10 finishers at the 2011 OFSAA cross-country running championshipson Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Hornets Nest. Glebe’s Claire Smith, AlexaLivingstone, Tara Robinson, Emma Barrett and Juliana Rhead wonan antique-bronze medal for fourth place in the midget girls’ event.Log on to SportsOttawa.com to find out more!

Nepean and Ashbury ended theperennial reign of John McCrae andMerivale by reach-ing the girls’ fieldhockey city final.

John McCrae goalkeeper Julian Rig-gins scored the winning penalty kicks

goal to beatLouis-Riel in thesoccer city final.

There is a new favourite intra-mural sport at Canterbury, wherea lunch-hourq u i d d i t c hleague started.

SportsOttawa.com