Friday, March 9, 2012 NewsLeader A17
SPORTS
Big man on South campus off to big city Rebels post Nick Irvine to play for University of Toronto Blues next season Grant Granger ggranger@burnabynewsleader.com
Before beginning Grade 12 last September, Burnaby South’s big man on campus and the hardwood, Nick Irvine, wasn’t getting a lot of love from the university hoops programs in this neck of the woods. Then, out of the blue, he got a call from University of Toronto Blues assistant coach Mike De Giorgio saying they were interested in him. Irvine’s reaction was, “Wow! Somebody from across the country wants me.” The two kept in touch and Irvine Àew east for a visit to the campus. Now the 6-foot-7 Rebels post is committed to play in the centre of the universe starting next season. To Irvine, it was the right ¿t. He’s a big city kind of guy, and he preferred the idea of getting out of town to spread his wings when he went to university. “There’s nothing better than the biggest city in Canada. I love the campus, it’s right in the middle of downtown, everything’s close. It was perfect,” says Irvine, who also consider an offer from McGill University in Montreal, another strong academic school located in the downtown of a large metropolis “It would be a good experience for me to get out and live on my own, and get to see another part of Canada.” His 91 per cent average in the classroom was a big plus. That made it possible to get into a school that has one of the highest, if not the highest, academic standards in the country. “One of the things I did want to look for when I go to play post-secondary I wanted
education and Toronto was tops,” says Irvine, who intends to take life sciences with the possible end goal of becoming a pharmacist. His height helped, too. “I’m tall. A lot of their posts are graduating so they’re looking for ¿rst years to come in,” says Irvine. This past season, Irvine averaged 29 points and 13.5 rebounds a game. He realizes with so many big boys at the university level he might be better suited for a forward position instead of being the man in the middle. “I won’t be tall, I’ll pretty much ¿t in so I have to work on my perimeter skills a bit. I need to beef up,” says Irvine. “I do have a bit of an outside shot, but I want to expand it a bit more because it creates a bit of mismatches.” The Rebels began last season ranked in the top 10 in the province, but ended it by not making it to the provincial AAA championship in Langley next week. “Last year with our team we felt we were best and came up short at the wrong time,” says Irvine. “We competed, but it sucks that we lost. We were capable of making provincials but we weren’t on our game at the right time, that’s what it came down to.” He’s reluctant to hit the freeway to go watch any of next weekend’s proceedings, for good reason. “I like watching basketball, but it kind of stings a bit when you think you should be there,” says Irvine. Fortunately for him, Irvine will have ¿ve years with the Blues to kick any blues he has over his high school disappointment.
Burnaby South’s Nick Irvine will be taking his 6-foot-7 frame to the University of Toronto next year. MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Clan’s Haberl hammers homer Despite a two-run home run bomb by Burnaby’s Kelsey Haberl, the Simon Fraser University women’s softball team were defeated 18-6 by the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets 18-6 Monday. Brittany Ribeiro of Burnaby also had a run-scoring double.
Belle SFU’s best on links Michael Belle of Burnaby was the Clan’s top ¿nisher coming in 13th at the Point Loma Nazarene invitational golf tournament in San Diego on Tuesday. Belle shot 76-77-71-224 in the three-round tournament that saw SFU come in 10th place.
Burnaby boys score in win MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
SFU Clan midÀelder Travis Hayes ducks a check from an Oregon defender in a PNCLL Àeld lacrosse game, Saturday at Terry Fox Field. Oregon won 20-13.
In men’s ¿eld lacrosse, SFU downed the University of Florida 15-9 Monday. Burnaby South Grad Iain Vickars scored for SFU while Mitch Frank of Burnaby, who went to St. Thomas More Collegiate, scored a shorthanded marker.
Giants top midget team in B.C again The Vancouver North West Giants, based out of the Burnaby Winter Club, Ànished Àrst as the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League season came to an end last weekend. The Giants topped the standings for the Àfth consecutive year with a 29-5-6 record. The squad along with the second-place Cariboo Cougars will await the winners of this weekend’s quarter-Ànal clashes featuring the Vancouver North East Chiefs against the Valley West Hawks and the Okanagan Rockets taking on the Greater Vancouver Canadians.