The CAMROSE BOOSTER August 9, 2011
Camrose Cougars win Peewee provincials By Murray Green
The Camrose Cougars peewee baseball team clawed its way to a gold medal at the 2011 Baseball Alberta Peewee Competitive Tier 1 provincial championships on July 29 to 31. Camrose defeated the Grande Prairie Reds 4-2 in the semifinals with Cougars' pitcher Kyler Charchun tossing six and two-thirds innings, allowing only two earned runs on three hits. Charchun struck out seven batters and was named his team's most valuable player for the game. The Cougars knocked off the previously unbeaten Acme Red Sox 18-8 in the final to reap the gold medals. The Cougars spotted the Red Sox a five run first inning lead only to storm back with the bats to eventually win in five innings. The Cougars handed the stunned Acme squad only their second loss of the entire season. Acme defeated Beaumont 10-0 to reach the gold medal game. Camrose now moves on to the Western Canada Baseball Championships in Morden, Manitoba, which are held on August 11 to 14. Eric Burton and Bob Charchun are the coaches with Dave Ofrim as the manager. The Cougars finished provincial and tournament play with a record of 21 wins and five losses. Players include Matt Andreassen, Connor Weins, Kyler Charchun, Devin Heck, Jacob Kendall, John Hunter-Robbins, Spencer Burton, Grant Lynes, Evan Schoenknecht, Ryan Burton, Jeff Ofrim, Kyler Kupka, and
bat-boys Kobe Charchun and Alex Andreassen. Six teams
"We had a strong year and we fielded six provincial teams this year. We had two in mosquito, one in peewee, one in bantam and two at the midget level," said Dave Borman, Camrose Minor Ball president.
The mosquito community Cougars is comprised of players from local teams, which competed on July 23 and 24 in Sherwood Park. "Battling rain and opponents, they eventually were eliminated," said Dave. The Camrose mosquito competitive club, entered Baseball
Alberta's playoffs, qualifying for the Tier 2 provincials in Okotoks. "They brought home silver medals, with coaches Darcy Lynes and Daryl Zimmer doing a good job." The bantam Cougars made it to the Tier 3 championships, with Ed Boos and Clayton Duffy coaching.
Nathan Saby makes a big splash at nationals By Dan Jensen
It was a significant accomplishment when Nathan Saby qualified for the National Swimming Championships in Montreal July 27 to 31. It was even more significant when he placed sixth in the country in the 16-year-old 50 metre free event. Saby finished the race with a time of 24:55, just a few tenths of a second behind the winner, and just a few tenths of a second off the qualifying time for the Canadian Olympics team. Not bad for someone who does all his training in the summer with the Alberta Summer Swim Association and has his best swims still ahead of him. "The fact that an Alberta Summer Swim Association athlete is going to the nationals and putting in great races against 1,700 swimmers across the country, most of whom swim year round, is very impressive," said Nathan's Camrose Sea Serpents' coach Shane Gau. "I don't think you will see it happen again." Saby went into the nationals with a 50 metre free qualifying time that was eighteenth in Canada. By the time the finals came around he had the seventh best time. "I thought I could make the top ten and race in the finals but I didn't think I would do as well as I did," said Saby. "It was pretty tough competition." Saby also placed thirteenth in the 50 metre breast stroke
Like father, like son By Dan Jensen
The Camrose Cougars peewee baseball team earned gold medals at provincials and move on to westerns in Manitoba from August 11 to 14. Back row, from left to right include Dave Ofrim (manager), Eric Burton (coach), Spencer Burton, Matt Andreassen, Evan Schoenknecht, Grant Lynes and Bob Charchun (coach). Middle row, left to right, Kyler Kupka, Kyler Charchun, Ryan Burton, Devin Heck, John Hunter-Robbins, Connor Weins and Jeff Ofrim. Front row, left to right, is Alex Andreassen (bat-boy), Jacob Kendall, Kobe Charchun (bat-boy).
Nathan Saby turned in an impressive showing at nationals.
with a time of 32:42, and 16th in the 100 metre free style, with a time of 55.27. All three of Saby's top times at nationals were personal best times. "The times he posted ensure that he will be back again at nationals in the 17- and 18-yearold age group next summer," said Saby's mom, Tamara. Saby is currently training for the provincial championships, which will be held in Calgary this weekend, where he has a chance
of posting times even faster than he did in Montreal. "He has broken a lot of records already this year and I see more records yet to come this season," said Gau. "He could take that 24:55 and drop it even lower than it is now." While Saby has the type of body that is built for top times in the pool, Gau feels it is his commitment to excellence that sets him apart from others in his age group.
"He hasn't missed a practice this year, and if he has been absent it has been to go to a different swimming event," said Gau. "He doesn't take a practice off. Every practice he comes and gives 110 percent. His parents also give 110 per cent to make sure that he is hydrated and eating and resting properly." Provided he can keep it up over the next year, Saby is sure to draw the attention of swimming scouts who will be offering him scholarships to swim at their universities. "It would be nice to have a university in the States pay for my schooling," he said. Until that scholarship arrives, Saby will continue to carry on as he has, or perhaps extend that training with a winter team. "The thing with Nathan is that he is still wanting to go further," said his father, James. "A lot of swimmers in summer clubs tend to get less competitive over time and not put in the time that is needed to be successful. The fact that Nathan had his best showing in Montreal shows that he still has the fire." Saby knows that his dreams of possibly making the Canadian Olympic team are still a few years away from becoming reality. "I would have to finish in the top two at the Olympic trials in Canada and meet a certain qualifying time," he said.
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Like father like son. Nine-year-old Callum Gau follows footsteps of his father, Shane, when he set a provincial record in the 50 metre breaststroke during a July 23 swim meet at Fort Saskatchewan. His time of 48.83 beat a previous personal best time of 52.75. Shane, who is coach of the Camrose Sea Serpents, set a provincial record in the 50 metre freestyle back when he was swimming with the club in the late 1980s. The record lasted all of two hours, before it was broken by his brother. "It feels really good to do something that my dad did," said Callum." "I just hope that my record lasts a little longer than his." Callum, who hasn't lost a race in any of the meets he has attended this year, is hoping to break another provincial record before the season wraps up after provincials this weekend. He came within two-tenths of a second of setting a new provincial record in the 25 metre freestyle event. "That was the record we were thinking he would break first," said Shane. "We were not expecting him to break the record in the 50 metre breast stroke." Shane is happy with the work that Callum has put in since he joined the Camrose Sea Serpents four years ago. "He has been training really hard and now the records, which are not that easy to achieve, are coming within his reach," he said. "I have seen a lot of swimmers get close to provincial records but never been able to reach them, so to be able to get one is a real accomplishment. The people who get the records are the ones who work the hardest in practice." Callum was one of 50 Camrose Sea Serpents who attended the Alberta Summer Swim Association's regional competition this past weekend. "To have that many attend regionals is a good indicator of the strength of our club," said Gau. "We have some really strong relay teams this year that are ranked in the top three teams in the province." The attendance is also a good indicator of the coaching the swimmers receive. "The results we have had at meets is very impressive," said James Saby, father of Nathan Saby. "The coaches have been turning in a good product year in and year out." The provincial swim championships, which will determine the final rankings of all summer swim clubs in Alberta, will be held at the Talisman Centre in Calgary this weekend.