Tara Feser of St. Albert was named to the Canadian national women’s wheelchair basketball team for the third straight year.
Feser, 30, is one of eight returning players who competed at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games as Canada finished fifth overall.
The five-foot-11 post is a class 4.5, which means she has full mobility while sitting and can rotate and bend up and down as well as side to side. A classification system ranks wheelchair basketball players based on their functional trunk mobility.
A dislocating kneecap derailed Feser’s standup career in the sport. Even though surgery in 2004 fixed the problem it still prevented her from running or jumping. Her one leg is also shorter than the other by an inch and a half.
Feser’s international resume includes bronze at the 2009 Osaka Cup in Osaka, Japan, gold at the 2008 Good Luck Beijing International Invitational and fourth-place at the 2008 Osaka Cup.
Last year Feser won an NCAA championship with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide wheelchair basketball team. The lady hoopsters closed out the season with 27 wins in a row while going 34-2 overall. Both losses were to men’s college teams.
The recreational program manager for the City of Edmonton also plays club ball with the Edmonton Inferno, the six-time defending Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball league champions.
The first major international event in 2010 for Feser and Team Canada is the Osaka Cup, starting Tuesday.
Canada is also striving for its fifth straight Gold Cup world championship, an event held every four years. The 2010 worlds run from July 5 to 17 at Birmingham, England.
The following St. Albert athletes were medal winners and fourth place finishers in their respective sports as zone 5 representatives at the Lakeland 2010 Alberta Winter Games last weekend.
Gold medallists
U15 male volleyball: Levi Wolthuis, Ryan Beztilny, Matt Clayton
Judo: Eric Ayasse (male 60-66 kg)
Artistic gymnastics: Shaelyn Fontaine (level 3 vault, 12.550 score; all-around team, 144.900 score); Brianna Osmond (all-around team, 144.900 score)
Biathlon: Jessica Paterson (U16 senior female modified, 15:47.8)
Silver medallists
U15 female volleyball: Amber Easthope
Judo: Ian Ayasse (male 40-45 kg)
Five-pin bowling: Jessica Hardiman and Amanda Spicer (13-15 female doubles class 1)
Artistic gymnastics: Ereinne Hall (level 2 bars, 12.55 score)
Cross-country skiing: Anders Cowper (13-14 midget male classic, 13:01.4; 13-14 midget male sprint; 13-14 midget male relay)
Biathlon: Kathleen Mahoney (U14 junior female modified, 14:33.7)
Archery: Randy Emilson (11-14 cadet male recurve)
Badminton: Ty Lindeman (male doubles)
Wrestling: Jesse Shirton (all-around team)
Bronze medallists
Speed skating: Adeline Maunder (12-13 juvenile female, 2537 score)
Biathlon: Kathleen Mahoney (U14 junior female, 28:21.3)
Judo: Jaymie Currie (female 52-57 kg); Jessica Currie (female under-40 kg)
Curling: Ben Bellamy and Jaques Bellamy (U16 junior men)
Alpine skiing: Callum Mcewen (male dual giant slalom)
Badminton: Madison Porisky and Ty Lindeman (team event)
Fourth place
Artistic gymnastics: Brianna Osmond (level 4 all-around, 47.050 score)
Cross-country skiing: Kaitlyn McTavish (13-14 midget female relay)
Biathlon: Jessica Paterson (U16 senior female, 35:20.4)
The St. Albert Roadrunners and Triathlon Club is accepting registrations for the 25th annual 10-mile road race April 18.
Entry fees are $45 online through www.eventsonline.ca, $55 mailed in or dropped off at Cranky’s Bike Shop or the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club (SVAC) and $65 on race day at Grandin Mall. Race time is 9:30 a.m.
Forms can be picked up at the Tech Shop, Kinsmen Sports Centre, the Running Room, Cranky’s, SVAC and all race sponsors.
Visit www.starrt.com for more information.
As of Thursday morning, 76 runners had signed up online or by mail.
The course record is 976 runners in 1998. Last year’s race featured 651 finishers.
The fastest male and female will each receive $500 in prize money. The second place male and female finishers are awarded $300 and the third place runners pocket $100 apiece.
The 10-miler is sanctioned by Athletics Alberta and is part of the TIMEX Canadian Road Race Series.
