The fourth annual World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships last week in Kamloops, B.C. brought the very best out of six local athletes.
The big winner was Andre Francois in the men’s 45-49 division. In the most exciting race of the championships, Francois won gold in the 200 metres by beating the world masters record holder in the event, Enrico Saraceni of Italy. Running in the outside lane, Francois was clocked at 23.01 seconds to Saraceni’s 23.36.
Francois was also the 60m silver medallist at 7.23.
In both races Francois established Canadian masters M45 indoor records.
Another double medallist was Catherine Roberts with silver in the women’s 60-64 javelin (24.50m) and in the relays representing Canada in the 60-plus division in the 4x200m (2:16.23) broke the Canadian masters W60-plus indoor record). She also placed sixth in discus (21.23m) and shot put (8.43m), fourth in the 800m (3:34.22) and fifth in the 400m (1:26.94).
Silver was also claimed by Heinz-Juergen Peter in the men’s 60-64 high jump (1.50m) and by Darlene Felix in the women’s 45-49 indoor pentathlon (2,648 points).
Richard Roberts was also part of the gold-medal winning team representing Canada in the men’s 65-plus 10-kilometre race walk with a three-member time of 3:10:14. He was also fourth in discus (22.47m) and the weight throw (6.83m), fifth in shot put (7.55m), eighth in the 10 km road race walk (1:13:05.9) and 10th in the 3,000m race walk (20:53.50).
Julie Francois finished fourth in the women’s 50-54 200m (29.54).
The competition featured 1,400 athletes from 61 countries in the first world masters indoor event staged outside of Europe.
St. Albert Minor Baseball Association products Shane Zimmer and Taylor Simmonds were honoured by the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball at its fourth annual awards/scholarship dinner.
Zimmer, a leftfielder, was presented with the $2,000 Reno Lizzi Scholarship, plus a gold ring. Simmonds, a southpaw pitcher, also received the $1,000 Reno Lizzi Inch by Inch Award.
Lizzi was a prominent Lethbridge businessman who was instrumental in bringing a Pioneer Baseball League team to the city.
Zimmer and Simmonds are wrapping up their Grade 12 seasons with the Vauxhall Jets at the elite program based at Vauxhall High School. Established in the fall of 2006, the academy provides high-level coaching, training and facilities needed for students to work towards baseball scholarships and/or professional aspirations.
In the 2008/09 season, the former midget AAA St. Albert Cardinals were both recipients of the $1,000 Reno Lizzi Underclassman Award, recognizing excellence in academics, baseball skills and community involvement.
Last year Zimmer signed a letter of intent to play for the NCAA division one Canisius College Griffins in the fall of 2010. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., the Griffins compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The following coaching positions have been finalized by the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association.
Midget AAA performance: Kurtis Lay (field manager), Sean Erickson (head coach), Cam Houston (hitting coach), Josh Sawatzky (pitching coach).
Bantam AAA performance: Dave Maguire (field manager), Fred Mills (coach), Jim Runyon (assistant coach)
Peewee AAA performance: Darren Mazur (coach)
Peewee AA competitive: Byron Nicholson (coach), Steve Kahn (assistant coach), Craig Dziwenka (assistant coach)
Mosquito competitive team 1: Darren Pratt (coach)
In other offseason developments, the midget AAA St. Albert Cardinals and the Junior Prospects Baseball Academy, based out of the Athletes Nation Sports Performance Centre at Campbell Business Park, will jointly share practice times and participate in intersquad games to maximize facility use at Legion Memorial Park.
Baseball Alberta also announced a new age rule limit at the midget community (house league), competitive and performance levels. Those players who are turning 19 this year and are still interested in playing one more season of baseball are encouraged to register and attend player evaluations. Each team will be limited to a maximum of two players. Additional restrictions will apply for post-provincial play at westerns and nationals.
