Showdown in Kenora
Volleyball games didn’t get under way until yesterday morning but the OFSAA provincial tournament officially started Monday in Kenora.
The host team Beaver Brae Broncos were joined by 19 other teams and will duke it out for the provincial crown until Wednesday.
Out-of-town teams arrived Monday to register at Beaver Brae and some teams took advantage of available practice time at Lakewood School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
All 20 teams converged on the Beaver Brae gymnasium at 6 p.m. for a banquet. This provided the teams the first chance to really check out the competition albeit in a social setting rather than a competitive one.
Each team was introduced during the banquet.
Guest speaker Michelle Sawatzky spoke to the athletes about overcoming obstacles and persevering. Sawatzky spoke of her unlikely rise from Steinbach Regional Secondary School to a member of the Canadian Olympic team at the 1996 games in Atlanta.
Sawatzky said she was constantly told she was too short and not good enough to compete internationally but she was going to reach her goals no matter what.
During the banquet, Beaver Brae teacher, coach and former athletic director Dan Shankowsky received the OFSAA Leadership in School Sport Award. Shankowsky received the award for putting in over 30 years of service, being a good role model for students among many other reasons, said Sean Monteith, assistant to the director of education for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.
The games got underway at 9 a.m. yesterday as the Broncos took on the top-seeded John McGregor Secondary School in the Beaver Brae Main gym. They suffered a 25-5, 25-11 setback.
Ron Thomson, Miner & News
Get the full Results:
