Foothills well represented at Games

Amateur sports: 41 athletes from Zone 2 competing at Winter event

Youths from across the foothills area are about to test their mettle against the province’s best young athletes in disciplines ranging from skiing to badminton.

Forty-one athletes from Zone 2 will be participating at the 2012 Alberta Winter Games to be held in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County, Feb. 9-12.

The Winter Games will be a family affair for a pair of sisters from DeWinton as 13-year-old Holly Greer and 11-year-old Sophie will be making their debut at the Games in cross-country skiing and will each be participating in three divisions. The Greer sisters both qualified at an Alberta Cup event in December. In anticipation of the Winter Games, Sophie has been preparing hard for the 11-12 age group mini-Midget female classic, sprint and mixed relay.

“I train with the Foothills Nordic Ski Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we usually have a practice on the weekend and we also ski at school,” said Sophie, a student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School. “I’m really excited and I’m just going to do my best.”

During the unusually mild winter, snow has been at a premium leading to dry land training at Edworthy Park, said Sophie.

Cross-country skiing has long been a family activity for the Greers. Sophie said she’s been partaking in the endurance sport since she could walk. Older sister Holly also trains with the Nordic ski club, but due to the two-year age difference she skies in a different group. Holly, a Grade 7 student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, said she enjoys both the individual sprints and team-based relay events in cross-country. Holly will have an opportunity to showcase her abilities in both disciplines as she’s slated to compete in the 13-14 age group Midget female classic as well as the sprint and relay events. As a first time competitor at the Winter Games, Holly said she isn’t putting too much pressure on herself.

“Just doing my best and going as hard as I can,” said Holly of her goals at the Games. Foothills area representation at the Winter Games extends beyond the trails and up the slopes where five athletes from Zone 2 will be competing in freestyle and alpine skiing.

Bragg Creek resident Sascha Pedenko qualified for two freestyle skiing events, the 11 to 13 youth male moguls and male slopestyle. The latter features eight jumps, two rails and two boxes during which the skiers get ample opportunity to display their creative flair and aerial trickery. The 11-year-old said he’s looking forward to his first chance at Winter Games glory.

“Not many people get an opportunity to go to the Winter Games so I’m pretty excited,” he said. “I don’t have any expectations I’m just happy that I’m going.”

Pedenko, who practices at the Canada Olympic Park and Banff’s Sunshine Mountain, said he was surprised he qualified for the Winter Games after struggling early in his qualification run.

“In the first run in moguls I was 46th and then on the second run I qualified,” Pedenko said.

On the indoor side of things seven foothills athletes will be hitting the wrestling mat in Spruce Grove. Jordon Pease brings eight years of experience to the mat in wrestling. The Banded Peak School student recently moved to the Bragg Creek area from below the 49th parallel, and in his first year of freestyle wrestling in Canada, Pease called the competition north of the border more difficult. Pease said he doesn’t know what to expect in his 51 kg weight class and all around team divisions, he just wants to find himself on the podium.

The Winter Games were established in 1974 and boast impressive alumni including the likes of Canmore cross-country skiers and Olympic medalists Chandra Crawford and Sara Renner as well as 2010 women’s hockey Olympic gold medalist Carla MacLeod. For more information on events, results and schedules visit the Alberta Winter Games website at www.2012awg.ca.

Following is a complete list of the foothills area athletes participating in the 2012 Alberta Winter Games.

DeWinton

Holly Greer — Cross-country skiing — 13-14 Midget female classic, sprint, relay

Sophie Greer — Cross-country skiing — 11-12 Mini-Midget female classic, sprint, mixed relay

Jackson Hunter — speedskating — 11-12 relay T2T1, male individual T2T1

Robyn MacDermott — Volleyball — 15U female team tournament

Benjamin Parkinson — Alpine Skiing — 11-12 K1 male kinder kombi, male slalom

Jayda Newhook — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov. level 2: all around, bars, beam, floor vault. All around team: prov. level

Jenna Zeller — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov. level 2: all around, bars, beam, floor, vault. All around team: prov. level

High River

Erin Garlock — Wrestling — Female 56 kg, all around team

Eric St. Denis — Wrestling — Male 76 kg, all around team

Shannon McIntosh — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov level 4: all around, bars, beam, floor, vault

Okotoks

Anja Nel — Figure Skating — Senior bronze ladies freeskate

Jessica Kish — Figure Skating — Pre-Novice ladies singles

Timothy Friesen — Boxing —15-16 Junior C -81 kg

Kevan Barrett — Wrestling — Male 83+ kg, all around team

Jaskaran Singh — Wrestling — Male 65 kg, all around team

John Chernoff — Badminton — Male singles, team event

Laura Spengler — Badminton — Female singles, team event

Ming Li — Badminton — Male singles, team event

Tory Ardiel — Curling — 16 and under Junior female tournament

Kyler Kleibrink — Curling — 16 and under Junior male tournament

Chris Sprinkhuysen — Curling — 16 and under Junior male tournament

Amanda Keegan — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov. level 2: all around, bars, beam, floor, vault

Emma Shewfelt — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov. level 2: all around, bars, beam, floor vault

Jordynn Mar — Artistic Gymnastics — Prov. level 4: all around, bars, beam, floor vault. All around team: prov level

Erika Iglesius — Hockey — Female tournament

Amanda McLeod — Hockey — Female tournament

Millarville

Malia Schneider — Hockey — Female tournament

Nanton

Jake Burwash — Freestyle Skiing — 11-13 youth male moguls

Kurtis Goller — Curling —16 & under Junior male tournament

Colin Harty — Curling —16 & under Junior male tournament

Jeremy Harty — Curling —16 & under Junior male tournament

Mitchell Parsons — Curling —16 & under Junior male tournament

Harrison Slade — Curling —16 & under Junior male tournament

Priddis

Sarah Skoreyko — Volleyball — 15U female team tournament

Kyle Taylor — Volleyball — 15U male tournament

Bragg Creek

Brent Armeneau — Volleyball — 15U male tournament

Christoff Coles — Wrestling — Male 55 kg, all around team

Jordon Pease — Wrestling — Male 51kg, all around team

Brydie Lemkes — Alpine Skiing — 11-12 female kinder kombi, slalom, dual slalom

Matthew Parfitt — Freestyle Skiing —14-15 juvenile male moguls, male slopestyle

Sascha Pedenko — Freestyle Skiing — 11-13 youth male moguls, male slopestyle