Sports Briefs for September 2015

Thibeault Competes At Pan Am Games

Canadians won more than their share of medals at the recent Pan American Games staged in Toronto.

In fact, Canada won a total of 217 medals at the multi-sport Games, which concluded on July 26. Only the United States won more medals, 265.

Jaimie Thibeault and her Canadian volleyball teammates, however, did not perform as well as they would have liked to.

Thibeault, who has Coast Salish ancestry but grew up in Grande Prairie, Alta., has been a member of the Canadian national women’s team since 2010. At the Pan Am Games, Thibeault and her teammates managed to win just one of their three preliminary round matches.

Canada defeated Cuba but was downed by the Dominican Republic and Argentina. Peru then beat Canada 3-2 (25-22, 24-26, 17-25, 25-21, 15-13) in a match which determined the seventh and eighth place standings.

Thibeault, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker who now lives in Sylvan Lake, Alta., played her collegiate career at the University of Montana. Since graduating with a degree in Elementary Education in 2011, Thibeault has played professionally in Italy, France and Poland. She spent the past season playing with Legionovia SA, a squad in Poland.

Six Nations Hosts Historic Tournament

Four Aboriginal squads will compete at an international lacrosse tournament that will be staged in Ontario at the Six Nations community of Ohsweken in September.

The World Lacrosse Challenge, a boys’ under-19 tournament, will run Sept. 11 to Sept. 13. The event is considered a historic one as it is the first international event to be held on Haudenosaunee land.

The Native entrants include Team Iroquois West, Team Iroquois East and Team Iroquois Seneca. British Columbia’s Squamish Nation is also sending a club.

Meanwhile, Canada will be represented by three squads. Besides the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLax) Jr. All-Stars, also taking part will be a team representing Canada West and an Atlantic Canada/Quebec entry. The United States will also send a squad to take part. And the tournament’s international flavour will be enhanced with entrants from Czech Republic, Germany, Israel and Team Nordic, which will be comprised of players from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

All teams will play four round-robin matches. And then all squads will play two additional contests to determine their final tournament placings. This tournament will be staged in conjunction with the men’s World Indoor Lacrosse Championships set for Sept. 18 to Sept. 27. Games for this event will be held in Syracuse and on the Onondaga Nation.

The Iroquois Nationals will be the only Native team in this tourney, which will feature 13 entrants.

The men’s tournament will also make a bit of history, becoming the first world championship on Haudenosaunee land.

Race Honours Mi’kmaq Runner

A Mi’kmaq athlete who was considered one of best runners from the early 20th century is being honoured with a race in his name.

The Michael Thomas Race Day will be staged on Sept. 19 in Stratford, Prince Edward Island.

Thomas, who died in 1954, was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.

Besides a 10-mile road race, which was Thomas’ specialty, other events being staged are a one-kilometre kids’ fun run, a 5K walk and a 5K run.

All those that register in advance will receive a replica singlet worn by Thomas, with the words Abegweit Amateur Athletic Association on it.

Both the 5K and 10-mile routes will pass by a bronze statue that was unveiled on the Stratford waterfront by town officials last year. Thomas won numerous 10-mile races in eastern Canada during the early 1900s. He also participated in the 1911 Boston Marathon where he placed 26th.

It is believed Thomas could have fared even better in that marathon. But he was forced to run the majority of the event without any water as the cyclist who was supposed to provide refreshments for him was involved in an accident and was unable to continue.

Some of Thomas’ descendants are expected to participant in the race day. While the kids’ run is free, there is a $40 registration fee for the 5K events and a $55 entry fee for the 10-mile race.

Proceeds from the Michael Thomas Race day will go towards the PEI Aboriginal Sports Circle. This group promotes physical activity in the province among Aboriginal people, with a focus on youth.

More information is available by contacting race director Nicole Herbert through email at nherbert@mcpei.ca or by phone at 902-626-2882.