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
