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Clean Sweep for Hobbs M. J. Hobbs Senior Public Public School completed a clean sweep last week, as both the boys and girls basketball basketball teams emerged as the Western Aréa Champions. Champions. The boys team defeated Bowmanville Senior in the final by a score of 56-46, while the girls also beat the coach, Mrs. Knapp, summed up her team's season. season. "Both the Pines and Bowmanville Senior were very good teams. The competition competition between us has been very close all season," she added. In the semi-final, Hobbs needed overtime before emerging victorious 47-41 over The Pines. A "nerve-racking affair" is how Mrs. Knapp described described the game. Jeff Nettinga led the Hobbs offence as he scored 40 points in the two games. James Mercer with 27, and Robert VanHinger with 12 also contributed major part of the Hobbs offence. offence. Bowmanville Senior by a 32-13 count. ' The Hobbs girls team entered the tournament sporting a 9-2 record on the season. Ironically, both of their losses had come at the hands of Bowmanville Senior. rsowman- The M. J. Hobbs girls basketball team won the Western Area title with a win in the final game over Bowmanville Senior Public 32-13. Team members include. include. front row, (1-r), Brandi Hockney. Melissa McFadyen (mgr.), Steph Lowery (mgr.), Dawn Keetch. Middle row, (1-r), Dawn Pittens, Donna-Jean Weber, Angela Angela Woodcock, Andrea Oyler, Marci Rowland, Melissa Harness.! Back row, (1-r), Harvey Webster (coach), Kate Willson, Sarah Richardson, i Tanya Foster. "I wasn't really all 1 that surprised," said Harvey Webster after leading his team to their second championship championship in a row. Last year's final was a thrilling defensive struggle as Hobbs downed Be ville Senior 5-4. "This team has the most depth of any team that I've coached," proclaimed Harvey. Harvey. "Our sixth, seventh and eighth players are all great players." Marci Rowland led the way in the final game for Hobbs, as she pumped in a game high 14 points. It was a typical game for the grade eight guard, as she led the team in scoring with 110 points over the team's 11 game schedule. "I wasn't really surprised surprised with the game I had. I just kept shooting," said Marci. "I did miss a lot of shots though." In the semi-final game, Hobbs beat Dr. Hawkins of Port Hope by a score of 25- 10. Dawn Keetch led the way with a game high 10 points.. In the boys final, Hobbs broke open a tie game with 40 seconds left to defeat the pesky Bowmanville Senior team by ten points. "All season long the team has played excellent defence, and our offence was well balanced," is how The boys' basketball team from Hobbs Senior Public school won the Western Area title with a win in the final game over Bowmanville Senior Public 56-46 on Thursday, March 1. The winning team ~ " ch, ~ members are, front row, (1-r), Mike Derkacn, Guy McKenzie Korte. Absent was Rob Robbins Milne, Jamie Small, Mrs. Knapp (coach). Middle row, (1-r), Sean Hosking, James Mercer, Scott Waters, Waters, Scott White. Back row, (1-r), Jeff Thomas, Robert Robert VanHinger, Jeff Nettinga, Jeff Wolosewich, "" • " ■ " Rot. Bowmanville Athlete Working Hard to Realise Her Dream The wonderful world of CHEMICAL-FREE MEATS BEEF, PORK, CHICKEN AND LAMB raised organically without growth promoting hormones & antibiotics & Introducing . . . Gluten-free Bread from Natural Food Market of Waterloo Available now at (©Ihe pbalttf JSfynppe 116 King St. W. (Vanstone's) Bowmanville Telephone 623-6222 "Helping You Make Healthy Choices" 8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, March 7,1990 Gymnast Eyes National Team by Brad Kelly Sitting on a couch in her home, you can sense that there is something exceptional exceptional about this girl. Even in the pnvacy of her own home, she has the qualities qualities that separate the good gymnasts from the ordinary. She is a beautiful young lady, who possesses grace and elegance. On this particular night, some of her grace has escaped escaped her. A sore ankle had her hobbling as she struggled struggled down the stairs to show me her impressive collection of trophies and medals. Her frame is 1 small, ideal for the competitive level of sport for which she trains. With her hair pulled back off her face like only a gymnast gymnast can, she can flash a smile * that will melt the hearts of many judges in years to come. " At the same time, she has a quality that .it is every reporter's reporter's nightmare. She tends to be a little shy, although although that only adds to the mystique of her personality. personality. ; ' Alisha Conàhon is a 13- year-old grade eight student at Bowmanville Senior Public Public School. Performing in gymnastics since the age of four, Alisha has worked her way up to be the fourth ranked gymnast in Ontario. "I could've been first overall, overall, but I 'slipped off the bars," she admitted. The slip cost Alisha a chance at first place in a recent recent National Qualifier competition competition in Toronto. A difference difference of .20 separated her fourth place finish, from the score of the first place finisher. finisher. A simple slip or wobble can make the difference in this graceful sport. At the ripe old age of four, Alisha began her career career by attending training sessions at the Bowmanville High School. Sponsored by the Gemini Gymnastics Club, one of the top competitive competitive clubs in ' Canada, kids are able to learn the basics of gymnastics on Monday and Tuesday nights. "She was pretty active as a kid, and we had to do something to bum off some of her energy," explained j$ her father, Tom. ... ... ki{. The GemTntifClub sa\v pj something irt > Alisha-they 4 liked right, away, arid M| whisked her offito the .main.' club in Oshawa to test her strength and flexibility. Liking the results of the tests, Alisha began to work out with the club three days a week. Not being able to recall her first competition at the age of six, Alisha had to ask her father for some assis- : tance. "In her first competition at the Bowmanville High School, she ended up in first place over-all," said her proud father. :: Triple F Bowling Dirk Van Abbema 17 pts., Case De Plaa 16 1/2 pts., John Rozema 16 pts., Ralph Bouwmeester 15 pts., Brian Buma 13 pts., Ron Bonsma 11 pts., Bill Van Dyk 10 1/2 pts., Jean Nadeau Nadeau • 10 pts,, Frances Mulder Mulder 10 pts., Hammy Vander- gaast 9 pts.,. Don Vander Meer 8pts,, Andy Bonsma 7 pts. High Single Ladies Sally Sally Rozema, High Single Men Jean Nadeau, High Triple Ladies Sally Rozema, High Triple Men Jean Nadeau, High Average Ladies Ncl Van Abbema High Average Men Jean Nadeau. March 2,1990 Dirk Van Abbema 18 pts, 27054 pins, John Rozema 18 pts, 26633 pins, Case Do Plan 17 1/2 pts, 26435 pins, Ralph Bouwmeester 17 pts, 26605 pins, Brian Buma 15 pts, 26550 pins, Frances Mulder 13 pts, 25788 pins, Bill Van Dyk 12 1/2 pts, 25744 pins, Ron Bonsma 12 pts, 25645 pins, Jean Nadeau Nadeau 11 pts, 25849 pins, Hammy VandorGnast 11 pts, 25093 pins, Don Vander Moor 8 pts, 25521 pins, Andy Bonsma 8 pts, 24390 pins. High Single Ladies Nol Van Abbema 249, High Single Single Mon Case Do Pina 256, High Triple Ladies Doreen Bnkkor 632, High Triple Mon Case Do Plan 645, High Average Ladies Nol Van Ab- berna 188, High Average Men Joan Nadeau 205. Van Belle [Floral Shoppes ...much more than a flower , storel 14 SKllltS i|tghwyHo,i 'ST • 100 DundM ». W,, """in Whitby At the age of seven, she. returned to the same competition competition where she repeated her first place performance. Nobody could come close to the scores Alisha was putting putting up in the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise Her results established her as one of the bright young stars of the club. They also posed a problem. To be tne best she could possibly be was going to require require more practices and training. She was going to have to find some time that just wasn't available. She found the time, but it meant she would have to sacrifice a full day at school. "She was the only one to go through program at her age," explained her father. "They wanted to see how she would react .to the school work, and also how the schools reacted." The results proved favourable. favourable. "It worked out well in her case. iShe actually seemed to do better in school." "Before, when she would train at night, the hours dragged her out for school. The school was quite happy because they felt only having having to concentrate for half a day kept Alisha more alert. They felt she was able to absorb absorb more of the work." ' It's hot - an uncommon practice for athletes in other countries to be involved in the same type of program. It was her coaches idea, a for mer member of the Russian National gymnastics team, that Alisha begin the program. program. It is a common practice practice for gymnasts at a young age in his native Russia. "We had to recognize her skill and be supportive of that," is how her principal, Jim Murray explained the arrangement. "1rs a tremendous tremendous experience for her, and we try to accommodate her the best we can." The school put Alisha in a class that has core subjects subjects in the morning (math, english, history, geography) and she is responsible for the material she misses. Mr. Murray also pointed out that arrangements such as this have been done at other schools in which he has worked. Like an astronaut floating in space, Alisha is able to perform breathtaking manoeuvres manoeuvres like the one above. Competing at a recent meet in Houston, Texas, with the Ontario team, Alisha Alisha placed fifth overall, and captured a silver medal in the uneven bars. It was her first taste of competition at the international international level. The event also marked the first time she competed away from home, "I didn't really know what was going on down there," she said. "I didn't really get nervous because I didn't expect to do well." "I was surprised at my results results though. It seemed I got higher scores down there ' than I would have up here." Alisha's eight-year-old sister, Brandi, is involved in a provincial gymnastics training program, but can't enter a competition until next year. Her mom, Cindy, and dad are on the executive committee of the Gemini Club. Both parents were also fine athletes while growing up. Unlike participants in most other sports, gymnasts have relatively short careers. careers. Once their bodies start to mature and their frames become larger, the natural ability to perform at an international level begins to decrease. There always seems to be a younger, more talented girl waiting in the wings to take their place. This is the situation Alisha Alisha finds herself in now.. Training partners, Lori Strong, Larissa Lowing, and Christina MacDonald, all of whom are on the National team, have spots reserved that Alisha is hungry for. During her peek years (age 15-19), Alisha will get a chance to be involved in the '92 and '96 Olympics. The first stop on the way up the Olympic ladder will be in May at the Canadian Nationals in Halifax. Alisha Con ah an. It's a name that will be splashed across the newspapers often, if she has her way. Alisha Conahan has her sights set on the 1992 and top calibre gymnast, who has won numerous awards 1996 Olympic Games. The Bowmanville resident is a and medals in her short career. Celebrate MARCH BREAK THE All of your favorite animals are here but so is the mud, so please wear rubber boots before coming BOWMANVILLE down to preview the r-9 new changes for the f ^ 11 (J 1990 season and take part in our 623-5655 "BOOT FESTIVAL" March 10th - March 18th "No shows for March Break" Hours: 10 n.m. - 5 p.m. weather permitting OPEN WEEKENDS IN APRIL OPEN FULL TIME AS OF APRIL 28TH