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Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, March 14, 2007 17 Acton skater, partner golden at Games EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Acton resident Maja Vermeulen capped off an excellent 2006-07 campaign with a gold-medal performance at last week's Canada Winter Games in the Yukon but the 16-year-old figure skater and her dance partner Andrew Doleman of Dundas aren't taking much time to celebrate. Vermeulen, a Grade 11 Acton High School student, and the 17-year-old Doleman will get some time off at the March Break, although they'll soon begin training again for next year, often practising and working out for three hours before school starts. Ballet classes, ballroom and hip-hop dancing are also part of their training regimen. "In the summer we actually step up our training moreso than in the winter because we're working on new things for next year," said Vermeulen on Monday. "Andrew and I have been together for four years now and it's worked out really well." The Wentworth Figure Skating Club pair took part in their first multisport competition in the Canada Winter Games at Whitehorse and saved their finest effort for the third discipline of the Novice Dance compulsories, the freeskate. Vermeulen and Doleman were just a point ahead of a Quebec pair after the Blues and Double Paso skates and clinched the gold medal last Thursday with their performance in the freeskate finale. "It was a great experience up there and it was really nice to have a good freedance when we needed it," Vermeulen added. The duo also won the Western Challenge competition earlier this year and placed second at the recent Junior Nationals in Brampton. Moving up to the junior level next year, Vermeulen and Doleman will be eligible to compete at next year's Canadian senior championships and have set a Hockey Heritage winner Bob Tost dead at 69 EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Robert `Toster' Tost, recipient of the 12th Georgetown Hockey Heritage Award in 1989, passed away Monday at the age of 69 at Brampton Memorial Hospital. Tost is remembered most for his versatility as a volunteer in youth hockey and as one of the founding members Georgetown Jr. B Gemini hockey club, serving as its president, among many other capacities. He was also president of the Georgetown Minor Hockey Support Group in 1973-74 after coaching at the bantam level for more than a decade. Timekeeper, convenor, tournament director were just a few of the volunteer positions Tost took on when a task needed to be completed. "Pretty well any facet of the game he was involved with at some point, including being on championship teams as a coach or manager, and he helped organize BOB tournaments and fundTOST raisers," said current Georgetown Minor Hockey Association president Hal Pells. "But more than anything he was crazy about kids. You'd often see him sitting in the stands watching the tykes or novices play just because he enjoyed seeing the kids have fun." Tost's green Gemini jacket became a fixture at the Alcott Arena and he was dubbed "Mr. Junior Hockey" for the commitment he made to the Jr. B franchise. Upon receiving the Hockey Heritage award, Tost deferred to the volunteer network that makes minor and junior hockey an integral part of communities across Canada. "I feel I'm accepting this award for the many people who have worked hard," Tost said. "I'm up here when all of them should be up here with me. I'm so grateful that so many of my friends, relatives and even former players have come out tonight. It makes me feel good to see they remembered the name and supported me." (Eamonn Maher can be reached at emaher@independentfreepress.com) Maja Vermeulen of Acton and her dance pairs partner Andrew Doleman turned in a golden effort at last week's Canada Winter Games in the Yukon. Their fouryear partnership has Skate Canada excited about their future Olympic hopes. Submitted photo long-term goal of making the Winter Olympics one day. "We hope to get (to the Olympics) eventually but we're looking beyond 2010 in Vancouver because we're still too young at this point," Vermeulen said. (Eamonn Maher can be reached at emaher@independentfreepress.com) Midget Select Raiders reach tournament quarter-finals Continued from pg. 16 Midget Select Raiders The Shoppers Drug Mart Georgetown South Raiders went undefeated in the preliminary round of the Richmond Hill Select Tournament but were stopped by Brampton in the quarter-finals. Preliminary round-- Georgetown 3, Brampton 1: Ryan Shepherd (G, A); Kevin Bolton, Luke Ovenden (G); D.J. MacNeil, Brad Williams, Jeff Bosgoed (A). Georgetown 5, Brampton 1: MacNeil (2G, A); Mitch Pobrislo, Williams, Shepherd (G); Shane Greaves, Lucas Vanderwilp (A). Georgetown 2, Vaughan 2: MacNeil, Shepherd (G); Bolton (A). Quarter-finals-- Brampton 4, Georgetown 1: Ovenden (G). Midget AA Raiders Georgetown's Sunny Acre Farms Raiders were eliminated by Tecumseh from the OMHA Midget AA playoffs with an overtime loss in the fifth and deciding game of their series. Tecumseh 3, Georgetown 2 (OT): Michael Parsons, Kyle Andrews (G); Andrew Berlingieri, Adam McGourty, Blake Seaton (A). Tecumseh 6, Georgetown 3: Seaton, Nic Grasby, Michael Black (G); Chris Ackroyd, McGourty, Josh Dewar (A). Georgetown 3, Tecumseh 2: Parsons, Seaton, Ackroyd (G, A); Michael Gillham, Jesse Modzelewski (A). Georgetown 5 Tecumseh 2: Gillham, Parsons (G, 2A); McGourty, Berlingieri (G, A); Seaton (G); Dewar, Brandon Gingras (2A); Modzelewski (A). Tecumseh 4, Georgetown 3: McGourty, Gingras, Modzelewski (G); Seaton, Ackroyd (A). Tri-County Georgetown 6, Burlington 0: Byron Hackett (2G, A); Andrews, Seaton, Modzelewski, Gillham (G); Dewar, McGourty, Parsons (2A); Ackroyd (A); Michael Cregan (SO). Georgetown 3, Flamborough 3: Matt D'Oliveira (2G); Ackroyd (G); Berlingieri (A). Atom AA Raiders Tri-County playoffs continue for Georgetown's Endzone Sports Exchange Atom AA Raiders. Georgetown 8, Milton 4: Ryan Howard (2G, A); Keegan Martinec (G, 2A); Blair VanderGlas, Cody Menzies, Chris Brydie (G, A); Adam Charalambides Cory Highfield (G); Drew Hillock (2A); Jacob Hector, Nick Hale, Ben Sutherland, Adam Dobis (A); Brandon Phair (W). GEORGETOWN JUNIOR "A" GEORGETOWN JR. A GEORGETOWN TOYOTA RAIDERS HAMILTON RED WINGS Saturday, March 17, 2007 7:30 pm Mold-Masters SportsPlex (Alcott Arena) www.georgetownraidersjra.com vs PLAYOFF GAME OF THE WEEK