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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 3, 2009 · 46 Local cross-country skier wins national sprint title Monette credits victory to race-day change in strategy By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The planning started in the summer, with Nick Monette propelling himself across the asphault on roller skis. The strategy was formulated the day of the race when Monette and his coach Mark Doble saw the conditions. The two came together perfectly, allowing Monette to pull away from his rivals over the final 100 metres to win the Canadian juvenile sprint cross-country championship recently in Collingwood. While the majority of Monette's rivals went with grip wax on their skis, the Oakville skier instead opted to go with skate skis for the final race. The skate skis would not provide grip, but both skier and coach were confident Monette could compensate because of his strong double poling technique, relying more on upper body strength than his legs to propel himself forward. With about 200 metres remaining, Monette approached a slope in third. As he came back up the hill with only a 100-metre flat between himself and the finish line, Monette and three others were battling for the lead and Doble knew his skier was in good shape. "I just went for it," the 15-year-old Monette said. "I could hear people yelling but I didn't really know where anyone else was." Monette pulled away from the field and crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of his rivals to win the juvenile boys race. "We made a bit of a tactical decision," Doble said, "but we were only able to do that because he was a strong double poler. (At the finish) I knew the skis were much faster and he was much stronger." Ironically, the training Monette had focused on over the past year -- slower-paced workouts lasting three to four hours -- were more conducive to long-distance events than a twominute sprint. "Probably 98 per cent of the training he did was to prepare him for subsequent years," when race distances would increase, Doble said. Doble, who has been working with the Iroquois Ridge Grade 10 student for the past two years, said it is Monette's work ethic that really sets him apart. "Within the first few months of working with him, it was obvious he would take what I say and do everything I recommended to be the best he could. That was the biggest factor, his determination to improve." In all, Monette competed in five races in five days, including a team event, and placed 12th overall in the field of 65 competitors. He finPATRICK MONETTE / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ished 11th in the short distance, 13th in the NATIONAL CHAMP: Nick Monette powers his way through the snow at the Canadian crossmedium distance and 27th in the long distance. country skiing championships, held recently in Collingwood. The Iroquois Ridge student used a strong But hard work eight months earlier and a bit surge in the last 100 metres of his race to win the national juvenile boys' title. of strategy made him a national sprint champion. "It was great," Monette said. "It felt good." Patrick Monette, Nick's brother, also competed at the nationals, finishing between 18th and 24th in his four races to place 23rd overall. Southwestern champions Red Vipers strike gold in Niagara Falls Going undefeated in their five games, the Oakville minor bantam red Vipers won the championship at the recent Gene Harrington Memorial Tournament in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Oakville clinched the gold with a 3-2 win over the Erindale Spitfires. The Vipers also defeated the Brampton Sharpshooters twice (50 and 3-0) as well as the Durham Axemen 3-2, and tied the Brampton Bombers 2-2. Members of the team are Will Wiltshire, Taylor Shephard, Philip Jager, Liam Bigham, Jacob VanSickle, Thomas Knapp, Justin Glenn, Patrick Rushton, Jake Knox, Tyler Pierog, Marshall Bator, Drew Carey, Ryan Shea, Michael Buck, Johnathan Lewis and George Proner. Mark Wiltshire, Phil Jager and Brad Shephard coach the team, and Julie Bigham is the trainer. Girls...PLAY BALL! FREE CLINICS CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND...PLUS LEARN TO PITCH Certified Softball Coaches / Pitching Coaches and Oakville Angels Players ready to teach Age groups, times and location directions available on our website. On-Site Registration available from 9am - 12pm Equipment Available TEAM SPONSORS ARE NEEDED NOW CALL 905-825-5848 OR VISIT WWW.OGSA.MYSPORTSITE.COM FOR MORE INFO Register now online - go to www.ogsa.mysportsite.com JUBILANT JAGS: Oakville Christian School's Grade 7/8 girls' basketball team capped off its season by winning the recent Christian Athletic Association of Southwestern Ontario tournament. The girls were undefeated, posting victories over schools from Guelph, Mount Salem, Burlington and London. Team members are Maddie Fyfe, Mackenzie Vivani, Marie-Jeanne Beaudoin, Brittany Smrke, Sarah Skelding, Jessica Dafel, Allison Clouse, Sarah Pang, Jacqueline Taylor, Jenna D'Attoma, Lauren Zylik, Jenn McCormick and Clara Sidrak. Mark Jolin coaches the team.