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Local athletes help Ontario finish second at Winter GamesOakville athletes played a large role inTeam Ontarios second-place finish at theCanada Winter Games, which concluded lastweek in Halifax.Oakville Gymnastics Club athletes account-ed for 16 of Ontarios medals at the Games.Sabrina Gill earned individual gold in all-around female, uneven bars and beam, whileSilvia Colussi-Pelaez also earned gold in all-around female and added a bronze on theuneven bars.Mikaela Gerber earned four individualmedals, claiming silver in floor and vaultevents while striking bronze on beam and inall-around.Krishna Yemany, Elise Bolger and JordynPedersen joined Gill, Colussi-Pelaez andGerber to help Ontario win the team gymnas-tics event as well. OGC athletes took six of theseven spots on the pro-vincial team.Were thrilled. Tohave so many girls fromone club on the team,thats been a coachinggoal for a long time,said OGC coach KellyManjak. It was nice tosee our girls win theteam event and all-Tess Kruspearound titles and quite afew events.Cory Paterson, also of the OakvilleNIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVERGymnastics Club, was part of Ontario's bronze-MEDAL DETECTORS: Oakville Gymnastics Club athletes (left to right) Krishna Yemany, Mikaela Gerber, Sabrina Gill, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Elisewinning mens team.Bolger and Jordyn Pedersen combined to win 15 medals at the Canada Winter Games in Nova Scotia.Local athletes success wasn't just limitedcollecting silver in team competition.before falling 3-2 to Alberta in the title game.ping a 5-3 decision to Alberta in the bronze-to gymnastics, however.Tess Kruspe won a pair oAnd on the ice, Hailey Browne helpedBrowne had a goal and two assists in the tour-medal contest. Martin earned a pair of victo-f medals in syn-chronizedOntario's womens hockey team to silver.nament.ries during the tournament for Ontario. swimming, earning silver in duetOntario went 3-1 in round-robin play, thenSpencer Martin played goal for the OntarioJessica Herron nearly cracked the podiumfemale and bronze in team female.Hollie Naughton added a medawon its quarter-final and semifinal contestsmens hockey team that finished fourth, drop-in snowboarding, finishing fifth.l in squash,Ball hockey league starts learn-to-play programBy Herb Garbutta minor program for children between each Saturday morning from mid-AprilOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFfour and 18. Last year, the number of play-until the end of June. ers in the minor program, which draws 48 Players need a hockey stick, a hockeyIts played on driveways and streetsper cent of its players from Oakville, grew helmet with a cage, hockey gloves, socceracross the country but now local playersfrom 300 to 400 and Archambault believes shin pads and a jock. The registration costare getting the opportunity to learn andthe learn-to-play program will only help for the program will be $99. develop their skills.fuel further growth.Players can register online at www.The Halton Minor Ball We want to build the ballhockey4u.com or at Play It AgainHockey League is introduc-base from the bottom up, Sports, 3450 Dundas, unit 19 (south-westIt can be a prequeling a learn-to-play program he said. I saw some kids corner of Walkers and Dundas), betweento learning the gamethis season, which it hopes who didnt touch the ball noon and 2 p.m tomorrow (Saturday).on ice... once they've will help the game grow. (last year). We want them Players for the minor ($155) and adulttackled one skill they The program will be offered to get more actively leagues (men $165, women $150) can alsocan add another as to players between the ages involved because theyre register. of three and six and will going to have more fun and For players in the minor program,they learn to skate.teach fundamental skills.obviously the more fun games are played Friday, Saturday and HMBHL presidentIt can be a prequel to they have, the more likely Sunday. There will be a championshipDenis Archambaultlearning the game on ice, they are to come back.tournament at the end of the season.said HMBHL league presi-The idea for the pro-There is also an opportunity to play for adent Denis Archambault. They can learngram came out of a conversation team representing the league at the pro-proper motor skills for shooting andArchambault had with the Ontario Ball vincial championships in mid-July.stickhandling and once theyve tackledHockey Association, which mentioned The adult league, which had 700 play-one skill set they can add another as theythat other communities had successfully ers last year, plays weeknights with a sea-OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTOlearn to skate.implemented similar programs. Players son that runs from mid-April until theHAVING A BALL: Matt Franzoi carries the ball The HMBHL has run adult leagues forwill receive a half hour of skill instruction end of August. The womens league playsdown the floor during last year's Halton Minor Ball 24 years and six years ago began offeringfollowed by a half-hour, half-floor game on Thursday nights.Hockey League final.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 4, 2011 36