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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, August 22, 2014 | 16 Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports H E R E I T C O M E S "Connected to your Community" Oakville swimmers recently competed in the FINA World Masters in Montreal. | photo submitted Masters swimmers among top 10 at worlds Five members of the Oakville Masters Swim Club posted top-10 individual finishes at the recent FINA World Masters Championships in Montreal, with two setting provincial records in their age groups. Michael Liepner was fourth in the 75-79 men's 100-metre backstroke; Sylvie Tremblay placed fifth in the 4549 women's 200m individual medley; Carrie Head came seventh in the 4044 women's 200m fly; Don Head was seventh in the 40-44 men's 400m IM; and Janice Gibbs finished ninth in the 50-54 women's 50m fly. Head and Gibbs' times broke Ontario records. Oakville Masters' relay team of James Kerr, Jennifer Agnew, Gibbs and Liepner added a ninth-place effort in the 240-279 (combined age) mixed 4x50m freestyle. Also representing Oakville Masters Swim Club at worlds were Kris Szarzynski, Scott Clarke, Michael Parker, Paul Le Roux, Will van Niekerk, Mario Velez, Tracy Rieckelman, Louise Don-Wauchope, Erin Whike, Kirstie Hume, Mairi MacGregor, Wendy Lengyel, Melanie Ryan, Susan Korsiak, Valerie Scott, Susan Rousseau, Heather Sibley, Maria Navarro, Jill Leonard and coach Mette Novais. Oakville Angels pitcher Sarah Benn winds up during opening-game action at last week's Under-16 Girls Fast Pitch Canadian Championships in Brampton. Oakville won one of its three games at the competition, a 9-5 victory over the Montreal Rebelles Saturday. Benn pitched a complete game in that contest while adding two hits, two runs and two RBIs. Other key contributors to the Angels' win were Monica Daly (three hits, two runs), Jesse Korta (two hits, one run, one RBI), Camille Dube (one hit, one run) and Katie Jaeggin (one run). For more on the tournament, visit bit.ly/1tu4Wu2. | photo by Rob Beintema -- Metroland Media Group Teen medals at both Ontario Summer and Winter Games An elite speed skater for most of her life, Erin Stewart never thought she'd have a decision to make about what sport to seriously pursue. But, after accomplishing the rare feat of winning medals at both the Ontario Summer and Winter Games in the same year, she's got one. Stewart helped the Niagara Rugby Union to women's rugby sevens bronze at the summer games earlier this month in Windsor. That medal came on the heels of a speed-skating relay bronze at the winter games six months ago in Muskoka. "It was really cool to be in both of the games," said Stewart, who has speed-skated since age four but didn't take up rugby until a few years ago. "I would have rather got a more important medal at the winter games, but a medal is a medal and I still did well overall. The summer games were really cool because I didn't even expect to be there." If Stewart sounds disappointed about her speed-skating results at the winter games, it's because of her long-term success in the sport. She won age-division medals at the provincial championships each year from 2011-13, and has been on the Ontario team for the past four seasons. She also won relay gold at the 2011 and 2013 Canada East Short-Track Championships. Stewart initially viewed rugby as a diversion from the eight months a year she spent training for speed skating. But after a few years with the Oakville Crusaders Rugby Club and a couple of high school seasons at Blakelock, she improved to the point where Blakelock coach Victoria Woodhead suggested the teen's speed and passing ability would make her a good fit in rugby Erin Stewart is an Ontario Games medallist this year in both rugby (left) and speed skating. | photos submitted sevens. Stewart made the NRU under-17 roster this summer after attending two of four tryouts. "When I was younger, I wasn't that great (in rugby). I couldn't make the tackles," Stewart said. "But the past couple years, I think I picked it up way faster than other girls in the school season. It's weird that something I hadn't been doing my entire life, like the speed skat- ing, I was pretty good at." Stewart, whose older brothers Graeme and Sean were also longtime members of the Oakville Speed Skating Club, believes her greater potential lies on the ice. She feels a strong showing at next year's Canada Winter Games would be a big step towards potentially even making the Olympics some day. But educational opportunities -- she's an honours student at Blake- lock -- might lead her to focus on rugby instead. "In the next two years, I have to decide whether to pursue rugby or speed skating into university. I can maybe get a rugby scholarship, but definitely not for speed skating," said Stewart. "That's one of the really big things I have to think about." -- Jon Kuiperij