The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 16, 2003 - D 3 Biggest hurdle for top ranked decathlete may be getting plane ticket to Korea By ion K uiperij OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF at Ontario tourney Jessica Shepley will try to add a sec ond Investors Group Ontario Amateur Championship to her resume. The three-round tournament kicked off yesterday (Tuesday) and runs until Thursday at Whitevale G olf Club. Shepley who won in 2001 will be up against Laura Matthews who won in 2002 and 2000, as well as a host of other favourites, including: · Alena Sharp, with three Ontario titles to her credit along w ith a Canadian Junior Championship win; · Five-time champion Mary Ann Lapointe; · Katie W illiams of Cambridge, who recently wrapped up her freshman year at Kent State University. She placed second to M atthew s at the 2002 Amateur and captured both the Ontario Junior and Junior Tournam ent of Champions last year. Other Oakville residents vying for the crown include Meghan Little and Ali Wright. The Investors G roup O ntario Amateur Championship for men is also on tap this week in Mississauga. The four-round tournament kicked off yes terday (Tuesday) and runs until Friday. Oakville has a huge contingent, including Larry Cooper, M ichael Dinner, Mike Fuller, G reg Karfor, Mike Kavander, Scott N iew land, Stephen Raitt and Tom Schupp. Defending champ is Charlie Woo of Markham. Keep up to date at www.gao.ca. There is a much larger hur dle in the way o f Josef Karas Jr. than the ones he faces on the track. In an effort to obtain federal funding (or carding) in pursuit o f his Olympic dream, the Oakville decathlete likely needs a strong showing at next month's World University Games in Daegu, South Korea. However, finishing in the top half of a field which will feature approximately 35 ath letes is the least of Karas' wor ries. He has to find a way to get to Daegu first. "As it stands right now, (the Games are) virtually non-exis tent for me because o f the kind of money it will take," says the 24-year-old senior at Kansas State University. Karas completed his high school in Scarborough but has since moved to Oakville with his family. "The plane ticket is the majority of the money. The cheapest flight I've found if I fly out of Kansas State, instead of Toronto which is almost twice as expensive, is about $1,400 U.S." Karas, currently the No. 1 Jo sef K aras Jr. is C an ad a's top ranked decathlete. H e's com peting in this weekend's C anadian cham pionships. Karas, a four-time recipient^ ranked decathlete in Canada, of the Mayor o f Oakville's actually drove 38 hours from Excellence in Athletics Award, Manhattan. Kansas, to has become frustrated with the Edmonton, Alberta, to compete lack o f funding for Canadian in last year's national champi amateur athletes. He says the onships. Obviously, such a road trip to South Korea is not simple costs of shoes, equip ment and nutritional supple an option. ments are difficult enough to "Because of that drive (in overcome, let alone the 2002) I couldn't do anything," says Karas, who had to pull out expenses o f flying to interna tional events. o f the competition and did not "The World University qualify for sponsorship from Council and the Canadian team Athletics Canada. funds food and lodging (in In order to compete at this South Korea) but we have to weekend's Canadian Track and get ourselves there." Karas Field Championships in says. ``We also have to pay a Victoria, B.C., Karas had to team fee ($400) which is kind borrow money from room o f ridiculous. You'd think if mates to fly to the event. After posting 7.669 points at , you're representing your coun try, they'd want you to repre the Big 12 Conference sent them and not make you Championships in Austin. TX. pay to represent them." earlier this season. Karas' After competing in this chances of getting carding are weekend's nationals, Karas strong, but he says there are will travel to Oakville to visit other benefits o f attending the family and petition the commu World University Games. nity for its support. Anyone "It's a huge event... they're interested in assisting Karas the second biggest Games in can call him in Kansas at (785) the world behind the Olympics," he says, noting the 770-3921 or in Oakville at 74,000-seat venue in South (905) 815-9725, or e-mail him at jkarasjr@ hotmail.com. Korea is already sold out. "If "If there's anyone who has a you don't compete in front of lot o f frequent flyer miles, it 50,000 people ever before and wouldn't cost them anything. then go to the Olympics in front o f 100,000 people, it's a (I'd see) if there would be any thing I could offer them in little bit shocking. A lot o f peo return. They can call and wake ple go to the Olympics and just me up in the middle o f the are unable to do anything night. This is a little bit more because they're so intimidat important." ed." Running promotion is just plain Madness Runners and walkers who attend Oakville's Midnight Madness are in for a treat when they visit the Running Company on Thomas Street this Friday evening. The store, the sidewalk and part of Thomas Street will be transformed into an exciting event for running enthusi asts. Representatives from nearly all major brands of running shoes and apparel will be in attendance to discuss their latest products. "This is a big undertaking for the Running Company." said store manag er Greg McKinnon. "It must be a first o f its kind for the area. I'm sure it will add much to the attraction o f Midnight Madness." And to celebrate the stores Retailer o f the Year selection earlier this year, cake will be served on a first come, first served basis. The Running Company is located at 118 Thomas Street (905 915-1952. Oakville Little League juniors win U.S. tourney, get set to host Ontario championship next week For the second second consecutive weekend. Oakville's Little League jun ior team made it to the finals o f a U.S. tournament -- only this time they won. At the invitational tourna ment in Riverview, Michigan, Oakville came from behind to win a 2-1 thriller over Carleton Dynamic Jets from a Michigan hotbed o f baseball, Monroe County. The Oakville team is gearing up for their allimportant provincial champi onships which they will host at Glen Abbey, starting next Monday (July 21). It marked Oakville's third tournament championship of the season and stretched their overall record to 22-7, including 17 wins in their last 20 games. Last weekend, they had all cylinders firing -- good pitching, good defence, time ly hitting and speedy base running. The `terrific trio' of A.J. O 'Brodovich, Scott DeGroot and Paul Jurgaitis took over the tournament with 30 innings of ouLstanding pitch ing, with 52 K's. just one walk, and giving up only eight hits and three runs in five games, en route to the championship. In the championship game thriller, the Monroe County team were able to nurse a slim 1-0 lead until the sixth inning when Oakville tied it up at 1-1. Scott DeGroot beat out an infield hit, moved to second on an error, and catcher Roger Lambert brought him home with an up-the-middle single. Oakville then pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alex Camall led off with an infield single, beating the throw to first, followed by Patch Channing's strong sin gle to right field, which was mishandled by the Carlton fielder, allowing the speedy Camall to come all the way home. The pitching line had two K's for O 'Brodovich. three K's for Scott Benzoni and five K's for Paul Jurgaitis. Oakville won their semi final game 8-1 over the Monroe Boys of Summer. Ryan Mai lough broke open a close game with a two-run double. In round robin games, the Juniors opened with a 19-0 mercy win over the Allen Park Sandlotters, a 13-0 mercy victory, over Dearbome Heights (MI), and a 7 -1 win over South Farmington Blues. Highlights for Oakville included: · a sparkling 6-4-3 dou ble play (Ryan Malhotra to Patch Channing to Scott DeGroot) in the final: · another double play -- Dolphins swim club accepting registration The O akville Dolphins Sw im Club is now accepting registration for all fall program s including its Learn to Swim lesson program , Pre-com petitive swim team and the C om petitive swim team. Please inquire at (905) 339-3000 or visit at 407 Speers Rd.. units 8-10. A fter the dust had cleared, O akville's Lloyd W ilbore was safe at home in U.S. to u rn am en t action. Scott DeGroot to A.J. O 'Brodovich, to Paul Jurgaitis -- nabbing an adventurous runner trying to make it to third: · Ryan Malhotra's great catch of a sinking liner at short; · a quick stab by Patch Channing at second, of a hard shot up the middle: · Daniel Keresteci's div ing catch of a foul liner at first base; · Jurgaitis throwing from his knees at third to catch the runner at first: · centre fielder Chris Stewart's running catch of a fly ball in no-man's land, beyond second; · and Lloyd Wilbore's beating out his sharply hit grounder. The previous weekend, Oakville had reached the finals of an invitational tour nament in Madison Heights, Michigan, losing the champi onship game 8-2 to a Garrett, Indiana team ranked the top in their State. . Finan ce fro m on ly $ 1 5 .0 0 / m o n th ICe Cd U · F re e in -h o m e es tim a te s · S atisfaction G u a ra n te . Port Credit Yacht Club is hosting provincial championships this weekend The Port Credit Yacht Club is host this year to three provincial cham pionships -- the O ntario Sailing Association (OS A) 13 & Under Double Handed, the OS A 16 & Under Double Handed as well as the Ontario Optimist Championships. About 300 sailors are expected to converge on the Port Credit Yacht Club for some of the best racing that Lake Ontario has to offer. Many different classes will be participating including; Opti. Byte. Radial, Laser and any other class that can pro vide more than five boats. Racing is scheduled to start Saturday at 11 a.m. and con tinue all day, re-starting again on Sunday, at 10 a.m. Oakville 9 0 5 -8 2 5 -1 9 5 0 A. PPLEW OOD , I IR CONDITIONING _ Surrounding Areas 1 -8 8 8 -7 8 8 -8 0 8 0 * CANADA S LARGEST INDEPENDENT HEATING & COOLING CONTRACTOR PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMY www.premiersocceracademy.com To join our delivery team cell 9058459742 You could become a carrier of the week? Winning Carriers receive a large 3 topping pizza courtesy of: S U M M E R SOCCER C A M P July 21st - July 25th Location change (This year at APPLEBY COLLEGE) Ontario's No 1 Soccer Camp! R E G IS T R A T IO N S TIL L A V A IL A B L E EXTENDED HOURS SUPERVISION Pre and Post Cam p Supervision is available from 8 :00 am - 9:00 am and 4 :00 p m - 5 :0 0 each day LA-Z-BOY FURNITURE® G ALLERIES Q X W & B M N TS T R E E T · (905)331-7 6 0 0 OntosM'z # 7 Pizza,/ 905-337-0799 B U R L I N G T O NP O W E R C E N T R E Sa.9m-6p*S»U0m-5pm m o v -m 9 TM -9* . T h e O akville B ea v er ,