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Friday, July 21,2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 36 Sports An O akville B eaver Feature Editor: NORM NELSON Phone:845-3824, ext 2 55 Fax:337-5567 E-mail:nnelson@haltonsearch.com Photo by Fred Loek O akville's tyson W hite, a member of the Don Rowing Club in Mississauga, leaves for Europe Sunday to prepare for the upcoming World Junior Rowing Championships in Croatia. W hite will be competing with teammate Aaron Kroeker in the doubles event Oakville rower has shot at worldjunior doubles title By Kathy Yanchus SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER T yson White ran into a detour on his way to Princeton this summer. Instead of joining the varsity rowing team and taking summer courses, White finds himself head ed to Croatia to participate in the World Junior Rowing Championships Aug. 2nd - 6th. After finishing third in a tight singles race at the senior national team trials last month, W hite thought his chances of an interna tional meet were over. When a dou bles team from the senior under 23 division did not qualify to attend the worlds, White teamed up with longtim e com petitor Aaron Kroeker to qualify for Canada's national junior (under 19) rowing squad. "We were the first team to make it on the first trial," says White, cur rently training in St. Catharines with his doubles partner. "Aaron and I have actually raced each other in singles dozens of times and he's actually beaten me more than I've beaten him." In three separate junior national rowing team trials, held in Welland, Montreal and on the west coast, several boats qualified making the Canadian contingent a large one, says White. Currently White, a member of Mississauga's Don Rowing Club, and Kroeker, from the Ridley Graduate Rowing Club, are being coached by Nancy Storrs, while national coach Jack Nicholson attends Olympic trials. They're on the water twice a day, with a regi men of weights and running supple menting their training. The team heads to Europe this Sunday for preliminary races. "It's a once in a lifetime oppor tunity," says White, who can't wait to board the plane. "We have a shot to win. We'll definitely be con tenders. We have to really dig deep." Former Sheridan coach tojoin Mac Hall of Fame Former Oakville Black Knight Sheridan Bruin foot ball coach Bemie Custis will be one of eight people inducted into the McMaster University Athletic Hall of Fame in September. A member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the builder category, Custis led the Bruins to several college titles in the 70s before moving on to McMaster in 1981. Custis will be inducted McMaster University Athletic Hall of Fame as a builder on Sept. 22nd -- the day before his 71st birthday. Bom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Custis was an All-American quarterback at Syracuse University before join ing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951. In Hamilton he became the first black player to lead a professional football team and reach All-Star status (Eastern All-Star Quarterback in 1951 and Eastern All-Star Running Back in 1954). He finished his playing career (See `Coached' page 38) Bemie Custis At a cost of $4,000 per member for the trip and no funding from Rowing Canada, all team members have been involved in fund-raising. "We've done some 50/50 draws, visited local businesses, talked to friends, but it's slow," says White. The team found out only recent ly the cost of the trip was more expensive than first announced, and they are urgently seeking sponsor ships. Anyone willing to help out with a financial donation, can con tact White's parents at 849-4484. The 18-year-old White recently won the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association's mens senior single championship, and missed the opportunity to join the senior mens rowing squad heading to Croatia by a single second. With the Ivy League school awaiting his arrival later this sum mer, W hite's future looks bright and includes the dream of racing in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I A ll SUMMER GOODS Razor Scooter Only at Corbett's Now in-stock $ . 1 DAYONLY Saturday, July 22nd All S id e w a lk S ale Item s take an EXTRA 0W m .s .l . In-line skates, tennis department, soccer department, roller hockey & footwear. ` Excluding new arrivals 4 *-- CA°/oO F F our already l o w c l e a r a n c e p r ic e s 116 Speers Road, Oakville, ON L6K 2E7 SAVE UP TO 75%!! 845-1561 www.corbettssports.com