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24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2007 Local skater helps Nexxice synchro team to world bronze Danyel Wright-Dykstra and her Nexxice teammates went to the world synchronized skating championships hoping to improve on last year's ninth-place showing. Instead, they came home with a bronze medal that ended Canada's five-year medal drought at the event. "It was pretty amazing," said Wright-Dykstra. "We got a lot of good feedback after our practice. People were saying we could be on the podium and we started to get excited but we didn't want to get too excited." The Burlington/Kitchener-based team put itself in position for a medal for by placing fifth in the short program. When they came out for the long program, they had the London, Ont. crowd behind them. However, they still had to focus on performing a clean routine to move up in the standings. "It was crazy. It was so loud in there," said the third-year linguistics student at Brock University. "We just put ourselves in a little bubble but when we think back or watch the video, it was just incredible." Nexxice again finished fifth in the long program but managed to move up into the bronze-medal position. "We had two good, consistent programs," said Wright-Dykstra, who joined the team three years ago. "It was really nice to see Canada do so well," said Nexxice coach Shelley Barnett. "Since medaling in 2001, the Canadian teams have been falling in the standing the past few years." -- Herb Garbutt WORLD CLASS: Morningstar Taekwon-Do students (from left) Scott Seguin, Mark Silva and Zachary Membrere have qualified for this summer's International Taekwon-Do Federation world championships in Quebec City, having won their divisions at the recent national championships in Regina. The three also competed at the 2004 worlds in Korea. ASHLEY HUTCHESON/ SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Morningstar students heading to worlds Previous international experience has Silva, Seguin and Membrere optimistic By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF They're going back to the world championships a little older, a little wiser and a lot closer to home. Mark Silva, Scott Seguin and Zachary Membrere last went to the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) World Championships in Korea in 2004. This time, there will be no plane rides, no time zone changes and a menu more to their liking in Quebec City. And they will have the benefit of having been there before. "Hopefully my heart rate when I get called up will be a little lower. That would definitely help," said Silva, who will compete in power breaking. "Just the size of the event is overwhelming, the amount of people and the level of competition." Approximately 70 countries will be represented at this summer's event, with more than 1,000 athletes competing. All three Morningstar Taekwon-Do members earned their place on the national team with victories in their divisions at the Canadian National petition is like at a world event and he'll be Taekwon-Do Championships in Regina. stepping up his training leading up to the Silva wasn't the only one feeling the jitters event, which begins in the last week of May. at the previous worlds. "I'll focus more on my physical condition"I had been in international competitions, ing outside of what I do in class -- running but at the worlds, you're up against the best of and lifting weights." the best. My eyes were a little Seguin will compete in patwider than they should have "At the worlds, terns, where competitors have to been," said Seguin of his first you're up against perform a pre-determined set of experience at worlds. "I'll be a lit- the best of the movements. For the 26-year-old, tle more focused." he said there's not much more best. My eyes The third local competitor he can do outside of his work in were a little wider has a very practical reason for class. He already puts in five wanting to competing closer to than they should four-hour sessions each week. have been." home. "What happens, happens," he "I don't have to miss as much said. "I'll go out, do my best and school as I did before," said Scott Seguin the rest is up to the judges." Membrere, a Grade 11 student at Silva will be also be looking to Holy Trinity. deliver his best performance in power breakMembrere will compete in junior black belt ing, in which competitors attempt to break as lightweight sparring. He won his first match many boards as possible using five different when he competed in Korea before being techniques -- two punches and three kicks. defeated by the eventual champion in the sec"You have to have good speed, good power ond round. He said his previous experience and bring it all together for that one shot," he helped him understand what the level of com- said. O P SO EN O IN NG ! Voted Burlington's #1 Course (everyday after 2:00pm) Featuring On-Line Booking Reader's Choice Winner