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28 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2007 Local soccer stars view Pam Ams as `warm-up' By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR ALLAROUND TALENT: Tristan Pompey, a shortstop with the Oakville minor mosquito A's, won his age division at the Pepsi Pitch, Hit and Run finals in San Francisco this week. The 10year-old beat out more than 600,000 youngsters from across North America en route to becoming the first Canadian to reach the finals, then won the title with a strong base-running performance in the final round of competition. PHOTO BY PETER C. MCCUSKER / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER inning Pan Am gold isn't the only thing on the minds of Diana Matheson, Kara Lang and the Canadian women's soccer team these days. The squad is targeting a top finish at the Pan Am Games, which got underway Thursday in Rio de Janeiro and conclude July 29, but is more focused on fine-tuning its game for the upcoming Women's World Cup. A strong performance might also help international soccer followers forget the struggles Canada had at this month's FIFA under-20 men's championships, when it became the first host country in the competition's history not to score a single goal. "The pressure is always there to perform for Canada and do well. It was very disappointing for the under-20 men," Matheson said Thursday from Brazil, as her team was preparing for today's Pan Am opener against Uruguay. "(The Pan Am Games) is a great event, but our main focus this year is still the World Cup. Right now, for us, it's an ideal warmup for the World Cup." The 22-year-old White Oaks Secondary School grad added the Pan Am experience could also prove valuable for her and her teammates as the Olympic Games loom next summer. A number of athletes with Olympic experience are competing in the Pan Am Games, from aging equestrian Ian Millar to hurdler Perdita Felicien, and Matheson hopes to gain any insight she can from the international veterans. "I'm hoping to meet a lot of people like that here," she said. "Just talking to Marnie (McBean, a former Olympic rower who is attending Pan Ams on behalf of the Canadian Olympic Committee) and other athletes is a great experience." The Canadians like their chances at the Pan Ams, having been pooled with Uruguay, Ecuador, Jamaica and Brazil. Matheson said Brazil is likely the favourite, being the host country, but noted, "I'd like to think we're up there too." At the last Pan American Games, in 2003, Canada and Brazil met in the gold-medal match, with Brazil pulling out a 2-1 victory in extra time. After today's meeting with Uruguay, Canada will play Ecuador Monday, Jamaica Wednesday and Brazil Friday. The semifinal round will be contested July 23, with the championship game set for July 26. Matheson, a centre-midfielder, is preparing for her final collegiate season at Princeton, where she is the Tigers' leading returning scorer. Majoring in economics, Matheson hopes to play professionally overseas once she completes her education. The 20-year-old Lang, an St. Thomas Aquinas alumnus, is rounding back into form after missing nearly an entire year with a torn ACL. She will return to UCLA next season. · Six other locals competing in Pan American Games -- see story, page 31 W A's shortstop enjoys San Francisco treat By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Last week, Tristan Pompey was fielding grounders from fellow 10-year-olds on an Oakville ball diamond. Monday, he was at AT&T Park in San Francisco shagging flies for Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard. While the Blue Jays' Alex Rios or New Westminster, B.C.'s Justin Morneau may not have delivered a win in the home run derby, Canada had already claimed a victory at the Major League Baseball all-star game before the cameras rolled. The triumph came courtesy of Pompey, who won the Pepsi Hit, Pitch and Run competition. The Oakville A's minor mosquito shortstop became not only the first Canadian to win the event by claiming the 9-10-year-old division, but the first to even compete in the final. "It was exciting," Pompey said. "It was pretty cool." And although he had beaten out more than 600,000 kids to make it to San Francisco, his mom said her son was remarkably calm as he went about winning the championship. "He wasn't as nervous this time," said Valerie Pompey. "We figured he had already kind of won by getting there. I still don't think it's sunk in for him that he won." The competition features three components: pitching balls at a 2x3-foot target from 44 feet away; hitting off a tee for both distance and accuracy; and a timed run from second base to home plate. Four finalists at all-star game Tristan, who arrived home Wednesday with bags full of autographed balls, hats and photos as well as the championship trophy, qualified by posting a score of 972 (out of 1,000) against regional winners from across Canada at the Rogers Centre in June. Each major league team then submitted its winners' scores and the top four in each division won a trip to the allstar game to compete in the final. Prior to that, he won qualifying competitions in Oakville and Vaughan. Competing against players from Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio in the final, Pompey, who also pitches and catches for the A's, hit four of the six pitching targets (he was a perfect 6-for-6 at the Rogers Centre). Even though Tristan had hit the ball as far as 210 feet, hitting proved to be a bit of a challenge because of the accuracy component. "We've taught him to pull the ball and hit to the opposite field," said his dad Kenrick. "For this, he had to hit the ball up the middle, which he doesn't do very often." Tristan hit the ball 139 feet, but he still found himself trailing heading into the final round. However, he made up ground by posting the time on the bases, going from second to home in 8.04 seconds. His time gave him a final score of 924, allowing him to edge his closest rival by three points. That Pompey won the competition with his speed came as no surprise to his A's coach, Nevil Corbeth. "You should see the kid run the bases," Corbeth said. "He drives opposing coaches crazy. He's a fantastic athlete and a great kid to boot." Corbeth said Tristan, with help from his dad, works very hard on his game. "It's his passion. He works hard. 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