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Editor: Norm Nelson Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: nnelson@haltonsearch.com SPORTS \vi:i >NI SI > \Y. II M i I. -itx > ;5 · Itv><' I »I Harrison Smith · Oakville Beaver ON TRACK! us usual, a steady stream of track and field meets help close out the school sports season. This one, from last week at Iroquois Ridge high school, was the Ortwein meet -- one of four senior public elementary school meets. LEFT PHOTO: Kris McCoubrey from Falgarwood man aged to remain ahead of Mike Chun from E J . Jam es in the intermediate 4x100m relay. Individually. Chun won the K M ) and 21Him events and finished third in 400m. McCoubrey fin ished third over 200m and second in high jum p. RIGHT PHOTO: Scott Johnston of Falgarwood gives it his best leap. Skipping practice pays off for Oakville cousins By Norm Nelson B E A V K K S P O R T S E D 1 T ( >R couple of young Oakville athletes, who happen to be cousins, managed top fin ishes at their respective national championships. And that's despite the fact that most o f their prac tice schedule, well ... they skipped. Literally. Both girls belong to the Brampton Aero Ropers club, and both com peted in the Canadian Rope Skipping Federation (CRSF) national rope skip ping championships which were held in Hamilton over the May 17/18 weekend. Both girls go to the same Oakville school. St. Andrew's: Brittany Gillies is in Grade Five and com petes in the 10/11 year-old category while Jaclyn Santamaria is in Grade Six and competes in the 12-14 year-old category. Gillies has actually been in the sport longer, joining the club in December of 2000 while Santamaria came on board last September. Gillies had an awesome meet to close out her eligi bility in the 10/11 year old age group. The Brampton Aero Ropers, in total, brought home three first place rib bons from the national championships -- and Gillies was involved in two A o f them. First of all. her team, also com prised o f Olivia Bruce, Megan Jarchow and Kylie Matheson, won the team Single Rope Power Relay, in the process set ting a national record of 271 double unders in two minutes. And second o f all, com peting in the individual class. Gillies won the 30second speed event for her age group. That w asn't the limit of her medals, however. Her team finished sec ond. overall. And she, herself, fin ished second overall in the individual competition. "I was really happy," she conceded. Santamaria. meanwhile, finished off an excellent rookie year in the sport. Despite being in the first year o f her 12-14 age group, her mixed team, which also included Keith Brown. Amy Chiapetta and Brittany Yard, placed fourth, over all, in the 1214 mixed division. Gillies was introduced to the sport through her school where she joined the recreational team. She excelled at it. and her teacher suggested she look into the competitive end o f her sport. Through the internet, her family was able to locate a couple of clubs in both Hamilton and Brampton, and she settled Peter McCusker · Oakville Beaver Oakville cousins B rittany Gillies and Jaclyn S an ta m a ria are m em bers of the elite B ram pton Aero R opers. In the right photo. Gillies shows a freestyle trick move. upon the Brampton Aero Ropers. The two cousins live near each other and that makes it convenient for them to head to the Brampton club three times a week for practices which usually last two hours. The sport features both power/speed and freestyle (special trick) components. Besides competitions, the crowd pleasing nature of the sport have led to appearances on YTV and ClTY-TV's Breakfast Television and even a spe cial promotional trip to Hong Kong. Lined up in the near future is an exhibition at Woodbine Race Track. As well, the girls will be on hand at their club's own Open House on June 16. For more information about the Brampton Aero Ropers, please visit their web site at www.eteams.com/ bramptonacroropers. Canadian Tire's ^ Athlete of the Week Canadian T ire and Oakville. j -- B rittany G illies & Ja c ly n Santam aria O ak v ille co u sin s B rittany G illie s an d Ja c ly n S an ta m a ria c o m p e ted in last m o n th 's C a n a d ia n Rope Skipping Federation A W inning C o m b in a t io n ! DUNDAS & TRAFALGAR ROAD 400 Dundas St. East ·257-TIRE STOKE HOURS: Mon. -Fri. 8:00am-9pm ·Sat. 8:00am-6:00pm Sun. 10am-6pm OAKTOW N SHOPPING PLAZ 550 Kerr Street · 844-0202 STORE HOURS: Mon. -Fri. 8:00am-9pm ·Sat. 8^)0am-6.-00pm Sun. 10am-6pm national championships. Way to g o !!! Visit your local Canadian Tire Store to receive your Gift Certificate.