Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2008 23 World-class skippers HEADED TO SOUTH AFRICA: Local sisters Jaclyn (left) and Samantha (right) Santamaria, along with cousin Brittany Gillies, are preparing to represent Canada at the International Rope Skipping Federation World Skipping Championships in South Africa later this month. Jaclyn and Brittany are both previous twotime national champions for their age group, while Samantha is currently a provincial champion with her team. Members of the Brampton Acro Ropers, the girls are among the best jump rope athletes from 19 countries that will compete at the world championships. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER NEW ON THE NATIONAL SCENE: Training partners Jason King (left) and Colin Reinholt have both made their debuts on the national cycling scene this summer. King, a 15-year-old Abbey Park student, recently competed at a Cadet team competition in preparation for the track nationals in Burnaby, B.C. The 18-year-old Reinholt, a student at T.A. Blakelock, finished 20th at a national junior road race earlier this month and will compete in the prestigious Tour d'Abitibi road race in northern Quebec next week. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER Local teens cycle way onto provincial racing squads A pair of Oakville training partners have cycled their way onto the national scene this summer. Colin Reinholt, 18, and Jason King, 15, both made the Ontario Road Cycling Team and had respectable results at their firstever national meets. Reinholt competed at the junior nationals in Quebec, placing 36th out of approximately 60 riders in the time trials and then finishing 20th in the road race. "It was amazing," Reinholt, a T.A. Blakelock High School student, said of his showing in the road race. "I crashed and I had a flat tire, but I still managed to finish with the front group." That performance earned Reinholt an invite to the prestigious Tour d'Abitibi road race in northern Quebec, an event he'll compete in next week. King, meanwhile, attended the Cadet nationals -- an event designed more for team-building and development than for competitive purposes -- and will ride in the track nationals in Burnaby, B.C. King, an Abbey Park High School student, was also encouraged by his showing at the all-Canadian Cadet competition. "In the time trail, I didn't bring any equipment (specialized handlebars, helmet and spokeless wheels, designed for racing against the clock) and I was only 15 seconds behind the top Ontario rider," he said. "I was pretty impressed with that." Both teens were selected to the provincial team based on their performances in competitions earlier this season. They train together at least once a week, cycling between 110-120 kilometres per ride. King has his sights set on qualifying for the junior worlds, though he has an even bigger goal in mind. "The big thing would be the Tour de France," he said, before admitting, "but that's huge." Reinholt simply wants to see how far he can get in the sport. "My one thing is to go as far as I can," he said. "If I don't feel like I want to do it anymore, I'll just top. If i want to go further, I'll just keep going." Reinholt represents Mississauga's Gears Bike Snowboard and Spinning Shop team. Racer Sportif has supplied him with a bike for the Tour d'Abitibi. King is sponsored by CyclePath. -- Jon Kuiperij