Wednesday, Septem ber 26, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D1 SportsMesdb An Oakville Beaver Feature Editor: NORM NELSON Phone:845-3824, ext 255 Fax:337-5567 E-mail:nnelson@haltonsearch.com Photos by Riziero Vertolli LEFT PHOTO: the Oakville Butterflies (left to right) ... TOP ROW: Catherine Rochette, Elisha Donaghey. SECOND ROW: Andrea Cervin-Lawry, Erinn Bursey. THIRD ROW: Jorden Monaghan, Andrea Schlegel (coach), Emily Boycott, Shannon Ross. BOTTOM ROW: Katy Harris, Mandy Scott. RIGHT PHOTO: Andrea Schlegel with Catherine Rochette. Schlegel's to host Special Olympic rhythmic gymnastics national qualifier By Norm Nelson BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR NBC gymnastics analyst' Elfie Schlegel has been signed on for another four years, meaning she will cover yet another Olympic Games in Greece in 2004. And, actually, she will work the 2002 Salt Lake W inter Olympics as a sideline reporter. It will all amount to more Olympic assignments than she could count fingers on one hand, stretching back to h e r first Olympic Games in 1988 in Seoul for CBC. And now it's only fitting that the Canadian gymnastics great will also now become involved in the Special Olympics -- albeit in a vastly different capacity. Her grass roots gymnastics club on Wyecroft Road in Oakville has chipped in its facility over the October 19/20 weekend to host an Ontario Special Olympics rhythmic gymnastics meet. Elfie Schlegel kicked off the club along with sister Andrea Schlegel and their good friend, Betty Tate Pinneau, both of whom also have impeccable coaching credentials. Their involvement with the Special Olympics began with an article they read in the Oakville Beaver about a new group, called the Oakville Butterflies, that had been formed to offer rhyth mic gymnastics to Special Olympic athletes. The group meets Saturday mornings at Calvary Baptist Church on Lakeshore Road in Oakville. It was a natural for Schlegel's, given both the grass roots nature of the club and also given the background of Andrea Schlegel, a former long time member of Canada's rhythmic gymnastics team. "Elfie, Betty and myself thought this was definitely something we would like to get involved in, and help out with Special Olympics," said Andrea Schlegel. She contacted Oakville Butterflies head coach Debbie Boycott who, quite frankly, wouldn't have been more thrilled if it had have been Prime Minister Chretien placing the call. "This is a major sponsorship," said Boycott. "The donation of this facility is really signifi cant to us." And, as it turned out, only the beginning of their good fortune. Equally as important as the facility is the expertise that goes with it. Not only is Andrea a former member of Canada's national rhythmic gymnastics team, but she also knows a few things about the orga nizing end o f the sport, having earned her mas ters in education from the University Florida, all the while managing their gymnastics team for five years. Said Boycott: I've never tackled such a thing so their wisdom and knowledge and experience has been a tremendous help." Andrea also had the entire dozen-member Oakville Butterflies contingent come in every Wednesday this past summer for a minimum one-hour training session. "When you're working with special athletes, (See 'Provincial' page D4) Gymnasts will ROCK Two athletes from the O akville G ym nastic Club were am ong 10 competitors to qualify for the first ever Gym Rock. This two-day event is scheduled to take place in Mississauga October 6/7 and will be televised on TSN, RDS, WTSN and Classic Sports in 2002 . Cru kicks off defence of McCormick Cup with 33-17 win The Oakville Crusaders kicked off their McCormick Cup championship defence with a hard fought 33-17 opening win over visiting Brampton. The regular season champion Cru took a while to pull away from Brampton, bursting out to a 12-0 lead but leading only 12-7 at the break. The second half started out in similar fashion with the Cru pocketing another couple of try's (to lead 26-7) before Brampton replied (to make it 26-12). The Cru then added a try (to make it 33-12) which Brampton answered (for the final tally of 33-17). Cru tries were scored by Charles Thompson, Brian Anderson, Steve Gittens, Todd Comford and Ian Dan. Ryan Morrison hit four of the five conversions (missing the first one). The Cru continue their McCormick Cup pool play, visiting Highland and Ottawa Scottish over the next two weekends, respectively. The Oakville Crusaders (black jerseys) opened up defence o f the M cCormick Cup at home last Saturday with a 33-17 win over Brampton. Photo by Barrie Erskine Photo Special to the Beaver Gym nastics Ontario selected the finalists after view ing video tapes sent in from hun dreds o f com petitors from across Canada. Selected from the Oakville Gymnastics Club are national level Ashley Sportun and Rhiannon Banda-Scott gym nast Rhiannon performed with cos Banda-Scott and level tumes and props. three provincial gym Both have been in the nast Ashley Sportun. sport for 10 years. The athletes will per The club wishes them form two floor routines the best of luck as they to music which will use represent both their club gym nastics elem ents and the town of and interpretive dance Oakville. Post secondary sporting success Kojo Aidoo had a 44-yard touchdown in the McMaster Marauders 48-10 win over Western. In his second game back from a broken fibula, Aidoo, who upped his OUA record lifetime touchdown total to 36, rushed for 57 yards ... Nicole Vlahovic, a junior at Edinboro University, is on course to set the divi sion two school's all-time scoring record of 66 points. Vlahovic, a Q.E. Park grad, already has 65 points, and leads the team in scoring this season with six teen points (six goals and four assists). Edinboro sports a 4-3 record this season. Look for m rm w rf in Friday's ^Beaver i i mu uuiiihis lit i. s -u v u x iiu u iig -iriL IJ jA r illlit m iiiiJ s rriiF F rrjrr fififi f'nrr S ffe-f f ^ /r ^ r f p r s iv ia q Q B lu C * L -