Athletics Review

Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior girls basketball team got their season underway this week with two league games. The first league game was against Edward Milne of Sooke. Edward Milne opened the scoring to lead 2-0. However, this was only temporary, as the Blue Jags ignited on offense and put the shackles on, defensively. SMUS went on a 35-0 run after the opening basket and finished the half leading 45-4. SMUS’ hot outside shooting was too much for the inexperienced 2-3 zone of the Sooke squad. Cliona “the Qube” Quail-Bradley was particularly deadly from the perimeter. She finished with 14 points. The final score was 80-7. Strong defensive performances were had by Ciara Glen (7 steals) and Grade 9 phenom, Abbey Piazza (8 steals). Sydney Stockus led all scorers with 18 points and Annie Pike chipped in with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

The team’s second league game was against Esquimalt, another young and inexperienced squad. SMUS made quick work of the Dockers, finishing the game 81-6. Annie Pike led all scorers with 16 points, Grade 10 Madison Hadfield chipped in with 10 points and “the Qube” added another 11 points. Once again, Piazza had a nose for the ball, making 6 steals. Rebecca Mulroney pulled down 7 rebounds and Hadfield added 6 boards to her stat line.

The team is looking forward to some stronger competition next week as they take on PCS in league play and then they compete in the Santa Slam Invitational at Lambrick Park.

Grade 10 Girls Basketball
The Grade 10 girls basketball team hit the road this past weekend for the Christmas Classic tournament at Simon Fraser University. There was light snow falling outside the gym, but inside, it was raining three-pointers. Alice Wang, Lauren Laprise and Ronnie Tsai all contributed from behind the arc. SMUS played four physical games against Mission, Argyle, Delta and Heritage Park. They worked hard on defence. In a gym full of injuries, SMUS escaped with some bumps and bruises, but came out smiling. They are ready for a well deserved break over the holidays, and will be ready to compete in the league opener on January 6th.

Grade 9 Girls Basketball
The Grade 9 girls basketball team faced three challenging teams at the Yale Secondary School Junior tournament in Abbotsford on December 11-12 weekend. In their first game the team showed their defensive skills, and battled hard against a very fast Centennial Junior girls team. Hannah McElderry was the leading scorer for SMUS with 10 points. An early Saturday morning game against a very physical Yale team, on their home turf, proved too challenging to beat. The girls rallied and came out hard and strong in their final game against Chilliwack, but were not able to pull out a win. Orla Glen was awarded a tournament All-Star for her leadership qualities and smart game play throughout. The team of eight worked hard, and will have a good base to start their league play in the New Year.

Junior Boys Basketball
Some aggressive first half defence, along with balanced scoring, proved enough to propel SMUS to victory over Lord Tweedsmuir in the final of the December 10-12 Gary Taylor Invitational Junior Boys Basketball Tournament.

Tweedsmuir struggled to get untracked in the opening two quarters and trailed 27-11 at the break. While mounting a comeback of sorts, based on a flurry of deep three pointers, the Surrey based visitors could only get within seven points in what finished a 51-41 final margin in SMUS’ favour.

Coach Rich Primrose was pleased with the effort of the SMUS players. “We have been spending a lot of time on defence, and, in certain periods of each game, saw some positive results this weekend.”

SMUS had opened with a 37-23 first round win over Belmont before defeating Oak Bay 48-25 in the semifinals. Joe Erlic was named tournament MVP, while Liam MacLure and Mark Yorath were selected as All-Stars.

To close the term, the team then ran its record to 8-2 overall with a 61-32 victory over MEI. More aggressive defence, this time spearheaded by Derek Hyde-Lay and Dawit Workie, again paved the way, while Erlic’s 25 points and some timely contributions from David Pollen and Steve Whillams were also crucial.

In the New Year, the team will travel twice to the Mainland, to compete in the prestigious Vancouver College Emerald Tournament and then in the North Shore Invitational.

Ballroom Dance
At the Victoria Ballroom Dance Society’s Clubs Closed competition, twelve students from SMUS and five couples from Stelly’s High took to the dance floor to compete in the high school section of the event. Kun Yang Lee and his partner Emily Ready placed 2nd in jive. In Slow Waltz, Cameron Buckingham and Paige Stephens claimed second place and Richard Cunningham and Julia Rego place 3rd. Congratulations to all for an outstanding, fun-filled first competition. The team will compete again in 3rd term in another Clubs Closed competition as well as in Dance Pacifica, a DanceSport sanctioned event.

Senior Girls Volleyball
This week, the SMUS team hosted the Senior Girls AA Volleyball Provincial Championships. Throughout the round robin play and the playoffs, SMUS competed against some of the top teams throughout the province. Unfortunately, the youth and inexperience of the SMUS team resulted in them being out-competed throughout the tournament, but the girls did improve a tremendous amount and played some of their best volleyball of the season. The girls were also named the Most Sportsmanlike team of the tournament, an honour that was chosen by the officials of the tournament. All of the girls played fantastic and they all seemed to have a great time both playing and watching the high caliber volleyball. Everyone is thankful to the SMUS community for all of their hard work in making the tournament such a success!

Junior Boys Basketball
Following tryouts, 30 players were selected to three Junior Boys teams, with the Jags, Blues and Whites now set for challenging league and exhibition schedules.

The Jags, made up primarily of Grade 10 players, sport a 4-1 exhibition record to date, with wins over Dover Bay, Cowichan, Windsor and Lambrick Park balanced against a narrow three-point loss to Handsworth. As was the case last year, the trio of Joe Erlic, Liam Maclure and Derek Hyde-Lay have shouldered most of the scoring load, while two Grade 9 players, Mark Yorath and Dawit Workie, have impressed with both their ball handling and defensive play.

A busy schedule prior to the Christmas break includes an away exhibition to Oak Bay, the Oak Bay Christmas Tournament and a much anticipated December 18 encounter with Fraser Valley powerhouse MEI.

The Blues, made up entirely of Grade 9 players, opened their season with a 43-40 victory over Windsor, behind strong play from post Steve Whillams and forward Colton Stockus. Then, in a local Christmas Invitational tournament, the team, with newcomer Wayne Lin displaying some neat touches, split games against GP Vanier and Belmont.

League play starts December 9 with a home opener vs Esquimalt.

The Whites have yet to see action, but open their campaign December 10 at Stelly’s. Both the Jags and Blues will play through local and Island competition with an eye to qualifying for their respective BC Tournaments, which will be held March 4-6, 2010.

Senior Badminton
Tryouts were, once again, very competitive this year with only a few spots open for the taking. After the team was picked, the first practice finally took place over the weekend. Practice was intense, and the focus was on fitness and determination. The potential is big for this year’s team, and nothing short of a solid provincial run will achieve the initial expectations.

Exhibition games take place this week for the badminton team with a home game on Tuesday vs. Reynolds and an away game on Thursday vs. PCS.

Junior Girls Basketball
The Grade 10 girls basketball team kicked off pre-season competition this past weekend at the Victoria Tip-off Tournament. With each quarter of basketball, the girls gained experience, and started to come together on defense. Alice Wang shone in the first game against a tough Claremont team in their home gym after hitting a 3-pointer. On Saturday, the team was down in numbers, but not in spirit. A tough match against Sutherland dealt SMUS their second loss of the tournament. In their final game, SMUS faced Woodlands. Ronnie Tsai led the team in scoring, Laura Shaw provided great defense, and Claudia O’Neill had four blocked shots. After practices this coming week, the girls will travel to Simon Fraser University for their next tournament.

Senior Boys Basketball
The Senior boys basketball team kicked off their season with a very competitive tournament in Cowichan this weekend, which featured the top basketball talent on the Island. The boys played in four fast paced games in the span of three days.

In the opening game, SMUS squared off against perennial powerhouse Dover Bay. While the boys had some fight in them, their first-game jitters made for some poor perimeter shooting, and the boys dropped this one by 9 points.

In the first consolation match, the boys played cross-town rival Mt. Doug, who boasted a quick backcourt tandem which the Blue Jags had to slow down to be successful. Right from the tip the boys controlled this one, and eventually rolled to a 10-point victory. Jamie Yorath was named player of the game.

The third game SMUS played was against the always competitive Shawnigan Lake team, who had a huge size advantage. The SMUS boys guarded brilliantly, and in a defensive match up, they pulled out a big 9-point victory. Some huge shots by Tycho-Mommsen Smith sealed the deal in the fourth quarter.

In their final game, SMUS played Oak Bay, featuring some top-level talent at point guard. The boys knew they would have to earn this victory. Late in the third quarter, the boys found themselves up by 10, but were unable to hold onto the lead, and some lucky shooting from Oak Bay allowed their opponents to claw back to win the game by 6 points. Jure Erlic had his best game of the tournament registering 28 points.

Overall, a very good start to the season for the boys.

Senior Girls Volleyball
The Senior girls traveled up to Brentwood to compete in the Island championships this past weekend. Due to an upsetting loss to St. Andrews during the city championships, the team went in ranked 7th. Given a tough draw, the girls lost to the second-seated team in the province and host school, Brentwood College. The next match was against a well-known rival, Lambrick Park. Although we have always succumbed to Lambrick’s strength, the girls came out firing in the first set with just coming up short. Unfortunately, the second set was much easier for Lambrick, causing a loss in two sets.

Next the girls were up against St. Andrews, once again, but determined not to lose another game against them; the team served and passed consistently allowing for SMUS to dominate the match. Since the team finished 3rd in their pool, they had a start against Shawingan. Sophia Ducharme started the game off with a 10-point serving streak, leading SMUS to a first set win. The second set was equally exciting with great passing and aggressive attacks from both Annie Pike and Deryn Ramsey.

Unfortunately, the momentum switched near the end of the set and Shawingan won 25-23. The 3rd set would prove to be a mental challenge for each of the girls, as Shawnigan served aggressively and never let up until the end of the match. SMUS lost the third and tied for 5th at Islands. Fortunately, SMUS will be hosting provincials this year and the team is excited to play the top caliber AA teams in BC.

Junior Girls Volleyball
The Junior girls volleyball team played their best volleyball of the season in one of the most closely-matched city championships in history, winning silver and securing a berth at Island Championships. It is only the second time in SMUS history that our Junior girls team has made Island playoffs. The team played outstanding, gutsy volleyball the entire weekend, showing stamina and courage in consistently close matches.

In pool play on Friday, the competition was fierce. SMUS played Claremont, Reynolds, and Mt. Doug. SMUS split their first match with Claremont, but won on total points, in an impressive and hard-fought match. They also split with Reynolds, in which SMUS dominated with front court play but Reynolds came up strong with serving power. After the first four matches, all teams in pool play had split their matches, one game apiece. It came down to SMUS’s final match against Mount Doug to secure two wins and assure a first-place standing in the pool. SMUS won both games, placed first in the pool, and went on to play Lambrick Park.

Aggressive hitting by Gilly Maycock and Steph Marsh and rock-solid setting from Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza were the dominating forces behind the wins. Shade Souc’s overhand serve and consistent passing built the foundations for the plays. Ali Pollen also came on strong, with forceful serving and strong spiking. Hannah McElderry came off the bench to provide some star power in matches against Reynolds, decisively blocking four hits in a row, and then earning two kills herself. Kate Cluley also came in strong off the bench to provide consistent passing and some kills.

After beating Lambrick Park consistently in tournament play and league play, SMUS had a shaky start against them on Saturday morning, and had to go to three games. Thanks to tough serving and gutsy net play in the third game, along with heroic scrambles from the setters to save the passes, the girls came out ahead to advance to semi-finals against Belmont. That is when the real drama began. The girls lost the first game, then were down five points in the second. They rallied to come back to win the second game. Madi Hadfield came in off the bench to deliver solid serves and aggressive court play. Serving rallies by Gilly Maycock, Steph Marsh, Leah Hall, Shade Souc and Madi Hadfield kept the momentum going.

Then, in the third game, after some difficulty with serve receive, SMUS was down 14-8. A sideout gave Gilly Maycock the serve. Fearless, Gilly quickly put away two aces. The team rallied. In a hard-fought game, Abbey Piazza and Shade Souc hit the floor to dig up the balls. Gilly kept the serve as the whole team played phenomenal volleyball. In the last moments, SMUS pushed at the net and hit the floor to dig up everything. Steph Marsh was an indomitable force at the net, refusing to let anything get by her. The girls won 16-14 in an incredible victory that rocked the entire gymnasium — one of the most amazing comebacks coaches and spectators had ever seen.

SMUS moved on to the championship match against Oak Bay. SMUS played tough in the first game. The lead passed back and forth between the two teams, until Oak Bay made a push at the end and won 25-23. SMUS’s last game was not as strong (25-15), but they had an amazing tournament. Standouts were Gilly Maycock and Steph Marsh on hitting; setters Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza were fearless. Truly, though, the victory was a team effort, and it was the teamwork and the determination to get every ball that ensured the second-place finish. Every player on the team deserves commendation.

Island Championships will be held at Ballenas School in Parksville November 27 and 28th. Good luck to the team as they prepare for the tournament.

Fifty-four athletes and six coaches experienced another successful city championships this past weekend. Over two days and 16 hours of racing at the 25th City Championships Regatta, the team endured lots of rain, mud, wind and near freezing temperatures. SMUS entered 18 of the 22 events and competed against 15 other high schools, making 16 finals.

Senior Cross Country
With a heavy rainfall warning in the Lower Mainland for much of last week, the conditions were less than ideal for the SMUS team heading over for the provincial championships. Boys captain Leo Marchand would accompany the girls team of Laura Dale, Jocelyn Stedman, Hannah Nielsen, Laura Simandl and Alexis Thind. Key members Lisa Evans and Raquel Solmer were unable to join the team, making things even more difficult. However, their spirits weren’t dampened and all runners performed their very best.

At the race, it was evident from the warm-up that things were going to be slick. Grass, mud and water was the theme for much of the day. In the girls 4.4k event, the SMUS girls were bullied off the start line and most of the team found themselves in the middle of the 257 person pack. Elbows were flying, mud was everywhere, and girls were slipping. After the 1k turnaround, Jocelyn Stedman and Hannah Nielsen found themselves in the top 1/3 of the runners, with the remaining SMUS girls in or behind behind the main pack. Shortly thereafter, Hannah would twist her ankle and fall completely in the mud. Not wanting to give up, Hannah then picked herself up and limped on. Fortunately, no other SMUS runners would experience such a fall.

In the end, it was a solid outing for the SMUS girls. When you consider that all the runners at the provincial championships already qualified through zone events, and the fact that many are year-round club athletes, SMUS did very well indeed. Out of the 26 teams in the girls event, SMUS finished in 20th place. The individual standings were as follows (257 runners):

• Jocelyn Stedman 111st
• Hannah Nielsen 143rd
• Laura Dale 193rd
• Laura Simandl 206th
• Alexis Thind 234th

In the boys’ 6.6k event, Leo Marchand decided to wear his track spikes for added traction. The boys race would have a field of 249 runners, and most of them were club runners. Again, mud and puddles seemed to be the theme, as by this time, six major events had already taken place on the race course.
As the race began, Leo used his track expertise and hammered out to the front of the pack. In fact, by the 1k turn-around, Leo was actually in 10th place! However, maintaining this pace was near impossible and slowly Leo was caught by many other runners. However, there was little concern, as Leo looked to be in good form as the race went on. At the 2.2k mark, Leo, barely recognizable by the mud caked on him, rounded the course in 30th place. At the 4.4k mark, Leo looked to be around 70th place, with a large pack of runners right behind him. However, Leo turned the jets on in the final portion of the race, and finish a very strong race. In the end, it would be a 63rd place finish for Leo (top 25%).

In spite of the weather, it was quite a very special day to be at the provincial championships. A SMUS girls team had not achieved this qualification in well over a decade. And Leo Marchand culminated his high school cross country career by saving his best for last. It was definitely success all round.
Coaches Tobacco and Hunt would like to thank the team for an incredible season and such commitment and determination. Both the participation rate and the performance rate hit new heights this year. And with such strength and promise with some of our younger SMUS runners, the future is almost blinding with brightness. Thanks to the Grade 12 runners and we look forward to seeing the rest of the team back out in September, 2010.

Grade 8 Rugby
Grade 8 rugby rounded out their fall season last Tuesday by hosting a return match against Shawnigan Lake School. For the first time this season, and after a string of illnesses, all but one of the team’s 16 players were able to play. Because of this, a 13aside game was played, the team’s first 13aside game of the season.

The team got off to their best start of the season with an immediate try by #8 Levi Supowitz, converted by wing Alfredo Sanchez, who goal-kicked well all day. Shawnigan came back strongly and despite some brave defending by Grade 7 fullback Max Pollen, scored some tries. Not to be outdone, the Grade 8 players put together some strong patches of play, pressuring Shawnigan into some mistakes, and scoring another try before the half, due to some strong play by rookie player Michael Skoronski at lock, fellow lock Jason Wang, and centre Zach Khan.

The pattern of the second half was similar to the first, with Shawnigan’s main three players being a touch more physical on the day for the SMUS defence to handle, despite some valiant efforts, especially by Levi Supowitz, prop Jordan Lane, scrumhalf Jeremy Chan, and flyhalf/centre Jacob Wilson-Potter. Playing an all-inclusive team-oriented passing style, two excellent multi-phased SMUS team tries were scored, with prop Abrahim Kharagani barrelling over for one of them under the posts.
Although the result on the day favoured Shawnigan, the development and progression made by the SMUS team over the course of the season was clearly evident, with this being their best performance to date.

Grade 8 rugby will be back into practice in late winter, along with the Grade 6 and 7 players, prior to action in local Victoria area games in the spring.

Rowing
Fifty-five members of the SMUS rowing team and their parents experienced all sorts of weather over two days of racing at the 24th Annual 2nd Regatta held at Elk Lake. In their second regatta of the short season, the team made 14 finals of the 18 events that they were entered in and won 8 of these events. The coaches are proud of the entire team’s efforts, both on and off the water. It is a pleasure to work with a great bunch of athletes!

Next up for the team are the City Championships, November 14-15th, 2009 at Elk Lake.

Senior Cross-Country
Last Wednesday, the Senior cross-country team went to Beaver Lake for the Island Championships. In all, 23 SMUS runners from all grade levels took part in the event. The conditions were cool, but the rain did hold off just long enough to get through the event.

At the Islands, there are two ways of qualifying through to the Provincials. As an individual, you qualify yourself by finishing in the top 20 overall. The other avenue of making it through is to be one of the top four teams (of five runners) overall.

In the Senior girls 4.2k race, there were approximately 150 girls running, and right off the start, the SMUS girls were a little slow off the line and fell to the middle of the pack. However, as all great SMUS athletes do, the team showed determination and heart, and one by one each member clawed their way up through the ranks as the race went on. At the finish line, no runner of the SMUS team finished in the top 20, but the team appeared to do reasonably well. Coaches Tobacco and Hunt knew at this point it was going to be very close. As the results were announced, the team was ecstatic when the SMUS Senior girls were told they had captured 4th place. Congratulations to the following girls for having such an awesome race: Jocelyn Stedman, Raquel Solmer, Hannah Nielsen, Erin Hope, Laura Simandl, Laura Dale and captain Lisa Evans.

In the 6.2k Senior boys event, the competition was equally as fierce and the team was hoping to have the same good fortune as the girls. The field would have around 200 runners for this event. At the starting gun, a few SMUS athletes, including Leo Marchand kicked it on turbo mode right from the get go. And at the 2k interval, things looked very good for the top three SMUS boys, but it appeared that our 4th and 5th runners were back quite a distance. By the 4k interval, Leo Marchand found another level and rounded the crowd in 12th place. At the finishing line, it was Leo who remarkably finished in 15th place, qualifying himself individually for the provincials.

The Senior boys team of Leo Marchand, Mark Wizinsky, Austin Smith, Alex Preis and Cole Turner did extremely well to finish in 7th place. It was not quite the result the team was looking for, however, qualifying for the provincials for the boys would really have been a remarkable feat (especially when you consider the team was without standout runners Tyler Olsen, Chris Madsen and Dawit Workie due to injury and/or sickness).

The Senior girls team, along with Leo Marchand, now travel to White Rock next weekend to compete in the BC championships. Congratulations to all at the Islands and best of luck at the provincials!

Grade 8 Rugby
The Grade 8 rugby team travelled to Ladysmith this past Tuesday for their return match. Illness continued to dog the side with a number of players unavailable. Playing on the large Ladysmith field led to a free flowing game with both sides running the ball at every opportunity. Beginning very well, the team scored a number of tries in the first half, including two quality multi-phase team tries.

The second half was a slightly different affair with Ladysmith playing much stronger against a fading SMUS team that dropped off their tackles. Just enough was done though for the team to score a few more tries to garner the win. Top performers on the day were lock Levi Supowitz, scrumhalf Jeremy Chan, the centre pairing of Zach Khan and Grade 7 Max Pollen, and wing Sean MacArthur.

Most unfortunately, due to the continuing number of illnesses and injuries in the team, the decision was made not to travel for the return match to St. Georges on Halloween. Hopefully with a few days of relative rest, the side will be good to go for their final match of the season, hosting Shawnigabn Lake School on Tuesday, November 3rd with a 3:30 pm kick off.

Senior Girls Volleyball
After a weekend filled with volleyball, the Senior girls were at Oak Bay for Tuesday night of league. The girls served aggressively against St. Andrews earning a win in the both sets of the match. Next, the team had retribution on Oak Bay by winning the first set. The girls played stellar defense and the fierce attacks lead by Sophia Ducharme and Annie Pike made for an exciting game. Unfortunately, SMUS lost the second set 24-26 but the team showed determination and character by coming back by a major deficit near the end of the game.

On the weekend, SMUS hosted the ISA tournament for senior girls volleyball. All of the teams this year were really competitive and although it was unsuccessful in terms of wins, the team gelled and it was an excellent experience. The team really worked together on the court, however, Sophia Ducharme, Michelle Yim and Annie Pike were particularly outstanding. Great job everyone!

Junior Boys Soccer
In their last game, the Junior boys faced Glenlyon Norfolk. Results over the course of the short season meant a play-off spot was mathematically out of reach for the team. The boys were up for the match and they were determined to finish the season in positive style.

From the start, the team played with passion and intensity. After only three minutes, Jorge Canedo managed to break free of his check in the final third, dribble in, and fire in the first goal. Soon after, the boys started to gain control of the midfield, winning tackles and passing confidently. After many marauding runs at the back line, Juan Pedro Gandoulf found the net twice in the first half. Later, in the second half, SMUS continued to dominate the game, and within minutes of coming into the match, Charles Yang managed to find the back of net after battling for the ball inside the eighteen. It was a great win and a very positive end to the season for the Junior boys soccer team.

The coaches would like to thank the boys for a great season. We hope to see them out next September.

Field Hockey
SMUS played Vic High this Monday on the water-based turf, and absolutely thumped them, winning 9-0. Goals were from Janine Hsu (4), Paula Weech, Jenna Dhillon, Emma Abrioux, Krsten McLeod and Teryl Noble.

Oak Bay proved a far different opposition compared to Vic High as they were the AAA City champions (SMUS is AA in field hockey), and we duly lost 4-0, in part because of the loss of strong player Emma Abrioux, after an injury . Without subs (as the 2nd team were playing against GNS, losing 3-1), and only with 10 players, the rest of the SMUS 1st team, played a very strong defensive game against Oak Bay, despite the loss.

Going into the AA Islands at the in Duncan, the team knew that Emma Abrioux’s absence would have a profound effect. Emma Abrioux was the lynchpin for stopping attacks as her role as central defender and the key to our short corners both attacking and defensively. Nevertheless, SMUS played their hearts out throughout the tournament. Following a disappointing 3-0 loss against a very good Lambrick team (who went though as #1 from the Island), the girls came back to tie Shawnigan 1-1 in a very determined effort, with Teryl Noble scoring in the last minute of play.

On Saturday, the team started with a strong game against GNS, who played a solid territorial game and won 1-0, after an unlucky goal coming off a foot at a short corner and looping over goalkeeper Nuraiyah Kassam’s head. Knowing that we had to score plenty of goals against the weakest team at the tournament, Mark Isfeld, SMUS in the last game poured forward and ended up winning 5-0 with goals from Kirsten McLeod (2), Janine Hsu, Paula Weech and Arden Mollenhauer. However, it proved to not to be enough, as Shawnigan had the superior goal difference and went through to a playoff showdown for the final provincials berth next Wednesday in the Fraser Valley. Still, considering SMUS was without their most inspirational player, it was a satisfying set of performances to end the season.

The advances made by all players were phenomenal, which bodes very well for next season and beyond. Particular mention should be made to the emergence of Teryl Noble and Paula Weech with their tireless running in the forward line, and indeed the forward line including Janine Hsu, always posed problems for opposition defences. The midfield trio of Grade 9 Arden Mollenhauer, Kirsten McLeod and Grade 8 Jenna Dhillon, shows how blessed we will be in the future, as Kirsten was able to inspire the youngsters around her. In the back, we were ably led by Emma Abrioux and Emma Wilson-Pease with their experience, but also by the increasing game maturity of Montana Sawyer and Meredith Witoski as sweeper - both of whom really improved on the season. In goal, the alternating between Selby Knudsen and Nuraiyah Kassam helped keep both goalies fresh, and likewise, both made huge strides through the season.

Apart from a staff-student game in spring, that is it for the field hockey season for 2009 - a season of much promise, and we almost made it off the Island. At least the future is certainly promising however!

Junior Boys Soccer
In their penultimate week of league play, the Junior boys soccer team had two challenging games. On Monday, the team hosted league-leaders Stelly’s. The boys conceded a goal early on but continued to fight and managed to hold off a strong Stelly’s side. Just before half time, however, the opposition scored a second goal, this time from open play. In the second half, the boys created some great chances, but they were unable to put anything into the back of the net. The game finished 2-0.

On Wednesday, SMUS travelled to face rivals Oak Bay. The tempo of the game was high and the opposition squared off against second keeper Mark Yorath, who held off many goal attempts until Oak Bay managed to sneak one past. As the half wore on, the SMUS midfield started to gain more possession, and, after winning the ball just inside the opposition’s half, Georgios Ikanomou whipped one in and beat the keeper, bringing the teams level.

In the second half, our defence was strong. Peter Harrison and Joseph Erlic were having a particularly good game in the centre of the defense. After a run of attacks, though, the hosts took the lead once again. Late in the game, with opposition legs starting to tire, the boys started to string more passes together. Once gaining possession just outside the eighteen, Juan Pedro Gandoulf managed to turn with the ball and slot one into the back of the net. It was a wonderful goal to tie the game up for a second time. Unfortunately, the boys ran out of time and the game ended in a draw.

On Monday, the boys play their last game of the season when they host Glenlyon Norfolk in what promises to be a great game.

Grade 9 Cross-Country
The Grade 9 cross-country team finished off their season this week with more outstanding results! The boys’ team placed first at the last league race at Cedar Hill, meaning that they won every race this season in the lower Island league. At the Island Age Group Championship on Wednesday at Beaver Lake, both the boys and girls ran their very best and scored well for their respective teams.

The boys A team (Dawit Workie; 7th, Jason Chiu; 14th, Wayne Lin; 17th and Steven Whillans; 18th ) won the Grade 9 Island Championship and the B team (Alec Kinahan ;19th, Colton Stockus ;24th, Alex Campbell; 26 and Graeme Wheeler; 32 ) placed third. The girls team (Erin Hope; 10th, Allie White; 15th, Rachel Sibbald; 20th and Meriah Drabkin; 21st) placed second.

Ms. Keziere would like to thank all of the Grade 9 runners for their fantastic commitment to the team this season.

Senior Cross-Country
Last Wednesday, 29 members of the Grades 10-12 cross-country team took part in the penultimate event of the season: the Lower Island Age Group Series. The weather was threatening, but in the end, the conditions were ideal and the rain held off for what was a fantastic day of racing.

For the first time all season, the Grade 10s - both in the boys and the girls - had enough runners to score some team points. On the boys’ side, it was Ephraim Lam who shone brightly, while Alexis Thind did her part for the girls. The Grade 10 boys team finished in 4th place, while the Grade 10 girls team captured 3rd place.

The Senior girls, led by the foursome of Jocelyn Stedman, Raquel Solmer, Laura Dale and Lisa Evans did extremely well as a group, and finished in 3rd place. On the Senior boys side, it was once again Leo Marchand who led the SMUS brigade with an 11th place finish. Chris Madson had perhaps the run of the day, finishing a very strong 21st place. Had it not been for a DNF by Sean Hong, the Senior boys team would have sealed a 2nd place team finish.

Things look very good for the Senior cross-country team right now, and the team seems to be peaking at just the right time. The Island Championships happen next Wednesday afternoon at Beaver Lake, and there is a decent chance that both our Senior boys and Senior girls teams will qualify to the provincial championships. The cross-country team has not gone to the Provincials in a good number of years, so achieving this goal would be a massive accomplishment. Best of luck to the team this coming week!

Senior Girls Volleyball
This week, the Senior girls volleyball team hosted Parklands, PCS and Lambrick. Although the team was unable to defend their home court, Rebecca Mulroney played some of her best volleyball to date. After Tuesday night, it became clear that the team needed to change in order to perform well at the upcoming tournament.

On Friday, the team travelled to the Comox Valley to compete in a 24-team tournament hosted by Mark Isfeld, Vanier, and Highland. Although small in numbers, the team came out fighting in their first match and beat Campbell River Christian. Unfortunately, they could not maintain their momentum against Vanier and were defeated in two straight sets, placing SMUS second in their pool. In the cross-over match, SMUS struggled with Langley’s strong serving and aggressive hitting. This placed the team in the silver division for playoffs.

After experiencing so much defeat, the girls brushed off the losses and came back fighting hard on Saturday. They started the day with their quarter-final against Kwalkum. Despite Sophia Ducharme’s heavy hitting and Shayla Baumeler’s fierce serving the girls lost by two points in the third set. Although a heartbreaker, the girls were optimistic that they were finally out of their slump. Perhaps it was Ms. Fenneman’s birthday that really motivated the girls to win, but regardless they came out firing against Ladysmith. Mishelle Yim dominated on defense, which allowed Tanya Rossa to assist in the many kills by our front row attackers. Playing for fifth in our final match the girls defeated themselves by allowing Cowichan to have early leads in both sets, which inevitably made it impossible to overcome. Martika Rodger’s was most improved throughout the course of the tournament and Sylvia Ho and Deryn Ramsey dealt well with playing several different positions which showed great versatility. Tournament All-Stars go to all of the girls for their hard work and determination.

Grade 8 Rugby
On Tuesday this week, the Grade 8 rugby team hosted Ladysmith School. The team, despite a number of players being unavailable due to illness or injury, played very well, with some promising running rugby, securing a sound win. Players to note on the day were hooker Marco Sanati, Grade 7 prop Steven Piazza, scrumhalf Jeremy Chan and wing Sean MacArthur. Also of note was that the game was partly refereed by Grade 11 student Hubert Wang who is learning to become a rugby referee.
After a day’s rest, the boys travelled to G.P. Vanier School in Courtenay for a return match. Continuing to be hit by illnesses, injuries and unavailability, only 11 players were able to make the trip. Again, the team performed very well, with some true team tries being scored and the defence showing further signs of improvement. Levi Supowitz, in his new lock position, Zach Khan, switching between a new position at scrumhalf and his usual position at centre, prop Jordan Lane and wing Lawrence Beradelli were the leading performers on the day.

This week, the team travels to Ladysmith on Tuesday for the return fixture, and will prepare for their return visit to St. George’s on October 31st. This game will serve as an indication of how far the Grade 8 players have progressed during the season and will be a tough match.

Junior Girls Volleyball
October has been a busy month for the Junior girls volleyball team. They remain undefeated in Victoria league play, where they currently stand top in their pool. They scored decisive wins last Monday against Mount Doug and Lambrick Park.

The team enjoyed great success last weekend at the first annual Southridge Storm Volleyball Tournament. After losing to Southridge in round robin play, they clawed their way back from a third-place pool finish to defeat the host team in semi-final play, moving on to the championship game. While they came up just short to winners Charles Best Secondary, for a second-place finish, they played exceptional volleyball.

Co-captain Gilly Maycock was a standout throughout the entire weekend and was named to the tournament All-Star Team. Setters Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza were rock-solid throughout the tournament, with tough serving and brilliant court coverage. Steph Marsh also contributed greatly to the team’s victories, with tough serving and strong hitting and blocking. Shade Souc’s court coverage and overall leadership were outstanding. Credit must be given also to players who saw more court time and acquitted themselves most commendably: Kate Cluley, Hannah McElderry, Ashton Louie, Tina Yu, Sophia Neiwerth and Madi Hadfield. All these players showed remarkable improvement, especially in passing skills and court coverage.

While the girls did not come out on top in this past weekend’s Independent School Association tournament hosted at Shawigan Lake School, again they showed incredible development as a team. Hannah McElderry and Ali Pollen in particular stepped up their play, showing strong performances in both front and back court. Several players also made great strides in their overhand serving: Shade Souc, Ashton Louie, Sophia Neiwerth and Madi Hadfield.

The gains made this past weekend will certainly serve the girls well when they head back into league play this week, facing Oak Bay A and Claremont B.

Grade 8 Rugby
With almost a two-week break between games, the Grade 8 rugby team hosted G.P. Vanier from Courtenay on Thursday for their third match. The focus during practices leading into the game has been on fitness and a review of skills and game plans, and this paid immediate dividends with prop Abrahim Kharagani scoring soon after the kick off. Both sides battled strongly throughout, with SMUS having the upper hand and scoring a number of tries. Unfortunately, many of these were a little too wide out for goal kicker and wing Alfredo Gonzalez to convert, though he tried valiantly to do so. For everything in closer though he garnered the extra two points. Two of the leading performers on the day were prop Jordan Lane and scrumhalf Jeremy Chan.

The well-played win was deserved by SMUS, but no doubt G.P. Vanier will want the result reversed when the two sides meet again this Thursday in Courtenay. Before then, the SMUS side hosts Ladysmith on Tuesday, October 20.

Field Hockey
SMUS played two games this week; a crucial match against Lambrick and an exhibition game against Francis Kelsey. The Lambrick game was tense, very close, and for the most of the game, SMUS outplayed their opponents, particularly in the first half. Likewise, and perhaps more so, the team did well against Francis Kelsey on Friday. In both games, the foraging runs from the dynamic forward line of Janine Hsu, Teryl Noble and Paula Weech often exposed the defence, while the hard-battling midfield players, Jenna Dhillon, Arden Mollenhauer and especially Kirsten McLeod, provided a basis for the numerous attacks. The defence was strong, ably led once again by Emma Abrioux, who mopped up many of the opposition attacks. Unfortunately, all the possession did not translate into any goals, although there were several gilt-edged opportunities, particularly in the Francis Kelsey game.

In the Lambrick game, the only goal was a unlucky break against SMUS, when hit someone or something ballooned and went over our goalkeeper’s body. Very fortuitous, but it proved to be the decisive strike for the game. With Francis Kelsey, two days later, the SMUS team playedprobably the best hockey of the season, but missed several great goal-scoring chances, though they performed remarkably well in breaking down a stubborn defence to create those chances.

Senior Girls Volleyball
This week marks the end of the league matches with a game against Vic High on Monday, and against Oak Bay on Wednesday.

This past week was quieter for the Senior Girls AA Volleyball team, who returned straight from Grade 11 outdoor education trips and Thanksgiving long weekend for a long night of league play on Tuesday. The team played at Claremont and sat out the first game so they had the chance to scout out their competition, the very competitive and athletic Mount Doug and Claremont teams. With a recent injury and two key players absent, the girls seemed worried while watching the quick sharp hits and great rallying of their competition. However, they came out very strong and with lots of energy against Mount Doug and certainly surprised them with a tough match. Unfortunately, Mount Doug’s high skill level and experience playing together lead SMUS to lose the match in two straight games.

With the night progressing, the girls dove right into the second match against Claremont. With consistent and powerful serves by Tanya Rossa and impressive attacks by Sophia Ducharme, the team dominated the first game winning 25-15. Struggling to keep the same intensity level against the aggressive Claremont, the girls lost the second game, tying the match. It was an impressive night with some star moments signalling the team’s improvement and indicating the potential for great competitive play for the rest of the season.

On Friday, the girls head to the AA Islands and hopefully on Saturday (depending on pool positions from Friday) they’ll play up at the Cowichan Sports Complex in Duncan. A big week for all the players!

Junior Boys Soccer
While the boys had a quiet week with no games, they were busy, preparing for their last three league matches. On Monday, the boys host Stelly’s and on Wednesday they travel to Oak Bay. The team is in a positive mood and hoping to grab some crucial points in the penultimate week of the season.

Junior Boys Soccer
In the third week of league play the boys had two difficult matches away from home. In their first game against Spectrum, the boys made things difficult for themselves by conceding a couple of early goals. Slowly, however, their attacking play started producing some results and, before the half, the boys had grabbed one goal back with a beautiful strike from Jorge Canedo. In the second half, the team came on strong and managed to bring the score level to three goals each, with goals came from Juan Pedro Gandoulf and Georgious Ikanomou. Unfortunately, in the dying minutes of the game, Spectrum managed to grab a late winner to steal all three points away.

In their second game, the team travelled to Lochside Park to play Claremont. With six starting players either sick or injured, the boys travelled with a weakened squad to take on a strong Claremont side. The game was, at first, a lop-sided affair, with the hosts attacking in waves. But the team defended heroically. The backline of Derek Hyde-Lay, Peter Harrison, Sam Reid, and Fynn Kehl was especially effective at holding Claremont at bay. By the end of the first half SMUS was down 2-0, but by no means out of the contest. In the second half, Juan Pedro Gandoulf caught the Claremont defence half-asleep, and with the help of Jorge Canedo managed to put one past the keeper. SMUS were unlucky, however, to concede a penalty midway through the second half and were not able to claw their way back into the game.

This coming week the boys will be training as usual and their next match will be at home to Stellys on Monday, October 19.

Senior Girls Volleyball
The Senior girls volleyball team had league play against GNS and Vic High this week. The night began with a game against GNS and due to GNS’ powerful attackers and experienced play, SMUS struggled to defend their court and lost both games in two straight sets. During the second match we played against Vic High. Fortunately, the girls’ serving was much more consistent and powerful, so we easily beat them in two straight. Great job Tanya in your great serving and setting!

Field Hockey
Last week saw some tough competition for the SMUS teams, but to their credit, there was some very determined and, at times, brilliant play, even if the results were not that favourable to SMUS.

On Monday, we hosted AAA powerhouse Mount Douglas up at the UVic water turf, who included in their line up, national team player, Paige Norris. SMUS team #1 lost 1-0 on an unfortunate goal from a penalty corner which escaped goalkeeper Selby Knudsen. The game itself was very even and featured very solid checking, particularly in the midfield, where Kirsten McLeod had her strongest game of the season and stalwart defender Emma Abrioux read the game very impressively to step up to cut off interceptions. The forward line of Janine Hsu, Paula Weech and Cleo Valentine posed problems for the Mount Douglas defence all game, but were not quite unable to break free and convert their scoring chances.

Two days later, team #1 had a big match up against our across-town rivals, GNS, on another beautiful day in front of a large crowd at UVic, who included the India Men’s National Hockey team (playing Canada later in the week). With Nuraiyah Kassam before the game urging the India team to support SMUS, it was unusual to say the least to enjoy the vocal support from players who are all superstars back in their home country! The match itself was a very open affair, and, at times, featured some superb team build up from SMUS, particularly for the two goals scored by Teryl Noble in the first half - the second of these went the whole length of the field and featured a dazzling run by right winger, Janine Hsu, and was one of the best goals to be scored by SMUS in a long time.

Unfortunately, GNS was able to capitalise on some weak defending and went on to win 4-2. Even though it was one of the most exciting games to have been played this season, it was rather disappointing to be on the wrong end of the scoreline, especially as so many parents and supporters had come out to watch. The India men’s team definitely enjoyed the game, and went on to beat Canada in two games on the weekend, 2-0 and 4-3, in front of a packed crowd on the same turf at UVic.

SMUS team #2 played one game this last week - against Reynolds on Monday. Through a variety of factors, the team were unable to field a full team, so borrowed a few Reynolds players until some of the SMUS 1st team were able to join in after the end of their match against Mt Doug. Goals from Paula Weech and Cleo Valentine help seal a 2-0 win.

This coming week will see a crucial match for the SMUS team #1 against AA City Champions Lambrick Park on Wednesday, followed by a match against a much-improved Francis Kelsey on Friday.

Junior Girls Volleyball
The Junior girls volleyball team kicked off their season with exhibition play and the First Annual SMUS Invitational Junior Girls Volleyball Tournament.

In exhibition play on Monday, SMUS beat Reynolds and tied against PCS and Mt. Doug. Setters Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza provided a solid foundation for the team, with middle blockers Gilly Maycock, Stephanie Marsh and Hannah McElderry proving to be formidable foes at the net. Solid passing and backcourt defense from Tina Yu and Kate Cluley helped build team momentum. The squad was solid in team positioning, with commendable movement and transitioning for such an early point in the season.

In tournament play over the weekend, with four players missing for U15 soccer and one setter newly returning from injury, the girls captured third place medals. Outstanding play from co-captain Gilly Maycock — in serving, spiking, blocking, and overall court play — provided inspiration for the team and ensured many a victory. Stephanie Marsh is also a player to watch, with outstanding serving and spiking. Setters Ashton Louie and Isailah Ferguson-Johnson provided solid setting throughout the entire tournament, building to outstanding play in the final match against Lambrick Park.

Ali Pollen had her best play to date, delivering strong overhand serves and hits from power. Tina Yu was not only the heart and soul of the team, but also contributed excellent serving and all-around court play. Newcomers Madi Hadfield and Sophia Niewerth had excellent play on Saturday, each earning several kills at the net; both will be players to watch for blocking and net play. Finally, Shade Souc played an outstanding tournament, with incredible focus and energy. Her consistently strong passing and hitting kept the team in the game at challenging points, and her overall leadership was a great asset to the team.

SMUS heads into league play on Monday, October 5, against Mt. Doug, Oak Bay A team, and Stelly’s. Games start at 3:45 pm at Mt. Doug.

Senior Girls Volleyball
The Senior girls had their first night of league play and it was a home game! The girls first played Oak Bay and, thanks to a great comeback fuelled by Deryn Ramsey’s powerful serve and Musu Ofosu’s threatening net play, they almost took the first set. Unfortunately, SMUS lost the second set due to Oak Bays consistent serving and aggressive attacking.
The second match was against St. Margaret’s and SMUS came out playing very aggressive. The girls worked together to easily take the two sets and shut down their star player. Player of the week was Musu Osofu! Great job ladies!

Rowing
Saturday saw the SMUS rowing team begin their short 2009 competitive season at the annual high school Crabfest Regatta. Newcomers to the sport may think that this is a day of celebration of crustaceans with short red tails! Rowers and spectators soon learn, however, that a crab is when an oar becomes stuck in the water because it was not removed in time. For many of the SMUS team, the day’s goal was to be crab free. With a reduced team due to the Grade 11 outdoor education trips and the majority of the senior team having the regatta off, the rowers showed their force by making five finals of the seven events they entered.

• Senior Novice Boys 4X+: 3rd (Johann von Schack, Josh Edgar, Andrew Henning, Justus Koenigs, Erynn Pawluk)
• Junior Novice Boys 4X+: 1st (Marcus Lelewski, Robert Wyatt, Logan Gilmore, Ju Yong Shin and Erynn Pawluck)
• Open Novice Boys 8+: 2nd (Julien Bryant, Nicholas Cunningham, Emiliano Iturriaga, Jackie Chuang, Logan Gilmore, Marcus Lelewski, Rio Hong, Ju Yong Shin and Erynn Pawluck)
• Junior Boys 4X: 2nd (Luke Friswell, Liam Hyatt, Robert Wyatt and Taylor Ellison)
• Junior Girls 4X: 1st (Rebecca Berardelli, Katherine Fretz, Sara Taylor and Gaby Jezliakov)

Congratulations to all of the SMUS rowing team for a great day of racing! The weather was brilliant and so was their sportsmanship, on and off the water, and their support for each other. A huge thank you to Jessica Spoor, Caryn Dooner, Jinsun Choi and Brandon Ewonus for their day-long volunteering as dock marshals and boat drivers helping the regatta run! The SMUS rowing teams next competition is the 2nd Annual Regatta, the weekend of October 31st at Elk Lake.

Senior Boys A Soccer
The Senior boys A squad marked the midpoint in their short season with a game against SMUS’ own Senior B team. The play was back-and-forth for the first fifteen minutes, with the B squad keeping up the pressure, and defending very successfully. Ultimately, however, the balance of play began to shift as the A squad started to focus on completing passes and keeping possession. Striker Jamie Yorath was the first to score at the twenty minute mark. Moments later, midfielder Charlie Southwell capitalized on a convenient trap in from of the net, sending a shot rocketing past the opposing keeper.

Southwell kept up his pressure, setting up the next goal by winger Ben Beaudoin, who knocked in a rebound after a big save by keeper Brian Christensen. Right before halftime, Yorath, left unopposed at the top of the box, scored again. In the second half, despite continuing pressure and repeatedly gritty defensive play on the part of the B team, A squad players Tycho Mommsen-Smith, Colin Smith, Jordan Souc, and Jure Erlic were able to score several more times to clinch the team’s second victory of the season.

Grade 8 Rugby
The Grade 8 rugby team travelled to Shawnigan Lake School this past Saturday for their second match of the season. With a squad of 14 players involved on the day, the team played 11aside on a field meant for 13 or 15aside. Shawnigan scored within the first 10 minutes, but after some tactical changes, the SMUS team began to play much better both in attack and on defence. Fullback/flyhalf Jacob Wilson-Potter made some strong runs, as did Zach Khan in his new position of lock. Scrumhalf Liam Keeler-Young also looked lively, whilst prop Jordan Lane never gave up in defence, tackling soundly. Although out-scored on the day, the team showed signs of promise for the future that will be achieved only through continued hard work and commitment. With the long weekend ahead, the teams next game is set for Thursday, October 15, against G.P. Vanier school from Courtenay.

Junior Boys Soccer
The Junior boys soccer team had a busy week with two league games and the ISA Tournament rounding out the week.

In their first game of the week, the boys hosted a hard-working and physical St. Andrew’s team. After being down 3-1 at the end of the first half, the boys showed great character and determination and managed to score six goals in the second half to finish the game 3-7. Juan Pedro Gandoulf, Jorge Canedo, Keiler Totz, and Georgious Ikanomou all managed to find the back of the net.
In their second game of the week, the boys hosted local rivals, Lambrick Park. The team was not so successful in their mid-week fixture. With some players absent, the boys conceded some early goals and were not able to overcome the early deficit to a solid Lambrick side.

On Friday, SMUS hosted the 2009 ISA Junior Boys Soccer Tournament. In their first game against Brentwood, the boys conceded an early goal but were quickly back in the match when Juan Pedro Gandoulf’s scored a strike. The boys continued to press until the final whistle, hitting posts, but failed to get back on level terms. In their second match, the team kicked off against Southridge. Soon, the boys were in control and up 5-1. By the end of a comfortable game, the boys finished 6-4, with Mark Yorath and Fynn Kehl also on the score sheet.

After finishing second in their pool, the best the boys could hope for was third place. Despite playing two games earlier in the day, the boys out-hustled and out-played a physical Shawnigan Lake side, beating them 4-0. Juan Pedro Gandoulf, Jorge Canedo, Keiler Totz, and Georgious Ikanomou were again among the goal scorers. Cole Tamburri was as solid as ever in goal. The team, from the back four through the midfield and attack, is starting to play some attractive soccer.
The Junior boys are away from SMUS this week, visiting Spectrum on Monday and Claremont on Wednesday.

Senior Boys B Soccer
Coming off a win against Vic High and a loss to Parkland, the boys were looking to continue to improve and work as a team this week as they faced St. Andrew’s and the SMUS A team. Both games were hard fought with the B squad giving 110%. Unfortunately, the boys came up short both games. Brian Christensen was outstanding in goal, making some tremendous saves. Working hard in the midfield was Morio Oyake and Lachlan Glen with supporting outside midfielders Andy Tak and Alex Preis. Our back line of Kobus LeRoux, Goven Sandhu, Zack Austin and Joe Furness put in a solid performance in every game. Up front our super speedster, William Lo, gives any defender palpations with his skill and phenomenal speed.

Next week, the boys have a chance to improve their record as we travel to Esquimalt on Tuesday, October 6.

Grade 9 Cross-country
The Grade 9 boys cross-country team claimed yet another victory at the second race of the season at Lambrick Park on Thursday, October 1. Our top scorers were Dawit Hailerariam (5th), Jason Chiu (7th), Wayn Lin (12th) and David Pollen (14th) who accumulated 38 points, bettering their score from their race last week.

Three quarters of the girls team were away in Toronto, but Rachel Sibbald (4th) and Jocelyne Yan (6th) ran really well for SMUS!

Senior Cross-country
The Senior cross-country team had their second meet of the season last Thursday at Lambrick Park. With the Grade 11 students away on outdoor education trips, and most of the Grade 12 students leading those trips, a depleted group of committed runners took the start line.

The course was wet and the thick grass made it difficult to get in a decent pace, but Leo Marchand had no trouble with the boys’ 6k course and finished in 6th place in the Senior boys division. In the Junior ranks, Cole Turner had an excellent run and paced himself very well throughout. On the girls’ side, Grade 10 Aussie-import Kariesa Van Zyl continued to impress with yet another strong showing.

The next race for the team is Wednesday, October 7, at Beaver Lake.