Barons’ Athletics
March 2018
Wow, here we are already in March!! It’s always a busy time at Louis, and it’s not slowing down much, so here’s what’s been going on in February and what’s coming up.
Varsity Women’s Basketball: Played their opening game at the Father Troy Tournament versus “Gymnasium Philippium” from Marburg, Germany. What an experience!!!!
Varsity Women’s Basketball Last League Game:
Varsity Men’s Basketball: Congratulations to the Varsity Men’s Basketball Team for finishing in 3rd place in the Father Michael Troy Tournament (Tournament All Star: Ben Rathje). The Barons also finished in 6th place in the Morinville Invitational with Brandon Wells as Tournament Allstar!! **The boys finished their season 8-3 and will be starting their playoff run this week!!
High School Basketball Playoffs: High School City Championships are to be held at Jasper Place on March 2nd and 3rd. Following that, the Varsity Men and Women’s Teams will begin Provincial Qualifying on March 5th, endeavoring to earn a berth in the 3A Provincial Championships in late March; best of luck to both teams as they pursue their “second season”.
We ALSO want to Wish Mr. Tay Nsaliwa a speedy recovery from surgery on his ACHILLES!!! ** Coach Nsaliwa with this surgically repaired Achillies preparing his team for their Playoffs!! #DEDICATION!!
Junior High Senior Boys Basketball Team: Congratulations to the Senior Boys Basketball Team for winning the Fowler Invitational 69-65 over Esther Starkman… special Congratulations to #1 King Tshiama being named Tournament MVP!
Congratulations to the LSL Senior Boys Basketball Team for winning our own SENIOR HOOPS Basketball Tournament over HEB. Special Congratulations to Tournament Allstar: Emmanuel Ohenenbeng and TOURNAMENT MVP: Drexler Cuevas!!
Junior High Senior Girls Basketball Team: Congratulations to the Senior Girls for finishing 3rd place in our very own SENIOR HOOPS TOURNAMENT. The Barons won 49-45 in a thrilling overtime win over FMT. Special Congrats to Lylia Polishchuk for being named Tournament Allstar.
Junior Junior Boys and Girls Basketball Teams:
It makes me smile to see these young boys and girls compete in athletics at our school. They have so much school spirit and enthusiasm and reminds us adults why we play sports and the impact that it has on our lives.
Congratulations for the Jr Jr Boys: FMT Invitational 4th Place St. FX “4th Annual JR JR BBALL” Tournament - #3 Johnny Teclemarium TOURNAMENT Allstar!! HSCS (Devon) Take Flight Invitational 6th place – #1 Goall Wiyual TOURNAMENT Allstar!! League Record: 3-1
Jr Jr Girls Basketball Team: Undefeated in League Play!!!
Upcoming Tournaments: Jr Jr Boys and Girls JUNIOR HOOPS March 9-10th (AT LSL – COME OUT AND CHEER ON YOUR BARONS)
Spring League BASKETBALL: I encourage all of our basketball players to tryout for different Spring League Teams this year. There was a lot of growth this year within all of our Basketball Teams and we want to see our athletes continue to develop and improve their skills!!
Varsity Badminton has begun for the High School, with tryouts already underway. Mr. Jaret Peel, Mr. Bob Faught, Mr. Darren Zeggil-Carby, Ms. Joanna Dimatatac and Mr. John Dol Dol are the coaches this year and are excited to get the season going. Our league starts March 5th with LSL competing in Division II. We will also be attending the H.A.B.I.T Harry Ainlay Badminton Invitational Tournament March 16- 17th, Concordia Touranment April 7-8th and RBI Romero Invitational April 13th-14th. Finally, LSL will be hosting Zone Mixed Doubles Championships on April 21st, Provincials this year at May 4-5th at Grimshaw Alberta.
Junior High Badminton Team: coached by Mr. Aaron Salik and Mr. Marc Lapierre. Tryouts will being in early March for all grade 8 and 9 boys and girls. (Only Club grade 7 players will be allowed to try out). TRYOUTS are MARCH 12, 13, and 14th!!!
Varsity High School Track and Field: will begin right after Spring Break. We are excited to have Mr. Ryan Lacy and Mr. Brian Hrynkow (who both have track and field background) to help coach this team.
JUST A BUNCH OF PEELS!!!! That’s a lot of PEELS… HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYS!! BARONS HOCKEY ACADEMY The Barons Hockey Academy recently completed their on ice and off ice testing : Congratulations to: Hardest Shot - 146km/hr Connor Hart Fastest Skater – 15.885 sec Jocab Bodnaruk VO2 Max (Beep Test) – 12.12 Joe Hawkins
Hockey Academy Testing Video February.mp4 Fastest Skater.MOV
Barons in the News:
CTV Video and Article on our Current Barons Hockey Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach and Former LSL Student!!
https://alberta.ctvnews.ca/mobile/melissa-lowe-sets-her-sights-on-2022-olympics-1.3813686
Office to the Track: 140 kms an hour for Melissa Lowe
Cam Tait writes about Melissa Lowe and her goal to make it to the 2022 Winter Olympics by Cam Tait / EdmontonOilers.com
January 30th, 2017
Melissa Lowe calmly goes about her job, typing away on her computer screen on the third floor of Rogers Place in the player development department without any panic, great speed or urgency.
It's a completely different story when she is away from the office pursuing her dream.
The 22-year-old is a member of the Alberta bobsleigh team, and she has her sights set on making the Canadian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
"It's always been a dream of mine as a kid to be an Olympian," she says enthusiastically.
Melissa began in bobsleigh as a brakeman. Now, she wants to be the pilot.
She describes it using her extensive hockey background as an analogy.
"It's like someone who has been a defenceman for years now playing forward. It's a totally different position, but something I want," she says.
"Being a pilot? It's an adrenaline rush. Head down, you're not seeing what's going on. As a pilot, it kind of suits my personality more because as a brakeman it's just about how fast you can run.
"The view is unlike no other, going from 125 kilometres an hour all the way to 140 kilometres an hour." And it's meticulous work: Melissa will closely inspect the track five hours before a race looking for anything - the smallest speck - that might slow the sled down by one-hundredth of a second.
Her experience began when she was invited to a Bobsleigh Canada camp. After placing third at nationals, Melissa earned a spot at the 2014 Olympic Year World Cup Camp.
The experience made her train even harder.
She did this, all while getting her kinesiology degree at the University of Alberta.
Melissa thinks bobsleigh and hockey are similar.
"Bobsleigh is not for the faint of heart, and neither is hockey," she says. "You have to take a lot of physical abuse. There aren't any seats inside a bobsled and no padding.
"It's pretty much a coffin on ice," she says with a chuckle.
In an interesting twist, there's a connection between bobsleigh and hockey.
"I think hockey, which has been a huge part of my life, is the reason why I am in bobsledding. I found something where I fit, where my strengths are, this is always going to be an advantage in any sport."
Melissa joined the Edmonton Oilers' player development department on a part-time basis in the fall of 2016. She's following the same path as her father, Ken, who was the head Oilers trainer for 23 years.
Ken is in player development. He is the Senior Coordinator of Medical Services but also runs the health and wellness program for OEG employees.
There was room for Melissa to help.
'I think it (Melissa's job) has helped by allowing her the time to continue to train both on the hill and in the gym," says her father Ken.
In her job, Melissa follows close to 115 of the top prospects that will be in this year's National Hockey League entry draft. Melissa tracks each player's injuries and takes notes when they play in tournaments.
"I send out reports to Oilers' scouts so they know what to watch when they are watching different players," she says.
"For me, it's a perfect fit. Hockey is my first passion. I'm also an athlete, so I needed a part-time job so I could travel for my sport."
She works two days for the Oilers and then travels to Calgary to train on Wednesdays and Sundays.
"Melissa has excellent work ethic and attention to detail in her work. Her background in athletics, as well as her training and understanding of what it takes to participate at the elite level, are valuable assets. She identifies with the players and understands how much commitment and dedication it takes to excel," says Rick Carriere, Senior Director of Player Development for the Oilers.
Melissa says player development is something she's keen on doing after she's done flying down bobsled tracks.
She was exposed to hockey as a young girl from her father. "Dad would bring me with him to watch the players skate during practice and at games. I grew up really around the Oilers dressing room, and I learned what it takes to become an NHL player."
Melissa took an Oilers fitness test when she was 13. She has been hooked on the game ever since.
When Melissa and her older sister Amanda each turned 16, they both received a special gift from their father.
"It was a one-game road trip to Vancouver following a home game here in Edmonton. This way both girls were able to better understand what their dad did for a job besides standing behind the bench," says Ken.
Through this experience, Melissa gained an understanding of all the hard work that went on behind the scenes to get the players out onto the ice. An experience that has helped push her to work her hardest, even when she isn't on the track.
A trip to the 2022 Olympics is certainly in sight for Melissa Lowe!
Barons in the News: Congratulations to former Barons Hockey Academy Player Jarred White for being named to the 2018 AJHL All Academic Team.
The players nominated are deemed to have a commendable dedication to their studies at either the high school or post-secondary level, along with a grade score reflective of their academic success. These players demonstrate the qualities of a strong student-athlete working to further their athletic and academic pursuit.
Barons in the News: Congratulations to LSL Barons Mekenna Keylor, Kaylee Kristjanson and Savanna Kucher who Played for Zone 6 (Edmonton’s Ringette Team) at the Wood Buffalo Alberta Winter Games in Fort Mac going undefeated all tournament receiving the Gold Medal!!
Barons in the News:
Congratulations to Dylan Hawryshko and his SWZ Midget Oil Kings Team for winning the Prairie Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan!!
Barons in the News: MLAC Bantam AA United Cycle Team supports PINK CANCER AWARENESS GAME!! • Former LSL Hockey Academy player and current MLAC Bantam AA coach Ethan Maertens- Poole and current LSL Student/Player Sam Hughes took part in the GAME!
ECS CURLING BONSPIEL:
The Edmonton Catholic School Teachers recently had their annual ECS Curling Bonspiel on January … Thank you to Tournament Organizers: Jaret Peel, Bob Faught, Ryan lacy and Kurt Otto!!
We raised $4000.00 that will go the KIDSPORT “So ALL KIDS Can Play!”
ATHLETES OF THE MONTH
SEPTEMBER: Varsity – Jacob Seubert (Varsity Cross Country) Junior High – Mya Bourget (Cross Country) Junior High - Nero Otoroh (Senior Girls Soccer) Junior High - Lucas Seubert (Cross Country)
OCTOBER: Varsity – Allison Mallon (Junior Varsity Women Volleyball) Varsity - Ethan Davis (Junior Varsity Men Volleyball) Junior High – Julio Umali (Senior Boys Soccer) Junior High – Lana Pralica (Senior Girls Volleyball)
NOVEMBER: Varsity – Ben Lang (Varsity Men’s Volleyball) Varsity – Tristan Mallon (Varsity Men’s Volleyball)
DECEMBER: Varsity – Maria Baclig (Varsity Women’s Volleyball and Basketball) Varsity – Tristan Mallon (Varsity Men’s Volleyball)
JANUARY: Junior High – Ella Rathje (Senior Girls Basketball) Junior High – Daniel Nyembo (Senior Boys Basketball and Volleyball) Varsity – Ben Rathje (Varsity Men’s Basketball)
February: Junior High – Drexter Cuevas (Senior Boys Basketball) Junior High – Lylia Polishchuk (Senior Girls Basketball) Varsity – Jan Rae Dela Cruz (Junior Varsity Men’s Basketball) Varsity – Jenna Schultz (Varsity Women’s Basketball)
Jaret Peel Athletic Director