Monday, February 23, 2009

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Duncan Milne, Gryphons, Duncan Milne, a fifth-year basketball player from Calgary, Alta earns the male athlete of the week honour. The 6’9” forward recorded 30 points while adding 20 rebounds in a pair of weekend victories. In a 58-53 win over Lakehead on Friday night the graduating senior led the team with 15 points and six rebounds. The next night, he had game highs of 15 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks to lead the team to their second straight victory (73-53) over Lakehead. The Gryphons will host the in an OUA playoff game this Wednesday (Feb. 25) at 7:00 p.m. in the Mitchell Centre.

Ariel Porty, , Figure Skating Ariel Porty, a second year figure skater from Guelph, Ont. earns the female athlete of the week honour. She led the Guelph Gryphons figure skating team to their second-ever title at the recent OUA Championships. The Biological Science student won three OUA medals, was named an OUA All-Star and the OUA ‘Competitor of the Year’ to lead her team. She won the Open Solo Dance event and was a part of the gold medal Senior Silver Similar and Rhythm Dance Fours team. Ariel is new to the Gryphon team but is no stranger to competition. She qualified and skated at the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships in Ice Dance for 3 years in a row and she brings her talent and finesse to the rink every day.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

2008-2009 Record: 10-12 (4th OUA West) Upcoming Games: vs. Waterloo (Feb. 25 – 7pm) – OUA Playoff Last Week Results: beat Lakehead 58-53; beat Lakehead 73-53

Gryphons open playoffs versus Waterloo – After defeating the twice this past weekend the Gryphons secured a playoff berth and finish the OUA regular in fourth place with a 10-12 record.

Guelph will now host an OUA playoff game on Wednesday (Feb. 25 – 7pm) against the Waterloo Warriors. After winning four of their last five games, the Gryphons appear to have some momentum heading into the playoffs. Guelph has defeated the Warriors twice already in the regular season.

Last season the Gryphons lost to the in the second round of playoffs.

On Saturday the Gryphons honoured their pair of graduating seniors Nick Pankerichan and Duncan Milne. In what was their final home regular season game, the pair went out as winners. Pankerichan will graduate as the second all-time Gryphon scorer with a total of 1,231 career points. He is a former OUA all-rookie, multiple OUA all-star, team MVP and captain. Milne has progressed like no other player in Gryphon history, being named a two-time Most Improved and Department of Athletics Don Cameron Most Improved award winner.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

2008-2009 Record: 9-13 (6th OUA West) Upcoming Games: NA Last Week Results: lost McMaster 72-69

Gryphons season ends with loss to McMaster in OUA Playoffs – The Guelph Gryphon women’s basketball team fell to the McMaster Marauders 72-69, on Wednesday night in an OUA quarter-final game in Hamilton. The Gryphons finished the regular season 9-13 before losing to the Marauders in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Gryphons returned to the post season after a one year hiatus. Guelph was led this season by graduating senior, Kris Yallin (Port Colborne, Ont.) and third year forward Rachel Hanock (Ingersoll, Ont.). Yallin led the team in scoring all year, averaging 13.9 points per game while Hancock averaged 13.1 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. This season, Guelph displayed a new look with numerous positive changes including one of the best recruiting classes in the OUA. Rookies Ali Dzikowski (Brantford, Ont.), Samantha Russell (Paradise Valley, AZ) and Jasmine Douglas (Guelph, Ont.) averaged almost identical stats with 7 points and 5 rebounds per game. Get used to hearing their names because the future looks bright for this exciting trio of Gyrphons.

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FIGURE SKATING

Upcoming: N/A Last Week: OUA Championships @ Toronto

Gryphons skate their way to OUA Championship title – The Guelph Gryphons figure skating team dethroned the reigning champion, to capture the 2008-09 OUA figure skating championship at U of T. The Gryphons led from start to finish in the two-day event, capturing only their second OUA team title (1993-94). Guelph and Queen’s were separated by just one point, 77-78, heading into the final event of the competition – the synchro teams.

There was no room for error as the final flight of teams skated their four-minute routines. The Gryphons skated a clean and energetic program and in the end the judges felt that they had the edge over the competition, placing them ahead of their main competitors from Queen’s and Western. In the end the Gryphons finished with a two-day total of 93 points, followed by Queens with points and Western in third with 64 points.

The Gryphons were led by OUA Competitor of the Year and All-Star Ariel Porty who captured three gold medals at the Championships. She won the Open Solo Dance event and was a part of the gold medal Senior Silver Similar and Rhythm Dance Fours team.

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MEN’S HOCKEY

2008-2009 Record: 14-12-0-2 (2nd Mid-West) Upcoming Games: N/A Last Week Results: lost to Western 4-3-OT, beat Western 2-1-OT, lost to Western 4-1

Gryphons fall short vs. Mustangs in Game 3 of OUA West Quarter-Finals – It was an exciting week for Gryphon hockey. After securing a playoff berth for the first time in three years, the Gryphons took the Mustangs to three games in the best-of-three OUA playoffs.

In game one the Gryphons dropped a very close 4-3 thriller in London on Thursday. The second game went to overtime again, as Zach Lillie and goalie Adam Jennings came up with clutch performances to earn a comeback 2-1 overtime win on Saturday in Guelph.

In the third and deciding game the Gryphons had its season come to an end, dropping a 4-1 contest in London on Sunday. Western now advances to play in the best-of-three OUA West semifinal against York. The team that had scored first had lost both previous games in the series, but Western scored first and never trailed to win the best-of-three OUA West quarter-final series 2-1. Guelph’s Darryl Munch (East St. Paul, MB) scored the lone goal for the Gryphons.

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WOMEN’S HOCKEY

2008-2009 Record: 19-6-0-2 (2nd OUA) Upcoming Games: vs. tba (March. 5 – 7:30pm) – OUA Playoff (best-of-three series) Last Week Results: beat Brock 4-0

Second place finish for Gryphons – This past weekend the Gryphons defeated the Brock Badgers 4-0 to wrap up their regular season. The No. 6 CIS ranked Gryphons scored an early goal and never looked back in earning their 19th win of the season. Guelph goals came from Sarah McClinchey, Tamara Bell, Tayne Hewer and Jessica Zerefa. Gryphon goaltender Cassandra McNicol saved 21 shots to earn her third straight shutout

Guelph finishes the season second in the OUA and earns a first round playoff bye. The Gryphons will play the winner of the Queens vs. Toronto OUA quarter-final single elimination game. The winner will play Guelph in a best-of-three OUA semifinal series. Guelph will host game one of the series on March 5 at 7:30 p.m.

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NORDIC SKIING

Upcoming: N/A Last Week: OUA Championships

Gryphons win OUA bronze in Men’s Nordic Skiing Championships - The Guelph Gryphon men’s Nordic Ski team won the overall team bronze medal this past weekend at the University Athletics (OUA) Championships in Haliburton, Ont. The Gryphon women collectively finished fourth overall.

Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, Ont.) was the top Gryphon at the Championships finishing inside the top ten. He was fifth in the men’s 10km freestyle with a time of 0:25:24.3. He also competed in the men’s 15km classic coming in the top ten again, finishing seventh with a time of 0:49:12.4. Ritchie was also named an OUA men’s all-star. He was the lone Gryphon for both the men’s and women’s teams to be awarded the recognition.

Leading the women’s team was Vesta Mather with a tenth place finish in the women’s 5km freestyle event. She finished with a time of 0:15:17.0.

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SWIMMING

Upcoming: N/A Last Week: CIS Championships @ UBC

Payne earns national silver medal to lead Gryphons - The men’s and women’s Guelph Gryphons team both finished ninth in the nation at the 2009 CIS Swimming Championships held at the UBC Aquatic Centre Feb. 19-21.

Chantique Payne (Brantford, Ont.) was the top Gryphon earning a national silver medal in the women’s 50m butterfly. Her time of 27.74 was just seconds off the gold-place time of 26.87 swam by UQTR’s Jennifer Carroll who set a CIS championship record. She also raced to top ten finishes in three other individual events for the Gryphons. She finished sixth in the 50m freestyle final (25.96); seventh in the 100m freestyle final (56.19) and seventh in the 100m butterfly final (1:01.90).

Get Full Information

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TRACK & FIELD

Upcoming: OUA Championships, February 27-28 @ York Last Week: Hal Brown Last Chance @ Toronto

Gryphons strike gold six times at Last Chance Invitational in Toronto – The Gryphons posted some impressive results that should prove as a good tune-up for the OUA Championships slated this upcoming weekend, hosted by York. Also competing this weekend was fifth year Miana Griffths at the Ontario Club Championships were she ran a school record in the 60m with a time of 7.50.

The Gryphons earned six gold medals at the Hal Brown Last Chance Invitational hosted by Toronto. On the women’s side, Rachel Aubry won the 600m race with a time of 1:35.30. The Gryphon women swept the 1500m race with Jess Vanhie finishing first with a time of 4:36.67, followed by Courtney Laurie, Rachel Cliff and Laura McIvor finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. After the weekend Vanhie, Laurie and Cliff are now ranked 5th, 6th and 8th in the country respectively. Rounding out the long distance events was Karoline Hoy who grabbed first place in the women’s 3000m race with a time of 10:10.32. Shaneista Haye grabbed a first place finish in the women’s high jump event with a jump of 1.60m.

Daniela Kwiatkowski finished second in weight throw (15.26m). Her throw improved her to eight in the country.

On the men’s side Allan Brett grabbed a top finish for Guelph in the 1500 race with a time of 3:53.70. Dustin McCrank led the throws with a first place finish in weight throw (16.56m).

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WRESTLING

Upcoming: CIS Championships, Feb 27-28 @ Calgary Last Week: N/A

Gryphons off to CIS Championships - The Gryphons will compete in the 2009 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Championships from Feb. 27-28 in Calgary, Alta, hosted by the University of Calgary. Guelph is sending a total of five men’s wrestlers and four women’s wrestlers to compete for a national title. Below are the names of the Gryphons competing and their weight category.

Competing for the men are Kyle Grant - 130kg; Nic Gavel - 68kg; Kevin Iwasa-Madge - 61kg; Mac Fillman - 65kg and Nic Zoblocki - 76kg. The women’s team will be represented by Allison Leslie - 72kg; Jenni Kaija - 51kg; Ashley Routliffe - 67kg; Steph Devries - 82kg.

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THIS WEEK IN GRYPHON ATHLETICS

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 Men’s Basketball Waterloo @ Guelph – 7:00 PM (OUA Playoff)

Saturday, February 28, 2009 Men’s Basketball Guelph @ Western – tbd (OUA quarter-final game dependant on if they win OUA playoff)

OUA Championships This Week Track & Field – Feb 27-28 @ York

CIS Championships This Week Wrestling – Feb 27-28 @ Calgary