Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame to Honour Inductees Special Art Gallery Show Opening to Preceded Festivities

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11‐04 Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame to honour inductees Special art gallery show opening to preceded festivities

Quesnel – The Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame will officially welcome its sixth class of inductees on Friday Feb. 4 at its annual induction ceremonies. Seven people, plus one ringette team, make up the class of 2010. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Quesnel and District Arts & Recreation Centre with the Quesnel Art Gallery Art from the Heart Group Show Opening of “My Heart Sings . . .” and a reception. The Hall of Fame ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Admission to the event is free. “Our local athletes continue to compete strongly at the local, provincial national and international level,” said Quesnel Mayor Mary Sjostrom. “On behalf of City Council, I applaud their successes and thank the parents and volunteers who continue to foster athletic success in our community.” “On behalf of the Cariboo Regional District, I applaud all of our athletes and volunteers from the north Cariboo who have the distinct honour of being inducted into the Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame for 2010,” says CRD Vice‐Chair Ted Armstrong. “We are very proud of their accomplishments and how they have admirably represented Quesnel and the north Cariboo through athletic endeavours. I wish all of you the best of luck for continued success.”

Joining the Hall of Fame this year are: Sharon Chow, Outstanding Contribution to Athletic Development; Liz‐Anne Eyford, Outstanding Athletic Career; and Shaelynne Macauley, Kieron Langan, Ryan Appenrodt, Brianne Foley, Wayne Schaefer and the Quesnel U16 Junior A Ringette team for Outstanding Athletic Achievement. Previous Hall of Fame inductees Samantha Wright, Sydney Watson, Cathy Schaefer, Michael Wright and Jonathan Schaefer will also be recognized for their outstanding athletic performances in 2010. This event is funded by the City of Quesnel, the Cariboo Regional District, the Province of British Columbia, the Assembly of British Columbia Art Councils and the Quesnel and District Community Arts Council. The Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame takes nominations throughout the year in each of three categories, Outstanding Athletic Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to Athletic Development and Outstanding Athletic Career. The North Cariboo Recreation and Parks Commission evaluates potential inductees. ‐30‐

Editors: Please note the attached backgrounder detailing each inductee’s achievements. This release is available online at www.city.quesnel.bc.ca and www.cariboord.bc.ca

Shelly Burich Manager of Communications Matt Wood Communications Supervisor Cariboo Regional District City of Quesnel T: 250‐392‐3351 Toll Free 1‐800‐665‐1636 250‐991‐7475 [email protected] www.cariboord.bc.ca [email protected] www.city.quesnel.bc.ca

Quesnel – Seven people, plus one ringette team, make up the Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2010. The Hall will officially welcome its sixth class of inductees on Friday Feb. 4. Five previous inductees will also be recognized for their achievements in 2010. Outstanding Contribution to Athletic Development Sharon Chow – As an athlete, coach and club volunteer, Sharon Chow has contributed to the sport of figure skating for over 49 years. After skating competitively for eleven years, Sharon gave back to the community when Quesnel was left without a coach and started coaching when she was a high school student. As a NCCP Level II certified coach and head coach until 1992, she took numerous skaters to BC Sections. Not only has Sharon coached, but she mentored other Quesnel Skaters to the coaching ranks. She retired in 1994, but still volunteered in club administration, and special projects including the “2010 Skate Canada Lives Here” campaign. Her positive approach, passion and dedication has helped young people in our community to strive and achieve their best in all walks of life.

Outstanding Athletic Career Liz‐Anne Eyford ‐ Liz‐Anne began playing badminton in Victoria at the age of 9, when her mother introduced her to the sport. At the junior level, she won more than 20 singles, doubles and mixed doubles provincial titles and she earned national rankings until the age of 21. In 1975, she moved to Quesnel to start a teaching career and continued to participate in tournaments, adding provincial and national titles to her resume. In 1999, Liz‐Anne began playing Masters Level badminton provincially, nationally and internationally, winning titles at all three levels. At the 2002 World Masters Games in Melbourne, she earned gold in singles, silver in the team event and bronze for doubles in the 45+ category. In 2005, at the Edmonton World Masters Games, she won gold for the team event and silver in the 50+ singles competition. Liz‐ Anne has coached badminton at local and regional schools and sponsored teams for tournaments. In 1994, Liz‐Anne began umpire and referee training and now has earned National Official status. She has played in, coached at, organized, refereed and umpired multiple BC, Northern and Senior Games. Further officiating and volunteering opportunities have included: the 1994 Commonwealth Games, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 2009 World and Police Games in Richmond. Her work coaching, organizing and umpiring as well as playing will keep her spirit and health as well as community badminton alive and well in Quesnel.

Outstanding Athletic Achievement 2010 Inductees Shaelynne Macaulay – Figure Skating Shaelynne placed first in the Senior Women Bronze category at the 2010 Pacific Skate Star Skate Championship in Kamloops. Shaelynne beat out 18 other skaters to claim the honour.

Kieron Langan – Biathlon Kieron finished in top spot in the Junior Boys 6KM Individual Sprint at the Western Canadian Championships. Kieron also won a bronze medal in the Individual race. This came on the heels of a BC Cup season that saw him win one bronze, one silver and two gold medals at various races. Kieron also won three gold medals at the BC Winter Games.

Ryan Appenrodt ‐ Motorbike Racing Ryan took first place in the Honda CBR125 Challenge Points Championship. Ryan finished the season with 400 points, and a 43‐point lead over his nearest competitor. This follows a sixth‐place finish in 2009 in the same division.

Brianne Foley – Archery Brianne was the PeeWee Compound Champion at the BC Archery Association’s Indoor Target Championships. Brianne shot a total of 948 out of 1,200.

Wayne Schaefer – Archery A first‐place finish in the Master 50 Bowhunter Unlimited category at the BCAA BC Indoor Target Championships earned Wayne a spot in the Sports Hall of Fame. Wayne shot a two‐day total of 1,179 points out of 1,200.

Quesnel U16 Junior A team – Ringette This team won the Provincial A Championships in March. The team beat out a squad from Burnaby, 6‐5 in the final to claim the gold medal. Head Coach Don McMartin was also the head coach of the 2010 BC Winter Games team that won gold in Terrace.

Prior Inductees recognized for 2010 accomplishments Samantha Wright – Archery Samantha’s impressive list of archery accomplishments continues to grow. In 2010 she claimed top spot in the Bowhunter Unlimited category at the BCAA Indoor Target Championships (1,173 points out of a possible 1,200) and in the Bowhunter Open divisions at both the Outdoor 3D Provincial Championships (735 out of 800) and the Canadian Open Outdoor 3D Championships (743 out of 800). Sydney Watson – Archery Sydney shot her way to first‐place finishes in the Compound Olympian 285‐ 300 category of both the Junior Olympic Program’s 2010 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. In the Cadet Compound category, Sydney finished in first place at the BCAA Indoor Target and Outdoor Championships. Sydney broke three Canadian records and one BC record at the Outdoor Championships. Cathy Schaefer – Archery Cathy was the first‐place winner in the Master 50 Recurve category at the BCAA Indoor Target Championships, with a two‐day score of 916 points out of a possible 1,200.

Michael Wright – Archery Michael’s archery credentials grew even stronger in 2010 with a first‐place finish in the Pre Cub Compound division of the BCAA Indoor Target Championships. He finished the two‐day shoot with 1,154 points out of a possible 1,200. Jonathan Schaefer – Archery Jonathan finished in first place in Senior Compound at the BCAA Indoor Target Championships. Jonathan came heartbreakingly close to perfection, shooting an astounding 1,199 points out of 1,200. ‐30‐

Editors: This backgrounder is available online at www.city.quesnel.bc.ca and www.cariboord.bc.ca