10 www.pgcitizen.ca | Thursday, December 2, 2010 sports LPGA changes ‘female at Speeding ahead birth’ rule Long-blade skaters tracking Games berths The Associated Press Ted Clarke Games, that would be amazing, but if I don’t go I’m not going to quit skating.” ORLANDO, Fla. — LPGA play- Citizen staff Hiller was seventh out of 16 in Abbotsford ers have voted to allow transgen- [email protected] and figures he has as good of a shot at mak- der players to compete on tour in Morgan Swan, Carley Budac and Lucas ing the cut as any other male who steps on- response to a lawsuit filed by a Hiller will find out this weekend if they get to the ice Saturday in Kelowna. California woman who had her to sample the ice in Halifax. “It’s going to be tough but I can do it,” said sex changed five years ago. The road to the 2011 Canada Winter the 15-year-old Hiller. The players voted to remove the Games cuts through Kelowna Saturday and Hiller suffered a two-stitch cut on his leg Former B.C. Lions coach dies “female at birth” requirement Sunday in the Winter Games trials — the in the 1,000m heat at Abbotsford. The only The Canadian Press from the tour’s constitution at a last chance the three Prince George Blizzard thing good about that was it could have year-end meeting at the LPGA Speed Skating Club athletes will have to been worse. It happened in his second-last MOUND, Minn. — Former CFL coach Dave Skrien, Tour Championship, commission- make the grade with Team B.C. in the short race of the weekend. who guided the B.C. Lions to their first Grey Cup vic- er Michael Whan said. He said track event. “I got a great PB in my 500-metre (47.61 tory in 1964, has died in his home in Mound, Minn., steps will be taken in the coming The 15-year-old Swan was ninth at the seconds), I took off two seconds, and the Lions said in a release Wednesday. weeks to make the change. first Canada Winter Games that’s quite a lot,” he said. “I Skrien, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s Lana Lawless, a former police of- trials a month ago in Abbots- skated well and I got some disease, died Tuesday. The Lions could not confirm ficer who had the sex change oper- ford. With three B.C. team good experience.” his age. ation, filed the federal lawsuit in spots already locked up, there All three are looking for- Skrien was hired by the Lions as a backfield coach in San Francisco in October claiming are two berths for Halifax for ward to their second shot at 1959. He took over as B.C.’s head coach in September the “female at birth” requirement each gender up for grabs this making the long track team 1961 when Wayne Robinson was fired after the team violated California’s civil rights weekend in Kelowna. and plan to attend the final started the season 0-6-1. Skrien led the Lions to a 12-4 law. The 57-year-old Lawless want- “I think I’ve got a pretty B.C. team trials Jan. 6-9 in record in 1963 and their first Grey Cup appearance, ed to prevent the LPGA from con- good chance,” said Swan, who Calgary along with 19-year- losing 21-10 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He won the ducting tournaments in the state placed ninth in the long track old Blizzard skater Phillip Annis Stukus Trophy that season as coach of the year. until it changed its policy and was Winter Games trials Nov. 20- Shrimpton. Only four male The next season, with Joe Kapp at quarterback seeking unspecified damages. 21 in Calgary. and four female long track skaters will be on and with players like Willie Fleming, Norm Lawless also sued three tour “I had a pretty good weekend in Abbots- the B.C. team and two skaters, male and fe- Fieldgate and Tom Brown, the Lions had a 11-2-3 sponsors and the Long Drivers of ford — all our times were pretty close — male, have already qualified. record and won the franchise’s first Grey Cup with America, which followed the LP- and I think I’ll improve a lot in Kelowna.” “I think I’ll do better in long track, I have a 34-24 win over Hamilton. GA policy. Lawless won the annu- Swan is skating for the first year against better straightaway strides and more power al women’s long-drive golf cham- the best racers in Canada in her age class in my legs and there’s way more straight- Makowsky to run for office pionship in 2008 with a 254-yard and that’s stepped up her progress as she away in long track,” said Budac. REGINA — Veteran Saskatchewan Roughriders drive, but was barred from com- climbs the national ladder. Friends off the The 2011 Canada Winter Games speed lineman Gene Makowsky is looking to tackle a peting this year after organizers ice, Swan and Budac are great motivators of skating events are open to athletes born be- new career in politics. Premier Brad Wall has an- adopted the LPGA’s gender rules. each other as they push each other in prac- tween July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1996. Hiller, nounced that Makowsky, 37, will run for the gov- “I think it is a major civil rights tice and they hope that will be enough to who placed ninth at the long track trials, will erning Saskatchewan Party in the provincial elec- victory,” Christopher Dolan, a get them fitted with Team B.C. uniforms. be at the young range of age spectrum, com- tion next November. lawyer for Lawless, told The Asso- “My race experience is going up this year peting against athletes as old as 19. ciated Press in a phone interview and making the team would give me more “Canada Winter Games long track is prob- Wednesday. “We are pleased that confidence in other bigger races I’m hoping ably more realistic for me, especially in the the LPGA has voted to end this ar- to go to. The world juniors are in the future, longer distances.” he said. “I’m only 15 and LOCAL SCENE LOCAL SCENE LOCAL SCENE chaic and outdated policy.” hopefully, so if I make this it would be a I’m not as big as some of the other guys but Dolan cautioned that the final Shooter’s Pub P.G. Rec Hockey League stepping stone to bigger things.” long distance is more of a workout than just changes are not expected for a Tuesday results Now in her 11th season with the Blizzard power. I feel a lot stronger this year because Subway/RE/MAX Capitals 6 CHP Whalers 4 couple weeks. But he was opti- Devils 6 Rivers Edge Services 5 (SO) club, the 16-year-old Budac placed 13th at all of us were on the bike many times a week mistic the LPGA’s amended policy Shooter’s Pub Gladiators 7 Riverstone Raiders 3 the first short track trials, then placed 10th in the summer and that’s helped a lot.” Player’s Bench Hitmen 9 Shooter’s Pub/All Roads RV Assassins 5 would allow complete access for Alfredo’s Pub 6 NT AIR 4 in the long track event in Calgary. Tim Hempsall of the Blizzard, 18, who transgenders. P.G. Masters Ball Hockey “I’m really excited about going to Kelow- now lives in Calgary, won the Abbotsford “You can vote to end nuclear G W L T F A Pts na,” said Budac, “With these new skates I qualifying meet and will be going to Halifax Cap-abilities 12 11 0 1 100 29 23 proliferation, but if you’re still Alison's/Bench 12 5 5 2 43 65 12 feel way more balanced and steady and pre- for short track. Blizzard skater Sarah Mr. Jake's Steakhouse 12 4 7 1 53 55 9 pointing the weapons, all you pared. They’re $800 skates, but they’re Pousette, 18, earned a berth on the B.C. Pizza Hut Slicers 12 1 9 2 33 80 4 have is a vote,” Dolan said. Tueday results worth it. long track team after posting a second-over- Mr. Jake's Steakhouse 6 Pizza Hut Slicers 2 He added there were no imme- Mr. Jake's Steakhouse 8 Pizza Hut Slicers 8 “I’d really love to go to Canada Winter all finish at the trials in Calgary. Cap-abilities 4 Alison's/Bench 4 diate plans to drop the lawsuit, es- Cap-abilities 12 Alison's/Bench 2 Scoring Leaders pecially with Long Drivers of G A Pts America offering no immediate Tom Jandric, Cap-abilities 26 6 32 Kurt Budesheim, Cap-abilities 18 9 27 changes to the policy, but that the Montreal salutes the Alouettes Dave Penson, Cap-abilities 9 10 19 lawsuit could be amended before Al Patterson, Cap-abilities 9 9 18 trucks, cheered by boisterous crowds while Mike Legg, Cap-abilities 3 15 18 a January hearing. The Canadian Press Jon Schulli, Alison's/Bench 9 7 16 the only raining clouds were the confetti Kal Kang, Mr. Jake's 7 8 15 Players competing this week in MONTREAL — They were predicting pre- that fluttered down from the rooftops. Zelco Ratkaj, Mr. Jake's 10 4 14 Orlando were mostly satisfied Tim Gray, Cap-abilities 6 7 13 cipitation all day but it never wound up Quarterback Anthony Calvillo said he felt Hartley Miller, Cap-abilities 7 5 12 with the change.