The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 62

HT F2 Sports The Leader-Post Regina Saturday, February 11, 1995 oadh) etnoms rryr where he'll play New Brunswick's James Grattan at 12:30 m. Cursons rink was the only one to beat Grattan in the round-robin. The bar may not be making much money at the Callie, but the kitchen should earn a tidy profit. Cliff Olson, who is contracted to run the kitchens at the Callie and the Highland curling clubs, won't know how much money hell make for another week or so, but he expects a decent profit. Olson also had a busy weekend during the provincial womens championship, which was held last month at the Highland.

Its not too bad at all, said Olson, who provided Callie fans with home-cooked meals all week. We had our regular people all week. (Friday) we had quite an increase in the number of people. Olson hired six part-time people to help out during the week. The kitchen will be busy before the two finals.

Olson and his staff will be preparing breakfast for CBCs crew of 39 before today's womens final and Sundays mens final. Olson will charge $6 a head for that meal. Its a nice start to the morn- bye into Sundays final, practised on that sheet Friday afternoon and didnt experience any prob- lems. CBC-TV did a run-through of its telecast early in Fridays mens semifinal. Don Wittman and Don Duguid called the action and Colleen Jones did on-ice reporting.

We do some of our best work off-air, Duguid joked. The track camera was in use all game and the television monf- tors on the west-side on-ice bleachers attracted a few fans, who enjoyed watching the game live and on television. Manitobas Kelly MacKenzie appeared out of the running early in the week, when she had a 1-4 record on the womens side of the draw. The Winnipeg rink then won its next six games to earn a berth in the womens semifinals. In their semifinal, MacKenzie beat Team Canadas Jennifer Jones 9-4.

Jones didnt participate in the round-robin but earned a berth in the semifinal round as the defending champion. MacKenzie also beat Jones in this years Manitoba junior womens championship. By ARDITH STEPHANSON L-P Sports Writer Arnold Asham paid a quick visit home to Winnipeg this week. Asham is coaching Chris Galbraith, skip of the junior men's Manitoba rink at the Canadian junior curling championships at the Callie. Asham had to leave Regina on Tuesday to drive home and compete in the Safeway Select Manitoba mens championship.

The rink Asham skipped lost both its opening-day games Thursday and was eliminated from the double-knockout competition. I wish we could have stayed longer at home, Asham said. But if these guys can win, Ill look good. They lost three games while I was away. Ill look like a heck of a coach.

I wish I could play. Galbraith and his Winnipeg foursome lost their last three round-robin games. Galbraith still advanced to Fridays semifinal against Saskatchewans Neil Cursons. Galbraith won 6-4 and advanced to Sundays final, Jensen shows appreciation Olson leads rink to top LEADER-POSTRobert Watson Kelly MacKenzie ing, Olson said with a chuckle. Icemakers didnt notice any problems with the ice, despite the high-powered overhead lights used by CBC-TV on Sheet where the mens semifinal was played and the mens and womens finals will be played.

The lights were turned on Friday at about 1 p.m. The New Brunswick men, who earned a three of his games on Friday to leap into second place. Plus I didnt want the pressure of trying-to get them back to the provincials. They said it was no problem and just curl and well see what happens. Olsons rink has been a bonus for the organizers of the Tankard.

When Olson won a berth at the northern playdowns, organizers said they sold 35 packages on Monday worth a combined $1,000. And those supporters are vocal. Every shot is greeted with huge cheers and the fans agonize over the misses more than lead the first-place Bobcats (7-2). Kevin Gilroy netted 23 points for Regina (3-6), which is tied with the Wesmen (3-7) for third place in the conference. The Cougars hockey team assumed sole possession of second place in the CWUAA with an 8-3 victory over the host Bobcats.

Cory Dosdall had two goals and three assists for Regina, which improved to 15-8-2. Manitoba, tonight, depending on the tiebreaker situation. We wanted a chance to get back here and Bob has been to the northerns playdowns enough times before, Edwards said. We had to get to the northerns and we knew from there that it was all experience and thats what we were looking for. Olson still had some second thoughts about joining a rink that had advanced to the 1994 Tankard with Harvey Newells at skip.

I didn't want people to think I just wanted to get on a winning team, said Olson, who won all By DAVID MOSER L-P Sports Writer SASKATOON Awards ceremonies and thank-yous are a tradition. At the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys or other entertainment award ceremonies, the thank yous can be drawn out, boring and embarassing. In Eric Jensens case, they came from the heart Jensen, a 19-year-old biathlete from Regina, was named Sask Sports 1994 male athlete-of-the-year at the 11th annual awards luncheon at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel. You get to say thanks to all the people who deserve it, Jensen said after receiving the award. Im lucky enough that Im sometimes in the spotlight, but there are so many people underneath who are working with me.

Its time they got some recognition, like the people in the club, our coaches and my teammates. Last year, Jensen placed 23rd at the world junior biathlon championships. He won gold medals in both the sprint (10-kilometre) and individual (15km) events at the Canadian junior championships. Jensen also earned a first, two seconds and a third at the Canadian World Cup team trials. Other award winners were: Speed skater Catriona LeMay of Saskatoon (female), the Sandra Peterson curling rink (team) and marathon canoer George Lander of Saskatoon (master).

It was the second consecutive team award for the Peterson rink. Other back-to-back recipients have been the Regina Rams football team (1986 and 1987), football player Rueben Mayes (1984 and 1985) and wrestler Jeff Thue (1991 and 1992). In August, Jensen moved to the national biathlon training centre in Canmore, Alta. He is preparing for the world junior championships in Andermatt, Switzerland, March 2 and 4. This will be Jensens fourth trip to the junior worlds.

Gregg Campbell, who is the provincial biathlon coach, also had thanks to give. We have to thank Sask Sport, the lotteries and Sask Ski, which gives us the funding so we can a Letters may decide Cougars fate have a program here, Campbell said. Eric is a product of that program. Although hes done a lot on his own, weve still had a program to help him through it. This is sweet because usually Saskatchewan doesnt recognize a whole lot of its nordic skiing accomplishments.

Saskatchewan is not a Scandanavian country, Italy or France, that has the facilities, the funding, the coaching and the support. We knew Eric would be moving on. Its probably been a good thing because hes improved his times in the last year. Jensen also mentioned the support hes gotten from Sask Sport, plus added a special thanks to his parents, Ken and Johanna Jensen. I thought it was important to be here because Sask Sport gives me extra funding its sort of a duty, Jensen said.

This fall, I especially needed some financial help and Sask Ski came through again. I couldnt do it without them. Its an individual sport, but without the association there wouldnt be anything to start from. You can get as much support from Sask Sport that you want, but without the support of your parents you have nothing. Ive seen it happen before to friends who try and try but without parents behind you it just slips away.

of pack curlers do. Thf crowd is fun now but the first day was tough, Olson said. Now, were getting into it. I like it. Adding to the drama is the fact Olson is in position to be the first home-town skip to win the provincial title since it was renamed the Tankard from the MacDonald Brier in 1980.

Weve been playing all year to get here, Edwards said. We wanted to play well in front of the home-town crowd. We didnt want to get off to a bad start. Were curling well now. which was tied with the Cougars, lost 4-2 to the host Lethbridge Pronghorns and fell to 14-9-2.

Greg Hutchings and Jeff Chomey each added two goals for the Cougars, who got singles from Corri Moffat and Rob Harvey. Darren Duncalfe, Guy Williams and Chad Michalchuk replied for Brandon. The teams meet again tonight in Brandon. DON DOUGLAS LARRY BUCHANAN Trena Mott added 13 points for Regina, which led 28-25 at the half. Kristi Clark scored 14 points to lead the Bobcats.

Turnovers plagued Reginas mens basketball team, which lost 99-85 to the Bobcats at the PAC. That was the entire game, said Cougars head coach James Hillis, whose club gets a rematch tonight at 8 oclock. We prepared for their 1-2-1-1. We wanted to get the ball into the middle against it. We'd get the ball into the middle and then wed turn it over.

Keith Vassell had 21 points to TOP SALESMEN FOR JANUARY Mr. Blaine Ledingham and the sales management team would like to congratulate these salesmen for a job well done. Don, Ernie and Larry would like to take this opportunity to thank their many customers and friends for making this achievement possible. 1 By MURRAY McCORMICK L-P Sports Writer MELFORT When Gary Brandon, Dean Edwards and Ken Sorensen needed a skip they turned to the stars Star City, that is. The chosen one turned out to be Bob Olson, who has guided the Melfort rink to a share of first place in the Pool Tankard Saskatchewan mens curling championship with Quill Lakes Doug Harcourt.

Both rinks (5-1) are guaranteed berths in the playoffs, which could start Rematch By IAN HAMILTON L-P Sports Writer If this was tennis, the University of Regina Cougars would have the advantage. The of womens basketball team defeated the Brandon Bobcats 61-56 on Friday at the Physical Activity Centre, giving the Cougars the inside track on the third and final playoff spot in the GPAC. Regina has a 2-7 record entering tonights rematch (6:30, PAC) while Brandon is 1-8. The Cougars have won two of the three games the teams have played this season, but Brandon has outscored them 182-179 in those games. If the Bobcats win tonight and the teams finish tied in the standings, the Bobcats would win the tiebreaker on points scored.

I still feel fairly comfortable, said Cougars head coach Christine Stapleton. We didnt have our best game (Friday) and we still came out with the win. But on plus-minus, theyre still up by three. In that sense, its a must-win for us (tonight). Same with the Bobcats.

We have to win, said Brandon head coach Don Thomson. Theyve got us in position to put us away. We have to win to avoid that. This isnt the final weekend of the regular season, but both teams face stiff tests in their final series. The Cougars finish up in Winnipeg against the first-place Wesmen (9-1), while the Bobcats conclude their regular season against the host Manitoba Bisons (7-3).

Chances are good, then, that tonight's loser wont get another victory this season and will be eliminated by this loss. The last thing we can do is relax because we won, said Cougars forward Amy Mickleborough, who had 14 points. We cant sit back and think this is over. We have to come out and play even harder. SHERWOOD TWIN ARENA Highway 1 East STICK PUCK Feb.

13, 1995 a.m. SportsMailbag I ZL ERNIE ROBBINS 'Z I drove from Saskatoon to Regina to watch my 14-year-old son wrestle in the tri-provincial tournament held at Balfour Collegiate, Feb. 3 and 4. I was hoping to see my son wrestle other 62-kilogram students within a year or so of his age. Since this is his first year in wrestling, we were shocked and annoyed to find that he could be wrestling 16-, 17- or even 18-year-olds as long as they were in the 62-kilo class.

Anyone who has studied anatomy and physiology should agree that an 18-year-old 62-kilo wrestler has a decided physiological advantage over a 14-year-old of the same weight not to mention two or three additional years of training and technique! When I told my son I was going to complain about such rules, he practically begged me not to. It is apparently macho to take punishment until you are old enough to dish it out. Nevertheless, I questioned coaches of three different school systems, who said that those were the rules, even if they didnt agree with them. I then thought I would try to give some constructive suggestions to someone who might be able to initiate some changes, one of Balfours wrestling coaches. He, however, disagreed with me on the age factor, saying it wouldn't work and there wouldn't be enough wrestlers in each age category for a I believe the matchups would be simple with a computer's help and, if the rules were more fair, there might be more students taking up the sport.

After all, I told him, in judo both weight and age are factors for tournament matches. He was obviously annoyed with my suggestion, retorting that a judo fighter wouldn't stand a chance against a wrestler. Perhaps he meant a 14-year-old judo contender against an 18-year-old If phys-ed teachers and wrestling coaches want to advance this sport and increase participation, they must initiate the push for improvements. I taught biology and life science for many years. When changes to courses were needed, it was the teachers who identified and pushed for the changes, not the parents or students.

When I sign a waiver, I expect a sport to be conducted with fairness. What is it going to take to make the rules equitable? I know there are teachers and coaches who agree with my view. Why are they not coming forward to voice their opinions? Do we have to wait for some student to be seriously injured in an age mismatch? Perhaps then a lawsuit will affect the necessary changes. As for our family, judo is looking better organized and more sensible all the time. Joe Sikora Saskatoon INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY SPORTS PROJECT Beca International Ltd.

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