UNews - head coach

Horns looking for medals at Canada West Track Championship

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:51:37 +0000

The 2014-15 Canada West Track & Field Championships will see a small but talented ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team compete this weekend at the Max Bell Fieldhouse in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

The Horns will send 12 athletes to the championship meet this year, with seven women and five men ready to challenge for conference titles.

Reigning CIS rookie of the year Aaron Hernandez and two-time Canada West weight throw gold medalist Peter Millman lead the Pronghorns this season and are favourites to win their respective events. The men’s team as a whole has been ranked 10th in the country for the past three weeks.

Following a stellar freshman campaign where he won both the Canada West and CIS gold medal in the triple jump, Hernandez enters the championship meet as the jumper to beat, ranked first in both the Canada West and CIS in his event.

Millman has had an exceptional start to his third season and goes to Winnipeg as the top ranked thrower in Canada West. Undefeated thus far this season, Millman sits atop the rankings in both the weight throw and shot put amongst Canada West competition. He is also ranked second in the CIS.

Ryan Sommer sits in second place in the Canada West rankings in both weight throw and shot put and sixth in CIS. Madison Hurst and Jordan Armstrong round out a strong men's team, ranking sixth and 13th in conference rankings for shot put and weight throw respectively.

On the women’s side, third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product Montana Forsyth is the top ranked Pronghorn athlete, ranking fifth in the weight throw, while Lara Roth is ranked one spot behind her at sixth.

The women's 4X200m relay team is ranked sixth in Canada West and looks to better its season's best time and ranking.

Overall, the Horns are poised to take home five medals and build on their preparations for the CIS Championships.

"We have had a strong season from a number of athletes thus far, but Canada West is where the rubber really starts to hit the road and preparations for CIS begin to show through,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “I'm expecting strong results from everyone and signs indicate that we will have some very notable performances again this year at Canada West."

Mercer is schooled by Horns track team

trevor.kenney — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:17:03 +0000

The CBC's Rick Mercer might not be the most imposing figure to take his turn in the throwing circle, but there is no denying the size of his heart.

Rick Mercer, centre, and the U of L Pronghorns throwing team.

The popular CBC television personality spent a day at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on Monday, Mar. 10 as he learned the finer points of the art of throwing from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns throwing team.

Mercer was learning from some of the country's best athletes, including ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus and Olympian Jim Steacy (BASc '09), his sister and fellow Olympian Heather Steacy, as well as Canada West shot put and weight throw champion Peter Millman and two-time CIS women's weight throw champion Kayla Gallagher. The group is busy preparing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland at the end of July.

Led by head coach Larry Steinke, the Horns have created a centre of excellence here at the U of L, so it was only fitting that Mercer came to Lethbridge to learn from the best. He entered the ring and tried his hand at each of the shot put, weight throw, hammer throw, discus and javelin disciplines.

"I did everything, I always try to do everything and I tried my hardest," says Mercer. "I'm not very good at any of those things, I learned that, but they are incredible."

Head coach Steinke says that Mercer has a little work to do before he's ready to enter competition and represent Canada.

"He has one of those techniques that will take a number of years to get better and well enough to compete in the 2016 Olympics, but there's a definite possibility there," says Steinke.

Look for the full Rick Mercer Report to air Tuesday, Mar. 25.

Women's rugby 7s earn silver at Rugby Canada tourney

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:53:57 +0000

In their first appearance at the event, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s rugby team earned a silver medal at the fourth annual university sevens tournament hosted by Rugby Canada in Victoria, BC.

The Horns women’s rugby team took 12 players to participate in the event, choosing from the 2013 Pronghorn team that finished third in Canada West and was led by head coach JJ Ondrus.

After losing their opening game 17-12 to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph, the Pronghorns beat McMaster 17-15 and the UBC Thunderbirds 7-5 in round robin play, earning a fourth seed heading into the medal round.

In the quarter-finals, led by two tries from Nicole Ronsky, the Horns defeated the Western Mustangs 17-5. They then faced a familiar foe, the Victoria Vikes in the semifinals, winning a close-fought game, 7-5, on a Tiffany Wideen try and Sarah Gordon conversion.

Running out of steam in the finals, the Horns were defeated 24-7 by McMaster.

“The girls are excited for fall after this success. We trained hard in the off season for this,” says head coach JJ Ondrus. “We're hoping to play more sevens in the future. After our first game (loss vs Guelph) we continued to build confidence, but ran out of steam in the final. I’m proud of the way the girls played, never giving up and scoring on the final play of the game.”

Ronsky led the Horns in scoring in the tournament, counting four tries, while Kara Loewen and Frederique Tremblay each scored two tries.

Hockey programs take it on the road

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 22:01:33 +0000

For the first time this season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team heads out on the road for a two game set, traveling to Edmonton to face the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the ‘Horns have only played one road game, the front half of a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.

If the early season results are any indication, every point is going to be valuable. So far, five points separate first to seventh in the Canada West standings, with the Horns sitting in sixth at 3-3-2. The Pandas (4-2-2) enter the weekend in fourth place, only two points ahead of the Horns.

After splitting their series last weekend with the Saskatchewan Huskies, the Horns need to string some wins together if they hope to move up the standings.

Head coach Chandy Kaip continues to platoon the goaltending duties between Shauntelle Williams and Crystal Patterson with both seeing action in four games. Williams has the better numbers with a 1.83 goals-against-average. Sadie Lenstra and Sarah Spence lead the Horns offensively with six points and are tied for eighth in conference scoring.

The Pandas enter the weekend after losing both games to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver last weekend, but earned a point in Saturday’s 2-1 shootout loss.

Puck drop in Edmonton is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday, and both games with be webcast on http://canadawest.tv.

Pronghorn men

Still in search of their elusive first win of the season, the Pronghorns men’s hockey team heads out on the road again this weekend, traveling to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds for a pair of games.

This weekend will also put an end to a difficult stretch to open the season, as seven of the Horns' first eight conference games have been played on the road. After this weekend, the Horns will play five of their next eight games at home.

Offensively, the Horns have struggled, scoring just six goals in six games and if they are going to right the ship this season, they will need to increase their productivity. Specialty teams continue to be an area of concern as well, with the Horns ranking last in power play efficiency and second last in penalty killing.

Third-year forward Cass Mappin leads the team in scoring and has been involved in more than half of the Horns goals with four points.

For the Thunderbirds (1-5-0), the 2013-14 season has also gotten off to a rocky start and they enter the weekend having lost three games in a row, including being swept by the Alberta Golden Bears last weekend in Edmonton.

While not as drastic as the Horns' offensive woes, the Thunderbirds are the third lowest scoring team in the conference with 16 goals in six games. They have also allowed 28 goals against, the second most in the conference.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night’s games is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Live stats for both games can be found at http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/mens/en/stats/index.php?season_id=22.

Horns coaches to Go Shoeless for Right To Play

trevor.kenney — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:40:27 +0000

Whether it's a frozen hockey rink, cold outdoor stadium or chilly basketball court — it doesn't matter: All the coaches of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics teams will be barefoot this weekend to support Right To Play’s ‘Go Shoeless’ campaign.

The Pronghorn Athletics group is part of a national effort involving 12 universities, seven high schools and two community initiatives. They have committed to going shoeless to raise awareness and funds to benefit Right To Play’s worldwide work, and to highlight the critical importance of access to safe play spaces and equipment for children’s education and development.

At home this weekend, men’s soccer head coach Randy Bardock and his entire coaching staff will coach without shoes on Saturday, Sept. 28 as their team takes on the Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars.

“It’s a fantastic initiative and I feel that we, as coaches at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ level, need to do all we can to raise awareness for this program,” says Bardock. “I am proud to be involved in such a worthwhile endeavour.”

Kick-off for both Saturday and Sunday’s game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Community Sports Stadium.

During the National Female Hockey Challenge being hosted in Lethbridge this weekend, head coach Chandy Kaip will go shoeless as she coaches the Horns during Saturday’s game versus Ryerson Polytechnic ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

On the road this weekend, women’s soccer head coach Ilsa Wong and assistant coach Fred Trinh will go shoeless for Saturday’s game versus the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon.

While Horns women's basketball has yet to enter its competitive season, women’s head coach Erin McAleenan and assistant coach Claire Meadows will be involved in the initiative on Saturday during their Junior ‘Horns Clinic.

Founded in Canada in 2000, Right To Play is a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. More than 13,500 local volunteer coaches lead Right To Play’s regular weekly sport and play programming, which reach one million children across more than 20 countries.

Visit the Right to Play website for additional information.

Horns' Millman always had U of L on his mind

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:56:58 +0000

Peter Millman’s track career began with him trying to run over hurdles as fast as he could. Today, Millman could just hurl them out of the way and waltz down the track – he’s clearly found his niche.

“I thought I was going to be a hurdler in Grades 6 through 8 and honestly, was really bad, and it was sort of embarrassing for my dad,” laughs Millman, whose father Paul coached track at the provincial and national level. “So I started throwing the discus in Grade 8, won provincials my second year and that’s basically where my throwing career began.”

Ready to embark on his second year of studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Millman is already a known commodity on the Canadian Interuniversity Sport track and field scene. That will happen when you win gold and silver medals in your first Canada West Championship meet and are named Canada West Rookie of the Year – and that was just the beginning.

Millman, 19, spent the summer racking up personal best throws and more accolades as he claimed three medals at the Canadian Junior Track and Field Championships. The Truro, N.S. product won gold in the shot put and silver in each of the discus and hammer throw events. He was then named to Canada’s Pan American Junior Championship team and competed in Medellin, Colombia at the end of August, qualifying for the finals of the hammer throw event and improving his Pan Am ranking from 10th to seventh position.

Peter Millman prepares to throw the shotput during the Pan American Junior Athletic Championships.

“Coming here and focusing on throwing and training with Larry Steinke, I believe opens everything up for me,” says Millman, who eyes world championship and Olympic appearances in his future. “I had opportunities to go to the United States but to me, it looked like an athlete factory down there and with Larry, it’s one-on-one focussed training designed to get you to the next level.”

The U of L didn’t have to spend a lot of time recruiting Millman, he was essentially in the family from the time he took his first training trip to Lethbridge in his Grade 10 year.

“I tried to convince my parents to let me move out here in Grade 10 and just start training with Larry but that wasn’t going to happen,” he says. “I had chosen the U of L by Grade 10, it was always where I was coming.”

The draw of course is head coach Steinke, leader of the national throws program and the mentor to Olympians Jim and Heather Steacy. He’s been mining talent from Truro for years, having previously brought Kate Forbes and Jonathan Doucette (now the coach at Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Along with Millman came Kayla Gallagher (last year’s CIS gold medallist in weight throw) and Montana Forsyth. In the fall, Millman says his dad will bring another high school group to Lethbridge for a week of training, possibly laying the foundation for future throwing prospects attending the U of L.

“The thing about Larry is that his programs are so individually based and he’s so knowledgeable about track, even outside of throws events, he knows the sport so well,” says Millman. “He understands what you need in terms of lifting, really everything within your training, he sets it up. Everybody has their own program focused on what they individually need to develop.”
Millman has changed his academic focus this fall, moving away from international management and focusing on history. He admittedly struggled last year and looks to return to the strong classroom performances he put in while in high school.

“I wasn’t going to force myself to study something I didn’t really want to do,” he says of the management vein he tried to follow in the shadow of father’s career (he runs an international student recruitment program in Nova Scotia). “I want to take something where my interests lie and I’ve done that this year. I really like the courses I’m in this semester so I hope things go a lot better.”

His competitive goals are enhanced this year as he looks to build off his rookie success as well as the summer experience he gained internationally.

“Hopefully, I want to medal this year at the CIS Championships. I had such a great outdoor season with the shot, I hope it transfers to the indoor season,” he says. “After that, theoretically the NACAC Under-23 (North America Central America and Caribbean) Games are a possibility. I’m still pretty young and would have another shot at it in two years but it’d be great to make that team.”

GET THE FACTS

• Millman says he still has an autograph from former Pronghorn thrower and Olympian Jim Steacy on his bedroom wall back home in Truro from his initial visit to Lethbridge in Grade 10

• Millman competes in each of the discus, hammer/weight and shot put events but says, “I’m starting to think that maybe I have more potential in the shot put.”

• Millman has a younger sister in Grade 12 who he describes as a “genius”. She also throws hammer and is looking at attending an Ivy League school in the eastern United States

• Millman placed fifth in shot at the Pan American Junior Athletic Championships, while Horns teammate Kayla Gallagher won bronze for Canada in the hammer throw

Horns coaches represent at Canada Games

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:19:28 +0000

After leading their respective teams through the grind of a Canada West season, two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's coaches have had an equally busy spring and summer coaching Team Alberta's soccer and basketball squads at the Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que.

Long-time women's soccer head coach Ilsa Wong is leading the Team Alberta U17 female soccer team in Sherbrooke. It is her first time representing Alberta at the Canada Summer Games, having previously represented Team Alberta at the 2007 Western Canada Games.

"We have a very strong squad with nine players from south of Red Deer and nine players from northern Alberta, but our toughest competition will be Quebec, BC, and Ontario," says Wong.

Following the completion of her first season with the Pronghorns women's basketball program, Erin McAleenan is back with the provincial program this summer. McAleenan was the head coach of Alberta's U17 team last summer and will lead the same age group in Sherbrooke.

McAleenan's squad is situated in pool C and faces Quebec and BC during pool play with the quarter-finals starting Aug. 14.

For more information and game results visit http://www.jeuxducanada2013.ca/en/

Medoruma ready for his international debut

trevor.kenney — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:21:02 +0000

Matt Medoruma isn't one to have good fortune handed to him – he understands he's had to work to gain his rewards.

It was a lesson he taught himself early in his university career, and now, after five years with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's soccer team, his reward has arrived.

Medoruma, an accounting major in the Faculty of Management, will represent Canada at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia July 6-17. It will be the first time the 24-year-old midfielder has ever played at a national or international level.

"Honestly, I would never have thought I'd be in this position," says Medoruma. "I'm definitely honoured to be here and excited for the experience."

Senior midfielder Matt Medoruma will be wearing Canadian colours this summer as he represents the country at the 2013 Summer Universiade.

He essentially walked on to the U of L pitch in fall 2007, having talked to head coach Randy Bardock (who will also be on the Canadian squad as an assistant coach) about continuing to play soccer beyond the youth level. A Catholic Central High School graduate, Medoruma earned a spot with the Horns but after a year of Canada West soccer, stepped away from school.

"I don't think I was ready for university," he says bluntly. "I came in and I wasn't focused with my education and my grades weren't as good as I wanted them to be. So, I decided to take some time off and refocus."

Medoruma travelled to Australia, reassessed his major (finance, at the time) and returned in fall 2009 in a better frame of mind.

"I knew that once I took that break, when I came back it was for the right reasons," he says. "I wanted to play soccer and I was excited about school again. I definitely needed that, and once I came back I was refreshed and ready to go to school."

Taking the term student-athlete seriously, Medoruma took the discipline and diligence he uses so well on the field and applied it to his ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"It is a challenge to balance your academic life with the time it takes to be an athlete and that was one of the reasons I struggled in my first year," he says. "I couldn't really find that balance, so it was a struggle. It took me a while to find out I needed to put a lot of work into my education and that had to come first. Once I figured it out that I needed to put the time in, then I was fine."

He is five courses shy of completing his degree, after which he will decide if he wants to pursue an accounting designation. Of course, now that he's representing Canada on the international stage, opportunities to continue playing soccer may also present themselves.

"It might open some doors, we'll see what happens when I get out there," he says. "Before I went out for this tryout (Universiade selection camp), I figured it was the last real soccer I would try and play. I'll always keep playing but not to this kind of competitive level. Now that I've made this team, it's up in the air. If some opportunities come from this, then I'd definitely look into it."

Medoruma's strength as a midfielder is his ability to create offensive opportunities for his teammates. He distributes the ball well and fits seamlessly with other players, likely one of the reasons he impressed at camp. He credits Bardock and the Horns program for helping bring his game to this level.

"The program has been great for me, it's helped me so much in terms of my development. I wouldn't have this opportunity if not for how it has helped my game over the last five years," he says.

The Canadian team will have very little preparation time before the Universiade event. Their only training sessions will come in Russia, along with a pair of exhibition contests right before the tourney's start.

Medoruma has no worries though, he's just anticipating the first time he'll pull the Canadian jersey over his head.

"It'll be amazing, something I'd never imagine would happen," he says. "To be able to represent the country, I'll be so honoured to put that jersey on."

GET THE FACTS

• Medoruma has played for the Lethbridge Football Club in recent summers

• He had two goals and four assists for the Horns in 2012

• Lethbridge product and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta defender Niko Saler, who Medoruma played with in youth soccer, is also on the Canadian squad

• Medoruma will document his trip on Twitter under the handle @taylorgang_89

• Kazan is known as the Sports Capital of Russia and in addition to hosting the 2013 Summer Universiade, will also host the 2015 World Aquatics Championships and the 2018 FIFA World Cup

This story first appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Horns bolstered by Kodiak recruits

trevor.kenney — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:02:17 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns head coach Mike Hansen has begun re-tooling the men's basketball roster with the signing of a pair of ACAC all-stars from the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.

Hansen announced the signing of southern Alberta products Rob Olsen and Jared Baker on Monday afternoon, wlecoming a pair of players whom Hansen previously coached at Lethbridge College during the 2009-2010 season. Olsen and Baker then embarked on their two year missions for the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. This past fall, both returned to the Kodiaks program and did not miss a beat, finishing one-two in team scoring.

Both Olsen and Baker have also excelled in the classroom, with each being named CCAA Academic All-Canadians this past season.

Olsen, a 6'1" guard from Cardston, Alta., finished fifth in South Division scoring averaging just over 19 points per game and was named an ACAC first team all-star, while shooting 49.6% from the field and over 47% from behind the arc. He also added 6 rebounds per game and 2.39 assists.

Prior to joining the Kodiaks, Olsen starred for the Cardston Cougars and was named the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League MVP in his final season (2008-09).

"Rob is an incredible talent and an outstanding young man," says Hansen. "I believe Rob is the best player to come out of Cardston since his uncle and former high school coach Ken McMurray. Ken was an all-Canadian for the Horns and I'm confident that Rob will have the same success with us."

Hansen adds that Olsen is also very accomplished off the court and represents the ideal of the Canada West student-athlete.

"Rob represents everything we look for in a recruit, he was not only an all-star, but a CCAA Academic All-Canadian. He is a character kid and will be a great ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge."

A Raymond, Alta., product, Jared Baker was named an ACAC second-team all-star this past season and averaged 15 points per game for the Kodiaks, while adding just under 6 rebounds and 3.13 assists per contest.

In high school, Baker was a two sport athlete, winning provincial titles for the Raymond Comets in both football (2008) and Basketball (2009). He led the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League in scoring in grade 11 with 24.1 points per game and was named league MVP in 2007-08.

"I'm very excited to be coaching Jared again," says Hansen. "He is such an incredible competitor and is willing to do whatever is needed for a team to be successful.

"He has evolved from being a shooter to an all-around player. Jared has a high basketball IQ and the success he's experienced playing for Todd Heggie's Raymond teams shows in the way he carries himself. His CCAA Academic All-Canadian also demonstrates that Jared expects excellence for himself."

The men's basketball team will look to round out its 2013-14 recruiting class in the coming weeks.

Medoruma ready for his international debut

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:12:15 +0000