14~- Wednesday, September 14, 1994 - North Shore News Thigh pete nthe SOCCER... The Under-13 North Shore Selects, a first- year boys’ metro team, won their first-ever international tournament recently as they captured the Pacific Coast Challenge in Bellingham, Washington. The squad, coached by Bob Birarda and Joe Marrello, won five games, allowing just two goals against during the weekend tournament. The Under-16 North Shore Selects, meanwhile, faced tougher opponents in the San Diego Surf Cup in Southern California in late August. Playing against U.S.A. Olympic Training teams, the North Shore boys, coached by Darren Embley, tied one game and lost two. Teams from Brazil and England also took part in the international tourna- ment, SPECIAL OLYMPICS... Five local athletes brought home medals from. the recent Canadian National Special Olympics in Halifax. Leading the charge for the North Shore competitors was rhythmic gymnast Lucy Carpenter, who won two golds and four silvers. Fellow gym- nast Leslie Leo also fared well, winning three medals in the rhythmic disciplines — a gold, a silver and a bronze. In the swimming competi- tion, Corrie Carlisle won two golds and three silvers in the women’s competition, while Rob Misjak tallied a gold, three silvers and a bronze on the men's side. On the track, North Shore athlete Mark Davies won two bronze medals. ae SWIMMING... The North Vancouver Cruisers earned a number of medals, and the Tom Lauriente Memorial Award (most sportsmanlike team), at the B.C. Summer Swimming Association’s Provincial cham- pionships. Gold-medal performances were posted by Greg and Alex Qosterom. Second-place fin- ishes came from Robin McKillop, Alex Oosterom, Cynthia Tjoei and Daniel Stein. Stein also wor a bronze, as did Justin Liew. Also, this Friday (Sept. 16) the Cruisers are holding water polo registration for boys and girls in the under-13, under-15 and under-17 age groups. The registration will take place between 8 and 9:30 p.m. at the William Griffin pool. Call Terry at 986-0109 for more information. TRIATHLON... North Vancouver triathlete Carol Montgomery bounced back from a disappointing Commonwealth Games perfor- mance with an impressive first- place finish at the Canadian Triathlon Champ-ionships in Montreal on Sunday. Montgomery and men’s winner Mark Bates, of Vancouver, will lead the 12- member Canadian team at the world championships in November. pea rien [aan rth ent falls on weekend THE RAIN held off on Sunday morning, so the only thing to fall on Cypress Mountain was the course record up the 11.2- kilometre paved road. By A.P. McCredie Sports Reporter Kamloops rider Olav Stana, on a Schwinn, conquered the gruelling hill climb in 29 minutes and 44 sec- onds, as he took top spot in the first stop of this year's “Power Bar Hill Climb Challenge” cycling series. In a sprint for second place, North Vancouver's Mark Ernsting (Seymour Bicycle-Genesis Nutri- tion) edged out Victoria rider Laurie Munn (Juan de Fuca) at the line, 53 seconds behind the race winner. Race organizer Larry Zimich (Seymour Bicycle-Genesis Nutri- tion) was fourth and Roland Green (Espoir Laval) was fifth. The Cypress competition fea- tured 58 riders. In the veteran men’s division, Chris Britten (Central Fraser Valley) took top spot, followed by John Ridington and Fred Fiermann. The second race of the series is set for this Sunday at 9:25 a.m. up the paved road to Mt. Seymour. North Shore players dominate junior open HOME TOWN players won six of 10 titles up for grabs at the North Shore Junior Indoor Open last weekend. By A.P. MeCredie Sports Reporter The big winner from the host North Shore Winter Club (NSWC) was Rishan Kuruppu, who won both the boys’ under-!2 singles crown and the under-14 singles title. Although he had made it to the finals of a number of previous under-12 tournaments, the home- court advantage proved the charm for Kuruppu. The home-court proved advun- tageous for another member of the Kuruppu clan. as Rishan‘s younger brother Evan cruised to the under-10 singles title with a 6- 4, 6-1 win over Mark Costales. The under-16 and under-18 girls’ singles finals started off as deja-vu. NSWC player Sabrina Kolker faced Hollyburn Country Club’s Janis Hui in both finals. with Kolker taking the under-16 crown (6-2, 6-2), and Hui storm- ing back in the under-!8 final with a thrilling 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 champi- onship win. In that match, Hui survived several match points in the second set. On the boys’ side of the under- 16 singles draw, NSWC clubmates Sanjin Sadovich and Rami Kadi faced each other in another three- set dual, with Sadovich edging out Kadi 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. In the under-18 boys’ singles final, NSWC player Mark Grueter came up short against Vancouver's Michael LeHuynh, 6-1,6-1. Justine Walsh, of the West Vancouver Tennis Club, made it to the finals of the under-12 sin- gles before falling to Jackie Soltysik. Likewise, NSWC's Suzana Palovic fought to the under-10 girls’ final, but lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Priscilla Albanese. Consolation round winners from the North Shore included Bobby Sheriock (under-10), Arif Nuraney (under-{2) and Andrea Nickel (under-16). At the close of the six-day tournament, former North Shore Winter Club player and two-time Wimbledon doubles finalist, Grant Connell, was back at his old stomping grounds to hand over the hardware to the tourna- ment winners and runners-up. NEWS photo Cindy Goodman BILL PURCELL returns a backhand during his match against Doug Holman at the recent Far West Championships at the 1 West Vancouver Tennis Club. Capilanos defeat rivals THE CAPILANO Rugby Club first division team reversed six years of history last Saturday as they defeated arch-rival the Vancouver Meralomas 16-10. The North Shore’s elite team last defeated their cross-water rivals in 1988. . The Capilanos were led by Steve Eastman, who accounted for 11 points on three penalty goals and one conversion. Tim Murdy added a try to the winning cause. The victory was made sweeter for the North Shore team by the fact that four members of the high- powered Meralomas are Canadian national team players, including the triple-threat running attack of Sean Centres of attention on AP. NicCredie VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS UNTAINKABLE MONDAY. Quebec takes one more step towards separation. A small plane plows into the White House. And Cliff “‘small guy, big heart” Ronning sits out the Vancouver Canucks’ first home game of the 1994-95 season (albeit exhibition) on the advice of his agent. But, as has been said so often before, the hallowed sport page is to document humankind’s successes, not failures, Bright spots on stormy Monday included the Vancouver Canadians winning the Northem Division championships of the PCL, and the glimmer of what appears to be a stock of good young centremen vying for a spot on the Canucks. (Cliffy who?) Monday night's home exhibition game at the Pacific Mausoleum pit- ted a no-name L.A. Kings squad against a surprisingly intact Canuck team. Big names absent from the Canuck Stanley Cup roster were Trevor Linden (night off), Geoff Courtnall (night off) and Ronning. The Canucks won the game 5-1. Fisticuffs and loose play are the order of any exhibition game, and this one proved no exception. However. centreman Mike Peca and netminder Mike Fountain gave the 7,000 or so faithful something to cheer about. Kirk McLean started the game for the home team, stopping all 18 shots he faced before Fountain got the call midway into the second period. At the other end of the ice, King goaltender Pauli Jaks logged the same time as McLean, facing 17 shots (he also stopped them all) before Jamie Storr took to the ice. Fans got their money’s worth in the final period, as both teams accounted for fis. zoals, the most impressive comi i the hands — and the body — ut Peca. The rookie centreman flattencd a Kings defender on a solid open .'¢ check at the Kings’ blueline, then cruised in to pick up a fat rebound off a Pavel Bure shot and put it Lytton, Courtney Smith and Ken Toews. But at the end of the hard- fought day, Capilano tackling held . for the victory, allowing the Meralomas’ only one major. ~ In other rugby action, the Capilanos’ second division team downed the Scribes 25-19, while the third division team dumped the Scribes 37-0. On Friday, Sept. 23, the Capilano’s home field, Klahanie Park, will be the site of a match-up between famed Oxford University and a UBC development squad. This rare opportunity for local rugby fans to watch high-calibre action in their own backyard begins at 5:45 p.m. Admission is $5. display past an out-of-position Storr. Peca also picked up an assist on Greg Adams’ second-period goal. But Peca wasn't the only centre to impress the Canucks’ brain trust. Rick Girard showed signs of solid play. He opened the third peri- od floodgate with a goal in the first minute from Bure and Gino Odjick. “The lack of inexperience at centre tonight didn’t really show a great deal,” said freshman head coach Rick Ley. “They ali did a good job in there, and they*re mak- ing our decision real tough.” The third rookie centre at camp, Russian player Yuri Kuznetsov, though still a neophyte at the North American game. also showed promise. Notepad... Could Canadian golfer Dave Barr's presence out- side the Canucks’ locker-room fol- lowing Monday night's game be an omen? Was he looking for golf partners come strike time?