Athletes’ success coach’s greatest reward

Her birth certificate and bum knee might be suggesting it’s finally time to put her feet up and enjoy retirement.

Rae Leaden is having none of it. The 70-year-old Winnipegger is about to wrap up her 49th year as a high school track and field coach and shows no signs of slowing down.

“She’s probably the most incredible person I’ll ever meet in my life,” Arden Hill, a teacher at Maples Collegiate, told the Free Press.

Leaden downplays any suggestions she’s a sporting superhero, insisting she gets more than she gives out of the gig she’s been doing since 1975 — the first 33 years while working as a teacher in the Seven Oaks School Division, the last 16 purely on a volunteer basis.

Another day, another record for Massey’s De Smet

Annika De Smet had another record-breaking day at the Manitoba High School Provincial Track and Field Championships.

On Saturday, the Grade 10 Vincent Massey Collegiate student shattered the junior varsity girls 3,000-metre provincial record by almost 18 seconds.

With a time of 9:54.67, De Smet lapped most of her competitors.

The previous record was established by Sarah-Ann Brault of College Louis Riel, who clocked a time of 10:12.05 in 2005.

Dakota’s Davis sets record in 100m hurdles

Matthew Gooden, Jordyn Davis and Ajibola Yusuff are among many athletes who made their mark this Friday on the second day of the Manitoba Provincial Track and Field Championships.

The largest track and field meet in the province for students in Grades 9 to 12 has more than 1,500 students competing in various events at the University Stadium at the University of Manitoba.

Gooden entered his Grade 12 year having never competed in the high jump. The Windsor Park Collegiate student’s relative inexperience didn’t show when he won gold in the varsity boy’s high jump Friday afternoon.

With a 2.00 metre jump, Gooden was the clear victor.

Garden City’s para-athletes shine at provincial meet

Friday was a big day for Garden City Collegiate’s para-athletic program.

The Manitoba Provincial Track and Field Championships saw the largest turnout of para-athletes with Garden City at the forefront heading into the weekend, with a squad of nine individuals competing at University Stadium at the University of Manitoba.

Brady Dzwinchuk, Monica Rocha, Sophia Ly, Isaiah Imperial, Alex Logan, Marcus Velasco, Michael Letandre, Mohamed Dalank and Jordy Lubkey made up the squad.

Garden City’s para-athletic track and field team started three years ago with the work of team coach Clayton Lyons, resource teacher Steve Carson and Garden City track coach Talia Medwick.

Clippers capture Canadian ultimate frisbee crown

The Kelvin Clippers are the class of Canadian high school ultimate frisbee once again.

The Clippers co-ed team outclassed Etobicoke Collegiate 13-5 in Sunday’s championship game of the Ultimate Canada high school invitational in Toronto.

It’s the third time the program has reached the top of the mountain, and the first since 2019.

“We won on my birthday, which is the best birthday gift ever,” said Ella Boyda, a Grade 12 student and co-captain. “It was super surreal. I cried. They were happy tears, though, it was pretty cool.”

Former Balmoral Blazer standout Morgan Smith overcomes setbacks to earn NCAA hockey scholarship

In many ways, Morgan Smith is a typical Canadian kid.

Smart, resourceful and tougher than she looks, it’s Smith’s journey that is far from commonplace.

In the middle of a pandemic onslaught in May of 2020, life suddenly became more complicated for the 14-year-old Winnipegger.

Her dad, Marino (Ted) Smith, who had been in the prime of life, succumbed to a fatal blood clot. He died one day short of his 54th birthday.

Badminton phenom mature beyond his years

Anson Chen’s not worried about meeting his own lofty the expectations, only exceeding them. The Grade 9 student-athlete from St. Paul’s High School is making his debut in the Manitoba High School Athletic Association’s provincial varsity boys badminton championship this week. Chen, who has competed against much older teens since he was 11, posted an unblemished 7-0 record through Thursday’s pool play to qualify for Saturday’s playoffs. His mission goes beyond just this spring. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Anson Chen, 14, spent eight months in 2022 in Malaysia immersed in badminton. “I just want to win the whole thing […]

Narwal eyes perfection as high school badminton career comes to an end

Ranya Narwal is on undefeated watch this weekend.

The Grade 12 student from Fort Richmond Collegiate hasn’t lost a competitive badminton match in high school and has every intention of ending it that way as she chases a third consecutive provincial championship at Prairie Badminton in St. Boniface.

The high school championships start Thursday and wrap up Saturday.

Narwal won the junior varsity girls crown in Grade 10 and captured the varsity title last year. She’s gone a combined 22-0 in provincial tournaments.

Titans shed longshot tag to win championship

The Shaftesbury Titans were an overlooked bunch entering the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League playoffs.

Lancers stand among giants of Manitoba high school basketball

The Dakota Lancers took their place among the best in Manitoba high school basketball history Monday night.

Sparked by a 25-point performance by Abby Sweeny and 20 more from tournament all-star Darya Rom, the Lancers captured their third consecutive provincial AAAA varsity girls basketball championship with an 84-34 victory over the Garden City Gophers at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

In the varsity boys final, Chris Piotrowski had a season-high 40 points to lead the top-seeded Vincent Massey Trojans to a 101-82 triumph over the sixth-seeded Oak Park Raiders.

Varsity girls MVP Izzi Fust didn’t have a stellar shooting night but still filled the scoresheet for the Lancers, registering eight points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot.

Vincent Massey to face Oak Park in varsity boys basketball provincial final

The Vincent Massey Trojans have proven to be quick starters and judging by Thursday night, they’re pretty good at closing the deal, too.

Spurred on by a 25-point outing from Magnus Carlos and 23 more from Chris Piotrowski, the No. 1-ranked Trojans clobbered the fourth-seeded St. Paul’s Crusaders 98-67 in semifinal action at the Provincial AAAA varsity boys basketball championship at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

Vincent Massey effectively snuffed out any St. Paul’s hopes of a provincial title three-peat with a sensational third quarter, keyed by the guard duo of Carlos and Piotrowski. The Trojans outscored the Crusaders 32-19 to take a 79-57 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

“It’s kinda been our MO this year,” said Trojans head coach Cameron Fay. “We come out strong but we have another gear in the third quarter. We talk about it, make some adjustments and I’m very fortunate — I’ve got a very good team that knows when the moment’s big and they step up. And Chris and Magnus are definitely those type of guys.”

Lancers make quick work of Maroons

The Dakota Lancers were hungry for a three-peat and weren’t about to be denied another trip to the provincial AAAA varsity girls basketball championship final.

And so, with Grade 12 forward Darya Rom pouring in 29 points and Grade 11 guard Taylor Schepp adding 27 more, the top-ranked Lancers upended the fourth-seeded Daniel McIntyre Maroons 115-60 in provincial semifinal action at Investors Group Athletic Centre Wednesday night.

“We played really well but I think that’s the dangerous thing about our team — if I have a bad night, somebody else is gonna step up,” said Schepp, who had 21 of her points as the Lancers raced out to a 69-29 halftime lead. “We always have the next threat ready.”

Izzi Fust, recently named the province’s best player in the Free Press coaches’ poll, chipped in with 23 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, three assists and one block.

Dakota dynasty within reach

The Dakota Lancers endured a 31-year provincial varsity girls high school basketball championship drought before finally capturing the AAAA crown in 2022 and then retaining it a year later. The squad has no intention of loosening its grip now. Dakota, ranked No.1 in Manitoba, is set to collide with the fourth-ranked Daniel McIntyre Maroons in one of two championship semifinals this week. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS files Darya Rom (right) and her Dakota Lancers teammates hope to bring home the school’s third consecutive varsity girls AAAA Provincial Basketball Championship. Game time Wednesday is 6 p.m. at Investors Group Athletic […]

Raiders looking to even the score

Sweet revenge will be top of mind when six high school hockey programs vie for provincial glory. The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association AAAA boys championship begins Friday and wraps up Monday at Seven Oaks Arena. Four schools from the Winnipeg High School Hockey League — St. Paul’s, Westwood, Oak Park and Vincent Massey — and two out-of-town squads — Morden (Zone IV) and Neepawa (Westman) — will participate. Some still have the taste of defeat lingering after league play. Take the No. 3 Oak Park Raiders, who entered the WHSHL playoffs with high hopes after posting an 18-6 regular-season […]