Christina Spence (Port Alberni, B.C.) from the University of
Victoria and Lee French (London, Ont.) from Humber College will
captain Canada’s golf teams at the 2007 Summer Universiade in
Bangkok, Thailand.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the five-member
women’s team and six-member men’s team on Thursday,
with Spence and French, the individual medallists from the recent
Royal Canadian Golf Association University/College Championship in
Fredericton, leading the charge.
Spence will be joined by Vikes teammate Anne Balser (Digby, N.S.),
as well as Gab Dugré (La Sarre, Que.) from Laval University,
Shauna Wilde (Mississauga, Ont.) from Humber College and Melissa
Coré (Beaconsfield, Que.) from UBC.
Joining French on the men’s side are teammate Mike Zizek
(Mississauga, Ont.), Waterloo’s Jud Whiteside (Thornhill,
Ont.), Jade Dennill (Naksup, B.C.) from UVic, Darren Roach
(Quispamsis, N.B.) from UNB, and Patrick Forbes (Toronto) from
Queen’s.
Scoring at the Universiade will be different from traditional North
American team competitions, with the women using two of three
scores daily and the men using three of four. The remaining two
golfers on each team will play as individuals with head coach Ray
Chateau of Humber College announcing his detailed roster closer to
the Games.
“This is going to be the strongest team we have had,”
said Chateau, who guided Canada’s effort at the 2006 World
University Golf Championships in Turin, Italy, as well as the 2004
event in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Golf is an optional sport at
the multi-sport Universiade. “This is our third time
competing at this level and I think the biggest piece this time is
that we have so many seniors. This is a very mature team with a
great deal of experience and that bodes well in terms of handling
the event.”
Spence, who is studying law at UVic after playing out her
university eligibility at the University of New Mexico, won the
2006 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship in Oliver, B.C., by
five strokes and then finished 10th at the Royale Cup National
Canadian Amateur Championship in New Brunswick.
Dugré has previous international experience as part of
Canada’s team that finished 13th at the 2006 World University
Golf Championships and she tied with Balser for second overall at
the recent RCGA championship. Balser also competed at the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Golf
National Championship in San Diego, Calif., in May where she tied
for 17th overall with Coré.
Coré tied for fifth at the RCGA championship with Wilde, who
was named Northeast Conference (NEC) Women’s Golfer of the
Year in 2005 after leading Long Island University to its first-ever
NEC title. Also a runner-up in 2002, Wilde set NEC Championship
records for single-round and tournament scores in her 2005
victory.
“On the women’s side, you’re only counting two
players so I think a lot of countries have a chance at a
medal,” said Chateau. “Christina will be right there so
it’s a question of one of the other two stepping up. You
couldn’t ask for a better leader than Christina. I think
she’ll play a tremendous role in taking our program and
moving it forward.”
The U.S. has traditionally dominated this event on the
women’s side, while Japan and Russia rounded out the podium
finishers in 2006.
Aside from winning the RCGA championship, French is the reigning
Canadian Colleges Athletic Association champion and has played in
six Canadian Amateurs. Also his club champion at Sunningdale Golf
& Country Club in London, he has earned the right to play in a
charity event later this summer with Mike Weir.
Dennill competed at the 2006 World University Golf Championships,
finishing 1-under-par as the men placed fourth. He tied with
Whiteside for third at the recent RCGA championship at 6-under-par
and is also the reigning NAIA long-drive champion (342 yards). In
the third round of the RCGA event, Whitside shot a course and
school record of 64.
Zizek played in the 2006 Canadian Amateur and was the CCAA
individual medallist in 2004 as a freshman, while Forbes played in
both the 2006 Canadian Amateur and U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine
National Golf Club. Roach finished 24th at the Canadian Amateur in
2006 and has also represented his country at the world junior
curling championships.
“The men’s team has the opportunity to medal,”
said Chateau. “Denill has been there before, French is
playing just phenomenal golf – 18 of his last 19 rounds under
par – and we’ve got guys like Whiteside who can go very
low on any given day. Many of these guys have won team
championships and that’s huge experience for them to draw on.
They know what it takes to win in team golf -- you have to fight
for every stroke and you have to pull for each other, and these
guys will.”
Chateau expects Japan to enter as the favourite after their win in
2006, while several countries including England, Ireland, the U.S,
and South Africa will challenge for a medal along with Canada. The
Americans and British took home silver and bronze respectively at
the last event.
Canada’s golf teams will arrive on the 10th and get in
practice rounds on the 12th and 13th. Bob Dubeau, McGill’s
long-time athletic director now in his third season as head coach
of their golf program, is assisting Chateau.
About the Summer Universiade
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that
takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic
Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The
Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in
the year of the Games who are full-time students at a
post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have
graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding
the event.
The 24th Summer Universiade to be held Aug. 8-18, 2007 in Bangkok,
Thailand will feature 10,000 participants including 8,000
student-athletes from 141 countries competing in 18 sports.
Canada is sending its largest delegation to Bangkok with 350
participants including 255 student-athletes competing in the
following sports: athletics badminton, basketball, diving, golf,
judo, rhythmic gymnastics, shooting, soccer, softball, swimming,
table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball.
For all the info on the 2007 Summer Universiade:
Bangkok 2007 site: www.bangkok2007.com
Team Canada site: www.universitysport.ca/bangkok
Source:
Marc Weber
Sports Information Officer
Team Canada
2007 Summer Universiade
Off: (604) 822-9115
Cell: (604) 999-9991
varsity@interchange.ubc.ca
For additional information:
Kimberly Moser
Sports Information Manager
Team Canada
2007 Summer Universiade
Off: (416) 736-5982
kmoser@yorku.ca
FRENCH NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN AT FISU GAMES
Posted: Jul 11, 2007