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Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell 905-844-4444 I N D E P E N D E N T LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D Broker of Record B R O K E R A G E SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2009 25 Abbey Park relay team, sprinter earn OFSAA silver TORONTO -- Already fast at the beginning run the 400m and 800m with the Varsity of the track season, the Abbey Park open girls' Blues next season. 4x400-metre relay team just kept getting Trnkus was the fastest in 400m prelimifaster. naries, posting a time of 48.20 seconds. He Corinne Smith, Brooke Johnston, Jade wasn't far off that in the final, completing the Johnson and Jessica Tat first set a goal of com- race in 48.24 seconds, but Erindale's Alistair pleting the race in under 4:05, and did so with Moona took nearly a second off his prelimia 4:04.94 time at the Golden Horseshoe nary time to win in 47.77. Athletic Conference (GHAC) track and field "I ran it just the way I wanted to," Trnkus meet. said. "In the end, (Moona) had just a little After going on to win the South Region title more than I did in the final." with a clocking of 4:03.05, the Eagles set a new Trnkus was fifth in 200m qualifying goal: finishing in less than four minutes. (21.98), then fifth in the final (22.00). Ottawa They accomplished that in the runner Oluwasegun Makinde heats of last weekend's Ontario "We definitely won the race in a blazing 20.99 Federation of School Athletic peaked at the seconds, breaking the OFSAA Associations (OFSAA) meet at the right time." record and coming four oneUniversity of Toronto with a time hundredths of a second from the of 3:59.74, ranking second to Abbey Park's Jade national high school mark. Pickering. The Eagles then took Johnson "There was a lot of talent in almost two more seconds off that the field," said Trnkus. "Again, time in Saturday's final, finishing in 3:57.82. just to be with them is great." "We definitely peaked at the right time," Perhaps the only downside of this year's Johnson said. meet for Trnkus was the fact Abbey Park's That time wasn't enough to beat out open boys' 4x400m relay team didn't make Pickering (3:55.14), but was just enough to the final. hold off Our Lady of Lourdes for second. In Trnkus was part of two medal-winning fact, Smith crossed the finish line with the Eagles relay teams, earning silver in 2007 and Lourdes runner right on her heels. bronze last year. "I knew it was going to be close," said "We were a little weaker this year than in Smith. "I kept telling myself, `Don't look back, past years," he said, "but we made it to OFSAA just keep running.'" and won regionals. It was still a fun thing to Johnston said silver suits the Eagles just do." fine. Other local results "Our goal this season was to medal, so I think we're really happy we came in second," Three other Oakville athletes posted top-10 she said. "We were ranked second so we were finishes in their events. aiming for that. This is what we wanted." T.A. Blakelock's Devon Bosada was sixth in Tat added, "I was really nervous when we the midget girls' 400m, Abbey Park's Dan came here to the finals. At GHAC, we usually Mathie was seventh in both the junior boys' do really well, and at south regionals. But by 800m and 1,500m, and St. Thomas Aquinas' the time we get to OFSAA, we know (every- Colleen Hennessy placed 10th in the senior one's) at our level or better." girls' 3,000m. Hennessy, who won two medals at last Trnkus enjoys best individual OFSAA year's provincials but was hampered this year Running on the track that will be his new by a hip injury, added a 15th-place effort in the home in the fall, Michael Trnkus called last 1,500m. weekend's OFSAA meet the best of his four Oakville Trafalgar's Karina Sils was 12th years at Abbey Park. in the senior girls' 3,000m, with Claire That's saying something, considering he Segeren posting a similar finish in the also won individual medals in 2006 and 2007. midget girls 800m. Loyola's Alicia Knox was Trnkus won silver in Friday's senior boys' 14th in the senior girls' 3,000m, Abbey 400m, matching the silver he earned in the Park's Nathanie Green came 15th in the same distance as a midget three years ago. He senior boys' 1,500m and 19th in the added a fifth-place effort Saturday in the 3,000m, Loyola's Paulina Maher was 20th in 200m, improving on a sixth-place showing in the open girls' 1,500m steeplechase, and 2006. Loyola's Megan O'Neill placed 21st in the "To place in the top five (in both events) is senior girls' 400m. not easy to do," said Trnkus, who will likely -- Jon Kuiperij MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IN MEMORY: Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association house league players like Dewitt Renwick wore `BK' stickers on their helmets Saturday in memory of former OMLA president Brian Kruse. Former OMLA president grew game the right way eree, scheduler, and vice-president of rep. Once his sons Alex and Scott had worked their way through the OMLA ranks, Kruse went It's not what Brian Kruse did to grow the on to become president of the Buzz. But he still sport of lacrosse in Oakville that he'll be most remained involved with the OMLA, attending remembered for. Ontario Lacrosse Association zone meetings It was how he did it. and serving as a sounding board for current The former Oakville Minor Lacrosse president Wally Tymkiv. Association president lost his battle "That first year was a big learning with cancer last week, passing away curve, but he helped me through it," at the age of 51. Tymkiv says. "His presence was Those who knew him will rememalways around, even from a perspecber an ethical, positive, intelligent tive of me being able to bounce ideas and articulate man who did whatever off him. it took to ensure the games went on. "His goal was to bring class into it, "He was an extremely conscienthat we were a class-act organizatious, hard-working guy who always tion." made sure things got done and were Under Kruse's guidance, the done the right way for the right reaOMLA's membership grew from Brian Kruse sons," says Oakville Buzz junior B approximately 200 to 800. The general manager and coach Ken Gillies, who growth of Oakville lacrosse was perhaps never worked closely with Kruse at both the OMLA more evident than last month, when five of the and junior B levels over the past decade. "He OMLA's 10 field lacrosse rep teams won medals always stepped in when he needed to... to make at the provincial championships. sure the games would go on." "He was absolutely ecstatic on the phone Kruse wore many hats with the OMLA to with me," Tymkiv remembers. "He said it was ensure the association ran smoothly. In addi- just a great day for Oakville lacrosse. It all comes tion to presiding over the association from down to his development and making sure the See Kruse page 26 2002-2006, he also volunteered as a coach, refBEAVER SPORTS EDITOR By Jon Kuiperij