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18 - The. Canadian Chmpion, Tuesday, August 8, 2000 *e t. t«. a'ti Mitono and "ýe 876-WINE «Vice rap upTrials on solid note By STEVE LeBLANO The Champion A insley Vince's Olympic qualify- LI ing bid wrapped up with a near 1 flawless effort in Paîgrave, Ontario July 30. However, a disastrous performance the previous weekend at nearby Hendervale plus a few earlier glitchea conapired to derail bier hopes for Sydney. The Milton show jumper, along witb l0-year-old Dutcb Wannblood Catch 22, finisbed sixth overaîl in tbe selection trials and out of a berth to the 2000 Summer Games. While Sydney was always a bit of a long abot for the local rider, it remained at least a possibility until the July 22 $50,000 Olympic Trial at Hendervale. Major misfortune strikes That day, lady luck was nowhere to be found for ber and Catch 22. The bometown pair took down four rails and eventually pulled out balfway througb the 17-jump course. With Hendervale then becoming ber one discard score. notbing lesa than two dlean rounds in Paîgrave - coupled with a remarkable reversaI of fortune for ber chief competition - would bave turned the tables and afforded ber a top two placing. That didn't happen and Cbeltenham's Jay Hayes and Pertb's Ian Millar maintained the top spots - wbile Scbomberg's Eric Lamaze and John Pearce of Stouffville were the two ridera picked by the selection committee to round out the four-member national team. 'l would have liked to bave done better (in Olympic trials)," admitted Vince, who topped the 1999 Pan American Games selection trials and went so Winnipeg as an altemnate. "It was a tough year, but that's flot necessarily a bad thing. There were a lot of changes for me this year in ternis of training and what flot and it was more of a Ieamning experience than anything else. "Everyone's been saying that I'm young and the resuls from these changes will corne down the road. Hopefully, they're right." Now training in U.S. The 23-year-old equestrian - who went down to Wisconsin to train under American Laura Kraut thia season - tinished bier Olympic trial selections with a solid 4.25 fault performance during round two in Paigrave. She took down juat one rail and took a quarter time fat for narrowly exceeding the 85-second sime limit. In the opening round, she and Catch 22 knocked down tbrce fences and placed out of the top 10. Vince recalled, "It was one of those days when nothing we rubbed stayed Up. "it was a really big ring too. I'm not sure wby tbey bad sucb a big ring for the Iast trial." Wbile Milton's star show jumper won't be going to Sydney tbis faîl, she stili haa a shot as overseas compe- tition in the not-so-distance future. Currently tied for second in the Canadian World Cup qualifying standings, she's a legitimate c ontender to finish top tbree and make a second consecutive trip so the World Cup Final - being held next apring in Goteborg, Sweden. While Vince won't be around for the next qualify- ing event as Hendervale - slated for Auguat 13 - she will return for Toronto's Royal Horse Show Noventher 8. Until then, sbe'll continue training in the United States - where she bas a number of competitions atill on bier plate including this weekend's Traders Pointa Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Alnsley Vine has had a rather tough 2000 equestrIan season, but hopes that changes made 1h18 year wII1 reap benefits down the road. Red Sox play the odds, but gamble doesn't pay By STEVE LeBLANO The Champion Milton's Junior boys baseball teamn had the odds in its favour - but lady luck chose to place herself elsewhere. Up 3-I in the bottom of the sixth with two outs againat the 0 Brampton Royals Auguat 1, Red Sox manager Glenn Turner opled to intentialîy walk s productive dlean-up bitter in order face the boats' number five batter - wbo'd gone hitiesa in bis two previous at-bats. The move was sound strategy and the local club's bench boss a aid be'd do it again, despite the disastrous effect it had in Brampton. "One swing of the bat and suddenly we were down 4-3," Turner recalled of the tbree-run bomer that opened the door to bis seam eventually losing 6-4. 'I odNathan (Perrott) to do it and I feel bad for him. He was piciga whale of a bail game up until then. I played the odds, Fuit tbev iut don't alwavs work out." Perrott's six-and-a-tbird inning performance was arguably bis faneat this seaaon. He fanisbed the nigbt witb seven strikeouts and beld the opposition acoreleas tbrougb the tirst five frames- allowing juat one meaaly bit to that point. Jed Cosby - perbaps the teamn'a mot reliable bitter thia year - evened the score in the top of the seventfi by driving in catcher Mike Austen, wbo'd been advanced into scoring position on a nifty sacrifice bunt by Andrew Neilson. Close, but no cigar But Brampton would restore its lead in the bottom haîf of that inning on a well-executed squeeze play, and then add a littie inaurance with a timely base bit. Wbile relief pitcher Jeff McLeod - back front playing witb the Connie Mach League's Ontario Blue Jays - kept them witbin atriking distance down the stretch, the visitora comeback bid failed to materialize and tbey felI to 7-11 in regular season play. Andrew Coe delivered two of the other rons for Milton. Alto acoring was Taylor Lawton, while Kurt Mitcbell's bustle to farst an s hnrd-bit omunder forced Brampton to commit a throwing error and ailowed bis team to score one of its fourth-inning rnn. Milton's naaTow defeat follows a fast-growing trend this season. More than after of the Red Sox lossea bave been by tbree raina or less - a clear indication of their competitivenesa in the firat year back to junior play. But on the flip aide, four of their seven victories bave come by default, wbicb suggesta lhey could be a lot lower in tIhe COBA league pecking order than they currently are. "Our record's so diatorted thia year, it'a bard to know wbat to make of it," aaid Turner. "But I've been happy witb our improved play in recent games. I tbink we're beading in the rigbt direction for the provincial qualifiera.' Slotted in the "C" division, the Red Sox will now face Orangeville this weekend in a beat-of-three clash to determine wbo'll move on to the Ontario Championsbips next weekend in Listowcl. Game one of the series will be beld at Oakville's River Oaks Friday as 8 p.m. while gaine two is slated for noon Saturday at Oakville Park. If neceasary, a third game would be played as Glen Abbey Park at 7 p.m. Saturday.