An eventful year for sport

There's no question 2006 was an eventful year for sport in our area, with some significant accomplishments and at least one decision that may have an impact down the road.

At the end of the 2006 and the start of a new year, I thought I should look back on some of the more notable accomplishments - and apologize in advance for any deserving individuals or teams that I may not have room to mention.

One can feel for the Acadia hockey team, which won its first conference title since 1996 last winter and advanced to the University Cup finals in Edmonton. Kevin Baker became the first Acadia player to win the Senator Joseph Sullivan Trophy as national Player of the Year since Duane Dennis in 1994. Needless to say, Baker was also the conference MVP, and Darren Burns repeated as AUHC Coach of the Year.

The football Axemen also had another good year, defeating SMU to repeat as conference champions and advance to the Uteck Bowl semifinal for a second straight year. Ivan Birungi wrapped up his Acadia career as the conference leader in career touchdown receptions with 29. Birungi also repeated as the AUFC Player of the Year and was one of three Axemen to win major conference awards. Steve Faoro was the Outstanding Defensive Player, and Adam Rogers was the choice for Lineman of the Year as well as being named a first-team all-Canadian.

The fact neither Axemen team managed to capture another national title might stick in the craw of some followers, but it shouldn't take away from the accomplishments, both collectively and individually, both teams achieved.

Wolfville native Jordan Sheriko also won national recognition, winning the Ken Shields Award as the student-athlete in Canadian university basketball who best combines academics, athletics and community service.

Before leaving Acadia, I should make mention of the return of two sports.

This past fall, thanks to a huge effort from the local community, varsity men's soccer returned to Wolfville for the first time in five years. In December, it was announced that Acadia would revive a swim team, also thanks to a community partnership.

I applaud the community initiative helping make the return of these sports to Acadia a reality. While some would see it as downloading, it's really a win/ win situation in terms of both the quality young men and women these added sports will bring to Acadia and their potential impact on the local community.

On the hardcourt, Horton won the NSSAF Division 1 girls' basketball championship for a second straight year - a first for the Greenwich school, which competes at the highest level of interscholastic athletics. The end of the basketball season also saw the end of the high school careers of several members of what coach Bev Greenlaw termed “an era group� of female student-athletes, including Jana Spindler, Jessica Hutchinson and Laura Harris. Moreover, the Horton boys narrowly missed making it a double victory, losing to Cole Harbour in the provincial final.

Northeast Kings Education Centre won provincial banners in both badminton and table tennis in the spring; in the fall, NKEC pulled off an unprecedented double victory when the boys' and girls' soccer teams won provincial D-2 titles on the same day. Individually, a pair of NKEC students - Mason Foote and Britany MacArthur - excelled in track and field competition, MacArthur a provincial cross-country championship and Foote earning the title “Fastest Boy in Nova Scotia� for his success as a sprinter, both on the provincial and national stage.

Last spring, Valley United served notice it was a power to be reckoned with in indoor soccer, winning four provincial indoor titles and going a long way toward validating the vision that led to the building of an indoor soccer facility in Kentville.

Valley Minor Football introduced both a mite program for younger players and took part in a spring league for older players, and the bantam Bulldogs captured the Valley's first provincial minor football title.

As well, high school football became a reality both at Northeast Kings in Canning and at Avon View in Windsor, with Horton hopefully ready to join them this coming fall.

One of the few “downers� in what had to be viewed as a pretty successful year was the failure of a Valley group to make the “short list� as the host site for the 2011 Canada Winter Games. A pile of hard work by a lot of people working together went into preparing the bid, and it will likely have an impact in the future. Hosting a major event of this kind always leaves a legacy, both in terms of the replacement or upgrading of existing infrastructure and the significant spinoffs in terms of tourism, cooperative teamwork and general positive exposure for the entire region.