Douglas College upset PacWest regular season champion Columbia Bible College to earn a berth into the Canadian Colleges’ national men’s volleyball championships.
The 2012 national collegiate runner-up defeated the Abbotsford school in four sets in its opening match and went on to claim the provincial gold medal at Capilano University in February.
Douglas also knocked off Vancouver Island University in the quarter-finals before defeating league runner-up Camosun in the semifinals in straight sets.
“The question (at the provincials) was where did that come from? But I’d argue … It was a matter of when we could accomplish it, not if,” said Douglas head coach Brad Hudson.
Douglas wound up in sixth place at the nationals in March.
Top point-getter
The Record’s high school athlete of the year set a new New Westminster Secondary record in the school’s graded points system that determines its annual top athletes on a total per-sport basis.
Multi-sport athlete Amanda Zacharuk was the first New West student to garner more than 250 points under the system.
“I just like to have a full and busy life,” said Zacharuk. “I just wanted to be part of a team and to work for other people.”
On the all-hit list
Professional baseball player Justin Morneau moved into second place all-time in hitting among Canadian-born major league baseball players.
The Colorado Rockies first baseman moved past pioneer ball player George Wood with his 1,468th hit in August.
The 33-year-old Morneau is still more than 650 hits behind the all-time leader and former Rockies great Larry Walker.
“Any time you’re second to him (Walker) in anything, it’s special,” said Morneau. “It’s pretty cool, but I’ve got a long way to go.”
Nuts about fishing
Aaron Laing of New Westminster captained Team Mustang to B.C.’s second-ever medal and first in nearly a decade at the Canadian national fly fishing championships in October.
“We’re all absolutely nuts about fishing,” said Laing.
Program first for JVs
The New Westminster junior varsity football team earned a program first, winning a first-ever conference title in the B.C. secondary school league Valley division in November.
The JV Hyacks also laid claim to their first unbeaten regular season.
“It is nice. … I think we’re in that upper echelon of teams. We’re definitely a contender,” said JV coach Chad Oatway.
A disappointing end
The New Westminster Salmonbellies had a standout B.C. junior A lacrosse season stopped in Game 7 by the Coquitlam Adanacs in August.
The 20-1-0 regular season champions were bettered 12-8 in the final game of a best-of-seven B.C. final at Queen’s Park Arena.
Consensus junior A player of the year Wesley Berg scored five times and set up the game winner for the Coquitlam Adanacs in the Minto Cup qualifying series.
“He put the team on his back and great players can do that,” said New Westminster’s head coach Dan Perreault. “I’m not surprised he did that.”
Fulfilling a dream
New Westminster high school senior Harper Sherman made his football dream come true, verbally committing to the University of Arizona in the Pac-12 in August.
The 6-4, 270-pound offensive lineman went on to earn recognition in the B.C. Secondary School league with all-star standing on both the conference and provincial teams.
“I had this dream of being a Div. 1 football player,” said Sherman. “But I have to keep pushing forward and putting in the hard work.”
