麻豆社区

When fall rolls around and school is back in session (hopefully), the Yukon will be well represented in the sports department. Ten athletes, so far, have signed on with universities and colleges to continue to their athletic pursuits at the varsity level.

Sasha Masson

Cross country skier Sasha Masson already has an impressive r茅sum茅. In January, Masson donned the Canadian colours at the Youth Olympic Games in Switzerland. Now, his journey brings him east to Quebec, where he will join the University of Laval Rouge et Or ski team.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the program I wanted in Canada,鈥� said Masson. 鈥淭hey have ex-national team skiers and I鈥檓 excited to train with them.

鈥淚鈥檓 also excited about Quebec. It will be a different lifestyle. I鈥檝e never lived somewhere that speaks completely French.鈥�

Masson said his new teammates and coaches can expect a dedicated athlete who conducts himself with professionalism. This, Masson said, will translate into results.

Training in the Yukon, Masson said, the athletes could sometimes get overlooked - he鈥檚 hoping to change that.

鈥淭he Yukon produces great athletes,鈥� Masson said. 鈥淲e can be the odd ones out but at competitions they will find out about us and see what we鈥檙e about.鈥�

Romeo Champagne

Biathlete Romeo Champagne will have an exciting opportunity ahead of him as he joins the Alpine Insurance World Cup Academy in Canmore - he will attend the University of Calgary while training.

It鈥檚 the first time the Academy will hold a biathlon program, and Champagne said he is excited to break in on the ground floor.

鈥淚t will be cool to be one of the first athletes on the team,鈥� said Champagne. 鈥淚鈥檒l get to help shape the program and bring lots of suggestions.鈥�

Champagne said he鈥檚 had the opportunity to meet some of his teammates and coaches.

鈥淚鈥檝e already done a race weekend out there,鈥� said Champagne. 鈥淚t was an interesting experience. The team has some great athletes, and everyone is motivated. I鈥檓 excited to join that community and push myself and be pushed by others.鈥�

Being born-and-raised in the Yukon, Champagne said, gives you gifts you don鈥檛 always realize at the moment.

鈥淵ou learn grit, resilience and perseverance,鈥� said Champagne.

鈥淓specially now, you can just focus on what you can.鈥�

Maren Bilsky

Basketball player Maren Bilsky will be taking her on-court prowess to Victoria, as she will become the newest member of the Camosun College Chargers.

As the team鈥檚 new recruit, Bilsky said she鈥檚 ready to show her teammates and coaches that she鈥檚 ready to contribute.

鈥淏eing a rookie, I鈥檓 definitely going to have to prove myself,鈥� said Bilsky. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to put everything into it, I鈥檓 going to do it for them and for the love of the game.

Bilsky said she鈥檚 excited to learn and play at the faster speed of the varsity level.

鈥淚鈥檒l have to gain strength and learn the plays,鈥� said Bilsky. 鈥淚鈥檒l have to learn to play against older players but I鈥檒l keep pushing through.鈥�

Bilsky said she will bring strong mental fortitude to the team in her rookie season. That鈥檚 something she learned playing in the Yukon.

鈥淕rowing up here, you are an underdog, but you know not to give up,鈥� said Bilsky. 鈥淭he Yukon definitely teaches you resilience and makes you believe you can take on anything.鈥�

Ole Heath

Soccer goalie Ole Heath is primed to join the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and battle for minutes in the team鈥檚 net.

鈥淭he coaches showed a lot of interest in me,鈥� said Heath. 鈥淎s a goalie, they teach a wide variety of technique, and I find it intriguing that they put so much effort into goalkeeping.鈥�

Heath will be one of three goalies on the Huskies.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely a motivator,鈥� said Heath. 鈥淚鈥檇 much rather have to work for my minutes rather than them be given to me.鈥�

Anywhere he goes, Heath said, he gives maximum effort.

鈥淚 want to reach my highest potential, and I鈥檓 going to give 100 per cent to the team,鈥� said Heath.

He said he鈥檚 had a lot of great coaches in the Yukon who have helped him learn to turn errors into learning experiences.

鈥淚 used to take mistakes as setbacks, but that鈥檚 the single way of improving,鈥� said Heath. 鈥淵ou have to take those mistakes, and focus on what you did wrong and correct it.鈥�

Aimery Barrault

By joining Minot State University in North Dakota, Yukon golfer Aimery Barrault accomplished one goal: to play in the NCAA.

He will now turn his attention to the coming season, where he joins eight other golfers on the Minot team.

It will be a big step-up in competition for Barrault, but he鈥檚 been in contact with his coaches who have given him a training regimen to work on.

鈥淭hey really want my wedges dialed in and also my short putts,鈥� said Barrault. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be real good competition. You have to be shooting low 70s or high 60s.鈥�

Barrault said his teammates and coaches can expect an athlete who is ready to put the work in to get better.

By playing in the Yukon, Barrault said it鈥檚 taught him the importance of staying on the fairway.

Emma Boyd

Emma Boyd, a powerhouse on the volleyball court will be joining a talented Mount Royal University team.

鈥淚 am really impressed with the team,鈥� said Boyd, who has been watching game tape in the offseason. 鈥淭hey have a national team player and they are always challenging each other.鈥�

She doesn鈥檛 know which position she will be playing yet, but Boyd said wherever she鈥檚 needed, she will do her part to help the team succeed.

鈥淚 will do anything,鈥� said Boyd. 鈥淚 really just want to be the hardest-working player. In the Yukon, you don鈥檛 get as much gameplay; you can only control how hard you work.

鈥淚 want to be a real consistent player and prove that to myself, coaches and teammates.鈥�

Having represented the Yukon at many multi-sport events, Boyd said, she hopes she can bring leadership and sportsmanship to the table.

Rhys Faragher

Soccer player Rhys Faragher has always wanted to play at the highest level he could. He will be taking that next step this fall, when he joins the University of Calgary Dinos team.

鈥淓ver since I was little, I鈥檝e wanted to play at the highest level I could,鈥� said Faragher. 鈥淭his is just surreal.鈥�

Faragher admits he doesn鈥檛 know what he鈥檚 gotten himself into, but he鈥檚 confident in his ability to contribute to the team.

鈥淚 hope I can bring a little bit on energy,鈥� said Faragher. 鈥淭he coaches see something in me. I will be playing against opponents bigger and stronger than me so I will have to catch up to the university level.鈥�

Faragher said he鈥檚 been keeping an eye on the Dinos during their U SPORTS season and knows he鈥檚 joining a strong squad. He said he鈥檚 looking forward to learning from the seniors.

鈥淚鈥檒l learn a lot from then and over the next few years,鈥� said Faragher.

鈥淭hen, by the end, I鈥檒l be able to give back and teach the rookies coming in.鈥�

Derek Deuling

Cross country skier Derek Deuling already has a strong r茅sum茅. In January, he represented Canada at the Youth Olympic Games in Switzerland.

Now, he will join the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves 鈥� one of the strongest teams in the NCAA.

鈥淚t was cool news when I got the email,鈥� said Deuling. 鈥淭hey have a crazy-strong team with some world cup skiers.鈥�

Deuling said this will be a big boost for his skiing career.

鈥淭his will be a big jump in competition,鈥� said Deuling. 鈥淚鈥檒l be racing against men for the first time. It鈥檚 going to be fun to have this challenge.鈥�

Deuling said the Yukon has taught him to enjoy training.

鈥淭hat will make sure the commitment level stays the same.鈥�

Sonjaa Schmidt

Cross country skier Sonjaa Schmidt still hasn鈥檛 decided which school she鈥檒l attend 鈥� the University of Calgary or the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

No matter her decision, she will be part of the Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy.

鈥淭he academy has some of the best skiers in Canada,鈥� said Schmidt.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to ski with them and work with the coaches.鈥�

Schmidt said skiing is a huge part of her life, and her new teammates will see that commitment.

鈥淭hey can expect a dedicated athlete who is hard-working and self-disciplined,鈥� said Schmidt. 鈥淚 love to work hard and better myself as a skier. 鈥�

Although skiing is an individual sport, Schmidt said, the Yukon has taught her to value the teamwork.

鈥淭eam Yukon taught me a lot about the team aspect,鈥� said Schmidt.

鈥淎lthough it鈥檚 an individual sport, you still need your team to succeed. You improve each other.鈥�

Andreas Lavanderos

Soccer player Andreas Lavanderos will be taking his talents across the pond to York St. John University in England.

In March, he had the opportunity to travel to York to meet the coaches and his new teammates.

鈥淓veryone was really high-level,鈥� said Lavanderos. 鈥淭he coaches were high-level and will make sure I鈥檓 improving.鈥�

Lavanderos said his versatility is one of the strongest aspects of his game.

鈥淚鈥檓 versatile and can play any position; I believe in my ability,鈥� said Lavanderos. 鈥淚鈥檓 always a good teammate and I鈥檓 looking to help with the team鈥檚 chemistry.

His preferred position is attacking midfielder, and he knows there will be competition for that spot.

鈥淢ost of the players are attacking,鈥� said Lavanderos. 鈥淚鈥檓 very motivated and motivated to get that spot.鈥�

He thanks his many Yukon coaches for pushing him to get better.

Now, with England looming, he鈥檚 excited to show everyone what the Yukon is all about.