For Release: December 16th, 1999

Circle this one on your calendars ... Tuesday, December 21st marks the date of the only opportunity you will get to bear witness to the best of the best in girls' senior high school basketball this year.

Lasalle Secondary School will play host to the S.D.S.S.A.A. Senior Girls' Basketball All-Star Game, in which all sixteen high schools that participated in both Division I and Division II action are expected to participate. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm and admission is only $1.00.

If you've never been to a girls' basketball all-star game before, I encourage you to take this one in. Not only featuring a high level of skill, past games have been charged with electricity, an energy level that makes it fun for everyone. And only a buck! What a bargain! See you there!

To championship news, there are a few changes to report in the line-up of N.O.S.S.A. Championships that the S.D.S.S.A.A. will play host to this winter. "A" Boys Basketball, previously to be hosted at Ecole Secondaire Catholique L'Horizon, will now be hosted at Ecole Secondaire Hanmer under the tutolage of Dan Fraser. Also, "A" Girls' Volleyball previously scheduled to be hosted at Ecole Secondaire Catholique Champlain, will also be moved, the site to be announced at a later date. Both championships will be hosted on the March 3rd and 4th weekend.

The other N.O.S.S.A. Championships that the S.D.S.S.A.A. will play host to this winter include: Boys' "AA" Basketball - Convener: Bruce Bourget, Northeastern; Boys' "AAA" Basketball - Convener: Mitch Lalonde, Lasalle; Boys' Senior Hockey - Convener: yours truly Dave Makela, Media Centre; and Girls' Gymnastics (considered a joint S.D.S.S.A.A./N.O.S.S.A. championship) - Convener: Arlene Wheatfield, Lo-Ellen Park.

The S.D.S.S.A.A. Curling Championship will feature a different twist this year. In order to facilitate scheduling and rink availability and also to prepare adequately for the N.O.S.S.A. championship format, all quarter, semi and final games will take place on the same day in a bonspeil format this year. The Championship Final Bonspeil will take place on Wednesday, March 1st at the Copper Cliff Curling Rink. The top six teams in each of the girls' draw (total ten teams) and boys' draw (total fourteen teams) will advance to the 'speil. Both draws are convened this year by John Baxter of Chelmsford Valley District Composite School, with statistics compiled by Monique Picard-Dubuc of Ecole Secondaire Catholique L'Heritage.

Sliding over to the S.D.S.A.A.A. Alpine Ski Championship in February, Convener Gilbert Briscoe of Confederation Secondary School has a date change to report. The Championship was originally scheduled to be hosted on Monday, February 7th but has been moved to Monday, February 14th at the Adanac Ski Hill. Winners will advance to the N.O.S.S.A. Championships in North Bay one week later. Gosh maybe we'll even have snow by then ...

Turning to O.F.S.A.A. Championship news, Joe Bacon, Vice-Chair of the upcoming O.F.S.A.A. Nordic Ski Championship, reports that the website in support of the event is now up and running. This unique and eye-catching site, wholly developed by Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School students, will feature all sorts of interesting facts and features about the championship as it draws nearer and may be accessed at: www.rainbow.edu.on.ca/loellen/ofsaa/default.htm. Bacon reports that the Nordic Ski committee also has ordered snow and it should arrive shortly.

The Nordic Ski site, by the way, is the first of four websites that will be launched in support of the O.F.S.A.A. championships that the S.D.S.S.A.A. schools will be hosting this year. The other three sites are in the construction stages and I'll report on their addresses as soon as they become finalized.

Still on O.F.S.A.A., the date for the upcoming Swimming Championship has been changed dramatically from its April 10-11 tentative schedule. The Championships will now be hosted on March 1st and 2nd at Brock University in St. Catharines. If you have a student whom will be participating in these championships, they have established a website in support of their event as well at: www.go.to.ofsaa-swim, at which you can find information on everything from accommodations to the actual event schedule.

Back to Column Table of Contents