This job, of picking the top 10 performances of the school week, is getting real tough - and especially at playoff time. Solid showings in many sports, and I know there has to be 25 student athletes who deserve to be on the magic list. So, with apologies to those who didn't make the cut, I had to make some tough calls. And the picks for this week, well deserving in my book.
Here we go, and again coaches and parents and friends, in alphabetical order.
Jonathan Babulall, Turner Fenton. He won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Youth wrestling championships in Pune, India last November. This guy is good. Undefeated this year in the 44 kilos is no fluke either. For the past four years, he’s earned gold medals at the Peel high school finals and won two provincial titles.
Vince DiVito, St. Joan of Arc. Sudden-death junior boys’ basketball game, a York Region Tier Two semifinal playoff that was decided in overtime, and he comes through with a career game firing 38 points in a 56-50 elimination of Unionville.
Robert Hampson, Lawrence Park. He’s blind and not about to let a disability stand in his way, just ask him. Three events at the Toronto District School Board swim finals – and three gold medals, two in record times. He’s off to the Ontario championships in two weeks.
Julie Hebert, Aurora. When a team has an elite hockey player, you use her at the right time. Hebert scored in a 3-2 loss to Cardinal Carter to see their York Region playoff series tied 1-1. In an abbreviated game that followed to decide a winner, Hebert needed 37 seconds to win it.
Brianne Jenner, Appleby. Two goals in a 5-2 win over Wyoming Seminary from Kingston, Pa., for the North American Prep Association hockey title. A dominant forward and Toronto Star all-star last year, she was captain of the Canadian under-18 team that won a silver medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation tournament last month in Fussen, Germany
Jamie Joslin, Richmond Green. A 5-foot-10 middle hitter on the senior girls’ Tier Two volleyball team, she helped her team in the opening round playoff. The Rattlers won 25-19, 25-18 over St. Joan of Arc. Joslin had 11 kills and six blocks.
Emily Torrens, Mowat. She competed in three events at the citywide swim finals for junior-age athletes, and this grade 10 athlete went home with three gold medals. Here’s the irony, her main sport is water polo and she will be training with the Junior National team in Holland next month.
Jessica Vella, St. Mary. She's played six sports for her school, was goalkeeper for the soccer team that lost a 1-0 double overtime heartbreaker in the provincial final last year and was chosen as the school female athlete of the year. But in the past seven days, it has been her leadership on the ice. St. Mary heads to the Durham Region varsity girls' hockey semifinal after back-to-back wins over Ajax - and she scored in each game.
Rebecca Vint, Humberview. She's consistently scoring the majority of goals for her Peel Region varsity girls' hockey team. Vint had all four this week for the Bolton-area school in a game against Mayfield, the top team in the league. Mayfield still beat Vint and the Huskies, 7-4. She also plays for Brampton in the Provincial Women's Hockey League.
Trevor Williams, Assumption. Steady and effective. Two good ways to describe this very talented guard, easily one of the best in Halton Region. Alright, he scored 17 points in an 89-42 blow-out of Robinson in a quarterfinal. But, fans of ththis school sport will confirm that he's tough on defence, outstanding finding the open man on offence and can dominate a game.
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