Riverview kids crowned regional champions!

Ken Johnston
Editorial@RainyRiverRecord.com

Bump! Set! Spike!

The students at Rainy River’s Riverview Elementary School were on cloud nine Monday morning when a special Championship Assembly was held in the gymnasium there to welcome home the Grade 8 Boys and Girls Regional Champions.

Principal Terry Ogden explained that this is the first time that the Riverview Royals have ever won a regional championship and to have both the boys and girls win was “extra special.”

While the school has done well in the past they have always fallen just short of the mark. Coach Greg Wilson noted that last year the girls were 2nd and the boys were third.

This year was a different story with the boys going 11-0 and their team captain, Joel Ashworth earning Most Value Player distinction to boot! Wilson said that there was tough competition but the boys have been working hard for two months building towards this victory. For their phenomenal efforts they each received a gold medal and brought home the Region 1 Marlene Comeau Award.

The girls only lost one game finishing 11-1. They too worked hard to earn top honours. For many of them this was icing on the cake having played for three years and now winning the big prize. Wilson noted that Corrissa Hanson, Shantelle Davidson and Brittany Jasper are all third year players.

They brought home gold medals and the Anne Strong Award for Region 1.

Since Riverview is a small school it does not have sufficient players at the grade 8 level to fill the roster. Hence a number of grade 7 students played on the teams making strong contributions to the victories.

A special presentation was made at the assembly by principal Ogden. While he praised the excellent coaching assistants from the high school (Matt Ashworth, Jason Seguin and Brooke Ewald), he explained that teacher Greg Wilson has been working with the kids on volleyball for years. On Saturday when the kids won the holy grail of the sport he had set his sights on, he did not receive a gold medal with the teams. However, Wilson’s commitment to the kids was not to be left unrewarded. Odgen called him up to present him with his very own gold medal.

The wins on Saturday leave the two teams in a situation that Riverview staff, students and parents have never had to deal with before. By winning they are qualified for the All Ontarios. Coach Wilson said that he is not sure when or where they are. Costs are also a factor, but he seemed confident that those could be met if they were to commit to going. Once the time factor is looked at a decision will be made as to whether they will go or not. If enough players can go, they will consider going.

Both Ogden and Wilson echoed the benefits of sports and how it teaches kids good work ethics such as team work and how hard work pays off.

The teams received several rounds of applause from their fellow students at the assembly.