Chronicle Issue 09 all-pages-1-28

26 The Chronicle March 20 - 26, 2018 chronicle.durhamcollege.ca
Sports
Durham enjoys sports success
Lords
win three
provincial
titles in
2017-18
season
Shanelle Somers,
Tracy Wright and
Cameron Black-Araujo
The Chronicle
It was a year of success on all fields
of play for Durham College’s varsity
sports teams.
“We had a tremendous year. It
was an amazing year,” says Ken
Babcock, Durham College athletic
director.
The DC Lords athletic program
is wrapping up a school year which
has seen its teams win three provincial
championships and leave their
mark at the national level.
Babcock says all of the teams at
the college made their respective
playoffs which he says is an exceptional
level of success.
The men’s soccer team made history,
winning its first Ontario Colleges
Athletic Association (OCAA)
gold in 20 years, beating Algonquin
2-1.
Kevin Thibodeau scored the
winning goal in the 90th minute
of the game.
Scott Dennis, DC sports information
and marketing coordinator,
says “they went into the playoffs
on a hot streak and then rolled
through the OCAA championships
and then qualified for nationals.”
At the Canadian men’s national
championships in Nanaimo, B.C.
the Lords made progress finishing
fifth in the competition, their best
finish since 1999.
The men’s soccer team ended
its season with an overall record
of 12-5-1.
The women’s softball team had
a similar success story after taking
gold at the OCAA championships.
This is their third straight
OCAA title and their 19th since
the OCAA softball championships
started in 1981.
A standout player on the women’s
softball team was Emily Glendinning.
Early in the women’s softball
season she threw a perfect game.
Dennis says she was one of the top
rookies in the league and is a twosport
athlete, also playing basketball
at Durham.
Overall the women’s softball
team ended the season 20-8.
The men’s golf team continued
its tradition at the OCAA championships
making it to the podium.
“Our men’s golf team is made
The Durham Lords men's soccer team won gold at the Provincials this season.
up of young team members that
represented Durham College at
the national level really well,” says
Babcock.
Durham College also proudly
hosted the Canadian championships
at the Royal Ashburn Golf
Club in Whitby, Ont. where then
men’s team placed sixth.
“It’s an exceptional year for athletics
this year,” says Babcock.
Meantime, the women’s indoor
soccer team have qualified for the
provincial championships. Dennis
says “women’s soccer continues to
make strides forward.”
Advancing to the provincial
championships with one win, one
loss, and one tied game, the DC
Lords hope to capture gold.
They will be traveling to Redeemer
University to compete in
the OCAA championship March
22-24.
The men’s and women’s basketball
teams successfully made it to
compete on the provincial level but
in the end did not win a medal. But,
the team is made up of strong players
and some team members from
both men’s and women’s teams
were named OCAA championship
all-stars.
Brandon Halliburton and Funsho
Dimeji were OCAA’s first team
player all-stars for the second year
in a row.
Maddie Dender and Dekota
Kirby were OCAA’s second team
player all-stars and rookie Emily
Glendinning now has a spot on the
OCAA all-rookie team.
Overall the men’s basketball
team finished the season with 15-6
and the women’s basketball team
finished 10-10.
The men’s and women’s volleyball
teams also had a strong season
and competed at the provincial
competition.
Unfortunately they did not make
it to the podium but the women’s
volleyball team had a remarkable
season with one of the youngest
lineups in the OCAA.
The men’s volleyball team had
many standout players this season.
For example, in the Lords last game
of the season against the Niagara
Knights, Erik Janssen, was the
top scorer with eight kills and one
block.
Overall the women’s volleyball
team ended the season 12-7. The
men’s volleyball team ended the
season 9-10.
Photograph courtesy of DC Athletics
Photograph courtesy of DC Athletics
The women's softball team took gold at the OCAA championships, its third straight.
The DC Lords hope to continue
building strong teams for the 2018-
19 athletic season.
The recruiting process is currently
in its peak. The Lords will
receive confirmations and signed
scholarship letters of intent from
prospective athletes by June 1.
“We’ve had significant success
in all of our programs and
we are quite proud of that,” says
Babcock.