Lake Country’s Fynn McCarthy is among 14 players from across Canada and the only B.C. product named to the 2017 National men’s junior national volleyball team.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound middle blocker/outside hitter at George Elliot Secondary School and his new teammates are training in Gatineau, Que. in preparation for the U21 Pan Am Cup being held in Fort McMurray May 14-21.
The Pan Am Cup tournament will also serve as the qualifier for the U21 FIVB World Championship in Czech Republic from June 23 to July 2. The Top NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) team and top CSV (South American Volleyball Confederation) side each earn a berth from this event for the U21 Worlds.
"We are extremely happy with the 2017 edition of our U21 team," said Julien Boucher, high performance director. "We had a productive selection camp, which I would consider one of our best ever and that’s a tribute to all players and staff who attended. Our future looks bright."
Gino Brousseau, head coach of the junior team which was announced today, added that he’s “excited about this year’s group of players.
"Many of the athletes were part of the program last year, and have gained valuable experience and maturity over the past 12 months. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to play in our home country and to work toward the goal of U21 World Championship qualification."
McCarthy, a member of Canada’s national U18 team last year, despite having played only two years of organized volleyball, is committed to playing with the UBC Thunderbirds beginning this fall.
This past high school season, the 17-year-old led the George Elliot Coyotes to a seventh-place finish at the B.C. School Sports AA provincial tournament and was named to the event’s first all-star team.
Kylie Jack of Kelowna and the Simon Fraser University Clan golf team will make their first NCAA post-season appearance at the West/South Central Super Regional in Wichita Falls, Tx. next week.
The top three teams at the regional tournament advance to the 2017 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship. It will be held May 17-20 at Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio.
Jack, a graduate of Aberdeen Hall Prep School in Kelowna and a junior at SFU, played a key role in the Clan winning their second straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference recently.
The Clan, after setting a GNAC course record at 617 en route to last year’s conference title, did one batter this year, carding a 616 to win the 2017 championship by 19 strokes.
SFU’s Emily Leung won the GNAC individual title with a 5-over-par 147 while Jack, with rounds of 76 and 77, led the tournament with 25 pars and finished second at 153.
Veteran Pho Heng scored twice, but it wasn't nearly enough as he and his Kelowna Raiders fell 19-6 to the visiting Armstrong Sharmrocks in Thompson Okanagan Senior Lacrosse League play on Wednesday.
Vic Wiens, Sean Blake, Nick Evans and rookie Mitch Brodt added a goal apiece for the Raiders in a game that saw the hosts contain the Shamrocks in the first period before the floodgates opened in the second and continued through the third.
Brett Hawrey scored six times for Armstrong while Owen Barker, Steve Clark and Jarret Medhurst all completed hat tricks.
The Raiders, 0-2 to start the season, are back in action on Saturday in Armstrong, while their next home game is set for May 12 at Kelowna Memorial Arena beginning at 8 p.m.
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