TORONTO (U SPORTS) – U SPORTS International announced Friday its 122-member delegation for the 2017 Winter Universiade, set for Jan. 29 – Feb. 8 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The 122 Canadians includes 88 student-athletes and 34 mission and support staff in six sports – biathlon, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboard, along with men’s and women’s teams in the U SPORTS championship offerings of hockey and curling.
“We’re excited to compete in Kazakhstan,” said chef de mission Ari Grossman. “The mission staff have been working with the Organizing Committee to make sure that we have a great experience for our student-athletes.
“From the competition venues to the athletes’ village, everything is ready for what will be an outstanding games in Almaty. We’re excited to get there and compete.”
At the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, Canada won five medals, including bronze in alpine skiing, short-track speed skating and men’s hockey, and a pair of silvers in women’s curling and women’s hockey.
Canada will begin competition in women’s hockey on Jan. 28 against China at 4:30 pm local time (5:30 am ET), while the men’s hockey team – made up of OUA players and staff as per the U SPORTS conference rotation – faces off Jan. 30 against USA at 7:30 pm local (8:30 am ET). Curling, alpine skiing, cross country skiing and snowboard will also begin on Jan. 30, with biathlon starting on Jan. 31.
Since the U SPORTS conference rotation began in 1997, Canada has reached the podium in men’s hockey all but once, winning a pair of gold and silver medals to go along with five bronze. In women’s hockey, the Canadians took home gold in each of the first three tournaments dating back to 2009, before winning silver in 2015. Canada has also been a force in curling at the Winter Universiade, capturing four medals in the women’s competition (one gold, three silver) and two medals in the men’s event (one gold, one bronze).
In snow sports, sisters Abby and Emma Van Groningen from the University of Guelph, along with Ryerson’s Jennifer Hawkrigg, are all members of the national alpine snowboarding development group.
The Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Winter Universiade will be held on Jan. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET) from the Almaty Arena, which also serves as the curling venue.
Canadian fans can livestream the action from the 2017 Winter Universiade at liveFISU.TV.
Almaty 2017 Competition schedule
About the Winter Universiade
The Winter Universiade is a biennial international multi-sport event open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
The Almaty Universiade will feature eight compulsory sports and four optional sports. Compulsory sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, curling, cross country skiing, short track speed skating, figure skating and snowboarding. Optional sports: ski jumping, nordic combined, freestyle skiing and long-track speed skating.
About U SPORTS
U Sports is the national brand for University Sports in Canada. Every year, over 12,000 student-athletes and 500 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U Sports also provides higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit usports.ca or follow us on:
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CANADIAN DELEGATION: 2017 WINTER UNIVERSIADE
Mission Staff
Chef de Mission: Ari Grossman*, University of Waterloo (Toronto, Ont.)
Assistant Chef de Mission: Lia Taha Cheng*, U SPORTS (Ottawa, Ont.)
Communications Manager: Michel Bélanger* (Quebec City, Que.)
Communications Officer: Marc Bartschat (Montreal, Que.)
Operations Coordinator: Dominique Massie-Martel*, U SPORTS (Montreal, Que.)
Chief Medical Officer: Lee Schofield*, University of Toronto (Wallaceburg, Ont.)
Chief Therapist: Jason White* (Gander, N.L.)
Physician: Erika Persson*, University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alta.)
Therapist: Connie Klassen*, Camosun College (Winnipeg, Man.)
Therapist: Renaud Geneviève (Halifax, N.S.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Adrienne Poitras |
Montreal, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Marie Desrosiers |
L'assomption, Que. |
Polytechnique School of Montreal |
|
Frederique Nolin |
Quebec, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Sandrine David* |
Montreal, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Hannah Schmidt |
Dunrobin, Ont. |
Carleton University |
|
Vincent Lajoie* |
Montreal, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Justin Beaurivage |
Victoriaville, Que. |
Polytechnique School of Montreal |
|
Simon-Claude Toutant* |
Joliette, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Philippe Rivet* |
Saint-Lambert, Que. |
University of New Hampshire |
|
William Schuessler Bedard* |
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Gabriel Mains* |
Montreal, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
William Mercier Robin |
Quebec City, Que. |
Laval University |
Team Leader: Ève Routhier*, Laval University (Sherbrooke, Que)
Coach: Michel Huot, University of Montreal (Sainte Therese, Que.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Jessica Paterson* |
St. Albert, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Sasha Eccleston* |
Hinton, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Reagan Mills* |
Truro, N.S. |
University of Prince Edward Island |
|
Seamus Boyd-Porter |
St. John’s, N.L. |
Memorial University |
|
Evaline Juce |
Hamiota, Man. |
University of Alberta |
|
Taij Mann |
Edmonton, Alta. |
MacEwan University |
Team Leader: Lowell Niven*, University of Alberta-Augustana (Camrose, Alta.)
Technician: Lahav Wolach (Calgary, Alta.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Taylor McDonald |
Edmonton, Alta |
University of Alberta |
|
Kelsey Rocque |
Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Danielle Schmeimann |
Stony Plain, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Taylore Theroux |
Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Russell Cuddie |
London, Ont. |
Wilfrid Laurier University |
|
Richard Krell |
London, Ont. |
Wilfrid Laurier University |
|
Spencer Nuttall |
Toronto, Ont. |
Wilfrid Laurier University |
|
Fraser Reid |
Ancaster, Ont. |
Wilfrid Laurier University |
|
Aaron Squires |
St. Thomas, Ont. |
Wilfrid Laurier University |
Women’s Coach: Garry Coderre*, University of Alberta (St. Albert, Alta.)
Men’s Coach: Jim Waite (St. Thomas, Ont.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Jordan Cascagnette* |
Pentetanguishene, Ont. |
Nipissing University |
|
Emma Camicioli |
Edmonton Alta. |
University of Calgary |
|
Shelby Dickey |
Collingwood, Ont. |
Nipissing University |
|
William Dumas |
Gatineau, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Alexis Morin |
Victoriaville, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Christel Pichard-Jolicoeur |
Saint- Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Carrington Pomeroy |
Chelsea, Que. |
Carleton University |
|
Gavin Shields |
Thunder Bay, Ont. |
Lakehead University |
|
Andrée-Anne Théberge |
Levis, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Connor Thompson |
Montreal, Que. |
Laval University |
|
Kyla Vanderzwet |
Port Elgin, Ont. |
Western University |
Team Leader: Katja Mathys (McKellar, Ont.)
Head Coach: Toivo Koivukoski*, Nipissing University (North Bay, Ont.)
Assistant Coach: Mary Waddell* (Sudbury, Ont.)
Technician: Kirk Potter* (Whitehorse, Y.T.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Kevin Bailie |
Belleville, Ont. |
Queen’s University |
|
Sebastian Auger |
Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Mike Moffat |
Waterloo, Ont. |
University of Waterloo |
|
Nathan Chiarlitti |
Maple, Ont. |
McGill University |
|
Charles-David Beaudoin |
Drummondville, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Spencer Abraham |
Campbellville, Ont. |
Queen’s University |
|
Etienne Boutet |
Quebec City, Que. |
McGill University |
|
Martin Lefebvre |
Terrebonne, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Alex Basso |
Toronto, Ont. |
Ryerson University |
|
Scott Simmonds |
Uxbridge, Ont. |
University of Guelph |
|
Guillaume Asselin |
Quebec City, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Michael McNamee |
Perth, Ont. |
Carleton University |
|
Ryan Van Stralen |
Prescott, Ont. |
Carleton University |
|
Mathieu Pompei |
Laval, Que. |
McGill University |
|
Corey Durocher |
Ottawa, Ont. |
Carleton University |
|
Olivier Hinse |
Sherbrooke, Que. |
Concordia University |
|
Pierre-Olivier Morin |
Trois-Rivières, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Brent Pedersen |
Arthur, Ont. |
Laurentian University |
|
Tommy Giroux |
Quebec City, Que. |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
|
Slater Doggett |
Oakville, Ont. |
Queen’s University |
|
Brett Welychka |
London, Ont. |
Carleton University |
|
Eric Ming |
Williamstown, Ont. |
Queen’s University |
Head Coach / Team Leader: Brett Gibson, Queen’s University (Gananoque, Ont.)
General Manger / Associate Coach: Brian Bourque, University of Waterloo (Cole Harbour, N.S.)
Assistant Coach: Craig Duncanson, Laurentian University (Walden, Ont.)
Assistant Coach: Marty Johnston, Carleton University (Gloucester, Ont.)
Athletic Therapist: James Sawchuk*, Queen’s University (Winnipeg, Man.)
Equipment Manager: Trevor Black, University of Waterloo (Markdale, Ont.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Valerie Lamenta |
Montreal, Que. |
University of Guelph |
|
Stephanie Sluys |
Clinton, Ont. |
University of Waterloo |
|
Katherine Bailey |
Lucan, Ont. |
University of Guelph |
|
Katelyn Gosling* |
London, Ont |
Western University |
|
Brianna Iazzolino |
Thunder Bay, Ont. |
Western University |
|
Maude Laramée |
Gatineau, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Alexis Larson |
Weyburn, Sask. |
University of Regina |
|
Kelly Murray |
Medicine Hat, Alta. |
University of British Columbia |
|
Erica Rieder |
Regina, Sask. |
University of Manitoba |
|
Kelty Apperson |
New Hamburg, Ont. |
St. Thomas University |
|
Mélodie Bouchard |
Sept-Iles, Que. |
University of Ottawa |
|
Jessica Cormier |
Cap-aux-Meules, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Catherine Dubois |
Charlesbourg, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Kylie Gavelin |
Mankota, Sask. |
University of Regina |
|
Kelly Gribbons |
Port Elgin, Ont. |
University of Guelph |
|
Alexandra Labelle |
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que. |
University of Montreal |
|
Jaycee Magwood |
Killarney, Man. |
University of Regina |
|
Rachel Marriott |
Waterloo, Ont. |
University of Waterloo |
|
Daley Oddy* |
Cranbrook, B.C. |
St. Francis Xavier University |
|
Alex Poznikoff |
Edmonton, Alta. |
University of Alberta |
|
Alanna Sharman |
Winnipeg, Man. |
University of Manitoba |
|
Kaitlin Willoughby |
Prince Albert, Sask. |
University of Saskatchewan |
Team Leader/Video Coach: Rick Traugott (Toronto, Ont.)
Head Coach: Rachel Flanagan, University of Guelph (Oshawa, Ont.)
Assistant Coach: Kelly Paton, Western University (Woodstock, Ont.)
Assistant Coach: Howie Draper*, University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alta.)
Equipment Manager: Jean Huynh*, McGill University (Montreal, Que.)
Therapist: Natalie Paladino, University of Windsor (Hamilton, Ont.)
|
Name |
Hometown |
School |
|
Mackenzie Hamilton |
Carlisle, Ont. |
McGill University |
|
Emma Van Groningen |
Cambridge, Ont. |
University of Guelph |
|
Abby Van Groningen |
Cambridge, Ont. |
University of Guelph |
|
Jennifer Hawkrigg |
Toronto, Ont. |
Ryerson University |
|
Austin White |
Oyama, B.C. |
UBC Okanagan |
|
Andrew Hildebrand |
Toronto, Ont. |
Western University |
Team Leader: Meghan Hebert (Orangeville, Ont.)
Coach: Patrik Gaudet* (Saint-Laurent, Que.)
*Returnee from a previous Universiade