Holy Heart of Mary High School. Photo credit: Trevor Wragg.
Holy Heart of Mary’s senior squad narrowly defeated Holy Spirit High 14-12 to win its second provincial ultimate title on May 5.
Both teams were undefeated leading up to the championship game of Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2019 Senior High Provincial Championships.
In the third-place game, Mount Pearl Senior High A defeated St. Bonaventure’s College by a score of 16-11. MPSH A was also named the tournament’s most spirited team.
Thirteen teams representing nine schools took part in the tournament. The final standings were:
1st: Holy Heart of Mary High School (senior), St. John’s
2nd: Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay South
3rd: Mount Pearl Senior High A, Mount Pearl
4th: St. Bonaventure’s College, St. John’s
5th: Queen Elizabeth Regional High School, Foxtrap
6th: Gonzaga Regional High School, St. John’s
7th: Dunne Memorial Academy, St. Mary’s
8th: Holy Heart of Mary High School (junior)
9th: Laval High School Gold, Placentia
10th: Laval High School Red
11th: Mount Pearl Senior High B
12th: Roncalli Central High School A, Avondale
13th: Roncalli B
“We’re really excited to have seen the calibre of play demonstrated at our tournament this year,” said Ultimate NL president, Nick House. “Four different schools have won ultimate tournaments this year, which tells us that ultimate is growing – both in the number of students playing and in the skills they are developing. It’s an exciting time for our sport!
“Congratulations to Holy Heart and Holy Spirit on a highly skilled and spirited final,” added House. “I’d like to thank all the students who played really hard, their coaches for leading their teams over the past few months, and all of the volunteers who help make this tournament special each year. We couldn’t do it without you!”
Holy Spirit High School recently emerged the victor in Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador’s six-week high school metro league.
The squad from Conception Bay South defeated Mount Pearl Senior High by a score of 16-9 in the final game. Both teams had only one loss in the five-week league.
Holy Heart of Mary High School placed third. Teams from Brother Rice Junior High School, Gonzaga Regional High and St. Bonaventure’s College also participated.
Holy Spirit also won team Spirit of the Game accolades with Diego Kenny from Gonzaga being named the Most Spirited Player.
Momoh Octavious from Brother Rice was the overall male-matching Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Marcie Whelan from Holy Heart was the female-matching MVP.
Holy Spirit’s win in the metro league means that three different schools have won each of the major tournaments so far this year (Mount Pearl won the School Sports NL regional tournament in March and St. Bon’s won the Mount Pearl Invitational in December).
All three teams will next compete at Ultimate NL’s Senior High Provincial Tournament on May 4-5.
Storm at the opening ceremony for the 2018 Canadian Ultimate Championships.
Youth players are invited to try out for Storm, the province’s junior competitive club teams, next month.
Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador offers junior open and female teams in its competitive Storm program. Male- and female-matching players who are between the ages of 14 and 18 as of Dec. 31, 2019 are eligible to try out.
All tryouts will take place at the Techniplex in St. John’s.
Athletes outside the Avalon who cannot make the tryouts and are interested in the team, as well as all other inquiries, may be directed to Luke Dyer, Youth Development and Competition Director, at youth@ultimatenl.ca.
Mount Pearl Senior High won the coveted provincial title in 2018.
Save the dates!
Ultimate NL’s annual provincial tournaments are coming up soon! For the first time this year, we’re hosting a standalone tournament for elementary schools.
Mount Pearl Senior High, pictured with coaches Aaron Power, Natalie O’Donnell and Claire Moore-Gibbons, won the first School Sports NL banner for ultimate frisbee.
The first ultimate frisbee school tournament in the province was hosted by Mount Pearl Senior High (MPSH) on March 22-23.
Eight teams participated in the tournament, which marked the debut of ultimate as a Foundation Sport with School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL). The tournament used the four-on-four version of ultimate that has been adapted for school gymnasiums, which requires each team to field two male-matching and two female-matching players on the court at all times
“This tournament represents the first significant ultimate four-on-four, co-ed tournament at the high school level hosted in our province, and also the first tournament sponsored by SSNL — both huge accomplishments!” said Aaron Power, tournament director.
After two days of round robin play, teams from MPSH, St. Bonaventure’s College, Holy Heart of Mary High School and Baltimore School qualified for the semi-finals. St. Bon’s beat Holy Heart in a tight battle by a score of 13-11. In the other semi-final, MPSH defeated Baltimore 30-11.
MPSH then claimed the first SSNL high school regional ultimate banner by defeating St. Bon’s 19-7. They were undefeated in the tournament
Shae LeDevehat of MPSH was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Diego Kenny from Gonzaga Regional High was the Most Spirited Player
Holy Heart won the Team Sportsmanship banner
“Overall, it was impressive to watch all the teams play throughout the weekend and to see how much ultimate is growing in our region, both in terms of the number of teams participating and the skill level demonstrated,” said Power.
Ultimate NL would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped make this tournament a success. In particular, our thanks go to Power; assistant tournament directors Claire Moore-Gibbons, Natalie O’Donnell and Kathleeen Sullivan; game facilitator and Ultimate Canada president Rob Langridge; and those who manned the welcome, score-keeping and merchandise tables.
Left to right: Ultimate NL vice-president Melissa Wheeler, John Mackenzie, Dr. Trina Bailey and president Nick House.
Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce that Veterinary Specialty Centre (VSC) of Newfoundland and Labrador is the new corporate sponsor for Storm and our youth provincial tournaments.
VSC, co-owned by Dr. Trina Bailey and John Mackenzie, is the only clinic in Newfoundland and Labrador that provides advanced medical care for pets in the province.
The duo became interested in sponsoring ultimate after watching their son, Ewan, participate in the junior open Storm program last year.
“I am so impressed by the communication, problem-solving skills and camaraderie of players on and off the field,” said Mackenzie. “I wanted to determine if there was anything our company could do to further support this inspiring behaviour, the skill development of the players and the growth of this commendable sport in the province.”
VSC’s sponsorship will help offset the cost of field rentals, athletic gear, travel and other expenses related to operating Storm, the province’s junior open and female competitive club teams. The sponsorship will also go towards expenses associated with hosting Ultimate NL’s annual elementary, junior high and senior high provincial tournaments this spring.
“We’re excited to partner with Veterinary Specialty Centre as it’s an organization that is invested in our community and shares our values in providing many opportunities for young people to play ultimate in this province,” says Nick House, president of Ultimate NL. “It will have an immediate impact on our Storm and youth programs, and help us expand them beyond what has been possible until now.”
“Ultimate is a great sport that is adaptable to many skill levels, making it inclusive and fun. It also brings people together in a positive way,” adds Dr. Bailey. “We look forward to being a part of an exciting season ahead.”
Left to right: Craig Stoyles, Laurel Penney, Natalie O’Donnell and Claire Moore-Gibbons.
Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador has selected two returning coaches and two new coaches to lead the 2019 Storm season.
Craig Stoyles is returning as head coach for the junior open team while Laurel Penney also returns as assistant coach.
Stoyles is a trained community ultimate coach and Special Olympics coach with 15 years of coaching experience. He also currently heads the team at Holy Spirit High School and is working on competitive coaching certification.
Penney is a trained community coach and is also working on certification at the competitive level. She’s currently the head coach at Beaconsfield Junior High and Waterford Valley Senior High and has organized many events and tournaments related to promoting Spirit of the Game.
“I love this sport,” says Stoyles. “I want to foster growth at a grassroots level by teaching the team the importance of Spirit of the Game and how to win with dignity and lose with grace.”
On the female-matching side, Natalie O’Donnell has been selected as head coach with Claire Moore-Gibbons filling the assistant coach role.
O’Donnell and Moore-Gibbons are two of only three nationally certified competitive coaches in the province. They are co-coaches at Mount Pearl Senior High, and O’Donnell also leads a team at Paradise Elementary School. They both coached the junior women’s team in 2015 that attended the Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC).
“I’m excited to work with Ultimate NL to build a junior women’s program that’s sustainable and successful in the long-term,” says O’Donnell. “I really think that we have a lot of talent and room for development at this level here in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
All four coaches are currently involved in Ultimate NL’s youth competitive development camp.
Left to right: Madison Hull, Erin Daly, Luke Dyer, Andrew Workman, Craig Stoyles, Stefan Barnes, Kathleen Sullivan and Kurtis Thornhill.
We were thrilled to recognize top athletes, coaches and volunteers with our 2018 Ultimate NL Awards recently.
The winners of the annual awards were announced at our volunteer gala on Feb. 9. They are:
Lifetime Achievement Award: Stefan Barnes
Female Athlete of the Year Award: Erin Daly
Male Athlete of the Year Award: Luke Dyer
Junior Female Athlete of the Year Award: Madison Hull
Junior Male Athlete of the Year Award: Andrew Workman
Coach of the Year Award: Craig Stoyles
Justin Frampton Spirit of the Game Award: Claire Genest
Kristine Cadigan Award: Kathleen Sullivan
Joe Coady Award: Kurtis Thornhill
“Our community, from running youth leagues to guiding the development of ultimate in the province, is led primarily by volunteers,” said Nick House, president of Ultimate NL. “Our awards are intended to recognize the hard work and commitment of these individuals, as well as the excellence demonstrated by our top athletes and coaches. Ultimate has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without their passion and dedication.”
Introducing the award winners
Barnes was the first president of Mile Zero Ultimate and also served on the Newfoundland and Labrador Ultimate Association, the precursor of Ultimate NL. He also played on a number of competitive teams including Granite, the province’s first co-ed competitive travelling team.
Daly became the only female from Newfoundland and Labrador to ever play at the World Ultimate Club Championships in 2018. There, she was the top-scoring female player in the mixed division with 22 goals, finishing 11th overall in total goals out of 1,100 athletes.
Dyer captained the Memorial Ultimate Touring Team to its top finish to date at the Canadian University Ultimate Championships (CUUC) and at the Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC) with Regiment, he finished fourth in scoring and 11th in total points (out of 360 athletes). His performance earned him a tryout with the U24 Team Canada squad later this month.
Hull co-captained Storm at the Junior Canadian Ultimate Championships, where she lead the team in scoring and was named the team’s tournament all-star. In December, her St. Bonaventure’s team won the Mount Pearl Senior High Invitational.
Workman was a leader on Mount Pearl Senior High’s ultimate team that won the provincial high school tournament in 2018. He was also a member of Storm and led the team in points at the Junior Canadian Ultimate Championships.
Stoyles served as head coach for the open squad of Storm in 2018 and coached the team to its first two victories at the Junior Canadian Ultimate Championships, including an upset win over the ninth-seeded team. Storm finished 20th overall, up from a seeded position of 24th. Stoyles also coaches the ultimate team at Holy Spirit High School.
Genest is a member of Tempest, the province’s female competitive club team, where she is a leader in sportsmanship, fair-mindedness and respect for her teammates and opponents. She currently captains the Mount Allison Ultimate Team and has led them to numerous first-place finishes in Spirit of the Game rankings.
Sullivan is the current sport development co-ordinator for Ultimate NL. A leader on and off the field, she’s played on competitive club teams Tempest and Wreckhouse and is a current captain of Tempest. She regularly volunteers at youth ultimate tournaments and is an ambassador for Spirit of the Game at all levels of play.
Thornhill served as the youth co-ordinator for Ultimate NL from 2016-2017, where he was instrumental in the growth of the province’s competitive and recreational youth programs. His leadership led to the start of Storm, a junior competitive program that fields teams in the open and women’s divisions. In addition, Thornhill has served as tournament director for many high school, junior high and elementary school tournaments and was heavily involved in managing the city’s high school metro league.
Ultimate NL is hosting elementary and junior high development leagues this winter.
Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce that it is hosting development leagues for elementary and junior high-aged players this winter.
The winter elementary development league will be held on Tuesdays from Feb. 19-March 26 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Players in Grades 3-6 are eligible to participate, and the cost is $50.
The winter junior high development league will be take place on Mondays from Feb. 18-April 1 (no games on March 18) from 7-8 p.m. This league is open to players in Grades 7-9 and there is a $50 registration fee.
Both leagues will be held in the gymnasium in the Paul Reynolds Centre in St. John’s.
These leagues will focus on introducing new skills and enhancing understanding of ultimate while also providing the opportunity for more experienced players to develop their skills with progressive drills, one-on-one coaching and weekly scrimmages.
Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is offering a youth competition development camp for teens ages 13-18 this winter.
Participants will enjoy drills, skills development and game situations while also receiving one-on-one mentorship and guidance from experienced ultimate players and coaches. It’s the the first time that Ultimate NL has offered a camp specifically targeted at developing potential competitive athletes.
“The purpose of this camp is to help young players take their skills to the next level,” says Luke Dyer, Ultimate NL’s youth performance and development co-ordinator. “We will work with them to identify their strengths and weakness as well as show them what’s necessary and expected for players on a provincial-level team. Through individual feedback, we hope they can gain a greater understanding of what they need to work on to improve as ultimate players.”
“The purpose of this camp is to help young players take their skills to the next level.” – Luke Dyer
One of Ultimate NL’s priorities is to grow its junior competitive program. There are currently two competitive club teams in the junior open and women’s divisions, both named Storm. The competition development camp is intended to build player skills and capacity that will eventually help increase the competitiveness of the Storm teams.
In 2018, Ultimate NL sent its first junior women’s team to the Canadian Ultimate Championships where they finished 20th overall and second in the spirit rankings. The open team broke seed to finish 20th (up from a 24th-place ranking) and 11th overall in spirit.
“We’re offering them the opportunity to demonstrate and improve their skills, which they can then bring to competitive teams like Storm now and in the future,” said Dyer. “While you don’t have to be a Storm player to take part in the camp, we hope many participants will discover the fun and camaraderie that comes with playing on high-level teams and come out to tryouts later this winter.”
Storm tryouts will be held in February and March. Details will be announced in the coming months.
The competition development camp will be held on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Techniplex in St. John’s from Feb. 7-March 14. The cost is $60.
