Henry Pednaud, Grade 8, brought home a bronze medal from the BC Summer Games as part of the Vancouver Coastal baseball team last month. Henry had the privilege of pitching in the opening game of the tournament, throwing 90 pitches. He left after the fifth inning with a 6 to 2 lead, no earned runs and 4 strike outs vs a very strong Fraser River team. Being part of the team allowed him to renew friendships made during his regular season with the North Shore Twins of the BCPBL and make new friends from all over the province. Henry wishes to thank all of his coaches right here on the Coast where he started with the Sunshine Coast Baseball Association.
Trevor Ward, Grade 9, as part of the Zone 5 soccer squad came home with a gold medal from the BC Summer Games. Weathering early morning ferry rides to North Vancouver in May for tryouts, Trevor was one of 18 players chosen from more than 100 hopefuls. Heading into their Summer Games’ final match July 21, the team was undefeated and knew it was going to be a tough game against Vancouver Island. With an early goal for Vancouver Coastal, it gave a slight amount of breathing space. But Vancouver Island did not let up and kept the pressure on. Close to the end of the half, Coastal got another goal for a 2-0 half time score. This did not mean that they could sit back, this made the pressure on the boys so much more. With 15 minutes left in the half Vancouver Island gained a goal, 2-1. The tenseness of the game was felt throughout the stadium, by players and supporters, many pacing up and down the sideline with nervous excitement. Seeing Canada getting knocked out in the semifinals of the Copa America, and England losing the European final, was this going to break the “streak of three.” The crowd didn’t know how much time was left in the match when the sweet sound of the whistle blared, and the deafening roar and cheer from the players, coaches and supporters erupted. Vancouver Coastal had done it. Undefeated, they richly deserve the gold medal.
