FRENCH NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN AT FISU GAMES

Christina Spence (Port Alberni, B.C.) from the University of Victoria and Lee French (London, Ont.) from Humber College will captain Canada’s golf teams at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the five-member women’s team and six-member men’s team on Thursday, with Spence and French, the individual medallists from the recent Royal Canadian Golf Association University/College Championship in Fredericton, leading the charge.

Spence will be joined by Vikes teammate Anne Balser (Digby, N.S.), as well as Gab Dugré (La Sarre, Que.) from Laval University, Shauna Wilde (Mississauga, Ont.) from Humber College and Melissa Coré (Beaconsfield, Que.) from UBC.

Joining French on the men’s side are teammate Mike Zizek (Mississauga, Ont.), Waterloo’s Jud Whiteside (Thornhill, Ont.), Jade Dennill (Naksup, B.C.) from UVic, Darren Roach (Quispamsis, N.B.) from UNB, and Patrick Forbes (Toronto) from Queen’s.

Scoring at the Universiade will be different from traditional North American team competitions, with the women using two of three scores daily and the men using three of four. The remaining two golfers on each team will play as individuals with head coach Ray Chateau of Humber College announcing his detailed roster closer to the Games.

“This is going to be the strongest team we have had,” said Chateau, who guided Canada’s effort at the 2006 World University Golf Championships in Turin, Italy, as well as the 2004 event in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Golf is an optional sport at the multi-sport Universiade. “This is our third time competing at this level and I think the biggest piece this time is that we have so many seniors. This is a very mature team with a great deal of experience and that bodes well in terms of handling the event.”

Spence, who is studying law at UVic after playing out her university eligibility at the University of New Mexico, won the 2006 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship in Oliver, B.C., by five strokes and then finished 10th at the Royale Cup National Canadian Amateur Championship in New Brunswick.

Dugré has previous international experience as part of Canada’s team that finished 13th at the 2006 World University Golf Championships and she tied with Balser for second overall at the recent RCGA championship. Balser also competed at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Golf National Championship in San Diego, Calif., in May where she tied for 17th overall with Coré.

Coré tied for fifth at the RCGA championship with Wilde, who was named Northeast Conference (NEC) Women’s Golfer of the Year in 2005 after leading Long Island University to its first-ever NEC title. Also a runner-up in 2002, Wilde set NEC Championship records for single-round and tournament scores in her 2005 victory.

“On the women’s side, you’re only counting two players so I think a lot of countries have a chance at a medal,” said Chateau. “Christina will be right there so it’s a question of one of the other two stepping up. You couldn’t ask for a better leader than Christina. I think she’ll play a tremendous role in taking our program and moving it forward.”

The U.S. has traditionally dominated this event on the women’s side, while Japan and Russia rounded out the podium finishers in 2006.

Aside from winning the RCGA championship, French is the reigning Canadian Colleges Athletic Association champion and has played in six Canadian Amateurs. Also his club champion at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, he has earned the right to play in a charity event later this summer with Mike Weir.

Dennill competed at the 2006 World University Golf Championships, finishing 1-under-par as the men placed fourth. He tied with Whiteside for third at the recent RCGA championship at 6-under-par and is also the reigning NAIA long-drive champion (342 yards). In the third round of the RCGA event, Whitside shot a course and school record of 64.

Zizek played in the 2006 Canadian Amateur and was the CCAA individual medallist in 2004 as a freshman, while Forbes played in both the 2006 Canadian Amateur and U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Roach finished 24th at the Canadian Amateur in 2006 and has also represented his country at the world junior curling championships.

“The men’s team has the opportunity to medal,” said Chateau. “Denill has been there before, French is playing just phenomenal golf – 18 of his last 19 rounds under par – and we’ve got guys like Whiteside who can go very low on any given day. Many of these guys have won team championships and that’s huge experience for them to draw on. They know what it takes to win in team golf -- you have to fight for every stroke and you have to pull for each other, and these guys will.”

Chateau expects Japan to enter as the favourite after their win in 2006, while several countries including England, Ireland, the U.S, and South Africa will challenge for a medal along with Canada. The Americans and British took home silver and bronze respectively at the last event.

Canada’s golf teams will arrive on the 10th and get in practice rounds on the 12th and 13th. Bob Dubeau, McGill’s long-time athletic director now in his third season as head coach of their golf program, is assisting Chateau.

About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are 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 24th Summer Universiade to be held Aug. 8-18, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand will feature 10,000 participants including 8,000 student-athletes from 141 countries competing in 18 sports.

Canada is sending its largest delegation to Bangkok with 350 participants including 255 student-athletes competing in the following sports: athletics badminton, basketball, diving, golf, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, shooting, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball.

For all the info on the 2007 Summer Universiade:
Bangkok 2007 site: www.bangkok2007.com
Team Canada site: www.universitysport.ca/bangkok

Source:

Marc Weber
Sports Information Officer
Team Canada
2007 Summer Universiade
Off: (604) 822-9115
Cell: (604) 999-9991
varsity@interchange.ubc.ca

For additional information:

Kimberly Moser
Sports Information Manager
Team Canada
2007 Summer Universiade
Off: (416) 736-5982
kmoser@yorku.ca