—

PACWEST
ends with
men’s loss

Langara’s basketball team
loses first round of provin-
cial championships

By MARTIN WISSMATH

ended their season last Thursday

with a loss against Capilano Uni-
versity in the provincial champion-
ships.

The Falcons were good enough to
qualify for the PACWEST 2012 Provin-
cial Championships during the season
but lost in the first round of the tourna-
ment 85-77 against the Capilano Uni-
versity Blues.

“We didn’t play particularly well, so
not a whole lot worked well for us,”
said Langara’s head coach Jake McCal-
lum via e-mail. He said the team will
have to work on improving the rate of
gaining back rebounds and keeping
possession of the ball. There were too
many turnovers in the game, he added.

If there was one positive to take
away, it was the outstanding play of
guard Brody Greig.

“Greig was our best player in the
game,” McCallum said. “[His] play
would be the only thing I would con-
sider to be a highlight.”

The provincial championships took
place March 1 to 3 at the Capilano Uni-
versity Sportsplex and involved three
rounds, starting with the quarter-fi-
nals.

Other teams qualifying for the tour-
nament were the Douglas College Roy-
als, the Camosun College Chargers,
Vancouver Island University Mariners
and UNBC Timberwolves.

Capilano went on to play in the
bronze medal game last Saturday af-
ternoon but lost to Camosun 84-78.

UNBC played VIU in the gold medal
game on Saturday evening. The Tim-
berwolves won the 2012 provincial
championship 69-62.

The Falcons loss means they do not
qualify for the Canadian Collegiate
Athletic Association National Champi-
onship, to be held March 15 to 18 in
Nova Scotia.

UNBC Timberwolves is the only
PACWEST conference team that quali-
fied for the nationals.

PACWEST consists of a total of 14
colleges and universities in the prov-
ince.

The last time Langara’s men’s bas-
ketball team won a provincial champi-
onship was in 1999 under head coach
Kevin Hanson. They went on to win the
nationals that year.

The Falcons’ 2012-2013 season will
start in September.

Levers men’s basketball team

THORSTEN GOHL photo
Langara guard Brody Greig

EDITOR EMMA CRAWFORD

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 8

Badminton team scores big

(Top) Team
B.C. (PAC-
WEST) pos-
ing with their
trophy and
medals March
3 in Kamloops
at the CCAA
Badminton Na-
tional Champi-
onships.
(Middle) Luke
Couture, bronze
medalist
(PACWEST),
standing with
silver medalist
Bob Sharma
(PACWEST
Host) and gold
medalist Dan
Kai (ACAC).
(Bottom) Alisa
Young speaks
with Marc
Petreman,
coach, about
plays and tech-
niques between
matches.

BONNIE CHEUNG
photos

Langara wins
bronze in men’s,
places sixth in
women’s

By ASHLEY VIENS

grets.”
That was from Luke Couture,
Langara Falcons badminton play-
er, about his bronze medal win at na-
tionals last weekend in Kamloops.

The 2012 Canadian Collegiate Ath-
letic Association Badminton National
Championships was held March 1-3
and hosted by Thompson Rivers Uni-
versity and the city of Kamloops at the
Tournament Capital Centre in Kam-
loops, B.C.

Couture competed in the men’s sin-
gles event with PACWEST division.

“T can’t go into anything without
wanting the gold,” said Couture when
asked about his expectations at nation-
als.

Couture’s fellow Falcon, Alisa Young,
placed sixth in women’s singles with
PACWEST Host division.

“Singles isn’t my strength, and I was
sick over the weekend, but it was still
fun,” she said. “I got to meet a lot of
great people.”

Coach Mare Petreman spoke highly
of both players and their performance
at nationals.

“Alisa, she is one of our best female
players, ” he said. “Luke, he helped us
bring home the gold medal for Team
B.C.”

Both Young and Couture competed
with the top players in each division to
form Team B.C., which placed first in
the provincial team competitions.

“Becoming teammates with who
your opponents were [before], that was
a really cool experience,” said Young.

With nationals over, both Young and
Couture are hoping to keep up the mo-
mentum for the rest of the term.

“T graduate in April, and I’m training
for another competition, the Canadian
Intercollegiate Sports CCAA champi-
onship, at the end of March,” said Cou-
ture.

Couture is also looking into the pos-
sibility of training in Denmark this
summer.

Young isn’t certain where the next
few months will lead, but she hopes to
return to Langara to play with the Fal-
cons next year.

And the celebration after the compe-
tition?

“Everyone made it home safely,”
said Coach Petreman, with a chuckle.

a it all out on the line. No re-

Get some fun, free lunchtime exercise

Intramurals program allows all students the option of taking part in indoor sports with no fees

66

Everything
is really
well-orga-
nized...it’s
all really
great

LANCE TURPEN

By QUINN MELL-COBB

es offered to students and faculty

at Langara College, the intramu-
rals program is one of the most popu-
lar.

With no entrance or equipment fees
to speak of, the opportunity for some
free exercise is one that is utilized ev-
ery day on campus.

And even for the casual observer,
such as Langara physics student Lance
Turpen, simply watching the proceed-
ings unfold — in this case, an indoor soc-
cer game on a Thursday afternoon —
can provide a thrill.

“Pm actually rehabbing a broken
ankle right now,” said Turpen, his
crutches visible next to his seat in the
bleachers as he observed the fancy

Aj the many perks and servic-

footwork of the players. “Normally I’'d
be doing this since I’m on break for a
couple hours, but it’s actually pretty
nice to come out and just watch.”

Along with indoor soccer, the other
sports offered in the college’s intramu-
rals program are basketball and bad-
minton. In a recent development, cer-
tain outdoor leisure activities were
also added such as bocce and croquet,
with equipment available for partici-
pants to sign out daily from 8:30 a.m. to
3:30 p.m.

As of now, no new indoor intramural
sports appear to be in the works, al-
though given the amount of gym space,
it is feasible that sports such as Euro-
pean handball, dodge ball or floor hock-
ey could be added in the near future.

As with most, if not all gymnasiums,
the possibility of theft while a student

is playing exists, but Langara has taken
countermeasures to prevent such oc-
currences. Half-size and full-size lock-
ers (complete with locks) are available
to rent for a very affordable rate of $20
and $25 respectively, with towel service
available for an additional $5 charge if
one so chooses.

“I know personally ’'m way more
comfortable with my stuff locked up
while I’m playing.” Turpen said.

Athletics and intramurals director
Jake McCallum was unavailable for
comment, but Turpen was quick to ac-
knowledge McCallum and the rest of
his staff’s help in developing the intra-
murals program into the well-oiled ma-
chine it is today.

“Everything
nized,” he said.

“Tt’s all really great.”

is really well-orga-