Sports Extra
Wheelchair hoops

(taken from the April 21, 2010 St. Albert Gazette)

    

The Edmonton Inferno wheelchair basketball team is hosting a women’s tournament and skills clinic this weekend at Servus Credit Union Place.

Head coach Bill Johnson and assistant coach Michael Broughton from the Canadian women’s wheelchair team are in charge of Friday’s athlete camp from 6 to 8 p.m. on courts A and B. An additional clinic is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. on court A.

The clinics are open to all female athletes, regardless of classification, experience or ability level. If interested in participating, contact Danielle Peers at daniellepeers@gmail.com

The tournament draw includes the Inferno, six-time reigning Canadian women’s league champions, Calgary, Saskatoon and a B team put together by the Inferno. Saturday’s tipoff times for the Inferno are 9 a.m. against Calgary on court A and 2:15 p.m. against Saskatoon on court B. At 8:30 a.m. Sunday the Inferno plays the B team on court A. The finals are 11 a.m. on both courts. The weekend’s wrap-up session starts at 1 p.m. on court B, followed with a practice by the Edmonton juniors at 3 p.m.

The Inferno roster includes Team Canada post Tara Feser of St. Albert. The 2008 Paralympic national team member is coming off her second NCAA championship in two years with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. In the final she scored 10 points as the Crimson Tide defeated the University of Illinois 66-36 to finish 37-3 overall. It marked the second season in a row the Crimson Tide went undefeated against women’s teams while reeling off 57 straight wins. Their five losses the last two years were against men’s teams.

Long-time Inferno guard Jen Krempien is also expected to hoop it up this weekend. The 2009 Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductee retired from the national team after the 2008 Paralympics. The three-time Paralympic gold medallist and four-time Gold Cup world champion was the 2007/08 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association female athlete of the year. She was presented with the key to the City of St. Albert in December of 2008.
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