Local Sports
RDC Queens Hockey Hosting SAIT January 5th

By Sheldon Spackman
The Christmas break is now over for the RDC Queens Hockey team. The Queens are hosting the SAIT Trojans at the Enmax Centrium Thursday, January 5th for a 7:00 pm face-off.
College officials say with 20 points, the Queens sit in 1st place in ACAC Womenās Hockey and have 7 wins in their past 10 ACAC games. Leading the league defensively, the Queens have allowed an average of only 1.62 goals against per game. Clicking at 25.6% efficiency, the Queens have the 2nd most effective power play in ACAC Womenās Hockey and only trail the SAIT Trojans by 1.7%. Three RDC Queens occupy the top 3 spots in ACAC Womenās Hockey scoring. Ashley Graf leads the league with 15 points, while teammates Jade Petrie and Emily Swier are tied for 2nd place with 12 points each.
Local Sports
The evolution of a Red Deer College student-athlete

This article submitted by RDC Athletics
Three years have brought big changes for Amy Szymanek of Queens Basketball
Red Deer College Queens Basketball forward Amy Szymanekās progression as a player has been nothing short of remarkable, but perhaps her development as a student and leader have been even more impressive.
In her rookie season with the Queens in 2018/2019, the former David Thompson High School Voyageurs guard, averaged 2.8 points per game, and connected on 45.5 per cent of her free-throws, and 34.6 per cent from the field. That experience set the foundation for future development.
āWith one year under my belt, I was more comfortable at the college level and believed in myself a lot more,ā said Szymanek. āI was very motivated to return and wanted to contribute in more ways.ā
In the summer of 2019, the Bachelor of Education student added another aspect of training to her routine as she prepared for her second year of competition in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).
āI trained physically and mentally,ā she said. āVisualization was a big aspect of improving my performance. I visualized the gyms we played in, the colours on the floor, my opponentsā faces, and the crowd. Throughout the next season, it felt like I was reliving many of the situations I envisioned.ā
As the 2019/2020 season approached, Szymanek made a positive impression on new Queens Head Coach Mandy Botham.
āThe first time we met, Amy offered to take on any role that would help the team,ā said Botham. āAt our first scrimmage, it only took five minutes for me to see that Amy was a player I wanted to have on the Queens. She displayed huge potential as a player and a leader.ā
During Szymanekās second year, Botham challenged the student-athlete from Stauffer, Alberta, to reach new heights, and she responded. Szymanek more than tripled her offensive output from the previous season to 10.2 points per game. Only teammates Harneet Sidhu (12.1) and Britney Peters (10.5) averaged more points.
āAmy is so coachable and the more opportunity I gave her, the more she rose to the occasion,ā said Botham. āAmy is a good shooter, but one of her best aspects offensively is her ability to get to the rim and draw fouls.ā
Last season, Szymanek earned 64 free-throw opportunities, which was second most on the Queens, and only one behind teammate Sandra Garcia-Bernal. Szymanekās accuracy from the free-throw line climbed to 71.9 per cent and her efficiency from the field increased to 38.5 per cent, but her growth extended to other areas of the court.
āRebounding was a big emphasis for us as a smaller team, and Amyās contributions at both ends of the floor kept getting better,ā explained Botham. āWe were one of the top rebounding teams in the ACAC last season, which I am really proud of.ā

Szymanek exhibited impeccable timing and tenacity, more than doubling her total of 57 rebounds to 121 from one season to the next. The Queens ranked second in the 15 team league with 46.1 boards per game, slightly behind the Briercrest College Clippers (47.6).
While Szymanekās statistics increased, she also embraced a crucial defensive role.
āAmy is gritty and versatile, and she loves the challenge of defending our opponentsā best players, who are often bigger,ā said Botham of the five-foot-nine forward. āSo her footwork and technique have to be spot on to overcome that size disadvantage.ā
As impressive as Szymanekās progression has been on the hardwood, the development of her leadership skills has also become more prominent and impactful.
āAs one of our team captains, Amy takes initiative, communicates with her teammates, and holds herself and others to a really high standard,ā said Botham. āShe has the ability to properly read the situation, lighten the mood when itās appropriate and know when itās time to be serious. As a coach, I really appreciate that.ā
Szymanek credits past and current coaches, and family, especially her older brother Kevin, who was a member of Kings Basketball, for the development of her basketball and leadership skills.
āKevin is an essential catalyst in my basketball growth. He had his sights on college basketball before I did, and he pushed me to limits I never thought Iād achieve. He still does,ā she said.
āAs kids, we would play on this little court with a make-shift hoop that my dad made and we would play all night. I smile when I think about that memory. Playing against a larger and more skilled brother, it fuelled my competitive spirit.ā
Along with additional team depth and experience, Szymanek played an instrumental role in the Queens Basketball team (10-11) nearly capturing the final playoff spot in the South Division in 2019/2020, finishing only two points behind the Medicine Hat College Rattlers (11-10). At the end of the campaign, Szymanek and the Queens identified several valuable lessons to bring forward.
āIt really hurt when we missed the playoffs, but our coaches encouraged us to use it as a learning opportunity,ā said Szymanek. āIf we want to compete and win, we have to bring it each and every night, including in practice.ā
When the 2020/2021 ACAC season was cancelled due to COVID-19, the RDC Queens practiced together as a cohort, according to health and safety protocols. As restrictions tightened, the student- athletes pivoted their plans to work out more individually.
āOur strength and conditioning coach [Greg Howe] altered our workouts to be done at home,ā said Szymanek. āRDC Athletics has also been really supportive of us during the pandemic.ā
Szymanek, who plans to play all five years at RDC, also experienced growth academically.
āAmy was always a good student, but she raised her GPA to nearly 3.70 for Fall 2020 Term. Iāve seen a tremendous commitment from her,ā said Botham. āShe excels in her courses, trains, has basketball responsibilities as a leader, and works on her parentās farm year round.ā
Botham appreciates Szymanekās willingness to participate in a variety of College and community events.
āAmy is always one of the first athletes to volunteer when I have a request or opportunity for community engagement,ā stated Botham. āShe was part of the Student-Athletes Advisory Council last season and is involved again this year.ā
āAs Co-Chair, along with Tyler Podgorenko from Kings Hockey, we organize and run the Student- Athletes Advisory Council meetings, and oversee the completion of initiatives,ā said Szymanek. āWe are still doing a lot of community work this year ā blood drives, sidewalk shoveling, and mental health awareness, with six projects in total.ā
As part of their Bleed Green campaign from February 22 to 26, the Council is encouraging a friendly competition of blood donations between RDCās 15 teams. The student-athletes hope that members of the College and surrounding communities will join their efforts to contribute to Canadian Blood Services.
āThese initiatives are important because they emphasize community and as student-athletes we can use our voices to help,ā said Szymanek. āChildren and people of a variety of ages look up to us. We have that reach and it is essential that we use it for positive things.ā
Trying to stay positive is essential during this time, as COVID-19 has created challenges for Queens Basketball, as well as teams and leagues across North America. Szymanek, Botham, and the Queens look forward to the return of basketball, which includes hosting the ACAC Championship when competition safely resumes.
āPlaying in front of our own fans in the beautiful Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre for a championship will be awesome. Winning and heading to nationals is the ultimate goal,ā said Szymanek. āI feel our team is on the rise and we can make it a reality. We have a long way to go and it wonāt come easy, but we work for that every day, even now.ā
While waiting for the next season to officially begin, Szymanek continues to impress her head coach and many others as she develops in all aspects of being an RDC student-athlete.
āAmy is a positive ambassador for not only Queens Basketball, but for RDC Athletics as a whole,ā said Botham. āThe trajectory of Amyās improvement as a student-athlete and leader have almost been unbelievable and Iāve been fortunate to have a front row seat.ā
Community
The Raptors (Ridgefield Raptors that is) are coming to Edmonton next summer
At first word that the Raptors will be spending a few days in Edmonton next summer, sports fans might be excused for jumping up and down at the thought of a high-profile NBA event.
But the Raptors under discussion play another game — baseball — and they’re based not in Toronto but in Ridgefield, Wash., a small centre near the Washington-Oregon border which claims fewer than 10,000 residents in its Wikipedia profile. Edmonton — officially labeled the Riverhawks — is now a partner in the West Coast League, which develops college players and has seen several top prospects selected in recent Major League Baseball drafts.
Also joining this week are teams based in Kamloops and Nanaimo, bringing the British Columbia contingent to four teams. Victoria and Kelowna were already members of what now is a 15-team organization.
Teams currently occupy Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla and Port Angeles in Washington, as well as Bend, Corvallis and other communities in Oregon.
The city of Edmonton confirmed months ago that the Edmonton Prospects of the Western Canadian Baseball League would not be returning to Re/Max Field. Several years of association with Pat Cassidy and the Prospects had led to difficult feelings on both sides.
The Prospects are developing a new facility in Stony Plain. It will be ready for competition in 2022. Cassidy has said his team will find another place to play in 2021. All comments on next year and beyond are based, of course, on the progress of local, provincial and national fights against COVID.
Randy Gregg, the former Edmonton Oilers defenceman who led the new group’s campaign to function in Re/Max Field, unveiled his new organization at a well-attended news conference and said several options concerning the WCBL were considered but “there were continuing roadblocks.”
During months of negotiation, Gregg and his supporters did not communicate with the public. Neither did city council. “When you sign a non-disclosure agreement, you have to abide by it. Your signature has to mean something,” he said.
Gregg insisted the Riverhawks organization has no ill feelings about the WCBL. “It might have worked well,” he said. A few casual remarks were made about the potential value to this entire region if both the WCBL and the WCL are profitable.
The Edmonton approach includes sharing in travel costs for existing West Coast League teams. Similar situations made it difficult for a pair of so-called “independent” teams to operate in the years after the Edmonton Trappers were sold and Edmonton had no significant baseball.
Gregg is convinced the new load of travel costs will not be insurmountable. The Riverhawks are a collection of 28 contributors. He also pointed out that at least a couple of Edmonton’s new partners are owned or controlled by owners with major-league connections.’
“We’ve got a big job ahead of us,” he said. “We know that a lot of baseball fans have never seen a game at Re/Max Field.”
As things were unfolding between the Prospects and city officials, there were regular suggestions that no lease would have been granted for the WCBL in 2021. “Can you imagine what it would feel like to have no baseball for maybe three or four years in this great sports city?”
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