Swimmers in Ottawa

By: Nicholas Lightbody

Exams are finished, the stress of academic assignments and labs and papers are over, and the RMCC Swim Team packed up their gear and headed to Ottawa to compete at the GO Kingfish Long Course Invitational Swim Meet. This was the first long course (50 m pool instead of 25 m) swim competition the swim team has competed at this year, and was also a first for many swimmers on the team. The extra distance per length forces every swimmer to strategize their races differently, and this opportunity gave each of the athletes on the team the chance to test the endurance that they have developed over the season. After a hard few weeks of training, including a total distance of 29.1 km the week prior to the competition swimmers were tired but eager to see what they could do given the circumstances. The RMCC Swim Club is just finishing off the hardest part of their training and will be begin their taper for Master Nationals.

There were a few excellent races swum by the members of the swim team this past weekend including second place finishes by NCdt. Nicholas Lightbody in the 50 fly and 50 free and a first place finish in 100 freestyle. OCdt. Sandy Edmonson also managed to place second in her 50 m backstroke, posting a time of 1:14.15. RMC took the top three finishes in the 50 m breaststroke with OCdt. Nicholas Swanson finishing first, NCdt. Nicholas Lightbody finishing second, and NCdt. Connor Duke finishing third. NCdt Levesque and NCdt Rueben also made best times in several swims.

The swim team is back in the pool for their final three weeks of training for the season in preparation for nationals. The training will only be getting easier as the weeks go on and the training in the pool will payoff at the final and most important swimming competition of the year, Master’s Nationals. The national competition will be held from May 17th-20th in Ottawa.

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Triathletes in Florida

By: Guod Rehcuop

On 27 April 2013 eight members of the RMC Triathlon Club competed in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. St Anthony’s is a high profile Olympic distance triathlon (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) on the International Triathlon Union (ITU) circuit, and was quite a challenging event for the Officer Cadets’ in their first race of the triathlon season.

Lead by Team Captain OCdt (IV) Alida Stockermans, the team consisted of OCdt (IV) Isabelle Allain, OCdt (IV) Stacey Litjens Cusan, OCdt (III) Adam Goddard, OCdt (III) Michelle Begin-Major, OCdt (III) Iain Wilson, Captain (Res) Nick Cosman and staff member LCdr Doug Poucher.

Race day proved to be challenging on all fronts, with 30(+) degree weather, 3 to 4 foot waves whipped up by 30 to 40 knot winds, not to mention the extra layers of security surrounding the event in the aftermath of Boston. Nonetheless, despite these obstacles the race started on time at 0700 with the Professional triathletes in the first swim wave, followed by the Elites, and then 20 more waves of Age Group triathletes from ages 17 to 50(+), including some remarkable 70 and 80 year olds! However, within minutes of the start the Race Director had to shorten the 1500 meter swim to 750 meters as a safety precaution due to the high waves and winds!

As a team in their first major triathlon RMC did very well, especially considering that several of them were beginner triathletes. In the individual Women’s race OCdts Michelle Begin-Major and Alida Stockermans placed 7th and 16th respectively in their age category, while OCdts Iain Wilson and Adam Goddard finished 5th and 17th in their Men’s age group. In the Men’s Elite race Nick Cosman did a very respectable 41st despite problems with a food-induced stomach ailment, and LCdr Doug Poucher placed 7th in “older” Men’s age category.

In the Relay Team event, the RMC Women’s team consisting of OCdts Stacey Cusan and Isabelle Allain placed a remarkable 2nd in the Female Relay with their time of 2:18:57 (12:58 Swim and 1:13.33 Bike done by OCdt Cusan, and a 45:47 run done by OCdt Allain).

Overall the race went exceptionally well with all members having an amazing experience, notwithstanding 4 long days of driving to and from the event. With St Anthony’s now firmly under their belts, this will certainly set the stage for more triathlons to come this summer!

More Room Required for RMCC Trophy Case

The 30th Trofeo Accademia Navale e citta di Livorno (TAN) officially ended with a spectacular awards presentation at the Italian Naval Academy. TAN is a sailing regatta that comprises of 9 different classes of sail boats. The regatta is a combined Italian Naval Academy and city of Livorno event and draws thousands to Livorno each year.

Although we were scheduled to match race for three days following the fleet races, high winds, rain and high sea state caused the race committee to change the race format to a team racing format. Four teams of eight raced against each other where the top four boats moved on and the bottom 4 were eliminated. Ideally the bottom four boats would have had their own round robin event, but the significant weather only permitted the top four winners of each group to carry on competing.

Team RMCC ended up in the finals racing against, UAE, BAH, TUR, ITA, SLO, BRA, IND. After finishing second in the semi-finals RMCC finished third overall behind UAE and BAH finishing 3rd in each of the two final races.

At the award ceremonies Team RMCC received the following trophies.

3rd place- Fleet racing

3rd Place- Team Racing

As well, because there were more than military academies racing, there was a military academies award, for which RMCC placed 3rd as well.

For their efforts they also won a beautiful Red Ferrari, however Canadian government gifting policies prevented us from accepting.

Each of the countries team leaders, which ranged in rank from the RMCC’s CWO to the Egyptian vice Admiral, divided their time equally between watching the races from observation boats provided and attending a comprehensive cultural program. These activities provided each academy’s team leader, an opportunity to discuss and learn from each other with respect to our individual processes, organizations, demographics, and academic requirements as well as learn about the history and culture of the Tuscany region. Historical guided tours were provided of the Livorno Naval Academy, the old port of Livorno via canal boat tour, Florence, Pisa and Lucca. We met with the mayor of Livorno after a parade through town and toured the WASS torpedo manufacturing plant.

One of the two highlights of our cultural program was a most unusual wine tour of a very small wine region just south of Livorno and Saturday nights Ballet.

Victorrio, the wineries communications representative, wrapped our glasses in stories that went on for the entire afternoon. This completely self serve wine and food tasting event inside a well appointed Tuscan villa with an over abundance of italian leather sofa’s and marble tables provided an environment we all think of when we think of Tuscany.

Saturday night the team leaders and some of their visiting defense attache’s from Rome attended the Ballet “Genisis”. This five story opera and ballet theatre was an impressive display of fine italian architecture dating back to the late 17th century.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the commandant for his unwavering support, the faculty, training wing and the athletic department for working through those scheduling issues that are required when our cadets participate in events such as these at this time of year. HMCS ONTARIO  for permitting the RMCC sailing team access to their 420′s just prior to us departing.

Together you all played a role in this teams success.

I look forward to seeing us all work together in creating the RMCC aquatics centre which will no doubt be the home of our future aquatic sport trophies.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Ocdt Foscarini, Mahon, Germain and Bowen. They each represented Canada with distinction. On and off the water they developed respectful relationships with not only the other crews but also their team leaders.

Cheers

RMCC CWO    Previous Article on TAN 2013

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Trofeo Accademia Navale – The Competitors Perspective

25902 OCdt (IV)Nigel Mahon

Recently, four members of the RMCC sailing team returned from a 9-day international regatta hosted by the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno, Italy. The regatta, the Trofeo Accademia Navale, consisted of several different boat classes and regattas that involved much of the town where it is hosted. The RMCC sailing team participated in the foreign military component of the event that was attended by 26 military sailing teams from around the world. The foreign military regatta consisted of three days of fleet racing and three days of “theater-style” racing with several other events and activities throughout the week that allowed the teams to talk and share their experiences from their respective academies. (For more information on the day-to-day events during the regatta see the College Chief Warrant Officer’s posts).

The RMCC sailing team has been preparing all year to compete in regattas and develop the sailing skills of its members. Throughout the fall season the team practice four days a week and attended several college level regattas in the local area. In the winter season when it was too cold to sail the team continued to train with theory classes once a week and gym sessions Friday mornings. The week before departing for Italy we got two boats in the water to have a weekend of theory and practical training. With the help of the CCWO we got back into the sailing mindset and reviewed some of the rules and tactics we would be using in Italy. The lake is still pretty cold in April but it paid off.

The regatta provided an incredible chance for the cadets from the different academies to learn from their counterparts from other countries and hear how their academies and militaries are similar and different from ours. Most of the teams in attendance spoke some English and several of the teams such as Norway and India were basically fluent. Our French language proficiency proved useful with the cadets from Belgium who natively speak French.

Each team was given a host for the week from the Naval Academy to help with organization and getting around. Our host, Annalisa, was a 3rd year logistics officer completing a law degree. She was very capable in English and made sure we always had everything we needed and that we experienced as much of the culture as we could in 9 days. Between her and the other team’s hosts, they frequently planned evenings out at restaurants or bars that gave the cadets a chance to talk with one another in a relaxed setting. After exploring Pisa for a few hours one afternoon we went to a pizza restaurant where we met up with the teams from UAE, Mexico, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Tunisia. Several more of these evenings happened later in the week with the teams from Norway and Belgium. At the halfway point in our time there the hosts switched so the first group of hosts could resume classes again. Our new host was Giuseppe, a fourth year Coast Guard officer. Giuseppe was an avid member of their horse riding team and had competed and done very well in several competitions since he had started riding at the school. The school owns 16 horses that are kept adjacent to their outdoors sports area that is across the road from the main buildings of the academy. The team competes in jumping events and the coach in charge of the stables described the relationship of horse riding and naval operations such as understanding the motion of the boat/horse, and the split second decisions and guidance from the rider to the horse required to successfully complete a horse jumping competition.

The Naval Academy organized several events with buffets and music that all the teams attended in uniform and had time to socialize with the other cadets and the staff representatives from the other academies throughout the week. Most of the other teams that attended the regatta were from naval academies with the exception of Belgium and Serbia who have mixed academies similar to RMCC. Learning about the other academies shed light on the way other militaries operate and train their officers. Norway for example did not appear to have a hair standard as two of their three members had hair well over 6 inches long and covering their ears. Several of the academies required previous non-commissioned experience before attending the academies, and many of the academies tailor their training for the cadet’s specific trades. The Italian academy operates under this model with cadets applying for a trade in the Navy and going to the academy in a pre-selected degree program for that trade. Naval engineers only take mechanical engineering; logistics officers only take law, etc. Along with their academic program the academy also teachers specific trade skills rather then having the cadets go to separate training centers each summer. The line officers (MARS) study navigation, astronomy related to navigation, and spend time in the school’s bridge simulator. The school also trains coast guard officers, and medical officers for the first three years before they are sent to a larger university in another town.

Learning about how different academies run their programs begins to make many parts of RMC seem better then the general consensus perceives them. In the Italian Naval Academy, the first years all stay in rooms with approximately 40 beds. The beds have a bedside table and there are small lockers in separate rooms near the bathrooms. They have no privacy, minimal space to put their things, no personal computer access, and they aren’t allowed to close the windows of the room at any point during the year, including the cold nights in winter. During their first year of summer training they spend three months on the Navy’s tall ship learning about life at sea and developing as a group. One part of this training involves going for three days without food and water with the intention of breaking the group down and forcing them to find their strength and motivation. During the three days they are to find a symbol of their motivation that becomes the symbol of their year.

We had some time off during the week that was used for personal time but also to experience some of the history and culture of Italy. Our team went to Pisa on one of the earlier days with Annalisa where we saw many of the famous landmarks and learned about their significance. In the same area as the leaning tower are two other large buildings, each representing a different time in life. The first building is essentially a large dome representing birth, then a large cathedral in the middle signifying life, and the tower at the end. We had a day with no sailing included in the schedule that was used for the teams to visit Pisa, Florence, or Luca. Our team chose to visit Florence where we were given a guided tour with several other teams to see and learn the history of several “famous” areas. Some of the areas we visited were the Vecchio Palace, Vecchio Bridge, Signoria Square, Replublic Square, and Florence Catherdral. We had several opportunities to explore the town around the Academy as well which had kilometers of waterfront, a crowded canal, market squares, and many areas and objects of historical significance.

The RMCC sailing team attended this regatta to develop our sailing skills in a new environment against people from different sailing backgrounds then what we usually see in competitions around Canada. Some of the teams their had members that are internationally ranked like the skipper from Bahrain. We had a couple hours on the first day to practice and get used to moving within the boat and make sure everyone knew what their jobs were for each manoeuver. Throughout the competition our team improved and worked more smoothly together which paid off in the final “theater-style” racing event where we placed third. We briefed and debriefed each day and after most races to ensure continued development and learning from every opportunity.

The Trofeo Accademia Navale was an incredible experience for the RMC sailing team. The setting provided opportunities to meet cadets from other countries across the world and share experiences and knowledge with them. The competition itself provided further training and lessons that have been brought back to RMC by means of the member’s skills that can be incorporated into next year’s training for the team. The sailing team would like to thank everyone who supported our attendance at this regatta and a special thank you to CPO1 Davidson who took the time to ensure we got the most out of every learning situation on and off the water before and during our time in Italy.

The RMCC Sailing Competitive Club are representing the College  at the 30° Trofeo Accademia Navale regatta in Livorno, Italy from 20 Apr to 28 Apr. There are 23 different countries taking part in the event.

Club members 25745 OCdt Alanna Foscarini, 25902 OCdt Nigel Mahon, 26282 OCdt Kevin Bowen and 26554 OCdt Brittany Germain will be competing with CPO1 Keith Davidson as their coach and RMCC delegate.

http://www.trofeoaccademianavale.eu/

After two days of preparation, the TAN regatta commenced its first day of fleet racing.

The first race commenced with 34 boats from 24 Nations on the start line. Unfortunately, by the 3rd race there were only 25 boats remaining. The high winds and sea state overwhelmed some crews and by the end of the first day Broken masts, spinnaker poles, rigging and demoralized sailors were all that was left of several boats and crews.

The big players in town are of course the Italians, with home water advantage, as well as the teams from Baharain, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria and the current power house from China.

OCdt Foscarini and her team had a superb day on the water. Lessons were learned and of course a great regatta wouldn’t be one without a little blood shed. Ocdt Mahon offered lots of his to neptune, as a result of a few very tiny, teeny weeny facial lacerations, (those additional adjectives are for the parents) however the myth suggests that those who offer gifts to neptune will most likely be rewarded. Ocdt Mahon was cleaned up at the end of the day and is ready to start again tomorrow.

So, after the first day of racing, RMCC sailing team finished as follows

First Race – 7th place

Second Race – 6th Place

Third Race – 3rd place, beating China and Baharain.

The totals for the first day of racing have yet to be calculated and as such, we do not know were we stand overall at the end of three races. However, Because the top finishers have not consistently been the same boats, I am fairly certain that RMCC will be in the top 5 boats at the start of racing tomorrow.

I would like to sincerely thank those members of the academic wing, professors and deans, that displayed the much needed flexibility required when events such as these significantly impact on the exam period and subsequently causes more work for faculty members. Interestingly enough, the cadets turned down an off water event in order to find some much needed study time in what is a turning out to be very busy schedule.

Principle Sokolsky, could you please forward this update to the appropriate faculty members so that they are aware of how grateful the cadets are for their dedication and support.

I would also like to thank Christen Powers and her crew for providing outstanding support to all involved.

Cheers

RMCC CWO

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Day two (yesterday) of the TAN Regatta was very different from Mondays high winds and sea state. Due to very low winds tuesday, the race committee could only run 2 out of the scheduled 3 fleet races. The first day was hard on boats as described below, however the Italian Navy has managed to make all repairs required through the night and all 36 boats are once again on the start line.

Team RMCC got on to the water early to practice spinnaker hoists and douses as well as several gybes prior to the start.

Team RMC is now in the final stages of tweaking their sail handling and communication processes.

On completion of our 0630 morning runs, the team debriefs the previous days points. This morning, the team agreed that they have stopped yelling at each other and have started to communicate effectively.

All teams have been consistently improving thereby ensuring that dozens of boats are finishing within seconds of each other.

So at the end of day 2, RMCC placed as follows.

Race 4 – 2nd place

Race 5 – 8th place

Overall RMCC is tied for 3rd with Italy with 18 points. China is 2nd with 17 and UAE is first with 16 points. Its anyone’s game at the start of the third day

The cadets spent the night in barracks, after a day of racing, studying for their up coming exams.

At the beginning of day three, (Wed), most teams have decided to discard one team mate for today’s races, due to having too much weight in the boat for the very light winds expected. Team RMCC has decided that they would not be doing this as it conflicts with their over arching training requirements and admitted that although this decision may impact their placement, they believe the training value is much more important than their placement. I support their decision.

We will be ending the fleet racing portion of the regatta later this evening with an awards ceremony and banquet and will return friday for three days of match racing.

Thursday is a day off from sailing for some scheduled cultural activities in Pisa, Florence and Lucca.

RMCC CWO

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Fleet racing wrapped up today with a significant change in placement for the top boats.

I am so very proud of team RMCC. They caught the attention of everyone here at TAN. When I met with the Mayor of livorno she said “you Canadians have caught us all off guard”.

So after the protests concluded, and the tempers were nothing but a distant memory, Team RMCC finished 5th out of 36 boats, results attached.

Tomorrow, the team starts 3 days of match racing elimination.

RMCC CWO

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CAN has actually placed 3rd overall. What we didn’t know, was that the two Italian teams that placed 1st and 3rd overall, were professional/trident 16 civilian racing teams and as such will not be included in the official Military Academy awards ceremony that will occur upon the completion of match racing. Therefore CAN will be bringing home the 3rd place trophy which RMCC can keep.

This is awesome.

RMCC CWO

College Competitive & Recreation Clubs Recognized

Articles and photos courtesy of Christine Powers, Recreation and Intramural Manager

Competitive Club Recognition Evening

The Competitive Clubs Recognition Evening took place this past Wednesday April 3^rd. The purpose of this evening was to recognize the performances and contributions of the athletes, coaches and volunteers to their respective clubs throughout the year. During the evening, the following awards were presented:

Special Recognition

25772 OCdt Connor Severin for his contribution over the past 3 years to the Women’s Rugby Club by volunteering his free time to help run Club practices while having the demanding schedule of being a Men’s Rugby Varsity player.

26209 OCdt Nicholas Lightbody for his contribution to the Swimming Club by taking on the head coaching duties for both the Competitive and Recreational members of the club this past season.

Club Specific Awards

Rowing

25820 OCdt Jenny Allan won the award for Most Valuable Player

25424 OCdt Adam Reece won the award for Dedication and Mentorship

Women’s Rugby

26044 OCdt Ophelia Rose won the award for Most Valuable Player

26091 OCdt Alexia Croizer won the award for Most Improved Player

Running – Cross-Country

26561 OCdt Trevor Reid won the award for Most Valuable Player

25533 OCdt Veronique Trepanier won the award for Most Improved Player

Running – Track and Field

25584 OCdt Felix-Olivier Cordeau won the award for Most Valuable Player

25879 OCdt Jordan Vadala won the award for Most Improved Player

Sailing

25745 OCdt Alanna Foscarini won the award for Most Valuable Player

26539 OCdt Jacob Ruth won the award for Most Improved Player

Swimming

26209 OCdt Nicholas Lightbody won the award for Most Valuable Player

25953 OCdt Iain Wilson won the award for Most Improved Player

Taekwondo

25815 OCdt Jason Song won the award for Most Valuable Player

26644 OCdt Gabriella Hong won the award for Rookie of the Year

Congratulations to the award recipients and thank you again to all of you who contribute to the RMCC Competitive Club program.

More photos (click to enlarge):

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Recreation Club Recognition Evening

On Thursday, April 4^th the Athletics Dept. hosted a social for the 26 RMC Recreation Clubs to acknowledge Cadets and Staff for contributing their time and energy to helping their clubs become successful and highly active.

The recognition ceremony was kicked off with some entertainment by members of the RMC Stage Band while the rest of the guests socialized and had a bite to eat.

During the ceremony, all 2012-2013 Club presidents were thanked for their time and leadership in running their respective clubs while the supervisors were also acknowledged for their support and guidance. Amongst these supervisors,the following four who are ending their term as supervisor were given a gift in appreciation for efforts with their respective clubs:

Maj Lynne Poirier – RMC Curling Club

Capt Jean-Olivier Berger – RMC Climbing Club (not present)

LCdr Trevor Davies – RMC Triathlon Club

Graeme Duke-Gibbs – Sailing & Yacht Club

The final recognitions were for the Volunteer of the Year Award which is presented annually to an Officer Cadet who has demonstrated leadership, commitment and has made a significant contribution to their respective club. This year’s nominees were:

26181 OCdt Travis Lane – Curling Club

26500 OCdt Richard Barnes – Triathlon Club

26268 OCdt Stephanie Paquette – Expedition Club

25596 OCdt Alida Stockermans – Triathlon Club

26861 OCdt Benjamin Burnell – Theatre Club

26550 OCdt Shane Coote – Expedition Club

26512 OCdt Sean Manser – Curling Club

26508 OCdt Matthew Howse – Scuba Club

25780 OCdt Tyler O’Connor – Waterpolo Club

The winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award was 26268 OCdt Stephanie Paquette, who has made a tremendous impact on the Expedition club. OCdt Paquette was unfortunately away in Petawawa training with the Sandhurst Team and could not be present to accept her award.

Since becoming Club President last Fall, OCdt Paquette has played an important role in organizing a variety of activities for the Expedition club. From weekend camping trips to large-scale expeditions to India and the Arctic, OCdt Paquette puts endless amounts of time into organizing these events for the club. What is most impressive is that she has put much of her time into organizing activities for which she is not even going to take part in. She has demonstrated very high levels of organization and leadership and she is a very deserving winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Congratulations to the award recipients and thank you again to all of you who contribute to the RMCC Recreation Clubs.

Photos from the evening (click to enlarge):

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RMCC INDIA EXPEDITION 2013

The RMCC Expedition Club’s intent is to provide cadets with international experiences that broaden their minds. As such, the Expedition Club will be sending 12 Officer Cadets to India, April 27^th-May 12^th 2013.

The India expedition will be a unique experience to the officer cadets as it will be entirely planned and executed by the members of the team. The most difficult part of any trip is the planning phase, and often it is much easier to delegate this necessity to an outside agency. However, the Expedition Club believes that the cadets are capable of planning such a trip, and the experiences gained from planning will increase the training value of the expedition.

The India Expedition will take the team through the cultural centres of southern India, trekking by the hill stations and the tea estates of the Western Ghats, and sailing by the coastal villages of the Arabian Sea, and finally the team will have a chance to explore the architectural wonders of the northern India. As a part of the itinerary, the team has been invited to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to have a chance to speak with the Defence Attaché and his staff regarding regional issues that the team is interested in.

This year, the team is led by (III) Raakesh Bharathi (6 Sqn), assisted by (I) Ali Mansour (7 Sqn).

The 2013 India Expedition Team Roster:

(III) Raakesh Bharathi – 6 Sqn – IC; (I) Ali Mansour – 7 Sqn – 2IC

(II) Mitchell Binding – 6 Sqn; (I) Daniel Falco – 8 Sqn; (I) Jonathan Hammill – 3 Sqn;

(II) James Heard – 2 Sqn; (II) Kalina Larocque – 11 Sqn; (II) Charlotte Raymond – 3 Sqn;

(III) Francois Savard – 5 Sqn;; (II) Sarah Staples – 7 sqn; (II) Mari Sun – 8 Sqn; (IV) Yana Voldarets – 10 Sqn

Among the tasks that still have to be completed, the team is working with CDU3 to ensure that members are properly immunized and briefed about the potential health hazards. Members will also be conducting academic research in order to better understand the country. These academic presentations are being prepared, by each team member, about topics ranging from politics to geography to religion. This extensive prior research enables the team to absorb more than an average traveller while travelling in India – increasing the overall education value of the expedition.

Currently in the final phase of planning for the expedition, the team is examining pre-deployment logistics, mitigating risks in the country, and establishing contacts at each destination to ensure that the team is well prepared for the challenges ahead.

Less than one month to go before the adventure begins!

xxxx

Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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The New FORCE Evaluation Trialed with RMCC OCdts

By: Kelly Lupton, PE Manager at RMCC

Since the announcement of a new fitness evaluation for CAF members in February 2013, the RMCC Physical Education staff have been preparing for RMCC Force Trials. These trials for OCdts at RMCC took place this past week at the KMCSC. The goal of these trials was to put as many OCdts as possible through the new FORCE Evaluation to see how this “population” of CAF members performs and to be able to make more fact based recommendations on the future delivery of the test at RMCC and RMCSJ .

The trials were a great success in that over 600 OCdts were put through the FORCE evaluation. These results will be compared with each OCdt’s PPT scores completed earlier this month. RMCC PSP has been fortunate to have the Human Performance Staff from DGPFSS HQ in Ottawa (PSP’s HQ) attend these trials and provide the scientific analysis of the data.

As for the impressions of the test itself, most of the OCdts appreciated the “face validity” of the test. They see the link between the tasks in this test and their future job requirements in the CAF. They found it enjoyable and could see a potentially competitive aspect to the test. Given this population is generally young, healthy, and fit to a high standard, it comes as no surprise that for the majority of OCdts that did the test this week, the minimum standards to complete the tasks appeared to be fairly easy to achieve.

Here are some of the comments shared by the OCdts after completing the FORCE Evaluation,

“Although the test wasn’t extremely challenging, it seems far more applicable than the old express test. I think it’s a much better judge of how “fit to lead” we are, rather than judging us on pushups or handgrip.” – IV Year female OCdt

“The test was very enjoyable and very practical to real world requirements, which the old EXPRES did not meet. However, a point system should be implemented so that people can push themselves to exceed their previous year’s score.” – I Year male OCdt

“I appreciated the changes made to the forces test to include more realistic exercises that we will probably encounter in our career. Utilizing the use of sandbags is a much better grip test then the previous contraption.” – I Year male OCdt

“I really like the idea of one standard; however that one standard was quite easy for most OCdts to meet. Because of this there was little incentive for us to perform well. It might be useful to implement another standard to receive exemption like on the previous CF EXPRES. As far as the actual test goes, all of the individual activities were good. I like that they try to imitate closely “common CF tasks” in the spirit of soldier first.” – IV Year male OCdt

In summary, the RMCC FORCE trials were a success. Many OCdts have been familiarized with the new test, the researchers are happy with the sample size and the effort of many of the OCdts, and the PE and Training Wing staff look forward to seeing what the statistics say about the test in the RMCC environment. The Athletic Department will keep e-Veritas readers posted over the summer with any new developments on the direction fitness testing goes at the Royal Military Colleges in Canada.

Special thanks to DGPFSS HQ Human Performance Staff for making this all happen by providing equipment and researchers, the CFB Kingston fitness staff for preparing the sandbags and assisting with testing, the OCdts who took part in the trials, the RMCC PE teachers who endured two very LONG weeks in the gym performing around 1500 fitness tests over the last 2 weeks. Your professionalism and stamina is commendable and very much appreciated.

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Wednesday March 27th Intramural Parade Brings Season to a Close

Article by Ryan Thompson, Intramural Coordinator, RMCC Athletics 

Photos by 26549 OCdt (II) Kai Zhao

Wednesday March 27th brought to an end another Intramural season with our annual Parade where we acknowledged our champions, top referees, most sportsman like players and most valuable players.

Being a referee is truly a thankless job. In many cases our referees attempt to learn the sport in one session at the beginning of the year. The following referees were standouts with their knowledge and their ability to control the game and call it fairly.

Basketball: OCdt Edmison, 9 sqn; Inner tube Water Polo: OCdt Kerr, 4 Sqn; Flag Football: OCdt Birchall, 7 Sqn; Handball: OCdt MacGregor 11 Sqn.

The most sportsmanlike category had the most nominees with almost every team having a worthy candidate. The following Cadets showed a passion for their sport and displayed true sportsmanship throughout the season.

Flag Football: NCdt Barnes, 3 Sqn; Handball: OCdt Couto, 8 Sqn; Ice Hockey A Tier: OCdt Baltus, 3 Sqn; Ice Hockey B Tier: OCdt Bloess, 4 Sqn

Basketball: OCdt Sanga, 4 Sqn; Inner Tube Water Polo: OCdt Mahon, 6 Sqn; Dodgeball: OCdt Nissen, 12 Sqn.

The most valuable player category had a few standout players who propelled their teams to championships and/or undefeated seasons. Our MVPs not only dominated their sport but also encouraged their team to help everyone become the best possible player they could.

Our Most Valuable players are:

Flag Football: OCdt Dubuc, 11 Sqn; Handball: OCdt Vautour, 12 Sqn; Ice Hockey A Tier: OCdt Lachance, 6 Sqn;Ice Hockey B Tier: NCdt Lightbody, 5 Sqn; Basketball: OCdt Nicholson, 5 Sqn; Inner Tube Water Polo: OCdt Hort, 4 sqn;

The last individual award is given to deserving Cadets and takes into account both Fall and Winter IM seasons. Our most sportsmanlike Intramural players truly stand above everyone else as they participate in multiple sports, are eager to help their Sqn, encourage all players and have a true passion for sports.

These two individuals are:

NCdt Barnes, 3 Sqn; OCdt Kerr, 4 Sqn

Our most valuable player’s award is awarded to true, all around athletes that excelled at any sport they played. There was a true difference with how their teams competed with them on the floor.

Our Most Valuable Intramural players are:

OCdt Nicholson, 5 Sqn; OCdt Edmison, 9 Sqn.

Congratulations to all winners.

Photos from the ceremony (click to enlarge):

Royal Military College Honours Varsity Athletes at Annual Ceremony

The achievements and successes of RMCC varsity athletes were highlighted throughout the annual Varsity Awards Ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, March 20th.

Michelle Hamilton (Winnipeg, MB) won her first Kelly Gawne Memorial Cup as RMC Female Athlete of the Year. Hamilton is the first RMCC female athlete to be named OUA 1st Team All-Star, as she led the country in scoring by a midfielder this past season. The third year Honours Business Administration student was also selected as the Top 3rd Year Athlete at the college.

Riley Saliken (Abbottsford, BC) was named Tommy Smart Cup award recipient as RMC Male Athlete of the Year. The fourth year History major was named OUA All-Star for a third time, while leading his team in tackles. He was also named player of the match by the opposing coach on five occasions this past season.

Jason Song (Maple Ridge, BC), a fourth year Chemical Engineering student, was named recipient of the H.R.H. Prince of Wales Cup for his excellence in all four components throughout his college years. The 2011-12 Tommy Smart Cup recipient has maintained the highest marks in a demanding academic program, while recording among the top scores on the physical fitness tests while time at RMCC.

The Captain Matthew Dawe Memorial Cup is awarded annually to the outstanding male or female ROTP varsity athlete, of any year, who excels in all aspects of College life at RMC. Alex Pym (Winnipeg, MB) has been one of the leaders of the men’s hockey team over the past two seasons. The Aeronautical Engineering student was able to balance the demands of varsity hockey while volunteering his time with local minor hockey groups. The stalwart defenseman also earned the Top 2nd Year Athlete award, as well as being recognized as the Top Team Captain.

The women’s soccer team was well represented on the evening, as Mireille Musca was named Top 1st Year Athlete, while the team was named RMCC Team of the Year following their first OUA playoff appearance since 2008. Steven Morris of the men’s fencing team was named Top 4th Year Athlete.

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25651 Kenny Panza

La cérémonie des récompenses sportives fut, comme chaque année, remplie d’émotion. Les athlètes des équipes de rugby, hockey, soccer (f), soccer (m), volley-ball (f), volley-ball(m), d’escrime ainsi que de taekwondo étaient tous réunis pour l’occasion. Cette cérémonie indiquait aussi le temps pour ces jeunes hommes et femmes de ranger leurs tenues sportives rouge et blanc, et de sortir leur plus belle robe et leur plus beau costume.

Avant la cérémonie, les paladins eux l’occasion de partager quelques rafraichissement en l’honneur d’une saison très ardue. Que ce soit, sur la surface dure, le gazon ou la glace, les athlètes interuniversitaires du CMRC ont tout donné au cours de la saison 2012-2013. Il était maintenant l’heure de récompenser les paladins s’étant le plus démarqués.

Malgré les cris de guerre des joueurs rugby et les « woohhooo » des ravissantes joueuses de volley-ball, les prix les plus remarquables fut décernés à l’équipe de hockey ainsi que l’équipe féminine de soccer. La surprenante Élof Michelle Hamilton fut elle attribué le trophée de la joueuse la plus utile à son équipe ainsi que l’athlète féminine de l’année. De son côté, « The big twenty » Élof Alex Pym se vu mérité les trophées du meilleur capitaine d’équipe, joueurs le plus utiles à son équipe ainsi que le meilleur athlète de deuxième année. Cependant, l’athlète masculin de l’année fut décerné à Riley Saliken. La pierre angulaire de l’équipe de rugby mentionna dans son discours qu’il n’aurait jamais cru, il y a quelques années, de quitté la Colombie-Britannique pour venir jouer au rugby en Ontario. C’était pour lui un grand honneur d’avoir joué pour l’équipe du CMRC.

Peu importe la discipline sportive, on peut dire que la cérémonie de récompenses sportives est un évènement très important dans la vie de nos élèves-officiers. Les pleurs ainsi que les blessures font partis du sport, mais tant que l’esprit d’équipe et la fierté sont toujours présents à chaque partie, la flamme rouge blanc dans les cœurs de nos paladins continuera de rayonner!

YEA RED!

Photos by 26549 Kai Zhao

Layout by 24647 Paul Lystiuk

Click below for the complete list of award winners and pictures

Read the rest of this entry »

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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RMCC Fencing Year in Review

By Patricia Howes, RMC Fencing Coach

The varsity fencing program started the year off with a high energy High Performance Training camp the last week of August. Several CISM fencers, potential RMCC recruits and athletes from Ontario and Quebec joined the varsity athletes in this pre-season training. Try-outs were busy with newly selected athletes joining recruited athletes to round out the 2012-13 rosters. The fencing season will finish in mid-May, with top RMCC fencers who qualify to compete at the 2013 Canadian National Championships, to be held in Gatineau Quebec.

The men’s and women’s varsity teams competed at several university competitions including the Queens Open (October), the RMC Team Invitational (November), the Brock Open (November), and the Carleton Team Invitational (January). Since RMCC hosted the 2013 Canada Cup the athletes had the opportunity to compete at one National level event prior to their university championships. It was an outstanding opportunity for RMCC fencers to compete and gain experience against some of the best Canadian fencers including Olympians. The more advanced fencers also participated in competitions and training at various other tournaments and clubs throughout Ontario, Quebec and the USA. RMCC fencers Steven Trainor, Graham Austin, Marion Agier and Steven Morris, also members of the CAF CISM Fencing program, competed at North American Cups this season in Virginia Beach, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Reno. Austin recently won the silver medal at the Division II NAC in Reno in Men’s Epee.

The university season culminated in the two OUA Fencing Championships, which were held in February. The OUA Women’s Championship was hosted by Brock University, where the RMCC Women finished 4th overall in the league, combining their individual and team results to remain in the top four schools. Women’s Sabre and women’s epee teams both won bronze while top foilist, 3rd year OCdt Daniela Moyano, won the bronze in individual WF. Both Moyano and NCdt Marion Agier, 4th in women’s sabre, were named OUA Allstars. The OUA Men’s Championship was hosted by Carleton University where the RMCC men’s team finished 8th overall, dropping from their previous top three standing. The best results came from Men’s sabre who fought hard to win the Silver team medal, with 4th year OCdt Steven Morris leading the way. Both Moyano and Morris were voted MVP for their respective teams this season.

The coaching staff will be busy over the coming months running Cutting Edge Fencing, our community fundraising program, as well as with recruiting opportunities at the Ontario Provincials, the Eastern Canadians, and the Canadian National Championships. Head Coach Patricia Howes will also be coaching Team Ontario at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke Quebec(August). Coach David Howes will be busy working for the Canadian Fencing Federation (CFF) with the Canadian National Epee Teams at the Junior World Championships in Croatia (April) and the Senior World Championships in Budapest (August). The end of August will hopefully be busy with Pirate Camp and the RMCC-CISM High Performance Training Camp. With a motivated and enthusiastic new leadership slate selected for next season the varsity fencing program will be focused on re-building next year. It will be an opportunity for growth and development of the next generation of talented and hardworking RMCC fencers.

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Triathlon Club Hosts 1st Annual Aquathlon

Article and Photos by 25596 Alida Stockermans, Cadet Wing Sports & Recreation Officer 

The Triathlon Club hosted their first annual Aquathlon on February 9th 2013. 25596 OCdt (IV) Alida Stockermans, the RMC Triathlon Club President, organized the event with the help of 25926 OCdt (III) Adam Goddard, the Vice-President of the RMC Triathlon Club. The event ran smoothly and was a great success. There were a total of 25 participants from around the area, including RMC Cadets, Kingston Triathlon Club, St. Lawrence College students and much more. Nick Cosman, a participant and club member stated that it was “a very well organized event that went off without a hitch. Congrats to all the organizers and volunteers for a very successful 1st annual RMC Aquathlon!” Adam Goddard, one of the organizers of the event comments, “I had an awesome experience being involved with the planning and execution of a multi-sport event at RMC. I believe it has set the standard for events like this in the future at the College, and look forward to next year!” The success of the event was due to the efforts of 28 Cadets that volunteered their time for this event. The Triathlon Club raised more than $650 which will be put towards their end of the year trip to Florida to compete in the Olympic Size Triathlon, St. Anthony’s on April 28th 2013.

Train hard and keep Tri-ing!

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2013 Intramural season report

March 21st saw the 2013 Winter IM program come to an end with some very exciting finals. This season OCdts competed in Handball, Basketball, Dodgeball, Ice Hockey and two new sports Flag Football and Inner Tube Water Polo. By the time everything was all said and done 3 sqn was the overall winner of this season narrowly edging out 5 sqn. An honourable mention needs to go out to 2 sqn who was also a very close 3rd place.

For Complete Coverage and More Championship Team Photos…

Read the rest of this entry »

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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2013 Major Varsity Award Nominees

The Kelly Gawne Memorial Cup is awarded annually to the best all-round female athlete during the current college year.

Daniela Moyano – Fencing: OUA All-Star won bronze in individual foil at OUA Championship.

Michelle Hamilton – Soccer: Became first female RMC athlete to be named 1st Team OUA All-Star.

Norah Collins – Volleyball: Former OUA All-Rookie team member led team in kills and total points.

The Tommy Smart Cup is awarded annually to the RMC Male athlete of the year.

Riley Saliken – Rugby: Three-time OUA All-Star was named man of the match on five occasions in 2012, while leading the Paladins in tackles.

Curtis Brown – Soccer: Rookie scored three goals while creating countless opportunities for his teammates.

Tom McMullen – Volleyball: Led team in kills, blocks and points in his return to RMC.

The H.R.H. Prince of Wales Cup is awarded annually to a Fourth Year Cadet in recognition of athletic performance and excellence in the four components throughout their entire college years.

Nicholas Vachon – Hockey: Former Sandhurst Team member was presence on and off the ice while maintaining a high level of fitness.

Jason Song – Taekwondo: 2011-12 RMC Male Athlete of the Year while remaining at the top of his academic program as well as on the RMC PPT.

Eric Hawn – Men’s Volleyball: Succeeding in all areas of the college while performing his team duties as team captain and starting setter.

The Captain Matthew Dawe Memorial Cup is awarded annually to the outstanding male or female ROTP varsity athlete, of any year, who excels in all aspects of College life at RMC.

Alex Pym – Men`s Hockey: Team captain succeeding academically while also volunteering to assist with minor hockey practices.

Michelle Hamilton – Women’s Soccer: Leader by example to her teammates and had a positive effect on First Years in her squadron.

Eric Hawn – Men’s Volleyball: Starting setter and team captain sets high standard for teammates.

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Click here for Season Reviews and Off-Season reports from Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Soccer

Read the rest of this entry »

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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A Look Back on the 2012-13 Season for the RMC Hockey Team

 Adam Shell, Varsity Hockey Coach

The 2012-2013 Season for the RMC Paladins Varsity hockey team had many ups and downs. It saw the emergence of many new faces and showed great signs for future years. Although the win total was not what the team had hoped, many great strides were made as the program continues to build. The team was the youngest it has been since 2006 and showed all the characteristics of youth. We had energy, enthusiasm, effort, but also lacked experience and ability to make the key plays at key times. The season was highlighted by a very good performance versus Army and points versus McGill & UQTR. Individual highlights include Paul Dorsey who was named OUA East All Rookie Goaltender after a stellar rookie season. Alex Pym had a strong sophomore campaign along with 3rd year Colin Cook, 2nd year Scott McDonald and 1st year Eric Louis-Seize. All are expected to improve and have a greater impact next season.

The off season will include more on ice practice sessions as we continue to improve our skill and execution levels. We are very optimistic about the prospects of this recruiting class. With some good fortune this might be the most bountiful class to date.

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Canadian University Rugby Sevens Championship – 2013

Because of the generosity of donors through the Foundation the RMCC rugby players were able to participate in Langford, BC.

By: 18404 JOHN REIFFENSTEIN

As a Base Commander, I am always keenly interested in how we can invest in infrastructure to better accomplish our missions – particularly in resource-constrained circumstances, the link between infrastructure and the delivery of an effect is critical. I saw a superb demonstration of this over the past weekend as I joined the RMC Rugby Team for the University Sevens Championships at the Rugby Canada Centre of Excellence in Langford, BC.

I had the pleasure (because the ex-cadets won) of playing in the ex-cadet rugby game in September 2012 that served as the official opening of the Kingston sports dome. Last weekend I saw first-hand the effect that this infrastructure helped to achieve. I was also at the 2012 Championships, and the difference in the RMC side over the space of a year was remarkable. The heart, commitment, and tenacity were all on display, as they had been in 2012, but they were now employed within a structure devised by the coaching staff that made the most of these attributes. You could tell RMC had been practicing all winter on a full-size pitch from the coherence of the team’s tactics, and when other sides started to tire late on the first day, RMC’s superior match fitness was clearly a result of several tournaments they had played in the dome as preparation.

RMC opened the tournament against the UVic Norsemen, a side-featuring Adam Kleeburger who starred for Canada in the last World Cup. I think UVic frankly underestimated RMC, and they were lucky to come away with a 15-12 victory. One of the highlights was a tremendous dump tackle on Kleeburger by RMC’s Brandon Black. As Coach McDonaugh put it: “he wasn’t hit that hard in the World Cup”. RMC then lost narrowly 7-5 to UBC-Okanagan. Frankly, the result was a function of a tactical brain cramp in the dying seconds of the match, but this illustrates why the CF funds competitive sports; far better that our future leaders learn (through errors) to make good decisions when exhausted and under pressure when the consequences only show up on a scoreline.

RMC showed tremendous grit in bouncing back from this disappointment to beat Waterloo in the next match. They went up 14-0 in the first 2 minutes and never looked back. Following a loss to Western (another side featuring national-level players), RMC was slotted in a pool with the 9th through 12th seeded teams going into the playoffs on Saturday. RMC began well by defeating Saskatchewan in a come-from-behind thriller to get into the Bowl Final (to determine the 9th seed) against Humber. The atmosphere was tremendous for the evening match helped by a strong contingent of friends and families of the players, as well as a number of ex-cadets from the local area – both Rick Baxter ’89 and Mark Wilson ’90 looked like they could have kitted up themselves. The match was a see-saw affair that saw RMC hang on grimly though the final minutes to preserve a precarious two-point lead. They tackled ferociously as the fans willed the referee to blow the final whistle and the RMC contingent was finally rewarded with a 27-25 win. RMC finished 9th of the 15 teams in the tournament, and I look forward to watching them break into the top 8 for next year.

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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National Rugby 7′s University Championships

Article by 25914 OCdt (IV) Jaemok Lee

Tuesday, February 26, 2013, selected members of the RMC Men’s Varsity Rugby team, the “RMC Redmen”, travelled to Victoria to participate in the annual National Rugby 7′s University Championships held at Westhills Stadium, the Rugby Canada complex in Langford, BC. Since completion of the 2012-2013 OUA season, back in the fall semester, the RMC Men’s Varsity Rugby team has been training in their off-season  with a new style/variation of the original game of rugby 15′s, called rugby 7′s.

Rugby 7′s is a variation of the more common game of rugby we know as rugby 15′s. Instead of having fifteen players on each team on the field during the match, there are only seven players representing each team on the field for the duration of the game. Other general changes that are evident from rugby 15′s to rugby 7′s include the game being played for seven minute halves instead of forty, the scrums are three man scrums instead of eight, and conversions are kicked as drop goals instead of placed kicks. These variations make this game of 7′s an exciting, fast-paced, and energetic game to watch and play. With this game being incorporated into the next summer Olympics in Rio, and the national Canadian rugby 7′s team developing quickly, it gives the RMC squad a great appreciation of the game and pride to present RMC at the Championships.

The games can be watched live at http://www.sportscanada.tv/rugbycanada. More headlines to follow from Victoria as they develop.

The players that have been selected to represent RMC at the Championships are:

26178 OCdt (IV) Riley Saliken

25914 OCdt (IV) Jaemok Lee

25816 OCdt (IV) Rick Spiller

25993 OCdt (III) Matthew Greenwood

26017 OCdt (III) Rhys Davies

26336 OCdt (II) Joshua Kim

26329 OCdt (II) Matt Taylor

26324 OCdt (II) Sam Hogg

26702 OCdt (I) John McDonald

26578 OCdt (I) Greygory Wagner-Conserve

26744 OCdt (I) Benjamin Pantony

26569 OCdt (I) Maxwell Williams

Ordinary Seaman Brandon Black

Private Clarke O’Reilly

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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RMCC Cadet Sheds Light on Battle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

26207 OCdt (IV) Andrew Hawkins, who plays for the Paladin’s Men’s Hockey Team, recently shared the story of his struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with the Kingston Whig-Standard. Click here for the article.

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2013 Winter Intramurals Reach Halfway Point

Article by 25955 OCdt (III) Steve Bartholomew, CSSO 3 SQN

Winter Intramurals have reached their halfway point, and this season is shaping up for some exciting finishes in many sports. With a schedule that includes Basketball, Dodgeball, Handball, Flag Football, Inner Tube Water Polo, and Ice Hockey, Cadets have been busy displaying their athleticism on Tuesday and Thursday nights. With an extra sport added, rosters are now much smaller, allowing for many players to dabble in multiple sports to help lead their squadrons into the playoffs. The following is a recap of the first half of the season.

In Basketball, there is some heavy competition among the top 3 teams, as 5 sqn, 3 sqn, and 8 sqn, led by IV Nicholson, II Lavoie, and II Boettcher respectively, have put up some big scores against the weaker teams, and will likely find themselves as the top seeds come playoffs in March. Handball has been a case of utter dominance by 12 sqn, using effective teamwork to remain undefeated and average a staggering 28 goals per game. 3 sqn and 5 sqn round out the top 3, also undefeated. III Travis Reichenbacher and co. put 2 sqn at the top of the standings for Dodgeball, with 6 wins and a loss, followed closely by 3 and 4 sqn with two losses each. While it is slightly different than regular Water Polo, the Inner Tube Water Polo circuit is possibly the most competitive Intramural so far this year, with 4 and 5 sqns undefeated, and 9 sqn, 7 sqn, and 2 sqn, posting only one loss. The newest sport the RMCC intramural program has to offer is Flag Football, which again is highly competitive, with 11 sqn, 12 sqn, and 5 sqn each recording a single loss so far this season. Ice Hockey A has A Div at the top, followed by C Div, D Div, and finally B Div in last, with A Div tied for the top spot in Ice Hockey B with B Div. Good job to all Officer and Naval Cadets who have participated in Intramurals so far. The forecast calls for some heated battles come playoff time in all sports, so come out to cheer on your Squadrons!

A big thanks goes out to CWIMO 26059 OCdt (III) Luke Morrison for making all this happen. His job has been made easier by the CSSO’s, captains, and refs who are working hard to make the program run as smoothly as possible.

Have a great Reading Week and best of luck in the playoffs.

YEA RED

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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2013 OUA women’s fencing – results & more…

2013 OUA men’s fencing – results & more…

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SEAN MCDONAUGH (Varsity Rugby Coach) AWARDED DIAMOND JUBILEE MEDAL

Rugby Ontario is delighted to announce that Sean McDonaugh, a long-time member of Ontario’s rugby community, has been awarded a Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Sean is a long-serving rugby coach at the Royal Military College Of Canada (RMC), and is currently the head coach of the Kingston-based college’s men’s varsity team. He has shrugged off the struggles that come with recruiting rugby players from such a small student population, and under his guidance and tutelage, Sean’s teams have consistently exceeded expectations against top-tier Canadian university opposition.

“It’s fantastic that rugby was recognized for its work in coach education, among the many other sports by the Coaching Association of Canada,” says Sean. “There are so many volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to advance the game of rugby in Canada. Men like Phil White, who developed coach education in this country to the point it is now, and who a generation of players owe a great deal.”

  Much more

Winter Intramurals Continue as Reading Week Nears

Despite Reading Week being foremost in the minds of many Cadets, there was no break this past week as College life, including intramurals, continued. e-Veritas was able to capture some of the sports action this past Tuesday night.

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

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Check out RMC Athletics on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube.

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RMC WINS HISTORIC HOCKEY

For the eIghth time in nine years, Royal Military College has won the annual Historic Hockey Series at Feb Fest. RMC won both its games Saturday night; beating Queen’s 4-1 in the opener and then thumping the 2nd Regiment from RCHA Petawawa, ON, 7-1 in the final game. Eric Berry was named MVP of the tournament for RMC scoring three goals ,

It was the 45th annual Historic Hockey Series presented by Kingston’s Original Hockey Hall of Fame, it is a re-creation of the first games played on the Kingston harbour in 1886 using a square puck and the rules of that era.

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Canada Competes at RMCC

On the weekend of Jan 25-27, 2013, over a fifteen hundred people descended on the Field House at the KMCSC for the Canada Cup II Fencing Tournament, which was an outstanding success. Ironically, only two months before, no fencing club in Canada had even submitted a bid to host this major event, because it was such a huge undertaking. The RMCC coaches had been approached by many fencers and coaches in Ontario and Quebec, with pleas for us to host the CCII so that the event would be saved. With support from the Base Commander and KMCSC, RMCC Fencing agreed to submit a hosting bid in early December, to save the Canada Cup. The hosting bid was immediately accepted by the Canadian Fencing Federation (CFF) but this still left the Athletic Department, fencing coaches and cadet fencers less than two months to plan and prepare.

Much of the planning took place over the Christmas break, and upon the return to school in January, the wheels were put into motion for this massive tournament. Fencers from eight provinces registered, with more than 850 competitive registrations and over 550 athletes, including many members of the Canadian National Teams and our fencing Olympians from London 2012. Several RMCC fencers had the opportunity to fence Olympians such as Sandra Sassine and Philip Beaudry (sabre) in their pool bouts. Along with parents, coaches and supporters there were easily 1,500 people through the Field house over the course of this exciting fencing weekend.

The Canada Cup was an excellent opportunity for all RMCC varsity fencers and developing Cutting Edge Fencers to test their skills against the best in the country. We also had ex-cadet fencers come back to participate including CISM fencer Lt Emma McDaniel and Eric Castellani. The gathering was also an opportunity for the National Weapon Leaders to run pre-competition and post-competition training here at the RMC salle d’armes located in the Old Gym. RMC Fencers had the opportunity to train with some top level national team athletes, which is an outstanding experience, leading up to their own upcoming OUA Championships in February.

Besides being a great fundraising opportunity for our varsity program, it was also a terrific recruiting op. The Kingston CF Recruiting group was there for two days along with the RMCC Liaison Office, who conducted campus tours, answered questions about applying to RMC and promoted the CF. There are now fencers with hopes of attending RMCC in the future, as their university of choice, because they had the opportunity to travel and compete here at the college.

RMCC Fencing would like to thank CFBK, CFRC-Kingston, RMCC Liaison Office, Canadian Fencing Federation, Ontario Fencing Association, Kingston Tourism, Blue Gauntlet Fencing Equipment and all the parent, student and cadet volunteers who helped make this major event, the Canada Cup II, an outstanding success.

Click here for photos from the event!

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RMC Running Team Puts Forward Best Performance of Season

Article by 25842 OCdt (IV) Constance Aurélie Ratelle

January 2nd, the RMC running team participated to a competition in Toronto, at York university. 16 members of the team ran in 6 different categories which were 60m sprint, 300m sprint, 600m, 1000m, 1500m and 4x200m relay.

La plupart d’entre eux se sont démarqué dans leurs épreuves respectives, notamment les spinteurs qui, lors du relais, ont fourni leur meilleure performance de la saison. La prochaine et dernière compétition aura lieu le 16 février à l’Université McGill où 15 des membres représenteront le Collège.

RMCC Swimmers Compete in Ottawa…

This past weekend the RMCC swim team traveled to Ottawa to compete in the EOSA (Eastern Ontario Swimming Association) Regional Championship swim meet. This swim meet was host to some of the fastest swimmer in all of eastern Ontario as well as many swimmers striving for high level time qualifications. It proved to be a very fast competition, and forced each swimmer to push themselves to their limits as they strove to place well amongst the other 350 swimmers.

There was no shortage of amazing races at this swim meet for the RMCC athletes. Swimmers Ian Wilson (25953) and Jessica Henry (26171) posted 100 percent best times, and in some races took of 5-10 seconds, winning their heat and jumping several spots in the overall standings.

The First year swimmers on the team showed off their skill lead by Nicholas Swanson (26585) coming 4th in 50 meter Breaststroke just missing the podium and 5th in the 100 meter Breaststroke. The other first year (26715) Jean-Francois Levesque qualified for finals in several races, and posted astounding times even though only a week and a half before he had had his wisdom teeth removed side lining him from practice. Swanson and Levesque both were side by side in the 100 meter freestyle consolation final where Swanson edged Levesque by .78 seconds to win the first year show down with a time of 56.25.

Nicholas Lightbody (s26209), (Pictured above – we are unable to identify the cheerleader between his legs) swim team captain and head coach, brought home two medals, one bronze and one gold, in the 100 meter and 50 meter butterfly respectively. Sandy Edmison (s25933) qualified for finals in the 50-meter backstroke and 100 meter backstroke and managed to go up two spots in the standings between heats and finals coming in 6th place for both races. The 4x50m Freestyle relay team managed to post an incredible time of 1:41.09 placing them an impressive 5th overall and less than a second off of a bronze medal with a highlight swim from former varsity basketball player Connor Duke (s25966) posting a 50-meter freestyle split of 25.64 seconds.

The swim competition proved to be challenging and exhausting, many swimmers racing in two sessions a day, but also proved to be very successful. The team will now go back to training in preparation for the long course season starting in April.

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Men’s and Women’s Fencing	OUA – Fencing
Hockey	OUA- Hockey	CIS – Hockey
Rugby	OUA – Men’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer	OUA – Men’s Soccer	CIS – Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer	OUA – Women’s Soccer	CIS -Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball	OUA – Men’s Volleyball	CIS – Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball	OUA – Women’s Volleyball	CIS – Women’s Volleyball

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Queens 7 RMCC 2

The Queen’s Gaels (10-10-5) captured their sixth consecutive Carr-Harris Cup with a 7-2 win over the RMCC Paladins (3-19-2) at the K-Rock Centre on Thursday night in front of a Carr-Harris Cup record 3,122 fans. More

Whig Standard article

Click to enlarge photos.

Pre-Game

Click for more coverage of the 2013 Carr-Harris Cup

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Renewed Army-RMC rivalry ignites old passions

West Point 4 – RMCC 1…

By Ken McMillan

When the hockey rivalry between Army and Canada’s Royal Military College took a five-year hiatus, lost was the sense of tradition and annual renewal. So when the two service academies restored acquaintances last season there was hardly the same passion and understanding of the international exchange that got its start in 1923.

Sure, it’s Canada versus the United States, but to the uninitiated members of both squads, it was merely another game on the schedule, joined at the hip by hype from old alumni. Army coach Brian Riley showed his players emails from graduates who played in the series and posted old news clips, but until these current Black Knights went head-to-head with the Paladins it was hard to get overly excited.

Army thumped RMC 9-1 last season, a stinging setback that probably stuck in the craw of every returning Canadian cadet. So when the two teams took to the ice on Saturday night, before a packed house at Tate Rink, there was a bit more history, a bit more passion, and certainly a lot more rivalry.

The exhibition did not have the 60 minutes of rugged action of previous matchups but tempers flared on occasion, checks were more forceful and the joy was still overwhelming when goals were scored.

“We understand at the beginning of the game, when we are out there doing a salute to the crowd, we are on the same team,” said Army captain Cheyne Rocha, speaking of his Canadian military comrades, who may in the future fight alongside the Americans on foreign battlefields. “But for 60 minutes, it was definitely a battle, so it was fun.”

Neither team played exceptionally well but Army was able to get a couple early goals from freshman Thane Heller and 12 saves from senior Ryan Leets in a 4-1 victory before 2,629 fans in the 90th anniversary celebration. Maurice Alvarez and Jonathan Gehrt added third-period goals for Army.

Now that the rivalry is back and in its second year, there’s a deeper appreciation by the participants.

“It’s not something you walk into and completely understand,” Leets said. “Last year, maybe we didn’t understand it as much.”

The centerpiece of past games has been a cultural exchange when the cadets from one academy visit the other for several days. This week, many RMC cadets shadowed their West Point counterparts, to classes and meals. It’s friends one day, and combatants on Saturday night.

“I think that interaction and the whole week leading up to the game builds that anticipation,” Leets said.

On game night, the pep bands of both schools joined up as one, tucked away in an upper corner of Tate Rink. There were chants for both schools and fight songs and even the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme was played. Even with all the good-natured ribbing between cadets, there was a definite undertone of seriousness for both schools.

“This year was more of a rivalry type of game,” Rocha said. “Guys going at it hard.”

A rivalry can’t be about long-forgotten names engraved on a trophy. It must have new blood and new shared experiences for it to take hold. Players come and go every year but there will always be enough familiar faces who will recall sharing a meal, going to class together and the so-and-so who crushed them into the boards in the last meeting.

It’s a series that will grow stronger with each passing year. Fresh memories will merge inextricably with old tales, and the heart of a rivalry that skipped five beats or so will be strong once again.

“I think the guys going into next year and going up to RMC, I think that will be great for our players and our team and cadets who can make the trip up there,” Leets said.

That’s exactly what Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Gen. Sir Archibald MacDonnell – the leaders of their respective schools – envisioned when the schools met for the first time in 1923, and hockey is still the main course.

“I think the game is on the right track to bigger things and getting it back to where it used to be,” Leets said.

It’s good to have it back.  Source

Quick summary from Darren Cates – Director of Athletics

USMA won chess, debate, waterpolo and hockey. RMC was shut out in the win / loss columns

However, there really was tremendous camaraderie all around – really, there was tremendous sportsmanship in all of the events. Westpoint lent us some waterpolo players as we only had six athletes there, after the chess matches the combatants reviewed all the moves of the match and learnt from each other and the hockey game was intense but played pretty clean on both sides. After the game, the teams saluted the crowd together and chatted for quite some time. Personally, it was my favourite exchange weekend thus far!