July 16 Local Sports: Tyler Grummett Open, men’s and women’s golf; Niagara Tigers basketball
Last Friday, the family of Tyler Grummett presented a cheque for $7,500 to the Distress Centre Niagara. The money was proceeds from the annual Tyler Grummett Open. Pictured are dad Paul Grummett. mom Denise Grummett, Distress Centre executive director Stacy Terry, sister Sydney Grummett and grandpa Bill Grummett.
TYLER GRUMMETT GOLF TOURNEY
The annual Tyler Grummett Open, played June 23 at Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls, raised $7,500 for the Distress Centre Niagara.
Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $32,000 for charities related to mental health.
Eighty golfers took part in the event.
“Thanks to everyone for their continued support and a special thanks to all the volunteers behind the scenes,” Tyler’s mother, Denise Grummett, said. “Every hole was sponsored and there were very generous prizes donated.”
Next year’s tournament is tentatively scheduled for June 28.
WOMEN’S AMATEUR
Bridgewater’s Madeline Marck-Sherk carded rounds of 76, 80, 73 and 74 at Black Bear Ridge in Belleville to tie for ninth at the recent Ontario Women’s Amateur Golf Championship.
Marck-Sherk’s 15 over par score was 16 shots behind the winner Brigitte Thibault.
Other locals who made the cut were: Grand Niagara’s Emily Ward (74, 83, 77, 72), tied for 17th; former St. Catharines resident Judith Kyrinis (80, 78, 74, 75), tied for 19th; Lookout Point’s Alexandra Taylor (79, 75, 77, 82), tied for 35th; and, Lookout Point’s Kayla Burke (83, 80, 81, 82).
Kyrnis placed third in the mid-amateur division at the tournament.
MEN’S AMATEUR
Lookout Point’s Freddy D’Angelo fired rounds of 75, 78, 72 and 72 at the OslerBrook Golf and Country Club in Collingwood to tie for 12th at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Golf Championship.
D’Angelo, who tied for 10th last year, finished 19 shots behind the winner, Matthew Anderson of Credit Valley.
Other locals who made the cut were: Lookout Point’s Ryan Dyck (75, 79, 79, 72), tied for 31st; Twenty Valley’s Ethan Bennett (74, 78, 80, 81), tied for 50th; St. Catharines Golf and Country Club’s Ben MacLean (76, 78, 83, 84), alone in 61st place; and, Lookout Point’s Jake Dupuis (74, 78, 90, 93), alone in 63rd place.
NIAGARA TIGERS
The Niagara Tigers’ travel basketball teams performed well at the Adidas Invitational held in Indianapolis, Ind., one of the biggest AAU tournaments in July.
In the 14 and under division, Niagara went 1-2 in pool play to move on to the silver playoff bracket. The Tigers defeated G3 Grind 58-54 and Distinction of Indiana 60-57 on a three-point buzzer beater to win the Silver championship.
“We were extremely happy for this group as they have suffered a number of losses this year against stiff competition but have continued to work and grow,” Tigers coach Pat Sullivan said. “We have recognized the improvement as coaches but it was important for the kids to experience some success to show them how their perseverance and work ethic have paid off.
“They deserved to enjoy the excitement of winning two competitive playoff games. We feel that these kids have made major strides that will benefit them greatly in the high school season.”
Despite missing Conner Landell who was participating in the Under Armor Circuit in Atlanta, the Tigers 15 and under squad went 3-0 in pool play to advance to the Platinum bracket featuring the top eight of 32 participating teams. Victories over D13 Elite (69-48), Grand Park Premier (68-45) and Tipping Point (61-57) advanced the squad to the semifinals where it lost 57-50 to Indiana Elite.
“Playing without Conner forced the team into a number of adjustments but the boys really stepped up and played with a high level of intensity,” Sullivan said. “This is a very talented group and they are figuring out what it takes to be successful and the amount of concentration that is necessary down the stretch in big games.
He feels a number of players have made great strides in their maturity and play.
“To advance to the highest bracket after pool play in an event such as this is a huge accomplishment and fantastic experience for our kids.”
In the 16 and under division, the Tigers went 2-1 in pool play with a 61-46 victory over Rock Summit of Fort Wayne, a 57-45 victory over IE Hoop Dreams and an 87-77 loss to Grand Park Premier. The team also advanced to the Platinum championship where it was defeated 69-55 by Indiana Game in the semifinals.
“The boys played extremely hard in each and every game,” Sullivan said. “The opponent in the semifinal game featured two all-state players and a kid being recruited to Michigan for football which was indicative of the level of opponents.
“It was an incredible experience for our kids to appreciate the level of intensity and physicality that comes with playing in the States against elite level players.”
In the semifinals, Niagara went down 10-0 and 15-3 early but battled back to get within five and were within striking range for the majority of the game.
“This type of experience can catapult their development and show them the areas of our play that need to improve,” he said.
The three teams now head to Burlington to culminate the season by participating in the Canadian National Invitational Tournament.
