By Sarah Millman
CEC Reach for the Top team ended its phenomenal year by finishing third at nationals in Toronto last weekend.
The team, consisting of Ryan Terry, Aiden Manley, Sander Manley, Luke MacLean, Ian Boyd, Asuka Boehm, Marc Arsenault, and Neil MacKay, placed second after the initial round-robin section of the tournament but lost a tough semifinal match.
Terry, a Grade 11 student, also earned a spot on the all-star team, a prestigious honour that his teammates say he definitely deserves.
"I feel that we had a really great showing at nationals, and that it is a real testament to not only all of us working as a team, but also our coach, Mr. Budgey," Terry said.
"As for winning the award I don't think I would have won if it had not been for the support of the whole team.
The CEC student body is hosting a Spirit Day today in order to support spring sports and activities. Students are encouraged to wear blue and orange to show their Cougar pride, and the focus will be on motivating the track and field team, which is heading to Sydney next weekend to defend the four regional banner sweep, and the boys fastball team gearing up for their provincial championships in Guysborough June 1 and 2.
As part of the Spirit Day there will be an open mike lunch in the Cougar Café and all students should sign up or attend and show their support for classmates. To show enthusiasm for Spirit Day students are hashtagging #cougarnation all day. CEC special athletes had another outstanding performance at the regional track and field championships that were held in Stellerton May 25 and 26. Six athletes qualified: Dwight Hudson, Devin Nelson, Brandon Wilson, Natalie Dennis, Jaselynn Doucette and Kelsey Lee. Transition is underway for the 2012-2013 student government. Current presidents Erin MacKenzie and Tyler D'Arcy are showing incoming presidents Emma Bastarache and Brennan MacLean the reigns before graduation. The new presidents have high hopes for the next school year and are beginning to take on the heavy responsibilities associated with their positions. With a lot of Grade 12 members graduating, student council hopes to see many bright new faces on board in September. The Grade 12 visual arts class is having an exhibit of their work at the Marigold Cultural Centre until June 4. There will also be an opening reception on Friday, June 1 at 7 p.m. All are welcome to come out and appreciate the fine work students have created over this past year. Both CEC girls and boys rugby teams suffered losses to North Nova Education Centre in the Northumberland region semifinals, ending their superb seasons. Both teams were strong contenders in their field and a lot of credit is owed to the dedicated coaching staff on both teams. Returning players are already getting anxious for next year's season to begin. The CEC girls fastball season also came to a close after two losses in the round-robin at the regional championships.
Sarah Millman is a Grade 10 student at CEC. She lives in Truro.
