Athletics Rounds out Team Nova Scotia

With less than a month until the opening ceremonies, Team Nova Scotia has been selected and is in final preparations for the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, Sask. from Aug. 6 to 20.

Athletics Nova Scotia has selected the 50-member squad that will compete at the Games. It is the last and largest addition to Team Nova Scotia.

The team was named through a two-part selection process involving performances throughout the past year and a selection meet, held from June 30 to July 2 at Metropolitan Field in Lower Sackville.

"I think we're looking at one of our best performances ever," said Peter Lord, executive director of Athletics Nova Scotia. "We have four athletes that recently won medals at the Canadian Junior Nationals. That alone points to a strong team this time around."

The athletes will train for the next month to fine tune their skills and compete in several practice meets in preparation for the Games.

The athletics team is lead by head coach Winston Manuel of Halifax. Individual event coaches include Tracy Acker-Canning of Enfield, Steve Morley of Halifax, Rebecca Legace of Amherst, Dan Hennigar of Halifax, Doug Mitchell of Middle Sackville, and Charles Scarrow of Bridgetown, Annapolis Co. The manager is Linda Acker of Lower Sackville.

Team Nova Scotia has 330 athletes competing in 16 sports during the two weeks of the Games. The athletes are supported by 45 coaches, 23 managers, two boatmen and 18 mission staff. Four young artists will participate in the National Artists Program at the Games, bringing the team's total to 422 Nova Scotians.

Names of the athletics team and others who have been selected for Team Nova Scotia are available in the Meet the Team section of the team's website at http://ns.canadagames.ca/summer2005 .