Olympic wrestling team has Metro connection
Published Wednesday August 20th, 2008
Upper Coverdale's Al Norman was all smiles on the weekend.
The main reason was the fact that Canada's women's wrestling team collected the nation's first medals at the Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, breaking the drought when Carol Huynh of Hazelton, B.C. won gold and Tonya Verbeek of Beamsville, Ont. captured bronze.
The 27-year-old Huynh won gold at last year's Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 2005 world championships. Meanwhile, Verbeek won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The 56-year-old Norman, former head coach for Moncton's MacNaughton High School Warrior wrestling team that won at least one gold medal as New Brunswick finalists between 1975-81 and the provincial championship in 1979, co-ordinated the hosting of the Canadian Olympic wrestling team at the current Games. He also co-ordinated the national team at the World Championship in Beijing. The Canadian International School of Beijing took on a major supporting role for Canada's wrestling team at the Olympics.
Norman's contact with Wrestling Canada is executive director Greg Mathieu. He also met in China with the men's Olympic coach Dave MacKay, whom he has known for many years, to set up the program to meet the team's needs on behalf of his partner Dr. Francis Pang. Canadian wrestlers were sponsored by the Chinese Canadian educator and businessman Dr. Pang at the Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB).
Norman has worked between Canada and China the past five years as the General Manager of Atlantic Education International Inc. before his retirement on Aug. 1. Although not directly involved in wrestling the past 10 years, many of his early acquaintances remain, which led to his offer to help with Canada's program in Beijing at the partner school he was working at.
Norman's connection to wrestling goes back to 1976 when he coached wrestling and football at MacNaughton. His wrestling background:
1975-81 -- Head coach at MacNaughton. The team won at least one gold medal as provincial finalists every year: 1975-1993 -- Provincial and national "A' official; 1979 and 1984 -- Manager of the N.B. Canada Games wrestling team; 1988 -- Official at Canada Winter Games; 1990-91 -- President of N.B. Amateur Wrestling Association; 1991 -- "Grassroots" Olympic wrestling development committee member for the Canadian Wrestling Association; 2007 -- Co-ordinated the hosting of Canadian wrestling team for the Beijing world championships; 2008 -- Co-ordinated the hosting of the Canadian Olympic wrestling team for the Beijing Olympics.
n Ronnie Gaudet Jr. is calling it a career as a player. The 40-year-old, 5'10", 182-pound Gaudet has accepted a job as coach of his brother Kevin's junior hockey team in Vienna, Austria.
Kevin will be in his second year as head coach of Vienna's Division I team.
Ronnie played (forward and defence) for 15 seasons on eight different teams in Germany, beginning in 1992 with a Division IV club.
He then moved up to Division III and then Division II. During that period, Ronnie played 743 games with 452 goals and 799 assists (1,251 points).
His decision to hang up his skates as a player came mainly because of knee injuries. He's had two operations in 10 months.
n The team of Norm (Indian Jack) Richard, Terry (Kak) Arsenault, Rollie Bourgeois and Nick Nicolle won the annual Dan Jardine Memorial Press Club golf tournament with a minus nine 61 over the par 70 Lakeside Golf Club course Sunday. The team also won in 2005.
The shot of the day in the 100-golfer tourney was by Larry Cassidy. Playing on the second hole, his errant shot hit Myles Murray, who was standing on No. 3 tee, on top of the head.
Myles recovered, but quipped that Cassidy was fortunate he didn't have a hockey stick in his hands. According to tourney chairman Brent Taylor, Cassidy needed a ruling from the Royal Canadian Golf Association in order to continue.
n Blake (Big Brown) Marshall was even par 34 on the front nine at the Moncton Golf and Country Club recently. However, playing on a muddy track and loose spikes, Marshall played like his nickname, commented partner Gary (My Way) O'Neill, and shot a 14-over-par 50. He, however, improved by one shot in his next outing.
n The annual Walter Furze Cup tournament, a four-player scramble, is set for Lakeside Golf Club course on Thursday, Sept. 11. Play starts at 11 a.m.
n The annual UdeM Aigles Bleus tournament is scheduled for Memramcook on Friday, Sept. 6 with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
n At 62, Bill Lee is still pitching baseball. The former Major Leaguer (119-90 in 17 seasons with 713 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.92) has always said he wants to die and be buried in a baseball uniform. Lee, a.k.a. The Spaceman, helped revive baseball in Moncton in the 1980s when he pitched for the Mets. Lee now resides in Craftsbury, Vt. and pitches for one of the local teams.
n Craig Hope is in his 39th season of umpiring ball. The 53-year-old Hope is one of the top officials in Atlantic Canada.
n Donald (Ti-Ti) Cormier, a member of the Codiac RCMP detachment who passed away in 2007 while on holidays in Mexico, will be among the first inductees in the Moncton Boys and Girls Club Wall of Fame.
n Eddie St. Pierre is a retired Times & Transcript sports editor. His column appears on Wednesdays.
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