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Evan
van Niekerk
Friends
describe this fun-loving young water polo player as determined
and competitive, but here's something almost nobody knows
about Evan van Niekerk - he's a cuntry music fan.
A Grade 11 student at Sands Secondary School in Delta, this
fitness buff has competed in lacrosse, soccer and baseball,
but immediately found his niche when he took up water polo
four years ago in Burnaby at the urging of his swim coach,
Kirsten Dixon.
"It's more fun than swimming," he thought, and after
his first game he realized that the sport came easily to him.
Now he loves water polo because it keeps him in shape, allows
him the opportunity to make lots of friends, and to travel.
He would describe the sport as fun and exciting to someone who
knew nothing about the game. He also enjoys coaching younger
athletes in both swimming and water polo.
So far, his best memories include an August 2006 trip to
Hawaii where he was a member of the Canada Red (West)
silver-medal team in the prestigious 37th annual Hawaiian
Invitational Water Polo Tournament, and his selection to
Canada's youth national team.
He has been a member of the Pacific Storm program for four
years, and reckons that the most exciting game of his life was
the British Columbia team's performance in the cadet
nationals.
"It was against Calgary. In the last minute were down by
one [goal]. We tied it and won in overtime," Evan
recalls.
Evan has distinguished himself as a player in many
tournaments, carving out a reputation as a goal-scorer.
He was top scorer with a Cadet team that took gold in the
Washington Open, and top scorer for the Canadian Juvenile team
at the Hawaiian Open where he popped in 18 goals in six games
helping the team to a silver medal.
He has also celebrated several all-star team selections,
including the B.C. Open, the Cadet Nationals, and the Youth
Cup.
His plans for the future are ambitious. This honor roll
student hopes to make Canada's senior men's team, and to earn
a full-ride scholarship that would enable him to play water
polo at a university in the United States. Someday, he hopes
to make it all the way to the Olympic medal podium, and along
the way, earn a law degree.
Contact:
Cheryl Wilson-Stewart
BC Water Polo-PR
Telephone: 604.737.3148
Email: pr@bcwaterpolo.com
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