There’s so many sports many choose to play on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, from pickleball and flag football to volleyball, golf and more, that it’s hard to choose what to highlight after an action-packed 2024 in White Rock and South Surrey.
From high school sports to hobbyists, from mixed martial arts to curling to lawn bowling to rowing, there are plenty of active people and athletes of all ages in the local community who thrive participating in their varied interests.
A few moments from the year stand out, starting with a Paralympic gold medal in Paris for a record-breaking swimmer who trains in South Surrey.
Swimmer Sebastian Massabie wins gold in Paris Paralympics
Surrey Para swimmer Sebastian Masssabie, who has a history of breaking national and even international records, broke more at the Paralympics in Paris, France, earlier this year.
Masabie recalled feeling happy and excited – and proud of himself.
“As soon as I saw that I had won, I immediately looked into the crowd for my parents, who were able to watch me in Paris.”
His Pacific Sea Wolves head coach Jy Lawrence said Massabie handled the pressure well.
“I am so immensely proud of Sebastian,” Lawrence said. “He handled himself so well in a hugely stressful environment and executed exactly what we have worked towards. He accomplished what every coach and swimmer pair dream of!”
Massabie — who has cerebral palsy that affects his left side — entered the final seeded first after advancing through his preliminary heat with a Paralympic and Canadian record 36.95. Earlier in the meet, he broke his Canadian records in both heats and finals of the 100 and 200 free, finishing fifth and sixth.
He also smashed a world record after swimming to his gold-medal victory – also Canada’s first-ever medal in the S4 sport class – in the men’s S4 50-m freestyle event Friday (Sept. 6) in 35.61, breaking previous world record-holder Ami Omer Dadaon of Israel, who finished third in 37.11. Japan’s Takayuki Suzuki finished second in 36.85.
Surrey Eagles win Fred Page Cup
Surrey Eagles won the British Columbia Hockey League’s Fred Page Cup, after winning Game 6 vs. Penticton Vees — the first time in 11 years the Cup came back to Surrey.
Eagles denied the Interior conference team a three-peat, with league top-scorer and MVP Caden Cranston, Liam Tanner and Jagjeevan Phangura each scoring one goal per period. Top BCHL netminder Ajeet Gundarah made 35 of 36 saves for the win.
Although the Vees’ Connor MacPherson scored with less than three minutes left in the third, it wasn’t enough to defeat the South Surrey-based team on their hard-fought quest for the cup — the first Lower Mainland-based team to win the Fred Page Cup since Coquitlam Express in 2014.
In a banner season for the Eagles that also saw the team’s player and head coach win six of nine BCHL awards, including the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy for the team with the best regular-season record, the squad proudly brought the cup back to Surrey to showcase their spectacular season.
Team Canada wins gold at Canada Cup in South Surrey
An undefeated Team Canada won the gold medal final vs. TC Colorado at the Canada Cup International Softball Championship in South Surrey in July.
The international softball competition, which drew more than 1,500 high-level fastpitch players — as well as hundreds of spectators — to Softball City in Surrey over the 10-day tournament, finished under sunny skies and scorching temperatures July 7 between the Canadian team, who dominated the event with only wins, and their powerhouse opponent.
“We are extremely proud of this year’s tournament, which showcased exceptional play across all divisions – from the Women’s International Division to our Futures and Showcase Divisions,” said tournament chair Greg Timm.
“The level of athleticism and competitiveness displayed really showcased the explosive growth of women in sports. We want to thank everyone, from our staff and volunteers to the players and fans, for showing up to support these exceptional girls and women.”
The International Division featured some of the world’s best, including Team Canada, Team Philippines, Team Mexico, Team Australia, Team TC Colorado, Team Israel, Team Greece, Team Ukraine, Saskatchewan 222’s, Team Czechia, Team Chinese Tapei, Team Hong Kong, and Team New Zealand. After going undefeated for the entire run of the tournament, Team Canada faced off against TC Colorado in the gold medal game on Sunday night. The women put on a stunning performance for the home crowd with a definitive 7-0 win and a perfect 8-0 record in thee tournament.
With a roster full of players from White Rock, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Delta and Abbotsford, the team featured plenty of fierce Lower Mainland talent. White Rock’s Sara Groenewegen was starting pitcher in the championship game, while Erika Polidori received an All-Star Award for her stellar outfield play during the tournament.
White Rock Tritons win BCPBL championship
It was the Year of the Spear for the British Columbia Premier Baseball League, with the Senior U18 White Rock Tritons taking home the provincial championship banner after winning playoffs in Whalley over the weekend.
After a season of ups and downs that saw the baseball team enter the championships second in the standings — after winning 14 games in a row — the Tritons carried their winning streak though the next three games, beating their first three opponents during playoffs 11-5 (Abbotsford), 8-3 (UBC) and 6-2 vs. Langley.
“The group just came together, plain and simple. All year the message was simple: play your best baseball in June and July, and you give yourself a great shot at winning it all. … The boys played their best baseball down the stretch and carried that momentum into the playoffs,” senior Tritons head coach Tyler Lawson said.
“This was a family down the stretch of the season, and they all played for each other. It was a magical run, as winning 17 games in a row is so hard in any sport. We truly believed there was no team that could beat us and that we were destined to dogpile at Whalley.”
Lawson praised his players profusely.
“The group was so confident and dialed all weekend. They rose to the occasion every time. … If we needed a big defensive play, we got it. A timely hit? No problem. Everything we talked about, we just went out there and executed,” he said. “The group battled adversity all weekend, coming from behind in the first two games and also again in the championships. It took a full team effort and no one displayed any selfishness.”
He credited the entire coaching staff as well as the players and their parents.
“We have a true community – family – here with the Tritons and so many have paved the way over the years, so as an organization, it’s just a great feeling for everyone.”
Female rugby player Shoshanah Seumanutafa returns for WXV 1 tournament w/Team Canada
A South Surrey rugby player returned home to play in the WXV 1 competition with Team Canada.
Shoshanah Seumanutafa, a Pacific Academy and University of British Columbia grad, helped her UBC Thunderbirds win their first-ever rugby Canada West Championship – as well as two others. She also helped the team win their first CW trophy for rugby sevens, and was named CW Player of the Year twice.
Despite such an outstanding university career, Seumanutafa remains humble.
Now 25, she was looking forward to having her family in the stands for WXV. Canada competed in the top tier of the international WXV (WXV1), which includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France, Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four (PAC4) Series (Canada, New Zealand, USA), in September and October.
There’s been a little more excitement about rugby in Canada, she noted, since the Canadian women’s rugby team won a historic silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.
“We’re bringing a lot of excitement … having a home game where everyone’s families are around is great. There’s a lot of excitement and energy. … We’re just going to take one week at a time and prepare according to each team,” she said of the upcoming games, which kick of this Sunday, Sept. 29 vs. France at BC Place in Vancouver.
Canada won the first game 46-24 over France, as well as the second game vs. Ireland, held at the Langley Events Centre on Oct. 5, where Team Canada won 21-8.
Team Canada returned to BC Place Oct. 12 to play England, who ultimately won, 21-12.
