Page 30 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 69

School’s Out for Summer!!

Austin Flannigan By Casey Leger
Sport: Badminton & Baseball

School: Laurentian University

Program: Education

ot everyone gets to compete at the post-secondary level. Even fewer athletes get to compete in two very dif-
Nferent sports in college or university. Austin Flannigan is that rare exception. He has played both badminton
and baseball at the OUA level.
Austin graduated from a La Citadelle, where he played baseball, badminton, and tennis. Badminton earned him four
OFSAA births, and he won a silver medal in grade 12, while tennis took him to OFSAA twice, where he collected
a bronze medal, also in grade 12. He won both of the La Citadelle Athlete of the Year awards, once as a junior and
again as a senior. Finally, Austin was recognized as an exceptional athlete by the Cornwall sports community when
he earned the Joe Assaly award and again when he won the Joe St. Denis Parks and Recreation Award at the annual
Lions Club banquet.
Austin was on the university of Ottawa badminton team for the four years that he attended the Human Kinetics program there. In his fourth year, he also played right field for the
university’s baseball team. “It was a short season,” he says. “We practised two or three times a week and played three or four times a week, and we were expected to attend games
two hours before the opening pitch.”
He was accepted to the Education Program at Laurentian University, recently completing the first year of the two year program. Before attending school last fall, he tried to start a
varsity badminton team at the school. Unfortunately, his efforts proved fruitless, so he elected to compete as an individual.
And compete he did. He won the district badminton championship in Ottawa. He won two Quebec provincial tournaments sanctioned by Badminton Quebec, and he made it to the
semi-finals in a third. He entered the National University Championships as the fifth seed and won the bronze medal. In the process he defeated the top seeded university player
who also happened to be ranked fourth nationally.
Austin is currently balancing working and training with playing baseball for the senior Cornwall River Rats, who are in the top tier of the National Capital Baseball League. He
enjoys the competition, and says that physical activity is part of his routine. “I love doing it,” he says of high-level athletics. “It takes my mind off things and gives me something
to look forward to.”
Austin will have plenty to look forward to this September when he resumes his studies and takes to the diamond with the fledgling Laurentian baseball team.

Name: Connor Primeau By Molly Kett

Sport: Lacrosse

School: University of Ottawa
Program: Masters, Sport Psychology

L ocal athlete Connor Primeau has just finished up another successful year at the University of Ottawa and is enjoying his summer in the city. However, just because it’s
summer doesn’t mean the education and athletics stop.
“After a successful season with the University of Ottawa, I was drafted in the ALL by the Peterborough Timbermen. This summer, I plan on being a part of the Capital
Region Axemen once again,” says Primeau. “I will also be preparing for what I hope to be a very exciting season with the GeeGees. We have a freshman class coming in
for what is shaping up to be our program’s most successful season.”
In 2017, Primeau completed his undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. He is currently in an applied Sport Psychology Master’s Degree,
training to become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC).
“My goal is to teach and guide my clients to achieving optimal levels of performance and well-being through the use of various counselling techniques and mental skills,”
says Primeau. “I plan to graduate in December of this year and begin working in the field.”
Primeau’s program is running through the summer, so he’s pretty busy with school and athletics.
During the summer months, Primeau says he “will be working as a student mental performance consultant with clients from various different sports and performance domains. This internship keeps me busy, but I still find
some time to relax and enjoy the summer.”
His athletics will be kept up through another season with the Capital Region Axemen.
“My participation allows me to remain in game shape for the upcoming school season, along with an active and healthy lifestyle,” says Primeau. “Playing box lacrosse keeps me in game shape for the field lacrosse season.”
The new school year will bring the final stages of Primeau’s program.
“I will be completing my practical experience as a student MPC as well as completing final assignments in hopes of graduating in December,” says Primeau. “From there, I will be working on getting both a Canadian and
American certification in the field of sport psychology.”
Just because his education has kept him in Ottawa, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss home.
“I miss my family the most. Ottawa is a great city and the campus is like no other, but I definitely cherish the time I get to spend at home with my family in Cornwall,” says Primeau.
As part of Primeau’s program, he is required to offer his services free of charge.
“If anyone is looking for more information or would like to book a session I can be reached at cprim059@uottawa.ca,” says Primeau.
If you’re interested, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Six lockers will have great Back to School items you want
“Back to School Locker Break!” and need, but…there’s more, one of the six will also have a

$
Enter for a chance to WIN 2,000 in Back to School prizes Grand Prize of a 10” tablet to begin your school year in style.
Shop at Cornwall Square
from August 1, 2018 to August 19, 2018
obtain a ballot to enter the draw from the merchants, place in the ballot
drum next to the Lockers at Centre Court to have a chance to be one of
our six contestants.
1 Water Street East, CORNWALL Across the street from the Aquatic Centre
Mon.-Fri. 9:30 am to 9 pm • Sat. 9:30 am to 5:30 pm • Sun 11 am to 5 pm