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Women's team hits the bullseye Wins third place at national championship held in Newfoundland
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 18, 2013
INUVIK
There is nothing but laurels coming the way of these darts players.
A team up of ladies from Inuvik placed third at the national championships last month in Newfoundland. Pictured are Samantha Antoine of Hay River, left, Michel Lindsay of Inuvik, Tanya Ruben of Hay River, Lena Church of Inuvik, Lucy Kasook of Inuvik, Shannon Jensen of Inuvik, Chelsey Larocque of Inuvik, Jenette White of Inuvik, Brenda Moreau of Fort Simpson and Darts NT director Nancy Hayward of Yellowknife. - photo courtesy of Shannon Jensen
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A team of women took home third place in Canada for darts last month with a win at the Nodor Cup in St. John's, N.L.
Team member Shannon Jensen said they were thrilled with the win, a first for a local team of women.
"It was pretty emotional," she recalled. "As soon as we beat Northern Ontario we were in the medals. We were hugging each other and giving high fives out to each other. So when we played Ontario, we were going for silver. Ontario beat us and then went on to beat Quebec and took the Nodor Cup. Quebec got silver.
"The tournament was pressure-packed but still fun to play in," she said.
"There is always pressure on yourself to play well, but it is fun to be in a room with the country's best dart players and to take part in everyone's win."
"The men have gotten medals in the past for the Nodor, but it was the very first time that the ladies got a medal," she said.
Eight people from Inuvik went to the tournament, Jensen said. The women's team was comprised of Lena Church, Shannon Jensen, Michel Lindsay, Jenette White, Chelsey Larocque and Lucy Kasook. Mike Lindsay and Paul Morey represented the men's side.
"Nationals are a four-day tournament," she explained. "Tuesdays were ladies doubles, Wednesday singles, Thursday mixed doubles and Friday is the Nodor Cup – the best seven ladies and seven men on each team play off against other provinces for the cup.
"The men lost in their first round to Saskatchewan (a strong team) and the ladies won in the first round against P.E.I. You must win four games to make it to the next round.
"The second round,we beat Northern Ontario and then lost in the third round to Ontario (who took the cup). It was the first time that the NWT ladies got a medal in the nationals."
Gratifying win
It's a gratifying win in more ways than the obvious, Jensen said. Darts is a prime sport here, one that's particularly suited to the long winter nights.
"There are quite a bit of darts players in Inuvik. We have a league that plays September to May with different leagues.
"Mixed (two women, one man or two men and one woman) plays Mondays, senior (45 years and over) plays Wednesdays, men's is on Thursday and ladies on Fridays, so between these leagues,there's about 100 players."
Jensen said she's "been playing darts for about 10 years and at a competitive level for three years," mostly with her teammates.
"You have to practice all year round," Jensen said. "It's a mind game. Once you lose concentration, your game will go downhill."
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