While local athletes representing Norther Ontario may not have garnered any medals at the recent Ontario Summer Games in London, this doesn't necessarily mean that Sudbury was completely shutout in the medal count. Lo-Ellen Park Secondary Grade 10 student Renee Jacques, a member of the Burlington Flash U15 Girls soccer team this summer, returned from the Games with Gold in hand as Burlington defeated Ajax United 2-1 in the championship game.

In fact, it was Jacques goal late in the second half that helped propel her team to victory and the top of the medal podium. "I was coming in hard off the wing and I kind of chipped it" said Jacques, of the game-winning goal. "It rolled in very slowly - definately wasn't the most beautiful goal ever, but we won so we were pretty happy."

Like most competitive local soccer players, Jacques owes her start in soccer to the Sudburnia Soccer club, where she competed in mixed leagues until joining girl all-star teams at age 10 or so. Prior to this season, Jacques had spent the past three years playing one level above her age, with coach Ben Haavisto and the U16 Paznhellenic girls. But in her second year of tryouts with the Regional soccer team, Jacques was chosen to participate with the Provincial soccer program, a commitment that would require her to spend nearly every weekend through last winter travelling to Toronto.

"Starting in October, we spend weekends at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan" notes Jacques, who also competed in gymnastics for quite some time before finally outgrowing the sport. As the summer of 2004 approached, Jacques was undecided on whether to move up and join coach Kevin Roach and the Sudbury Canadians Under 17 team or join a handful of friends with the provincial team who play with Burlington over the summer months. "It was really hard to decide" said Jacques, "but I chose to stay in Burlington to have the opportunity to play with kids my age...it was a very good experience."

While the Sudbury soccer scene boasts girls squads that compete in the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) at both the Under-14 and Under-17 categories, there was no local U-15 girls squad run by either Panhellenic or the Canadians this summer. With a love for competition, Jacques was a natural for the migration south. "I really loved the OYSL play this summer - everyone is so skilled and all the games are competitive" explained the talented youngster.

With oYSL play wrapping up in late September, Jacques notes that she hopes to still make most of the weekend games for Burlington. From there, she remains hopeful of either being chosen to take part in the National Training Camp (NTC) program or possibly be invited to join the Provincial Under16 team in May and eventually move on to play at a post-secondary instituion. Regardless of where her soccer career may take her, Jacques will always have the memory, and the medal, of the Ontario Summer Games in London to carry with her.