One of Innisfail's star minor hockey players is in the running to play for Team Canada.
Taryn Baumgardt, 17, is heading to Calgary in August for the Team Canada U-18 national women's team selection camp.
She'll be up against 39 other women hockey players from across Canada. A Team Alberta veteran, this is the first time the defence player has been up for national team status.
“I'm really excited to be a part of it,” Baumgardt said.
She was asked to the camp after participating in a strength and conditioning camp in May.
This will be the second selection camp Baumgardt will have hit this summer. She's already been to the Team Alberta selection camp in Camrose in July.
“It was the top 46 camp,” Baumgardt said. She's been twice before and is still waiting to hear official word on whether or not she's moving on to the next selection round, which would see the field narrowed to 27 women.
The Team Alberta camp saw the players on the ice every day for six days.
“They work us pretty hard but it's still fun,” said Baumgardt.
Even though Baumgardt has already helped bring home gold from the 2011 Canada Winter Games, she said it's still exciting to be asked to the selection process.
“Competition at those are always incredible,” she said of the women she's facing on the ice. “It's always a great opportunity.”
Baumgardt played midget triple A for the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs last season and went to the national games in November for Alberta.
She's been playing hockey since she was five and started on defence once she hit the novice level. Donning a Team Canada jersey is something she hopes is a possibility “if I work hard and set my mind to it.”
“That would be amazing,” she said.
On the home front, she has a training program she follows four to five days a week to stay in shape. When Baumgardt was playing last season in Red Deer, she had on-ice practice twice a week, “dry land” training once a week and then would play two games a weekend.
In spite of an intensive schedule Baumgardt has never considered handing in her stick.
“I love it,” Baumgardt said. “I love the game and I love meeting new people and developing relationships.”
