Sports

Vancouver Coastal karate athlete Haumi Tarighatbin (red) faces off against Cancouver Island Central Coast athlete Hudson Ball Saturday, March 25, 2023, during the Greater Vernon B.C. Winter Games at Kalamalka Secondary School. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

PHOTOS: Athletes dazzle on Day 2 of B.C. Winter Games in Greater Vernon

Competition in the Games continued Saturday; run through to 12 p.m. Sunday, March 26

Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy posed with Fin, the Vancouver Canucks mascot, for a Kraft Hockeyville promotional video at Planet Ice. (Brandon Tucker/The News)

PHOTOS: Vancouver Canucks mascot helps make killer contest video for B.C. arena

Voting for the Kraft Hockeyville contest starts on March 31

Campbell River native Olivia Knowles, pictured here, signed with the Minnesota Whitecaps last spring. Her team advanced to the Isobel Cup finals this weekend. Photo courtesy Kayla Franz/Minnesota Whitecaps

Pro hockey defender Olivia Knowles remembers humble Vancouver Island beginnings

Campbell Riverite turned Minnesota Whitecap all-time games played leader at University of Minnesota

More than 900 athletes are competing in the B.C. Winter Games from Friday, March 24, to Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Let the games begin: B.C. Winter Games in Greater Vernon officially underway

The torch is lit and over 900 athletes are ready to compete from Friday to Sunday

More than 900 athletes are competing in the B.C. Winter Games from Friday, March 24, to Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
Tyson Rettle, founder of Braille Mountain Initiative. (Great Canadian Heli-Skiing)

Two blind skiers take on Rogers Pass west of Golden

Tyson Rettle and Mark Bentz are raising money for the Braille Mountain Initiative

Tyson Rettle, founder of Braille Mountain Initiative. (Great Canadian Heli-Skiing)
Ketil Eckhardt scored both goals for Sooke Celtic in the team’s 2-1 win over Saanich Fusion FC. The team hosts a clash for the provincial title against Burnaby on Saturday, April 1 at 3 p.m. at The Log at Fred Milne Park. (Contributed)

Sooke Celtic soar to the provincials after win over Saanich

Team set to move up to Division 2 next year

Ketil Eckhardt scored both goals for Sooke Celtic in the team’s 2-1 win over Saanich Fusion FC. The team hosts a clash for the provincial title against Burnaby on Saturday, April 1 at 3 p.m. at The Log at Fred Milne Park. (Contributed)
Breanne Nicholas looks out over Langford’s Starlight Stadium. The co-captain of Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team hopes to help end the stigma around mental health and its impact on high-performance athletes. (Jake Romphf/News Staff)

Canada rugby sevens members push for mental health literacy in sport

Co-captain, coach hope for more openness around mental health challenges facing athletes

Breanne Nicholas looks out over Langford’s Starlight Stadium. The co-captain of Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team hopes to help end the stigma around mental health and its impact on high-performance athletes. (Jake Romphf/News Staff)
FILE - The ice is lit in rainbow light for Pride Night before an NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, April 26, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday’s Pride Night game against Vancouver because of security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

NHL’s Blackhawks won’t wear Pride jerseys, cite Russian law

Chicago coach Luke Richardson he and his players were disappointed in the decision

FILE - The ice is lit in rainbow light for Pride Night before an NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, April 26, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday’s Pride Night game against Vancouver because of security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Greater Vernon B.C. Winter Games vice-president Cindy Masters (left) and director of marketing Lara Konkin go over some last-minute details at the Games’ media centre Thursday, March 23. The Games start tonight with the opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place. Competition in the 15 sports runs Friday to Sunday. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)

Let the (Greater Vernon) B.C. Winter Games begin

Athletes, coaches, officials begin arriving today; opening ceremony is at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place

Greater Vernon B.C. Winter Games vice-president Cindy Masters (left) and director of marketing Lara Konkin go over some last-minute details at the Games’ media centre Thursday, March 23. The Games start tonight with the opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place. Competition in the 15 sports runs Friday to Sunday. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)
Langley’s Team Andrews, the defending 2022 senior women’s champions, was at the front of the procession piped on to the ice Wednesday, March 21, at the official start of the 2023 Connect Hearing BC Senior Curling Championships at the Langley Curling Centre. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

BC Senior Curling Championships get underway

Langley’s Team Andrews hopes to repeat as women’s champs, Nanaimo’s Team Craig wants another men’s title

Langley’s Team Andrews, the defending 2022 senior women’s champions, was at the front of the procession piped on to the ice Wednesday, March 21, at the official start of the 2023 Connect Hearing BC Senior Curling Championships at the Langley Curling Centre. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Vikes track runner Jennifer Erickson stands atop the podium after her U SPORTS 3,000m win. (Courtesy of Electric Umbrella/Huskie Athletics)

Walk-on runner becomes track national champion in second lap at UVic

Jennifer Erickson the first Vikes runner to win U SPORTS gold medal since 2016

Vikes track runner Jennifer Erickson stands atop the podium after her U SPORTS 3,000m win. (Courtesy of Electric Umbrella/Huskie Athletics)
Wayne McGrath (left) with his son Gord McGrath. (Contributed)

Still got it: 79-year-old Vernon man Wayne McGrath is a hockey lifer

The former Mayor of Vernon started playing for the Moonshiners rec team 45 years ago

Wayne McGrath (left) with his son Gord McGrath. (Contributed)
Campbell Riverite Tyler Turner took home gold from the para-snowboarding world championships earlier this month. Photo courtesy Luc Percival

Vancouver Island para-snowboarder defends world championship title

Campbell River Tyler Turner wins gold in only competition this year

Campbell Riverite Tyler Turner took home gold from the para-snowboarding world championships earlier this month. Photo courtesy Luc Percival
People celebrate Japan’s victory against United States as they watch on a live stream of a World Baseball Classic (WBC) final being played at LoanDepot Park in Miami, during a public viewing event Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japanese beating Americans in baseball is must-see viewing in Japan

Japanese television stuck to its live coverage from Miami for almost two…

People celebrate Japan’s victory against United States as they watch on a live stream of a World Baseball Classic (WBC) final being played at LoanDepot Park in Miami, during a public viewing event Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Toronto Blue Jays announcer Ben Wagner sits in the broadcast booth in Toronto, Sunday, April 10, 2022. Sportsnet, the Blue Jays’ radio rightsholder, will not resume on-site radio broadcasts for the 2023 regular season and will instead use remote coverage from its downtown Toronto studio for road games. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

THE MOJ: Leaving the broadcasters at home a sad and baffling decision

Radio crew not joining the team on the road leads to an inferior product without much of a saving

Toronto Blue Jays announcer Ben Wagner sits in the broadcast booth in Toronto, Sunday, April 10, 2022. Sportsnet, the Blue Jays’ radio rightsholder, will not resume on-site radio broadcasts for the 2023 regular season and will instead use remote coverage from its downtown Toronto studio for road games. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jason Zucker (16) is checked to the ice by Ottawa Senators’ Jakob Chychrun (6) in front of goaltender Dylan Ferguson (34) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Goalie from Vancouver Island makes 48 saves to earn his first NHL win

Dylan Ferguson and his Ottawa Senators defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jason Zucker (16) is checked to the ice by Ottawa Senators’ Jakob Chychrun (6) in front of goaltender Dylan Ferguson (34) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
VIU Mariners player Chloe Scaber gets past a Géants de Saint-Jean defender during the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association gold-medal match Saturday, March 18, in Hamilton. (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association photo)

VIU Mariners women win national basketball championship

Program wins its first CCAA title since 1998

VIU Mariners player Chloe Scaber gets past a Géants de Saint-Jean defender during the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association gold-medal match Saturday, March 18, in Hamilton. (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association photo)
Tofino’s Reed Platenius gets chaired up the beach by teammates Wheeler Hasburgh and Noah Cohen after winning his first-ever WSL contest on March 12 in Florida. (Kurt Steinmetz photo)

Vancouver Island surfer tops World Surf League junior rankings

Tofino’s Reed Platenius is currently the best men’s pro junior surfer in North America

Tofino’s Reed Platenius gets chaired up the beach by teammates Wheeler Hasburgh and Noah Cohen after winning his first-ever WSL contest on March 12 in Florida. (Kurt Steinmetz photo)
Linesman Lonnie Cameron, who was honoured before the game for working his 1,500th NHL game laughs as the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks play during first period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Monday February 25, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

PODCAST: Lonnie Cameron officiated more than 1500 NHL games

MOJ on Sports: Islander worked the Olympics and 19 Stanley Cup Finals

Linesman Lonnie Cameron, who was honoured before the game for working his 1,500th NHL game laughs as the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks play during first period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Monday February 25, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Golden Eagle Golf Club hosted the first tournament of the MJT 2023 season from March 13-14. (MJT/Special to The News)

2023 season of the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour tees off at B.C. golf course

Players received gift packages in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the MJT

Golden Eagle Golf Club hosted the first tournament of the MJT 2023 season from March 13-14. (MJT/Special to The News)
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