Category: Sports
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Photo by Gareth DunnPretorius to chase mountain bike success on international stage
It seems fitting to pen a column on Megan Pretorius in a Chronicle sports section that includes an article on superb swimmer Mia Wittal. They share trajectory and pedigree, albeit in separate sports, and are among the most promising young athletes in the Tournament Capital. Pretorius landed on my radar last year when my mountain-bike-loving-cousin…
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Photo by Dani WittalYoung swimmer collects medals and records at swim meet
Mia Wittal put an exclamation point on an extraordinary period of her young career at the B.C. Summer Swimming Championships last month at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre. The 13-year-old Kamloops Classic Swimming athlete racked up five medals — two gold, one silver and two bronze — and broke four club records at the meet.…
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Photo by Macie Stankoven.Stankoven captures Stanley Cup
Logan Stankoven rampaged through the playoffs and cemented his place among Kamloops hockey royalty, becoming the first player from the city to hoist the Stanley Cup since Mark Recchi in 2011. “It just didn’t feel real,” said Stankoven, whose Carolina Hurricanes knocked off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 last month in the Cup final series.…
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Photo by Kamloops NorthpawsNorthpaws improve under Jepson’s guidance
Elijah Olaybal is bringing undeniable enthusiasm into his ball club, the Kamloops NorthPaws’ rookie outfielder happy to demonstrate potential home-run celebrations upon request. “I might blank out and just start screaming, just throwing everything,” he said while waving his arms wildly. “You guys will see that in person, for sure.” Olaybal will have ample opportunity…
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TrueTech Trials debuts as a hit in Kamloops
New family-friendly event draws crowds and sets the stage for the return of the Chuwels Challenge The Greater Kamloops Motorcycle Association (GKMA) is celebrating the success of its first-ever TrueTech Trials event, a new addition to the local dirt biking scene that emphasized accessibility, community, and fun over competition. Led by first-year president James Becker,…
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Photo by Carolina HurricanesLogan Stankoven inches closer to Cup
Logan Stankoven may soon parade down Victoria Street holding the Stanley Cup. “It’s what you dream of as a kid — to hoist that Cup some day — and to have your name on that Cup,” said Stankoven, the 5-foot-8 Carolina Hurricanes’ forward from Kamloops. “It’s great to have that in the back of your…
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Teresa Seibel breathes through a cold-water session in her Kamloops backyard pool, where temperatures have hovered near 12°C since mid-April — close to what she’ll face crossing the English Channel with her relay team in June. Photo by Robert KoopmansFrom England to France: Kamloops Swimmer Takes on the Channel
In the world of open water swimming, crossing the English Channel — roughly 40 km of cold water, jellyfish, waves, wind, and shipping lanes between Dover, England, and Cap Gris-Nez, France — ranks among the sport’s most demanding feats. Teresa Seibel, a Kamloops-based adult swimming coach, hopes her planned attempt in early June will place…
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Photo by Carolina HurricansHurricanes’ Stankoven chasing down the Stanley Cup
Logan Stankoven of the Carolina Hurricanes is an early candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is handed to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Adding to the weight of his breakout performance in Round 1 — four goals and five points in four games in a sweep of the Ottawa Senators — is his physical condition heading into the series. “I was in bed…
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National record in reach for star swimmer Wittal
Mia Wittal is among the most promising athletes in Kamloops, pool pedigree and wunderkind status undeniable after results in January and February. “She has so much potential,” Kamloops Classic Swimming head coach Shane Downey said. “I feel like we’re just starting to scratch the surface.” Wittal, 12, set a provincial long course record in the…
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The Westsyde Whundas after winning the AA Boys Okanagan Valley Championship. Photo by Westsyde SecondaryPop music provides soundtrack for Westsyde Whundas
Teenage Dream, a 2010 dance-pop number by Katy Perry, was the anthem last season. This year, the provincials-bound Westsyde Whundas’ senior boys basketball team jams to a 2012 Carly Rae Jepsen joint. “Every time we win, we play Call Me Maybe and sing along to it,” Whundas’ shooting guard Jaren Porter said. Those tracks are…