Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Whitehorse Star

THE HOLY GRAIL – Whitehorse product Alex Hanson hoists the Keystone Cup after the 100 Mile House Wranglers won western Canada’s Jr. B championship.

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Photo by Whitehorse Star

RUNS IN THE FAMILY – Yukon swimmers Cassis and Rennes Lindsay experienced their first international swim meet this season.

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Photo by Whitehorse Star

DRAFTING – Cyclists compete in the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay from Haines Junction to Haines, AK.

The year in review: April

This week we are looking back on what the sporting community accomplished in 2016. We pick the thread back up in April.

By Whitehorse Star on December 28, 2016

This week we are looking back on what the sporting community accomplished in 2016. We pick the thread back up in April.

April

Alex Hanson, a Whitehorse hockey product, helped the 100 Mile House Wranglers capture the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League title. The team would go on to win the Cyclone Taylor Cup and the Keystone Cup (for the top teams in the west).

A record 431 cross-country skiers turned out for the Buckwheat Ski Classic near Skagway. The event’s longest race, the 50-kilometre classic was won by Graeme Killick on the men’s side, while Emily Nishikawa won the women’s side.

Swimmer Bronwyn Pasloski retired from competition. A breaststroker, she attempted to qualify for the Olympic team, but didn’t make the qualifying time. She said she would like to focus on studying medicine.

A five-person Northern Novas synchronized swim team won their Star 3-4 division at the Mabel Moran Championships in Richmond, B.C. The team of Ella Laliberty, Chrystal Goulah, Kinley Battersby, Mia Houde and Mia Maguire took gold. In the 11-to-12 age group, Camron Maguire, Helene Maguire, Taylor Jobin, Amelia Frey and Kate Josie were second. Taylor Jobin was also second in a solo division, while Teera Walsh was third.

The Meadow Lakes Golf Course celebrated the earliest opening for the business: April 9.

Six Yukon hockey players were invited to a provincial hockey camp in B.C. Bryce Anderson, Oscar Burgess, Dylan Cozens and Brett Walchuk got invitations to the U16 BC CUp showcase in Salmon Arm. Kyron Crosby secured an invitation for the U15 event and Maddie Nicholson was invited to a U16 provincial ID camp in Salmon Arm.

Thomas Gishler led a team of Whitehorse Glacier Bears with a gold and silver at the Dino Cup swim meet in Calgary.

May

A hockey team performed a Team North first by earning silver at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. It was the first time Team North had qualified for the final. The team was aided by Yukoners Ben McClelland, Kaine Comin, Johnny Elias, Jonas Leas and Josh Tetlichi.

Logan Roots took the summer off racing to enjoy some downtime with his family.

The 22-year-old runner was accepted into the Canadian military and began attending the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. this fall.

Watson Lake celebrated a new track surface with the Watson Lake Secondary School track and field meet. The track, which was at one time an overgrown mess, was brought back to life by local landscaper Darrell Bauman.

Dylan Cozens became the first Yukon hockey player to be selected in the first round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) bantam draft. The 15-year-old signed his deal with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was selected 19th overall.

The Lindsay sisters, Cassis and Rennes competed in their first international swim meet, the Mel Zajac internationals swim meet in Vancouver.

Rennes was 46th in the 400-freestyle, while Cassis, a sprint specialist, swam to four top 35 finishes, including 14th in the 50 freestyle.

Pelly Vincent-Braun punched his ticket to the whitewater slalom canoe/kayak junior world championships during the Canadian team trials in Alberta, finishing second overall in the C-1 category. Fellow Yukoner Mael Pronovost also competed and the duo raced in C-2, but was not fast enough to qualify for the Canadian team.

Max Melvin-McNutt, a Yukon snowboarder, announced his retirement. Lately his seasons had been marred by injury.

His career bests were a fifth-place at nationals in slopestyle and a bronze at the Dew M Series.

He has taken on a coaching and mentorship role with Snowboard Yukon.

June

In their first adventure race since retiring, Carcross couple Denise and Greg McHale set the tone for their season. As half of their four-member Team Tecnu crew, they won the Iowa edition of the Happy Mutant Adventure Race.

The Yukon Roller Girls also made a competition comeback this year. The rebuilt team competed against the Sitka Shee Devils and even though they lost, they were happy to be back in the game. The team chartered a plane for their island bout and shortly after returning home, began a dryland training module to prepare for their fall home game.

The Huskies spring hockey club ended their season undefeated. The team, featuring players who are nine- or 10-years-old, ended the season with a 10-0 record.

Ava Irving-Staley led a team of U Kon Echelon cyclists at the B.C. Junior Road Championships. She stood on the podium for each of her U-13 events, finishing the weekend with a bronze and two silvers. In the same event, Annie Cable was sixth and fifth. Mollie Fraser was 10th and 11th in her first year competing in the U-15 girls category. Johna Irving-Staley was 12th. The Taggart Cox brothers also had a strong showing as Lucas posted a personal best, Micah finished in the top half of his U-17 group and Cauis had a strong result in U-15.

Preston Blackie finally won his solo Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay Crown on the third try. Though the honour of the first bike across the finish line in Haines went to the duo Steve Ball (and partner Ian Parker). The winning women’s duo was Kristenn Magnusson and Lisa Ludwig. It’s also thought to be the first time a woman has stayed in the lead peloton for the entire race. Janna Gillick, a category two elite cyclist, stayed with the group for the entire race, only getting dropped on the final sprint.

A Yukon team competed in the Jukola orienteering relay, a massive event that takes over the woods in southwest Finland. The team of Pia Blake, Leif Blake, Forest Pearson, Jennifer MacKeigan, Ross Burnett, Svante Larsson and Caelan McLean came in 597th, which was almost in the top third.

Whitehorse’s competitive men’s rugby team, the Gold Diggers, took home bronze at the Midnight Sun Sevens tournament in Alaska after losing only two games the entire tournament.

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