Sports

Canada’s Ashley Stephenson reacts after scoring during fifth inning women’s baseball action against Venezuela at the Pan American Games in Toronto on Saturday July 25, 2015. Stephenson, a long-time player and coach with Canada’s women’s baseball team, is joining the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization as a coach with the Vancouver Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill

Blue Jays add national women’s team veteran Stephenson to coaching staff in Vancouver

Stephenson spent 15 years as a player with Canada’s national team

Canada’s Ashley Stephenson reacts after scoring during fifth inning women’s baseball action against Venezuela at the Pan American Games in Toronto on Saturday July 25, 2015. Stephenson, a long-time player and coach with Canada’s women’s baseball team, is joining the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization as a coach with the Vancouver Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill
Vernon Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics Club member Madeline Sellars is one of six members heading to the Elite Canada competition next month in Vancouver. (Contributed)

Elite Canada rhythmic gymnastics event features six Vernon athletes

The half-dozen from the Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics club will seek national team selection

Vernon Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics Club member Madeline Sellars is one of six members heading to the Elite Canada competition next month in Vancouver. (Contributed)
Salmon Arm’s Laura Hall skated to a historic gold-medal win for Canada Monday, Jan. 17, at the FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, NY. Hall, a former member of the Vernon Vortex Speedskating Club, won the women’s 3,000-metre race, obliterating the 43-year-old track record by nearly three seconds. (Black Press - file photo)

VIDEO: Salmon Arm skater glides to historic gold medal

Laura Hall is first Canadian woman to win speedskating gold at World University Games; sets track record

Salmon Arm’s Laura Hall skated to a historic gold-medal win for Canada Monday, Jan. 17, at the FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, NY. Hall, a former member of the Vernon Vortex Speedskating Club, won the women’s 3,000-metre race, obliterating the 43-year-old track record by nearly three seconds. (Black Press - file photo)
Yorke Parkin and Saige Beaumont. (Contributed by Bex Parkin)

Young athlete to represent Revelstoke at Special Olympics BC Winter Games

Yorke Parkin is a 14-year-old skier from Revelstoke

Yorke Parkin and Saige Beaumont. (Contributed by Bex Parkin)
Team Sullivan won gold at the 2023 Thompson-Okanagan Regional High School Curling Playdowns and will advance to provincial champions in February. (Contributed)

Salmon Arm high school curling teams compete for regional champion title

Brothers battle it out on opposing teams, Sullivan rink heads to provincials

Team Sullivan won gold at the 2023 Thompson-Okanagan Regional High School Curling Playdowns and will advance to provincial champions in February. (Contributed)
Violet Boehm, left, kisses former Vancouver Canucks’ enforcer Gino Odjick as he’s wheeled back into Vancouver General Hospital after coming out to greet hundreds of fans that gathered to support him in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday June 29, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

THE MOJ: ‘Legend’ not too strong a word for Gino, an all-time Canuck

Odjick earned every inch of the love Vancouver fans gave to him

Violet Boehm, left, kisses former Vancouver Canucks’ enforcer Gino Odjick as he’s wheeled back into Vancouver General Hospital after coming out to greet hundreds of fans that gathered to support him in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday June 29, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Kelowna’s Megan Osland shot a -6 (210) on her way to her first tournament victory of the season. (Megan Osland Golf/Facebook)

Kelowna golfer starts year with tournament win in Arizona

Osland collected one eagle and 13 birdies through three rounds to earn the tournament win

Kelowna’s Megan Osland shot a -6 (210) on her way to her first tournament victory of the season. (Megan Osland Golf/Facebook)
Jim Cotter advises Team Brown on their next move during the BC Championships women’s final Jan. 15, 2023. (Curl BC video still)

Vernon coach helps Penticton/Kamloops club slide out silver medal game

Women’s Team Corryn Brown coached by Jim Cotter

Jim Cotter advises Team Brown on their next move during the BC Championships women’s final Jan. 15, 2023. (Curl BC video still)
Tyler O’Neill when he played with Team Canada in 2017. (The News files)

B.C. slugger a new dad, to play for Team Canada

Tyler O’Neill will wear the Maple Leaf in the World Baseball Classic

Tyler O’Neill when he played with Team Canada in 2017. (The News files)
Spallumcheen’s Ina Forrest helped Team Canada’s wheelchair curling team win bronze at the Beijing Paralympics in 2022. (Angela Burger Photo)

North Okanagan curler claims athlete of the year award

Sport BC awards wheelchair curler Ina Forrest of Spallumcheen

Spallumcheen’s Ina Forrest helped Team Canada’s wheelchair curling team win bronze at the Beijing Paralympics in 2022. (Angela Burger Photo)
New Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations and Interim General Manager Jim Rutherford listens during his first news conference since being hired by the NHL hockey team, in Vancouver, on Monday, December 13, 2021. The Vancouver Canucks’ president of hockey operations says the team needs “major surgery” but stopped short of calling for a rebuild. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vancouver Canucks need ‘major surgery’ but not rebuild: Rutherford

GM says team has to make changes before the start of next year and not all of them will be popular

New Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations and Interim General Manager Jim Rutherford listens during his first news conference since being hired by the NHL hockey team, in Vancouver, on Monday, December 13, 2021. The Vancouver Canucks’ president of hockey operations says the team needs “major surgery” but stopped short of calling for a rebuild. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The first cluster of skiers, competing in the 17- and 34-km events, leave the starting line of the Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet at Larch Hills on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. (Lachlan Labere-Salmon Arm Observer)

Hundreds of cross-country skiers glide through Larch Hills in Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet

Close to 400 competitors take part in Shuswap cross-country ski event

The first cluster of skiers, competing in the 17- and 34-km events, leave the starting line of the Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet at Larch Hills on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. (Lachlan Labere-Salmon Arm Observer)
Bianca Andreescu of Canada plays a backhand return to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Canada’s Andreescu, Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime win Aussie Open openers

Auger-Aliassime bounced Vernon, B.C., native Vasek Pospisil, Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino also lost

Bianca Andreescu of Canada plays a backhand return to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
B.C. Lions' head coach Wally Buono, left, protests a call to an official during the first half of a CFL football game against the Calgary Stampeders in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday August 19, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

PODCAST: Wally Buono a member of seven grey cup CFL teams

MOJ on Sports: Linebacker, punter and coach with Montreal, Calgary and B.C.

B.C. Lions' head coach Wally Buono, left, protests a call to an official during the first half of a CFL football game against the Calgary Stampeders in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday August 19, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Former Vancouver Canucks’ enforcer Gino Odjick gets up out of a wheelchair and waves to hundreds of fans that gathered to support him outside Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., on June 29, 2014. Odjick announced on the NHL hockey team’s website that he was diagnosed with AL (Primary) Amyloidosis, a condition that causes abnormal protein to be produced leading to the hardening of the heart. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Canucks’ fan favourite, Gino Odjick, dies at 52

Odjick was diagnosed with Amyloidosis, an organ-attacking disease, in 2014

Former Vancouver Canucks’ enforcer Gino Odjick gets up out of a wheelchair and waves to hundreds of fans that gathered to support him outside Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., on June 29, 2014. Odjick announced on the NHL hockey team’s website that he was diagnosed with AL (Primary) Amyloidosis, a condition that causes abnormal protein to be produced leading to the hardening of the heart. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Canada’s Caitlin Kraemer, foreground right, celebrates scoring with teammates from left, Ava Murphy, Piper Grober, Emma Pais and Alex Law after scoring the opening goal during the women’s under-18 ice hockey world championship match between Canada and Sweden at the Ostersund Arena, in Ostersund, Sweden, on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Per Danielsson/TT News Agency via AP

Kraemer’s 4-goal effort leads Canada past Sweden 10-0 for women’s under-18 gold

Kraemer scored 2 goals within first 6 minutes of the game

Canada’s Caitlin Kraemer, foreground right, celebrates scoring with teammates from left, Ava Murphy, Piper Grober, Emma Pais and Alex Law after scoring the opening goal during the women’s under-18 ice hockey world championship match between Canada and Sweden at the Ostersund Arena, in Ostersund, Sweden, on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Per Danielsson/TT News Agency via AP
Rourke passes during the first half of a pre-season CFL football game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Vancouver, on June 3, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. Lions QB Nathan Rourke announces he’s signing with Jacksonville Jaguars

Rourke has reportedly agreed to a 3-year deal with the Jaguars

Rourke passes during the first half of a pre-season CFL football game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Vancouver, on June 3, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Sicamous Eagles (white) peppered North Okanagan Knights goalie Austin Seibel with 57 shots in a 7-1 KIJHL win at the Sicamous Recreation Centre Saturday, Jan. 14. (File photo)

Sicamous Eagles soar past North Okanagan Knights

KIJHL - Hometown Birds score seven unanswered goals in 7-1 victory; host 100 Mile House 2 p.m. Sunday

The Sicamous Eagles (white) peppered North Okanagan Knights goalie Austin Seibel with 57 shots in a 7-1 KIJHL win at the Sicamous Recreation Centre Saturday, Jan. 14. (File photo)
Madeline Schizas of Ontario performs during the senior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Oshawa, Ont., on Saturday, January 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Madeline Schizas holds off 16-year-old Ruiter to win Canadian figure skating title

‘The end of that program wasn’t easy but I pushed right to the end and I’m happy with that.’

Madeline Schizas of Ontario performs during the senior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Oshawa, Ont., on Saturday, January 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Vernon skip Jim Cotter (right) lost 9-8 to Brent Pierce of New Westminster in the B.C. Men’s Curling Championships semifinal Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Chilliwack Curling Club. (Black Press - file photo)

Vernon skip bows in B.C. men’s curling semifinal

Jim Cotter, seeking a 10th B.C. title with teammate Rick Sawatsky of Vernon, loses 9-8 to Pierce

Vernon skip Jim Cotter (right) lost 9-8 to Brent Pierce of New Westminster in the B.C. Men’s Curling Championships semifinal Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Chilliwack Curling Club. (Black Press - file photo)