Local Sports

There were a number of records set at the Prince Albert City Open track and field meet, held Wednesday and Thursday on the Max Clunie Field at Prime Minister’s Park.

Three were from the St. Mary Marauders as Katelyn Lehner ran a 12.85 in the 100m senior girls dash, Jessica Buettner jumped 3.20m senior girls pole vault and Taylor Issel set the bar in the midget girls javelin with a 32.27m throw.

The game was right there bouncing in front of the Prince Albert Predators, they just couldn’t pick it up.

The Predators lost their home opener 9-8 to the Saskatoon Smash at the Kinsmen Sunday, mostly because they couldn’t control the loose balls.

In the third period alone, the Smash scored two goals directly off of face offs, in which they corralled the loose ball and were able to transition to easy scoring chances.

Back on Oct. 18, 2012, the Medicine Hat Tigers put goaltender Dawson MacAuley on waivers after just six games and sent him to play Junior A hockey with the Yorkton Terriers of the SJHL.

But after that re-assignment, Prince Albert’s MacAuley went on to win a SJHL championship with the Terriers, was named a co-MVP in the playoffs and had a deep run at the Western Canada Cup April 28-May 7 in Nanaimo, B.C.

It’s been a long, winter but the Cooke Municipal Golf Course is back in business.

On Friday, they will open their Par 71, 18-hole course to the public.

The opening comes at a good time as next week, Cooke Municipal will be the host one of the three major golf tournaments in Prince Albert, the May Day Masters May 18-20.

Portland     2      Edmonton    1

(Winterhawks lead best of 7 final 3-1)

Portland     3       Edmonton     1

(Winterhawks lead best of 7 final 2-1)

The Prince Albert Smashing Bananas 15U men’s team made it three out of four male category provincial championships for their city this spring by winning this weekend’s 15U Gold Medal final. The Smashing Bananas defeated the Saskatoon Huskies 25-20, 25-17 in an exciting Conexus Provincial Volleyball Championship final , and join the 14U PAVC Smashing Bananas and 16U NSVC as tops in their age-class.

Stetson Lawrence leads after the first day of the 8th Annual Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riding Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.

Lawrence scored an 89 in his preliminary run on bull Chances Are.

Local Tanner Byrne wasn't too far behind as he placed third, scoring 85.5 on Ginghas Kong.

None of the top-ten riders completed their final run as the 10 bulls in the Lipsett Cartage Finals turned out to be too tough.

The second and final day of the Clunie-Cooper Memorial will take place 7:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

It started out as a normal Thursday for a Drew Warkentine. He was minding his business in his Grade 9 social studies class, but before noon, his class was interrupted.

Warkentine’s friend and classmate Tyson Featherstone, who had been following the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft closely on his smartphone, suddenly rose from his seat at about 11:40 a.m.

Prince Albert’s Miles Warkentine was drafted 16th overall back in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft by the Moose Jaw Warriors and on this Thursday, he’ll find out if he has bragging rights over his younger brother Drew.

Drew Warkentine is the top-rated player from Prince Albert in this year’s WHL Bantam Draft, which will take place Thursday in Calgary. But if he’s not drafted within the first 16 picks, he’ll hear about it from his older brother.

14U Women

Prince Albert Optimist Toppers En Fuego Strikes Gold

Despite a second place seed entering the provincials, the Prince Albert Optimist Toppers En Fuego proved they were the best in the province by capturing the Tier 1 Gold Medal over the first seed Regina QCVC Royal. In what was a riveting final match up, En Fuego came out on top with scores of 27-29, 25-19, 15-12. In the Tier 1 Bronze Medal match, the eleventh seeded Swift Current Junior Sundogs defeated the third seeded Rose Valley RVVC 25-19, 25-23.

Although the Prince Albert Predators are in the junior ranks, if Saturday is any indication, they could probably win a few games at the senior level.

They lost by just a goal 18-17 against the senior Saskatoon Brewers Saturday at the Kinsmen in their final exhibition game of the season.

The final roster will be produced during Monday’s practice for the Predators, with their preseason concluding on Wednesday.

The Predators’ first home game will be May 12 against the Saskatoon Smash.

news@panow.com