Local Sports

Pool B at the Calgary Stampede kicked off on Monday with some impressive performances from some Albertans.

Three Albertans are in Ladies Barrel Racing, two Albertans are in Bull Riding, and two outstanding performances were had by Albertans in Saddle Bronc.

In Saddle Bronc, former Champion Zeke Thurston had an impressive ride, as did fellow Albertan Kolby Wanchuck.

Here are the Albertan and Canadian highlights from Day One in Pool B.

Saddle Bronc:

Calgary's Chanse Vigen continues to dominate at the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races.

Jamie Laboucane is right on his heels, sitting in second in the aggregate.

Neither has won the coveted Rangeland Derby.

On a night with better track conditions than Sunday, some fast times were posted, and penalties were kept to a minimum.

Defending champ, Jason Glass from High River, came in 8th on the night and is now sitting in 12th in the aggregate.

The first place Saskatoon Berries came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Moose Jaw Miller Express 4-3 last night. The Berries have won 9 of their last 10 and sit atop the Western Canadian Baseball League's east division with a 27 and 4 record. The Millers and Berries play again tonight in Saskatoon.

One other east division game last night had Regina Red Sox outscoring Weyburn 4-3.

The Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to 9 games last night with an 8-4 win over the White Sox in Chicago.

In front of a loud and boisterous home crowd at Tom Laing Park on Monday night, the Weyburn Beavers nearly pulled off a late-inning comeback against the Regina Red Sox, only to see it slip away in the top of the ninth, falling 4-3 in a heated game between the two WCBL East Division rivals. 

The North Shore diamond at Fishing Lake east of Wadena will host a special night of men’s fastball tonight, July 8.  

New Zealand’s ISA squad is set to take on the Rosebud Royals. The International Softball Academy team from New Zealand makes its way back to Fishing Lake for a return matchup.  

A pair of games will go starting with the opener at 4:00 pm.  

Starting last Monday and ending over the weekend, the Brick Invitational Hockey tournament is one of the first dreams for any young hockey player eyeing the next level.

Not only are the games played in the Alberta capital right inside the heart of West Edmonton Mall, but the enthralling experience also features a chance to get a look at some of the best young talent the world has to offer, more than a few Brick alumni making the NHL.

MONDAY, JULY 7TH

Santa Clara Baseball League
Plumas 14 Portage 13
Carberry 12 Austin 10
Minnedosa 4 Neepawa 3

MLB
Toronto 8 Chicago White Sox 4

TUESDAY, JULY 8TH

It was a special season for rodeo star Isabelle Klassen, a 16-year-old sensation out of the Boissevain/Killarney area and she's looking to build on it heading into the future.

Competition wise, Klassen says she does a couple different ones. "I am in Manitoba High School Rodeo. I compete in pole bending, barrel racing and breakaway roping."

It was a magical run for the U11 Southman Saints lacrosse team and the group managed to go through the season undefeated and capped it all off with a championship. 

"It was super fun," coach Sebastian North says with a smile. "It was a really fun season and the kids went undefeated during the regular season, so it was fun and nice to finish it all off with a championship win."

The town of McCreary experienced a new feeling on June 27, hearing a local player's name called in the NHL Entry Draft.

Brady Turko spent his first full season in the Western Hockey League with the Brandon Wheat Kings and says it was a fantastic year.

"I thought it was a good year; it was a good stepping stone as my first year in the Western League. And I thought it was a really fun year and, just all around, a good year to learn and to develop and get better."

Turko says his mindset about the draft was to go with the flow.