VIU Mariners sweep top Pacwest awards

Vancouver Island University Mariners teams had one of their best seasons ever, and in doing so the Nanaimo-based school has swept the Pacwest biggest awards of the season.

VIU has been named the winner of both the Pacwest’s Aggregate Championship Trophy and the Founders Cup.

The Aggregate Championship is the school with the most accumulated points by each of its teams they field. The Founders Cup is awarded to the school with the best improvement in aggregate points from the previous season.

And this marks the seventh straight season VIU has been awarded the Aggregate Championship Trophy as the school competed in nine league sports and collected 71 aggregate points. This year VIU’s men’s basketball team won the Pacwest provincial title and the women’s basketball team earned a bronze medal at the provincial tournament and will host this weekend’s national championship tournament, coming in as the seventh seed.

In volleyball, the VIU women’s team won the Pacwest gold medal, while the men’s team won the bronze medal.

Runners invade Comox Valley

The Frontrunners Island Race Series is nearing the end of its season and that means some big races are on tap.

The sixth stop in the eight-race series goes Sunday in Courtenay with the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon expecting about 500 participants. The race begins at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. for walkers and slow runners) and starts and finishes at the Florence Filberg Centre. The race weekend also includes a five-kilometre race on Saturday morning, as well as a banquet on Saturday evening at the Best Western Hotel.

Runners can register online until noon today at vira.bc.ca or on Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. at Extreme Runners in Courtenay. Race day registration will also be available.

Lakehill ball earns grant

Lakehill Little League’s effort to grow girls softball has been recognized by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity.

The CAAWS awards 10 $1,000 grants each year from its Women in Sport Encouragement Fund and this year Lakehill ball is one of the winners. The grant was created to help support development of women leaders and support organizations that offer and create sport programs targeted to girls and women.