Basketball, curling and wrestling fight to the finish
Alberta Schools Athletic Association curling, wrestling and basketball titles will all be decided within the next seven weeks. The race is truly on!
On the heels of the South Zone championships in Lethbridge, not completed as I write this missive, ASAA curling provincials are set for St. Paul, March 7-9. Good luck to our South Zone reps.
I’m happy to see results from our local high school wrestlers competing in invitational meets when they appear in this publication. It’s going to be an eventful local month on the area scene as LCI is the site of ASAA Rural Provincials Feb. 22-23. Grapplers from across Wild Rose Country, with the exception of Edmonton and Calgary zones, will compete here. Reps for rural provincials advance to the provincial championships March 8-9 in Edmonton.
As for basketball there are a few invitational tournaments left with teams from our area venturing forth to events elsewhere, too. I must say anywhere warmer seems particularly appealing right about now.
All six South Zone-area leagues are in high gear.
One showdown I can see with huge Southern Alberta High School Girls Basketball League
(www.SouthHoops.ca) regular season championship and 4A South Zone seeding implications is Magrath at Raymond varsity girls next Tuesday.
South Zone hoop championships are the week of March 4-9. As per usual, Lethbridge College Val Matteotti Gym hosts the combined 1A-2A extravaganza and University of Lethbridge’s 1st Choice Savings Centre is the site of the last three days of 4A action. 3A is set to be hosted by Taber W.R. Myers.
As for provincials, I know Stirling is looking forward to presenting 1A Boys March 14-16 in their spacious, gleaming new venue.
The next set of basketball rankings are due out Feb. 15.
ASAA cheerleading season is ongoing, but from what I understand no South Zone teams have registered.
I’ve advocated ASAA team handball in this space numerous times. One other team sport local advocates are working hard to take flight at the South Zone level is archery, with zones set for April 12 in Cardston.
WELLSIE’S WORLD — After Canadian national teams, there is absolutely no doubt my foremost team sporting passion is University of Lethbridge basketball. It’s not even close. Therefore, you can understand I am highly delighted to see the U of L women are hosting a Canada West Conference playoff game Friday for the first time since (in my research) 1994, when the University of Manitoba comes calling. Game time is 6 p.m. In fact, it’s a doubleheader, with the UVic men challenging U of L following the female tilt.
It should be a lively atmosphere, with students 17 years of age and under receiving free admission to the games. BTW, both UVic men and Manitoba women are former national champs. In fact, the UVic women won a title here in Lethbridge ... This is the third straight season U of L men have hosted post-season action. With the way the programs are rolling now, it would not surprise me to see both genders at home in playoff games annually for the forseeable future. Kudos to the players, coaches and staff, of course. But also kudos to the institution as a whole. For whatever reasons (I’d need a LOT more space to get into theories), although the culture is changing to a degree, U of L athletics does not have a history of benefiting from significant public giving. Yes folks, that’s an understatement. Four years ago, the institution provided some extra seed funds to the U of L basketball and women’s rugby programs. To me, that hoop investment is paying obvious dividends. I believe to my bones U of L women’s rugby, a threetime national champion, is on path to returning to national prominence in 15s, too. As well, the emergence of 7s adds value to the enterprise ... Don’t get me wrong, though, giving is absolutely crucial to the future growth of U of L sports. For example, in men’s basketball alone, I understand at least two U Sports programs mined $300K in donated funds last season. And yes, they were both in the top-4 at nationals. Money talks Mr.
Whalen. (I can and gladly will relate pretty much everything back to lessons learned from Stampede Wrestling, given the chance.) ... In terms of a national championship this season, sure looks like Lethbridge College men’s volleyball are in the chase. I see the LC volleyball teams play their last home Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regular-season games Friday evening and Saturday afternoon hosting Red Deer. Hopefully, it’s a wonderful, truly earned celebration of the men’s so far undefeated campaign. Red Deer men are a perennial national superpower and host the CCAA national championships in their brand-new largely Canada Games legacy facility this season. That means only one other ACAC team will be in the event. ACAC playoffs are conducted along a tournament format, and LC does not host either gender, so this is your last chance to see post-secondary volleyball locally this season ... As for post-secondary hockey, U of L plays its last home regular-season games this weekend home-and-home vs. Mount Royal. Men are here Friday, women Saturday. Men have qualified for the CW playoffs, but will be on the road throughout. Of course, they host nationals come March.