Successful Ski to Sea in Bellingham
Penticton team earns best-ever placing at race in Washington
A team of multi-sport athletes from Penticton competed in the Ski to Sea race this past Memorial weekend in Bellingham with their highest finish yet.
The multi-leg race included (in order): crosscountry ski, downhill ski, running, road bike, canoe, cyclocross, and surf ski.
The race, which features 230 team and 2,560 athletes, starts near the top of Mount Baker, and finishes in Bellingham Bay.
The team members of Okanagan Express are, in race order: Tim Bell, Chris Neenan, Kevin Cutjar, Dave Matheson, Tyson Bull, Stuart Rahkola, Tom Evans and Don Mulhall.
In a field of competitors that included athletes from the Olympics, World and National Championships, the local Penticton crew placed seventh overall, and second in the competitive Masters division.
Their time of 6 hours, 25 minutes and 4 seconds, narrowly missed first place Masters by 13 seconds. This is their highest placing since 2014 when, in their first Ski to Sea, they placed 17th overall.
“As a team, we keep getting faster. This year we took 35 minutes off last year’s clocking and we’re still the second-place Masters team,” said Tyson Bull, organizer of the team. “It speaks to the depth of the teams at this event.”
The team plans to attend the 2018 Ski to Sea race.
BCHL
Calgary native Scott Atkinson has been hired as head coach and assistant general manager of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Atkinson brings a wealth of coaching experience to Salmon Arm and has been a winner wherever he has been including five national championships as head coach of Mount Royal College. He also holds a masters’ degree in physical education.
In the past eight seasons, Atkinson was head coach of the EDGE School for Athletes midget prep team. He was also head coach of the University of Calgary men’s team from 2001-09.
Troy Mick continues on as general manager of the Silverbacks, who were bounced in five games by the Trail Smoke Eaters in the first round of the playoffs.
PCSL
The Penticton Tim Hortons Pinnacles will look to break into the win column in Pacific Coast Soccer League Premier Men’s Division action on Saturday.
The Pinnacles take on the Vancouver Thunderbirds in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at the SoccerX.com pitch at King’s Park.
Penticton is looking to bounce back after falling to Victoria 2-1 in their season-opener this past Sunday at King’s. Members of Okanagan Express show off their plaques after finishing second in the competitive masters division at the Ski to Sea race in Bellingham. Pictured are Tim Bell, Kevin Cutjar, Chris Neenan, Dave Matheson, Tom Evans, Tyson Bull, Stuart Rahkola, and Don Mulhall.
The Thunderbirds are also looking for their first win after tying and losing in their first two contests. Coached by long-time and successful UBC head coach Mike Mosher, the Thunderbirds are made up primarily of players from the UBC program.
Penticton, coached by Ezra Cremers, plays its first road game next Saturday against Vancouver United.
BASKETBALL
Penticton’s Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe is five games into her Women’s National Basketball Association career after cracking the lineup of the New York Liberty.
The 25-year-old power forward is averaging 2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.2 minutes per game as the Liberty are 2-3 on the season and in sixth place in the 12-team league.
The six-foot-two, 175-pounder graduated from Kalamalka Secondary School in Coldstream, B.C. and had a terrific career with Simon Fraser University from 2009-13.
Raincock-Ekunwe was a member of the Canadian national team that won the Pan-Am Games in 2015 and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
She has played professionally in Switzerland, Germany, Australia and France and is expected to return to play in France for Rezé-Nantes Basket 44 after the 2017 WNBA season concludes.
Raincock-Ekunwe frequently returns to Penticton to train and spend time with her mother, Denny Raincock.
The Liberty, coached by former Detroit Pistons star Bill Laimbeer, are back in action tonight as they take on the Dallas Wings at Madison Square Garden.
DRAGON BOATING
Penticton’s dragon boat community is looking to recruit new paddlers.
This coming Saturday, the community’s second and final “Come try dragon boating free” practice session will be held. Participants will be taken out on the water with experienced coaches and paddlers and given a taste of the sport. All equipment is provided on site. Anyone can paddle, with teams looking for all levels of paddlers. Penticton crews include women’s, seniors and mixed. Men are welcomed and encouraged to join the sport.
For more information, call Don Mulhall at 250488-3100. For more information about dragon boating, go to pentictondragonboat.com or email info@pentictondragonboat.com.
GOLF
Chrystal Traquair and Vicki Cartwright finished tied for first with four at the Twin Lakes Golf Resort ladies’ “Bingo” outing on Wednesday.
Tied for third with three bingos were Diane Krancenblum, Diane Duncan and Sylvia Kruger.
Collecting two bingos were Sandi Seversen, Gayle Bukowsky, Pat Sutherland, Bernice Moody, Dolores Lowenberger and Bev Lintott.