Local Sports

Vernon Viper’s defenceman Ayden Third (right) rubs out West Kelowna Warriors forward Carter Wilkie along the boards in B.C. Hockey League pod action Monday, April 12, at Kal Tire Place. Wilkie scored twice as the Warriors dumped the Vipers 5-1. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)

Warriors score first five goals, roll to 5-1 B.C. Hockey League pod win at Kal Tire Place

After a 3-0 start to the B.C. Hockey League pod season, the…

The Spallumcheen Golf and Country Club kicks off its weekly men’s night competition April 13. (Morning Star file photo)

Spallumcheen Golf Course set for men’s night

Men’s day event helps members get set for opening week of competition

BCHL

BCHL stays tight-lipped about reasons for leaving Canadian Junior Hockey League

The BCHL retains affiliation with Hockey Canada and BC Hockey, but isn’t saying what comes next

Salmon Arm Silverbacks defenceman Kieran Ruscheinski (right) sticks close to Vernon Vipers forward Logan Lorenz during Salmon Arm’s 2-1 overtime win in B.C. Hockey League pod play Saturday, April 10, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)

Mack attack paces Salmon Arm Silverbacks past Vernon

Sullivan Mack scores both goals, including beautiful OT winner, in Gorillas’ 2-1 BCHL pod play win over Snakes

Salmon Arm Silverbacks defenceman Kieran Ruscheinski (right) sticks close to Vernon Vipers forward Logan Lorenz during Salmon Arm’s 2-1 overtime win in B.C. Hockey League pod play Saturday, April 10, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)
Brent Worrall is a multiple trauma and brain injury survivor, avid sports enthusiast, and former top-level motocross racer and hockey player who became a paraplegic after a motocross accident in 2011. <ins>He wrote his life story, Motocross Save My Life From Its Darkness, following the crash.</ins> (Kevin Lefebvre photo)

Chilliwack motocross champion Brent Worrall went to Vernon to die

Worrall shares his dark life story in pages of self-penned book

Brent Worrall is a multiple trauma and brain injury survivor, avid sports enthusiast, and former top-level motocross racer and hockey player who became a paraplegic after a motocross accident in 2011. <ins>He wrote his life story, Motocross Save My Life From Its Darkness, following the crash.</ins> (Kevin Lefebvre photo)
Vernon Vipers forward Jojo Tanaka-Campbell celebrates teammate Griffen Barr’s overtime winning goal behind Salmon Arm goalie Liam Vanderkooi as the Snakes edged the Gorillas 6-5 in B.C. Hockey League pod action Wednesday afternoon, April 7, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)

Barr lifts Vernon Vipers to perfect start

D-man Griffen Barr scores in OT as Snakes edge Salmon Arm 6-5 in wild BCHL game at Kal Tire Place

Vernon Vipers forward Jojo Tanaka-Campbell celebrates teammate Griffen Barr’s overtime winning goal behind Salmon Arm goalie Liam Vanderkooi as the Snakes edged the Gorillas 6-5 in B.C. Hockey League pod action Wednesday afternoon, April 7, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)
Vernon’s Ben King of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels, centre, is having a solid season playing in the Red Deer pod. (Byron Hackett/Red Deer Advocate photo)

Vernon product playing with cause for Rebels

Ben King having solid season in Western Hockey League pod in Red Deer

Vernon’s Ben King of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels, centre, is having a solid season playing in the Red Deer pod. (Byron Hackett/Red Deer Advocate photo)
The Vernon Tennis Association will serve up its new season starting April 19, right after the association’s anual general meeting on April 15. (VTA photo)

Vernon tennis group serves up meeting

Vernon Tennis Association holds AGM April 15; plans call for summer programs to go ahead

The Vernon Tennis Association will serve up its new season starting April 19, right after the association’s anual general meeting on April 15. (VTA photo)
Desmond Johnson (from left), Nicholas Kent and Ayden Third celebrate a goal by Vernon forward Jojo Tanaka-Campbell (17) during the Vipers’ 5-3 BCHL win over the West Kelowna Warriors Sunday, April 4, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers photography)

Vernon Vipers slither past West Kelowna

Jojo Tanaka-Campbell scores twice as Snakes edge Warriors 5-3 in BCHL pod play at Kal Tire Place

Desmond Johnson (from left), Nicholas Kent and Ayden Third celebrate a goal by Vernon forward Jojo Tanaka-Campbell (17) during the Vipers’ 5-3 BCHL win over the West Kelowna Warriors Sunday, April 4, at Kal Tire Place. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers photography)
Vernon’s Brent Worrall is a multiple trauma and brain injury survivor, avid sports enthusiast, and former top-level motocross racer and hockey player who became a paraplegic after a motocross accident in 2011. He wrote his life story, Motocross Save My Life From Its Darkness, following the crash. (Kevin Lefebvre photo)

Sport that paralyzed Vernon athlete saved his life

Former motocross champion Brent Worrall shares dark life story in pages of self-penned book

Vernon’s Brent Worrall is a multiple trauma and brain injury survivor, avid sports enthusiast, and former top-level motocross racer and hockey player who became a paraplegic after a motocross accident in 2011. He wrote his life story, Motocross Save My Life From Its Darkness, following the crash. (Kevin Lefebvre photo)
The Chilliwack Chiefs and Coquitlam Express will finally play games in early April as the BCHL squeezes in a shortened 20 game season. Just-announced provincial funding may help the junior A league offset financial losses caused by the COVID pandemic. (Darren Francis photo)

Province provides relief funding for amateur sport

The government is directing $15 million to teams/leagues impacted by the COVID pandemic

The Chilliwack Chiefs and Coquitlam Express will finally play games in early April as the BCHL squeezes in a shortened 20 game season. Just-announced provincial funding may help the junior A league offset financial losses caused by the COVID pandemic. (Darren Francis photo)
The Vernon and Area Senior Slo-Pitch League is looking for men and women to take part in their league which runs Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The season is slated to start May 4, depending on provincial pandemic protocols. (Photo submitted)

Vernon senior softball league seeks players

Women over 45, men over 50 wanted for league that plays twice a week starting May 4

The Vernon and Area Senior Slo-Pitch League is looking for men and women to take part in their league which runs Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The season is slated to start May 4, depending on provincial pandemic protocols. (Photo submitted)
The Kelowna Rockets fill the arena against the Calgary Hitmen on February 28, 2015 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze)

Kelowna Rockets’ season postponed after positive COVID-19 test

The Rockets were scheduled to take on the Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday night. That game has now been postponed

The Kelowna Rockets fill the arena against the Calgary Hitmen on February 28, 2015 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze)
Winfield Skating Club members Simone Buchholz, from left, Rosalyn Smith and Calta Rigby competed in the virtual Okanagan Region Figure Skating championships. (Joanne Johnson photo)

Lake Country skaters sparkle

Trio compete virtually at Okanagan Region championships

Winfield Skating Club members Simone Buchholz, from left, Rosalyn Smith and Calta Rigby competed in the virtual Okanagan Region Figure Skating championships. (Joanne Johnson photo)
Vernon’s Shawnee Harle is a two-time Olympian as an assistant coach with Canada’s women’s basketball team, and former head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hoops squad.<ins> She is hosting a virtual mental toughness camp over three nights in April open to athletes, parents and coaches.</ins> (shawneeharle.com photo)

Vernon coach hosts mental toughness camp

‘Mental toughness isn’t magic; it’s a skill,’ said Vernon basketball coach Shawnee Harle

Vernon’s Shawnee Harle is a two-time Olympian as an assistant coach with Canada’s women’s basketball team, and former head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hoops squad.<ins> She is hosting a virtual mental toughness camp over three nights in April open to athletes, parents and coaches.</ins> (shawneeharle.com photo)
The Beyond Sport Volleyball Academy has been approved by the Vernon School District and will begin operating with 48 students in September. (Beyond Sport Volleyball photo)

Vernon School District serves up volleyball academy

Beyond Sports Volleyball Academy will begin operations in September

The Beyond Sport Volleyball Academy has been approved by the Vernon School District and will begin operating with 48 students in September. (Beyond Sport Volleyball photo)
The Vernon Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will kick off their 20-game B.C. Hockey League season Friday, April 2, at Kal Tire Place. Both teams and the West Kelowna Warriors will play their games in the Vernon pod. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)

B.C. Hockey League faces off April 2

Vernon Vipers will play Salmon Arm Silverbacks; West Kelowna Warriors other team in Vernon hub for 20-game schedule

The Vernon Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will kick off their 20-game B.C. Hockey League season Friday, April 2, at Kal Tire Place. Both teams and the West Kelowna Warriors will play their games in the Vernon pod. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)
Lumby Para-Alpine skier Logan Leach (left, with guide Caele Kassa of Vernon) races to silver at the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Leach is a finalist for Sport BC’s Athlete with a Disability Award that will be presented virtually Thursday, March 25, at the 54th annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards. (Facebook photo)

Lumby skier up for provincial honour

Visually impaired Logan Leach up for Athlete with a Disability at 54th annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards to be presented Thursday

Lumby Para-Alpine skier Logan Leach (left, with guide Caele Kassa of Vernon) races to silver at the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Leach is a finalist for Sport BC’s Athlete with a Disability Award that will be presented virtually Thursday, March 25, at the 54th annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards. (Facebook photo)
The Vernon Vipers will host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and West Kelowna Warriors in its B.C. Hockey League pod starting the first week of April. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)

Vernon Vipers draw Salmon Arm, West Kelowna in BCHL pod

B.C. Hockey League to release schedule for games in the five pod cities this week

The Vernon Vipers will host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and West Kelowna Warriors in its B.C. Hockey League pod starting the first week of April. (Lisa Mazurek - Vernon Vipers Photography)
BCHL

BCHL will have three teams playing in Burnaby during shortened season

The league announced five pod locations as the junior A league prepares to play in early April

BCHL