Local Sports

Nine martial artists from Laban martial arts and fitness studio in Thompson captured 11 medals at the 2009 Manitoba Open Taekwondo championships June 20 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

A player from the blue team tries to avoid being encircled by her orange opponents during a Thompson Junior Soccer Association game in the seven- to nine-year-old division.

Seven-year-old Andre Smith of the Thompson Tumblers gymnastics club was recognized June 12 as the province's top athlete in the regional stream beginner boys' category at the Manitoba Gymnastics Association awards banquet.

Several motions passed at the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association annual general meeting June 14-16 in Portage la Prairie will bring changes for several R.D. Parker Collegiate sports teams next school year.

Angela Bakos was the top finisher among Thompsonites in the half-marathon event at the 2009 Manitoba Marathon, finishing the 21-kilometre route in 1:36:22, 101st overall.

Second competition crown in three years

The Norway House Goldhawks exploded for nine runs in the third inning of the June 21 final to turn a five-run deficit into a four run lead and never looked back as they powered their way to an 18-8 victory over the Lunatics in the Merchant Media Slo-

Mud drags returned to Nickel Days in 2009, with riders on quads and one pick-up truck seeing how fast - or if - they could make it through the mud pit behind the recreation centre baseball fields.

Dan Brown of Thompson McDonald's (back row, right) presents members of the Thompson Skate Park Committee with $5,000 raised during last month's McHappy Day for construction of the skatepark near Norplex Pool.

The Cross Lake Braves went 4-0 to claim the championship at the seventh-annual Larry Ens Memorial Fastball Tournament June 20-21 at Nickel Days, defeating the Whickey Jack Bandits 5-2 in Sunday's final to claim the $900 top prize.