While some may well argue that all sports events are memorable, some do stand out as perhaps a bit more memorable because of their nature or a particularly significant event or achievement. The dedication, effort and commitment of all athletes is also recognized and celebrated all year long. The clips recognized here are those identified as particularly exemplary by the sports writer.
The Credit Union Cup, on display at the Cornerstone Credit Union Tuesday was brought to Yorkton by former SJHL president Laury Ryan in conjunction with the SJHL President's Tour sponsored by Source Embroidery.
The Yorkton Terriers and the SJHL announced three local players nominated by the hockey club to represent Yorkton at the year end SJHL awards at the end of the season.
Named as a finalist for the Most Outstanding Player title, 20 year-old goaltender Devin Peters is having another outstanding season backstopping the Terriers.
Viceroy, Sask. native Blaine Tendler has been nominated as Most Outstanding Defenseman. A leader both on and off the ice, Tendler has made life tough for opposing forwards.
1992 born forward from Trail, B.C. Zak Majkowski has been put forward as the Top SJHL Rookie. With 19 goals, Majkowski is on the verge of an impressive 20 goal rookie season.
The Yorkton United Storm U-10 soccer team emerged as gold medal winners in Division 2 play at the Regina Soccer Association Youth Tournament over the weekend.
The Yorkton Terriers had a five game winning streak going. They claimed both games of the home and home series with their Highway 10 rivals the Melville Millionaires. The double win also earned the Terriers the Park's Cup for the most wins in head-to-head play for the current season.
The Yorkton United Fury Under 14 boys team swept to a gold medal at the ACFC Winterfest Indoor Soccer tournament in Regina by winning four straight matches.
The YRHS boys' curling team claimed the gold medal at the ECD playdowns hosted by the YRHS at the Yorkton Curling Club. The winning team included - Front row (l-r) lead Ryan Nagy, second Blaze Davie, lead/second Brandon Campbell. Back row (l-r) coach Grant Bjornerud, third Brennen Peleshytyk, skip Paul Toth.
Local five pin bowler Amanda Krochak finished third at the Provincial Youth Bowling Challenge to earn a place on the Saskatchewan youth team which competed at the National Youth Challenge Regina.
The Yorkton Terriers wrapped up the regular season with a pair of wins, one on the road and one at home to hold on to first place in the SJHL Sherwood Conference going into the playoffs.
The Yorkton Aquabatix competitive synchronized swimmers attended a competition in Regina where Yorkton placed first in routine and first in championship in the 12 and under team event. Team members included Mikayla Walker, Jessica Lewthwaite, Amy Hovdestad, Tracy Rowley, Madison Neufeld, Mackenzie Dull and alternate Lexie Mireau.
The Yorkton Atom AA Xerox Terriers successfully defended the Brandon Tournament of Champions title for the second year running. The tournament featured eight of the top teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The Yorkton Springers Gymnastics Club kicked off their competitive season at the 2011 Prairie Invitational Women's Artistic Gymnastics Meet in Regina. The seven competitive youngsters won 14 medals altogether at the meet which was the best competition result the Yorkton Springers achieved in the last five years, reported head coach George Baranyai.
The Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) mixed curling team competed at the provincial playdowns in Regina. The team of skip Kelly Somogyi, third Matricia Shwaga, second Darren Tillman, lead Amber Stachura and alternate Tara Lazurko, coached by Grant Bjornerud, claimed the provincial bronze medal for the second year in a row.
The Terrier sweep of the best of seven games series in four straight games against the Estevan Bruins surprised some local hockey pundits who predicted a tough, drawn out series. The win advanced Yorkton to the Sherwood Conference final against the Kindersley Klippers.
Yorkton Terrier head coach Trent Cassan, a former Terrier winger, was nmamed as one of three nominees for the SJHL Coach of the Year Award.
Yorkton Harvest president Garth Simms announced former NHLer Jeff Odgers would take over as head coach of the team and as director of player development.
The Yorkton Novice Carded B and K Trucking Terriers came home the A-side champs after attending an eight team Novice Tier 1 Tournament in Weyburn.
The Yorkton Terriers proved to be an irresistible force. After finishing first in the SJHL south, the Terriers swept both Estevan and Kindersley in four straight games and to add insult to injury, chalking up back to back shutouts, one on home ice and the other at Kindersley. In that final series, Yorkton outscored the opposition 24-4 to claim the Sherwood Conference title for the second year in a row.
The Yorkton United Football Club U18 Dynamo captured the Division 2 Indoor Soccer Provincial Title in Regina. The U18 Dynamo who consist of both U16 and U18 players competed in the three day provincial tourna-ment and defeated Swift Current in a shootout to claim the provincial title.
The Yorkton Clean Spot Novice Terriers captured the Major Hockey League Novice Championship outscoring their rivals the Moosomin Blue Rangers in a two game total point series.
Former Yorkton Terrier netminder Joel Danyluk who has bounced around the SJHL as well as the WHL was awarded the inaugural SJHL Community Player of the Year title which sent him on a 21 day whirlwind tour of Europe during the summer.
Yorkton Terrier right wing Clarke Breitkreuz (centre), in his third year with the team, was named team MVP at the awards banquet.
The 2011 YESSA girls' basketball champions the M.C. Knoll Knights, who led the championship final from start to finish, downed runners up St. Mary's girls 23-18.
Undoubtedly the most exciting final game of the YESSA boys' tournament, the St. Michael's Stars boys came back from a 10 point deficit with less than a quarter of the game to play to tie the game at 23 at the end of regulation time. Capitalizing on a height advantage the Stars edged out the runners up Yorkdale Royals 28-24 to claim the 2011 YESSA boy's Yorkton City title.
Top superannuated teachers league bowlers for 2010/11 Paula Beck and Tony Mazur, were declared STS Bowlers of the Year.
Former Yorkton taekwondo athlete Autumn Ashcroft was the Canadian flag bearer at the World Taekwondo Championships held in Gyeonju, South Korea.
Yorkton Terriers president Lyle Walsh and lottery chair Ward Brown presented Don and Rose Walters of Yorkton with 12 cheques as their grand prize in the 2011 Terrier Lotto.
Disc golf arrived in Yorkton. The sport, for those who would like to play a game similar to golf without the outlay for equipment and cost of course fees, is relatively easy to play. Patrick Park, is the site of Yorkton's first disc golf course,
Young local motocross phenom Kennedy Lutz returned from Wortham, Texas where she won her class in the second round of qualifying motocross races for the Loretta Lynne Amateur National race at her ranch in Tennessee.
Local MX racing phenomenon Denaye Giroux was crowned the Women's National West Champion, winning the Number 1 plate.
The Yorkton Orioles, a men's masters baseball team, captured a silver medal at the provincial masters' baseball tournament at Watrous in only the team's first year of existence.
The Yorkton Alexanders Junior Cardinals hosted the 2011 Provincial Junior Baseball Championships at Jubilee Park.
Local archer Hunter Frankfurt won the NASP Canadian Women's Championship for the middle school division.
The Parkland Padres, a local senior men's plus 40 team captured the Saskatchewan Baseball Association (SBA) Masters Men's Provincial Twilight Division Baseball championship at David-son, Sask.
The Alexander's Junior Cardinals clinched the South East Senior Baseball League title by sweeping runners-up, the Willowbrook Royals, in three games in the best of five games final playoff series to claim the title for the second year in a row.
The Painted Hand Casino hosted the first annual 'Counting Coup' rough stock rodeo at the Yorkton Exhibition grandstand. The event brought some 30 Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) cowboys from western Canada to prove their prowess on some of the wildest rodeo stock in the country.
Local golfer Brent Brown topped the field of 31 to claim the Deer Park Men's Club title with a two day score of three under par 141. Brown claims he was gunning for the champ's parking spot.
The Yorkton Terriers have hired a new assistant bench boss to start the new season. The new assistant coach, Casey O'Brian has some pretty solid hockey credentials both on the ice and on the bench.
The Yorkton Terriers added a new assistant general manager, Gordon Pritchard, to the their staff roster. Pritchard will work with Terrier GM Don Chesney in the Terrier business office.
PRA street class season points leader Dave Clark claimed the title while thunder stock season points leader Tuyler Carter won the Thunder Stock Title.
Yorkton Harvest team manager Wayne Henley who's been associated with the team since 1984 was honored at a Harvest home game on Wayne Henley Day by both the Yorkton Harvest Hockey Club and the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL).
Local 17-year-old taekwondo athlete Francis Bazin who's trained for 12 years and currently holds a second Dan black belt captured a bronze medal at the Pan-American World Taekwondo Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Sacred Heart Saints boys claimed their second consecutive provincial 2A soccer championship after overcoming some stiff opposition.
The SHHS girls' soccer team captured a bronze medal in the 2A girls' soccer provincials held in Regina.
The first seniors fitness playground/park in Yorkton, Erichson Park, was officially opened. Funding for the fitness equipment in the park was provided by the Zone 4 55 plus games committee.
The Yorkton UCT Bantam AA Terriers became national celebrities. Scotiabank branches sponsor hockey teams in their communities every year. This year the bank sponsored the Yorkton UCT Bantam AA Terriers. Because of that sponsorship the team was entered into a random draw, which they won, to open an NHL game on Hockey Night in Canada.
Four local sports personalities were inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame during the Hall of Fame Weekend hosted by the Yorkton Terrier hockey club.
Former Yorkton Terrier owner, manager, and head coach as well as the only Canadian professional athlete to play in two professional leagues at the same time, Gerry James was inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame along with three local sports personalities.
Former Yorkton Terrier Darrell Spelay was inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame as an outstanding athlete. Spelay earned a total of 451 points or 1.83 points per game as a Terrier to establish an SJHL scoring record that stands today.
Former local radio sportscaster Terry Struthers was inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame for his dedication to amateur hockey.
Long time volunteer and one-time president of the Yorkton Terriers Gene Krepakevich was inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame in recognition of his years as builder of the junior hockey in Yorkton.
The M.C Knoll Knights boys won the 2011 YESSA volleyball championship. The M.C. Knoll Triple Threat girls claimed the girls' spikers division title and the Yorkdale Royals Gold Team girls won the 2011 girls' diggers division crown.
Local baseball personality Wade Karcha was recognized by Base-ball Canada/Major League Baseball with the Volunteer of the Year Award at the annual awards night in Winnipeg. Over the years Karcha has worn many hats, including volunteer, coach, team manager, treasurer (including founding treasurer) and YMB coordinator for registrations. More recently Karcha was team manager for the Midget Cardinals and coach of the Yorkton Yankees.
