It was a good summer for baseball in Westlock. With two editions of the Red Lions taking to the diamond, there were twice as many chances for a championship trophy to come to town.
And both teams did not disappoint.
The North Central Alberta Baseball League Red Lions got the party started on Aug. 26, when they defeated the Camrose Axemen 14-6 in Game 3 of the best-of-three championship series.
That win marked the team’s 16th league title, and first since 2007.
It also capped a season that saw the Red Lions finish in third place during the regular season with a 12-4-2 record, followed by a two-game sweep of the Edmonton Blackhawks in the semifinal series at Keller Field during the Westlock and District Agricultural Fair weekend. Overall, the team went a combined 16-5-2 in regular season and playoff play.
Adding to the team’s hardware was manager Adam Sawatzky, whose play earned him the league championship MVP award.
Not to be outdone, the 30-plus Red Lions brought home their own championship trophy by knocking off the St. Albert Cardinals in Alberta West Central Baseball Association play.
In terms of overall record, the elder Red Lions actually had a better season than their younger brethren, going 14-3 in the regular season, and compiling a perfect 4-0 playoff run.
Westlock’s top minor hockey squad completed a strong season, winning their league title on March 11, and nearly adding a provincial championship a week later.
In their final season at Jubilee Arena, the Sabres knocked off Fort Saskatchewan in two games to win the 1660 League Tier 3 banner for the second consecutive year.
The final series against Fort Saskatchewan was not incredibly close, with the Sabres winning Game 1 6-3 on the road, and capping it off with an 11-5 win at home in Game 2.
After winning their league title, the Sabres headed down to Millet to compete in the provincial ‘D’ championships on the March 16-18 weekend.
Unfortunately, the Sabres were unable to recreate the magic that led them to their league title, instead falling to the Irma Aces 5-2 in the championship game.
It was a disappointing result, as the Sabres had made their way through the round robin undefeated with wins over Grimshaw, Pincher Creek and Millet, as well as a semifinal triumph over Mallaig, before running into the Aces.
Despite the provincial loss, coach Jeff Copeland was proud of how the team played all season, and thanked them for playing their hearts out over his last two years as coach.
Although they never played a true home game all season, Westlock’s midget Rock lacrosse team put on a show last year, winning their league title and showing what they were made of at the provincial tournament.
The Rock became Greater Edmonton Lacrosse League ‘B’ champions when they defeated the Sherwood Park Titans 10-6 on July 4 in Edmonton.
It was the perfect way to cap off a season that saw the team finish in first place in the regular season with an 11-3 record and roll through the playoffs undefeated.
However, winning that championship wasn’t easy, coach Mike Ivey said. The Rock never trailed, but it took until the final five minutes before they had built a lead that the Titans simply could not overcome.
With a league title in their pocket, the Rock travelled to Edmonton on July 6-8 for their provincial tournament.
Their results at provincials did not mirror their league results, as the Rock won only one game against stiff competition. Every game was close, and it took until the late stages of the weekend for the Rock to finally come out on top.
That win came as an 8-7 overtime triumph over Lethbridge in the team’s final game, and meant the Rock avoided finishing in last place.
Last February, Westlock County hosted some potential Olympic skiers when the 2012 Alberta Winter Games held the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding competitions at the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill.
It was a big occasion to have such a high-profile event come to the area, and while six local athletes had the chance to compete on their home hill, none were able to ascend to the podium.
Skiers Jaret Foster, Jesse Keats, Klayton Potts, Emma Siegle and Kara Siegle, along with snowboarder Levi Foster, all represented their community well even if they weren’t able to earn a medal for their efforts.
Nonetheless, each of the skiers posted personal-best scores during the two days the athletes took over the hill.
Having the competition at the hill provided the perfect opportunity to show off the facilities Westlock skiers and snowboarders have known about for years, said operator Perry Prazak.
Getting the hill in shape for the event took many months, he said, but it was worth it, especially considering he got help with the moguls course from the same man who built the course for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
All in all, it was a good weekend at Tawatinaw. All the athletes performed to the best of their abilities and wowed the crowd with their tricks in the process.
While Westlock’s sports teams were doing the town and county proud last year, some athletes in individual sports were also showing just how good they could be.
Westlock is home to many athletes who choose to devote their athletic talents to sports in which they and they alone are responsible for how well they perform.
Among the top performers was R.F. Staples track and field athlete Maya von Rennenkampff, who earned a gold and silver medal at the provincial track and field meet in early June. Von Rennenkampff’s two medals were the only ones won by her school.
Another high school athlete who had a strong year was wrestler Austin Tremblay. Tremblay’s year included a gold at the Alberta Rural Wrestling Provincial championships in February and a silver at the high school provincial meet in March.
At the Alberta Open meet in March, Tremblay and fellow wrestler Haley Heffel both earned gold in their weight categories, and qualified for the national meet in New Brunswick in April.
In the pool, swimmer Lauren Kostiw stole the show for the Westlock Gators, winning the club’s only medal at the provincial meet in August, a silver in the 50-metre breaststroke.
This is only a small sample of the talent that abounds in the Westlock area, with many other athletes competing in myriad sports and achieving personal best after personal best in 2012.
