The Dauphin Clippers rugby teams have begun working towards a four-peat as Westman High School Rugby champions.

While some players attended player academies before Christmas, the teams began ramping up workouts about seven weeks ago, holding practices in the high school gym.

“Our numbers were anywhere from five to about 13. And now that basketball is done, we should be 20-plus,” said girls coach Shawn Sarkonak, who said the team is looking good so far. He added there are a number of veterans who will be expected to lead the team this year.

“It’s also a big harvest year for us with graduating players and, of course, the handful of Rotary exchange students. This year’s 15s season, we have four, I believe, so on top of nine to 11 graduating Grade 12s, it’s going to be a big harvest year and rebuilding going into next year,” Sarkonak said.

Being limited to what they can do indoors, the Clippers have been focusing on conditioning for the most part.

“Especially for the new ones coming in, making sure they have the cardio to hold up in a 60-minute game, if they end up having to play that long,” Sarkonak said.

“And just making sure they’re ready, so when we get to go outside, we hit the ground running and get tackling and doing our safe play game prep.”

But for now, the teams are also working on the basics of the game, getting the ball in their hands and getting used to the core skills.

Although hesitant to predict how the Clippers girls will do this season, Sarkonak said there is a lot of experience on this year’s squad.

“We have some quality young athletes that started back with us in the 7s season that will push for a starting spot and looking to join the leadership moving forward,” he said.

“With this year’s  Grade 11s taking the reigns heading into the fall, I’m confident in the fact that we’ll have a lot of skill. And, with the ones that are away on the trip in Wales and England, it will give us that much more of a jump when the season gets going.

“So you’re always optimistic, but you don’t want to be overly confident either. But we’re definitely chasing that four-peat.”

Boys coach Aaron Miner said the Clippers are looking good so far.

“We have a large group of Grade 12s this year. A few Grade 11s and then another huge group of Grade 9 and 10s. So the plan is to put two teams into the league this year, because we have so many,” he said.

“We don’t want to lose any kids for future years, so we want to find a place for all of them to play.”

The coaching staffs for the two teams will be announced after the annual John Keogh Tournament in Brandon, later this month.

Coaches will include Miner, Mark Symchych, Gerald Lopez and Mike Penner.

Players from both teams were recently on the trip to England and Wales as part of the Parkland Pirates program, where they played against youth teams, before returning home on Sunday.

“We came over here and we’ve seen what we needed to see. We learned a lot. We were taught a lot of lessons. School of hard knocks, we’ll call it,” Miner said, adding they won one game against a team out of London and were taught a lesson in rugby by an academy school that was part of the Bristol Bears program.

They ended the tour with a game against Cardiff, which Miner said was the most amazing match he’s ever seen.

The trip to the United Kingdom will benefit both teams when the season begins.

“By the time we hit our first game after the Keogh, we should be midseason stride. We’ve been practicing since January now, with this group and we feel as if we’re way ahead of the game,” Miner said.

“We came out with very limited injuries after the tour here in Europe. We’ll be heading into the season fully healed, fully ready to go with two full squads of very knowledgeable boys.”

Miner expects to not only win the league for a fourth straight time, but he expects to face Winnipeg’s perennial powerhouse St. Paul’s Crusaders in the provincial final.

“Our goal is to meet St. Paul’s in the final. I hate to put the cart before the horse, but our dream matchup will be nothing less than St. Paul’s for the gold medal this year,” he said.

Professional Bullriding Canada (PBR) makes its return to Credit Union Place, May 23.

Lindsey Kyle, assistant general manager at Dauphin Recreation Services, said about 200 tickets have been sold to this point.

“We started selling them mid-December for those who maybe wanted to get stocking stuffers or Christmas gifts. So we started then and have made steady progress,” she said, adding DRS hosted a PBR night at a Dauphin Kings game last month, where coupons were given away, encouraging people to buy tickets at a $5 discount.

“We did see an uptick in tickets purchased over that weekend. And we hope to continue to see that as the event gets closer and closer,” Kyle added.

The major sponsors are Crossfire Bullriding, DRS and Dauphin Agriculture Society.

“It’s exciting to bring the PBR back to Dauphin once again,” Kyle said.

While the bullriding is the highlight of the evening, there is more to take in.

“It always kicks off with a preparty. This year that is going to be sponsored by the Dauphin Ag. Society. So stay tuned for events that will happen before the shows kicks off and the bulls start bucking,” Kyle said.

Although only 200 tickets have been sold, Kyle said they are hoping for a sellout of 1,500 people.

“We’ve got a little ways to go and we hope we sell the building out,” she said.

“I just would encourage people to get their tickets soon. There’s different levels of seating available, so the prime seating, obviously, always sells out first.”

People can purchase tickets by visiting the Crossfire Bullriding website at crossfirebullriding.com. Tickets range from $30 to $60.

“The bulls buck for about two hours, so it’s very affordable,” Kyle said.

A highlight of this year’s show will be some local junior bullriders trying their luck.

The second annual Ukiefest Bonspiel hit the ice at the Parkland Recreation Complex curling rink, this past weekend.

The family event saw 26 teams entered for a weekend of fun and frivolity, with members of Canada’s National Riding and Dancing Cossacks on hand to keep everyone in line.

When all was said and done, Nolan Hadway and his team - which includes Bryanne Bates, Alex Iwanchysko and Evan Gullett - won the first event, defeating The Princess Team.

Makenna Hadway was third and Ashley Sidar was fourth.

Dave Bencharski and his team of Abbey Lachowsky, Jacquie Bencharski and Nicole Ogryzlo, won the second event, beating Jens Jensen.

Tom Messinbird placed third and Therese Deah was fourth.

The team of Max Galloway, Gracey Gulak, Melissa Galloway and Greg Dyck won the third event, beating Lucas Boulbria.

Mazer Group Service was third and Mazer Group Parts was fourth.

The 13U Parkland Vipers girls volleyball team won a tournament hosted by Club West in Virden this past weekend.

The Vipers split their matches in the round-robin, beating Offspeed Red, 25-7 and 25-17, and Brandon Westman, 25-15 and 25-20. They lost to Brandon Volleyball Club (BVC), 21-25, 25-15 and 16-18, and completed the round-robin with a 24-26 and 22-25 loss to Selkirk.

After BVC lost to Westman, the Vipers finished second in their pool and played Moosomin, Sunday morning to open the playoffs.

Parkland advanced to the quarterfinals with a 25-17 and 25-19 win, where they defeated Offspeed Black, 25-20 and 25-19 to move on to the semifinals.

Parkland defeated Queen City out of Regina, Sask., 22-25, 25-13 and 15-10, to advance to the final where they met Selkirk in a rematch.

This time the Vipers got the better of their opponents, with a 22-25, 25-14 and 15-6 win to claim the tournament championship.

After playing just okay on Saturday, the team talked about how it wasn’t their best volleyball.

“And then we came out that second day and we played some really great volleyball. Our offence was really on point and our serving was great,” said head coach Sean Rea.

“And so we came out and beat a bunch of teams that we actually lost to in round-robin play and came out with the win.”

Rea said the girls were excited to win their first tournament of the year.

“We’ve had a couple of close finishes. Third at the Premiere Tournament and we’ve been just losing out in the semis a couple of times. So I think the girls were really excited and it’s always good to come home with a win.”

The win, Rea added, will do wonders for the team’s confidence as they head into spring break.

“We have a week or so off before our next match. So I think it’s good to go into that break on a high and come out as champions,” he said.

Playing in front of their hometown fans, the Ste. Rose Celtics boys basketball team won the bronze medal at provincials, Saturday afternoon.

The Celtics opened the tournament with a 61-48 win over the Dufferin Christian Stingers, Thursday.

The Celtics then fell, 95-36, to the Glenboro/Baldur Panthers in the semifinals, setting up a bronze medal showdown with the Wawanesa Warriors.

In a back-and-forth game, the Celtics prevailed, 64-58.

Aiden Brunel was named a tournament all-star for his efforts.

Celtics coach Nathan Zadorozny said it was a loud and emotional game.

“The fans in Ste. Rose were incredible and they really helped us win that game. It was a hard fought effort by our guys,” he said.

The Celtics led by nine at halftime, but the Warriors fought back and took the lead at one point. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Celtics regained the lead for good.

“We had some foul trouble from our varsity guys and a couple of Grade 9s and Grade 10s had to step into the game and they really made a big impact to keep us in the game,” Zadorozny said.

Zadorozny had never won a medal before as a player or coach, so this was a big moment for him, as well as the players.

“This is the best feeling ever. This is my first medal game ever. And the guys gave me a medal. They brought it home for me, so it feels absolutely amazing right now,” he said.

Zadorozny said the Celtics were one of the hardest working teams all year long, which was a key factor in its success.

“And we always go no matter what the score is. We had to fight back after that loss against Glenboro. It was a pretty big loss. They’re a very good team. But we didn’t care. We just knew we still had a job to do and we went and did it,” he said.

Zadorozny saw an improvement in the team’s play since the start of the season.

For the full story, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

The 50 LCol. Barker VC Dauphin Air Cadet Squadron is part of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets organization, which provides youth ages 12 to 18 with opportunities to grow into confident, capable and community-minded leaders, according to Dauphin commanding officer Marcus Paddock.

Across the country, Paddock added, the program includes sea, army and air cadets, each offering unique training experiences.

In Dauphin, cadets study aerospace and aviation principles, learn about aircraft systems and navigation and participate in flight simulation, aircrew survival training and familiarization flights in gliders and powered aircraft.

Late last year, local cadets had the opportunity to begin training on a flight simulator, thanks to the efforts of Richard Hillcoff.

“When I became the liaison (between the cadet squadron and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 20), I wanted to put the air back into air cadets. So I figured the best thing is to get a simulator,” he said.

Hillcoff trained with the local squadron himself, beginning when he was 12. He noted there has to be 18 air cadets to run a squadron.

“When I took over, they were going to shut the squadron down. There were two people who came to see me and convinced me. So I did some homework and became a captain in the reserves, so I could run the squadron,” he said, adding he ran the squadron from 1979 to 1984, before handing the reigns to someone else.

Hillcoff became the liaison between the cadets and the Legion, 3-1/2 years ago.

Hillcoff spearheaded some fund-raising campaigns to purchase the flight simulator for the local squadron.

After doing some research, Hillcoff decided on a simulator and made the purchase for $15,000.

“Everybody in the cadets, they get a chance, no matter who they are, from the very beginning through to the end,” he said.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

When theatre lovers head to the DRCSS this April to take in the school’s production of Momma Mia, they can expect an evening of top-notch entertainment provided by an enthusiastic student cast and crew.

But there will be one cast member on stage whose enthusiasm for performing sits a little above and beyond that of her peers.

Jacobi van Luijn developed a love of performing at an early age after being introduced to the stage by her father Martijn.

“I like being able to be someone else. You get to be someone who’s completely different than from who you are,” van Luijn said, adding she finds a freedom in assuming new characters.

“If you pretend to be someone other than who you are day-to-day, they’re still kind of like a part of you. But when you’re on stage, you can be someone completely different. Someone you would never even think to be.”

van Luijn had in role in the school’s production of Mean Girls last year. This year she takes on the lead role of Donna in Momma Mia this spring.

But her roles are not limited to high school musicals as van Luijn is also a member of Mecca Productions, a performing arts group based in Brandon, which provides training and performance opportunities for those interested in musical theatre.

With the group since 2019, she has been a part of several productions over the years.

“I’ve done Frozen Junior and I’ve done Beauty and the Beast Junior, Lion King Junior. I’ve also done Moana Junior and I’ve done Newsies Junior,” van Luijn said, adding she has grown so much as actor since joining Mecca.

“Tiana and Lisa Vasconcelos, they’re the owners of Mecca and they really helped me. They taught me how to come out of my shell and really showed that I had potential. So they’re the reason I’m performing and I’m successful.”

van Luijn added Jody Janzen from Winnipegosis is another mentor, acting as a singing coach and giving her the technical skills for her singing.

van Luijn is also finding success in solo performance, having recently earned two silver medals at the Brandon Festival of the Arts.

“In my Uptempo Musical Theatre category I did ‘What Bacon Can Do’ from Waitress. In my Movie Musical category I did ‘The Wizard and I’ from Wicked,” van Luijn said, adding she attends other competitions, along with acting and musical camps regularly.

Set to graduate from high school this spring, the success she has enjoyed on stage has van Luijn pursuing a future in performing.

Having already been accepted to the Musical Theatre program at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Que., van Luijn is waiting to hear about her application to Sheridan College.

The Oakville, Ont., school is commonly referred to as the Hogwarts of musical theatre.

“It’s like the best musical theatre program in Canada, pretty much,” van Luijn said, adding with 500 applicants that audition each year, about 10 per cent get admitted.

“I want to go to school for musical theatre and, hopefully, the dream is to be a performer, obviously, but I want to be a teacher. I want to be a drama teacher and a director.”

But van Luijn is not resting on her laurels, and has been rehearsing for Momma Mia with her high school cast mates.

“We’ve been rehearsing since December. We’ve got quite a few kids this year and it’s going really well,” she said.

Based on the 2008 film of the same name, those attending the DRCSS production of Mamma Mia can expect to lose themselves in a captivating story, revolving around her character of Donna.

“She is a mother, a single mother of a daughter who’s getting married. They live on a Greek island, and one day she sees these three guys who come to the island who are potentially her daughter’s dad. She doesn’t know who her daughter’s dad is, but she knows it’s one of these three guys,” van Luijn said.

“So we follow Donna’s journey of coping with this all and making peace with her past.”

Being a part of telling such stories is engrossing for van Luijn and she encourages other young people who are thinking about performing to take the leap.

“Just go at it, it’s so fun. Just audition and just do it. Just be open. It’s one of the most fun things you’ll ever do,” she said.

“You get to build a community and a little family. It’s just so fun.”

The DRCSS production of Mamma Mia runs Apr. 21 to 23.

The Dauphin Kings skate into the Manitoba Junior Hockey League McMunn and Yates Building Supplies Turnbull Cup playoffs riding a four-game winning streak.

After wins over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Virden Oil Capitals last weekend, the Kings clinched second place in the MGEU West Division with a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime victory over the Northern Manitoba Blizzard, Mar. 10, in The Pas.

Dauphin then made it four straight wins with another comeback, this time a 4-3 triumph over the visiting Winnipeg Blues.

Kings head coach and general manager said it was a nice way to end the regular season, noting the Kings won 10 of their final 14 games.

“In the process the guys stuck to it. Our compete got a lot better. Our defensive awareness got a lot better. Our D-zone got a lot better and goaltending was really solid. Things are going in the right direction, for sure,” he said.

In Saturday’s season finale, forwards Forrest Karlson, Noah Smigelsky, Landyn Garton and Tryp Klassen dressed as APs and did not look out of place.

Smigelsky opened the scoring Dauphin’s only power play of the game and Karlson had the only assist on Sam Swanton’s third-period goal, which gave the Kings a lead.

“For the first five shifts I thought they were outstanding,” Hedley said, adding Karlson had a real good chance to score.

“Smigs (Smigelsky) drove the net and scored on the power play. Tryp Klassen was good and Garton was serviceable. So all four of them showed real well, I thought,” he added.

The Kings finish the season with a 33-23-2-0 record for 68 points and will face the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in a rematch of last year’s first-round matchup.

The Wolverines, Hedley said, are a good team with some skilled players.

“We’re going to have to look after them. We’re going to have to be aware. I think in the last three weeks or a month, we’ve gotten a lot more comfortable in one-goal games. We started locking games down,” he said.

“I think it’s going to be a great series. There’s some good skill.”

For the full story, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

Twenty-two teams hit the ice at the Parkland Recreation Complex curling rink for the annual ladies bonspiel.

When all was said and done, Tiffany Armstrong and her team of Morgan Kropelniski, Stacey Stewart and Tamara Kolida took home top prize in the first event for the second straight year, beating Pam Scott, with Lisa Hale throwing skip stones, in the final.

In third place was Kaitlyn Sahulka and fourth place went to Bev Hess.

Leanna Fedak and her team of Sheri Maillard, Lindsay Lepla and Sarah Doran won the second event, defeating Nicole Strilchuk in the final.

In third place was Bridget Sahulka and in fourth place was Courtney VanAlstyne.

The team of Dawn Steiner, Carolyn Coulson-Clark, Shelley Davidson and Jacquie Bencharski won the third event, defeating Carol Sime in the final.

Kelsey Budzinski was third and Marsha Boese was fourth.

The next bonspiel is the Ukiefest bonspiel, Mar. 27 to 29.

The Parkland Rangers will face the Winnipeg Bruins in the first round of the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League playoffs.

The Rangers were guaranteed to finish eighth after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Wild, Friday night in Dauphin.

Alex Campbell gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead late in the second period and it held up until there was 1:32 left in regulation, that was when Adrian Braun banged home a loose puck in the crease to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In the extra session, Cody Farrell completed the comeback when he scored 49 seconds in, giving the Wild the come-from-behind win.

Arden Downey made 21 saves to record the win in goal. Eddy Person played his best game of the season for the Rangers, making 30 saves.

Parkland finished with a 23-19-5-1 record for 52 points. The 52 points is a franchise record, topping the 51 points the team recorded in 2014-15, while the 23 wins ties the record for second most in franchise history, which the team achieved last season.

Rangers head coach Rick Freese felt his team deserved to win the game, noting the Rangers did a good job of slowing the Wild through the neutral zone, forcing them to dump pucks in.

For the full story, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.