Annah Westrop of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks 2022-2023 women's basketball team. (Photo - Kodiaks Athletics, Lethbridge College)

By Justin Goulet

College and university sports recap: January 24, 2023

Jan 24, 2023 | 7:19 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – From runners to hoopers, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks and University of Lethbridge (U of L) Pronghorns had teams competing this weekend.

LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE KODIAKS

The Kodiaks men’s basketball team earned two wins over the weekend.

On Friday, January 20, 2023, Lethbridge College hosted St. Mary’s University and secured the 79-69 victory. Chris Thomson was the leading scorer for the Kodiaks with 12 points, while Johnpaul Okodua scored 16 for St. Mary’s University. It was a rematch between the teams on Saturday, January 21, this time on St. Mary’s home court in Calgary. Paycen Blackmore scored 17 points to lead the Kodiaks to a 93-84 win. Caleb Jipp was the leading scorer for St. Mary’s with 23 points.

The two wins improved the Kodiaks’ record to 11 wins and three losses on the season, which keeps them in first place in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) South Division.

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The Kodiaks women’s basketball team also had a home and away set against St. Mary’s University. In Lethbridge on Friday, January 20, the Kodiaks won 93-69. Kitawna Sparks led the Kodiaks with 24 points, while Maitlynn Wilde and Jazmyn Kellogg each scored 15 for St. Mary’s. In Calgary on Saturday, January 21, the Kodiaks secured a 67-59 win, with Kitawna Sparks scoring 22 points. Jazmyn Kellogg was the leading scorer for St. Mary’s with 20 points.

The Kodiaks now have nine wins and five losses on the regular season. The team is in second place in the ACAC South Division.

Both the Lethbridge College men’s and women’s basketball teams have an away and home set against Ambrose University on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28.

It was a record-breaking weekend for the Kodiaks indoor track team. Athletes had their first meet of the season on Saturday, January 21.

The ACAC Grand Prix #1 event was hosted by Concordia University of Edmonton.

The Kodiaks men’s indoor track team claimed first place, with rookie Owen Stewart winning the men’s 1,000 metre run open. Stewart broke a Lethbridge College record in the process, with a time of 2:38.63. His teammate Cooper Williams took first place in the men’s 3,000 metre run open with a personal best time of 8:56.15. Williams’ time was a new school record. The Kodiaks also won the men’s 4×200 metre relay open and the men’s 4×400 metre relay open. The 4×200 team, consisting of Gunnarr Gibb, Jack Bentley, Jonah Hennig and Orin May broke a Lethbridge College and ACAC record with a time of 1:37.84.

The women’s indoor track team finished in fourth place at the event. The team’s highest finish of the day came from the 4×200 metre relay open team, consisting of Rayanne Hoeflicher, Jenna Klok, Rosie Bouchard and Maria Boix Frias. The four finished with a time of 2:05.95.

The next meet for the Kodiaks indoor track team is on Saturday, February 18 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, hosted by Red Deer Polytechnic.

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS

The U of L track and field team competed at the Golden Bear Open, hosted by the University of Alberta, on Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21.

Andrea Troschke led the men’s side for the Pronghorns. He won the men’s weight throw competition by over two metres with a throw of 17.96 metres. That put him in first place in both Canada West and U SPORTS standings. Troschke’s teammate Xavier Crosby landed in third place. This finish moved him into the third spot in the Canada West rankings and 11^th country-wide. Parker Allen placed fifth, which moved him into fifth in the Canada West rankings.

Second year athlete Lauchlan Irish finished in second in both Triple Jump and Long Jump. Currently, Irish is in second in the Canada West rankings in both of those events. His outing landed him with rankings in fourth in the country in Triple Jump and ninth in Long Jump.

For the women’s side, Jinaye Shomachuk won the weight throw by almost two metres to move into first place in the Canada West and U SPORTS rankings. She finished fourth in shot put, with her distance ranking her fourth in Canada West and 11^th nationally.

Avery Sluik, a rookie with the U of L, finished in third in the women’s weight throw. She is in fourth in Canada West and 10^th in the U SPORTS rankings. Teammate Naomi Klassen finished fifth in the weight throw, which has her in the same spot in the Canada West rankings.

When the weekend was finished, the men’s track and field athletes achieved nine top 10 rankings in Canada West. The women’s track and field team achieved 10 performances in the top 10 rankings.

The Pronghorns track and field team is in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4 for the Bison Classic, hosted by the University of Manitoba.

The U of L women’s rugby team kicked off the rugby 7’s series and championship this past weekend in Edmonton. The ‘Horns lost to the University of Calgary Dinos on day one, before falling to the University of Victoria Vikes 36-0. The U of L rebounded in their last game of the day on Saturday, January 21. They beat the Regina Cougars 55-7. The U of L earned another victory on Sunday, January 22 against the Brandon Bobcats, before competing in the fifth-place game against the Trinity Western Spartans. The U of L won the fifth-place game by a score of 31-0.

The Pronghorns women’s rugby team competes that its next 7’s series on Friday, February 10^th and Saturday, February 11^th, with that event hosted by the University of Victoria Vikes.

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