Southwest Winnipeg’s 2021 sports in review

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This article was published 30/12/2021 (1047 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At the beginning of 2021, organized sports in Manitoba were on hold due to COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures.

Southwest Winnipeg teams started the year with high expectations, but the season was eventually cancelled. In time, organized sports returned, and individual athletes were thrilled to return to the court, rink or field.

Wolves to howl in Winnipeg AAA baseball

In January, the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball association announced its new name for its AAA teams: the Winnipeg South Wolves.

As of Jan. 12, the 13U, 15U and 18U AAA teams received the name change, which followed a year of searching for new one after the association decided to retire the old name of the Chiefs.

Along with a new moniker that rolls nicely off the tongue, the teams sported new logos on their jerseys and hats that keep up the traditional black and orange colours.

Dennis Sworyk, coach of the 15U AAA team, said the change is a positive one for the association.

 “The logo looks catchy, and the colours tie into our previous colours,” he said.

As the pandemic continued to impact local sports, the South Winnipeg AAA Wolves teams announced they will be moving outdoors in the March 17 edition of The Sou’wester.

In a normal year, tryouts for the 13U, 15U and 18U teams would take place indoors at places like the Home Run Sports Training Centre, the University of Manitoba Soccer Complex, and the University of Winnipeg RecPlex.

Baseball Manitoba initially designated May 15 as the return to competitions, approximately two weeks later than in a normal year. However, return to play was pushed back into July, owing to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Manitoba in May.

Track star runs personal best a year early

Jennie Baragar-Petrash, a former Winnipeg distance runner, finished a 3,000-metre race at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Arkansas on March 13.

Baragar-Petrash clocked a career-best 9:10.51, trimming nearly seven seconds off her previous best time. Her 10th-place finish was a significant improvement over her number 15 ranking entering the meet, and it earned her second-team All-America honours.

“I didn’t think I had it in me,” she said. “I thought a time of 9:10 was a longer-term goal for next year. I’m super happy with my placement and my time.”

Winnipeg South Wolves ready to play ball

In July, the Winnipeg South Wolves junior baseball team and the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball Association (WSMBA) announced it would be streamlining their programming.

The organizations said they would be creating the infrastructure to ensure a consistent delivery of programs so every child who wants to play baseball in the region can do so.

The group developed a non-profit board to run the junior program, reached out to WSMBA and brought in new volunteers.

Beyond administrative tasks, the board’s work included fundraising for capital projects such as dugout and stand improvements along with a new scoreboard at the Charleswood Place baseball facility at 6390 Wilkes Ave.

Vincent Massey Trojans back on the field, win ANAVETS Bowl

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vincent Massey Collegiate Trojans football team was thrilled to return to the field in October.

“It’s just really fun to be back playing, and they’re a really good team, so it was a good challenge for us,” Odin Peterson, Trojans offensive lineman, told The Sou’wester at the time. “It’s great to be back with people and with my friends again.”

Vincent Massey went on to win its third Division 1 high school title in six years. The Trojans were crowned champions of the Winnipeg High School Football League on Nov. 15 after a 25-2 win over the Grant Park Pirates.

“The leadership was there because they wanted to be there,” coach Kelsey McKay said. “They appreciated every moment, and every week were able to practice and play in a game.”

Varsity volleyball returns after nearly two years

After nearly two years off the court, the St. Norbert Celtics varsity girls volleyball team were raring to go.

The 2021-22 season started at the beginning of October and saw the Celtics getting back into the swing of things as they went up against the St. John’s Ravenscourt Eagles, with a score of 25-9, 25-23, 25-14.

“It’s exciting, getting back into it. We didn’t have anything for a while,” left-side hitter Morgan Lippens said.

The Celtics also took part in the 2021 Ste. Anne Lynx varsity girls volleyball Invitational tournament on Nov. 5 and 6.

Shaftesbury volleyball squad serve resiliency

After a year-long break from the court, the Shaftesbury High School Titans set their sights on a triumphant return.

The AAAA boys’ varsity volleyball team finished the season with a 21-25, 22-25, 21-25 win over the Portage Collegiate Trojans, securing the third place in Tier 2 of the West Winnipeg Athletic Conference.

Left side and power player Brendan Driedger credited the team’s chemistry for their improvement over the season.

“At the start of the season, we weren’t doing that good, but as we got deeper into the season we started jelling more,” the Grade 12 student said.