Sports | DrumhellerMail

DORVA hosts Triple Crown motocross series race

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It was a weekend of Motocross racing that fans will not soon forget as the Drumheller Off-Road Vehicle Association (DORVA) hosted the best in Canada on their home track.
The Motocross track was packed all weekend as on Saturday, June 11, racers competed in the 2022 Parts Canada Amateur Open. On Sunday, the pros hit the track in the MRC Triple Crown Pro Motocross Racing event.
DORVA had been working on bringing a Triple Crown series event to the valley for a couple of years, but due to COVID restrictions, it took until 2022 to make this happen. The Triple Crown is a point series where riders compete in Arenacross, Motocross, and Supercross events.
On Sunday, the Women’s Motocross and Premix, 125 cc two stroke event was in the morning, and the 250 pro and 450 pro events went in the afternoon.
Drumheller’s motocross event was the second event in the series, and local organizers feel the event was a success. There were 416 entries for the weekend, with 289 on Saturday in 15 classes, and 127 on the pro day in four classes.
“There is already talk about 2023,” said Brad Peake of DORVA.
He said they have had great feedback from spectators, organizers, and riders.
There was one serious injury on the track on Sunday when a pro rider was involved in a crash and went over his handlebars. He was taken to a Calgary hospital via STARS.
Peak said the riders like competing on Drumhler soil.
“A lot of people gave us Kudos for prepping the track. A couple said ‘this track suits my style,’ and a couple said they have never ridden on a track like this before,” said Peake.
“What I got from the pro riders is they loved the width of the track and how long it was. It is long enough that it is about racing, it’s not about technique.”
He said they will take some time to assess the event and look at possibly bringing it back for a second season.

Drumheller U15 Smash claim provincial gold

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The Drumheller U15 Drumheller Volleyball Club Smash struck gold at provincials and has its sights set on Nationals.
The Smash, coached by Audrey DeBona and Koren McDougald, competed at provincials in Calgary on Saturday, May 8 and 9. They came home with gold medals.
“I knew the girls could win and I believe they knew they could too,” said DeBona “They improved 100 per cent since Day 1 last December. Despite COVID and injuries, we did it.”
“When they won they were so pumped.”
The team played 14 games in two days, four matches on Day 1 and then three on Day 2. The team lost one match in round-robin and placed second in their pool. They topped the Brooks Rush in the semifinal and then played Fort Saskatchewan Sonics in the final.
“We were down by seven points in both games and just kept going, it was awesome. I was so happy for the girl, they were on fire this weekend,” said DeBona.
The Smash won in two straight games.
What made the win more impressive is they are a young team.
“It is a U15 team, but I have six that are U14. I took them at the beginning of the year so we could have enough for two teams,” said DeBona. She adds the team has regional representation with players from Carbon and Three Hills.
It was also the first complete season for the team as the previous two were cut short due to COVID-19.
She adds the team has had great support off the court.
“We have the best parents, they have been excellent all year,” said DeBona
The team practices two to three times a week at Greentree School. DeBona said the team has done a lot of bonding since they began in December on and off the court, including e-biking, ice cream dates, and even yoga.
“They have come together and everyone has their job on the team to contribute, and that’s what helped us win provincials
The Smash is now preparing for nationals.
The 2022 Youth Nationals are from May 18-21 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.

Dragons up for league awards

Last week the AJHL announced its 2021-2022 awards finalists, and there are a couple of members of the Drumheller Dragons organization on the list.
The annual awards include Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Outstanding Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Most Dedicated Player, and Coach of the Year. For the first time, the AJHL will also present a Top Forward Award.
The general managers and coaches of the Alberta Junior Hockey League have selected a pair of finalists from each division through two phases of voting. The award winners will be determined through a final stage of voting and announced after the AJHL regular season.
Myles Hilmans is a finalist for the Don McNabb Memorial Trophy for Most Dedicated Player.
Hilman is playing in his third season as a Drumheller Dragon, and second as captain. The 18-year-old is having his best season yet with 24 goals and 23 assists in 47 games, averaging a point a game. He was a ninth-round pick in the 2018 WHL draft, and the forward has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Dragons coach Kevin Hasselberg is a finalist for Coach of the Year. Hasselberg has been head coach and general manager for the Dragons since the 2017-2018 season and last week celebrated his 1,000th game as a junior hockey coach. Prior to leading the Dragons, he coached in Olds and also for the North Battleford North Stars. He has coached almost 270 games for the Dragons.

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