Canadian Badlands Aquatic Club members Nathan Dobell, Ava Harrington, Shane Issler and Annika Lassen attended Southern Alberta Provincials in Medicine Hat this past weekend, June 16-17. Annika Lassen placed 6th in 200m Breaststroke and 7th in 100m Breaststroke. Shane Issler claimed silver medals in both 50m Butterfly and 100m Butterfly, 4th in 200m Backstroke, 7th in 50m and 100m Backstroke and 8th in 50m Freestyle. Nathan Dobell received his first provincial medal with bronze in 100m Backstroke as well as 5th in 50m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly and 7th in 200m Backstroke. The coveted 4 x 100 Aggregate Award was given to Ava Harrington after receiving gold medals in 100m Butterfly, 100m Backstroke and 100m Freestyle and 8th in 100 Breaststroke. Harrington came home with three other gold medals in 200m and 400m Freestyle and 200m IM, as well as a bronze in 50m Butterfly. Ava will compete in six events at Swim Alberta Championships in Calgary June 28 to July 1st. Ava was selected for the Zone 2 swim team at Alberta Summer Games and will travel to Grande Prairie with the team for competition July 19-22.

The 16 Pure Venom girls softball team has been performing well and last week it learned that five of its players have been selected to go to the Alberta Summer Games.
     Brooklynn  Hartman, Tenlee Jensen, Gabby Thomson, Brooklyn Lutz and Randi Gill will be representing Zone 2 at the games in Grande Prairie. U16 head coach Ciena Sands is also going to the games as an assistant coach.
    “This is huge news for Drumheller Girls Softball Association (DGSA), and huge for Drumheller as a whole to have that kind of representation at the Summer Games,” said Pam Hartman of DGSA.
    The girls selected have been playing together for a number of years and they went to two tryouts in early May. Zone 2 encompasses communities surrounding Calgary, from Banff on the west, to the Saskatchewan border, taking in Olds, High River, Trochu, and Hanna. About 30 players tried out.
    Pure Venom have been having a strong season so far, and in three tournaments they have attended this year, they hold a gold, silver and a bronze.
    “When you have girls of that calibre playing, the team just reaches new heights,” said Hartman.
    The City of Grande Prairie and the County of Grande Prairie are hosting the Games this July. There, young Albertans will compete in 14 different sports and the hosts are expecting 2,800 athletes, coaches and support staff at the competition.