Local figure skater youth Kassidy Powell, shown here practicing at Drumheller’s Memorial Arena. Powell is working on improvements to her short program and practicing triple jumps over the next few months. She’ll be attending a meet at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club in Edmonton, home club of Canadian Olympic figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond.

14 year-old Pre-Novice skater Kassidy Powell is spending the next few months practicing earnestly on some changes to her skating programs.
    “Right now we’re going to prepare for a competition that’s in the spring in Edmonton,” said Powell’s coach Rhett Myers.
    “We’re working on acquiring a couple new jumps - a couple triples - and working her new programs.”
    Myers explains the key is building power in the program and doing what’s in there successfully, and that the triple jumps will help with more points in the future.
    Powell starting skating at three years old and found she had a knack for figure skating.
    “You have to pass the levels in Can-Skate, and I passed them quickly,” she explained.
    “I was always really into competitions, even when I was younger.”
    Powell recently competed at the Alberta Winter Games in Banff-Canmore, where she placed 8th. She had two days practice, then she was off to The Calgary Winter Invitational, where she won a Bronze medal.
    The skater will be attending the 2014 Sunsational Competition in Edmonton this April.
    The competition is hosted by the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club, home of Canadian Olympic figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond.
    Powell says she admires Osmond’s style - “I like her performance, her dedication and how she connects with the audience.”

Matt Herman drives to the hoop versus the Mount Baker Wild Last Saturday. The Dynos won silver a their home tourney.

  The DVSS senior boys Basketball team faced the top 1A school at their home tournament, and came home with the silver medal.

  The Dynos hosted eight teams last Friday and Saturday at their second tournament this year. Their run and gun style pushed them all the way into the final.
  The Dynos faced Whitecourt in the opening round on Friday night at home. The Dynos quick style of swarming defense and solid three point shooting had them easily win 92-66. This put them firmly on the championship side of the draw to face Mount Baker School from Cranbrook. The fast paced Dynos were able to outhustle the bigger Wild to win 90-62.
  This set them up to play Senator Gershaw of Bow Valley in the final. All year the Gators have held on to the top spot in the 1A provincial standings, and on Saturday night they proved why.
  The Dynos came our strong, but slowed down before the half was up.
  “We struggled shooting in the second quarter,” said coach Jeff Messom. “We put ourselves in a big hole, and we’re not able to overcome it.”
  The Gators won 96-74.

 This strong showing by the Dynos is indicative of their play all season.  So far they are undefeated in league play and finish off the regular season tonight (Wednesday) versus Three Hills.
  From there they will be heading to zones at St. Joseph’s  Composite in Brooks. Currently they are ranked second in the zone and  have consistently received an honourable mention provincially at the 2A level.
  “I think the key to our success this year has been the willingness of our players, especially our grade twelves to accept and embrace the unique style of basketball that we adopted this year. Our goal this year was to develop as many players as possible, and to be competitive as we have a very young an inexperienced team,” said Messom.