One of the biggest sports events of the past year locally was the staging of the national senior men's and senior women's curling championships at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Jim Campbell, Isabel Brigham, Jean Dorgan and Kay Gable combined to deliver the ceremonial first rock. Cyclist Olav Stana (bottom right) had an outstanding year. Don Gaboury scores (below) to help The Citizen capture the junior Babe Ruth provincial championship in Prince George. Citizen file photos by Dave Milne and Lisa Murdoch! Sports The Prince George Citizen — Thursday, December 31, 1987 — 13 MARK ALLAN Sports editor Here's what happened in '87 JANUARY The host Prince George Spruce Kings beat the best of the rest of the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League 6-4 in the league’s annual all-star game. Ryan Dennis, Prince George’s backup goalie, was named the first star. Prince George minor hockey graduate Campbell Blair of the Vernon Lakers establishes B.C. Junior Hockey League career records for assists and total points by a defenceman. Later in the year Blair joined goalie Al Loring of Prince George with the University of Maine Black Bears. FEBRUARY Fraser-Fort George athletes, primarily from Prince George, garnered 193 medals — 70 gold, 70 silver and 53 bronze — at the Northern B.C. Winter Games held for the first time in three communities, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Fraser Lake. Chris Bowie, a former Prince George Barracuda swimmer, earned a national long course (50-metre) title at the Winter National swim meet in Winnipeg by winning the 400-metre freestyle final. He also finished third in the 1,500 freestyle final. Allan Bayne, who won titles at the B.C. Silver Gloves, B.C. Golden Gloves and B.C. championships, was presented with the Jimmy Syme Award as the top junior boxer in the province. Fellow Spruce Capital Boxing Club members Todd Alain and Dave Weaver also won titles at the Golden Gloves. The record of Prince George boxer George Sponagle fell to 7-2 when he lost a split decision to Al Harper of Surrey in Vancouver, Sponagle’s second straight pro loss. Peter Findlay of Kamloops edged Tony Fiala of Quesnel to win the Citizen Caledonia marathon nordic ski race. Rod Pennington reached the men’s invitational final before losing 3-0 to Tim Peterson of Calgary in the Prince George Open squash tournament. Sue Lawton, formerly of Prince George, stopped fellow Vancouver resident Rosanna Lea-man 3-0 in the women’s invitational final. The College of New Caledonia Warriors unseated Runners World as champions of the Prince George men’s A basketball league, beating the league champions 64-63 in overtime to snap Runners World’s three-year reign. In October, the men’s A league would disband. MARCH Norm Houck’s Winnipeg rink defeated Bayne Secord of Eston, Sask., 8-6 in a tiebreaker to win the Canadian senior men’s curling championship at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Verda Kempton of Halifax outscored Si-monne Flynn of Medicine Hat, Alta., 9-8 to top the senior women’s round-robin at the PGGCC. Sandy MacDonald’s rink won the B.C. Interior Curling Association championship in Quesnel and advanced to the provincial final along with Bob Chian, where both made unsuccessful bids at the title. Tobin Senum and his rink won the BCICA junior title, while Tami Mulock, in her first year out of the junior ranks, took the women’s zone championship. Maisie Minchin and her rink captured the senior women’s district championship. Tom Carmichael won the mixed and Pete Sherba the senior men’s zone title. Veteran Prince George curler Mel McMillan won his first Kelly Cup title after finishing second to Tom Carmichael the previous two years, and Bryan Mooney won the league and Mel Dalziel the playoff championships in Super League play. The Prince George College Totems won the B.C. A (small .school) girls basketball championship in Penticton by beating Windsor of North Vancouver 61-55 in the final. P.G. College was second to Aldergrove in 1986. The Viking Construction Peewee Kings and Pacific Valve Midget Kings each finished second at B.C. minor hockey championships. Viking fell 11-7 to host Cranbrook in the Peewee Kings’ only loss in 54 games during the 1986-87 season, while Pacific Valve was runner-up at the midget AAA provincial championship for the third straight year. The Prince George Spruce Kings, who won the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League regular-season title, were upset in six games by the Quesnel Millionaires in the playoff semi-finals. Chris Bowie won the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Association 1,500-metre freestyle championship and finished third in the 400-metre final. Kelly Road Secondary School graduate Clayton Dyck won two silver medals at the Canadian espoir (18- to 20-year-olds) wrestling championships in Burnaby. George Sponagle raised his pro boxing record to 8-2 by stopping Danny Kirk of Portland, Ore., in the first round of a card in Vanderhoof. Fellow Prince George boxer Laurie Mann announced he was coming out of a brief 21/2-month retirement. Duncan Werbecky was overcome 21-13, 21-6 by Jeff Wilson of Vancouver in the open singles final of the B.C. Closed handball championships in Prince George. Charlie Simmons stopped fellow local player John Harrington 21-7, 21-14 for the B title. Kathryn O’Brien, Bruce Kamstra and Mitch Olineck won titles at the B.C. open judo championships in . Kamloops. Kelly Road Secondary School graduate Clayton Dyck won two silver medals at the Canadian espoir (18- to 20-year-olds) wrestling championships in Burnaby. Five Prince George players helped the Quesnel Angels win the B.C. women’s hockey championship in Sooke. The Coors Masters men’s basketball team and the Prince George women’s masters team were both silver medalists at the B.C. masters championships in Williams Lake. The men were beaten 108-61 by the defending champion Burnaby Mountain Shadows in their final, while the women lost 80-55 to Victoria, who won the title five times straight before Prince George won last season. Bencher Logging and Simon Fraser Inn repeated as men’s and women’s champions, respectively, in the Prince George Team Handball Association. APRIL Sam Masich won the Chen style title at the world tai chi championships in Philadelphia and finished in the top 10 in two other demonstration events. Len Ostberg and Cheryle Wood won the Prince George men’s and women’s club curling titles. Ostberg, out with a broken leg, watched his son Doug skip their foursome to the men’s championship. Kathryn O’Brien and Runnell Vi-ray earned bronze medals at the Canadian junior-juvenile judo championships in Prince Albert, Sask. Chris Stever won his second straight provincial junior gymnastics title in Vancouver. The College of New Caledonia Sixers beat the regular-season champion Molson Niners 135-98 in the two-game total-points Prince George men’s B basketball league playoff championship. Dave Stewart, with his third consecutive title, and Anita Bodisch were the men’s open and women’s open singles champions of the 11th annual Prince George Closed racquetball tournament. Bencher Logging repeated as provincial men’s team handball champion, while Triangle Sports won the junior men’s title and Sgt. O’Flaherty’s got a bye to the national championship as B.C.’s junior women’s representative. Bencher finished fifth at the Canadian tournament, with Peter Richter the most valuable player, while Triangle and O’Flaherty’s were both sixth. Reg Niebergall, head instructor at the Triad Tae Kwon-Do Club, beat student Mike Barker to win the Western Canadian middleweight sparring title in Canmore, Alta. MAY Cyclist Olav Stana and speed skater Rhianon Watson were named Prince George’s male and female athletes of the year for 1986, respectively. Rae Ann Copeland, Wendee Copeland, Leigh Fremmerlid, Vicki Hladchuk and Cindy Stad of the 5th Avenue Rowladrome won the Youth Bowling Council junior girls Canadian championship in Kitchener, Ont. Jasen Florell of Nechako Lanes placed third in bantam boys singles. Craig Endean of the Regina Pats was named to the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Division second all-star team and was presented with the Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy for winning the division’s scoring title. JUNE Defending champion Olav Stana of Prince George placed second at the B.C. time trial cycling championships in the Fraser Valley. Garry Rogers of Prince George was named the commissioner of the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League, replacing Bob Leer of Dawson Creek. Left winger Dale Marquette of Prince George was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 10th round of the National Hockey League entry draft. The Junior Barbarians finished 4-0 to take the first Prince George recreation rugby league title. JULY The Prince George Redbirds captured the B.C. senior Babe Ruth championship in Cranbrook, the second straight year Prince George has won the championship. After three second-place finishes in four years, the Prince George Citizen club captured the junior Babe Ruth provincial title at Carrie Jane Gray Park. Northern Linen finished 2-2 at the B.C. prep Babe Ruth championship in Powell River, preventing a Prince George sweep of provincial championships at all three Babe Ruth age levels. Tournament most valuable player John Engel led Cariboo Chrome to the men’s senior A slo-pitch B.C. championship at Kenworth Field, the first time a Prince George team has taken the title. Grant Williams was named the head coach of the Peace Cariboo Junior Hocke.’ League’s Prince George Spruce Kings. Within weeks, general manager Len McNamara and assistant coach Jim Dodds resigned. In Delta, Prince George athletes compiled 50 medals — 20 gold, 19 silver and 11 bronze — for the city’s second-highest medal count in the history of the B.C. Summer Games. Wheelchair athlete Pat Harris earned four gold medals at the provincial disabled championships in Nanaimo. Visually impaired competitor Ron Mclvor compiled three golds and three silvers. Paul Jalbert earned three silver medals in swimming at the cerebral palsy Canadian championships in Windsor, Ont. Boxer George Sponagle improved his pro record to 9-2 by breaking Al Harper’s nose and stopping the Surrey fighter in the ninth round of their scheduled 10-round rematch at the Prince George Coliseum. Al Nielsen earned a one-shot margin over Findlay Young to win the Prince George senior men’s golf tournament, snapping a three-year winning streak by Dave Berg, who finished five strokes back. Tobin Senum topped Joe Knight of Quesnel on the second hole of a playoff to win the mini-masters junior men’s golf title at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Middle distance runner Shane Bilodeau signed a three-year full-ride scholarship deal with Villanova University of Philadelphia. Volleyball player Marinda Gorbahn accepted a full-ride scholarship at Brigham Young University in Utah. Eric Bojesen of 108 Mile Ranch and Jill Peniuk of Prince George took the men’s open and women’s open titles at the Prince George Open tennis tournament. Aetna Canada, which won the Prince George women’s slo-pitch league title added the playoff championship by sweeping Sunland Subaru in three straight games. Former Prince George Barracuda Chris Bowie won the 400-metre freestyle at the Esso Cup national swimming championships in Calgary- Rod Sokolic’s four gold medals, including two pool records, led the Prince George Pisces to the team title of their swim meet at Four Seasons Pool. The Barbarians unseated the Prince George Gnats as champions of the Central Interior Rugby Union, finishing tied with the Gnats atop the league standings but taking the title with a better record against the former champions. ' AUGUST Chris Bowie finished fourth in the 400-metre freestyle final at the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Brisbane, Australia, in three minutes, 54.22 seconds, the second-fastest time ever by a Canadian in that event. Prince George cyclist Olav Stana won the senior men’s road race B.C. championship in Prince George, improving on a fourth-place finish in 1986. Stuart Channel of Vancouver Island won the B.C. Little League title at Joe Martin Field. Host Nechako finished third and Prince George East was fourth. The Prince George Redbirds finished with a 2-2 record at the senior Babe Ruth Pacific Northwest regional tournament in Port Angeles, Wash. The Prince George Citizen lost two straight games at the junior Babe Ruth regional championship in Roseburg, Ore. The Simon Fraser Inn Timber-men added the Prince George senior baseball playoff title to the league championship they had captured with a 15-4 record. Cariboo Chrome placed fifth with a 4-5 record at the Canadian senior A men’s slo-pitch championship in Newfoundland. The so-called Spruce City Men’s Fastball Association jinx continued, with both regular-season division winners unable to add playoff titles. Fred Walls and Son topped league winner Quietwood Logging in the Kokanee Division final, while the Lad’s Dads juniors upset league champion Mainline Plumbing and Heating in the Labatt’s final. Howat Insurance defeated regular-season champion Bencher Logging three games to two to win the Prince George senior women’s fastball playoff title. Jerry McAloney, 8, outdid 31 other Bicycle Moto-Cross riders to win a world championship in Bordeaux, France. Boxer Laurie Mann retired for the second time in less than a year when he reinjured his left hand. Mann had 26 wins in 30 pro fights. Eric Shiels, a six-handicapper, was the surprise winner of the men’s Simon Fraser amateur golf championship. Kathy Mears swept her fourth straight women’s Simon Fraser golf title, although she shot a 15-over-par 87 on the second and final round. Perry Adey defeated Pete Sherba Jr. three-up for the men’s club match play title. Scott Foster, Al Rivas, Lisa Kershaw and Darlene Ohlemann combined for nine medals at the Western Canadian juvenile track and field championships in Kelowna. The Prince George Pisces, led by gold medalists Casey McCutcheon, Jesco Von Den Steinen and Nicole Scott, finished a close second to Coquitlam at the B.C. Summer Swim Association diving championships in Victoria. Shannon Cunningham led Prince George swimmers with a gold and two silvers. At the Canadian Games for the Disabled in Brampton, Ont., wheelchair competitor Pat Harris earned four golds and two silver medals, while visually impaired athlete Ron Mclvor compiled five golds. Mike Meehan was named the new general manager of the Prince George Spruce Kings to replace Len McNamara, who resigned in July. In Quesnel, Brad Gassoff was named the new coach of the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League’s Millionaires. Brian Griffith placed third in tricks at the national barefoot water skiing championships in Welland, Ont. Bonnie Laverty was reserve champion in the advanced level of the B.C. dressage championships in Langley. SEPTEMBER League champion Labatt’s Pastry Chef won its second straight playoff title in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, defeating longtime rival Prince George Croatia 2-1 in the final. It was the first time the teams had meet in the final since 1982. Cariboo Chrome, which captured the Prince George men’s slo-pitch regular season title in August, added the playoff title as well. Cariboo earned its fourth-straight playoff championship by defeating Runners World 3-1 in the best-of-five final. Don Sales of Quesnel swept the Tri City and Prince George Auto Racing Association super stock titles at the conclusion of racing for the season at the PGARA track. Jack McCarville grabbed the Tri City and PGARA street stock championships, with Frank Deni capturing his third straight PGARA hobby stock title and Tri City honors going to Rick Sales of Quesnel. Randy James was a clear winner in the Interior Open Wheel Association standings. The Barbarians won the Columbia Cup B.C. Division Three rugby championship at Connaught Field, beating the Terrace Northmen 30-3 in the final. OCTOBER Sherman Greenfeld of Winnipeg, the No. 1-ranked racquetball player in Canada, defeated Roger Har-ripersad of Calgary 4-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 in the Pro A final of the Prince George Open. After two frustrating seasons in the minors, Daryl Reaugh finally saw his dream of making a National Hockey League team come true when he earned a spot on the Edmonton Oilers. Regular-season champion Triad Racquet Centre defeated the Ace Auto Towing Steelers 27-25 in an overtime thriller to capture the Central Interior Flag Football Association playoff title. The Prince George Pisces swimming and diving club split into two separate groups, with the divers forming the Prince George Diving Club. Reg Niebergall won the B.C. black belt lightweight sparring title and the the black belt patterns title at the provincial tae kow-do championship in Williams Lake. NOVEMBER Chris Bowie was second to world record holder Alexandr Salnikov of the Soviet Union in the 1,500-metre freestyle at a dual swim meet in Etobicoke, Ont. The Prince George Secondary School Polarettes were third at the B.C. girls AA (large school) volleyball championship in North Vancouver. The D.P. Todd Trojans were fifth at the B.C. boys A (small school) volleyball championship in South Slocan. Len Ostberg won the Prince George Cashpiel, despite missing the first game because of a flight delay in Vancouver due to fog. He and his rink have won two more Northern B.C. cashspiels since then. Dave Matthews of Prince George took third place at the world wrist wrestling championships in Petaluma, Calif. James Tossoff finished second and Louis Soares third in junior red belt sparring at the Canadian tae kwon-do championships in Ste. Foy, Que. Gary Hausot was second in blue belt sparring. DECEMBER Heavyweight Mike Kadar won a silver medal in the right-hand class and a left-handed bronze at the world sit-down arm wrestling championships in London, England. Pat Harris was named the B.C. athlete of the year by the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association. Scott Sherba and his rink topped four other quartets for the junior men’s zone 'curling title at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Duncan Werbecky won his first A singles title in the Prince George Closed handball tournament. The Duchess Park Condors topped the consolation event to finish ninth at the B.C. high school boys AA volleyball championship in Surrey. Allan Bayne won the 132-pound intermediate title uncontested at the B.C. amateur boxing championships in Vancouver, earning a berth to the national championships. George Sponagle was ranked ninth among welterweights by the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation, his highest rating yet. Former Prince George speed skater Neal Marshall, now based in Burnaby, smashed records in the men’s 3,000- and 5,000-metre events at the B.C. long-track time trials in Fort St. John. 4