There was no mistaking the feeling of triumph that filled Isabela Onyshko after sticking the landing and closing out a flawless performance on the uneven bars in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night. The 18 year old Manitoba gymnast was all smiles before the television cameras and the live audience on hand, a stark contrast to the steely-eyed determination and focus that is featured in most photos. The Minnedosa-born Onyshko is competing in her first Olympic Games and on Saturday was declared by the National Post to be the Manitoba ‘underdog’ that could surprise the gymnastics field. Little more than 24 hours later, she was being heralded by the CBC broadcast team as “the rock and the star” of the Canadian Olympic team. Isabela scored a 14.733 on the uneven bars, an event at which she has excelled in international competition. She won gold in the 2014 International Gymnix and repeated that achievement at the 2015 Ljubljana World Cup in this event. Her score put her team on track to secure a position in the top eight for a shot in the finals. However, misfortune struck when team mate Brittany Rogers, 23 year old New Westminster gymnast, fell during her routine. Rogers’ 14.2 score dropped the Canadian team to ninth place, excluded them from further competition. Still, Onyshko’s performances on the Olympic stage have placed her in the top ten individually and she will compete in the all-around finals this week. For her family in attendance and her peers who were watching at home – including her fellow members at the Brandon Eagles Gymnastics club, it was an exciting debut on the world stage. Onyshko, the first Manitoba gymnast to qualify for the Olympic team in 30 years, will take her shot at Olympic gold on Thursday afternoon and Manitoba is sure to be watching.

The rumors have been confirmed and the Wheat Kings will lose another valuable member of their team.  It had been reported late Friday night, in some media circles, that Director of Scouting Wade Klippenstein had accepted a job with a western conference team of the NHL. The post first appeared on Dean Millard's Twitter account where he posted “Brandon Wheat Kings will also lose Head Scout Wade Klippenstein as he's taken an NHL job with a western conference team. #Vegas??? “.  Millard works for TSN 1260 in Edmonton where is the a co-host of the Pipeline Show which weekly does an in-depth examination of the top hockey prospects coming down the pipe. Following Millard's post Greg Drinnan, who runs the popular WHL blog site, Taking Note, reported Klippenstein had accepted a job with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. According to Drinnan's report Klippenstein is slated to serve as a western scout for the Avalanche. Klippenstein has extensive experience in Western Canada having been with the Wheat Kings for the past 3 years as well as previous stops in Prince George, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw.  Even though he is changing jobs, and leagues, Klippenstein will not have to relocate something he was very grateful for.  "I'm very fortunate to not have to relocate with this job change"  said Klippenstein.  'The ability to allow my family to remain in our community (Coaldale) was a big factor in our decision" he continued. As the Wheat King's Director of Scoutng he would have played a key role in drafting current Wheat Kings Caiden Daley, Steilio Mattheos, Ty Lewis and Nolan Patrcik as well as prospects Rylan Bettans and Braden Schneider. “ I wasn't searching for other opportunities, but was very grateful for what had transpired” Klippenstein told bdnmb.ca.  He went on to say "I don't think anyone is surprised when there is movement in  Jr. hockey.  The WHL is proven development for not only players but also staff."    

Gord Paziuk summed up golf to me today “when Nike is getting out of golf there is a reason”. Right now Nike said they are down 8% in sales therefore no longer going to be in the golf industry. We reached out to some of the local golf pro’s and course owners to see where the current state and future of golf is going. Dave Scinocca, who would be one of the most recognizable names in golf in Brandon and Westman, had a simple message about the state of golf and that is to get more kids involved. But Dave did have good points in saying that current golfers are not playing as much as they used to….. New golfers have dropped off to some degree…… plus we have several good courses all within 45 minutes of Brandon that compete hard for the golfing dollar. The lifeline of the local golf course are the corporate events or big tournaments like Dreams for Kids or Birt Cup. He said without them we would have to raise course prices so high. Chris “CK” Kading, pictured below, from Deer Ridge Golf Course has another theory that other local operators agree with. The City of Brandon has made the price for the City run Rec Centre at such a low price that it has a huge effect on local golf course operators. Kading feels very strongly that the City of Brandon should not be in the golf business. In addition he feels that the course is in terrible condition. When BDNMB asked the Mayor Rick Chrest for his thoughts on the low prices he stated that Council felt that $16.00 was all it was worth at the time. Additionally Kading feels the City prices are “predatory pricing which would be illegal for private business and at worst unethical for the City of Brandon.” Jason Earl owner of Glen Lea Golf Course has some great feedback. There is a huge problem in the industry right now and that's no secret. Our rounds and memberships at Glen Lea are down a fair bit compared to an average year over the last 15 years. We are turning to other ways to try and generate revenue for the golf course. This includes things like: selling clay. We are also looking at, and in the process, of doing market research for other demands (outside of golf) in the Westman area that might help us bring revenue in for Glen Lea. We are very fortunate to own the majority of the surrounding land around the golf course. This will allow us to grow (if the golf industry ever becomes healthy again in Westman) or try different business avenues to help bring in more revenue to help the golf course survive. Other areas that we need to expand to help grow golf, include: more school programs for the kids, junior leagues / programs, lessons, approaching businesses to both sponsor golf programs and have them promote more golf outings for their employees, corporate memberships, promote family nights, etc. It's unfortunate that the Westman golf rates do not reflect the costs of doing business, resulting in the golf course industry in our area not being healthy. Every year our cost of doing business increases a large amount and our golf season is always the same length. On average (average of last 10 years), we are open 188 days a year. 52% of the year we are open. Factor in days that we're closed for bad weather (Rain days, too hot, too cold, etc.), plus the month and half at the start of the season and month and a half at the end of the season were we charge discounted rates for Spring/Fall,,,, and that's a small window to bring in revenue. Scott Kozoroski from Brandon Source for Sports said they are basically seeing a decline in golf sales over the past 5 years. Golf is a low margin product (which I didn’t know ) so therefore to tie up money in inventory and floor space perhaps both are better spent on more profitable sports. On a good note Scott said they have seen a big increase at the Tamarack Golf Tournament in the age groups. 4 – 10 year olds (Cubs). Lets face it golf is and will always be an expensive and time consuming sport. But if you travel and play golf in Calgary, or Vancouver, you will see Brandon and Westman prices are at times one quarter less expensive than other cities in Western Canada. Golf is maybe for the first time in decades facing some huge challenges and with some help and luck and cooperation perhaps it can turn a corner.

It was an exciting night of hockey action this evening at the Sportsplex in Brandon, MB as the Wendy's Summer Hockey League Division 1 champion was crowned. A couple of hundred rowdy and raucous fans took in the night's action as the Domino's Packers toppled the Browns Social House Contenders 8-4. Dominos scored the first 5 goals of the game before Browns stormed back with 3 unanswered goals of their own in the final minute of the 2nd period narrowing the gap to 5-3. Dominos regrouped and rallied to score a couple of early markers to start the third putting the game out of reach. Philadelphia Flyers draft pick, Travis Sanheim led the charge offensively with 3 goals and an assist in helping the Packers claim their first ever championship. Former Brandon Wheat King Shayne Wiebe and Florida Panthers prospect Jayce Hawrlyuk also had 4 points (1g, 3a) in the game. Five different skaters register 2 points for Browns Social House including Scott Glennie, Quinton Lisowy, Dan Chartrand, Josh Kobelka and Tyler Coutler. Browns had reached the finals after earlier in the week thrashing Tastee's Badgers 20-1 while Domino's advanced after defeating last year's champions Houston's Scramblers 15-9. Tonight's win was especially gratifying to Marian University forward, and Brandon product, Cole McCaig who captured his first division 1 title after having competed in the previous 4 championship finals, losing all 4.  McCaig tells bdnmb.ca that he thinks the last time he won a game that meant this much to him was back in bantam.  

Courtesy:  Brandon Wheat Kings Press Release Brandon, MB. – When the Brandon Wheat Kings open defence of their Western Hockey League Championship next month, Kelly McCrimmon will not be on the bench. The winningest coach in franchise history, who has spent the better part of the last three decades as the driving force behind the Wheat Kings, has confirmed that he will be joining the new National Hockey League franchise in Las Vegas as the team’s new Assistant General Manager. A 3-time winner of the Canadian Hockey League and WHL Executive of the Year, McCrimmon joined the Wheat Kings in 1988 and was named general manager the following year. He purchased on third ownership of the team from partner Bob Cornell in 1992 and assumed sole ownership in 2000. As the club’s Owner and General Manager, he has led the Wheat Kings to more wins than any other team in the Canadian Hockey League since 1992, including fifteen seasons of forty or more wins, ten Eastern Division pennants and six Eastern Conference Championships. As well, he has been instrumental in four Memorial Cup appearances, including two as WHL Champion after winning in both 1996 and 2016. As a coach, McCrimmon has compiled a 423-223-36-38 record and over the course of the past ten seasons he has posted an impressive .640 winning percentage. “Kelly is an outstanding hockey man and we are delighted to have him join us,” says George McPhee, General Manager of the Las Vegas club that will begin play in the NHL in 2017-18. “His extensive experience and consistently high level of performance in the game will help us build a strong and successful organization and team. His hockey acumen, character and work ethic are perfect for us.” “This is a dream job for any hockey executive and one I feel very fortunate to have been offered,” says McCrimmon. “The chance to build a team, an organization from the ground up, the chance to develop an identity and establish a culture will be challenging, invigorating and rewarding.” A member of the WHL Board of Governors Executive Committee for six years and Chairman of the Competitions Committee, McCrimmon says that more news on the club’s new organizational structure will be announced later this week. McCrimmon also used Tuesday’s announcement to deliver an important message to western Manitoba hockey fans. “Our family will continue to own the hockey club,” says McCrimmon. “I look forward to offering leadership, guidance and resources for the team to continue to be successful. The strength of our organization is the people and we will have some announcements soon with respect to the open positions. A 55-year old native of Plenty, Saskatchewan, McCrimmon played two seasons in Brandon in the late seventies and was a member of the 1979 WHL Championship club before moving on to the University of Michigan from 1980-84, serving as team captain during his senior year. The Wheat Kings, who defeated Seattle in May to capture their third Ed Chynoweth Cup and first in twenty years, are scheduled to open up training camp August 30th at Westman Communications Group Place. The club will kick off the 2016-17 regular season with a weekend home and home series with Moose Jaw on September 23rd-24th.