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Your weekly sports roundup.

Olympics, hockey, tennis, baseball also highlight this week’s local sports headlines

JEREMY FRASER jeremy.fraser@cbpost.com @Cbpost_jeremy

Another work week has come and gone which calls for another edition of Sports Chat.

Without wasting any time, let’s jump into the Cape Breton sports-related headlines.

BUSY TIME FOR CAPE BRETON GOLFERS

You may have noticed how sports have gone from zero to 100 real fast over the past month with the easing of COVID-19 provincial restrictions, and one of the sports in full swing — no pun intended — is golf.

After the Nova Scotia Golf Association’s amateur earlier this month, and The Roadbuilders, presented by Caper Auto Sales last weekend at Lingan Golf and Country Club, the schedule gets even busier beginning this weekend.

The NSGA’S mid-amateur is underway in Kingston with nine Cape Breton golfers in the field, including Glace Bay’s Brett Mckinnon, who as mentioned in last week’s column, is on a tournament win streak with three-straight victories this season.

Locally, the Rona Jack and Jill event will be held Saturday at Lingan, while the Sydco Junior Invitational is slated for Monday at the Lingan course. The senior men’s two-player scramble is Wednesday, while the Lynk Ladies Scramble is Thursday — both at Lingan.

In Cheticamp, Le Portage Golf Club will host its women’s invitational on Wednesday. The course will also have its Jack N’ Jill tournament next Saturday.

A pair of club championships are slated for July 31 and Aug. 1 at both Seaview Golf and Country Club in North Sydney, as well as Lingan.

Meanwhile, the Colbourne Auto Invitational is slated for Aug. 7-8 at Seaview.

Several other tournaments are scheduled for the month of August, but we’ll dig a bit deeper into those events in next week’s column.

ASHBY GOLFER SETS RECORD

Staying with golf, we head to mainland Nova Scotia and Granite Spring Golf Club near Halifax where a Cape Breton golfer won a championship and set a new record.

Paul Fewer, who grew up in Ashby and graduated from both Sydney Academy and the University College of Cape Breton, captured the course’s club championship Sunday.

Fewer, who now resides in Halifax, shot a 67 on the final day to claim the victory. It was the lowest score ever in a competitive round in the history of Granite Springs Golf Club, which opened in 1991.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the course. What a great way to celebrate than with a record like this — what makes it even better is it’s a Cape Bretoner who holds it.

Congratulations on the win and the record, Paul.

IN THE FAMILY

Earlier this week, the Cape Breton Post ran a story on Lauren Gale, a track and field runner with deep Cape Breton connections, who will compete at the Tokyo Olympics next month.

After the story ran, Stan Reppa called and informed us that Gale’s grandfather, the late Ivan Green, was a star track and field runner locally in the 1950s.

Green died on May 5, 2020, and his obituary reads that along with track and field he also played hockey, basketball and baseball.

Gale, whose parents Joe and Lisa Gale were born in Sydney, will be the youngest member of Team Canada’s track and field team at age 21 and will participate in the 4x400 women’s relay in Japan.

It seems the track and field talent runs through the veins of the Green and Gale family.

There may be no spectators allowed inside venues for the Olympics but, Lauren, know your grandfather has a front row seat and will proudly be watching over you represent our country, you can bet on that.

ANOTHER CAPER CONNECTION AT OLYMPICS

Sticking with the Tokyo Olympics, Cape Breton sports fans will have another athlete to cheer for with local connections in Japan.

Maggie Macneil of London, Ont., will represent Canada in the women’s 100-metre butterfly, which is scheduled for this morning at 7:30 a.m.

Macneil’s father is originally from New Waterford. Meanwhile, her grandparents Eddie and Patsy Macneil are also from New Waterford and are currently living in Sydney River.

The Cape Breton Post attempted to reach Maggie for a story, similar to the one we did with Lauren Gale, but because of travel and time conflictions, was unable to reach her.

Best of luck to Maggie and Lauren at the Olympics. We’ll all be watching closely and hope you bring the gold medal back to Canada.

ADDED TO THE PROTECTED LIST

Switching to other headlines of the week, four hockey players with Cape Breton connections were added to protected lists by ECHL teams recently.

Sydney’s Joey Haddad was protected by the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, while former Eagles players Alexandre Lavoie (Allen) and Michael Joly (Orlando) were also protected.

Lavoie is currently signed by Västerås IK of Sweden for the 2021-22 season, while Joly recently signed with HPK of Finland for 2021-22.

Meanwhile, Cole Macdonald, son of Kevin Macdonald of Port Hood, and Lorraine Macdonald of Inverness, was protected by the Florida Everblades. The defenceman had seven assists in 43 games in Florida last season.

CLASSROOM RECOGNITION

Staying in the United States, but Dudley Mass., a Cape Breton goaltender was recognized for her efforts off the ice in the classroom.

Albert Bridge product Julia Carroll was one of 90 student-athletes from Nichols College to earn 2021 Commonwealth Coast Conference winter/spring academic allconference team honours.

More than 875 student-athletes from the conference’s 10 institutions and one affiliate comprised the list of winners.

In order to be recognized as a member of the academic all-conference team, an athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale) and must also have attained sophomore academic status.

On the ice, Carroll finished the 2020-21 season with an 0-2-1 record. The goalsagainst-average and save percentage was not available.

EAGLES PICKS AT MHL DRAFT

Earlier this month, the Maritime Junior Hockey League held its annual entry draft, and, along with Cape Breton players, nine Eagles prospects were selected by teams.

Lane Lochead (Truro), Brady Wambolt (Valley), and Blake Pilgram-edwards (Truro) were taken in the first round, while Colby Morin went to Edmundston in the third round.

Luke Patterson (Grand Falls) and Liam Travis (Campbellton) were selected in the fourth-round, while Cam Squires (Summerside) and Xavier Farrah (Campbellton) were picked in the fifth-round.

The final Eagles prospect picked was Sydney Mines product Tyson Lefrense who went to the Valley Wildcats in the ninth-round.

SASKATCHEWAN BOUND

Turning to junior ‘A’ hockey in Saskatchewan, a former Cape Breton Eagle player will suit up for the Estevan Bruins for the 2020-21 season.

Forward Mark Rumsey recently signed with the club after not being protected by the Eagles.

The St. John’s, N.L., product, who will turn 20 years old on Aug. 13, appeared in 16 games with Cape Breton during the second half of the 2020-21 season, posting a goal and five points. He was acquired in a deal with Chicoutimi prior to the Christmas trade deadline.

Rumsey fell victim of the numbers game on the Eagles roster when it comes to the club’s overage position.

The Bruins will host the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, national championship next year. The tournament will be played May 20 to 29 at the 2,700-seat Affinity Place in Estevan.

Best of luck next season, Mark.

SEEKING NOMINATIONS

Meanwhile, the nominating committee for the Port Hawkesbury Sports Wall of Fame is seeking nominations for its sixth induction of members in November.

The committee will accept nominations until Sept. 10 for builders/sponsors, individual athletes and team.

Nomination forms and a guide to submitting nominations are available at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre box office. You can also visit the Town of Port Hawkesbury website at www.townof porthawkesbury.ca. for more information.

No official date for the induction ceremony was confirmed at press time.

REGISTRATION STILL OPEN FOR THE DURDLE

Turning our attention to the courts, the annual Peter Durdle Memorial Open will take place next week at the brandnew New Waterford Tennis Courts on Eighth Street.

The tournament, in memory of Peter Durdle, will be held Thursday to Sunday and will include men’s open singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, men’s 4.0 singles and mixed doubles.

The cost to enter is $40 for the first category and $10 for each additional division played. The tournament is sanctioned by Tennis Nova Scotia.

There’s still time to register. Registration closes on Sunday at midnight. For more information or to register, contact Robbie Kavanaugh at rkavanaugh@cleves.ca.

TRY TENNIS IN SYDNEY

Speaking of tennis, do you have an interest in the sport but have never played?

Cromarty Tennis Club in Sydney is holding a “try tennis” event on Monday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the club.

The event is free; however, registration is required.

For more information, phone 902-578-0867.

MINOR BASEBALL THIS WEEKEND

On the diamond, want to get out and watch some Cape Breton minor baseball? If so, there’s plenty of options this weekend.

The Cape Breton Royals will host the Dartmouth Arrows in Under-18 ‘AAA’ Bluenose League action on Saturday and Sunday. The teams play at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Susan Mceachern Memorial Ball Park in Sydney, before wrapping up the series at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Cape Breton Expos under-18 ‘A’ team will host the Pictou County Rangers on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Brown Street Ball Park in Sydney Mines.

The Strait Area Sting U18 ‘A’ team will play Great Village Sunday at noon and 2:30 p.m. at the Dan Willie Memorial Ball Field in Port Hawkesbury.

In under-15 ‘A’ provincial action, the Strait Area Sting will play host to Truro on Saturday at the Dan Willie Memorial Ball Park, while New Waterford will play Sydney Mines in recreational play at 10 a.m. and noon at Burns Field in New Waterford.

Under-13 recreational play features New Waterford against the Sydney Sooners at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The field was not confirmed at press time. Sydney will also play North Sydney on Sunday at 10 a.m. and noon in Sydney.

As for the under-11 ‘AA’ Bluenose League, the Sydney Sooners will battle the Dartmouth Arrows on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. as well as Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Vince Muise Memorial Field in Sydney River.

The under-11 recreational league will see Port Hood hosting Sydney Mines on Saturday at 10 a.m. and noon in Port Hood — the field was not confirmed at press time.

The New Waterford Dodgers under-12 and under-14 all-female teams will play Hammonds Plains and Oxford this weekend in New Waterford. Unfortunately, the field was not available at press time.

Have a note of interest you would like to see appear in this weekly column? Send it to Jeremy at jeremy.fraser@cbpost.com along with a name and phone number for contact purposes.

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