Local Sports for Friday April 30

(Left: Steve Arpin with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. (far left)


Steve Arpin is back in a NASCAR's Nationwide car today as he prepares for tonight's race in Richmond, Virginia.

Driving for Dale Earnhardt junior's JR Motorsports team, Aprin will be involved in practice this morning with qualifying taking place at 3 p.m. CST.


The race goes tonight at 6 p.m. CST and can be seen on TSN-2 - ESPN 2 in the U-S.

Falls High School boys track team finished first at a four-school meet in Warroad yesterday cut short by weather.

First place finishes were earned by Shawn Filipiak in the 110 meter hurdles, Brandon Richards in the shotput and the 4-by-800 meter relay team.

Voyageurs Sign Two Muskies

Rainy River Community College women's hockey team will again have a strong Canadian presence next season.

Carlee Bosma and Jessie Baker, both of Emo, have signed letters of intent to play for the Voyageurs.

Baker was second in scoring on the Fort Frances Muskies girls' team this past season with 30 goals and 59 points.

Bosma finished her senior year with 16 goals.

Local Sports for Wednesday April 28

Milt Strachan will remain president of the fort Frances Lakers junior A hockey team for another year. Strachan was re-elected in elections held earlier this week. Wayne Morrison will serve as vice-president. The board is still looking to fill four other vacancies including the position of treasurer.


Falls High school girls track team finished first overall at a meet hosted by the school yesterday. The team was paced by Therese Youso who won both the 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles events. The boys team placed second behind Eveleth Gilbert. Jake Jensen set a new meet record in the pole vault.


In other Falls high school action, the Broncos girls' softball team defeated Roseau 15-3 while on Monday the boys' baseball team were 21-3 winners over Cherry.

Badminton Team Members Advance to Provincials

Three members of Fort Frances High School's badminton team are headed to the provincial championships.

Senior girls doubles team of Kimika Alexander and Chelsea Carlson and Rory Bagacki in senior boys singles won NWOSSA division titles yesterday in Atikokan to earn berths to the provincials next week in Stratford.

The senior team also placed second in total points.

Elsewhere Hannah Taylor and Jillian Berry were third in senior girls doubles - Spencer Pearce and Robert Stevens were fourth in senior boys doubles.

On the junior side, Andre Emond and Bryson Skirten were second in boys doubles while Cassandra Spade finished third in singles action.

Local Sports for Monday April 26

Late race crashes left Steve Arpin with disappointing finishes in both the Nationwide and ARCA races at Talledega Super Speedway on the weekend.

Yesterday, Arpin finished twenty-sixth in the Nationwide race after being involving in a multi-car crash with less than 10 laps remaining.

In Friday's ARCA race, a last lap spin left the Fort Frances resident in fourteenth.


In College women's softball, Rainy River took two from Mesabi Range Saturday, 8-6 and 6-5.

Friday the Voyageurs beat Fond Du Lac 12-5.



In men's baseball Saturday, Rainy River defeated Hibbing 26-10 in a game that lasted just five innings.

The Voyageurs fell 12-8 in the second of the double header.




Two Fort Frances area hockey players will get the change to earn a berth on a provincial hockey team that will compete in a world event later this year.

Robbie Rae and Donovan Cousineau were one of a handful of players invited from a regional under 17 camp in Thunder Bay on the weekend to Oshawa this June where selection of the Ontario team will be made.

Rae was with the Thunder Bay minor midget Kings program this past winter.

Cousineau was a member of the Fort Frances Muskies.



Fort Frances Lakers board of directors will their first annual general meeting tonight.

The meeting will include a review of the teams first year and board elections.

It takes place at the Memorial Sportplex committee room beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Local Sports for Thursday April 22

It's going to be a busy day for Steve Aprin.

The Fort Frances native is on the track for practice for ARCA and Nationwide series races at Talledegda Superspeedway.

He'll also be qualifying this evening for tomorrow's ARCA race.



Meantime preparations are underway for the local race season at Emo Speedway.

The Borderland Racing Association is seeking volunteers to assist during the season.

Those interested are asked to contact Deb Westover at 487-2275 or visit the Association website for more info.



Rainy River Community College men's baseball team dropped a pair of homes games played in Littlefork yesterday.

The Voyageurs lost to Vermilion Community College 5-2 and 11-10.

Local Sports for Wednesday April 21

Four Fort Frances players have been selected to play on Hockey Northwestern Ontario's under-16 team.

Goaltender, Scott Parsons, defenceman Judd Gardiman and forwards Jordan Larson and Colton Spicer will be part of a team that will play in a tournament this August for the right to play in next year's Canada Winter Games.

Fort Frances Lakers head coach Wayne Strachan will serve as an assistant coach on the team.



A third place finish for the Falls High School girls track team at a meeting in Hibbing yesterday.

Sara Christianson in the shot put and Alicia Hendrickson in the pole vault earned first place finishes.

The boys team placed fourth at the meet paced by a number of top five finishes.

Jake Jensen earned the only first-place finish with a strong jump in the pole vault.


In high school ball, the International Falls Broncos boys baseball team opened it season with a 14-4 win over Mountain Iron-Buhl.

The girls softball team lost 7-2 to Mesabi East.



The Rainy River Community College women's softball team earned a pair of wins yesterday against Northland Community College, winning 11-nothing and 15-1.


The Voyageur's men's baseball team faces Vermilion Community College in a double header at Littlefork starting at 1:00 p.m. today.

On the weekend, the Voyageurs went winless in games against Itasca and Mesabi East.

Local Sports for Monday April 19

(ARCAracing.com photo)

Fort Frances native Steve Arpin has earned a shot in NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

Arpin will race for Dale Earnhardt junior's JR Motorsports this coming Saturday at Talladega and a week later at Richmond.

Earnhardt announced the two-race deal Friday, the same day Arpin won his second consecutive ARCA Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Rainy River Community College women's softball team split it games played on the weekend.

Friday, the Voyaguers beat Hibbing 4-2, but fell 9-7 in the rematch.

Saturday, Rainy River beat Itasca 1-0, but then lost 8-2.

Arpin Wins Again

Steve Arpin earned his second consecutive ARCA Racing Series victory, winning Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway.

Arpin took over the lead on lap 91 and led the final 14 circuits and outran Craig Goess in a green-white-checker finish for the win by a mere .326 seconds.

"This is a great, great racetrack," says Arpin. "We had a really good car all night, and Hoosier gave us a super good tire. What a great way to debut our new sponsor, Mike's Hard Lemonade."

Arpin was also involved in a lap 12, four-car incident, but managed to escape with only minor left front damage.

Arpin is now the sole leader in the ARCA Series championship standings

Hockey Meeting Tonight

The Fort Frances Girls and Women’s Hockey Association will hold its general meeting tonight.

The meeting will include board elections.

It begins at 6 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena boardroom.

Local Sports for Monday April 12

(ARCAracing.com photo)

Fort Frances native Steve Arpin earned his first career ARCA Series race with a win Sunday afternoon, winning at Indiana's Salem Speedway.

Arpin led the first 80 laps and the final 57 of the 200-lap race, finishing a full second and a half ahead of the second place finisher.

"This car was awesome from drop of the green flag," says Arpin. "These guys (Arpin's pit crew) work ridiculous hours day in and day out and do an awesome job of preparing these race cars."

The win moves Arpin into a tie for first in the ARCA points standings.



A provincial championship for Fort Frances' Raymond Roy rink.

Roy's foursome beat Denis Prevost of Coniston in the final to take the men's crown at the Dominion Curling Club provincial championship in Thunder Bay.

Roy, along with teammates Dave Broman, Butch Wensley and Patrick Briere will represent Northern Ontario at a national event in the fall.

Kim Beaudry's team nearly joined the men, beating Melanie Patry yesterday morning.

Because it was the Coniston's team's first loss, a second game was played in the afternoon with Beaudry losing 7-2.


A strong show of support is allowing a Fort Frances woman to move ahead her plans to create of a new women's roller derby team in Fort Frances.

About twenty people attended an information session on the weekend.

Crystal Caul says the team will hold a dry-landing training session Wednesday evening, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Memorial Sport Centre.

Caul is hoping the team will play its first game in August.


Rainy River Community College women's softball team won three of four games played on the week.

It split games with Mesabi East on Friday, then swept both ends of its home opening double-header with Vermilion on Saturday.

The Voyageurs are 5-1 this season.

Local Sports for Thursday April 9

Northwestern Ontario's all-star pee-wee team dropped both of its games played yesterday at the all-Ontario pee-wee hockey championship in Perth.

They lost 3-2 to Kingston in the afternoon then fell 4-0 to Gloucester in the evening, knocking them out of playoff contention.

Brandon Stanley and Jared Bethune scored in the Kingston game.

The pee-wees wrap up play today with a game against Sudbury.


Former Fort Frances Muskie Joe Basaraba has been ranked by the NHL's Scouting Bureau 54th among North American hockey players.

That's a drop of 15 spots from his mid-term ranking.

Basaraba, who played with Shattuck-St. Mary's this winter, is committed to playing for University of Minnesota-Duluth next season



Raymond Roy and Kim Beaudry take their Fort Frances curling teams to Thunder Bay today for the Dominion Curling Club Provincial Championship.

The two rinks won regional qualifiers two weeks ago.

The men open play at the Port Arthur Curling Club this afternoon with women on the ice this evening.

Local Sports for Wednesday April 7

Northwestern Ontario's all-star Pee-wee team was shutout 8-0 by the Toronto Marlboros yesterday at the all-Ontario Pee-Wee hockey championship in Perth.

The team, comprised of players from Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances, needs wins in its two games today to stay in playoff contention.

The all-stars play Kingston this afternoon and Gloucester this evening.


The Fort Frances Girls and Women's Hockey Association handed out its hardware last night.

Here are the winners

Novice - Fort Frances Timbits

Most Dedicated - Sydney Korkala
Most Improved - Macey McMillen
Most Sportsmanlike - Mackenna Bruyere
M.V.P. - Kamryn Singleton
Larry Tucker "Rookie of the Year" - Marti Woods


Atom - Fort Frances Kaemingh Esso

Most Dedicated - Hailey Tucker
Most Improved - Danielle Cridland
Most Sportsmanlike - Maighyn DeGagne
M.V.P. - Carly McKinnon


Atom - Rolling Lake Lightning

Most Dedicated - Abby Plourde
Most Improved - Marissa Loveday
Most Sportsmanlike - Madison Botsford
M.V.P. - Annalise Hayes


Atom Competitive Team - Dynamic Homes Hurricanes

Most Dedicated - Harleigh Brow-Rose
Most Improved - Abby Plourde
Most Sportsmanlike - Alyssa Alderson
M.V.P. - Emma Noga


Peewee - Super 8

Most Dedicated - Amber Jourdain
Most Improved - Claire Tibbs
Most Sportsmanlike - Cassandra Moffitt
M.V.P. - Abbi Perreault


Peewee - Lakewood Tire Eagles

Most Dedicated - Kate Parsons
Most Improved - Keira Singleton
Most Sportsmanlike - Rachel Jean
M.V.P. - Amy Penner


Peewee Competitive Team - Fort Frances Nor-Fab Flames

Most Dedicated - Jessica Coran
Most Improved - Amy Penner
Most Sportsmanlike - Kate Parsons
M.V.P. - Amber Jourdain


Bantam - BDO Stars

Most Dedicated - Katie Sinclair
Most Improved - Libby Paleczny
Most Sportsmanlike - Amber Morrison
M.V.P. - Shilo Beck


Bantam - Energy Fitness Wild

Most Dedicated - Hailey Clendenning
Most Improved - Angie Cole
Most Sportsmanlike - Jessica Robinson
M.V.P. - Shelby Rea


Bantam Competitive Team - Fort Frances 14U Leafs

Most Dedicated - Hailey Clendenning
Most Improved - Liz Henderson
Most Sportsmanlike - Jessica Robinson
M.V.P. - Shelby Rea


Midget - Pharmasave Wildcats

Most Dedicated - Cassie McLennan
Most Improved - Megan Beacham
Most Sportsmanlike - Tressa Galusha
M.V.P. - Paige Ward


Midget - Doug Kitowski Trucking

Most Dedicated - Mackenzie Paxson
Most Improved - Taylor Gouin and Halle Shypit
Most Sportsmanlike - Julie Magill
M.V.P. - Bailey Langford



Falls High School track and field teams had top ten finishes at another indoor meet at Bemidgi State University.

The boys team placed fifth out of 23 teams while the girls were tied for eight of 26 teams with the results of two events yet published.

Alicia Hendrickson had the only first place finish with a victory in the pole jump.



Rainy River Community College's women's softball team walked away with both ends of a double headers against Fond Du Lac in Cloquet winning 14-8 and 4-2.

Kayla Rae McDonough picked up the win on the mound in game one, and earned the save in the other for Danika Stelton.

Local Sports for Tuesday April 6

Northwestern Ontario's all-star pee-wee hockey team are oh and two at the all-Ontario pee-wee championship in Perth.

Last night the all-stars fell 6-1 to the Sun Country Panthers, following a 6-1 loss to the host club in the morning.

Jack Bernie scored the lone goal in the late game.

The all-stars play the Toronto Marlboros this afternoon.



Rainy River Community College's women's softball team is on the field today with a game in Cloquet.

On the weekend, the College's men's baseball team dropped three of four games played in Rochester, losing 10-3 to Fergus Falls, 8-1 and 11-8 to Rochester before earning a 12-8 win over Mesabi Range.

Pee-Wees Drop Opener

Northwestern Ontario's all-star pee-wee hockey team lost its first game at the all-Ontario championship in Perth.

The team fell 6-1 to the host team.

Geoff Kitt of Dryden scored the lone goal.

Tyler VanUden, a member of the Fort Frances Royals, assisted on the goal.

The team is back on the ice tonight against the Sun Country Panthers.

Local Sports for Monday April 5

A group of 11 and 12 year old hockey players from Dryden, Kenora and Fort Frances are representing northwestern Ontario at the all-Ontario pee-wee hockey championship in Perth.

It's the first time such an team has represented the area, but coach Dan Reynard isn't putting high expectations on the young players.

The team plays its first game against the host club this morning.



Former Fort Frances Muskies Joe Basaraba will get an opportunity to show his skills before NHL scouts next month.

He's one of one hundred players invited to an NHL Scouting combine to be held in Toronto.

Basaraba, who is expected to play for University of Minnesota-Duluth next season, is considered a high round pick in this June's draft.