Local Sports

The Bishop O’Byrne Lady Bobcats and the Jasper Place Rebels took home top honours in the 20th annual Bert Church Invitational (BCI) basketball tournament Dec. 16-18. Both Bert Church clubs lost to John G. Diefenbaker in their first game Dec.

Devon Fordyce, a 16-year-old goaltender and former Airdrie Xtreme Bantam AAA player, was recently named to Hockey Canada’s Team Pacific for the upcoming 2011 U-17 Hockey Challenge. It will take place in Portage la Prairie, Man. from Dec. 29 to Jan.

Devon Fordyce will soon become the latest Cochrane-born player to suit up for Team Canada.

Nearly half of Team Alberta’s U-18 women’s hockey team at the upcoming Canada Winter Games will have a local connection.

Airdrie Thunder players have spent the last six weeks looking above them in the divisional standings. After a 5-1 loss to the Three Hills Thrashers at the Ron Ebbesen Arena on Dec.

A large X marks the front of the Xtreme’s jerseys, but now that Airdrie is No. 1 in the divisional standing, that X has become a target.

Darrell Belyk went to Nevada with lofty expectations. And although things didn’t go his way at the World Arm Wrestling Championships in Mesquite last week, he still plans to continue his pursuit.

Several hundred youngsters in Jamaica will be wearing new soccer jerseys this holiday season thanks to the efforts of a Winnipeg man and his connection to the Airdrie and District Soccer Association.

Brianne Tutt hopes her string of recent success on the speed skating oval will continue into the new year.

Cochrane’s Katy Josephs is one 31 players heading to Hockey Canada’s National Women’s U-18 team selection camp at Toronto’s MasterCard Centre this week. The 17 year old will depart on Dec. 16 to compete at the three-day camp, Dec. 17-19.