Middle-distance runner Rachel Francis of the University of Victoria Vikes was named the CIS track and female rookie of the year Thursday.
The Paul Kane High School graduate was ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 600 metres on the eve of the CIS championships this weekend in Winnipeg.
At the Canada West finals last month François was honoured as a first team all-star and the rookie of the year in the conference. She also won the Canada West 600m final, anchored the Vikes’ gold-medal winning 4x800m relay team and the silver-medal winning 4x400m relay team.
The member of the Edmonton Columbians Track and Field Club received the outstanding performance award of the meet.
The 2011 Athletics Alberta junior female athlete of the year also set personal bests in the 800m (2:07.70) and 300m (40.09) with the Vikes.
A win today by the St. Albert Skyhawks would send the high school men’s basketball team to the 3A provincials next week in Camrose.
The Skyhawks will play the Louis St. Laurent Barons or Beaumont Bandits at 11 a.m. at the SkyDome for the second Edmonton zone berth at provincials.
In Thursday’s final in the double elimination tournament the Skyhawks lost 81-77 to the visiting Edmonton Christian Lions.
Cole Aikens led the Skyhawks in scoring with 27 points. Cam Vilcsak added 23 and Brendon Thera-Plamondon had 15 for the No. 1 seed in the nine-team draw.
In the 3A rankings the Skyhawks are fourth as the top Edmonton zone team. The Edmonton public league Lions are seventh.
In the metro Edmonton league the Skyhawks finished 5-5 in the premier conference. In the city conference Beaumont was 9-4 and Louis St. Laurent was 11-4 as league finalist.
The zone playoffs tipped off Tuesday with the Skyhawks beating the Fort Saskatchewan Sting 89-46 in St. Albert. Aikens paced the attack with 24 points. Robi Sanchez and Thera-Plamondon drained 14 apiece and Vilcsak scored 12.
Wednesday the host Skyhawks knocked off the Holy Trinity Trojans 72-39. Aikens tacked up 18 points, Vilcsak popped in 17 and Sanchez added 10.
The Paul Kane Blues are one win away from going to the 4A provincial women’s high school basketball tournament after defeating the O’Leary Spartans and Harry Ainlay Titans this week.
Friday the Blues played the Strathcona Lords in the Edmonton zone elimination tournament, but the score was unavailable at press time.
Win or lose, the Blues hoop it up today at Concordia University College at 11 a.m. for the fourth and last zone berth at provincials or at 3 p.m. to determine the second and third zone seeds. Provincials start Thursday at Cardston and Raymond.
The zone playoffs started Monday, with the Blues edging O’Leary 54-52. Melissa Woolley scored a team-high 16 points. Josee Larson chipped with 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tiana Woyewitka had 13 points.
Wednesday at home the Blues beat Harry Ainlay 59-46. Woolley tossed in 19 points and Larson added 13. Joanna Long and Woyewitka reeled in eight rebounds apiece.
The Blues are unranked in 4A after finishing 6-5 in the metro Edmonton premier conference.
Two St. Albert swimmers with the Edmonton Olympian club qualified for the Olympic trials with fast times at the western age-group championships recently in Winnipeg.
Emily Flowers made the standard in the 100-metre backstroke, 200m fly, 200m free and 100m fly.
Georgia Kidd also made the cut in the 100m free and 200m back.
They will join Olympian teammates Paige Kremer, Kristan Kushlyk, Mackenzie Lubberding, Jennifer Morgan, Katrina Sharpe, Luke Peddie and Caitlin Kamminga from St. Albert at the Olympic trials, starting March 27 in Montreal.
At westerns, the 400m relay team of Morgan, Kushlyk, Flowers and Kremer broke the provincial record for 15-17 girls.
The following St. Albert swimmers returned home from westerns with medals in individual events.
• Flowers: silver in 50m fly and bronze in 200m free.
• Kidd: gold in 50m back, silver in 50m free and 100m free and bronze in 200m back.
• Kremer: gold in 50m free, silver in 200m back and 200m individual medley and bronze in 100m free.
• Kushlyk: bronze in 200m breast.
• Lubberding: gold in 100m breast and silver in 50m breast.
• Morgan: silver in 200m back.
Club records were also broken by Kidd (13-14 50m back twice), Kushlyk (open 100m and 200m breast), Flowers (open 50m fly) and Lubberding (open 100m and 200m breast).
Meanwhile, Olympian swimmer Jacomie Strydom of St. Albert qualified for the age group nationals in July in Calgary in the girls’ 50m, 100m fly and 200m back at westerns.
