West sports news in brief — week of July 15, 2026
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Local ball teams win provincial title
The team out of Sturgeon Heights went undefeated to win the 13UA (Zone 1) provincial title on July 5, defeating the squad out of Vince Leah Recreation Centre 15-12 in the final in East Selkirk, Man.
Sturgeon Heights beat Glenwood 12-2 and Springfield 7-3 on July 3, then Garden City 14-4 and Macdonald Navy 11-10 on July 4 to earn a berth in the semifinals, where the team beat Phoenix 13-8 to advance to the final.
Meanwhile, Macdonald’s 18UA team won the Zone 1 Tier 1 provincial, besting Niverville 6-5 on July 5. En route to the championship, Macdonald beat Winakwa 17-4 and Corydon 21-1 on July 3, and Warren 9-1 on July 4. In the semifinals, Macdonald beat St. Andrews-Selkirk Mariners 7-3 to advance to the final.
Sanford student athletes win trades high school awards
The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association recently announced its trades high school athletes of the year, and two students from Sanford Collegiate were among those honoured.
Cooper Rodewald, multi-sport athlete who competed in golf, volleyball, basketball, hockey, badminton, track and field, and beach volleyball this past year, won the AAA boys award. Rodewald served as captain of the Sanford Sabres hockey team and was the team’s leading scorer for the second consecutive season. He will pursue the Manitoba Apprenticeship Program in Carpentry in 2026–2027.
Halle Penner, a multi-sport athlete who competed in basketball, hockey, and track and field, won the AAA girls award. As co-captain of the varsity girls basketball team, she led Sanford to a Zone 4 championship and an AAA provincial championship while helping her team post an impressive 29–2 record. She plans to attend Brandon University in 2026–2027, where she has committed to play basketball with the Brandon University Bobcats on an athletic scholarship.