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Growing up in Dauphin, Thomas Dumas was always interested in arm wrestling.
While Thomas dreamt of becoming a world-class arm wrestler, the former Dauphinite who now lives in Prince Edward Island never imagined what would come as he grew up.
At the 2023 national championships in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Thomas won a national gold with his left and right arm. To add to the excitement of what was already an incredible event for Thomas, he had the chance to meet Devon Larratt, considered to be one of the greatest arm wrestlers ever to compete.
More than 12 months removed from that meeting, Thomas still thinks about it and how special it was.
"He said that I was the best 12-year-old arm wrestler he has ever gone up against," said Thomas. "That was extremely special and I don't think I will ever forget that conversation."
Having conquered the Canadian arm wrestling scene at his age level, Thomas knew it was time to step things up. He ramped up his training and committed to competing in the IFA World Arm Wrestling Championships in Loutraki, Greece.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime for Thomas and he wasn't going just to compete, his goal was to win.
"I've put in more than 300 hours of training over the past couple of months to get ready for this," said Dumas. "I wanted to be in the best shape of my life. I have been training for many years but even more so over the past little bit."
Thomas and his dad Mike arrived in Greece on September 30.
"It was an amazing experience, it's something that I have wanted to do for a very long time," offered Dumas. "My biggest goal has always been to be the best arm wrestler in my age group."
Going up against the top arm wrestlers, Thomas immediately shocked himself. In the U15 +78kg classification, Thomas found himself in the gold medal match with his left arm against a competitor from Bulgaria. After previously losing against him, Dumas had to dig deep and that's exactly what he did as the former Dauphinite beat his Bulgarian competitor twice claiming his first world title.
"It was the craziest feeling ever, the crowd was going crazy," commented Dumas. "I couldn't believe it, I don't know how I did it."
Thomas did not have to wait long for another chance to win a world title. Competing with his right arm in the same classification the following day brought forward the same result. Thomas again beat the same guy from Bulgaria in the gold medal match.
After two days and two titles on the world stage, Thomas Dumas took the world stage by storm.
"That was an amazing feeling, I knew my right arm would be stronger than my left," said Dumas. "I wasn't as surprised with my success with my right arm, more so the left. Nonetheless, an incredible feeling and a moment that I will never forget."
With a pair of world titles under his belt, Thomas changed course to cheer on his dad in the Masters +105kg classification. Mike was able to secure a few wins and more importantly, had the chance to share the world stage with his oldest son. He finished eighth with his right arm and 13th with his left.
"That was very cool to see him compete at such a high level," ended Dumas. "Seeing him compete with hundreds of people who were watching in person was special for me. I was so happy for him and I know he loved it."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
It was a solid day on the links for Eric Prokopowich of Dauphin.
He is representing the University of Manitoba Bisons at the Canada West Golf Championships at the Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna. Prokopowich will enter Tuesday's final round in a tie for 24th after a round of 5-over, 77.
Eric had a great opening nine holes on Monday with two birdies, one bogey and six pars. He had six bogies and three pars on his back nine. Prokopowich will enter Tuesday six strokes back of a top 10 spot. He joined Trent Robertson as the two lowest golfers from Manitoba on day one.
Ryan Gillis leads the tournament after a sizzling round of 8-under, 64 on Monday.
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Only nine players in Canadian Hockey League (CHL) history have been granted exceptional status.
The list includes John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright, and Michael Misa. Tavares, Ekblad, McDavid, Day, Wright, and Misa were all granted the status to play in the Ontario Hockey League while Veleno was granted to play in the QMJHL.
In Western Hockey League (WHL) history, only two players have been granted exceptional status, the first of which was Connor Bedard. Those granted exceptional can play Major Junior full-time at 15 years old. On Tuesday, the second player in WHL history and the first defenceman in league history will be in Brandon to play the Wheat Kings.
Landon DuPont leads the Everett Silvertips into Westoba Place as the 'Tips go up against the Wheat Kings. A first-overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Dupont spent last season with the Edge School U18 Prep squad in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. He scored 19 goals with 62 points in 30 regular season games. He then added 16 points in five playoff games, helping his team win the championship and he was also named the tournament's MVP.
In a release earlier this year, DuPont was grateful for the opportunity.
“It is such an honour for me to receive Exceptional Player Status from Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada. I’m extremely humbled to have received this designation,” DuPont said in the release. “I would like to thank my family, all of my coaches, trainers, advisors, and most of all, my teammates, through my entire hockey journey for helping me get to this point. I’m excited to continue my development in the WHL and will work hard every day to continue to improve.”
In his first five WHL games, DuPont has six points. He scored his first career goal on October 4 in a 3-2 overtime win against Brayden Dube of Roblin and the Prince Albert Raiders.
Tuesday's game is the only time that DuPont will be in Brandon this season which means if you're looking for something to do, you could witness history inside Westoba Place. Brandon (4-1-0-1) sits in a tie for first in the Eastern Conference while Everett (4-1-0-0) is two points behind Spokane for first place in the Western Conference.
Brandon's roster also features plenty of local talent as Brady Turko (McCreary) and Easton Odut (Dauphin) are on the team. Brady has two assists in six games while Odut has one goal across four games. The game will also feature Jaxon Jacobson who many expect to be in contention for Rookie of the Year, one year removed from producing one of the best individual seasons in Canadian AAA history.
Tuesday's game is at 7 p.m. and you can get your tickets at DuPont vs Wheat Kings.
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After dropping their second straight game, the Dauphin Kings were bounced from the Canadian Junior Hockey League's (CJHL) Top-20 rankings.
Three teams from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL); however, do remain on the list. The Rockland Nationals of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) are on top of the rankings with a perfect 8-0 record. They have scored 34 goals while giving up just 11 and have four more points than the Brockville Blades for first place overall.
(#2) The Selkirk Steelers, ranked fifth last week, have jumped to the second spot. With eight wins in their first eight games, Selkirk is the only undefeated team remaining in the MJHL and is six points ahead of both Steinbach and Northern Manitoba for first place overall.
Selkirk has scored 36 goals while giving up 11. They have seven of the league's top 10 scorers with Luke McCarthy leading the way with five goals and eight assists in seven games. In net, returning 20-year-old Noel Olsonawski has been nothing short of outstanding. He's 5-0 with a .967 save percentage and a 0.79 goals-against average. He also has two shutouts across 305 minutes played.
What's next: vs Blues (October 08), @ Waywayseecappo (October 10), vs Neepawa (October 12)
Summerside (3), Edmundston (4), Trenton (5), Melville (6), Brockville (7), and Panthères de St-Jérôme (8) are ranked third to eighth on the list
(#9) They were not ranked last week but are firing on all cylinders as of late. After losing their first game of the season, the Steinbach Pistons have won five straight games and are ranked ninth this week. The Pistons went into the Roy H Johnston Arena this past Friday and Christian Green posted a 24-save shutout as the Pistons downed the Blizzard, 4-0. It was one of the team's most impressive wins this season.
They then put up a six spot the following night against Swan Valley. Returning forward Connor Paronuzzi leads the way with four goals and six assists while Noah Szabo, the team's captain, has two goals and five assists. Green's shutout on Friday was the first of his MJHL career and he's 3-0 this season with a .955 save percentage to go along with a 1.00 goals-against average.
Steinbach has allowed just nine goals this year, tied for the fewest in the league with Dauphin.
What's next: vs Niverville (October 12), @ Neepawa (October 13), vs Northern Manitoba (October 18)
Melfort (10), Amherst (11), Yorkton (12), Greater Sudbury (13), Calgary (14), Braves de Valleyfield (15), Burlington (16), Drumheller (17), Leamington (18), Timmins (19), Thunder Bay (20) round out the remaining list in the Top 20.
(HR) The Northern Manitoba Blizzard finds themselves as honourable mentions this week. With five wins in their first seven games, the Blizzard have a two-point lead over Dauphin for first place in the West Division. Marlen Edwards and Cheechoo Lathlin lead the way offensively with nine points apiece.
19-year-old Alex Reedy of Stillwater, MN, has been impressive between the pipes winning all of the team's five games with a .918 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. With his 360 minutes played, Reedy has played the most in the league, with one minute more than Cole Sheffield of Dauphin.
The Blizzard made it to the second round last year where they lost to Steinbach in game seven and are again expected to be a threat this season.
What's next: vs Virden (October 08), @Niverville (October 11), @ Blues (October 12)
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Brynn Wildeboer started playing volleyball when she was in grade six. Half a dozen years later, the Ste. Rose star is set to graduate with honours from Ste. Rose school this school year and she's also leading her team on the court.
Wildeboer, who says Ste. Rose is a special community with incredible people, is in her senior year and it's been a year to remember for her and the entire team. The team's most recent triumph came last weekend when they completed a perfect weekend to win a tournament in Glenboro. Wildeboer averaged 6.8 kills and two aces per match. As co-captain of the Celtics, Brynn played a massive role in the team's second tournament win this season.
Their other title came at a tournament in Wawanesa.
"I think the season has gone incredibly well, everyone is working together and I believe I have improved a ton," said Wildeboer. "I have great chemistry with our setter which I have been playing with since grade six."
That setter happens to be Katelynn Preston. Not only has the dynamic duo been playing school volleyball together since grade six, but they have also extended their partnership on the court with the Parkland Vipers Volleyball Club since grade seven.
They're best friends off the court and when they hit the court together, they have become a force that is nearly impossible to stop.
"We work so well together, we're always thinking the same thing and we enjoy trying new things," offered Wildeboer. "Having that friendship makes things so much easier. She is always the first person I go to celebrate with after a point and when I'm having a tough time, she's the first person I want to talk to and is always there for me."
After the team's most recent triumph in Glenboro, which saw them not lose a single set, Brynn was recognized for her dominance on the court as she was named a Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Athlete of the Week. Brynn has long been passionate about volleyball and she's thrilled that her hard work is paying off.
"I was shocked to be completely honest, it meant so much to me when I found out," offered Wildeboer. "I think I have proved myself and deserve it."
The whole team has also been recognized for their play. In the most recent 'A' power rankings, Ste. Rose is ranked third in the province, only behind their Parkland rival Gilbert Plains Trojans and a very strong Reston Tigers team. The top 10 also includes the Rivers Rams, Deloraine Colts, Hamiota Huskies, Wawanesa Warriors, Elm Creek Cobraks, and Erickson Eagles.
"That feels amazing, we have played very good volleyball this year and I'm so proud of everyone on the team," commented Wildeboer. "It's great that we're such a small school that has been able to make a name for themselves, it's an honour to be ranked so high."
As she continues her dominance at the high school level, Brynn wants to thank all of her coaches over the years with the Vipers.
"It has been fantastic, the community is great in Dauphin," said Wildeboer. "New players come in every year and it's been very exciting to make new friends and play with new people. Being a Viper has been a true privilege."
Brynn is now heading to Oil Country as she plans to join the Club West Rage team out of Virden.
"That's going to be great, looking forward to meeting new people and developing my skills with a great club," offered Wildeboer.
The volleyball star is Ste. Rose strong and the future is bright.
"I love being from Ste. Rose, this truly is an incredible community with so many amazing people," ended Wildeboer. "Thank you to everyone for your support over the years, I love representing Ste. Rose."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
After two weeks of play, the Parkland U-18 Rangers are tied atop the Manitoba U-18 AAA Hockey League.
The Rangers used an outstanding performance from Kyle Pelletier as they completed a weekend sweep with a 3-2 win against the Eastman Selects. Sunday's win followed Saturday's thrilling overtime win.
The Rangers have now won four straight games to start the season and find themselves tied atop the league with the Brandon Wheat Kings, who swept Kenora this weekend. Quinten Fisk continued his impressive start to the season as he scored his fifth goal while Alex Campbell also scored for Parkland.
That led up to Ryzlie Nepinak scoring his first of the season and it was the winner. Pelletier turned away 34 shots in the win.
Parkland (4-0) heads to Portage to play Central Plains next Saturday before heading to Interlake next Sunday. Their next home game is Friday, October 18 when Southwest comes to town.
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It was a game for the ages.
The Parkland U18 Rangers have won three straight games to start the season after downing the Eastman Selects in an overtime thriller on Saturday night, 7-6. It was a game that saw Parkland lead 4-1 early in the third period.
In the end, Trace Langan was the hero as he scored his third goal of the game with less than two minutes left in overtime as Parkland treated their fans during Home Opener night to a wild win. Langan, of Swan River, scored the game's first two goals as Parkland took a 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the second before Noah Smigelsky's third of the season a short time later gave Parkland a field goal lead.
Noah Stott would score the first of his three goals on the night to trim the deficit to 3-1 after 40 minutes. Eight goals were then scored in the third period, started by Forrest Karlson who scored his second. The Selects would then score four straight goals in a matter of 14 minutes as they took a 5-4 lead. Then Quinten Fisk tied it at five before the Selects took the lead right back.
With 1:45 left, Fisk went into beast mode as he pounced on a puck that was sitting in the blue paint to tie it and force overtime. In overtime, Langan won a stick battle at the bottom of the circle deep in Selects territory and drove to the net to secure the second point for Parkland.
With the win, Parkland is tied with Brandon for first place overall in the league. Parkland (3-0) will host Eastman (2-1-1) on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at Credit Union Place.
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It was a clinical second half and it propelled the Dauphin Clippers football team to first place in the Rural Manitoba Football League.
On home field Friday, the Clippers downed their Parkland rival Swan Valley Tigers, 28-14, in front of a great crowd at the Clipper Dome. Dauphin trailed 14-7 at halftime after the Tigers scored late in the second quarter to take the lead. From there, Dauphin completely locked it down defensively and caught fire offensively to run away with the game.
With the win, the Clippers improved to 4-1 on the season and sit in first place heading into week six. Dauphin now heads to Neepawa on October 13 for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
Key Stats:
- Julien Lopez with 131 yards rushing and one touchdown;
- Ronin Mouck with 49 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving;
- Sully Fox with 12 rushing yards and two touchdowns;
- Cody Zurba was 5-for-6 with 64 yards passing;
- Mouck also had six tackles and two sacks, Nathanial Okanese-Brezden had two tackles;
- and Lopez averaged 25 yards with 50 total kickoff return yards.
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It wasn't the result they were expecting nor hoped for on Friday night.
The Dauphin Kings dropped their second straight game in a 3-2 defeat against a Portage Terriers team that scored two power play goals.
Dauphin could have easily had a large lead with several great chances throughout the first 35 minutes but it wasn't to be.
Madden Murray and Cayden Glover scored for Dauphin in the defeat. Dauphin doesn't play again till next Saturday on home ice.
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The Parkland U18 Rangers finished with just 13 wins last year and missed the playoffs by 12 points.
A new coaching staff was brought in with the team's veterans now having a year of U18 AAA experience under their belt and paired with a solid group of rookies, the 2024-25 U18 Rangers couldn't have asked for a better weekend to start their season.
Opening last weekend on the road, the Rangers scored five times in the third period as they coasted to a 7-2 win against Central Plains.
"We challenged our guys in the dressing room after the second to come out firing in the third and they responded," said Josh Tripp, head coach. "It was an impressive way to start the season and I was very pleased with how it turned out."
The Rangers went to Morden the following morning to go up against the Pembina Valley Hawks.
Piet Mierau put on a show as he made 43 saves to propel Parkland to their second straight win as they downed the Hawks, 4-2.
"The effort was great, our guys continued to battle each minute," offered Tripp.
The game was put to bed with more than five minutes left in the third as Forrest Karlson scored his first as a U18 Ranger.
Mierau, who transferred to the Parkland, has been practicing with the Kings daily. Parkland's four goals against were the fewest in the league while their 11 for were the fifth-most.
"He played well and made some huge stops for us, he's an amazing puck mover which makes him like a third defenseman which is beneficial," continued Tripp. "He made saves at key moments, especially down the stretch against Pembina Valley when it was tight. He has been awesome so far."
Saturday's win over Central Plains was one for the memory books for Tripp. As a first-year AAA coach, the victory was Josh's first.
"It felt really good, I have to give pretty much all of the credit to the guys," offered Tripp. "They really bought into what we were saying and asking of them. They did a great job and played extremely well, huge credit to them."
The Rangers will look to keep rolling to begin the season when they play two games at Credit Union Place this weekend. The Eastman Selects (2-1) are coming to town for games on Saturday evening at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 1:30.
The Selects have beaten Interlake and Central Plains this year while coming up short against the Winnipeg Wild.
"Playing at home is always fun in front of all your family and friends," ended Tripp. "Eastman is always one of the top teams in the league so our guys are going to have to step up, which I expect them to. It should be two very good games this weekend."
You can hear Saturday's game here on 730CKDM with Darnell Duff and Jeff Henson, opening with the pregame show at 7:20.
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