By Devon Gall
Swimming fans will want to head to Saanich Commonwealth Place this weekend (Jan. 23 to 25) when more than 300 athletes from across Vancouver Island will be taking part in the Vancouver Island Regional Short Course (25-metre) Championships.
Many of the swimmers will be hoping to make it through to provincial and national swimming meets later in the swimming season.
The UVic Vikes men’s and women’s basketball teams are out of town for a weekend series at the University of Calgary, and will be back next weekend when Lethbridge University visits Jan. 30 and 31. The Vikes are counting down to their final basketball games at McKinnon Gym before the new gym opens and fans, students, staff and athletes are invited to share their McKinnon memories at Facebook.com/iheartmck. Submissions are due by Feb. 5.
Also at UVic, the Vikes host the University of British Columbia on the UVic Turf Field tomorrow (Jan. 24) at 2 p.m.
While the Camosun Chargers men’s and women’s volleyball teams are on a roadtrip this weekend to Columbia Bible College Bearcats, the Chargers’ basketball teams are home Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24, hosting Quest College at PISE. Games go at 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men on Friday, with 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. starts Saturday.
On the high school courts, the weekend starts tonight (Jan. 23) with the Reynolds senior boys visiting Pacific Christian and Lambrick Park visiting Belmont, both with 6 p.m. tip-offs. Claremont’s senior boys also visit Spectrum Community School, with the game time still to be announced at press time.
Fast forward to Tuesday, Jan. 27 for a full slate of games. The senior girls heat up the court with Reynolds visiting Claremont, Mt. Doug visiting Belmont, Pacific Christian at Lambrick, St. Michaels at Glenlyon Norfolk, and Spectrum hosting Oak Bay, all at 5:45 p.m. On the senior boys’ courts, SMUS is at Claremont, PCS visits Esquimalt and Mt. Doug is at Lambrick Park. Spectrum hosts Oak Bay and Reynolds hosts Edward Milne, with all games starting at 7:30 p.m. Looking ahead to Friday, Jan. 29, Claremont’s AAA senior girls visit Mt. Doug (5:45 p.m. start) and St. Andrews’ senior girls welcome Esquimalt at 5:45 p.m., with the St. Andrew’s boys hosting Stelly’s at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Christian’s senior boys head to Sidney to take on Parklands and Spectrum visits Claremont, both with 7:30 p.m. tip-offs.
After a heavy week for the Saanich Braves Junior B hockey team, the local boys host the Kerry Park Islanders for today (Jan. 23), 6:30 p.m. at Pearkes Rec Centre.
JACK FM radio will be on hand and Telus has donated a TV as a prize for this home game.
In Vancouver Island Premier League soccer action, the Lower Island Saanich/Prospect Lake U18 Boys welcome Gorge/Lakehill for a noon game at Lochside Turf.
The Victoria Eagles Midget AAA baseball club is holding tryouts Jan. 25, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 at Oak Bay Rec Centre. Tryouts begin at 3:30 p.m.
For tryout details see victoriaeagles.com.
- Devon Gall is an avid sports fan and athlete attending Grade 12 at Mount Douglas secondary. Reach him at jocktalk@telus.net.