Kamloops Team Handball went 1-2 at the Richmond Oval Invitational Tournament on the weekend.

Kamloops got off to a slow start in its opener, falling behind 5-0 on Team Seattle and losing 11-6.

“We were probably a little stiff after the four-hour drive down,” said Peter Hilton, president of the Kamloops Team Handball Club, in a press release. “We never really recovered from the slow start . . .”

Kamloops went on to edge Team UBC 17-16, thanks in part to goaltender Daniel Bott, who stopped a penalty shot with nine seconds remaining. Playing coach Flo Simon and assistant coach Emily Hilton combined to score Kamloops’ last nine goals.

Kamloops faced the tournament champion Team Vancouver in its last game, losing 14-11 to the strong squad.

“This was the best match we played in the tournament,” said Peter Hilton, “and to lose to Team Vancouver, which has many of the B.C. rep players, by only three goals was a real moral victory for us.”

Simon had 10 weekend goals to lead Kamloops, with Emily Hilton scoring eight times. Justin Hine and Jesse Buswell each scored five times, Peter Hilton potted three goals and Robin Samborsky, Nicholas Hilton and Mixon Madland each scored one.

Team Kamloops will hold one practice before Christmas — on Thursday, 8:30 p.m., at the TCC — before the winter season begins on Jan. 19.

Anyone looking to join may call Peter at 250-314-4050, or email kamloopshandball@live.ca.

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Holly Neufeld and Cassandra Labermeyer each hit the podium twice as the Valleyview Skating Club sent eight athletes to the Lake Country figure skating competition on the weekend.

Neufeld was first in the introductory interpretive event and second in the preliminary women 11-and-over. Labermeyer took first in the bronze interpretive and third in the junior bronze 13-and-over.

Haley Barber was third in preliminary women 11-and-over and 11th in introductory interpretive.

Megan Barber and Brenna Wassing each earned silver in performance assessment.

Mackenzie Sewell was sixth in the pre-preliminary women and ninth in the pre-introductory interpretive.

Kirsty Newbury was fifth in the bronze interpretive.

Lauren Mark finished eighth in the pre-preliminary women.

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A rink skipped by Brooke Calibaba of Kamloops has qualified for the Tim Hortons B.C. junior men’s curling championship.

Calibaba qualified by winning the C event at a Regin 3, 4 and 7 in Osoyoos on the weekend. Curling with Calibaba are third Spencer Holden, second Kael Kristjanson, lead Alex Nicholson and fifth Braden Krenz. The coach is Gailya Wasylik.

The junior men’s and women’s championships will be played in Victoria, Dec. 27-31.

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Vlad Pankratov of the Aberdeen Judo Academy came home with two first-place finishes from the Canada West Invitational judo tournament in Burnaby on Saturday.

More than 275 competitors took part.

Pankratov was first in the U20 IJF junior men’s and senior men, intermediate, both in the 100-kilogram plus division.

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Skaters from the Kamloops Skating Club had three second-place finishes at the Lake Country Freeskate in Winfield on the weekend.

Scotia Wojak placed second in the preliminary women 11 and over group 4, with Giorgia Lanzoni second in the pre-preliminary women group 4 and Katiana Reaney second in the junior bronze women 13 and over group 2.

Lanzoni also placed fourth in bronze creative and sixth in pre-intro interpretive.

Victoria Warner was third in the pre-preliminary women group 3.

Taylor Clark finished fourth in the pre-intro interpretive.

Brittany Boyd was fifth in preliminary women 11 and over group 2 and fifth in bronze creative.

Victoria Warner was sixth in preliminary creative group 2, and Jazmin Barnes was eighth in junior bronze women 13 and over group 1.

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Josie Spence of the River City Racers Speed Skating Club, placed 11th overall at the Canadian short track championships in Calgary on the weekend.

Spence, 17, went in ranked 21st.

The competition featured the top 32 junior females in Canada, with the top four moving on to the Junior Worlds in Australia in March.

Spence was ninth in the 1,500 metres, 10th in the 500, 15th in the 1,000 and 10th int he super 1,500.
She skated to a personal best of 47.5 seconds in the 500; her previous best was 48.1.