Kelowna honours athletes, artists, and volunteers at 50th Civic Awards
City honours finalists and recipients who helped shine a positive light on the city in 2024
The winners of the 50th annual Civic and Community Awards were announced this evening (May 8) at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort. A City of Kelowna media release congratulates the finalists and recipients who helped shine a positive light […]
City honours finalists and recipients who helped shine a positive light on the city in 2024
The winners of the 50th annual Civic and Community Awards were announced this evening (May 8) at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort.
A City of Kelowna media release congratulates the finalists and recipients who helped shine a positive light on the city in 2024.
The 50th annual Civic and Community Award winners are:
Anita Tozer Memorial Award – Mayor and Council
Pam Turgeon and Shadia Doty
Bob Giordano Memorial Award – Coach/Sport Administrator of the Year
Bill Franzman
Bryan Couling Memorial Award – Athletic Team of the Year
Okanagan Mission Secondary Senior Girls Volleyball Team
Female Athlete of the Year Award
Kylie Taylor
Male Athlete of the Year Award
Jerome Blake
Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Female Athlete
Maya Andruchow
Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Male Athlete
Dominic Sodaro
Teen Honour in the Arts Award
Almendra Osorio
Honour in the Arts Award
Tyson Cook (Freida Whales)
Central Okanagan Foundation’s Volunteer Organization of the Year Award
Special Olympics Kelowna
Corporate Community of the Year Award
Valley First, a Division of First West Credit Union
Champion for the Environment Award
Beverley Kalmakoff
Fred Macklin and Sarah Donalda-Treadgold Memorial Award – Citizen of the Year
Clayton Gall
Young Citizen of the Year Award
Ainsley Wood
The Young Citizen of the Year finalists will receive funding towards their post-secondary education through the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund Youth Scholarship. The award recipient will receive $2,000, while each of the two remaining finalists will receive $1,000.
The recipient of the Teen Honour in the Arts award will receive a $500 entrance scholarship to the University of British Columbia Okanagan, courtesy of the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies.
The recipient for the Central Okanagan Foundation’s Volunteer Organization of the Year will receive a $3,000 donation from the Central Okanagan Foundation.
The 50th Annual Civic and Community Awards were sponsored by:
Peter’s Your Independent Grocer;
Central Okanagan Foundation;
FortisBC;
UBC Okanagan;
KCR Community Resources;
Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund;
Crowe MacKay LLP;
Coast Capital;
Mark of Distinction;
Arts Council of the Central Okanagan;
PacificSport;
Okanagan Central Schools Athletic Association;
Kelowna Capital News;
Castanet;
Vista Radio including 101.5 GO FM, 99.9 Sun FM, , AM 1150.
Nominations for the 51st Annual Civic and Community Awards will begin in the winter of 2025.
Mater Dei Catholic to play in first boys volleyball state championship
The Mater Dei Catholic High School boys volleyball team basks in the afterglow of its Southern California regional championship game victpry that launched the Crusaders to this coming weekend’s inaugural state championship game. Photo by Jon Bigornia The California Interscholastic Federation will hold its inaugural boys volleyball state championship games Saturday at Fresno City College. […]
The Mater Dei Catholic High School boys volleyball team basks in the afterglow of its Southern California regional championship game victpry that launched the Crusaders to this coming weekend’s inaugural state championship game. Photo by Jon Bigornia
The California Interscholastic Federation will hold its inaugural boys volleyball state championship games Saturday at Fresno City College. A Metro Conference team will be involved in the history-making endeavor.
Mater Dei Catholic High School, the reigning Metro-South Bay League, San Diego Section Division III and Southern California Division IV regional champion across all three levels, will meet the Northern California regional champion Livingston Wolves (37-6) at 11 a.m.
The Crusaders (32-10) hope to add a state championship gold medal to their long list of achievements so far this season.
Temperatures are forecast to top the 100-degree mark in the Central Valley city this weekend, so on-court action should be hot as well.
Mater Dei Catholic head coach Marissa Ritchie said her team is deserving of the honor of playing in the Golden State’s first Division IV championship game.
“Our team owes this successful season to accountability, drive and discipline,” she said. “Our seniors have set this goal since their sophomore year, with motivation to get the job done. Every off-season they stayed working to make sure they came back stronger each season. The team will end this season knowing that hard work pays off.”
It’s official: The Crusaders are 2025 Southern California Division IV regional champions. Photos by Jon Bigornia
The Crusaders, seeded first in the Division IV SoCal bracket, qualified for Saturday’s state final after defeating seventh-seeded Los Angeles Wildwood, 3-1, last Saturday by scores of 25-22, 25-27, 25-13, 25-17 to capture the regional championship title.
Mater Dei Catholic opened the three-round regional playoffs with 3-0 sweeps of eighth-seeded California Academy of Math and Science (25-8, 25-19, 25-19) and fourth-seeded Brea Olinda (25-16, 25-21, 25-19).
The Crusaders carry a cumulative nine-match winning streak (6-0 in the playoffs) into Saturday’s state final.
Mater Dei Catholic, the No. 1 seed in the Division III section playoffs, finished 3-0 in the divisional playoffs with prior wins over eighth-seeded Calexico (23-7), 3-1, in the quarterfinals (25-15, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17), fifth-seeded The Cambridge School (18-9l, 3-0, in the semifinals and sixth-seeded Maranatha Christian (26-6), 3-1, in the championship round (25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-15).
The championship game was played May 16 at Mira Mesa High School. It marked the first time that both finalists had reached the championship round.
Mater Dei Catholic concluded league play with a 7-1 record to finish in a co-championship with Sweetwater, which also finished 7-1 in league play. Montgomery (4-4 in league), Mar Vista and Hilltop filled out the league standings.
Key players this season include senior setter Aaron Wood, senior outside hitter Oskar Manguy-Meza, senior outside hitter Liam Kingston and senior libero Ethan Bundang.
Manguy-Meza and junior Adrian Trevino keyed the Crusaders with 102 kills each while Wood tallied 22 serving aces, 92 digs and 435 assists, leading the team in the latter category. Bundag collected a team-high 149 digs while tacking on 18 serving aces.
Kingston recorded 83 kills in 41 sets played while Trevino also logged 18 aces.
Livingston defeated Oakland, 3-1, in the NorCal regional championship game, winning by scores of 26-24, 25-22, 19-25, 25-20. Three players finished with 19 kills for Livingston: juniors Gurvir Singh, Navjot Sekhon and Bradley Kaji.
Singh leads the Wolves on the season with 542 kills in 129 sets while junior Udayveer Dhadda has 56 serving aces, Kaji has 86 blocks, Dhadda has 213 digs and junior Shabadjot Kaloya has 702 assists.
Photos by Jon Bigornia
Cougar country: San Ysidro wins Division V title
San Ysidro and Southwest co-captured this year’s Metro-Pacific League banner, each with 5-1 league records.
San Ysidro (24-10 overall), received the No. 2 seed in the Division V section playoffs and ran the table with three consecutive wins to claim the division title. The Cougars eliminated 10th-seeded Imperial (8-23) in a 3-0 sweep in the quarterfinals (25-17, 25-14, 25-14), then edged third-seeded Crawford (19-8), 3-2, in the semifinals (25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 19-25, 15-7) to draw top-seeded Monte Vista, the Grossmont Valley League champion in the division final.
San Ysidro bested the Monarchs (23-13), 3-1, in four fiercely fought sets to win the championship (27-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19). Junior Gabriel Cariaga led the Cougars with 11 kills while junior Ryan Nance had 22 digs and senior Sebastian Castro had 38 assists. Sophomore Kenneth Roche contributed four serving aces and junior Jair Flores had seven blocks.
Season leaders for San Ysidro included Cariaga with 192 kills in 100 sets, Castro with 59 aces and 753 assists, Flores with 110 blocks and Nance with 510 digs.
Southwest received the No. 8 in the Division IV section playoffs but could not get past No. 9 El Capitan (22-14) in the opening round.
Chula Vista (2-4 in league, 12-24 overall) and Castle Park (0-6 in league, 3-15 overall) did not qualify for this year’s section playoffs.
It was a time to celebrate this season for the San Ysidro Cougars spikers. Photos by Jon Bigornia
San Ysidro and Mater Dei Catholic met March 27 in a non-league gamet o foreshadow events to come. Photos by Jon Bigornia
Quick hits Sweetwater received the No. 4 seed in the Division III section playoffs but ended its season prematurely with a 28-12 record following a 3-2 loss to The Cambridge School in the quarterfinals.
Season leaders for the Red Devils included senior J Brown with 459 kills in 112 sets played and 66 serving aces, junior Sergio Salazar with 125 blocks and 986 assists and senior Kalvin Arcedera with 407 digs.
Montgomery also qualified for the Division III playoffs. The Aztecs (14-19 overall) received the No. 12 seed and lost, 3-1, to The Cambridge School in the first round.
Season leaders for Montgomery included senior Diego Sandoval with 195 kills in 64 sets played, sophomore Elonso Enriquez with 33 serving aces, senior Ryken Lusby with 271 digs and senior Jafer Vazquez with 307 assists.
Mar Vista (6-26 overall) and Hilltop (8-22) both did not qualify for postseason competition.
Season leaders for Mar Vista included freshman Holden Bell (75 kills), junior Val Soriano (21 aces), senior Daniel Garcia (121 digs) and sophomore Sean Mathews (106 assists).
Eastlake (20-14 overall) emerged as this year’s Metro-Mesa League champion with a 6-0 record ahead of challengers Bonita Vista, Otay Ranch and Olympian.
Season leaders for Eastlake, which received the No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs, included junior Sean Fleming (481 kills, 75 aces, 234 digs and senior Samuel Almendarez (234 digs, 451 assists). Sophomore Mason Little and junior Simon Greer tied with 62 blocks.
The Titans lost their opening quarterfinal match to fifth-seeded Del Norte (21-19) in a five-set thriller, 3-2, by a score of 21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-15, 12-15.
Bonita Vista, the No. 9 seed in the Division I playoffs, upset No. 8 Sage Creek (16-21) in the opening round of the playoffs but ended its season with a 3-1 loss to top-seeded St. Augustine (21-12), the eventual division champion.
Otay Ranch, the No. 11 seed in the Division I playoffs, fell 3-1 to sixth-seeded Scripps Ranch (22-16) in the opening round. Season leaders for the Mustangs included senior Jnyneil Alivio with 227 kills, sophomore Royce Garcia with 39 serving aces and 506 assists, senior Zim Garcia with 44 blocks, senior Gavin Cosico with 301 digs and
Olympian (8-27 overall) finished at the bottom of the Metro-Mesa League standings and did not qualify for the CIF playoffs.
Victory Christian Academy (19-15), the third-place finisher in the Summit League, was seeded 10th in the Division IV playoffs but shocked No. 7 Christian (19-13), 3-2, in five sets to advance to the quarterfinals. The Knights failed to advance further, however, following a 3-0 sweep against second-seeded High Tech high Mesa (16-13).
Season leaders for the Knights included senior Brad Chier (371 kills, 75 aces), junior Micah Gerdes (24 blocks), junior Stanmore Langford (356 digs) and senior Esteban Torres (823) assists).
CVLCC (13-11), the third-place finisher in the Patriot League, received the No. 5 seed in Division V-AA advanced to the championship game against third-seeded Tri-City Christian (15-12), falling in a 3-0 sweep. The Cobras defeated 12th-seeded Escondido Adventist Academy (2-15), 3-0, in the opening round and eliminated fourth-seeded Mountain Empire (10-8), 3-0, in the quarterfinals. CVLCC swept eighth-seeded St. Joseph Academy (13-12), 3-0, in the division semifinals (25-21, 25-14, 25-17).
High Tech HIgh Chula Vista (17-15), the second-place finisher in the Pioneer League, received the No. 5 seed in the Division V bracket and ended its season in a 3-0 sweep against fourth-seeded Central Union (21-14).
Season leaders for HTH-CV included junior King California (251 kills, 125 digs), junior Bryson Diestro (55 aces, 122 digs, 330 assists) and sophomore Thomas Gomez (23 blocks).
SAN DIEGO SECTION DIVISION CHAMPIONS Open Division: Carlsbad Lancers Division I: St. Augustine Saints Division II: Clairemont Chieftains Division III: Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders Division IV: Fallbrook Warriors Division V: San Ysidro Cougars Division V-AA: Tri-City Christian Eagles
Oxnard beach named best in California three years in a row
What is a rip current? How to stay safe at Bay Area beaches Mark Tamayo explains what a rip current is and how you can stay safe at California beaches. Fox – Ktvu Just in time for summer, the readers of USA TODAY have named the 10 BEST beaches in California. The state has some […]
What is a rip current? How to stay safe at Bay Area beaches
Mark Tamayo explains what a rip current is and how you can stay safe at California beaches.
Fox – Ktvu
Just in time for summer, the readers of USA TODAY have named the 10 BEST beaches in California.
The state has some of the most popular beaches in the country, clocking over 150 million day visits by tourists and locals alike, generating over $10 billion in revenue each year.
So, whether you like to sunbathe on the beach, kayak, windsail or simply wade out onto the shore, the Golden State has a beach for you.
These are the 10BEST beaches in California in 2025.
The best beach in California is in Oxnard
For three years running, ‘Olol’koy Beach Park (Formerly Oxnard Beach Park) has been named the best beach in the state by USA TODAY readers.
Located across 62 acres between the Oxnard Shores neighborhood and the Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach, the spot features a unique terrain of rolling green grass and white sandy beach that offers views of the Channel Island National Park and Marine Sanctuary.
While spring and summer are considered the busy season, the sprawling park offers ample parking and space for holidaymakers.
‘Olol’koy Beach Park offers many family-friendly amenities, including volleyball courts, playground (with pirate ship jungle gym), public BBQ pits, picnic tables and skating and jogging paths.
The beach is wheelchair accessible. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leach.
Great for cyclists, the beach is located along the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route—a 1,852-mile route that stretches from Vancouver, Canada, through Washington and Oregon states to Imperial Beach in San Diego.
What other California beaches made USA Today’s 10Best list?
These are the ten best beaches in California according to USA Today readers:
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A matchup with the three-time defending National Champions highlights the 2025 Snow College volleyball schedule, which was released Wednesday. The Badgers are coming off a season during which they went 16-10 overall and 7-3 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play. They finished the regular season in second […]
A matchup with the three-time defending National Champions highlights the 2025 Snow College volleyball schedule, which was released Wednesday.
The Badgers are coming off a season during which they went 16-10 overall and 7-3 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play. They finished the regular season in second place and defeated No. 12 Salt Lake Community College in the first round of the Region 18 Tournament before suffering a 3-2 loss to No. 8 USUE in the championship round.
The Badgers finished above .500 during the 2024 campaign after going just 11-18 during the 2023 season. They have finished with a winning record in eight of the last nine seasons, dating back to 2016. Snow College earned four victories over ranked opponents during the 2024 season.
The 2025 season will begin with a trip to Fort Myers, Florida, for the Battle of the Beach Tournament Aug 22. The Badgers are scheduled to take on four opponents during the two-day event, including Eastern Florida, Daytona State, Hillsborough, and the three-time defending national champion Buccaneers of Florida SouthWestern State College.
The Badgers will then head to Laramie, Wyoming, and take part in the Marriott Spring-Hill Suites Cheyenne Invitational hosted by Laramie County Community College Aug. 29. Snow College will take on the host school, as well as Central Arizona, Ranger, and Northeastern Junior College.
Snow College will conclude its non-conference schedule in a pair of familiar locations, beginning with the STARR Corporation Invitational in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Badgers will meet just three opponents, including Northeastern, Eastern Wyoming, and Central Wyoming.
The final non-conference tournament of the year will be the UFirst Intermountain Invitational in Taylorsville, Utah. Snow College will do battle with Trinity Valley, Eastern Wyoming, Miami Dade, and Missouri State University West Plains.
Snow College will kick off conference play on the road and take on SLCC Sept. 26 and Colorado Northwestern Community College Sept. 27. The Badgers will wrap up the three-game road swing against the 2024 Region 18 Tournament Champion Eagles from Utah State University Eastern Oct. 4.
The Badgers’ home-opener will be against North Idaho College Oct. 10. They will square off with the College of Southern Idaho the following day before hosting USUE Oct. 18.
The final road trip of the regular season will take place Oct. 23 and 25 as the Badgers head to Idaho to take on NIC and CSI. Snow College will wrap up the regular season at home against SLCC on Halloween before facing CNCC Nov. 1.
The Region 18 Tournament, should the Badgers qualify, will take place at the home of the regular season winner and will begin Nov. 5, while the championship will take place Nov. 6.
Michael Daniel will return to the sideline for his fourth season at the helm for the team. During his tenure, he owns a 71-43 overall record and a 24-16 mark within conference play. His teams have qualified for the Region 18 Tournament in three of those four years and won the championship in 2021.
For additional information about the 2025 volleyball schedule, visit snowbadgers.com.
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Casey Valenti-Paea is the newest member of the Grand Canyon women’s basketball team, officially signing with the squad as a graduate student. A 5-9 shooting guard from Melbourne, Australia, Valenti-Paea spent last season at Virginia, where she appeared in 30 games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per […]
Casey Valenti-Paea is the newest member of the Grand Canyon women’s basketball team, officially signing with the squad as a graduate student.
A 5-9 shooting guard from Melbourne, Australia, Valenti-Paea spent last season at Virginia, where she appeared in 30 games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest.
Prior to the Hoos, she spent two seasons at Long Beach State from 2022 to 2024. Her redshirt junior season in 2023-24 saw her notch 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game with 17 double-digit point totals and six 15+ point performances.
She began her career at Buffalo, where she made five appearances in 2020-21 as a true freshman. She made six appearances in 2021-22 before an injury shortened her season.
Valenti-Paea is the second Aussie to sign with the team, joining Holly Griffiths, who also hails from Melbourne.
Checking in on the Milwaukee Brewers' recent minor league signings
Depth additions made throughout the season are key for every team in Major League Baseball with hopes of making a playoff push. The Milwaukee Brewers are no different. The Brewers have dealt with offseason losses and a number of injuries through the 2025 season, but have managed to stay afloat with a 29-28 record. Along […]
Depth additions made throughout the season are key for every team in Major League Baseball with hopes of making a playoff push. The Milwaukee Brewers are no different.
The Brewers have dealt with offseason losses and a number of injuries through the 2025 season, but have managed to stay afloat with a 29-28 record. Along the way, the organization has brought in some well-known players with a history of big league success on minor league deals. Some of those deals are actually working out quite nicely and could have an impact in Milwaukee before too long.
Bobby Dalbec has been solid, but not head-turning in his time with the Nashville Sounds
The Brewers signed Bobby Dalbec to a minor league deal on May 10 after he was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox and opted for free agency. Dalbec hit .222/.333/.278 over 21 plate appearances in the big leagues this year and was assigned to Triple-A.
In 13 games with the Nashville Sounds, Dalbec is hitting .255 with a .705 OPS. He was destroying pitching when he was in Triple-A with the White Sox, but hasn’t been as impressive since joining the Brewers’ organization. That being said, it’s a small sample size, and Dalbec does have four extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in his brief time with the Sounds.
Dalbec has primarily been a first baseman throughout his professional baseball career. However, a majority of his starts in Nashville have come in right field. With the Brewers already down Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell, and rostering an underperforming Daz Cameron, it’s possible Dalbec gets a shot with the big-league club as a corner outfielder.
Eddie Rosario impressive start in the Brewers’ organization highlighted by walk-off single last weekend
The Brewers signed former NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario to a minor league contract a few weeks ago. Eight games into his stint with the Nashville Sounds, Rosario has an .848 OPS, with three extra-base hits, six walks, and six RBI. Additionally, he drove a walk-off single off the top of the wall in the 11th inning last week.
Rosario has appeared in big league games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves this season, but has not been given much opportunity at the plate. Meanwhile, in Triple-A for the Dodgers, he was hitting .339 with an OPS of .948. I still think Rosario could be a quality big league bench bat and defensive replacement in the outfield.
We also should not forget that Rosario has a ton of playoff experience. He has over 100 career plate appearances in the postseason. He holds a career OPS of .865 in the playoffs and was instrumental to the Braves’ World Series run in 2021. That experience could certainly come in handy if the Brewers need an outfielder to help them in a playoff push later in the year.
Meadville seniors play key role in winning another volleyball title
Meadville celebrates a D-10 boys volleyball title with interviews Watch Meadville celebrate the D-10 2A boys volleyball championship with interviews. MEADVILLE – Each Meadville boys volleyball player has a role to play this season. Coach Nick Bancroft asked his two seniors to be “the rock” of the team as leaders. Kellen Ball and Ben Fiely […]
Meadville celebrates a D-10 boys volleyball title with interviews
Watch Meadville celebrate the D-10 2A boys volleyball championship with interviews.
MEADVILLE – Each Meadville boys volleyball player has a role to play this season.
Coach Nick Bancroft asked his two seniors to be “the rock” of the team as leaders.
Kellen Ball and Ben Fiely showed their leadership again on Wednesday as the Bulldogs swept Saegertown for their fifth District 10 championship in six years at Allegheny College.
“This means a lot. Four years, and we won three D-10 titles is unbelievable,” Fiely said. “I never thought as a 14-year-old four years ago that we’d have three of these, but it’s an honor to be a part of such a successful program.”
Meadville (16-0) and Saegertown (12-4) both turn their attention to the PIAA playoffs on June 3. The Bulldogs will host South Fayette and the Panthers hit the road to WPIAL champion Shaler.
Saegertown came out firing to try and shock the Bulldogs in the first set. The Panthers even pushed the set to set point with a chance to go up one game, but Meadville’s experience came through. The Bulldogs rallied for a 27-25 win.
The loss deflated the Panthers as Meadville dominated the next two sets 25-10 and 25-12 to win the D-10 championship.
“Going back-to-back is great, but this feels extra special getting one last championship with the guys in my last year,” said Ball, who will compete at Mount Union next season. “Our coach is always telling Ben and I to be the rock of the team, and we try to live up to being that foundation of the team.”
Max Decker had 35 assists for the Bulldogs, while Parker Gosnell had 13 kills, Luc Soerensen had nine kills and seven digs, and Tymir Phillips added six kills. Jackson Scott had 19 assists for Saegertown, while Cru Scott and Mason Allio each had six kills.
Practice makes perfect
Bancroft has created an atmosphere of competition that has put Meadville as one of the best teams in the state.
“We practice against the best team in the state every day,” Fiely said. “We’re used to being put in tough situations during games, and we keep pushing to win.”
Since Bancroft took over in 2019, Meadville is 109-3 with four appearances in the PIAA championship match and two titles.
The cycle Meadville lives in is that each year, they have one of the best teams in the state, and the underclassmen are going against it every day. Now it’s time for the current seniors and juniors to show the way to the underclassmen before they move on.
“I’m enjoying every moment. I’ve been trying since the beginning of the season to make every moment count,” Ball said. “We have two weeks left, and I want to enjoy it all and have fun.”
Boys volleyball
District 10 Class 2A championship
MEADVILLE (16-0) def. SAEGERTOWN (12-4) 27-25, 25-10, 25-12M – Parker Gosnell 13 kills, Luc Soerensen 9 kills, 7 digs, Tymir Phillips 6 kills, Max Decker 35 assists; S – Jackson Scott 19 assists, Cru Scott 6 kills, Mason Allio 6 kills.
