From marathons to mushing

NNSL (DEC 30/96) - The following is a review of sports stories for 1996.

January

Territorial sports trials for Arctic Winter Games held throughout the NWT.

New Louis Beaulieu Arena officially opened in Wha Ti.

February

NWT under-16 and under-18 teams came away with bronze medals at soccer tourney in Saskatoon.

Yellowknife bantam hockey tournament marred by fight.

March

NWT captured 181 medals -- 52 of them gold -- at the Arctic Winter Games in Alaska. Team NWT also won the Hodgson Sportsmanship Trophy.

Yellowknifer Richard Beck won the World Championship Dog Team Race in The Pas, Man.

April

Mike Muller of Inuvik won the men's singles crown at the NWT senior badminton championship.

Bob Carreau of Nanisivik, Fort Smith's Laurie Dexter and Linda Corkall of Yellowknife competed in the Boston Marathon.

May

Iqaluit beat Kuujjuaq 6-4 to win the Nunavut women's open hockey tournament.

Top of the World hockey tournament was a big story in Arctic Bay.

June

Territorial track and field championships were held in Hay River.

Arctic Winter Games committee decided to scrap adult competition by the 2000 Games.

July

Inuvik whipped Yellowknife 6-1 to win the NWT fastball championship in Fort Simpson.

Matthew Hokanak shot a 111 to win Billy Joss Golf Tournament in Holman.

Fort Simpson defeated Rock Services of Yellowknife to win the city's invitational fastball tourney.

Fort Smith beat Malletts of Yellowknife to win women's slo-pitch title.

August

Steve Mercer won the first annual Cambridge Bay Rock Golf Classic.

Taloyoak won 44 medals at Kitikmeot Northern Games.

Billy Konana captured first place at the Gjoa Haven golf tournament.

September

The Hartford Whalers signed Hay River's Geoff Sanderson to a two-year, $4-million contract.

Brad Holland won the Fort Simpson open golf tournament.

Tracey Schumann captured the overall points title in the Hay River Stock Racing circuit.

Dave McDonald won the Xerox NWT Golf open in Hay River.

Host Wha Ti won the overall points total at the Dene Games.

October

Denis Bedard was named president of the NWT Amateur Hockey Association.

The last golf tournament of the year, the Wheeze and Freeze -- was held in Fort Simpson.

November

Jim Peplinksi and representatives of the Calgary Sun brought 1,300 kilograms of donated hockey equipment to Kugluktuk.

Former Maple Leafs and Canadiens coach Pat Burns visited Broughton Island to mark opening of community's new arena.

December

Camillus Engineering of Yellowknife donated $10,000 to the NWT Amateur Hockey Association, which will use the cash to improve its coaching development program.

Hay River biathlete Paul Green spent the month preparing for a European tour and the World Cup championship in early January. Green is a member of the national "B" biathlon team.