Latest news with #U18
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Louth athlete Lorcan Forde Dunne takes Germany race by storm as he wins for Ireland
Leading the way was U18 athlete Lorcan Forde Dunne - the current Louth Junior Athlete of the Year - as he claimed gold for Ireland in the 1500m at the German EYOF Trials on Saturday morning in Wetzlar, Germany. His win puts him in a strong position to qualify for the European Youth Olympic Festival and marks another step forward in his development. Lorcan qualified for the U18 European Championships last year but was forced to pull out with injury, but after a long period on the sidelines his remarkable run of form has now seen him gain two qualifying-standard times for the Youth Olympics. Back home, the club was well represented at the Louth Community Games held at Lourdes Stadium in Drogheda. Finn Murphy, competing in the U8 80m sprint, won his event and was crowned Louth champion and he now qualifies for the National Finals later this summer. Shmirthi Prasad and Caoimhe Carolan, also reached the podium with silver medals in their sprint events, while Hannah Black performed well in the 800m, showing good form throughout. Later that evening in Bohermeen, it was a family effort in the local 5K race. Fergus Nolan finished fourth in the junior category with a personal best time of 18:46,while his mother Angela Kearney placed third in her category, running 22:14. To cap off a good weekend, Jaheim Humphrey was a guest at the Dublin Juvenile Championships where he competed in the discus and emerged as the winner with an impressive PB of 42.25m.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL Draft Target: Braeden Cootes
The Vancouver Canucks enter the 2025 NHL Entry Draft with a pick in each round. Leading up to the draft day, we at The Hockey News will be profiling a different prospect who the Canucks could take with each of their picks. Today's prospect is Seattle Thunderbirds center Braeden Cootes, who Vancouver could select 15th overall. Latest From THN's Vancouver Canucks Site: How Former Vancouver Canuck Vasily Podkolzin Went From Scoring Droughts To The Stanley Cup Finals Advertisement Sarah Nurse, Jennifer Gardiner, And More Joining PWHL Vancouver For Inaugural 2025–26 Season The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag: Chytil, The 2025 Draft & More Cootes is a leader on and off the ice. Listed at 6'0", 183 lbs, the right-shot center served as not only captain of the Thunderbirds, but also wore the "C" for Canada at the 2025 U18s. There is also reported interest between the Canucks and Cootes as Vancouver did take him to dinner at this year's NHL Draft Combine. Starting in the offensive zone, Cootes excels as a play driver. While he does have a good shot, he is more known for his playmaking ability, as he can deliver crisp tape-to-tape passes to teammates in scoring positions. Cootes is also a player who is always moving, and, when he doesn't have the puck, will relocate to an open area in order to collect passes. Advertisement The transition game is always a strength for Cootes. Thanks to his strong puck-handling ability, he thrived at creating not just zone entries but also zone exits. Cootes was also able to show off his playmaking skills in the transition game, as he could find teammates who had already left the defensive zone and hit them with accurate passes in stride. Lastly, Cootes' ability in the defensive zone is one of the reasons why he will be a top pick in this year's draft. He can shut down the opposition's top players not just at even strength, but on the penalty kill as well. One of the best board battlers in the WHL this season, Cootes was able to create turnovers consistently thanks to his physical brand of defensive play. The next step in Cootes' development will be using his shot more consistently in the offensive zone. While he scored 26 goals in 60 games, he often chose to be a playmaker and would sometimes give up shooting opportunities in order to find an open teammate. If Cootes can generate shots during the regular season at the same rate he did during the U18s, it will go a long way in helping him become a top-six forward at the pro level. In the end, Cootes is exactly the type of player Vancouver needs in their prospect pool. He is a right-shot center who is hard to play against and has shown he can step up for his team on the biggest stage. If the Canucks keep their first-round pick this year, it will not be shocking if they use it to select Cootes. Braeden Cootes of the Seattle Thunderbirds (Photo Credit: Brian Liesse/Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL) Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Tackling expectations
A sense of belonging, confidence and strength. The Manitoba Girls Football Association, founded in 2011, has had some ups and downs over the years, but some things stay the same for the girls who participate in Manitoba's first and only female tackle program of its kind in Western Canada. Currently made up of four teams — the East Side Eagles, St. Vital Mustangs, North Winnipeg Nomads and Falcons Football Club — the MGFA is in full swing a month into the spring season. Dan Nordman Photo The Manitoba Girls Football Association, founded in 2011, is Manitoba's first and only female tackle program of its kind in Western Canada. 'Our league welcomes everybody,' said MGFA co-founder Lisa Cummings. 'Every body shape, every size, there's a place for everybody on the football field. It's not like every other sport. You can be slower, you can be faster, it doesn't really matter. Everybody serves a purpose and is celebrated on a football field for just who they are.' The league began with the goal of giving younger girls the chance to play football, and with support from Football Manitoba and word of mouth, it grew at a steady rate. Over 14 years, the MGFA has seen seasons with as few as three teams and as many as 12, including four junior and eight senior squads. In 2019, the MGFA was at its peak, and was able to host the first-ever high-performance tournament for girls in football, featuring teams from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the U18 Red River Cup. But just as things were on the rise, the pandemic hit, bringing everything to a standstill and halting the league's momentum. Dan Nordman Photo A successful tackle drill at the Girls Come Try Football Free Camp this spring. Five years later, the six-a-side spring league has worked itself back up with players ranging from grades 9 to 12 on the current four teams. 'We have a lot of new players this year,' said Julie Sprague, MGFA registrar and former player and coach. 'Lots of teams are getting a lot of experience and developing as players. It's nice because teams also have some leaders from previous years who are helping the new girls fall in love with the sport.' Teams like the Mustangs and the Nomads have been around for a while, the Mustangs since the league's inaugural season, and the Nomads since the league's sophomore year. The Falcons and Eagles are the newer teams this season — though, the Eagles were one of the league's founding teams before the club had to take a few years off. It can be a bit tougher for newer teams to find their footing, as shown in the MGFA standings, where the Mustangs lead the league with a perfect record after four games, followed by the Nomads at 3-1. 'That happens with every sport, it just takes time,' said Cummings. 'Regardless of the wins or losses on the scoreboard, there's all these little individual wins, and our coaches do a great job of celebrating those wins.' Dan Nordman Photo Girls Come Try Football Free Camps, which the MGFA has offered since 2022 for girls ages 11 to 18, have played an important role in building interest. For Sprague, who currently plays on the Manitoba Fearless, which competes in the Western Women's Canadian Football League, says that her time in the MGFA gave her a sense of family and community. 'Our goal with this league is to give girls the opportunity to play a sport where every single person can be supported,' she said. Growing the league is also a priority, but rising competition from spring flag football and rugby, both with overlapping seasons, has made that challenge tougher. 'It's just about finding the right time of year that the girls don't have to make a decision between two different sports,' said Cummings. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. However, initiatives like the Girls Come Try Football Free Camps, which the MGFA has offered since 2022 for girls ages 11 to 18, have played an important role in building interest. Dan Nordman Photo Prepping for a blocking drill at the Girls Come Try Football Free Camp in March. New players have also been introduced to the sport through the Falcons' partnership with Sagkeeng First Nation, which helped the Falcons Football Club establish its first senior girls' team in 2023. Girls from Sagkeeng First Nation bus in three days a week to play football. 'I have seen girls who have started to come out to football, they barely say a word,' said Cummings. 'And by the time they have finished their years in the MGFA, they're completely different people and they've built a community around themselves as well.' The next games go Thursday at 7 p.m. with the Falcons facing off against the Mustangs at the St. Vital Mustangs Football Club field, while the Nomads take on the Eagles simultaneously at the Northwood CC — Frank Whyte Site. Dan Nordman Photo Girls line up for ball carrying drills at the Girls Come Try Football Free Camp this spring.
