ASSINIBOIA — Assiniboia and area softball success started with league and provincial championships, as noted in earlier stories in the Assiniboia Times.
However, players like Assiniboia’s Lily Kwasnicki had an extension to her season that included a silver medal with Team South West at the Saskatchewan Summer Games and a Western Canadian Championship, won with Moose Jaw Ice U13A team. Lily’s parents are Kareena and Ted Kwasnicki of Assiniboia.
Lily’s team showed they could win when it counted at Western Canadians, held in Brandon, Man. After a struggling start, they won their final three round-robin games to force a tiebreaker, followed by the three straight playoff wins that captured the U13A Western Canadian title.
Moose Jaw Ice’s win was the first ever Western Canadian U13 championship held, and their win puts them first in the books as title holders for this event.
Charlize Hillmer, of Assiniboia, is the daughter of Sue Berner and Randy Hillmer and was part of the Moose Jaw Ice U15A team that won gold at provincial competition in Prince Albert. The provincial win advanced them to Softball Canada Championships held in Chateauguay Que. where they placed ninth out of 21 teams from across Canada.
Viceroy’s Mallory Tendler, daughter of Leah Harper and Tyler Tendler, was part of the U19A Moose Jaw Ice team that won second at provincials, which advanced them to Softball Canada’s national championship, held in Saskatoon. While the team did not see the success at the Canadian Championship they had hoped for, they finished 11th out of 21 teams from across Canada that competed.
Toni Giraudier from Bengough played with the strong South East Steelers ladies’ fastpitch team that won provincials and the Canadian Championship. The team is based out of Carnduff but includes players around the province. The national competition took place in Blackfalds, Alta. The Steelers were Canadian silver medalists in 2023. Toni was cheered on at Nationals by her husband James Giraudier and daughter Dolly, and her parents Dave Ross and Mary Thorson of Verwood.
