Prince George team cleans up at nationals

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The Prince George Riverkings were more than a match for all of their rivals at this year's Canadian Native Fastball Association championships.

The Riverkings won all four of their contests and took top honors in the men's A Division of the national tournament, which concluded Aug. 4 in Brandon, Man.

The Prince George team thumped another British Columbia squad, the Invermere Nightmares, 12-5 in their final contest of the double-knockout tourney.

A total of 16 clubs took part in the A Division. An additional 16 teams participated in the men's B Division. And there were also 12 entries in the women's category.

This year's tournament featured clubs from five provinces: B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Manitoba's Valley River Colts captured the B Division, beating Saskatchewan's Canoe Lake Commodores 8-5 in their final. Alberta's Hobbema Challengers edged Field of Dreams, a Merritt, B.C.-based club, 3-2 in the women's final.

"Everything went very, very well," said tournament co-ordinator Elie Tacan. "The weather was OK, the beer garden went well and everybody had lots of good Native food to eat."

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have each played host to the nationals twice in the past eight years. Brandon had also played host to the nationals in 1998.

This marked the first time Ontario sent representatives to the tourney. Teams from Garden River and Kenora took part in the men's A Division but were eliminated early on.

Ontario was also successful in its bid to play host to the 2003 nationals. That competition will be held in Garden River, located near Sault Ste. Marie.

Competitors in the nationals must have a treaty card or Metis status. Players at this year's event ranged in age from 15 into their 50s.

"It's very competitive," Tacan said, adding all squads took the competition seriously and were gunning for victory. "Our (top) prize money was $5,000 (for the men's A champs). And our total payout was $27,000."

The top five finishers in the men's A Division took home some cash. And the clubs that placed in the top four in both the men's B and women's divisions also received monetary prizes.

Entry fees were $800 per team in the A Division, $500 for those in the B Division and $300 for the women's teams.

"We have a beautiful park here named Curran Park," Tacan added. "And a lot of people, not just Natives, showed up to watch. The calibre in the A Division was really good. It was like Senior A ball."