Bigwood Golf Course opens for season today
Bigwood Golf Course north of Ketchum is opening for the 2012 season today, Wednesday. Derek Agnew of Bigwood at Thunder Spring said April 11 is the earliest Bigwood golf opening in five years. First golfing days were April 22 in 2011, April 19 in 2010, April 16 in 2009 and May 2 in 2008.
Early-season greens fees before 2 p.m. are $35 for nine or 18 holes. After 2 p.m. it's $25 for nine or 18 holes. Cart fee is $10. Call 726-4024 for tee times.
Knight's scoring sparks USA women's hockey at worlds
Sun Valley's Hilary Knight, 22, and the USA women's ice hockey team started out like gangbusters last weekend during the opening games of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship at Burlington, Vt. Team USA is trying to win its fourth straight world championship this week.
In front of a sold-out crowd waving American flags Saturday, Team USA scored its biggest win ever over a Canadian women's team by a 9-2 count. The Yanks tallied five goals in the first five-and-a-half minutes of play and amassed the highest number of goals ever yielded by Canada in its women's annals.
Knight scored two of the nine goals and assisted on another. Her first goal was the 100th point in international competition for the senior captain of the 2012 NCAA Division 1 tournament runner-up Wisconsin Badgers.
On Sunday, Team USA walloped Russia 9-0 with Knight punching home another two goals. USA goalie Jessie Vetter faced only five Russian shots.
Team USA with its two opening wins in the eight-nation tournament earned a bye into the Playoff Round Semi-finals on Friday, April 13. The Americans completed their round-robin play Tuesday, April 10 with a game against Finland. The gold medal game is set for Saturday, April 14.
Rec hockey leagues wind up Sunday
Sun Valley recreational ice hockey players will gather for one more evening on Sunday, April 15 at Sun Valley Skating Center to close out a 2011-12 season of Sunday games that started way back in November.
The B+ League six-team tournament championship for the Hutch Cup at 7:45 p.m. Sunday matches No. 6-seeded Sharks and No. 3 Aardvarks. It will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by the B+ consolation game between the No. 1-seeded Vipers and No. 5 Islanders.
Last Sunday, the Sharks defeated Islanders 4-2 and No. 2 Hutch's Bad Dogs slipped past No. 4 Flounders in an elimination game. Baba Street, Kainoa Lopez and Reed Stokes scored for Hutch's to counter a single Flounders goal by Tom Cahill.
And in Sunday's late game, Vipers ended the Bad Dogs season and earned a spot in the consolation game 4-0.
Prior to this Sunday's B+ consolation and title contests, the four-team B League will have its final season games.
It will be Flyers vs. Racers in consolation play at 4 p.m. and Wild vs. Blues for the B League championship at 5:15 p.m. The Blues beat the Flyers 3-1 on goals by Ian Griffiths, Kevin Lenane and Dotty Sarchett to earn their spot in the final, and Wild slipped past Racers 4-3.
Elk Foundation banquet returns April 14
The Wood River chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation conservation organization is having its annual fundraising banquet Saturday, April 14 at the Weaver Family Indoor Arena in the Bellevue triangle. Doors open at 4 p.m. The dinner and live auction gets underway about 6 p.m. Saturday. The large, freestanding arena is located off Kingsbury Lane, which can be accessed off the Gannett Rd.
The live auction includes a canvas print by artist Craig Tennant and a Browning knife. The rifle raffle includes Browning and Savage rifles, the Savage sponsored by Les Schwab Tire Centers.
Cost is $60 per person for a single supporting ticket that includes the meal and one $35 supporting membership. This year's event organizers are Jameson Sharp and Travis Olsen. For more information call Kelly West at 720-9668.
Squaw Valley to host 2012 U.S. Alpine Nationals
After a 10-year hiatus from the Golden State, the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships will move to Squaw Valley, Ca. from March 17-23, 2013. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) made the announcement during a U.S. Ski Team Day fundraising event Saturday, April 7. Squaw Valley, host of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, last hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships following the 2002 Olympics.
Wrestling awards presented
Award winners from the recent Wood River High School wrestling banquet were, from left, Andrew Beck (JV Outstanding Wrestler), Storm Anderson (Most Improved Wrestler), Tommy Bailey (Outstanding Wrestler), Thomas Heiden (Bob Shay Wrestling Award) and Chris Carnes (RAGE Award). This year's seniors were Beck, Jeremiah Linderman and Zach Brown.
Said head coach Shawn Huntington about the seniors, "They all helped the team in so many ways and will be sorely missed." Among Wood River's season highlights: 15-6 dual meet record, seven wrestlers to state and three state placers.
BSU stages 2012 "BroncoFest" on Saturday, April 14
Boise State University is planning a full day of activities Saturday, April 14 highlighted by the Blue & Orange spring football game at 5 p.m. at Bronco Stadium ($7 per ticket, call 208-426-4737 to order). Other sporting events include women's tennis and softball, plus "meet the team" gymnastics and swimming/diving events. Find more details at broncosports.com.
