Sports

The local qualifiers for National High School Rodeo Finals which will be held in Gillette, WY July 17-24, 2022 are pictured from L to R: Gracey Taylor in poles, Hailey Witte in barrels, Sage Schrunk and Carter Anderson in team roping, and Spencer DeNaeyer in bareback.

The 24th annual CanAm Bowl has finally made its way onto U.S. soil, being played in Lambert, MT for the first time on July 4, 2022.

Ainsworth, NE – You may have heard or seen the Sandhills Cattle Association talk about and advertise our newest program, Steers for Students. I am pleased to announce that we pulled it off! On June 29, we held our very first Steers for Students Program at Husker Meats, LLC., in Ainsworth. With lots of help from Jim Pinney, owner of Husker Meats LLC, Nicolas Herrera Ph.D. Student at UNL, Adam Wegner with the Nebraska Beef Council, and of course our calf donors, Craig and Katie O'Kief, Walking X Ranch of Wood Lake; Matt and Kristina Blackford, Blackford Ranch of Thedford; Atkinson Livestock,Wes Kilmurry of Atkinson; and Greg and Jolee Nielsen, Nielsen Swan Valley Ranch of Gordon, we had a successful first year of our program! Which means everyone gets beef!

The 11th annual Andrew Claymon Memorial Fishing Tournament was held at Merritt Reservoir on Saturday, June 11, 2022, with 52 teams consisting of 122 youth and adult participants, competing for prizes in three divisions, as well as a new award category this year for total weight of panfish. The tournament is in memory of 16 year old Andrew Claymon who died of cancer on July 5, 2010.

The 30th annual Cherry County Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament was held Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Frederick Peak Golf Club and raised $13,741.77! The goal of this year’s Elevate campaign was to raise funds for new adjustable medical exam tables for Cherry County Clinic. These exam tables will enable patients, especially the elderly and those with limited mobility, to maneuver up and down safely when visiting with their primary care provider.

The 2022 8U Valentine Rookie baseball team had a successful end of the season tournament in Winner this past weekend. On Saturday the team went 2-1 victories against Ainsworth and Clearfield and falling in the semi final round to Lyman.

Cameron Jordan sliding into home to score. The Senior team traveled to Hershey on Saturday, June 25, 2022, for a double header.

The Valentine Senior Legion team traveled to Pierce the weekend of June 18 for a three game tournament. They played in 105 degree heat along with 50 mph winds.

As summer begins to heat up, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would like to remind those enjoying water-based recreation to follow these safety reminders. Never swim alone; always swim with a buddy.

Saturday May 14, 2022, Valentine Middle School track and field athlete, Isaac Cronin attended the Nebraska State Championship meet held in Gothenburg. The top 24 boys and girls across all-classes in each individual event, plus the top 16 relay teams are invited to compete based on all 2022 results.