A U13 girls softball team assembled for a Quesnel tournament June 17-18 finished third in a strong showing.
Made up of players from the four mixed teams within the U13 division of the local softball association, the squad proved itself against the competition, said coach Khalie Genereaux.
“The final game for third was won in overtime … international rules,” she said of the weekend play in which the team played five games in all.
Dawsen LeBlond and Travis Stevenson joined Genereaux in coaching duties.
“The girls we brought down really improved their skill levels the past two months and even on the [tournament] weekend. They were quite comparable.”
Eight teams entered the tournament with the other teams coming from Merritt, Cache Creek and host city Quesnel.
Genereaux said a plus for the tournament were the ballfields in Quesnel, adding they were in excellent shape.
All-girls softball is rare in the north and this will be the only tournament this year featuring a local travelling team.
Genereaux said the local softball association heard of the Quesnel tournament via an email and then gathered the names of the girls in the mixed U13 division here to gauge the interest in forming the team.
Dawsen LeBlond (coach), Travis Stevenson
“The local association has always been very supportive in skill development,” she added.
Genereaux said there is the possibility of more all-girls tournaments in the region as word begins to spread around the north.
NCSG and Casey Electric assisted with sponsorships.