LOCAL NOTEBOOK: Gold off to NCAA championships

Sault Ste. Marie's Laura Gold is off to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships next week.

The freshman swimmer at Wingate University in North Carolina, qualified for the Division II women's swimming and diving championships being held March 10-13 at the Erie Community College Flickinger Center in Buffalo, New York.

Gold earned a berth into the national championships through a "last chance" meet in Athens at the University of Georgia on Sunday with two-minute and 24.18 second effort in the 200 breaststroke.

In Buffalo, Gold will swim in the 200 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

To see a picture of Gold and read the news release from the Wingate University website, click here.

*** FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYOFFS BEGIN:

Playoffs in the Sault Female Hockey Association begin on Tuesday at the Rankin Arena.

In junior division action, Purvis Marine takes on the Thessalon Lions beginning at 7 p.m. followed by intermediate division play with Best Western taking on Station Mall at 8 p.m. and Esquire Honda playing Holiday Inn at 9 p.m.

Play resumes Friday at the McMeeken Arena with Nu Comm taking on Play-it-Again Sports in junior at 5 p.m. followed by Holiday Inn and Best Western at 6 p.m. On Saturday in junior, Play-It-Again Sports plays Thessalon, in Thessalon, at 12 p.m. and Station Mall is in Thessalon for intermediate action at 1 p.m. At the McMeeken, Purvis Marine takes on Stitch King in junior action at 11 a.m. followed by Esquire Honda and Best Western in intermediate Division play.

*** THUNDER OFF TO TIMMINS AFTER SPLIT:

The Soo Thunder AAA Bantam Majors will head to Timmins next weekend deadlocked in a 1-1 series tie with the Timmins Technosub Rangers in Northern Ontario Bantam Hockey League playoff action.

The Thunder split the opening two games of the best-of-five semi-final series this past weekend at the Rankin Arena with 4-2 win on Saturday and a 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday.

Daniel Vernelli, Brad DiCandia, Brad Hyndman and Jeff McAllister scored for the Thunder in game one.

In game two, DiCandia scored for the Thunder in the first period but Timmins rallied to tie the game in the third period and score the winner 2:30 into the second overtime period as Kory Cashaback notched the winner.

The series continues with games three and four on Saturday and Sunday. Game five, if necessary, will be played back in the Soo on March 10.

*** UNTOUCHABLE CARTER:

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke put an end to the Jeff Carter trade rumours on Sunday by claiming that the first round draft pick from the Soo Greyhounds is not on the NHL trade market, according to a brief story on tsn.ca.

SooToday.com linked a story from the New York Post on Friday claiming that Carter could be involved in a deal that would send defenseman Brian Leetch from the New York Rangers to Philadelphia.

To read the short brief from the TSN website, click here.

*** GYMNASTICS:

The Sault Gymnastics Club returned home on Sunday after successful performances at the 4th Annual Scarborough Retro Boogie.

Ten athletes from the Sault were among the over 600 participants from across Canada and the United States at the three-day competition.

The following is a complete list of results:

* Category: Interclub Cadette A, 8 yrs old:

Desiree Rouse: Bronze medal on Balance Beam, 7th on Vault, Bars and Floor, 8th all around

Kaylee Raynor: 5th on Beam, 8th on Bars & 8th on Floor

Mikayla Wilson: 6th on Vault & 9th on Bars

Maggie Andersen: 9th on Bars & Beam

* Category: Interclub Novice A, 12 yrs old:

Brooklyn Wilkins: 4th on Balance Beam, 7th on Vault & Bars and 7th all around