Several local athletes and teams had an amazing last 12 months, highlighted by a top draft selection, world championships, league titles and much more. (Photos L-R: Harbourside FC, VIU Mariners, Nashville Predators, Canadian Press, Gus Galloway Photography)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Local Athletes Shine

Top Stories of 2023: A championship year for Nanaimo athletes & teams

Dec 18, 2023 | 10:07 AM

NANAIMO — 2023 brought championships, gold medals, awards and historic draft selections for athletes in the central island.

Local hockey player Matthew Wood made headlines throughout the year, beginning in January when he was ranked in the top ten among North American skaters for the 2023 NHL Draft.

It would lead to Wood’s selection 15th overall by the Nashville Predators in June, who hosted the draft. Then, in December Wood was named to Canada’s roster for the 2024 World Junior Championship.

Currently the 18-year-old is leading his Hartford Ct based UConn Huskies team in scoring with 12 points in 17 games.

More Mariner Success
After hosting the CCAA women’s basketball nationals in 2022 and finishing with a silver medal, the VIU Mariners took it one step further this past March.

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Shorthanded

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VIU won 60-54 in the championship game over Geants de Saint-Jean out of Quebec.

The Mariners haven’t lost a regular season PACWEST game since then, going 12-0 in the 2023 portion of the new season and closing the year as the number one ranked team in Canada.

Both the mens and women’s Mariner basketball and volleyball teams have started their new seasons well, posting a combined 38-6 record through the first half of the new PACWEST season.

On the world stage
It was also a golden year for Nanaimo’s Ethan Katzberg in the hammer throw and Parksville’s Nicholas Bennett in the pool.

In late July, 19-year-old Bennett followed up on a double silver performance at the World Para Swimming Championships last year with a gold medal win in the S14 200 metre freestyle event.

Then in August 21-year-old Katzberg broke a Canadian record for the hammer throw at the World Athletics Championships and won the gold medal.

In doing so he became first Canadian male to ever reach the podium in the event at a world championship.

Local teams take big steps forward
The VI Raiders made a big splash in February when the team announced former star, and current CFLer, Andrew Harris would be returning as the head of football operations.

Harris was able to get a jump on things by helping at some camp events but still had one more season to complete with the Toronto Argonauts, finishing with an appearance in the 2023 CFL Eastern Final.

The Nanaimo NightOwls not only made strides in the local sports community in their second season, they also made waves at the MLB draft in July.

Shortstop Elijah Ickes was taken in the 19th round by the Texas Rangers.

Ickes received an honourable mention for All West Coast League awards at the end of the NightOwls season.

This year saw one team return to the local sporting landscape while another club hit the pitch for the first time.

After a nearly four year absence the Nanaimo Senior B Timbermen got back on the floor for the 2023 WCSLA campaign and Harbourside FC played in their inaugural season in BC League 1 soccer.

On the ice
In local junior hockey the Oceanside Generals had a memorable year, winning their first VIJHL Championship since 2009.

All told, Oceanside had an incredible 2022-23 campaign, going 41-3-2-2 in the regular season and 12-3 in the playoffs. The team won a VIJHL-record 27 games in a row in the process.

The Nanaimo Clippers rolled to a first place finish in the Coastal Division in their BCHL regular season in 2022-23.

As their regular season wrapped up in March the club was dealt a blow with a Hockey Canada suspension to coach Colin Birkas.

Birkas would go on to miss the entire 2023 playoffs and at least the first half of the 23-24 BCHL schedule.

In October interim coach Curtis Toneff left the team, causing the Clippers to pivot and bring on the tandem of Bob Beatty as head coach and Gaelan Patterson as an assistant.

With Beatty and Patterson at the helm the Clippers finished their pre-Christmas schedule on a 10-3 run.

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