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In a normal year, the Victoria Royals might have had their eventual replacement for defenceman Joe Hicketts waiting for them right here on the Island.

The dream has ended for Cowichan FC for another year.

In an ideal world, 24 is the age when Matthew Sharpe might have been on beam to join the nearly 50 Island-based athletes who will compete this summer in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Their shots at being drafted by National Football League went by the wayside, but the opportunity to display their wares south of the border is not only real, but happening, for a pair of Victoria athletes.

A National Hockey League Hall of Famer and the son of another will be in the field of 132 players teeing it up at the final Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Qualifying School, beginning today at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay.

KANSAS CITY 4 SEATTLE 1 SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners’ best offensive opportunity against the Kansas City Royals ended with Robinson Cano thrown out at the plate.

Of all the high-profile Island athletes this spring-summer sporting season — think the likes of Jamie Benn and Ryan Cochrane — the most enigmatic may be Michael Saunders. But don’t look away.

The first steps on the lacrosse floor were successful ones for the newest team in the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association.

If only the game were two minutes longer. The Victoria Junior Shamrocks, down 18-10 with 6:29 to go, closed with six unanswered goals in the last 2:53, but lost its sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

The Victoria Mariners remain perfect and sit at the top of the table of the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Premier Baseball League standings at 10-0.