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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

WHL forward Leipsic named top Jewish athlete

By: Jeff Hamilton

Posted: 06/20/2012 1:00 AM

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Chad Posthumus

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Brendan Leipsic

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Brendan Leipsic was named the Jewish Athlete of the Year at the 40th annual Y Sports Dinner on Tuesday night.

The 5-9, 175-pound left-winger just finished his second season with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League where he racked up 58 points (28 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games. The Winterhawks came up just short of winning the WHL championship, falling to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the final game of a best-of-seven series.

Leipsic is ranked 114th among North American skaters by the Central Scouting Agency and is eligible for the upcoming entry draft Friday in Pittsburgh.

Finalists for the award included Yael Kaplan, point guard for the Wesmen women's basketball team, Jessica Meyers, a junior equestrian show jumper, reigning Manitoba junior men's curling champion team skip Kyle Doering, and Caleb Rutner, the 2012 Manitoba high school wrestling champion.

'Tobans for hockey Bisons

THE University of Manitoba men's hockey team has beefed up its lineup, adding three Manitoba-born players to their roster Tuesday.

James Henry, Deven Dubyk, and Craig Scott will all don the black and gold for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Henry, a 5-8, 180-pound forward, played five seasons in the Western Hockey League WHL splitting time with the Vancouver Giants(2007-2011) and Moose Jaw Warriors (2011-2012).

The 21-year-old was a captain with the Giants and currently ranks 8th on the team's all-time scoring list with 184 points (62 goals, 122 assists) in 281 games.

Dubyk, 21, is a 6-3 goaltender with more than 120 games played in the WHL, sharing time with Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat and most recently, Red Deer.

The native of Minitonas recorded four shutouts and put up a .891 save percentage during that time.

The Bisons get another young forward in the 21-year-old Scott. The 5-10, 175-pound righty finished the 2011-12 season with 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 62 regular-season games with the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Before that he notched 78 points (35 G, 43 A) while playing two seasons with the MJHL's Selkirk Steelers.

New Wesmen wrestlers

THE Winnipeg Wesmen just got a little bit tougher Tuesday.

Tiffani Rorras of Mississauga, Ont., Emily Kessler of Essex, Ont., Maura Martina of Stephenville, N.L. and Masrine Edwards of Whitby, Ont., have all been added to the school's wrestling program for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Hoop dreams down south

WINNIPEGGER Chad Posthumus, 20, is heading south to continue his basketball career.

The Morehead State Eagles -- a Division I school -- announced Monday they have signed Posthumus to a national letter of intent. Posthumus, a 6-11, 270-pound centre has two years left of eligibility after playing one season at the University of British Columbia and another stint at Howard Community College in Texas.

As a senior at River East Collegiate, Posthumus averaged 39 points, 25 rebounds and seven blocked shots. In one high school contest, he recorded an impressive 69 points.

Master bowlers on road

A group of Manitoba bowlers will be heading to St. John's, N.L., at the end of the month to compete in the Master Bowlers Association of Canada Nationals held from June 29 to July 4.

The fivepin bowling competition will see the return of Jim Llewellyn and Randy Morrissette to defend their gold medal in the men's team category. Rounding out the rest of the team is Brad Rusnak, Trevor Cook, Brandon Mansell and coach Krista Purdy.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 20, 2012 D2