The Nicola Valley Minor Lacrosse Association’s Thunder bantams had to settle for fourth place at the B.C. Championships in Victoria-Esquimalt on the weekend after being edged 5-4 by the host team in a thrilling bronze medal on Sunday.

The Thunder earned the right to play in a medal game by defeating another Island team, Juan de Fuca, 8-2 in semi-final action on Saturday afternoon.

The Nicola Valley team, coached by Rick Baker, won two games and lost one in preliminary action Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning.

The squad opened with an 8-4 victory against New Westminister, then lost 6-4 to the eventual gold-medallists from Campbell River.

The Thunder wrapped up round-robin play with a 9-5 win over Surrey.

Look for more on Provincials and a team photo in next Thursday’s edition of the Merritt Herald.

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Merritt professional golfer Roger Sloan finished in a tie for 38th spot at the web.com Tour’s Utah Open on the weekend.

Playing at the Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy, Utah, the 27-year-old Sloan shot rounds of 67, 67, 71, 71 for a 72-hole total of 8-under-par 276.

The winner was American Andres Gonzales with a score of 21-under-par 263.

Follwing the weekend’s action, Sloan is in 13th place on the web.com Tour’s money list with $151, 807 in earnings.

Fellow Canadian and Sloan’s good friend, Adam Hadwin, currently sits in 5th place.

Both golfers are in a good position to earn a PGA Tour card for next season.

Sloan is scheduled to make his third appearance at the RBC Canadian Open, which runs from July 21 to 27 at the Royal Montreal Golf Course in Ile Bizard, Quebec.

In other golfing news, 17-year-old Merritt golfer Ben McNiven failed to make the cut at the B.C. Junior Boys’ Championship, played at the Meadow Gardens Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, July 8 to 11.

Despite shooting a four-over-par 76 on day two, McNiven was unable to overcome a tough first-round score of 11-over 81.

Winner of the provincial junior boys’ open competition was Keaton Gudz from Victoria with a 72-hole score of two-under 283.