Local kayaker racks up another big honor

Sage Donnelly, the 14-year-old kayak phenom from Carson City, raked in the Female Paddler of the Year award given annually by Canoe and Kayak magazine. Donnelly accepted the honor recently in Salt Lake City.

Donnelly has been on the kayak circuit since she was 7, and she was picked up for the prestigious Team Jackson Kayak. The team is named after Eric Jackson, a whitewater Hall of Fame selection.

Donnelly, who suffered from Type 1 diabetes, celiac and a thyroid disease, has already positioned herself for future greatness with great success in both age group and open pro events.

In junior divisions, Donnelly holds national championship titles in Under 14 slalom K-1 and C-1 as well as her favorite event, freestyle. As a 12-year-old she began testing her mettle against women pros with great results. Donnelly was the 2012 USA Canoe Kayak Freestyle Point Series Champion and won the women’s freestyle events at two of the toughest competitions on the circuit — Reno River Festival and GoPro Mountain Games.

Last year at the GoPro Mountain Games, she earned a silver medal in her first-ever attempt at the Steep Creek race, second only to 24-year-old steep creek specialist Martina Wegman. Donnelly also earned a bronze medal in freestyle behind reigning world champion Claire O’Hara and European Championships titleholder Marlene Devillez.

Donnelly’s ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympics. She has her eye on the 2016 games in Brazil or Japan in 2020.

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Tony Stewart is dominating the sports news cycle after the tragic dirt-track incident recently in New York.

After reading many articles and hearing the talking heads at ESPN pontificate, I’ve come to the conclusion there’s plenty of blame to go around.

NASCAR is all about drivers exchanging blows on and off the track. It’s about pit crews getting into fisticuffs. It’s about rivalries. It’s about nutty fans who will back their drivers no matter what. They don’t call them Motorheads for nothing.

People talk about lighting in regards to the accident. I don’t buy it.

Accidents are part of auto racing, we all know that.

Were there any collisions before the fatal accident?

What was Stewart doing racing dirt tracks?

Maybe that is another problem with NASCAR. Why doesn’t the body show some guts and not let drivers race in nonsanctioned events?

Stewart is stupid for racing dirt tracks. What’s to stop some local yahoo from trying to injure Stewart? What did Stewart have to prove?

What Stewart did is like Pablo Sandoval playing in a semi-pro game on his day off. What does a professional have to prove against amateurs? The answer is simple — not a thing.

Why would Stewart want to risk his career in what amounts to minor league racing? If Stewart thinks dirt racing is that great, why doesn’t he organize a dirt track circuit under the NASCAR umbrella?

What was Ward thinking?

Obviously he wasn’t, and he paid the ultimate price for his stupidity. Based on replays I’ve seen, he was lucky not to get hit by other cars.

I honestly don’t care if a driver coming onto the track to take on another driver is considered normal in auto racing circles. It’s idiotic and dangerous behavior and shouldn’t be tolerated. If Ward hadn’t died, he should have been suspended for his actions

I hope Stewart gets sued and does jail time.

The guy has and always will be a loose cannon. I doubt the incident will change his behavior and his life choices, but one can only hope.