Sacramento County Sports Digest

Several high school football teams in the Sacramento region have canceled their games due to smoke from the wildfires and COVID outbreaks.

You can’t win ’em all—and apparently Sacramento hasn’t won enough, as it was rated the third worst sports city in a recent survey.

Extreme Martial Arts Center in Citrus Heights upholds the tradition of martial arts in a modern facility.

The Kings will open the 2021-22 regular season in Portland on Oct. 20 and host their home opener vs. the Utah Jazz on Oct. 22.

The annual 5K run/walk that benefits various arts nonprofits throughout the Sacramento region will have its next event Aug. 28 in William Land Park.

Local business owner Jose Gomez recently appeared on the popular TV show ”American Ninja Warrior.” After passing the qualifying rounds, Gomez was offered a spot in the semi-finals.

A local business group recently partnered with the Kings and Golden 1 Center to bring an esports competition to the capital city. The inaugural College Esports Tournament took place this month both in Roseville and at Golden 1 Center.

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will compete Sept. 25 in the first-ever Heart of Gold, a 55-mile gravel course race through the Gold Country aimed at raising awareness and funds for mental wellness programs for youth in Nevada County. The race, which begins in Nevada City, should draw as many as 400 racers from around the state.

The Sacramento Kings is the latest company to mandate vaccines for its employees, but one group isn’t yet covered under the rule: the players themselves.

For the first time since the pandemic shutdowns, professional boxing returns to Sacramento.

The Suburban Swim League is one of many local leagues that worked with a modified season this year, along with the introduction of virtual meets.

Sacramento Kings player Richaun Holmes will now remain on the team for four years, thanks to a new contractual agreement. The deal, reportedly worth up to $55 million, allows the team to retain its star center.

Local golfer Cameron Champ recently enjoyed his third PGA Tour win in three years. Only 16 players have ever won each of their first five years—Champ is well on his way.

Elk Grove native and Pleasant Grove High School alum Ally Carda has won a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics playing softball.

The Kings selected Baylor guard Davion Mitchell with the No. 9 pick in the NBA draft. “I was kind of surprised, but to me, man, it was a blessing just to be in that building, and hearing my name called is a dream come true,” Mitchell said.

Capital Christian School was one of four schools sanctioned for violating COVID safety policies. Capital Christian will be ineligible to play in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs this year, and the football program will be on probation this year and the next two football seasons.

Rocklin’s William Jessup University broke ground on July 22 for a new field complex, which will be used for its athletic teams and clubs. More than 200 spectators were at the ceremony, including dozens of youth soccer players who will benefit from the new field for both their practices and potentially in the future as Jessup students.

The state budget signed into law this month provides $700,000 for fresh turf at the fields at Walker Community Park in Galt. The turf is designed for both football and soccer games, and will be used by many local sports organizations.

Many Sacramento-area locals are going for gold in the Olympics this summer, including a Granite Bay swimmer and an Orangevale softball player. These are just a few of the athletes hailing from this region of Northern California.

Thirteen-year-old Skye Schneider just started wrestling two years ago, but she has already made a name for herself in the predominantly male sport. She recently won the California Triple Crown, and is now slated to compete against 11 other nations at the Pan Am Games in Mexico City.

International prospect Vrenz Bleijenbergh recently came to the United States to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. That journey will include a stop in Sacramento.

Rodeo legend Cotton Rosser, whose livestock and event-production company has operated in Folsom for 70-plus years, will be at the grounds this week.

His competition days are long behind him, but Cotton Rosser is still very much involved in the annual Folsom Pro Rodeo. He purchased the Flying U Rodeo Ranch in 1956; the oldest continuing rodeo livestock company in the U.S., it brings excitement to the city of Folsom each year.

Closed last summer due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Steve Miklos Aquatic Center in Folsom is welcoming guests with renovated swimming pools, a new play structure, and the inflatable obstacle courses.

The East Sacramento Little League is able to rely on support from a deep bench that includes former ESLL and Major League Baseball player Matt Walbeck.

Olympic rower Michelle Sechser spent years building up strength and stamina on Folsom’s Lake Natoma. Finally, she’s set to take her first trip to the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.

Kings forward Harrison Barnes has been nominated to receive the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, for upholding the NBA’s values of “equality, respect and inclusion.”