The Canadian Adult Darts Championships are returning following a two-year absence due to Covid-19 and that means Team NWT will get the chance to toe the oche on the national scene once again.

To determine who would make the trip to Toronto in June, the NWT Darts Championships brought together nearly three dozen of the best menSA国际影视传媒檚 and womenSA国际影视传媒檚 players from around the territory to the Hay River Legion on April 1 and 2. From that, the top eight from each division SA国际影视传媒� plus one alternate for each SA国际影视传媒� nailed down their tentative positions.

The format for territorials featured three rounds of play with each game contested over three legs, beginning at 501 and working down to a finish. In darts, the check-out, as itSA国际影视传媒檚 known, must be done on a double, which is the scoring ring on the outer portion of the dartboard. All three legs were played in each game SA国际影视传媒� no best-of situation SA国际影视传媒� with each leg won counting as one point toward a playerSA国际影视传媒檚 final total.

Paul Morey of Inuvik ended up as the winner on the menSA国际影视传媒檚 side with 49 points while Ang Carter of Hay River topped the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 standings with 34 points.

The majority of the Yellowknife representation is on the menSA国际影视传媒檚 side: Norm Sanderson, Dean Willis, Bob Mitchell and Bong Ramirez.

Sanderson, who finished third with 45 points, said it was great to get back to a territorial championship after two years of not having one.

SA国际影视传媒淭he camaraderie was great and the darts were really good,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e all fought hard to keep up with the top players but I managed to get third and ISA国际影视传媒檓 very happy with that.SA国际影视传媒�

The scores at the end were a bit inflated as he was on a bye and didnSA国际影视传媒檛 play the final set of games.

SA国际影视传媒淧aul (Power) and Dan (Kipling) gained on me a bit,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淧aul shot really good darts and did well. I think I was the only player to take two games off of him in a match. I could have had a third in one game but missed the bullseye.SA国际影视传媒�

The bullseye counts as double-25.

Kipling, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 president of Darts NWT, said the number of participants was low this year and the championships didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have stretch over the usual three days that are scheduled for each territorial.

SA国际影视传媒淣ormally, more than double the people would come into town, so weSA国际影视传媒檇 have to play Sunday as well, but this year we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have to,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The womenSA国际影视传媒檚 team is made up of entirely of Hay River players except one: Jen Lavers from Yellowknife. Lavers ended up in eighth spot with 23 points, one ahead of Hay RiverSA国际影视传媒檚 Kayla Power, to earn an automatic place.

Sanderson said one thing that impressed him was the set-up for the weekend.

SA国际影视传媒淭he boards were in really good shape and we got to play with the new surround lights (on the dartboard),SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e had tablets on the wall to help with the scoring and that made things go a little faster than normal. The organizers were very prepared.SA国际影视传媒�

The tablets used a program known as DartConnect, which keeps an electronic record of everyoneSA国际影视传媒檚 performance during a tournament.

With his spot sealed for nationals, Sanderson SA国际影视传媒� a veteran of several trips with Team NWT SA国际影视传媒� said he feels like a rookie again because there hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been a Canadian championship in some time.

SA国际影视传媒淚t feels brand new and weSA国际影视传媒檒l go see what we can do against some really good darts players,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Here are the menSA国际影视传媒檚 and womenSA国际影视传媒檚 teams:

MenSA国际影视传媒檚 Team

1st - Paul Morey, Inuvik

2nd - Dan Kipling, Hay River

3rd - Norm Sanderson, Yellowknife

4th -Paul Power, Hay River

5th - Max Kotokak, Inuvik

6th - Bob Mitchell, Yellowknife

7th - Dean Willis, Yellowknife

8th - Bong Ramirez, Yellowknife

Alternate - Ron Ruttle, Hay River

WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 team

1st - Ang Carter, Hay River

2nd - Kim Squires-Rowe, Hay River

3rd - Tanya Ruben, Hay River

4th - Sandra Edjericon, Hay River

5th - Stacey Barnes, Hay River

6th - Norma Harris, Hay River

7th - Crystal Mackie, Hay River

8th - Jen Lavers, Yellowknife

Alternate - Kayla Power, Hay River

source: Darts NWT

-with files from Simon Whitehouse