YORKTON, Sask. — The Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame will add four individuals and one championship team to its ranks this weekend as it celebrates the Class of 2026 at its annual induction banquet.
The induction ceremony takes place Sept. 19 at the Gallagher Centre, where curler Cathy Inglis, curler and coach Karen Cottenie, soccer builder Andy Wyatt, curler Jeff Sharp and the 1991-92 Yorkton Regional High School Senior Boys Raiders basketball team will be honoured.
Hall of Fame chair Becky Dutchak DeRyk said the organization is looking forward to celebrating another strong class of inductees.
"We're excited for this year's event," she said.
The Class of 2026 features a mix of athletes and builders whose contributions span decades of curling, soccer and basketball excellence in Yorkton and beyond.
Among this year's inductees is Inglis, whose curling career has stretched more than five decades and includes provincial, national and international success.
Inglis was a member of the Saskatchewan team that won the 1996 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in Charlottetown alongside her sister Karen and brothers Randy and Russ Bryden. She has since represented Saskatchewan at numerous national championships, won provincial titles in multiple divisions and most recently earned a bronze medal at the 2026 Canadian Masters Championship.
Reflecting on her career, Inglis said curling became a part of her life at a young age.
"I come from a curling family," she said. "My parents curled, my grandparents curled, and when you were 12 years old you could curl, so that's what you did on Saturday mornings."
What began as a family pastime eventually developed into a competitive career after she moved to Regina and was invited to join higher-level teams.
Still, Inglis credits the people around her as much as the results.
"Every provincial title that I had, our chemistry was unbelievable," she said. "You supported each other. There was no blaming, nothing but support for each other, and that gets you through a lot."
While the titles and medals stand out, Inglis said some of her proudest moments came alongside her family. She has competed at national championships with each of her three sisters and said those experiences are among the memories she treasures most. Over her career, she also captured provincial championships in every category for which she was eligible, from high school through masters competition.
Her sister, Karen Cottenie, will also be inducted this year in the athlete-builder category.
Cottenie enjoyed success as a competitive curler, including helping Canada win the 1996 Canadian Mixed Championship and representing the country in Germany as a junior skip. After her playing career, she dedicated herself to growing the sport by coaching and expanding Learn to Curl programs in Yorkton, Whitewood, Moosomin and Balcarres.
Andy Wyatt is being recognized in the builder category for more than 30 years of involvement in soccer. Wyatt coached players of all ages and skill levels, helped establish the Yorkton United Football Club in 2001 and later served as technical director. He was named Saskatchewan's Grassroots Coach of the Year in 2008 and coached teams that represented the province at national championships in 2007, 2008 and 2025.
Curler Jeff Sharp rounds out the individual inductees.
A Yorkton product, Sharp competed at the highest levels of the sport, most notably as a member of Pat Simmons' rink that captured four consecutive Saskatchewan Tankard championships from 2005 to 2008. The team represented the province at four Briers and earned a bronze medal at the 2008 national championship. Sharp also qualified for 10 consecutive World Curling Tour Grand Slam events and ranked among the world's top curlers during multiple seasons.
The team inductee, the 1991-92 Yorkton Regional High School Senior Boys Raiders basketball team, compiled a remarkable 29-2 record before capturing the provincial championship. The Raiders defeated Prince Albert Carlton and then Swift Current 73-44 in the provincial final, a margin of victory that has not been matched since.
In addition to the hall of fame inductions, the organization will recognize two recipients of the Kinsmen Support for Sports Award.
Dutchak DeRyk said the award honours individuals whose efforts help strengthen local sport, even if they do not meet the criteria for hall of fame induction.
"The volunteers are the ones who keep Yorkton a sports community," she said. "They do not qualify for induction, but their contributions are appreciated to keep sport in the area strong."
This year's recipients are Gina Flett for her contributions to Yorkton Minor Baseball and Mike Jakubiec for his dedication to soccer in Yorkton.
"The Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame is excited to partner with the Kinsmen Club of Yorkton for this recognition," Dutchak DeRyk said.
The Class of 2026 will join 97 athletes and builders and 21 teams previously inducted since the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1994.
