WINNIPEG, Man. – The Manitoba Trucking Association has crowned its 2002 professional truck driving champions after a full slate of roadeo events took place in early June.

“Things in general went very well and the MTA was very pleased with the event,” says MTA’s Dianne Milton. “We had great weather except for just a howling wind.”

This year’s champs, who will now form Team Manitoba at the national finals slated to take place in Saskatoon, Sask., this September, are B-train, Denis Tallaire, Reimer Express; straight truck, John Nowak, Reimer Express; step van (a new category), Garth Finnson, Canadian Linen; tandem/tandem, Trevor Mulder, Reimer Express; single/tandem, Sheldon Werboski, Canada Safeway; and single/single, Gary Good, Reimer Express. Sheldon Werboski was named the event’s grand champion with the highest score above his class’ average – he was 121 points above the median. He also captured the Hal Bjornson Memorial Award with the top score of the competition: 456.5 points. The association’s Milton says the group expects even higher participation levels next year as the MTA prepares to host the national finals Sept. 4-7, 2003.