The Alberta Northern Lights will have to forego making history this season.

The Northern Lights are not only the first Canadian team to win a National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship, but also the first team in NWBA history to win back-to-back titles.

Unfortunately, Alberta will not be able attempt a three-peat at the Division II level.

The retirement of three core players, combined with a shortage of up-and-comers ready to play at the elite level, has forced the Lights out of NWBA regular season play this year.

"We could have probably won it a few more years," said coach Darrell Nordell. "I knew last season a few players would not be playing this season so I kind of had a feeling we wouldn't be having a team this season."

Gone are veterans Pat Griffin, Terrance Cole, Jordan McEachern and Mike Evjen.

"Those guys have been playing wheelchair basketball for the last 20 years," said Nordell. "They have families and jobs and taking kids to hockey games now. They said they couldn't give 100 per cent to play in the NWBA - and I agree with them.

"I don't want to coach players who aren't giving 100 per cent."

Ross Norton, Ron Minor, John farmer and Danielle Peers still want to play at the elite level.

"I think I could have swayed one more player to come back for another year," Nordell says. "But it wouldn't be fair to everyone with just five players coming to practice."

The Lights will still have a taste of the NWBA. Nordell says they will enter two tournaments. But that isn't enough for the team to be ranked - or to secure a playoff position.

"We're going to use that to see where we are with out younger kids," says Nordell, who has learned a lesson from it all. "We haven't done a very good job of recruiting players in the last 10 years.

"I know there are people out there. We need to find them. We have to start working a little more closely with standup basketball and attract players who can't play anymore because of an injury.

"We have to show them they can still play the game sitting in a chair before they start looking at other sports."

Nordell is going to coach the Edmonton team in the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League. He is also working with the national team.

"I hope to be going with the team next year in Japan for the Paralympics," says Nordell.

Meanwhile, Lights GM Paul Conrad has moved to a part-time position, heading up the organization's fundraising campaign.

MacEwan Griffins were busy on several fronts during the weekend.

Cross-county runner Janelle Wiliamson continued to shine at a meet in Camrose. Wiliamson finished sixth and was followed by teammate Janet Hodges in seventh.

Joseph Black was the Griffins' top male runner with a 10th-place finish.