DAY 5: TEAM SASK at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games


SWIFT CURRENT, SK (August 14, 2019): Phase One of the Western Canada Summer Games came to a close Tuesday, with Saskatchewan counting 81 medals to its name at the halfway mark of the Games. After a full morning of competition that saw 27 medals be added to the tally, the 167 athletes who marched in for the Opening Ceremonies on August 9 returned home, and the 178 athletes who are set to compete during Phase Two arrived in Swift Current along with their coaches and managers. Phase Two will see Golf, Athletics, Baseball, Tennis, Indoor Volleyball, Rowing, Diving, Triathlon and Wrestling athletes compete for the podium before the Closing Ceremony on August 18. Wednesday will be a light day of competition for Team Sask, with Baseball, Tennis and Indoor Volleyball beginning their round robin play and the other sports gearing up for a Thursday start.

TEAM SASK MEDAL COUNT: 
GOLD: 21 | SILVER: 28 | BRONZE: 32 | TOTAL: 81

RESULTS: https://bit.ly/31sAs2x
SCHEDULE: https://bit.ly/2YWqaGe
FULL MEDAL STANDINGS: https://bit.ly/2YW3Nkk 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

  • "There wasn't a time here where I wasn't having fun." COLE ROUSTEN (Regina, Swimming) on his first Western Canada Summer Games experience
  • "My favourite part was just the community, and how nice the volunteers were -- and I got to know the cyclists we were rooming with, they were really nice people and we really got to create a great bond. The food was really great too! It was overall just a really great experience at the Games." Ten-time gold medalist JAYDEN HINGLEY (Saskatoon, Canoe Kayak) on his time at the Games
  • "We were unfortunately rained out yesterday, so there were countless volunteers and parents that set up a 975-metre course for the athletes to race today. Hours and hours spent mapping out the course, putting in the pegs, laying out tape, all to make sure the mountain bike athletes had something to race on... it was amazing the amount of work they put in." Cycling manager NICOLE CRIPPS (Regina), and former Team Sask athlete (2015 WCSG; 2017 CSG), on the alternate course that local volunteers worked to construct after heavy rains on Monday made the original course unusable

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:

  • "Turnaround day" at a multi-sport games is a massive undertaking for a host community and its volunteers, requiring not only the moving out of hundreds of athletes to make way for hundreds more -- but also the decommissioning and recommissioning of sport venues. As Phase One of the Games came to an end, a group of volunteers -- including Jamie LeBlanc, Venue Chair at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex, firefighters from the City of Swift Current Fire Department, and many other individuals -- worked for hours to remove the basketball court and replace it with the volleyball courts for Phase Two. See the time-lapse

DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS:

  • CANOE KAYAK: Athletes finished their Canoe Kayak competition strong, earning 17 medals (5 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze) on the day. This included a photo finish for second place in the 500 metre Mixed War Canoe -- an event that sees 14 athletes plus a coxswain compete in one boat. It was a busy last day for the paddlers, as multiple events that had been initially scheduled for the day prior were moved up to Tuesday morning due to Monday's rain.
  • CYCLING: In the Mountain Bike Short Course event, B'YAULING TONI (Saskatoon) took bronze in a neck-and-neck final sprint to the finish against a Manitoba athlete. This podium finish also earned B'yauling a bronze medal in the General Classification, with CALEB BENDER (Glenavon) claiming silver, his third of the Games. The General Classification is a combination of the times from all three cycling events to determine the overall best cyclists of the competition.
  • SWIMMING: In the Men's 1.5km Open Water event, BEN STEWART (Regina) earned bronze, his second medal of the Games.
  • MEN'S BASKETBALL:  Saskatchewan faced off against Alberta in Tuesday's gold medal game, coming out with a silver medal (90-70).
  • WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Saskatchewan women's undefeated streak came to an end Tuesday in the gold medal match against Alberta, which saw Team Sask take home silver (80-48).
  • MEN'S SOCCER: The men's team played their last game against Yukon (5-2), winning the bronze medal. CHARLES SAWI (Saskatoon) had a strong game with two goals.
  • WOMEN'S SOCCER: Team Sask came out for a strong win against Yukon, which earned the squad a bronze medal. JAYCEE KRUSHELNISKI (Saskatoon) earned a hat trick, scoring three of Saskatchewan's 12 goals.
  • MEN'S SOFTBALL: Saskatchewan's U16 team took home silver medals after their tight 3-2 matchup against Alberta, while the U19 Team earned bronze.
  • WOMEN'S SOFTBALL: After defeating Alberta in the 10th inning during their first game on Tuesday, Saskatchewan women earned silver overall against Manitoba.

RESOURCES: 
Photos: https://bit.ly/2YLQ98t (email for athlete ID)
Photo Credit: Matty O'Connell, Makewell Creative Co.
Visit: TeamSask.ca / 2019wcsg.ca
Follow: @goteamsask on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Karen Lawson, Communications Lead
Team Sask / Saskatchewan Games Council
E: klawson@saskgames.ca
C: (306) 529-3120