DAY 9: TEAM SASK at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games

SWIFT CURRENT, SK (August 17, 2019): Team Sask celebrated its biggest medal haul yet on Day 9 of the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games, earning 36 in total: 11 gold, 13 silver, and 12 bronze. Saturday saw two Saskatchewan sweeps: the women's 3m Spring had Divers MARGO ERLAM (Saskatoon), QUINN GARIEPY (Saskatoon), and KELSEY CLAIRMONT (Regina) make the podium, and in the men's 800m, RON MACLEAN (Regina), MATTHEW EXNER (Regina) and BRAYDEN MYTOPHER (Strasbourg) went 1-3. With just one more morning of competition left to go before the Closing Ceremony on Sunday afternoon, it's go time for Team Saskatchewan.

TEAM SASK MEDAL COUNT: 
GOLD: 52 | SILVER: 63 | BRONZE: 62 | TOTAL: 177

RESULTS: https://bit.ly/31sAs2x
DAY 10 SCHEDULE: https://bit.ly/2ZO42PQ
FULL MEDAL STANDINGS: https://bit.ly/2YW3Nkk 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

  • "I was running so fast, I couldn't stop." Special Olympics Athletics Athlete MADALYN GRAMIAK (Saskatoon) explaining how she ran in the 200m race
  • "Gotta pull, make it through the wind and stay focused on getting your oars down - it's pretty brutal out there." Rowing athlete CONNOR DODDS (Regina) on winning gold in the Men's Single event
  • "The team bonding is awesome -- playing games in the gym everyday and lots of fun hanging out with the team."  Double gold medalist JAMIE SPILCHAK (Saskatoon, Diving) on what his favourite memories have been from the Games.

TEAM SASK SPOTLIGHT:

  • The parents of Rowing coach ANDREW KNORR [Kathy and Bernie] have a lot of experience when it comes to the unpredictable weather at regattas, which is why they made warm fleece blankets for each member of the WCSG Rowing team. The blankets have kept everyone warm after coming out of the cold water at Lac Pelletier Regional Park.
  • Women's Golf has been a tough battle against the elements, but ELLA KOZAK (Yorkton) showed her #oneteam spirit when a Team Alberta member struggled with her performance on the course. The Alberta member broke down and Ella was right there to comfort her. "She went up and hugged [the athlete] and I was really proud of her," said Ella's dad.
  • Para athlete MADISON LAWRENCE competed in her last race of the Games Saturday morning. Being the only member of the wheelchair team to have not yet earned a medal, she was looking for some extra support in her race -- and found it when the entire Women's Volleyball squad came out to cheer on their Athletics teammate. Madison came away with a bronze in the women's 100m Para Sport wheelchair race.

DAY 8 HIGHLIGHTS:

  • ATHLETICS: Athletics golds: men's 100m Para Sport (YOUSIF KAED); women's 200m (KENDRA FARMER); women's 800m (JASMINE FEHR); men's 800m (RON MACLEAN); women's medley relay; men's long jump (SCOTT JOSEPH). Athletics silvers: women's 200m (OJAMALIE ATTAH); men's 200m (JONAH BRANNING); men's 800m (MATTHEW EXNER); women's long jump Special Olympics (MACKINLEY GADER); men's long jump Special Olympics (BRADYN GIRAUDIER); women's discus (DANIELLE FEDAK); men's javelin (LANDON KOHLE). Athletics bronzes: women's 100m Para Sport (MADISON LAWRENCE); men's 100m Para Sport (HUNTER BERG); women's 800m (COURTNEY DEMBROWSKI); men's 800m (BRAYDEN MYTOPHER); women's long jump (KAYLEE ILNISKY); women's long jump Special Olympics (MADALYN GRAMIAK); men's long jump Special Olympics (KYLE GIRAUDIER); men's pole vault (JONAH MURRAY); and women's hammer throw (DANIELLE FEDAK).
  • ROWING: Strong winds continued today on Lac Pelletier, but they didn't hold Saskatchewan back from making the podium. Team Sask took home three golds in the women's Double Sculls, men's Four Oars Without Coxswain, and men's Pair Oars without Coxswain. They earned silver in the men's Single Sculls (CONNOR DODDS) and women's Eight Oars with Coxswain. Finally, they took bronze in the men's Double Skulls. As per the @saskrowing Instagram, shout out to GRAYSON LAYCOCK who completed the first-ever coxed single race after MAX PALLY earned the coveted Caution Award.
  • WRESTLING: After facing off against Manitoba and Albert in duals on Saturday, Saskatchewan wrestlers earned silver medals in the Men's and Women's Team Competitions.
  • BASEBALL: The men's team was awarded their bronze medal on Saturday.
  • MEN'S AND WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Both teams fell in their crossover matches today against Manitoba, and both will contend for the bronze medal Sunday morning -- the men's team against Yukon, and women's against Northwest Territories.
  • TRIATHLON: Female and male relays each took a medal today at Sask Landing. Congrats to the Female Relay team, NATALIE EARL, MOLLY LUKUSTIAK, ELLA PERRAS and HUNTER SCHROEDER for winning silver and the Male Relay Team, HENRY BRISTOL, REECE GILBERT, ALEX KOLESOV and JOSH MASON for winning bronze. Tomorrow, members from the Triathlon team will be competing in the Mixed Relay.
  • DIVING: On the men's side, JAMIE SPILCHAK (Saskatoon) earned his second gold medal of the Games on Saturday, diving to first place in the 1m Spring. As mentioned, the women swept the 3m Spring.

Phase 2 Photos: https://bit.ly/2KDwO0f
Photo Credit: Desirea Agar, EmClaire Photography
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