Cypress nearly doubles Hat in Southern Games medals

By Medicine Hat News on July 9, 2019.

Participation may be the most important aspect of the Southern Alberta Summer Games, but you’ve got to think Cypress County was paying attention to the medal standings Saturday in Pincher Creek.

As the 50th edition of the Games came to a close, the county beat its medal total from 2018 – totalling 87, compared to 85 a year ago in Taber.

Equally interesting was Medicine Hat’s total: only 45 medals, easily the Gas City’s lowest total in at least 15 years and the second-lowest out of the 13 regions represented this year. The city’s turnout was affected by hosting the Alberta 55-plus Summer Games on the same weekend.

Lethbridge topped the medal standings with 303, just ahead of the host MD of Pincher Creek team with 257.

Cypress had 31 gold, 30 silver and 26 bronze medals, with the bulk of them in two sports – track and field, and equestrian. The county had 29 track and field medals and 21 in equestrian events.

Medicine Hat totalled 24 gold, 13 silver and eight bronze, again with track athletes leading the way (with 25 medals) but getting some big wins in team sports as well.

The under-15 co-ed soccer team went undefeated, beating Willow Creek 7-0, then Cardston 5-0 twice including the gold medal game. Coach Trevor Copeman reported that keeper Kai Eld earned all three clean sheets, while Igor Slavic (two), Abdullah Abdullah, Brandon Smeed and Riley Felker scored in the final.

In the swimming pool, the Manta Rays summer club from Medicine Hat went as their own team within a team and got a historic bronze medal from Olivia McWilliams in 6-under girls 50 metre freestyle. It was the first medal won by a Rays swimmer in competition, as they’ve only had one outing prior to Pincher Creek.

A total of 10 Rays took part, with McWilliams, Mckenna Cairns, Masao Mori and Lily McWilliams making finals.

Gold Medal Winners

Gold medallists at the Southern Alberta Summer Games held in Pincher Creek this past week:

CYPRESS COUNTY

Ryann Plaksey (12-15 girls) – 10 km run

Kristi Plaksey (30-39 women) – 10 km run

Cole Siewert (11-under boys) – 3 km run

Elijah Lavoie-Pierzchala (12-15 boys) – 3 km run

Sharon McNabb (60-over womens) – 5 km run

Caleb Driediger – archery cadet compound, senior compound

Grayden Tschritter (bantam boys) – 800 metre, high jump

Camryn Burgevitz (bantam girls) – shot put

Sarah Pimblett (midget girls) – high jump, long jump, triple jump

Sydney Burgevitz (mighty mite girls) – 50 metre, 100 metre, 200 metre, 400 metre

Emma Baedka (peewee) – equestrian English pleasure, cross rails

Mariya McLean – equestrian intermediate command, trail

Brooke Schwarz – equestrian junior pole bending

Makatey McLean – equestrian junior keyhole

Natasha Jager – photography 13-17 digital

Kassidy Hart – photography 13-17 sport

Jill Makins – photography 18-over outdoors

Joanne Anhelher – tennis 46-over women’s singles

Teams – 4×100 midget boys, 4×100 midget girls, beach volleyball 14-16 girls, pickleball 65-plus men, pickleball 65-plus mixed

MEDICINE HAT

Dan David – archery 60-plus male

Bob Kawaza – archery traditional male

Zaynna Willoughby (bantam girls) – 100 metre, 200 metre, 400 metre, long jump

Tristan Friesen (midget boys) – discus, javelin

Riley Friesen (midget boys) – shot put

Shyah Willoughby (peewee girls) – 100 metre, 200 metre

Cody-Lynn Jensen (senior women’s) – 100 metre, 1,500 metre, javelin, shot put

Caen McWilliams (11-12 boys) – cycling road race

Marley Howes (10-14 girls) – tennis singles

Jack Toews (65-over men) – trapshooting class A

Teams – badminton 17-under doubles, ball hockey 18-under co-ed, ball hockey 13-under co-ed, baseball majors, pickleball 51-64 mixed, soccer 14-under co-ed

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