SUBMITTED PHOTO The under-15 co-ed soccer team from Medicine Hat celebrates a gold medal win Saturday, July 6, 2019 in Pincher Creek.
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: