TEAM ALBERTA MEDIA RELEASES
RECORD BREAKING NIGHT FOR ALBERTA
History made in the pool; Canoe-Kayak adds 2 medals, Wrestling and Swimming each takes 9 medals
(Winnipeg, MB) Team Alberta continued with an impressive medal haul on Super Friday at the 2017 Canada Games, earning 20 medals (6-8-6) courtesy of swimming, wrestling, and canoe-kayak.
Wrestlers won nine medals in both men’s and women’s individual events.
At the swimming pool, Alberta earned another 9 medals, totaling 36 medals throughout the competition at the Pan-Am Pool.
Cole Pratt made history by becoming the most decorated male athlete in a single edition of the Canada Games, earning his ninth and tenth medal. He surpassed the 9-medal performance from Albertan Ray Betuzzi established at the 2005 Canada Games in Regina. Ontario female Swimmer Hanna Henderson has also surpassed Betuzzi’s record, with 11 medals at one Canada Games.
Paddlers continued to do well, with Garcia Brady and Gavin Jaeger-Freeborn earning another gold medal. Throughout the competition, the duo won four medals in total as a pair, including two gold medals. Garcia added another two medals in individual events, including a gold medal, to bring his tally to six medals. Paddlers won a cumulative total of nine medals at the regatta.
In golf, it took extra holes to determine the winner of the team competition, with three provinces tied for third place. Alberta went on to finish in fourth place in the team standing. Ethan Choi was Alberta’s top golfer.
Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams, as well as the men’s soccer team, will play for the gold medal tomorrow. In tennis action, Ashleigh Jacobs won her Ladies Singles semi-final and will play for gold tomorrow as well.
CANOE-KAYAK ENDS REGATTA WITH A TOTAL OF NINE IN WINNIPEG
The Manitoba Canoe & Kayak Centre hosted the last day of the Canoe-Kayak competition, and Alberta added two medals in the events to finish with a total of nine medals – three gold, three silver and three bronze medals – throughout the regatta.
Paddler Brady Garcia of Calgary was the story of the Games in the waters of the Red River, winning five medals, three gold, one silver and one bronze.
TOTAL NUMBER OF MEDALS FOR CANOE-KAYAK
GOLD – C-1 – 200m Male: Brady Garcia
GOLD – C-2 – 200m Male: AB (Brady Garcia/ Gavin Jaeger-Freeborn)
GOLD – C-2 – 500m Male: AB (Brady Garcia/ Gavin Jaeger-Freeborn)
SILVER – C-2 – 1000m Male: AB (Robin Kendall/Mateh Kowaluk)
SILVER – IC-4 – 200m Male: AB (Brady Garcia/Gavin Jaeger-Freeborn/ Robin Kendall/Mateh Kowaluk)
SILVER – K-1 – 5000m Female: Jane Girgulis
BRONZE – C-1 – 500m Male: Brady Garcia
BRONZE – K-1 – 1000m Female: Jane Girgulis
BRONZE – K-2 – 1000m Female: AB (Jane Girgulis/Stephanie Kendall)
ALBERTA SWIMMERS CONTINUE TO STORM THE POOL
It was the final day of competition for the swimmers at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, and Alberta did not disappoint, winning nine medals throughout the evening finals.
The night kicked off with the endurance events with the 1500m and 800m freestyle. Drew Edwards of Edmonton won the bronze medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle with a time 16:21.45. Emma O’Croinin of Edmonton dominated the women’s 800m freestyle by posting a time of 8:58.54, earning her third Gold medal and her fifth medal of the Games (3-1-1).
Alexandra Butler of Irricana took the bronze medal in the women’s 50m backstroke. Butler won four medals throughout the week, one gold and one silver in the relay races and two individual bronze medals.
In the following race, Avery Wiseman of Drayton Valley took the bronze medal in the women’s 200m Medley, winning her fourth individual medal of these Games, including three gold medals. She added gold and silver in relay races, making her medal tally to seven.
Calgary’s Cole Pratt raced in the men’s 200m Medley, winning the gold after making a remarkable comeback in the last leg of the four-lap race. With the time 2:05.26, Pratt broke the Canada Games record. In the same race, Finlay Knox of Okotoks finished third to earn the bronze medal. Knox won seven medals at Games: one gold, three silver, and three bronze.
Wesley Wilks won the silver medal in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Special Olympics, his fourth medal of the swim meet. Wilks has three silver medals and one bronze medal around his neck.
In the women’s 4X100m Medley race, the Alberta team comprised of Alexandra Butler, Avery Wiseman, Kyle Nelson and Elizabeth Ling swam to a time of 4:18.38 for the silver medal.
Leading the charge in the men’s 4X100m Medley Relay race, Cole Pratt kicked off the first leg and posted the fastest time. Finlay Knox was second to go for Alberta. In second place halfway through the race, jumping in the water for the third leg was Sterlyng Blair. Still in second place entering the final stretch, it was Charles Wang who raced for Alberta, and he maintained the silver position. Alberta’s time of 3:53.74 was good for a silver medal.
Alberta earned a total of 37 medals in the pool.
GOLD: Cole Pratt, Men’s 200m Medley
GOLD: Emma O’Croinin, Women’s 800m Freestyle
SILVER: Wesley Wilks, Men’s 50m Freestyle Special Olympics
SILVER: Women’s 4x100m Medley
SILVER: Men’s 4X100m Medley
BRONZE: Drew Edwards, Men’s 1500m Freestyle
BRONZE: Alexandra Butler, Women’s 50m Backstroke
BRONZE: Avery Wiseman, Women’s Individual Medley
BRONZE: Finlay, Men’s 200m Medley
MEDAL HAUL FOR THE WRESTLERS WITH NINE MEDALS
Alberta had three women and four men wrestling for gold medals in tonight’s finals, as well as three in bronze medal matches.
Kenza Messaoudini (40kg) of Calgary, Praise Abidemi-Aremu (74kg) of Calgary, and Halima Fanta (79kg) of Calgary, Jordan Wong (56 kg) of Calgary, Connor McNeice (65 kg) of Cochrane, Magnus McCrakin (70 kg) of Beaumont, and Adam Thompson (76 kg) of Calgary all won their preliminary rounds and advanced to the gold medal duals.
Xana Beran (48kg) of Edson, Tiana Bryant (52kg) of Yellowhead County, Tawes Messaoudini (56kg) of Calgary, all wrestled in bronze medal duals.
In the ultimate wrestling session for gold medals, Jordan Wong started the evening with a solid victory to take the gold medal in the 56kg, pinning his opponent. Adam Thomson won the gold medal in the 76 kg class, while Connor McNeice earned the gold medal in the men’s 65 kg class.
Four Alberta wrestlers won silver medals: Praise Abidemi-Aremu, Magnus McCrakin, Halima Fanta, and Kenza Messaoudini. Tiana Bryant and Xana Beran each won their respective bronze medal matches and added to Alberta’s tally.
GOLD: Jordan Wong, men’s 56kg
GOLD: Adam Thomson, men’s 76kg
GOLD: Connor McNeice, men’s 65kg
SILVER: Praise Abidemi-Aremu, women’s 74kg
SILVER: Magnus McCrakin, men’s 70kg
SILVER: Halima Fanta, women’s 79 kg
SILVER: Kenza Messaoudini, women’s 56 kg
BRONZE: Tiana Bryant, women’s 52kg
BRONZE: Xana Beran, women’s 48 kg
Maya Johnston (44 kg) of Calgary finished third but will not get the bronze since she had no opponent to wrestle. Megan Fendelet (69kg) of Edmonton was withdrawn from competition for a medical reason and will take fourth place. Kinley Link (64kg) of Sexsmith finished fourth. Cassie Fisher (84kg) of Medicine Hat took sixth place. Sofia Santoro (60kg) of Edmonton took fifth place.
Nathan Quinn (48 kg) of Calgary, Emmanuel Olapade (60 kg) of Calgary, Hunter Smith (85 kg) of Condor and Ethan Collins (120 kg) of Sherwood Park finished fifth of the competition. Justin Bell (44kg) of Edmonton finishes sixth while Peter Waeckerling (98 kg) of Taber took the seventh position. Joshua Capicio (52 kg) of Calgary finished ninth.
WOMEN’S SOFTBALL TO FACE SASKATCHEWAN IN SEMI-FINALS
With a final record of seven wins and two losses for the third place in the final standings, Alberta will play against Saskatchewan in the semifinals tomorrow morning at the John Blumberg Softball Complex.
BOTH VOLLEYBALL TEAMS OFF TO GOLD MEDAL MATCH
At the Investors Group Athletic Center, the women’s volleyball team faced New Brunswick in semi-finals action and took three sets (29-27, 25-21, 25-15) to take the win and advance to the gold medal round.
The women’s team will face Ontario in the gold medal round, tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.
In men’s action, Alberta faced off against Quebec, the top-seeded team in Group B, in what proved to be an exciting match.
Alberta came out strong winning the first two sets in the best of five. Alberta took the win (25-19, 28-26, 25-22) and finished the game with a third set victory. The men will advance to the gold medal against Ontario tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER TEAM OVERCOMES CAPACITY CROWD TO WIN SEMI-FINALS
The men’s soccer team overcame the loud capacity crowd at the Ralph Cantafino Soccer Complex to defeat the host province of Manitoba 1-0.
Midfielder Abe Dukely of Edmonton scored in the 24’ minute, and Alberta defended their lead throughout the end of regulation to take the win.
Alberta will face Ontario in the gold medal match, slated for Saturday at 7:00pm.
The match was televised on TSN, featuring Alberta for the second time at the Canada Games.
ETHAN CHOI TOP ALBERTA GOLFER WITH FOURTH PLACE
Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek ended the Canada Games four-round Golf tournament with a cumulative score of 286, finishing in fourth position only five strokes behind the gold medallist. Choi ended the tournament at -2.
Taylor Stones of Calgary was the top finisher for Alberta in the women’s tournament, taking the sixth position with a cumulative score of 300, or +12.
Alberta finished fourth in the men’s team event after additional holes were needed to break a three-way tie and fifth in the women’s team event.
ALBERTA SET TO PLAY FOR THREE TENNIS MEDALS
In Women’s Singles action, Ashleigh Jacobs of Calgary faced off against Ontario’s Vanessa Wong in semifinals action. Jacobs easily took the opening set 6-1 in the best of three. Wong bounced back to force a third set by winning 6-3. In the ultimate set, Jacobs found her groove once more to take the 6-1 set to earn her ticket to the gold medal match.
Jacobs will play for gold tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. against Rhea Verma of Ontario.
Representing Alberta in the women’s double tournament, Karin Hamilton and Emma Rutherford of Calgary took on the Ontario pair formed by Ariana Arseneault and Jada Bui in the semifinals. The Alberta duo was defeated in two sets. Alberta will battle for bronze against British Columbia at 9:00 a.m.
Tyler Sinclair and Shourya Verma, also of Calgary, represent Alberta in the men’s double competition.
The Alberta pair took to the courts facing the Quebec duo of Kamen Damov and Alex-Antoine Marquis. The Quebec team was too strong for Alberta, taking the win in two sets. Verma/Sinclair will have play for bronze tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. against British Columbia.
Team Alberta took fourth place in the team event, facing Quebec in the bronze medal match.