Greater Trail athletes returned home with more than 30 medals won at the 55-plus BC Games held in Cranbrook last week as part of the Zone 6 West Kootenay team.
The West Kootenay Team came eighth overall in the medal count with 49 gold, 54 silver, and 31 bronze for a 134 total medal haul, while Fraser Valley topped the medal standings with a 307 total (157G, 104S, 46B), distantly followed by Vancouver Island North with 223 (129G,55S,39B), and East Kootenay with 203 (81G, 76S, 46B).
The most medals ever won by a Zone 6 team came when the Games were hosted by Trail, Castlegar, and Nelson in 2011. The West Kootenay won an unprecedented 266 medals, including 115 gold, 73 silver, and 78 bronze, and finished third overall.
Greater Trail Results:
A 2018 Games’ highlight saw the West Kootenay 55+ mixed slo-pitch team go 3-and-1 in the round robin before defeating the Vancouver Island Orcas 18-13 in the final to bring home their first gold medal in a number of years. Greater Trail players include Colin McLean, Barry Benner, Carson Eriksen, Bob Murray, John Mota, and Christine Mota, in addition to Salmo’s Alta Pinney.
Also, leading the way at the 2018 Games was Rossland native Barb Roberts who excelled in the pool winning a total of eight medals, including three gold in 25, 5o and 100-m breastroke, silver in 100-m backstroke, and bronze in 25 and 50-m backstroke. Roberts also picked up two bronze medals in the women’s 4×25-m freestyle and medley relays.
On the men’s side, Trail’s Steve Miller also came home with a load of hardware earning silver in the 200-m Individual Medley and bronze in 25-m breastroke and butterfly as well as in the men’s 4×25-m freestyle relay.
In curling, the Beauchamp and Devlin rink won gold in men and women 65+. The Zone 6 team was made up of Russ and Rose Beauchamp of Trail and Marnie and Paul Devlin from Fruitvale. The Devlins also led Team BC to gold at the Canada 55-plus Games in Brampton, Ont. in 2016 with Paul as skip and Marnie third.
Trail archer Darrel Rieberger captured gold in the 55+ longbow and Lori Rieberger duplicated the result in the ladies recurve bow without sights.
Rossland cyclist Steve Langley won a pair of gold medals in 70-74 time trial and hill climb and silver in road race. Danielle Montandon earned three silver medals in time trial, road race, and hill climb and Trail’s Karen Lees won two bronze medals in time trial and hill climb.
In Men’s hockey, the West Kootenay Kings earned silver in Men’s 60+, while the 55+ and 65+ Glacier Kings settled for bronze.
Fruitvale’s Rob Ferguson took home bronze in the men’s 3.5 singles pickleball, and earned gold in Men’s doubles playing alongside Castlegar’s Cal Herle.
More pickleball results saw Kelly Moore and Brad Harding of Fruitvale win silver in Men’s doubles, and Laurel Moore also took home silver in Mixed Doubles.
Shay McAuley of Fruitvale teamed up with Trail’s Rick Thiem and won silver in men’s 3.0 doubles, and Debra Nelson of Trail and Castlegar’s Marcie Herle took silver in women’s 3.25 doubles.
Salmo’s Monte Comeau raced to two gold medals, winning the 10-km road race and the 5,000-m final in the 60-64 age group.
