Senna Entner’s carry-on bag returning home to Vernon from the B.C. Summer Games in the Cowichan Valley was heavier than it was going down to the Island.
The Vernon para-swimmer led North Okanagan athletes by winning five medals – one silver and four bronze – in the pool. Entner only qualified to go to the Island a week before the Games began.
Entner won silver in the boys/girls 200-metre individual medley and finished third in four events: the boys/girls 50-, 100- and 400-m freestyle, and the 100-m backstroke.
“I swam a personal best in the 200 individual and came close to a silver in my four other races,” said Entner, who began swimming two-and-a-half years ago.
Entner, who had her parents, Ryan and Shelby cheering her on, actually set personal best times in the freestyle races.
Senna, who turned 12 a few weeks ago, suffered a stroke at birth and controls her health with medication. She wasn’t impressed with the cuisine but liked the sleeping quarters.
“The food was bad,” deadpanned Entner. “There were noodles and hamburgers that didn’t taste good; they were burnt a little. I got pretty good sleeps in a sleeping bag on the classroom floor. It was pretty quiet.”
The 4-foot-11 blond welcomed a barbecue dinner at her uncle Colin’s home in Nanaimo Sunday night. Senna plans to hit the beach and chill with friends the rest of the summer.
Entner, who enters Grade 7 at Beairsto Elementary this fall, is coached by Renate Terpstra in Vernon.
Coldstream’s Ryan Murphy won gold and a pair of bronze medals in the pool.
Murphy captured the boy’s 100m backstroke and added bronze with Vernon’s Edouard Lemay in the boy’s 4 x 50 metre free and 4 x 50 medley relays.
Vernon swimmer Alexanne Lepage, 12, won silver and bronze in swim relays.
Brody Wright of Vernon was a double silver medalist, finishing second in the boys’ duathlon and super sprint triathlon which jumpstarted the Games. The morning duathlon consisted of a 1-k run, 3-k bike, and 1-k run, and the triathlon included a 500-m ocean swim, 10.5-k bike and a 3-k run.
Anais Sohni, Morgan Knauf, Grace Erickson, Johanna Dueck, Henry Baker, Griffin Fletcher, Jaxon Peters and Ethan Greenan represented the Vernon Rowing Club in the water.
Erickson and Dueck pocketed double gold in women’s events, while Baker struck gold and Peters and Greenan took double silver in men’s action. Morgan Knauf won a bronze medal in women’s competition.
“All the rowers achieved personal-best 1K times in their finals races on Saturday and, in the skills event on Sunday, the rowers came away with four medals,” said Zone 2 coach Glen Stiven, of Vernon, helped by Dan Thompson. “We congratulate the whole Zone 2 crew for their outstanding efforts on and off the water at the Games.”
Related: Rowers ready for Summer Games
Three North Okanagan soccer players helped their boys’ zone team win gold. Vernon’s Carter Leahy and Coldstream’s Alexander Jones and Owen Challen were members of the victorious Thompson Okanagan squad.
Jorja Catt and Kaitlyn Budgen from Vernon won gold with Thompson Okanagan girls basketball team.
Victoria Barry of Coldstream won bronze on the track as a member of the zone girls 4 x 100m relay squad.
Myah Gallie of Vernon picked up silver in girls softball, as the Thompson Okanagan squad lost the gold-medal game 7-1 to Vancouver-Coastal. It was the first ever Games girls softball medal for Zone 2.
Gallie, who caught and played third base, knocked in the tying and winning runs as Zone 2 clipped the Cariboo 5-4 in eight innings (international rules) in the semifinals.
Rosina Fraser-Bowden and Norah Mallett of Vernon captured silver with the zone synchronized swimming AG 13-15 team.
Vernon’s Jacob Defeo, Joshua Hall and Levi VanderDeen helped the zone boys volleyball squad win bronze 2-0 (25-22, 25-16) over Zone 6 Vancouver Island-Central Coast.
After going 3-0 in pool play, Zone 2 earned an automatic berth to the semifinals versus Vancouver-Coastal Saturday morning. In a match that went right down to the wire, the Zone 2 boys bowed 15-12 in the in the third and deciding set.
A day later, Zone 2 needed no extra motivation and played their best match of the weekend, dominating in the medal match. Coaches Jeremy Finn (Kelowna) and Mike Smith (Kamloops) stuck to their original game-plan and did a great job of getting contributions out of every player on the roster in the match.
“This performance today is a testament to the character of this group of young men,” said Smith. “After losing a close-fought semifinal, they definitely came into today’s match with a mission to bring home some hardware. We couldn’t be more proud of how each and every one of them played throughout the competition.”
Related: Vernon trio gives Zone 2 huge size, skill at BC Games
More than 2,300 athletes competed in 18 sports at venues throughout the Cowichan Valley representing their home zones with determination and pride.
“Congratulations to all the athletes who competed in the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “Your dedication and achievements have inspired so many around the province and I know you will continue to accomplish great things on and off the field. No matter where you placed in competition, participating in sport builds skills that will help you achieve success in every area of your lives.”
The BC Summer Games concluded with the closing ceremony where athletes’ accomplishments were celebrated and coaches, officials and volunteers contributions were recognized.
Cowichan lived up to its historical name “The Warm Land” with summer sun and welcoming hospitality from the volunteer force of 2,300 greeting visitors from across the province and providing a memorable experience for everyone involved.
The BC Games are the starting point for many athletes as they pursue their goals and dreams of one day representing Canada on the world stage. A number of Olympians and Paralympians were involved in these Games as role models, mentors and administrators including Brent Hayden (swimming), Dave Calder (rowing), Sabrina Netty (athletics), Baeden Dolfo (athletics) and Richard Peter (wheelchair basketball).
“It is fitting that in our 40th anniversary year, the BC Summer Games held in Cowichan celebrated years of success but, more importantly, introduced many enhanced initiatives such as the involvement of Indigenous athletes and First Nations communities,” said Kelly Mann, president and CEO of the BC Games Society. “I know the BC Games will continue to be an important opportunity for sport and community development in the years to come.”
The 2020 BC Summer Games will be held in Fort St. John.
Vernon swimmer Alexanne Lepage (12 years old) won silver and bronze in the pool on relays
