Team BC came to the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games as the province to beat and the phase one athletes did not disappoint. Competing in nine sports, Team BC athletes earned 77 gold, 51 silver, and 41 bronze medals and leads the medal count with 169 medals.
44% of the athletes on Team BC are alumni of the BC Summer or BC Winter Games. These alumni contributed in a significant way to the medal total for Team BC.
In athletics, Rostam Turner (Kelowna - 2010 BC Summer Games), led from start to finish in the men’s decathlon and also took gold in discus and the 4x100m relay. It was a podium sweep of the women’s hammer throw with 2012 W.R. Bennett Award Winner, Chanell Botsis (Coquitlam - 2012 BC Summer Games) taking the bronze. In the men's hammer, Victoria's Sam Willett (2012 BC Summer Games) won gold. Regan Yee (South Hazelton - 2010 BC Summer Games) raced to the third best time in Canadian history to take gold in 2000m steeplechase and followed up with gold in the 1500m.
The beach volleyball siblings of Darby Dunn (2014 BC Summer Games) and Devon Dunn (2010 & 2012 BC Summer Games) and Liam Birker (2012 BC Summer Games) and Quinci Birker (2010 & 2012 BC Summer Games) won gold in women’s and silver in men’s.
On the water, Team BC Canoe Kayak team dominated earning 33 medals including 11 medals (seven gold and four silver) for Team BC flag bearer, Alex Brent (Dewdney - 2012 BC Summer Games). Kamloops canoe specialists, Alex Demishkevich (2012 BC Summer Games) and Zach Morgan (2010 BC Summer Games) combined for five medals.
The men’s gymnastics team won gold and Abbotsford’s Cohen Kiers (2012 BC Winter Games) added gold in all around and medaled in four individual events. Teammate Dawson Friesen (2012 BC Winter Games), also of Abbotsford, added gold in vault and floor. The women’s team won silver and Darby McIntyre (Saltspring Island - 2014 BC Winter Games) won gold on the floor.
In Judo, the men's and women's teams won gold with nine BC Games alumni contributing to the team. Individual gold medals also went to Simren Brar (2012 & 2014 BC Winter Games), Alicia Fiandor (2014 BC Winter Games), Vanessa Kruger (2014 BC Winter Games), Ario Nishimura (2012 & 2014 BC Winter Games), Lisa Russell (2012 & 2014 BC Winter Games) and Kelsey Painter (2014 BC Winter Games).
The wrestlers also brought home team gold for men and women with eight BC Games alumni including individual gold medalists, Aaron Badovinac (2014 BC Summer Games), Arara Jarvinen (2014 BC Summer Games), Pritpaul Johal (2014 BC Summer Games), Earl Lagos (2014 BC Summer Games), Jacquline Lew (2014 BC Summer Games), and Serena Woldring (2014 BC Summer Games).
Continue to follow all the action on www.teambc.org for more medal results from BC Games alumni and Team BC at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.
PHOTO: Darby Dunn (right) and Quinci Birker (left) with their gold medals in Beach Volleyball