A total of 14 local competitors will take part in the massive event, which features 1,700 athletes from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut competing in everything from track and field to wrestling from Aug. 9 to 18.
The first week of competition takes place Aug. 9-13, with eight Moose Jaw athletes in action.
The Moose Jaw Kinsmen Flying Fins will be especially well represented in the opening phase, with five competitors hitting the pool at the Aquatic Centre. Austin Lin will see action in the boys 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly, Ethan Schenk in the boys 50m breaststroke, Cadence Johns in the girls 100m backstroke and 100m fly, Chloe Johns in the girls 50m breast and Reece Koch in the girls 100m back and 200m freestyle. They’ll be joined by Ann Johns as the team manager.
A pair of local competitors will also see action in team sports, with Dylan Boughen of the provincial high school champion Central Cyclones taking the floor in boys basketball and Courtney Botterill of the Moose Jaw Bantam Ice playing in girls softball.
While the vast majority of athletes from the first phase will be heading home after week one, Lin will still have work to do – he’ll be joining younger brother Harry Lin on the Saskatchewan tennis team when the Games resume on Aug. 13.
Sprint specialist Jonah Branning of the University of Regina Cougars will be one of Saskatchewan’s medal hopes when he takes the track in the sprints, while Peacock grad Camryn Gillies will be shooting for a medal in the middle distance events.
Wrestling also takes centre stage during week two, with Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club competitor Payton Kell hitting the mats in the male 39-42 kilogram division and Alexis Bradish in the female 65 kg class. Regina Advanced Wrestling Academy’s Kyle Yamniuk will see action in the male 63 kg division.
Saskatchewan finished fourth in medals in the 2015 Western Canada Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta. with 127 medals, including 22 gold, 42 silver and 63 bronze. B.C. claimed first place (134-85-61), Alberta second (62-85-79) and Manitoba third (48-47-49).
