Moose Jaw athletes will be plenty busy in the coming weeks as the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games kick off in Regina.
A total of 51 competitors will be joined by a full slate of coaches and managers representing Team South West at the cross-province multi-sport event, beginning with the opening ceremonies on Sunday evening.
The first half of the Games will see 15 Moose Jaw athletes in action.
Special Olympics bowling will see Brady Volk, Casey Hopps, Kile Wilson and Calvin Schaff take to the lanes, with Crystal Kober-McCubbing working as team coach and Stephen Lewry serving as their manager.
Kaylee Hogeboom and Dayne Heisler will represent South West in mixed doubles curling and will be coached by Barb Owens. The duo had a second-place finish at the recent SaskMilk Tour stop last month, making them one of the teams to watch at the event.
The gymnastics team will feature a trio of competitors from Moose Jaw Gymtastiks, with Katelyn Sauer, Amara Cameron and Jaylin Bevin joined by coach Lacey Smith.
Brecon Swalm and coach Earl Swalm will compete in biathlon.
The weightlifting team is an all-Moose Jaw crew, with Paxton Nelson, Asher Booth, Hawkins Jacobson and Prairie Jacobson in action. Nelson will have a quick turnaround after his showing, as he heads off to P.E.I. to compete in the second week of judo at the Canada Winter Games. Jeff Nelson will serve as coach of Team South West, Jessica Jacobson as manager.
Miguel Rea is on the fill-team roster for speed skating, with John Morris and Morgan Capili as coaches.
The bulk of Moose Jaw competitors will see action during the second week of the Games beginning Feb. 27
All but two competitors on the wrestling team hail from the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club. Reigning high school provincial silver medalist Brady Ross will lead a crew of nine into the event, including Teagan Kivol, Kruz Babich, Tanner Kivol, Kingston Usher, Eisa Tondevold, Arianna Skeoch, Aurelia Eros and Evelyn Eros. Lindsey Ross will act as team manager.
The judo team will also see plenty of representation from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club. Felix Leonard, Emmett Lee-Neuman, Chase Wilder, Kenzie Woods and Josie Mawson will all take to the tatami, with Talissa Edwards serving as coach. The fill-in crew for judo is also packed with Moose Jaw athletes, including Noah Pulvermacher, Hawkins Jacobson, Nova Lee-Neuman, Olesia Dunn and Cali Markel.
Competing in futsal for the first time in the Winter Games will be Samuel Mendes, Patrick Pryadko, Cohen McDonald and Jamal Ahadi, with Jason Jones from JJ Soccer acting as coach/manager.
The figure skating team will see all but one athlete from Canada’s Most Notorious City. Taking the ice will be Brayden Bader, Seann Terry, Cameron Deans, Bryar Molde, Temperance Wiebe, Elizabeth Deans, Madison Bauck, Sierra Good, Mitike Cridland and Brecon Swalm. Bree Campbell and Kimber Bader are coaches, Earl Swalm is the team manager. The fill team will be made up of Channing Mack, Bryar Molde and Rachel Ward along with Brownlee’s Rowan Gray, who like Nelson will also be competing in the Canada Winter Games.
Team South West won 12 gold, 18 silver and 12 bronze for a total of 42 medals at the last Saskatchewan Winter Games in 2018.
Be sure to keep an eye on www.saskgames.ca/winter for results and information from all the action.
