MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- After the kind of performance he put together at the ManSask Swimming Championship in the lead-up to the Saskatchewan Summer Games, it seemed likely that Cole Hrechka would be a medal favourite at the major multi-sport event currently underway in Lloydminster.
And wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly how things turned out.
Hrechka, 13, won three gold medals in the pool during the first half of the Games, emerging as Team South West’s top performer after the first three days of competition.
The Kinsmen Flying Fins standout won all three medals in his breaststroke specialty, touching the wall in 32.95 to win the 50m breast, 1:14.00 to win the 100m breast and in 2:39.47 to claim the 200m breast.
Hrechka wasn’t done there, either, as he also landed four bronze medals as part of South West’s relay teams, including the 4x100m male freestyle, 4x50m male free, 4x50 male medley relay and 4x50m mixed medley relay.
South West’s only other gold medal in the first half also came in the pool, with Swift Current’s Talyah Cuthbert finishing first in the 50m freestyle.
Flying Fins competitors Meegan DeLong and Kennedy Saretsi also landed a handful of relay medals, with the duo joining Cuthbert and Swift Current Bria Filson to win bronze in the 4x50m and 4x100m freestyle relay as well as the 4x50m medley relay.
Things also went well for the South West tennis team, winning two silver and one bronze medal.
Mason Dodd and Carter Lichtenwald reached the gold medal final in male doubles before falling to Saskatoon’s Ty Cory and William Jin and winning silver, while Brecon Swalm and Ryan Xu did the same in mixed doubles before losing to Regina’s Toni and Toju Oladokun.
Swift Current’s Petro Kalousis defeated South East’s Brooks Cote to claim bronze in male singles.
South West’s male volleyball team came a victory away from claiming gold, falling 25-20, 25-22 to Regina in the championship final and winning silver.
The South West girls fastball team also reached the gold medal final before losing 13-6 to Prairie Central and claiming silver.
South West had four gold, a silver and seven bronze for 12 medals heading into the second half of the Summer Games beginning Thursday, with track and field, baseball, baseball, beach volleyball, girls soccer and triathlon running through Sunday.
Visit www.saskgames.ca/summer for results throughout the remainder of the Games and be sure to check back for updates daily updates.
